The Royal Thai Army's M758 Autonomous Truck-Mounted Gun (pictured above) and the Autonomous Truck-Mounted Mortar are assembled by the RTA's production facility in Lopburi, central Thailand. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)  The Royal Thai Army (RTA) is expanding production of the locally built M758 Autonomous Truck-Mounted Gun (ATMG).    An RTA spokesperson told   Janes  at the Defence & Security 2023 exhibition in Bangkok on 9 November that the RTA will receive six additional ATMGs by the end of November, taking its ATMG inventory to 30...

Saab FFV India will support the production of the Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles (pictured above) for the Indian Armed Forces. (ECDI)  The Indian government has approved 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) for Swedish defence company Saab to set up a new manufacturing facility in India, Mats Palmberg, chairman and managing director of Saab India, told Janes on 8 November.  Saab is the first company to gain 100% FDI approval from India. The country earlier permitted only 74% FDI in the defence sector through the automatic route for companie...

President Joe Biden's administration wants to fund expansion of the 155 mm shell production with an emergency supplemental funding request for fiscal year 2024. (US Army)  The US goal to produce 100,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition per month by calendar year 2025 cannot be met if lawmakers do not pass the fiscal year (FY) 2024 emergency supplemental funding, US Army assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics, and technology Doug Bush said on 7 November.  The legislation – proposed by President Joe Biden's administration – contains USD3.1 b...

The Iron Dome air-defence system has been used by Israel to intercept rocket attacks in recent years. It has been used in the Israeli operations that started after the 7 October attack. (PA)  The two Iron Dome air-defence batteries owned by the US will go to Israel for at least 11 months, Doug Bush, US Army assistant secretary of acquisition, logistics, and technology, told reporters on 7 November.  The cost o the lease is “not free” but relatively cheap, Bush announced during a Pentagon briefing. Israel will have the option to buy the system...

The Indian Air Force's (IAF's) Mig-29s have become important platforms for the air force due to their high-speed and ability to carry long-range weapons following upgrades from 2012. (Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images)  The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that it will arm its Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 fleet with a long-range stand-off weapon (SoW).  In a newly issued Request for Information (RFI) for certified bomb racks capable of carrying a long-range weapon, the MoD said that it intends to complete integration of this weapo...

While the US Army's hypersonic weapon programme is delayed, the service's Mid-Range Capability is on track for operational capability. (US Army)  It is predicted that the US Army will not be able to field its hypersonic weapon by the end of the calendar year as planned after a critical test was cancelled before launch.  Similar to the cancelled tests in September and March 2023, the “problem” was identified before the launch schedule to take place from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Doug Bush, US Army assistant secretary for acq...

The Kestrel rockets are free-flight and fin-stabilised. In the above picture, a Kestrel rocket launcher is shown with the HEAT (on the left) and HESH (on the right) munitions. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Taiwan's Republic of China Army (RoCA) has ordered an additional 5,962 Kestrel individual shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon systems (ATWSs) from state-owned National Chung‐Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), a RoCA officer told Janes on 7 November.  The new order of 5,962 brings the total number of Kestrels to be procured to 10,96...

The Royal Thai Air Force has recently completed an exercise using its newly inducted Korean GPS-Guided Bomb (KGGB), a model of which is pictured above at the Defense & Security 2023 exhibition in Bangkok. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)    The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has taken delivery of an initial batch of Korean GPS-Guided Bomb (KGGB) kits, an official from manufacturer LIG Nex1 told   Janes  at the Defense & Security exhibition in Bangkok on 6 November.   The official also confirmed that the RTAF has held its first exercise us...

The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation and Spanish Missile Systems signed a contract on the Hypersonic Defence Interceptor Study in Bonn, Germany, on 31 October 2023. (Diehl Defence)  The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) and Spanish Missile Systems (SMS) signed a contract on the Hypersonic Defence Interceptor Study (HYDEF) in Bonn, Germany, on 31 October. SMS represented 13 other entities in addition to itself from seven European countries. One of the entities, Diehl Defence, said in a press release on 31 October t...

India seeks to develop long-range surface-to-air missile systems to provide interception capabilities similar to the Russian S-400 Triumf air-defence system (pictured above) recently inducted by the Indian Air Force. (Janes/Peter Felstead)    India has initiated a programme to develop long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) systems for the Indian Air Force (IAF) to strengthen its air-defence capabilities, an official at India's state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) told   Janes  in early November....

