Rheinmetall unveiled a C-UAS version of its Mission Master XT UGV at DSEI 2023. (Janes/Nicholas Fiorenza)  Rheinmetall unveiled a counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) version of its 4×4 Mission Master XT (Extreme Terrain) unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) at the DSEI 2023 defence exhibition, held in London from 12 to 15 September.  The UGV has a remote-controlled weapon station with a Dillon Aero 7.62 mm gatling gun with a rate of fire of 3,000 rds/min and a range of 1,200 m, and a FLIR 3D dual-use (land and air) radar that can detect micro-U...

BAE Systems unveiled a manoeuvre short-range air defence variant of the BvS-10 all-terrain vehicle at DSEI 2023. (Janes/Nicholas Fiorenza)  BAE Systems unveiled a manoeuvre short-range air defence (M-SHORAD) variant of the BvS10 armoured all-terrain vehicle (ATV) at DSEI 2023 in London.  Briefing journalists, Darren Restarick, BAE Systems Hägglunds' director of product strategy, said the BvS10 is moving from being an armoured personnel carrier to a modular fighting vehicle able to address almost any modern operational threat, with the possibi...

Elbit Crossbow lightweight turret mortar system on show at DSEI 2023 in London. (Janes/Andrew Galer)    Elbit Systems revealed further details of its Crossbow lightweight turret mortar at DSEI 2023 in London and displayed a mock-up that    included the system that allows the barrel to be loaded in any position. Crossbow was first announced at the IAV 2023 conference.   Using a novel ratchet system, one of the six immediately available rounds rotates on a turntable and then moves on a ratchet arc within the loader housing so...

Mossberg ‘Vanisher' breacher shotgun (Janes/ Amael Kotlarski)    Mossberg's new highly compact ‘Vanisher' breaching shotgun was designed at the request of a specialist UK-based unit, company representatives told   Janes  at DSEI 2023 in London.    Based on the 500/590 series of 12-bore, pump-action shotguns, the company made some notable changes to the design to meet the units very specific requirements.  The very strict overall length limitation meant that the use of the traditional tubular magazine had to be abandoned i...

The 12.7 mm XT112 sniper rifle, pictured above from the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition 2023, features a detachable 10-round magazine and has an effective range of 2,000 m. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense's (MND's) Armaments Bureau has unveiled the 12.7 mm XT112 sniper rifle at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition 2023 (TADTE 2023) held in Taipei from 14 to 16 September 2023.  Under development by the 205th Arsenal, which is based in the southern city of Kaohsiung, the new rifle...

The strike-length MK 41 vertical launcher on   De Ruyter  is already capable of accommodating the Tomahawk cruise missile.  (Richard Scott/NAVYPIX)  The Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) is moving forward with plans for a proof-of-concept launch of a Tomahawk cruise missile in the Pacific during the second half of 2024.  Work is under way to prepare the De Zeven Provinciën-class air-defence and command frigate (Luchtverdedigings en commandofregat: LCF), HNLMS De Ruyter, to execute a firing trial around September/Octo...

The first full-scale prototype of the Homar-A MLRS launcher was unveiled at MSPO 2023. (Lockheed Martin)  Janes learnt more details about the framework agreement the Polish Armaments Agency (AA) and Lockheed Martin announced on 11 September, which they had signed for the procurement of M142 High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) missile launcher components for Poland's Homar-A Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) at DSEI 2023 held in London from 12 to 15 September.  Under the agreement, signed after it was approved by Polish Minister...

ST Engineering's 120 mm Ground Deployed Advanced Mortar System. (Janes/Andrew Galer)  ST Engineering is developing a new lightweight 120 mm mounted mortar system that is aimed at providing a quickly deployable capability that can be easily fitted to a range of light utility vehicles, such as a Toyota Land Cruiser.  The company displayed the Ground Deployed Advanced Mortar System (GDAMS) at DSEI 2023 in London. The system is still in development and due for qualification in the first quarter of 2024; depending on the orders received for GDAMS...

Raytheon Multispectral Targeting System pod being used for the 15 kW high-energy laser. (Janes/Andrew Galer)  Raytheon UK is set to receive a high-energy laser weapon system to be tested and integrated in the United Kingdom in the third quarter of 2024, the company announced at DSEI 2023 in London.  The system is designed to counter small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and is the latest development in the UK Ministry of Defence's Land Demonstrator programme. Raytheon UK was contracted in 2021 to develop and install the laser system on a Wolf...

MBDA and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation are to partner on the effects domain of the GCAP effort to develop a sixth-generation combat aircraft. (BAE Systems)  MBDA and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation are to partner on the effects domain of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), it was announced on 13 September at DSEI 2023.    With MBDA UK and MBDA Italia representing the UK and Italy, respectively, Mitsubishi Electric    Corporation will represent Japan in the weapons and effectors pillar of the tri-national programme....

