Belgium is procuring a further 3,500 Mikron night-vision goggles as part of the Night Vision Capability programme. (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation)  The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR)is procuring on behalf of Belgium an additional 3,500 Mikron night-vision goggles (NVGs) from the Theon Sensors and Hensoldt consortium following an amendment to the Night Vision Capability (NVC) contract.  The NVC contract was signed in July 2021 between OCCAR and the consortium for the provision of NVGs to Belgium and Germany t...

SkyShield, displayed at IDEX 2023, is an omnidirectional C-UAS that can detect and neutralise multiple unmanned aerial threats. (Janes/Olivia Savage)  The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has signed a contract with Edge company SIGN4L for the provision of counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UASs).  Announced by Edge on 30 January, the contract includes the provision of the vehicle-based SkyShield and the NavControl-G jammer.  SIGN4L had not responded to Janes at the time of publication regarding the number of units being supplied and the delivery...

The NHIndustries (NHI) MRH90 Taipan has several key components, including some systems tailored to Australian requirements. (Janes/Commonwealth of Australia)  Airbus and NHIndustries (NHI) are negotiating with the Australian government to harvest high-value parts and critical components from the Australian Defence Force's (ADF's) decommissioned fleet of NHI MRH90 Taipan helicopters.    Airbus told   Janes   that these parts are being sought for other NH90 customers “in order to support their flight operations”.   “Altogethe...

Seen in Spanish service, the H215 will soon be fielded by Romania also with the anticipated procurement of two helicopters by the country's navy. (Airbus Helicopters)  The Romanian Navy is to receive a pair of Airbus H215M helicopters equipped for anti-surface vessel warfare (ASuW), the manufacturer confirmed to Janes on 30 January.  The anticipated procurement was revealed in a European Union (EU) notification posted on 19 January, which said that the two helicopters would be acquired by Industria Aeronautică Romană (IAR) as the prime contra...

The MH-139A, a developmental version of which is seen here on 19 December 2019 at Duke Field in Florida. (US Air Force)    Boeing conducted the first flight of a production MH-139 Grey Wolf on 23 December at Leonardo Helicopters' facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the company told   Janes  on 26 January.   The helicopter is the first of 13 ordered by the US Air Force (USAF) under a March 2023 low-rate initial production (LRIP) contract. The LRIP helicopter is scheduled for delivery to the USAF between June and August,...

A model of Lockheed Martin F-35A in Czech colours at the IQPC International Fighter Conference on 6 November 2023. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The Czech Republic has signed a letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) for the procurement of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, the country's Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 29 January.  The LOA for 24 conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) F-35A aircraft was signed four months after the Czech government approved the acquisition in September 2023, clearing the Czech Air Force...

The first of an initial four UH-60M Black Hawks for Croatia (pictured) was delivered in February 2022. The former Yugloslav country has been approved to buy eight more such helicopters for a final fleet of 12. (Croatian Ministry of Defence)  Croatia has been cleared to buy additional Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters, with the US State Department granting approval for the proposed procurement on 26 January.  With four Black Hawks already received, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced the approval of a furth...

Greece is set to join the growing group of European and international allies operating the F-35, with the US State Department approving the sale of up to 40 aircraft. (Royal Norwegian Air Force)  The United States has approved combat aircraft sales to Greece and Turkey worth a combined USD31.6 billion.  In two separate notifications posted at the same time on 26 January, the US State Department approved the sale of new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft to Greece, and new and modernised Lockheed Martin F-16...

A file photo of an RNLAF F-35A Lightning II of the type now assigned to the BENELUX air-defence mission. (Royal Netherlands Air Force)  Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft have taken on air-defence duties for the BENELUX countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg for the first time.  NATO Allied Air Command announced the milestone on 25 January, saying that a pair of Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) F-35As at Leeuwarden Air Base had been assigned to the mission, marking a first for the fifth-gen...

A testbed radar – installed atop a 40 ft tower acting as a proxy ship mast – has been employed by NSWCDD since mid-2020 as an FXR test asset and risk reduction system. (US Navy)  A request for information (RFI) released by US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) on 16 January has called for industry input to inform future decisions on development and initial production of the Future X-band Radar (FXR) being planned for large surface combatants, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, and amphibious ships.  Complementary to the Raytheon AN/SPY-6(V) f...