A soldier aims a XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement system during testing at Aberdeen Test Center in Maryland. (US Army)  The US Army's contest for a follow-on contract for its high-explosive airburst munition system, Precision Grenadier System (PGS), is now down to two finalists.  The army's xTechSoldier Lethality has been awarding companies cash prizes for their solutions to replace legacy M320 grenade launchers. The army earlier tried to replace the grenade launchers with the XM25, which failed after the army terminated Orbital ATK's...

The D11A, pictured at the Defense & Security 2023 show in Bangkok, is intended to launch guided and unguided rocket systems of different calibres, with an effective range between 40 and 300 km. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)  The Defence Technology Institute (DTI) – an agency under the Thai Ministry of Defence – has furthered the development of the D11A, a local version of Elbit Systems' multicalibre Precise and Universal Launching System (PULS).  A DTI official told Janes at the Defense & Security 2023 exhibition in Bangkok on 6 November that developme...

A Finnish soldier with an RK 62M3 rifle. The Finnish Army has several small arms programmes under way. (Finnish Army)  Further details regarding the Finnish Army's ongoing and future soldier modernisation efforts emerged at Defence iQ's International Dismounted Soldier 2023 conference in London.  Janes  has learnt that alongside deliveries of Sako's M23 7.62 mm precision rifles and TRG M10 8.6 mm sniper rifles, additional Glock 17 and Glock 19 9 mm pistols are on order as part of the ongoing small arms modernisation effort. The Finnis...

Netline's C-Guard Modular ManPack RF jammer counters both UASs and IEDs and is based on the C-Guard series of C-IED systems. (Netline Communications Technologies Ltd)  Israel-based Netline Communication Technologies launched its new manportable counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) called C-Guard Modular ManPack on 31 October.    The radio frequency (RF)-based jammer provides on-the-move, omnidirectional, tactical protection to counter UASs as well as protect forces from improvised explosive devices (IEDs), a company spokesperson told...

MBDA Deutschland is offering more applications for the Enforcer missile system, including anti-tank, air-launched, and V/SHORAD versions. (MBDA)  MBDA Deutschland presented international journalists visiting the company on 27 October with more applications for the Enforcer missile system being procured by the Bundeswehr for its Leichtes Wirkmittel 1800+ requirement for a lightweight, day/night, precision-guided, shoulder-launched 89 mm weapon with a range of more than 1,800 m. The new applications are anti-tank, air-launched, and very short-...

A KS-1 5.56 mm rifle equipped with Vortex LPVO, Aimpoint Micro red dot, and a KAC suppressor. This configuration will be used by the British Army's Ranger Regiment. (Janes/Amael Kotlarski)  Further details of the status of the British Army's efforts to replace and introduce new small arms were revealed during Defence iQ's International Dismounted Soldier 2023 conference in London.  Janes has learnt that the now completed Project Hunter evaluated five rifles: Knight's Armament KS-1, Daniel Defense MK18 and HK416, Glock GR115, and the Sig Sauer...

Armasuisse has signed an agreement with the US government to procure PAC-3 MSE missiles. (Lockheed Martin)  Armasuisse, the Swiss Federal Office for Defence Procurement, signed an agreement with the US government on 30 October to procure Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles and related support equipment, the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) and Lockheed Martin announced in separate press releases on 31 October. The US company said Switzerland thus became the 15th PAC-...

The US Navy fired its first live munitions from an unmanned surface vessel during an exercise. (US Navy)  Unmanned surface vessels (USVs) of the US Navy (USN) fired live weapons on 23 October during Exercise ‘Digital Talon' in the international waters surrounding the Arabian Peninsula – the first use of lethal munitions from USVs in the Middle East region, US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) confirmed on 1 November.  During the exercise, co-ordinated with and supported by Commander, Special Operations Forces Central Command, NAVCENT's T...

MBDA Deutschland is offering more applications for the Enforcer missile system, including anti-tank, air-launched, and V/SHORAD versions. (MBDA)  MBDA Deutschland presented international journalists visiting the company on 27 October with more applications for the Enforcer missile system being procured by the Bundeswehr for its Leichtes Wirkmittel 1800+ requirement for a lightweight, day/night, precision-guided, shoulder-launched 89 mm weapon with a range of more than 1,800 m. The new applications are anti-tank, air-launched, and very short-...

Footage released on 2 November by the Israeli Air Force showing the moments before an F-35I shoots down a Houthi cruise missile. (Israeli Air Force)  An Israeli Air Force (IAF) Lockheed Martin F-35I Adir combat aircraft shot down a cruise missile fired from Yemen by the Iranian-backed Ansar Allah group, known as Houthis.  The IAF announced the event on 2 November, releasing F-35I electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) footage of the engagement.  “In recent days, the IAF's control and detection systems identified a cruise missile launched fro...