A model of IAI's Rotem Alpha (Rotem A) loitering munition at DSEI 2023. The munition features an anti-tank warhead from the company's LAHAT missile. (Janes/Huw Williams)  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has added to its range of loitering munitions with the introduction of an anti-tank version of its Rotem system.  Unveiled at DSEI 2023 in London, the company's Rotem Alpha draws on the work undertaken in the development of the smaller Rotem, which itself leverages technology from IAI's Green Dragon system.    While the earlier Rotem is...

Capable of rapid movement, the Ancilia trainable decoy launcher is designed to counter a wide range of threats quickly and accurately. (SEA)  Fleet protection specialist SEA unveiled its new high-performance trainable decoy launcher system, Ancilia, at the DSEI 2023 exhibition, held from 12 to 15 September in London.  According to the company, Ancilia's trainable nature represents a step change in decoy launcher technology from traditional fixed countermeasures solutions, as it removes the need to manoeuvre the vessel. The system is flexible...

Estonia and Latvia signed a framework agreement with Diehl on 11 September for IRIS-T SLM air-defence systems. (Diehl)    Estonia and Latvia will receive training, along with the Luftwaffe, in Germany on the IRIS-T surface-launched medium range (SLM) air-defence systems that the two Baltic countries are jointly procuring, a Diehl Defence representative told   Janes  on the first day of DSEI 2023, held in London from 12 to 15 September.   The training will take place at the ground-based air-defence (GBAD) training facility...

The US Army's LRHW could be delayed in fielding because of a recent flight cancellation. (US Navy)  The US Department of Defense (DoD) cancelled a flight test scheduled for the US Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) on 6 September, the Pentagon told reporters on 7 September.    The flight test scheduled at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, was cancelled after undergoing pre-flight checks, DoD Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters. The army declined to confirm if the cancellation would push the army over th...

People watching a South Korean news broadcast in Seoul showing a parade to mark North Korea's 75th founding anniversary on 9 September 2023. Spotted at the parade were what appears to be the M1985 multiple launch rocket system that has been incorporated into red tipper trucks with false load coverings. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)  North Korea has displayed what appears to be a fleet of multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) units that have been disguised as civilian vehicles.  These units were showcased during a paramilitary parade...

The DragonFire 50 kW-class LDEW capability demonstrator system. (Richard Scott/NAVYPIX)  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is embarking on a three-year ‘Transition Phase' programme designed to support the development and delivery of directed energy weapon (DEW) systems tothe UK armed forces over the next five to 10 years.  In a briefing note promulgated on 1 September industry has been asked to help shape the UK DEW procurement strategy by providing early input to guide planning and policy. At this stage, the MoD is leaning towards a framework...

MBDA Common Anti-air Modular Missile on display at MSPO 2023. (Janes/Neil Dee)  The Polish Navy's future Miecznik (Project 106)-class frigates will receive the medium-range (MR) version of MBDA's Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM) once developed, it has been confirmed.  The plan for the Mieczniks to receive the CAMM-MR forms part of an announcement of a letter of intent signed on 6 September between MBDA and the Polish Armaments Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa: PGZ) to co-operate in the development of the CAMM-MR. The MR version is being...

Rheinmetall delivered the first batch of 35 mm ammunition in August for the Gepard SPAAGs Germany has supplied to Ukraine. (Rheinmetall)  Rheinmetall has begun delivering 35 mm ammunition for the Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (SPAAGs) Germany supplied to Ukraine, the company and the German Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced. Rheinmetall said in a press release on 6 September that it had delivered the first batch of 30,000 rounds of Gepard ammunition it is supplying to Ukraine in 2023.  During the 14 February Ukraine Defense Contac...

With three large, vertically placed displays, the Future Operator Workspace provides a clear and distinct presentation of the tactical and operational environment. The 27.6 inch central display shows the tactical situation, while the side 21.9 inch side displays are used for presenting information and data. (Saab)  Saab will display for the first time a prototype of its new ‘Future Operator Workspace' concept at the DSEI 2023 exhibition, to be held in London from 12 to 15 September.  The company describes the new operator combat console as a...

DE&S has awarded a contract for the AIW system to equip the British Army and the Royal Marines (pictured). (Royal Navy)  The UK Ministry of Defence and its Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) organisation announced on 7 September the award of a contract for the Alternative Individual Weapon (AIW) system, designated the L403A1 in UK service. DE&S awarded an initial contract for 1,620 AIW systems worth GBP15 million (USD18.7 million), with options for 10,000 systems for a total of GBP90 million.  The systems will equip the British Army and the R...