The Skif-M ATGM. (Janes/Amael Kotlarski)    The Ukrainian armed forces have received the Skif-M anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system, a spokesperson for the Luch Design Bureau told   Janes  at the MSPO 2023 defence exhibition in Kielce, Poland.   The Skif-M was unveiled in 2022 and is an upgraded version of the Skif system. Known as the Stugna-P in Ukrainian service, the Skif ATGM has been in use with the Ukrainian armed forces since 2018, and has also been exported to eight countries.  Improvements brought to the Skif-M...

Submarine-launched Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile model and the TKMS Type 212CD submarine model on display at MSPO 2023. (Janes/Neil Dee)    German shipyard Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) is planning to potentially pitch its Type 212 Common Design (CD) submarine for the Polish Navy's ‘Orka' submarine programme,   Janes  has learned.     Speaking to   Janes  at the MSPO 2023 exhibition in Kielce, Poland, a source from TKMS noted the shipyard's interest in the programme, which is to replace the Polish Nav...

PGZ and Javelin JV MOU signing ceremony at MSPO 2023. (Janes/Amael Kotlarski)  PGZ Group and the Javelin Joint Venture (JV) (Raytheon and Lockheed Martin) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the production of Javelin missiles in Poland.  Signed on 6 September at the MSPO 2023 defence exhibition in Kielce, Poland, the MOU will explore the possibility of Mesko – part of the PGZ Group – undertaking final assembly of Javelins and producing small metallic machined components for the missile. The signing of the MOU was followed by t...

Poland's Pilica+ air-defence system will be equipped with new Zenit-MP+ Automated Command Posts. (Polish Armament Agency)  Poland will acquire 22 Zenit-MP+ Automated Command Posts (ZSD) for the Pilica+ air-defence system.  The PLN650 million (USD151 million) deal, signed between the Polish Armament Agency (AA), State Treasury, and PGZ-Pilica+ consortium, was announced at the MSPO 2023 defence exhibition held in Kielce from 5 to 8 September.  Deliveries are scheduled from 2025 to 2029, with training and service packages, as well as technical d...

Kongsberg NSM CDS on display at MSPO 2023. (Janes/Neil Dee)  Kongsberg has been awarded a contract worth around NOK16 billion (USD1.5 billion) to deliver four additional Naval Strike Missile (NSM) Coastal Defence System (CDS) squadrons to Poland, the largest single contract in Kongsberg's history. The contract was approved at the MSPO 2023 defence exhibition in Kielce, Poland, by Polish Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak in the presence of Polish President Andrzej Duda. Pending confirmation of export financing for the contract, de...

Raytheon's Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor is one component of the Wisła programme. (Raytheon)  The Polish government approved major contracts for air-defence programmes at the MSPO 2023 defence exhibition in Kielce, Poland. Signed on 5 September in the presence of Poland's President Andrzej Duda and Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, the contracts have a combined value of more than USD15.5 billion.  Contracts for Phase 2 of the Wisła programme were signed, which will see the acquisition – via US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) – of 1...

FB Radom's new MPS 9 mm pistol. (Janes/Amael Kotlarski)  Fabryka Broni (FB) ‘Łucznik' Radom unveiled its new MPS pistol at the MSPO defence exhibition held from September 5 to 8 in Kielce, Poland.  The MPS has a polymer-framed, striker-fired design, and is chambered for the 9×19 cartridge. Similar to the Sig Sauer P320, the core of the pistol consists of the fire-control module, which can be swapped to different polymer frames depending on user requirements. The launch model features a 102 mm long barrel and a 15-round magazine capacity. The...

An RSAF F-16 on display at Paya Lebar Air Base in September 2023. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has publicly confirmed that its upgraded Lockheed Martin F-16 C/D/D+ fighter aircraft are now armed with the Python 5 air-to-air missile.  This confirmation can be seen on an information board at a stand that has been set up at Paya Lebar Air Base to showcase the aircraft.    The base is accessible to the public from 9 to 10 September as part of an ‘open house' event to mark the service's 55th anniversary....

An image Tweeted by the Ukrainian MoD calling for the transfer of Taurus cruise missiles to complement the Storm Shadow and SCALP EG systems already supplied. (Ukrainian Ministry of Defence)  Ukraine is pressing its allies to transfer Taurus (Target Adaptive Unitary and dispenser Robotic Ubiquity System) cruise missiles to complement the Storm Shadow and SCALP EG systems already supplied.  The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) posted artwork on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on 31 August showing the Taurus flanked by the Storm Sh...

Converted Norwegian IRIS-T air-to-air missiles can be deployed from launchers to be donated to Ukraine by Sweden, which mounts the IRIS-T SLS air defence system on the trailer section of the BvS10 armoured all-terrain vehicle. (Forsvarsmakten/Jessica Krantz)  Norway will donate converted IRIS-T air-to-air missiles to Ukraine for use by its ground-based air defence (GBAD), a Norwegian Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson confirmed to Janes on 31 August. The missiles armed former Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16 combat aircraft.  The Norwegian...

