Saab, Inc builds the aft fuselage for the US Air Force's T-7 jet trainer at a new facility in West Lafayette, Indiana. Above, the T-7 engineering and manufacturing development aircraft takes off from St Louis on its first flight in June 2023. (Boeing)    Saab continues to expand in the US through its Syracuse, New York-based subsidiary, Saab, Inc. In April, the company announced plans to build a new munitions facility in the US and unveiled the Skapa initiative to rapidly develop new capabilities and products, as   Janes  repo...

L3Harris Technologies' AN/PRC-160 HF manpack radio, which enables forces to transmit video, voice, and data up to Top Secret Level, has been selected for the Netherlands Armed Forces. (L3Harris Technologies)  The Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) is equipping its armed forces with the AN/PRC-160 HF manpack radio from L3Harris Technologies in a bid to upgrade its tactical communications as part of the Foxtrot communications programme.  The authority is also planning to acquire a new tactical command, control, communications, computers, and...

Seen here firing weapons in the Red Sea in October 2023, USS   Carney  benefited from shoreside support for Aegis performance during recent successful operations in the region.  (US Navy)    The commanding officer of the guided-missile destroyer USS   Carney  (DDG 64) underscored the capability of ship sailors and long-distance shoreside support to use and adapt recent Aegis combat system operations for effective defence against adversary missiles and unmanned systems in the Red Sea during a 20 Ma...

Saab's Sirius Compact passive manportable EW system has started series production. (Saab)  Saab has started series production of its new Sirius Compact passive electronic warfare (EW) system, Janes learnt at AOC Europe 2024, held from 13 to 15 May in Oslo.  Designed to provide surveillance and geolocation of emitters at the tactical level, Sirius Compact blends signal processing and tools already employed in the company's Sirius passive EW product family with a new small form-factor sensor suitable for manportable operations, mast/tripod mou...

A rendering of a PAC-3 missile, which Lockheed Martin is working to integrate with the Aegis combat system. (Lockheed Martin)  Lockheed Martin launched a Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor from an MK-70 containerised launch platform to engage a cruise missile target in flight at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, the company confirmed on 20 May.  The test, executed with multiple Department of Defense services and components, marked the first time PAC-3 MSE was launched in this configurati...

A model of the Saab GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft at Saab headquarters in Stockholm. (Janes/Jeremiah Cushman)  Saab has an extensive history in Canada, supplying the surveillance radar and fire-control system for Halifax-class frigates, Carl Gustaf anti-tank systems, and training and simulation systems to the Canadian Armed Forces. In February Canada chose Saab's RBS 70 NG (Next Generation) for its soldier-portable air-defence system (SPADS) programme, Simon Carroll, president of Saab Canada, told reporters at Saab headquarters in Stockholm on 13...

A computer-generated imagery (CGI) shows Rafael's new X-Guard RT fitted to the wing of a C-130 transport with its towed decoy retracted. (Rafael Advanced Defense Systems)  Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced on 10 May its new X-Guard RT, the latest addition to its X-Guard family of airborne protection systems.  The original X-Guard is housed in a pod that attaches to a hardpoint and releases a towed decoy that protects the aircraft against radar-guided air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles. Janes understands that it does this...

The DOCK StreamCaster SC4210P is one of three DOCK StreamCaster variants deing developed by Silvus Technologies. (Silvus Technologies )  Networked radio manufacturer Silvus Technologies has unveiled a new family of end-user interface systems for its StreamCaster tactical radios, which will pair the company's mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) radio platforms with advanced edge computing capabilities and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled systems and applications.  A joint venture between Silvus and Washington-based wireless networking company...

The TruNet AR-1500 airborne communications system will be installed in the Polish Air Force's C-130H Hercules fleet. The system's dimensions are 250 (L) × 127 (W) × 142 mm (H). (Janes/Kelvin Wong)  Collins Aerospace has been awarded a contract to supply its TruNet AR-1500 networked communications airborne radio system to the Polish Air Force.  According to an announcement by the company on 14 May, the radios will be installed on the force's Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules fleet.  The AR-1500 is a single-channel export version of the ARC-210 ra...

A still from a video shows an ELM-2084 radar being deployed during an Azerbaijani artillery exercise. (Azerbaijan Ministry of Defence)  The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed its land forces are using a smaller version of the Israeli-made ELM-2084 multimission radar to support artillery units.  An Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Elta ELM-2084 was seen clearly in a video released by the MoD on 16 May to show an artillery exercise involving 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) and 2A36 Giatsint-B towed guns.  Azerbaija...

