German C-130Js are to be equipped for the SOF role, a senior Luftwaffe official has disclosed. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Germany is to equip its Lockheed Martin C-130J transport aircraft for the special operations forces (SOF) role, it was revealed in late November.  The Head of the Air Transport/Jet/Unmanned Aircraft System Branch at the German Air Force Command, Colonel Stefan Kleinheyer, made the disclosure during the SAE Media Group Military Airlift and Air-to-Air Refuelling conference in Lisbon, Portugal.    The SOF capabilities con...

The second MHI (Sikorsky) SH-60L developmental prototype (serial no 8502) conducts a flight test. (ATLA)  Japan has completed the development of its improved Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) (Sikorsky) SH-60L maritime helicopter.  Designed as an improved anti-surface warfare (ASuW) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter, the new SH-60L has an updated engine transmission, an ultra-high-speed datalink, and improved ASW systems, according to the Japan Ministry of Defense (MoD). According to Japan's Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agenc...

Australia's fleet of Airbus A330 (KC-30A) MRTTs is receiving improved communications, tactical datalink, and encryption systems to bring the fleet to the latest “enhanced A330 MRTT” standard. (Commonwealth of Australia)  The first Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) has received a communications and cyber upgrade.  Australia's fleet of seven KC-30As are having their secure high-frequency (HF) and very-high frequency (VHF) radios, encryption device, and tactical datalink systems enhanced under the...

South Korea's upgraded Joint Fire Operation System (JFOS-K) provides the Republic of Korea's (RoK's) military with the ability to conduct theatre-level integrated firepower operations with air, sea, and ground forces. It is also connected to other battlefield information, asset management, and command-and-control systems of the RoK and US military forces. (DAPA/Janes)  South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has announced that the military's Joint Fire Operation System (JFOS-K) has been upgraded to support integrated,...

The US Army's 30 mm counter-UAS turret in M-LIDS fires at a target from Udairi Range, Kuwait. (US Army)  The US Army is increasing the number of Coyote loitering munition interceptors as part of the Mobile-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS), according to a new contracting notice.  The army plans put Raytheon on contract to build 6,000 Coyote kinetic interceptors by 2029, according to the request for information (RFI) released on 18 December. The Coyote Block 2 counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UASs) have b...

The Japan-US joint project aims to develop artificial intelligence and machine learning for new UAVs that will operate alongside Japan's next-generation GCAP fighter aircraft. (Japan Ministry of Defense)  Japan and the United States will conduct joint research to develop artificial intelligence (AI) for new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that will be used in a ‘loyal wingman' role alongside the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) sixth-generation fighter aircraft.  The Japan Ministry of Defense (MoD) and the US Department of Defense (DoD) sig...

A US Army Sikorsky UH-60L in medical evacuation markings. (P Jackson)  The US Army is set to divest 157 Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters as the service sheds excess capacity and prepares for Bell V-280 Valor's entry into service.  “The majority of the reduction comes from older UH-60 Lima models along with a few remaining UH-60 Alpha models,” the Program Executive Office (PEO) for Aviation told Janes on 21 December.  The UH-60s are to be culled from units not deploying or preparing to deploy, PEO Aviation said.  The army today op...

The Vector fixed-wing remotely piloted aerial system. (Quantum Systems)  The New Zealand Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 14 December that it has awarded contracts to three companies for small, micro, and nano unmanned aircraft systems (UASs).    Sarah Minson, deputy secretary for Capability Delivery at the MoD told  Janes  that EPE New Zealand Limited (EPE) will supply the Skydio X-series of quadcopter micro UAS and the Flexnet Remote Ground System (RGS) from Bertin Exensor.   Meanwhile, Quantum Systems Inc would s...

South Korea's induction of the Light Armed Helicopter into service will allow it to field advanced warfighting capabilities, such as manned-unmanned teaming. (Janes)  South Korea has planned to replace its legacy rotary-wing combat aircraft with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Light Armed Helicopters (LAHs) within seven years.  A spokesperson of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) told Janes that the LAHs will “replace South Korea's [MD Helicopters] 500 and [Bell] AH-1s … by 2031”.  The LAH programme is a five-ton-class twi...

