Damen Naval marked the official start of the construction phase of the Type 126 frigates programme with a steel-cutting ceremony on 5 December. Pictured (from left to right): Damen Shipyards Group's CEO Arnout Damen and Lürssen CEO Friedrich Lürssen. (Damen/Felix Matthies)  Damen Naval held a steel-cutting ceremony for the first Type 126 multi-purpose frigate on order for the German Navy at NVL Group's Peene-Werft shipyard in Wolgast, Germany, on 5 December.  Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group was awarded a EUR4.6 billion (USD5 billion)...

The Latvian MoD has signed a EUR600 million contract with Diehl for IRIS-T SLM air-defence systems. (Diehl)  The Latvian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Diehl Defence have announced that they signed a contract on 30 November for the delivery of the IRIS-T SLM (Surface Launched Medium Range) air-defence system to Latvia. The EUR600 million (USD649 million) contract was signed by Latvian National Armaments Director Mārtiņš Paškēvičs and Torsten Cook, senior vice-president of Diehl Defence's ground-based air-defence business unit.  The order follo...

The UAE has requested to purchase SRC's tripod-mounted AN/TPQ-50 counter-fire radar, currently operated by the British Army and US Army. (Janes/Patrick Allen)    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has requested to purchase 18 manportable AN/TPQ-50 Lightweight Counter Mortar Radars (LCMRs)    from the United States (US).   The proposed sale is estimated to be valued at USD85 million and will include, in addition to the AN/TPQ-50 radars, 107 mm high-explosive rockets (for contiguous US testing only); computer digital military lap...

The Latvian MoD has signed a EUR600 million contract with Diehl for IRIS-T SLM air-defence systems. (Diehl)  The Latvian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Diehl Defence have announced that they signed a contract on 30 November for the delivery of the IRIS-T SLM (Surface Launched Medium Range) air-defence system to Latvia. The EUR600 million (USD649 million) contract was signed by Latvian National Armaments Director Mārtiņš Paškēvičs and Torsten Cook, senior vice-president of Diehl Defence's ground-based air-defence business unit.  The order follo...

A Republic of Korea Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35A drops a GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb during a training exercise in November 2022. (South Korea MND)  The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of munitions for South Korea's Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs.  In an announcement on 1 December the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said that the South Korean government had requested the purchase of a range of air-launched munitions for the Republic of Korea Air Force's (RoKAF's) F-35. The...

An artist's portrayal of the Northrop Grumman LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile. (Northrop Grumman)  The US is undergoing large-scale recapitalisation of its nuclear deterrent capability, with warheads central in this process: five warhead programmes are under way, two of which are in production and in-service phases, and three programmes are in development, according to a Department of Energy (DoE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) annual report.  The two in production are the B61-12 air-launched gravity bomb,...

A Gurkha from 1 Royal Gurkha Rifles with an L85A3 5.56 mm assault rifle (right) next to a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force 1st Airborne Brigade paratrooper with a Howa Type 20 5.56 mm assault rifle (left) during Exercise ‘Vigilant Isles' in Somagahara Camp, Japan, on 15 November. (Crown copyright)  British Army soldiers embedded with the Japan Ground Self‐Defense Force (JGSDF) for the first time during Exercise ‘Vigilant Isles 23' in Japan from 15 to 26 November.  The Japanese embassy in London said on its website on 26 November that the exerc...

The Sting Ray torpedo is to be integrated aboard the RAF's fleet of Poseidon MRA1 aircraft. (Crown Copyright)  The United Kingdom is to arm its fleet of Boeing P-8A Poseidon MRA1 maritime multimission aircraft (MMA) with the domestically developed Sting Ray torpedo.  The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the decision on 30 November, saying the British-built Sting Ray will be used alongside the US-built Mk 54 torpedo that was delivered as part of the US government's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) package.  “The programme to integrate Sting Ray...

The Aster 30 missile (pictured above) is a two-stage kinetic kill effector fitted with an active seeker with an interception range of approximately 100 km against threats operating at altitudes up to 20,000 m. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  The Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) Aster 30 SAMP/T (Sol-Air Moyenne-Portée/Terrestre or surface-to-air medium range/land based) self-propelled surface-to-air missile (SAM) system has achieved full operational capability (FOC), the Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said in a press release on 29 Nov...

The 3SM Tyrfing missile is expected to utilise solid-fuel ramjet propulsion. (Kongsberg)  Norway has disclosed plans to jointly develop a new long-range, high-speed naval strike weapon with Germany.  Announcing the move on 24 November, Norwegian Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram said the projected SuperSonic Strike Missile (3SM) – given the name Tyrfing (a magic sword in Norse mythology) – was entering preliminary development pending a more substantive investment decision next year. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, which has previously develope...

