A full-scale model of Aselsan's first Deringöz AUV under development on display at UDT 2024. The company is set to start work on a smaller version this year. (Janes/Kate Tringham)  Aselsan has outlined plans to start expanding its family of Deringöz autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) this year as the first prototype under development progresses through its trials programme.  Speaking to Janes at the Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) 2024 conference and exhibition in London on 9 April, an Aselsan spokesperson told that the first prototype i...

Australia ordered over 100 sWaTrg Inf heavy weapon carrier infantry vehicles from Rheinmetall on 10 April. (Rheinmetall)  The Australian government signed a production agreement with Rheinmetall Defence Australia on 10 April for over 100 Boxer Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie (sWaTrg Inf) heavy weapon carrier infantry vehicles to export to Germany. The company said in a press release announcing the contract later the same day that it would be Australia's largest foreign military export to Germany.  The vehicles are being procured under a gove...

The APUS 25 prototype on display at UDT 2024. (Janes/Kate Tringham)  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Aerotor Unmanned Systems have joined forces to develop a novel unmanned quadcopter designed for long-range endurance missions.  The new platform, named APUS 25, was showcased for the first time at the Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) 2024 conference and exhibition, which was held in London from 8 to 10 April.    Speaking to   Janes  at UDT 2024, an IAI spokesperson said the vehicle incorporates new technology developed b...

A scale model of the active array for the miniature version of Düfas on display at UDT 2024. (Janes/Kate Tringham)  Turkish manufacturer Aselsan is progressing development of a miniature version of its Düfas low-frequency towed active sonar system for unmanned surface vessels (USVs), which it expects to complete this year.  Speaking to Janes at the Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) 2024 conference and exhibition in London on 10 April, an Aselsan spokesperson said the company has been working on the smaller version, dubbed Düfas-M, since 2022...

The first production Tejas Mk 1A, from the IAF's initial order of 83 aircraft (placed in 2021), prepares for take-off from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited airport in Bangalore on 28 March 2023. (HAL)  The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a tender to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of 97 additional Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk 1A fighter aircraft.  The potential acquisition has an initial proposed value of INR650 billion (USD7.7 billion), an industry source told Janes on 12 April. The possible acqui...

A German Army H145 LUH SAR, displayed at ILA 2022. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The Honduran Ministry of Defense has purchased two Airbus H145s, the company announced on 10 April at the FIDAE 2024 air show in Santiago, Chile. Honduras previously placed an order for two H145s in April 2023, when the defence ministry announced its intention to operate a total of six.  All H145s are likely to be operated by the Honduran Air Force from its main helicopter base at Coronel Hernán Acosta Mejía Air Base in Tegucigalpa, and be tasked with personnel and ca...

NATO has selected SitaWare HQ as its primary C2 software for land operations. Pictured is a screenshot visualising SitaWare HQ's geographic information system. (Systematic)  Systematic's SitaWare Headquarters (HQ) software has been selected by NATO as its primary command-and-control (C2) solution for land operations.  The software, selected as part of a EUR28.21 million (USD30.47 million) contract, aims to provide the Future Land Command and Control (FLC2) system (Demeter), supporting NATO land forces at strategic and operational levels.  The...

A recent US Navy shipbuilding review of carrier, submarine, and other major projects noted significant programmatic issues. (Janes/Michael Fabey)  Rocked by results of a recently completed shipbuilding study lambasting progress on new aircraft carriers, submarines and other major US Navy (USN) programmes, USN Secretary Carlos Del Toro is looking elsewhere for advice and examples to improve USN shipbuilding efforts.  “As the findings of the 45-day comprehensive shipbuilding review have underscored, too many of our industry partners are behind...

The Babcock Immersive Training Experience (BITE), unveiled at IT²EC 2024, was configured to imitate a bunker control room, equipped with communication devices and video feeds, including from UAVs and social media. (Janes/Olivia Savage)  Babcock unveiled a new modular, immersive training system at the International Training Technology Exhibition & Conference (IT²EC) 2024 held from 9 to 11 April in London.  Known as the Babcock Immersive Training Experience (BITE), the system is designed to provide trainees with a realistic training environment...

VBS4 24.1, the latest version of BISim's VBS4 virtual simulation software pictured being used by MoD personnel with commercial-off-the-shelf hardware, is due to be released in May. (Bohemia Interactive Simulations )  The latest version of Bohemia Interactive Simulations' (BISim's) Virtual Battlespace 4 (VBS4) environment will feature munition-equipped unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the company announced at the International Training Technology Exhibition & Conference (IT2EC) 2024 held from 9 to 11 April in London.  VBS4 is a virtual desktop...