USN Secretary Carlos Del Toro touted the EW capabilities of the EA-18G Growlers. (US Navy)  Recent global conflicts highlight the increasing use of electronic warfare (EW) in military operations, US Navy (USN) Secretary Carlos Del Toro said on 12 December during a keynote speech at the Association of Old Crows' (AOC's) 60th Annual International Symposium & Convention at National Harbor, Maryland.  “For the US and our NATO allies, the conflict in Ukraine reinforces the emphasis we place on developing and maintaining a ready, interoperable comb...

An artist's rendition of Akaer's proposed Montenegro MKI satellite launch vehicle. (Akaer)  The Brazilian companies Akaer and CENIC have signed separate contracts with the country's innovation agency, Finep (Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos), to build small launch vehicles capable of placing multiple nano- and micro-satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO).  Finep, which is part of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, has awarded a total of BRL370.46 million (USD75.4 million) for the project – BRL185.34 million (USD37.72 millio...

In July 2022 US Special Operations Command selected L3Harris Technologies' Sky Warden for its Armed Overwatch programme. The capability was based on the Air Tractor AT-802U. (L3 Harris)  US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) may be planning to purchase too many aircraft under the Armed Overwatch programme, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a 14 December report.  Although SOCOM intends to purchase 75 L3Harris OA-1K Sky Wardens – the aircraft that won the Armed Overwatch competition – through fiscal year (FY) 2029, the GAO f...

The joint China-Russia strategic air patrol on 14 December involved a core of four bombers and 13 other Chinese-Russian aircraft, which joined the flight at various times and places. A Chinese naval destroyer operating in the area was also likely involved in the drill. A bilateral US-Japan air exercise was also conducted over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) at the same time. (Japan Ministry of Defense/US Pacific Air Forces/South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff/Janes)  Chinese and Russian military forces have conducted their second joint strategic air...

US Air Force maintainers prepare to load AIM-120-C-7 AMRAAMs on a USAF F-15 on Okinawa in 2016. A proposed new sale of AIM-120 and AIM-9 Sidewinders to Japan has the goal of improving the ability of JASDF's F-15, F-35, and F-2 fleets to meet current and future threats and protect US personnel in Japan, according to the US State Department. (US Department of Defense)  The United States State Department has approved the possible sale of air-to-air missiles for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).  In announcements on 15 December, the State...

Greece is set to become a Black Hawk operator, with the purchase of 35 helicopters approved by the US government. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  The US government has approved the sale of 35 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Greece for USD1.95 billion.  The Foreign Military Sales (FMS) approval, announced by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 15 December, covers the helicopters, as well as equipment, weapons and ammunition, spares, support, and training.  “The proposed sale will replace Greece's current multirole helicopter fle...

AOEW (the pod forward of the door) under test at the NAS Patuxent River anechoic facility. (Terri Thomas)  The US Navy (USN), supported by Lockheed Martin, has completed initial government testing of a new helicopter-borne electronic attack (EA) capability developed under the Advanced Off-board Electronic Warfare (AOEW) programme.  The final integration event, performed at an anechoic chamber facility at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland, “tested the capabilities of the system and operability on the MH-60R helicopter platform”,...

The army's new DPET electronic surveillance system consists of four stations, which are transported by Tatra T-815 8×8 vehicles. (Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic/Warrant Officer Jan Králíček)  The Army of the Czech Republic (ACR) has received the first of two new deployable passive electronic surveillance systems following an official handover ceremony to the 532nd Electronic Warfare Battalion on 13 December.  The system, known as the Deployable Passive Electronic Support Measures Tracker (DPET), is replacing the in-service Vera-S/...

A Japan Air Self-Defense Force aircraft photographed a Chinese Shaanxi Aircraft Industry Group Corporation Y-8G (GX-3) electronic warfare aircraft as it operated with Russian and Chinese strategic bombers over the East China Sea on 14 December 2023. (Japan Ministry of Defense)  Chinese and Russian military forces have conducted their second joint strategic air patrol of 2023 in an effort to improve their air and naval force co-operation.  The joint air patrol, which was conducted on 14 December, comprised a nucleus of two Chinese People's Lib...

A new intergovernmental agency, named GIGO, has been set up by Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy to manage the sixth-generation Global Combat Air Programme. (Leonardo)  Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy have signed a treaty to establish a new intergovernmental organisation to advance the joint development of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) sixth-generation combat aircraft.  Japan's Minister of Defense Minoru Kihara and his Italian and UK counterparts, Guido Crosetto and Grant Shapps, signed the treaty in Tokyo on 14 December. 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...