It is possible that Malaysia will acquire the latest version of the Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-33 Sniper airborne targeting pod, with the capability improvements as detailed in this 2021 Lockheed Martin infographic. (Lockheed Martin)  The US Department of State has approved a possible sale of Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods (ATPs) for the Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF's) Boeing F/A-18D fleet.  The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 7 May that 10 AN/AAQ-33 airborne targeting pods had been approv...

The first upgraded Hercules was delivered back to the Portuguese Air Force on 2 May. (Victor Barreira)  After several delays, the Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa: FAP) took delivery of the first modernised Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules transport aircraft on 2 May.    A ‘stretched' C-130H-30 Hercules was formally received by the    Squadron 501 ‘Bisontes', the FAP said.    OGMA – Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal was awarded a contract in November 2018 worth EUR15.5 million (USD16.7 million) to modernise two C...

Having previously signalled its intent to acquire 48 new Eurofighter Typhoons in addition to the 72 already received (pictured), Saudi Arabia is now looking at the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II and the Dassault Rafale for its future requirements also. (Saudi Press Agency)  France, the United Kingdom, and the United States are to bid on Saudi Arabia's pending combat aircraft requirement, with the Middle East country holding a full and open competition for the first time.  A senior industry official with knowledge of the requirement told Janes and oth...

An AFRL chart outlining the Battle Management of AI concept under development by the US Air Force. (US Air Force)  The US Air Force's (USAF's) main research and development (R&D) directorate is soliciting industry solutions to accelerate the air service's integration of artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities into its command-and-control (C2) and battle management systems.  Officials from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) issued a broad agency announcement (BAA) in March, seeking industry input on “development and application of AI t...

Germany's 35 F-35As will be built at the Fort Worth facility in the US (pictured) rather than at the Cameri site in Italy. (Lockheed Martin)  Germany is to have its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft built in the United States rather than Europe, Janes was told on 6 May.  Berlin has decided that the F-35A variant aircraft contracted for the Luftwaffe are to be built at the US final assembly and check-out (FACO) facility in Fort Worth, Texas, rather than at the European FACO at Cameri, Italy.  “Curre...

Poland has assigned the name ‘Barbara' to the Aerostat reconnaissance programme, which seeks to enable persistent air and ground surveillance. The US currently deploys Tethered Aerostat Radar Systems (pictured) to support airborne border surveillance along the US Mexico-border and select Caribbean areas. (US Department of Defense)    Poland's Armament Agency announced on 6 May that its    aerostat reconnaissance programme will be called Barbara, with four systems expected to be acquired to bolster surveillance.    In Febru...

The Australian government said that a Chinese combat aircraft launched flares in front of HMAS  Hobart  's    embarked MH-60R helicopter (nicknamed Voodoo), pictured here, on 4 May 2024 while the helicopter was flying over international waters in the Yellow Sea (West Sea).  (Commonwealth of Australia)  A Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fighter aircraft conducted an unsafe interception of a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) helicopter in the Yellow Sea (West Sea), the Australian Departmen...

A file image of a USMC ACV from 2022. The service marked its first employment of the ACV at an overseas exercise during ‘Balikatan' 2024 in the Philippines. (US Marine Corps)  The US Marine Corps (USMC) has marked the first employment of its amphibious combat vehicles (ACVs) in an overseas military exercise.  This milestone was accomplished on 4 May when ACVs from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) splashed down into Oyster Bay on the Philippines' Palawan Island from US Navy (USN) landing ship dock USS Harpers Ferry.  It was done as pa...

China first unveiled the new ALBM in November 2022, during AirShow China 2022. At the time, the two missiles unveiled had a yellow stripe and a code signifying that they were training missiles (as shown in the image, in the top part of this graphic). Recent imagery shows the ALBM in a low-observable grey-blue colour scheme, indicating that the missile is progressing to production. (Janes/Gettyimages)  China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has released a video showing a Xi'an H-6K strategic bomber launching a new ballistic missile in flight....

Ultra Light Tactical Vehicle High Power 1 kW variant was on display for the first time at the Modern Day Marine 2024 conference. (Janes/Meredith Roaten)    The US Marine Corps has received its first four units of Ultra Light Tactical Vehicle High Power (ULTV HP), a Polaris    executive told   Janes  on 30 April.     Two ULTVs delivered in January 2024 are equipped with 1 kW of exportable power, while the other two are equipped with 5 kW of expeditionary power, John LaFata, Polaris programme manager, said in...