Switzerland's Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sports received a remote-controlled mine-clearing vehicle on 29 August from the Digger Foundation for delivery to Ukraine. (DDPS)  Switzerland's Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sports (DDPS) announced in a press release on 29 August that it had received a tracked remote-controlled mine-clearing vehicle the same day from Digger Foundation, a Swiss-based non-profit organisation (NPO), for delivery to Ukraine. Developed and produced by Digger, the vehicle can...

The US Navy plans to replace Zumwalt-class destroyers' Advanced Gun Systems with hypersonic missile launching systems. (Janes/Michael Fabey)  The US Navy (USN) on 29 August awarded HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding division a USD154.8 million contract modification for the modernisation of USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), HII officials confirmed.  Zumwalt arrived in Pascagoula on 19 August after transiting from San Diego, California, HII said. The ship's modernisation at the yard will include technology upgrades and the integration of the Conventional Prompt...

The 110 mm electro-optic/infrared-guided Spike SR (pictured above) is the only disposable system in the Spike family of precision-guided munitions. (Rafael Advanced Defense Systems)  The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract worth INR2.87 billion (USD34.7 million) with Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems Pvt Ltd (KRAS) to deliver an unknown number of Spike anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) to the Indian Armed Forces, Rudra B Jadeja, managing director and CEO of KRAS, told Janes on 31 August.  According to a press statement by KRA...

Nag anti-tank guided missile. (Janes)  India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently confirmed to Janes that the Nag anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), the development of which was started in the 1980s, has cleared all the flight and user trials required for induction into the Indian Army. The DRDO is currently awaiting an order from the Indian Army for the missile, a DRDO official said.  The Nag ATGM was developed by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and the DRDO's Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) to meet...

Spanish Minister of Defense Margarita Robles and her Estonian counterpart, Hanno Pevkur, agreed that Spain would extend its NASAMS air-defence unit rotation in Estonia on 29 August. (Estonian MoD)  Spanish Minister of Defense Margarita Robles and her Estonian counterpart, Hanno Pevkur, agreed on the fringes of the 29–30 August EU defence ministerial meeting in Toledo, Spain, that Madrid would extend its National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) anti-air defence unit (UDAA) rotation in Estonia, the Baltic state's Ministry of Def...

Rheinmetall is producing 40,000 rounds of 35 mm rounds in 2023 for Gepard SPAAGs that Germany has supplied to Ukraine. (Rheinmetall)  Rheinmetall is on track to deliver 40,000 rounds of 35 mmammunition by the end of 2023 for the Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (SPAAGs) it has supplied to Ukraine. “Deliveries are being made in accordance with the contract,” a company spokesperson told Janes on 29 August.  During the 14 February Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Rheinmetall would produc...

Sweden mounts the IRIS-T SLS air-defence system on the trailer section of the BvS10 armoured all-terrain vehicle. (Försvarsmakten/Jessica Krantz)    Germany has bought back 200 IRIS-T SLS (Surface Launched Short Range) air-defence missiles from Sweden to supply to Ukraine,   Janes  has learnt.   The Swedish missiles are being refurbished by Diehl Defence and will replenish IRIS-T SLM (Surface Launched Medium Range) missiles that have been fired by Ukrainian forces defending against Russian air attacks.  Sweden will procure...

A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) weapon system is a critical capability for US missile defence in Guam. Shyu said the US and Australia are working together to figure out how to integrate missile defence systems. (US Army)  The US is set to step up its technology partnerships with Australia in the coming months with an AUKUS-related announcement in the fall, the Department of Defense's (DoD's) chief technology officer announced on 29 August.  As part of the Australia, US, and United Kingdom subdevelopment agreement, US President J...

Japan intends to equip its fleet of Mitsubishi-Boeing F-15Js with AGM-158B/B-2 JASSM-ERs for stand-off attacks. Other aircraft in the JASDF, such as transport aircraft, could also be armed with missiles. (Lockheed Martin)  The US Department of State has approved a possible Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of AGM-158B/B-2 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles with Extended Range (JASSM-ER) to Japan.  The 28 August announcement follows a Japan Ministry of Defense (MoD) disclosure that it is trying to develop and procure a stand-off missile launch...

The Rheinmetall-Diehl-Hensoldt ARGE NNbS working group is offering FlaRakPz (left) and fire control (right) versions of the Boxer armoured vehicle for the Bundeswehr's mobile air defence. (ARGE NNbS)  The Rheinmetall Electronics, Diehl Defence, and Hensoldt Sensors Arbeitsgemeinschaft (ARGE) Nah- und Nächstbereichsschutz (NNbS) short- and very short-range air defence (V/SHORAD) working group submitted its best and final offer (BAFO) to the Bundeswehr on 9 August, Oliver Hoffmann, Rheinmetall's head of press and public relations, announced dur...