A mock-up of the Sky Sword II missile – locally known as the TC-2 land-based missile – is pictured at TADTE 2023. The missile structure consists of the active radar seeker, followed by the electronics section, proximity fuze, warhead, and rocket motor, ending in the exhaust. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  Taiwan's state-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) has started the mass production of its land-based short-to-medium-range air-defence capability known as the Sky Sword II (locally termed Tien Chien II), a Republic o...

Israeli MoD Director General Eyal Zamir signed the final contract for the AWS sale to Germany on 23 November. (IAI)  The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on X (formerly Twitter) on 23 November that its Director General, Eyal Zamir, signed the final contract for the USD3.6 billion sale of the Arrow Weapon System (AWS) to Germany earlier the same day. In addition to the AWS and Arrow 3 missiles, the contract includes an initial package of spare parts and training of Luftwaffe crews.  German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and his Is...

The Shahed 136 is of great concern for air-defence planners and industry since its debut in Ukraine in 2022. Skyfortress has developed a solution that can detect and track these loud and slow munitions without the use of active systems such as radars or electro-optical sensors. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)  Representatives from Skyfortress – a Ukrainian non-governmental organisation – have disclosed details of work to develop and install an acoustic sensor network for the detection and tracking of aerial threats.  Speaking at SAE Me...

The ACR is deploying a battery of DANA vz 77 SPHs to Lithuania in 2024. (ACR)  The Army of the Czech Republic (ACR) announced on its website on 21 November that it is deploying a battery of DANA vz 77 152 mm 8×8 self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) to Lithuania. The Czech Army's 3rd Task Force, including a DANA battery from the ACR's 131st Artillery Battalion, will be deployed in Lithuania during the first half of 2024 as part of the German-led enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) NATO battlegroup in the Baltic country.  Most of the task force's over 1...

A BOV-OT M-21 APC demonstrating its water obstacle crossing capabilities at Nikinci. (Serbian MoD)  The Serbian Armed Forces' (SAF's) new indigenously developed, locally produced or modernised weapons, and military equipment were presented to Defence Minister Miloš Vučević at the SAF's Weapons and Military Equipment Test Centre ‘Nikinci' on 14 November, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on its website later the same day.  Among the equipment shown, was a new series of six BOV M16 Miloš 4×4 multi-purpose armoured vehicles, PASARS self-pr...

The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System – pictured above firing an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile at Woomera Test Range in South Australia in mid-November – provides air defence against a variety of aerial threats, including UAV, missile, helicopter, and aircraft attacks within 40–50 km. (Commonwealth of Australia)  The Australian Army has started inducting its new short-range ground-based air-defence capability known as the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), a spokesperson for the Australi...

The BAAINBw has ordered 2,300 PARM off-route anti-tank mines from MBDA subsidiary TDW. (MBDA)  The Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), Germany's Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology, and In-Service Support, signed a contract with MBDA subsidiary TDW on 14 November for 2,300 Panzerabwehrrichtmine (PARM) off-route anti-tank mines, MBDA announced in a press release on 15 November. Thomas Gottschild, managing director of MBDA Germany said, “With the procurement, PARM is in...

Conceptual drawing of the ABBS Dragon mine-clearing UGV presented at FAVS 2023. (Janes/Sonny Butterworth)  United Kingdom-based company Advanced Blast & Ballistic Systems (ABBS) displayed its Dragon mine-clearing unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) concept at SAE Media Group's Future Armoured Vehicles Survivability (FAVS) 2023 conference held in London between 13 and 15 November.  Described as an “attritable autonomous ground vehicle for minefield breaching” by ABBS, the Dragon is a wheeled UGV designed to clear a path through minefields by using i...

An Indian Navy Sea King Mk 42B helicopter firing a Naval Anti-Ship Missile – Short Range as part of the weapon's guided flight trials. (Indian Navy)  India has carried out another test of an indigenously developed anti-surface guided weapon known as the Naval Anti-Ship Missile – Short Range (NASM-SR).  The latest launch was carried out as part of the weapon's ‘guided flight trials', the Indian Navy announced via an official social media channel on 21 November.  Similar to its maiden flight test in May 2022, the weapon was launched from a Sea...

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is shown a cutaway model of the second stage of the Fattah-2 hypersonic missile during a visit to the IRGCAF museum in Tehran on 19 November 2023. (leader.ir)  Iran unveiled its Fattah-2 hypersonic missile during a visit by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Aerospace Force (IRGCAF) museum in Tehran on 19 November.  Media coverage of the event showed the Fattah-2 consists of a ballistic missile motor that looks similar to the one used to power the Fattah missile that...