Air Warfare

Double Dutch as Netherlands adds four more Reapers to first order

22nd August 2023

The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) will increase its fleet of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Block 5 Reapers UAS from four to eight under a deal announced on 21 August.

Training

Black Construction wins additional $11 million funds for US fire training range

21st August 2023

Black Construction has been awarded an $11 million contract modification from the US DoD to design and construct a live-fire training range complex.

Naval Warfare

Keel laid for USS Tang

17th August 2023

The keel was laid for the 32nd Virginia-class submarine USS Tang on 17 August, a Block V variant of the type and the third boat with this name for the USN.

Air Warfare

Netherlands receives first MQ-9A Reaper UAS

16th August 2023

The first Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) General Atomics MQ-9A Block 5 Reaper UAS has arrived at the Leeuwarden air base in the north of the country.

Defence Notes

Sweden to commit AMRAAM missiles to Ukraine with 13th support package

16th August 2023

Sweden has announced its 13th support package to Ukraine, including ammunition, spare parts, transport vehicles, missiles and mine clearance equipment as part of an effort to provide significant military backing in response to Russia's invasion.

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

Wing Loong I-D (Eygpt)

Programme Background Context According to SIPRI, 10 Wing Loong I UAVs from China in 2016, with deliveries occurring from 2016 to 2018. The Chinese Sohu newspaper reported that Eygpt ...

Tanks

Arjun Mark-II

Programme Background While original plans envisioned the production of up to 250 Arjun Mk IIs, the programme's many delays have prompted the Indian Army to ...

Tanks

Al-Khalid-I

Programme Background Pakistan operates a vast fleet of Chinese and Ukrainian MBTs primarily aimed at deterring regional rivals such as India. In order to build ...

Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

San Antonio LPD 17 Flight I

The LPD 17 Flight I ships are the first flight of the San Antonio class Landing Platform Docks (LPD). Procured between FY1996 and FY2017, the ...

Tanks

Al-Khalid-II

Programme Background Pakistan operates a vast fleet of Chinese and Ukrainian MBTs primarily aimed at deterring regional rivals such as India. In order to build ...

Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

Fast Interceptor Craft - Indigenous (FIC-I) (India)

Programme Background Requirements The craft are required to have a length of 13-17m, a sustained speed of 45kt, a range of at least 200nm at 15kt, ...

Submarines: conventional, attack

KSS-III (Boats 6-9)

Programme Background The new KSS-III Dosan Ahn Chang-Ho-class submarines for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) are a significant advance on the earlier KSS-II and KSS-I ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

RQ-4 Global Hawk (Japan)

Programme Background Selection & Contract AwardIn 2015, Northrop Grumman's RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft were selected by Japan to ...

APCs/IFVs - 4x4, APCs/IFVs - 6x6, APCs/IFVs - 8x8

Chile Piranha I Replacement

Programme Background Chile has operated the Piranha I armoured vehicle platform for more than 30 years. During the early 1980s between 100 and 200 Piranha ...

Submarines: conventional, attack

KSS-III (Boats 1-5) (South Korea)

Programme Background Timeline The new KSS-III Dosan Ahn Chang-Ho-class submarines for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) are a significant advance on the earlier KSS-II ...

APCs/IFVs - 4x4, APCs/IFVs - 6x6

Wheeled Armoured Vehicles (Ghana)

Programme Background Requirement After coming to power in 2017, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo approved the expansion of Ghana's armed forces. The resulting military modernisation programme ...

Sealift/replenishment vessels

Polar Class 4 Icebreaker (Argentina)

Programme Background Timeline The programme dates back to 2014 when the Argentine navy had sought to acquire a vessel for cargo and fuel transport, capable of sailing ...

Destroyers

KDDX Next Generation Destroyer [South Korea]

Programme Background Requirements The new destroyers are set to replace the older KDX I and KDX II. The program calls for the construction of six ...

OPVs

Project Biro

Programme Background Three multi-mission inshore patrol vessels (MMIPVs) have been procured for the South African Navy under Project Biro. Based on Damen's Stan Patrol 6211 ...

AEW&C

E-7A Wedgetail (USA)

Programme Background Speaking on 21 September 2021 during the annual Air Force Association (AFA) Meeting in Washington DC, USAF Chief of Staff Gen Charles Brown ...

Subsystems: software

SWORD

The SWORD is a high-level, automated war-game solution for training, analysis and planning. Developed in close relation with armies worldwide, the SWORD immerses brigade and ...

Air: air combat simulators

TAOS

In Tactical Aircraft Online Services (TAOS), live Aero L-29 jets are flown by experienced combat pilots alongside a wingman flying a ground-based flight simulator, controlled ...

Land: fire support simulators

FIDex

Fidelity has merged the technology of its JTAC and IDF product lines. It released FIDex (Fidelity Extreme) at I/ITSEC 2011 with its first demo of ...

Air: helicopter flight simulators, Land: tactical engagement simulators

VBS Blue IG

At I/ITSEC 2017, Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim) unveiled a new simulation technology to help international militaries train for operations. VBS Blue IG, an upgrade from the ...

Subsystems: visual

EP-8100

At I/ITSEC 2015, Collins Aerospace (formerly Rockwell Collins) unveiled its EP-8100 image generation system, which is driven by real-time, simulation-specific graphics cards and software. It ...

Subsystems: visual

WholeEarth Synthetic Environment

Rockwell Collins unveiled its enhanced synthetic training environment, WholeEarth, at I/ITSEC 2015 and the official release occurred in May 2016. The high-resolution complete Earth database ...

APCs/IFVs - 4x4

Cockerill i-X

The Cockerill i-X is a wheeled armoured vehicle designed as a light armoured platform with a modular turret for intercepting enemy forces. John Cockerill Defense unveiled the new ...

Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

ALTIUS-600 / ALTIUS-600M

Part of the ALTIUS family, the ALTIUS-600 is an air-launched, tube-integrated UAV that Area-I has designed to conduct ISR, SIGINT collection and electronic warfare missions.  At AUSA 2022, Anduril ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

Wing Loong I

Designed by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the Wing Loong I is the first member of the ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

Skylark I-LEX

The Skylark I-LEX is a mini-UAV manufactured by Elbit Systems.  Unveiled at the Paris Air Show in 2015, the UAV is designed for ISR operations. It ...

Self-propelled rocket launchers

Pinaka

The Pinaka 214mm MRL was developed indigenously by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from 1986 to meet the Indian Army's requirement for an ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

Anka-I

Anka-I is a SIGINT/COMINT variant of Turkey’s Anka-S and is operated by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization. The COMINT capability allows operators to track, geolocate and ...

Air: aerial targets

QF-16 FSAT

The QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) is an optionally piloted supersonic aerial target developed to replace the QF-4 in USAF service. Retired F-16 fighters are ...

Air: mission management systems

I-C2F

The Integrated Command and Control Framework (I-C2F) provides an end-to-end C2 architecture delivering J1-J9 functionality across the joint battlespace. As well as C2 messaging and ...

APCs/IFVs - 6x6

Pandur EVO

The Pandur EVO is a 6x6 APC that features a new longer hull design, driveline technology and powerpack, which provide a significantly increased level of ...