The SIG716 is a gas-cycled, air‐cooled, magazine box-fed weapon of a conventional layout with a maximum hitting range of 800 m. (SIG SAUER)  India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved the procurement of 70,000 additional SIG Sauer's SIG716 7.62×51 mm rifles worth INR8.4 billion (USD100 million) for the Indian Army, A Bharat Bhushan Babu, principal spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD),told Janes on 14 December.  The MoD ordered the first batch of 72,400 SIG716 rifles worth USD90 million in 2020 using the Fast Track...

WZ551 armoured vehicles lined up behind a WMA301 self-propelled gun at a range in Inkomo. (Office of the President and Cabinet (Zimbabwe))  Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa attended an event on 13 December to receive a consignment of Chinese military equipment that included new armoured vehicles.  “This is a result of the unapparelled strategic partnership that exists between Zimbabwe and China,” Mnangagwa posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account. “I express gratitude to China for their generosity and our ongoing relationship.”  The...

Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said the UN is focused on making better use of digital technology. He is pictured at the UN's recent Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting in Accra, Ghana. (UN Peacekeeping)  Technological developments in areas such as data exploitation, digitisation, and artificial intelligence (AI) were a major theme at the recent United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial in Accra, Ghana, with the international organisation seeking to adapt to an evolving military landscape.  The ministerial saw...

The 405th Army Field Support Brigade's Tele-Maintenance and Distribution Cell-Ukraine in Jasionka, Poland, briefs a Ukrainian defence official. (US Army)    The Pentagon is working on expanding access to intellectual property (IP), sustainment training, and depot access for Ukrainians, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment Christopher Lowman told   Janes  on 29 November.   While the US has already begun providing some things to Ukraine, the country and the whole region will need more support in the coming years to...

The army's newly converted Foxhound Command Variant is undergoing basic tests before the remainder of the selected Foxhound vehicles (up to 50) are converted into a command platform by manufacturer GDLS. (Crown Copyright)  The British Army's newly converted Foxhound Command Variant is undergoing basic field tests with the 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team, according to the army on 12 December.  The tests are being undertaken by the brigade to provide direct user feedback on the vehicle's new capabilities, thereby enabling the UK Minist...

An Australian Army AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzer test-fires a practice round at the Proof & Experimental Establishment in Port Wakefield. (Commonwealth of Australia)  Hanwha Defense Australia (HDA), Sydney-based HIFraser, and Busan-based DNB tested the Automatic Fire and Explosion Suppression System (AFESS) developed by DNB for the AS9 and AS10 Huntsman family of vehicles, HDA said in a press release on 13 December.  According to HDA, the test – which took place in early November at DNB's facility – was carried out using steel hull con...

Arquus has been developing the Scarabee 4×4 armoured reconnaissance vehicle (pictured) as a replacement for the VBL. (Arquus)  The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), Arquus, and Nexter announced on 6 December that they had signed a pre-design contract for the Véhicule Blindé d'Aide à l'Engagement (Armoured Engagement Support Vehice: VBAE) for the French and Belgian armies. The programme will be set up and managed by OCCAR. Arquus and Nexter, the latter part of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann + Nexter Defense Systems (KNDS), said in a...

Thales has secured a contract to provide a GM400α long-range air-surveillance radar (pictured) to the Royal Malaysian Air Force. (Thales)  Thales has secured a contract from the Malaysian Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) to provide a long-range air-surveillance radar to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).    A spokesperson for Thales told   Janes   on 12 December that the company will provide its Ground Master 400 Alpha (GM400α) radar to the RMAF.   The radar will be installed in the coastal town of Bintulu, located in the ce...

TDV is developing the Pandur II 8×8 EVO infantry fighting vehicle (artist's impression showing it with UT30MK2 remote-controlled weapon station). (TDV)  Czechoslovak Group's (CSG's) Tatra Defence Vehicle (TDV) is developing a new generation of Pandur II 8×8 EVO (Evolution) armoured vehicle as the 107 Pandur II 8×8 CZs mostly manufactured in the Czech Republic and delivered to the country's army in 2009–13 reach obsolescence. Vehicles are expected to be procured for the Czech 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade, including a completely new mortar vers...

Slovenia has signed a programme agreement with Germany to procure the IRIS-T SLM. (Diehl Defence)  The Slovenian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on its website on 6 December that it had signed a programme agreement with the German Federal MoD to buy the IRIS-T SLM (Surface Launched Medium Range) air-defence system from Diehl Defence. The agreement was signed by Slovenian State Secretary for Defence Damir Črnčec and his German counterpart, Benedikt Zimmer, in accordance with the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the joint procurement of...