A Nigerian A-29 Super Tucano is pictured here. Embraer Defence CEO Bosco da Costa sees potential for up to 450 Super Tucanos over 20 years, including from Africa. (US Africa Command Public Affairs)    Embraer Defence & Security sees a market for up to 490 A-29 Super Tucano trainer and attack aircraft over the next two decades, Embraer president and CEO Bosco da Costa Jr told   Janes  on 10 April at the FIDAE 2024 airshow in Santiago, Chile.   “We are in touch with several countries around the world, not only here in South...

Saab has been contracted to upgrade the army's live training capability. Pictured are troops practising their debussing drills from a Saab DFWES-equipped Warrior infantry combat vehicle in Alberta. (Janes)  The British Army has signed a GBP60 million (USD75.7 million) three-year support contract with Saab to improve its live training capability.  The contract – Instrumented Live Training (ILT-D) – is replacing the existing Direct Fire Weapon Effects Simulator (DFWES) contract with Saab and will involve modernising its live training capabiliti...

A V-280 Valor in flight. Bell is modifying the V-280 and pairing it with the V-247 drone to compete for the US Navy's Future Vertical Lift-Maritime Strike programme. (Bell)  The US Navy (USN) is starting to look for its next-generation maritime strike platform. Bell is offering a variant of its V-280 Valor tiltrotor teamed with its V-247 Vigilant unmanned aircraft for the navy's Future Vertical Lift-Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) capability, building off the V-280's selection for the army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) programme....

CESI is joining Leonardo's Team Aurelian to bid for the British Army's CTTP programme. Pictured are chief technology officer for CESI Stu Armstrong (left) and CTTP campaign director at Leonardo UK John Wells. (Leonardo UK)  US-company Cole Engineering Services Inc (CESI) is joining Leonardo's Team Aurelian for the upcoming British Army's Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP) contract.  Announced by Leonardo at the International Training Technology Exhibition & Conference (IT²EC) 2024 held from 9 to 11 April in London, the new pa...

An artist's conception of the C-390 in a maritime role. (Embraer)  The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Embraer on 10 April at the FIDAE 2024 airshow in Santiago, Chile, to study adapting the C-390 transport aircraft for special missions.  Potential uses under study include maritime patrol and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The C-390 is primarily a transport and air-to-air tanker aircraft, with no additional variants in service.    Embraer has delivered six C-390...

AVIC's new HH-100 cargo-delivery unmanned aerial vehicle is being designed for a maximum take-off weight of 2 tons. (AVIC/Janes)  The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) is preparing its HH-100 large cargo unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for flight-testing.    The UAV, which has a planned maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 2 tons, completed its high-speed automatic taxiing test at Yangchang airport in southwest China's Sichuan Province on 3 April and is being readied for its maiden flight, AVIC announced on 7 April. The programme...

Serbia is negotiating the acquisition of 12 Rafale fighters from France. (French Air and Space Force)  Serbia and France will seal a deal on the procurement of 12 newly produced Rafale fighters for the Serbian Air Force and Air Defence (RV i PVO) in the next two months, President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić told Serbian media in Paris on 9 April after meetings with President of France Emmanuel Macron and representatives of Dassault Aviation the day before.  Media close to the Serbian government have reported that negotiations have been under w...

DSIT's DogFish sonar system is designed for use on underwater vehicles. (DSIT)  DSIT Solutions publicly unveiled its new multimission sonar system designed for operation onboard underwater vehicles at the Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) 2024 conference and exhibition, held in London from 9 to 11 April.  The system, named DogFish, was developed in response to the proliferation of threats in the underwater environment from manned and unmanned vessels. It has the capability to autonomously detect, track, and classify submarines, mini-submarine...

A 5.56×45 mm XT112 assault rifle prototype showcased at TADTE 2023. The rifle has a firing range of 600 m. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  The Republic of China Army (RoCA) will procure nearly 25,000 new 5.56×45 mm assault rifles called XT112 to replace in-service T65 and T91 assault rifles, a RoCA officer told Janes on 8 April.  The new rifles will be inducted into the RoCA by the end of 2025, the officer said.  The XT112 is developed by the 205th Arsenal of Taiwan Ministry of National Defense's (MND's) Armaments Bureau.  Lieutenant Colonel Yi-wei Li f...

A Boeing P-8 Poseidon of the US Navy. Although Boeing's discussions with Brazil have not reached the stage of determining a local configuration, Flood said the company encourages a common configuration across international fleets. (US Navy)  Boeing anticipates a requirement for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft from Brazil, for which it is pitching the P-8.    “We see an enormous opportunity for P-8s,” Tim Flood, the company's vice-president of international business development for Europe and the Americas, told   Janes  a...