The Aerospace Times Feipeng Company Limited's FP-981C vertical take-off landing unmanned aerial vehicle. (Janes)  China is developing a new vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for short-range cargo transport tasks.  A representative of the Aerospace Times Feipeng Company Limited said the UAV, called the FP-981C, is being developed to transport cargo and supplies in “complex environments”.    “The developmental programme of the FP-981C started in 2022, and the UAV is currently involved in flight-testing,” th...

A MANTAS T-12 USV, front, operates alongside Royal Bahrain Naval Force fast-attack craft RBNS   Abdul Rahman Al-fadel  during operations in support of Task Force 59 in the Gulf.  (US Navy)  Anxious to avoid gifting an operational advantage to China, the US Navy's senior officer in the Pacific said the service will maintain a veil of secrecy over the pace at which it is ‘operationalising' new unmanned systems capabilities and concepts in the Pacific Fleet.  In his 14 February keynote to the AFCEA International and...

The SAMAR air-defence system – seen here at Aero India 2023 – features two refurbished Russian Vympel R-73E infrared‐guided air-to-air missiles mounted on a Stallion 4×4 Mk IV BS-III truck. (Janes/Saketha Potlapalli)  The Indian Air Force test-fired its newly inducted Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation (SAMAR) air-defence system during Exercise ‘Vayu Shakti-24', which took place in the Pokhran range near Jaisalmer on 17 February.  According to a press release by the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 17 February, the Indian Air F...

The US Navy plans significant investments for large unmanned surface vessel programmes. (US Department of Defense)  The US Navy's (USN's) most senior uniformed officer has outlined her planned timeline to transition the surface navy to a new hybrid force structure mixing manned and unmanned vessels.  Speaking at the AFCEA International and US Naval Institute WEST 2024 conference in San Diego, California, on 13 February, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Lisa Franchetti said the navy road map was looking out across three five-year Future...

Italy has been approved to buy further SDB II and AIM-120C-8 air-launched munitions to be carried by its combat aircraft types, such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. (Italian Air Force)  The US government has approved the sale of air-launched munitions to Italy for an estimated USD219.3 million.  In two separate approval notifications posted by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 15 February, the US Department of State cleared the sale to Italy of RTX GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) II (also known as StormBreaker)...

Through the NMH programme, the UK is looking to replace its ageing Puma HC2 helicopters with up to 44 new rotorcraft. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  The UK government has said “positive progress” is being made on the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme to replace the Airbus SA 330E Puma HC2 in military service.  Answering questions in the House of Commons, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) James Cartlidge said on 13 February that the effort to replace the Puma HC2s with up to 44 new rotorcraft should enter into its second half shor...

The UK is to review plans to buy 14 new H-47 ER Chinooks to augment its existing fleet of older model helicopters (pictured). (Janes/Patrick Allen)  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is to review its plan to acquire new Boeing H-47 Extended Range (ER) Chinook helicopters later in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024, ahead of any decision on final numbers.  Minister of State at the MoD James Cartlidge made the disclosure on 15 February, telling the House of Commons, “The Review Note for the Chinook extended range helicopter programme is due to be as...

The Netherlands has received the first of 20 PULS MRLs it ordered on 17 May 2023. (Elbit Systems)  The first of 20 Precise and Universal Launching System (PULS) multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) ordered by the Netherlands on 17 May 2023 has arrived in the country and will be presented to the local media in May, Janes has learnt.  The systems were ordered under an agreement between the Israeli and Dutch ministries of defence (MoDs). Under a USD305 million contract, Elbit Systems is supplying the MRLs as well rockets and missiles of various rang...

A Bell 212 and three Bell 412EP helicopters of the Sri Lanka Air Force's No 4 (VVIP/VIP) Helicopter Squadron fly over Colombo on 4 February 2024. Sri Lanka is planning to induct new helicopters to bolster its rotary-wing capabilities. (Pushpa Kumara/Anadolu via Getty Images)  The head of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) has announced the launch of several programmes to induct new aircraft and technologies.  Air Marshal R A Udeni P Rajapaksa, Commander of the SLAF, said during a press conference on 14 February that the SLAF is moving away from i...

Boeing's MQ-25A Stingray UAV tanker that the company is developing for the US Navy. (Boeing)  BAE Systems has been selected to execute upgrade and modernisation work for the US Navy's (USN's) MQ-25A Stingray unmanned aerial refueller, with programme officials aiming to increase on-board computing performance and revamp several legacy components and subsystems aboard the unmanned aerial system (UAS).  The overall modernisation programme envisioned for the MQ-25's vehicle management system computer (VMSC), in the end, “improves aircraft perform...