The Croatian government is procuring 89 Bradley combat vehicles donated by the US. (Croatian MoD/F Klen)  The first batch of 22 M2A2 Bradley ODS (Operation Desert Storm) infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for the Croatian Army arrived in the port of Rijeka on 6 December, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced later the same day.  The vehicles will be overhauled by Đuro Đaković Special Vehicles in Slavonski Brod so that they are ready for operational service by 2026.  The Minnesota National Guard, which has been co-operating with Croatia since...

The components of Lockheed Martin's SIMRES geo-pairing system include a player unit, a helmet sensor, and a weapon sensor mounted on the barrel of an Airsoft weapon that was being used for demonstration purposes. (Giles Ebbutt)  In response to the US Army's search for an alternative to its existing laser-based line-of-sight (LOS) tactical engagement simulation system (TESS), Lockheed Martin has developed a geo-pairing system that reflects the true ballistics and effect of terrain and demonstrated this during the Interservice/Industry Training...

The CPV (pictured above) is operated by a two-person crew with accommodation for up to eight additional personnel. It is equipped with a positive pressure system to protect against nuclear, biological, and chemical agents, and is fitted with a protected weapon station. (DAPA)  The Republic of Korea Army (RoKA) has deployed a wheeled command post vehicle (CPV) to the service's 25th Infantry Division in Yangju, located 30 km north of Seoul, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a press release on 12 December....

IDSI's Visionflex Direct View curved LED display showcased at I/ITSEC 23. (Giles Ebbutt)  New display technology using LED (light emitting diode) panels, which offer advantages over traditional projector-based systems, was evidenced at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) 2023 in Orlando.    Immersive Display Solutions Inc (IDSI) showcased its Visionflex Direct View (DV) curved LED display. Andrew Jamison, IDSI general manager – special projects, told   Janes   that the display consi...

The air force's new C3 vehicles are based on a military variant of the Volkswagen Crafter, also in service with the Portuguese and Bangladesh army in an ambulance role. (Abicon AB)  The Swedish Air Force has received new command, control, and communications (C3) vehicles to bolster its tactical mobility.  The vehicles are based on a military variant of the Volkswagen Crafter and are meeting an urgent requirement for light, robust, and highly modular C3 platforms, according to an announcement by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV...

Aegis Ashore is a four-storey deckhouse and launch tower, which will provide a static home in Romania and Poland for the SPY-1D(V) radar, SM-3 missiles, and other systems taken from the US Navy's BMD ships. (Missile Defense Agency)  The US Navy (USN) is scheduled to officially accept the Aegis Ashore site in Poland by mid-December, according to Rear Admiral Douglas Williams, the acting director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA).  “The navy will formally accept Aegis Ashore Poland into their inventory on December 15,” Rear Adm Williams told...

The Croatian government is procuring 89 Bradley combat vehicles donated by the US. (Croatian MoD/F Klen)  The first batch of 22 M2A2 Bradley ODS (Operation Desert Storm) infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for the Croatian Army arrived in the port of Rijeka on 6 December, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced later the same day.  The vehicles will be overhauled by Đuro Đaković Special Vehicles in Slavonski Brod so that they are ready for operational service by 2026.  The Minnesota National Guard, which has been co-operating with Croatia since...

US Army 125th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare (IEW) Battalion, Electronic Warfare team, trained 25th Infantry Division soldiers on the V-MAX jamming backpack during the ‘Super Garuda Shield 23' exercise in September. (US Army)  As the US Army works toward revamping its force by 2030, it hopes to capitalise on new technologies such as warfare on the electromagnetic spectrum and tackle the complexities of training soldiers to operate in the unseen world.  The army wants to expand training on weapons that jam, suppress, and dominate the ele...

Saab has integrated a UAV capability into its instrumentation systems. Pictured is the UAV with Saab's integrated computer card, laser detector from a dismounted harness, and laser small arms transmitter displayed at I/ITSEC 2023. (Giles Ebbutt)  Saab has developed additional capabilities for its live tactical engagement simulation system (TESS) and is eyeing new opportunities both in Europe and elsewhere, company representatives said during a briefing at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) 2023 i...

Rohde & Schwarz has officially been named as the chosen vendor for the Bundeswehr's multibillion-euro digital radio programme. The company has already delivered units to the Bundeswehr, which are based on the SVFuA dual-channel, multiband radio (pictured in the vehicular variant). (Rohde & Schwarz)  Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) has officially been named as the chosen vendor for the German Bundeswehr's major Combat Net Radio (CNR) programme, the company announced on 7 December.  In December 2022 the Bundeswehr signed a multibillion-euro contract with...