The RBAirF's Airbus 295MW fleet will be used in a strategic and tactical transport capability within the region and beyond. (Airbus)  The Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) has received its first two out of four ordered Airbus C295MW transport aircraft.  The aircraft arrived at the RBAirF's Air Movement Centre at Rimba Air Base on 24 January, according to a statement from the Brunei Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). Brunei's contract with Airbus Defence and Space SAU, Spain, for acquisition of the aircraft was signed on 2 December 2022.  Janes...

Seen at its home station of RAF Marham, the F-35B now comprises more than the previously stated 15% of value per aircraft to the UK economy, according to Lockheed Martin. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The value of the F-35 programme to the economy of the United Kingdom is now “significantly higher” than it was just a few years ago, Lockheed Martin has said.  Speaking to journalists on 24 January, the chief executive of Lockheed Martin UK, Paul Livingston, said that a new economic impact analysis of the international F-35 programme will show that i...

The PLA deploys YJ-62 missiles in Haiyang drills. (Janes)    The 333rd Coastal Defence Brigade of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Northern Theater Command (NTC) has deployed land-attack YJ-62 anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs) in a drill that took place in Haiyang, a coastal city southeast of the Shandong Peninsula    in China.   According to the drill's video footage released by Chinese state-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), the brigade was seen exercising with four 8×8 WS2400 transporter-erector-launch...

Seen in US Marine Corps service, the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter will shortly be flown by the Nigerian Air Force also. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The US Department of Defense (DoD) has confirmed the sale of the Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter to Nigeria, with a related contract notification posted on 19 December.  Having been approved for the sale of 12 helicopters in 2022, Nigeria's procurement was confirmed with the announcement that Northrop Grumman had been awarded a USD7.7 million contract modification “for the production and delivery...

Germany is to donate six of its retired Sea King helicopters to Ukraine. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Germany has pledged to send Westland Sea King helicopters to Ukraine as part of a wider raft of military support for Kyiv.  German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius made the announcement on 23 January, saying that six Sea King helicopters would be sent.  “The Sea King is a proven and robust helicopter that will help the Ukrainians in many areas, from reconnaissance over the Black Sea to transporting soldiers. It is the first German delivery of thi...

Seen here in its company demonstrator form, the Leonardo AW149 has been selected along with the AW169M to replace North Macedonia's ageing Soviet-built helicopter inventory. (Leonardo)  The North Macedonian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (Armija na Republika Severna Makedonija: ARSM) have decided to acquire Italian helicopters to replace the country's Soviet-built airframes.  North Macedonian Defence Minister Slavjanka Petrovska made the announcement on national TV on 22 January, saying four Leonardo...

An F-35B with UK-specific ASRAAM, SPEAR 3, and Meteor laid out in front of it. While the ASRAAM is already fielded, the SPEAR 3 and Meteor will not be available until the end of the decade, the government has now said. (Crown Copyright)  The Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning should receive additional UK-specific weapons “by the end of the decade”, the government said on 16 January.  Answering questions in the House of Commons, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) James Cartlidge said that, with the MBDA AIM-132 Advanced Short-Rang...

Germany is to join Spain and the UK in integrating the Brimstone air-to-surface missile onto its Eurofighter combat aircraft. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Germany is to equip its Eurofighter combat aircraft with the MBDA Brimstone air-to-surface missile, the government revealed on 17 January.  Revealed in Bundeswehr budgetary documents disclosed by Der Spiegel, the Luftwaffe intends to acquire 274 of the low-yield missiles to equip its Eurofighter fleet, with a contract to be awarded in the second quarter (Q2) of 2024.  No further details of the pl...

An artist's portrayal of the Northrop Grumman LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM. (Northrop Grumman)  The US Air Force's (USAF's) LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) programme is to cost at least 37% more and enter service two years later than anticipated, the USAF said in a 19 January statement.  The Program Acquisition Unit Cost (PAUC) has increased from a projected USD118 million in 2020 to roughly USD162 million per missile in December 2023. Most of the overrun is due to cost increases in the command-and-control (C2) and missile...

The Sabal-10 UAV is pictured in trials with a payload attached to the centre of its tubular fuselage. (EndureAir Systems)  Indian firm EndureAir Systems has developed two new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for military logistics operations. The ‘Sabal' series UAVs consist of small, electrically propelled tandem-rotor aerial vehicles designed primarily for cargo and observation applications, the company said.    Rama Krishna, CEO of EndureAir, told   Janes  that the Sabal UAVs, comprising Sabal-10 and Sabal-20, have a low aud...