US Army Medevac UH-60L Black Hawk seen at Kandahar Airfield. DARPA is exploring new ways to produce battlefield medicines at front-line bases and outposts. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  A new Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) programme aims to accelerate drug manufacturing in austere environments, such as forward operating bases (FOBs), generating data and processes to evaluate new paradigms for real-time regulatory approval.  Launched in January 2024 the aim of the Establishing Qualification Processes for Agile Pharmaceutical Manufa...

A Pentagon report confirms the effectiveness of modified Mk 48 torpedoes. (US Department of Defense)  The US Navy's modified Advanced Processor Build (APB) 5+ Mk 48 torpedo is “operationally effective and suitable”, according to the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) FY 2023 Annual Report, released on 2 February.  However, “Mk 48 Mod 7 torpedo reliability has degraded below navy-defined requirements”, the DOT&E noted, recommending the navy determine and correct the causes of the degraded reliability of that modified Mk 48.  The...

One of six former German Navy P-3C Orion MPA that are being transferred to the Portuguese Air Force. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  The first of six Lockheed P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) acquired from Germany arrived in Portugal on 9 February, the Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa: FAP) announced.  Portugal acquired six P-3C Capability Upkeep Program (CUP) Orion aircraft of the German Navy's Marinefliegergeschwader 3 ‘Graf Zeppelin' Squadron in September 2023.  The contract is worth approximately EUR45 million (USD48.5 millio...

An Israeli Air Force F-35I seen being loaded with JDAM precision-guided bombs for use against targets in the Gaza Strip. (Israeli Air Force)  A court in the Netherlands has ruled that the country should stop all exports to Israel related to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme.  Announced on 12 February, the ruling from the Dutch appeals court said all national industries involved in the international F-35 programme must cease the transfer of parts to Israel within seven days due to the risk of them being...

Russia is reportedly deploying Starlink terminals in contested regions in Ukraine, the GUR said. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)  The Russian Armed Forces is reportedly using the Starlink satellite communications system in Ukraine to establish internet connectivity, Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) confirmed on 11 February.  Russian forces, such as the 83rd Air Assault Brigade, which are fighting in the contested region of Donetsk, near Klishchiivka and Andriivka, are currently deploying the system at t...

An Israeli Air Force F-35I seen being loaded with JDAM precision-guided bombs for use against targets in the Gaza Strip. (Israeli Air Force)    Announced on 12 February, the ruling from the Dutch appeals court said all national industries involved in the international F-35 programme must cease the transfer of parts to Israel within seven days due to the risk of them being used “in serious violations of international humanitarian law”. The ruling is being appealed by the Dutch government.  In response to a request for comment, Lockheed Martin...

The Bell 360 Invictus prototype for the US Army's FARA competition is substantially complete, pending first flight in late 2024. (Bell Flight)  The US Army cancelled the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme, the service announced on 8 February. The FARA contest was intended to provide the army with an armed scout helicopter, taking on a role left unfilled following the 2020 retirement of the Bell OH-58C.  “We are learning from the battlefield – especially in Ukraine – that aerial reconnaissance has fundamentally changed,” US...

Hydrogen fuel cell used in the Kia hydrogen fuel-cell all terrain vehicle. (Janes/Sunil Nair)  Kia Motors showcased its all-terrain vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel-cell technology at the World Defense Show (WDS) 2024 held in Riyadh from 4 to 8 February. Previously, the vehicle was shown at the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2023 as the EV9 military concept car.  The vehicle is powered by the same hydrogen fuel-cell stack that powers Hyundai's Nexo passenger cars. The Nexo's fuel-cell system combines oxygen and hydr...

The fourth and fifth MQ-28A prototypes have started flight-testing, according to a video released by Boeing. The fifth prototype (on the right) has an IRST system installed on the upper nose surface. This system was not seen on the earlier MQ-28 prototypes. (Boeing)  The Australian government has announced AUD399 million (USD259.5 million) in funding to further develop key systems for the Boeing MQ-28A Ghost Bat Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and build three new next-generation Block 2 aircraft.  Pat Conroy, the Australian Minister for D...

A Meteor missile aboard a Swedish Gripen combat aircraft. The six partner countries are assessing a potential mid-life upgrade, with a decision to be made by the end of 2024. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The partner countries will decide before the end of 2024 on the scope and scale of a planned mid-life upgrade (MLU) to the MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM).  Answering questions in the House of Commons, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) James Cartlidge said on 8 February that the UK and the five other p...