Leonardo's SkyTender C-UAS software aims to optimise the deployment of C-UAS. (Leonardo)  Leonardo Canada – Electronics has debuted a new counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) planning and assessment tool designed to enable rapid site evaluation and optimisation prior to equipment deployment.  Known as SkyTender, the software toolset has been evolved from the outputs of a Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) contract awarded to Leonardo in March 2022 under the Innovative Solutions Canada programme. The company has subsequently ‘p...

Fujian  , China's third aircraft carrier, seen here as it departs for its maiden sea trial on 1 May 2024.  (VCG via Getty Images)    China has completed the maiden sea trials for its third aircraft carrier, which will be in service as CNS   Fujian  once it is commissioned. The vessel sailed off from the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai on 1 May and the trials were completed eight days later.   The trials focused on testing the “reliability and stability of the aircraft carrier's propulsion and electrical systems”...

The US Navy is trying to develop directed energy systems like HELIOS to counter low-end threats. (Lockheed Martin)  While underscoring effective US Navy (USN) surface-fleet operations in the Red Sea since October, Rear Admiral Fred Pyle, USN surface warfare director, acknowledged a need to not only replenish weapons stocks but also to find additional options to defend forces against low-end threats.  Speaking on 14 May during a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) event on Red Sea surface warfare operations, Rear Adm Pyle sai...

Multichannel transmission systems operator-maintainers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, assemble a Terrestrial Transmission Line Of Sight radio system at Fort Stewart in Georgia in August 2019. (US Army )  US Army officials are soliciting industry feedback on the service's technology development strategy to revamp its Terrestrial Transmission Line of Sight (TRILOS) communications equipment, with plans to acquire two to three new TRILOS variants beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2026.  Led by Program Manager Tactica...

The EDF is procuring and sustaining some of its L3Harris communications equipment. The force currently operates the Falcon III RF-7800M-MP multiband networking manpack radio (pictured). (L3Harris Technologies)  L3Harris Technologies has been contracted by the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) to supply its radios to the Estonian and Moldovan defence forces.  The EUR30 million (USD32.3 million) deal involves the procurement of radios, supplies, and training for the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) as well as maintenance and support f...

Poly Technologies' UUV300CB LLUV was displayed at the DSA 2024 exhibition in Malaysia. (Janes/Vinod Kumar CV)  China's Poly Technologies has displayed a new multimission-capable large unmanned underwater vehicle (LUUV) at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur.  According to the company, the LUUV – named UUV300CB – can undertake missions including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and minelaying operations.    A Poly Technologies official told  Janes  that the UUV300CB is in developmen...

Anduril's Pulsar multimission EW solution is to be available in air (Pulsar-V) and ground (Pulsar-G) variants. (Andrew White)  US Special Operations Command's (USSOCOM's) electronic warfare (EW) Family of Systems (FoS) is the “newest” programme in the Program Executive Office (PEO) – SOF Warrior portfolio and was initially approved in November 2023 to focus on the “ground domain” operations, the command announced on 7 May.  SOF Warrior documents stated the EW FoS will include “dismounted/body-worn; mounted; unattended sensor; and small unmann...

The MoD is looking for a new partner to support the SSPAR at RAF Fylingdales, which has been operational since the early 1990s. (Crown copyright)  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is looking for a new partner to support the operation and maintenance of the Solid-State Phased-Array Radar (SSPAR) at Royal Air Force (RAF) Fylingdales.  RAF Fylingdales provides a continuous ballistic missile early warning service to the UK and the US. It also functions as a space surveillance and tracking (SST) system, capable of detecting objects the size of a c...

An image of the URAL radio relay system on display at DSA 2024. (Janes/Rakend P)  Turkish company Aselsan has unveiled its latest radio relay system at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May.  The system, known as URAL, is an airborne software-defined radio relay operating in the very/ultra-high frequency (V/UHF) band.  URAL is designed for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other airborne platforms for surveillance, reconnaissance, and mapping applications.  It utilises Aselsan's advanced netw...

An infographic of Aselsan's Marlin USV, which is on display at DSA 2024. (Janes)  Turkey's Aselsan has for the first time displayed its Marlin unmanned surface vessel (USV) in its full anti-submarine warfare (ASW) configuration.  In this configuration – on show at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition in Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May – the USV is integrated with the Mini-Düfas low-frequency active towed array and passive towed sonar system. Aselsan aims to operationalise the mini version of its Düfas towed active sonar for USVs, call...