India's SMART system, seen here during its first test in 2020. The DRDO carried out the third known test of the system on 1 May 2024. (DRDO)  India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has carried out another test of its missile-based torpedo delivery system after a lull of more than two years.  The latest test of the weapon known as the Supersonic Missile-Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) system was carried out on 1 May, the DRDO disclosed in a statement on the same day.  It was fired from a truck-based mobile launcher t...

Japan has delivered the TPS-P14ME air surveillance radar (pictured), manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, to the Philippine Air Force. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation )  The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has received a mobile radar system from Japan to strengthen air surveillance.  Japan has delivered the TPS-P14ME radar manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Melco) to the PAF, the Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) announced in late April.  “[The TPS-P14ME radar] will provide high-resolution surveillance of a...

Kongsberg is developing the Thor tactical radio for the Norwegian Armed Forces under project Mime. The latest contract involves developing the Thor Remote Control Terminal. (Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace)  Kongsberg has been contracted by the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) to develop the Thor Remote Control Terminal (tRCT).  The contract, valued at NOK255 million (USD22.9 million), is part of the Mime tactical communications and information systems (CIS) programme intended to digitise the armed forces, the company announced on 29 Ap...

Airbus's unmanned UH-72 concept, displayed at Modern Day Marine 2024. (Janes/Zach Rosenberg)  Airbus unveiled a conceptual unmanned version of the company's UH-72B at Modern Day Marine 2024, which it intends to pitch to the US Marine Corps (USMC) to fulfil its expected unmanned ship-to-shore cargo carrier requirement.    Airbus has been working on the concept for roughly one year, Carl Forsling, senior director for business development and strategy at the company's US branch, told   Janes  at Modern Day Marine on 1 May....

The German Army's re-established air defence force is scheduled to receive Skyranger 30 air-defence systems in 2026. (Rheinmetall)  The German Army announced on its website on 30 April that it is re-establishing its air defence force, initially based in Lüneburg, northern Germany.  The force was disbanded in 2012 but is being re-established as part of the Bundeswehr's refocus on national and alliance defence. Initially, the force will be equipped with Skyranger 30 air-defence systems mounted on Boxer armoured vehicles, providing mobile short-...

The six Airbus H145M helicopters ordered by Brunei will be used in the close air support and aerial observation roles after entering service. (Airbus Helicopters)  Brunei's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has signed a contract with Airbus Helicopters to acquire six H145M helicopters.  The contract was signed on 30 April, according to MINDEF. “All six helicopters will be introduced into service gradually, starting from the year 2026 to replace the Bolkow BO-105 helicopters, which have been retired from service,” MINDEF added.  According to the mi...

A Luftwaffe Eurofighter on the flightline at the 2022 ILA Berlin Airshow. The service has told   Janes  that it does not yet know how many additional aircraft it will buy to replace the 90 Tornados being retired.  (Janes/Gareth Jennings)    The German Luftwaffe has not yet determined how many new combat aircraft it is to acquire to replace its fleet of Panavia Tornados, a senior service official told   Janes  on 2 May.   Responding to a request for clarification and confirmation of the 85 new...

A pair of Norwegian F-35A Lightning IIs. In Polish service, the type will be named Husarz. (Royal Norwegian Air Force)  Poland has assigned the name Husarz to the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) in national service, the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces announced on 29 April.  The name, which translates in English to Hussar, has been given to the ‘fifth-generation' stealth fighter following a public competition.  At the same time as the new national name was disclosed, the Polish Ministry of National Defen...

Textron Systems' Aerosonde UAV. (Textron)  The US Army on 25 April declared Option 2 of the Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System (FTUAS) Rapid Prototyping Program finished, exercising Options 3 and 4 for both Textron Systems and Griffon Aerospace to build and test production-representative Aerosonde Mk 4.8 and Valiant UASs respectively.  “FTUAS program Options 3 and 4 give us the opportunity to demonstrate our Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ [Hybrid Quadrotor] UAS and further advance its capabilities before delivering a system for customer test and e...

The UK has touted the prospect of additional procurement batches of the F-35 as it looks to fulfil its 138-aircraft programme of record. (Crown copyright)  The UK government has said that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will seek additional acquisition phases for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning combat aircraft, beyond the phase currently contracted and the one now in negotiation.  The Earl of Minto Gilbert Timothy George Lariston Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, minister of state at the MoD, said in early April that approval for further procurement...