LATACC is primarily being funded by the European Defence Fund and includes a range of companies specialising in key technology areas such as cloud software, communications, sensors, robotics, artificial intelligence, and system resilience in challenging environments. (Thales)  A project to enhance and accelerate collaborative combat for European land forces has been launched following the signing of a grant agreement between Thales and the European Commission, the company announced on 17 January.  Called the Land Tactical Collaborative Combat...

The first ECRS Mk 2 E-Scan radar has now been fitted aboard Eurofighter test aircraft ZK355/BS116 ahead of flight trials scheduled to begin later in 2024. (BAE Systems)  BAE Systems and its programme partners have progressed with the integration of...

Serbia is procuring equipment including 81 Miloš II 4×4 multi-purpose armoured combat vehicles (pictured during a live-firing demonstration at the Nikinci testing range on 18 July 2023). (Serbian MoD)  Serbia will spend nearly EUR740 million (USD810. million) in 2024 on new military equipment, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced on 13 January during a visit to Serbia's Military Security Agency.  He said, “We currently have EUR186 million of free funds in the bank account of [state-owned intermediary for export/import of defence equip...

A screengrab from the 501st Separate Marine Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Grifon 501) destroying a Russian armoured vehicle with a UAV, possibly an MBT or TOS-1 MLRS, because of the large explosion. (501st Separate Marine Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine)  Russia is said to have lost approximately 90% of its military equipment in Krynky, Kherson, likely because of a shortage of Russian electronic warfare (EW) systems in the area, according to a UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) intelligence update on 12 January.  The equipment...

The Italian Army operating SitaWare HQ, known internally by the army as Imperio, during military exercise ‘Cursor 2023'. (Italian Army)    The Italian Army has opted for Systematic's SitaWare Headquarters (HQ) command-and-control (C2) software for its higher echelons of command,   Janes   has learnt.     SitaWare HQ, known internally in the Italian Army as Imperio, will be rolled out from the regimental to army corps level, simplifying the operations process, improving interoperability between allied forces, and establ...

A Hermes 900 in maritime configuration. The Indian Navy will induct two Hermes 900 Starliner UAVs by the end of February. (Elbit Systems)  The Indian Navy will induct two Hermes 900 Starliner unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by the end of February, a spokesperson for the Indian Navy told Janes on 10 January.  Elbit Systems' Hermes 900 Starliner is manufactured in India by Adani Defence and Aerospace under the name ‘Drishti 10' for Indian customers. Drishti 10 was unveiled on 10 January in the presence of India's Chief of the Naval Staff, Admir...

A Hermes 900 in maritime configuration. The Indian Navy will induct two Hermes 900 Starliner UAVs by the end of February. (Elbit Systems)    The Indian Navy will induct two Hermes 900 Starliner unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by the end of February, a spokesperson for the Indian Navy told  Janes  on 10 January.   Elbit Systems' Hermes 900 Starliner is manufactured in India by Adani Defence and Aerospace under the name ‘Drishti 10' for Indian customers. Drishti 10 was unveiled on 10 January in the presence of India's Chief...

The US Navy is planning to use HELIOS technology to introduce laser capabilities into fleet operations. (Lockheed Martin)  The successful missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) defence by US Navy (USN) ships in the Red Sea has prompted discussion for accelerated development of lasers on USN surface ships in such scenarios.  However, the USN is still struggling, trying to achieve the power necessary for missile defence, according to defence analysts.    “Most of the problem is trying to aim for higher powers that can be useful against...

Lithuania acquires Thales GM200 MM/C radar systems in a deal with the Netherlands Ministry of Defence. (Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Lithuania)  Lithuania has acquired new Thales Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission Compact radars (GM200 MM/C) to strengthen its artillery capabilities.  The deal, struck between the Lithuanian and Netherlands ministries of defence, is valued at EUR126.7 million (USD138.6 million) for an undisclosed number of GM200 MM/C radar systems, the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence (MND) announced on 3...

Poland has ordered 12 new command vehicles from Polish manufacturer Rosomak to support its 250 M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 MBTs. (Polish Armaments Agency)  Poland has ordered 12 new command vehicles based on the Rosomak wheeled armoured personnel carrier (APC) to support its 250 M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 main battle tanks (MBTs).  The command vehicles will be used at the battalion level and will be equipped with internal communication subsystems and other basic communication equipment to ensure the secure exchange of classified information, the Polish Armament...

Mass production of Aselsan's new electro-optical reconnaissance, surveillance, and targeting system, ASELFLIR-500, has begun and it is expected to be integrated onboard the Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle and the TCG   Anadolu  multi-purpose amphibious assault ship.  (Janes/Olivia Savage)  Aselsan's latest electro-optical systems – ASELFLIR-500, DORUK-2, and TULGAR – achieved important production and delivery milestones in 2023.  According to Aselsan's General Manager Ahmet Akyol on 31 December, the...

The Self Defense Test Ship, ex-USS   Paul F Foster  (EDD 964), will be overhauled.  (US Navy)    BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair business has been awarded a USD22 million firm-fixed-price contract to overhaul the US Navy's (USN's) Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) ex-USS   Paul F Foster  (EDD 964).   Awarded on 15 December by Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Port Hueneme Division (PHD), the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) will see the SDTS subject to pier-side mai...

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...

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...

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/...

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”,...

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...

A new, flexible silicon-on-polymer chip developed by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and American Semiconductor has a memory capability 7,000 times higher than the current slate of flexible, integrated circuits on the market. (US Air Force)  The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is teaming with Raytheon to develop new diamond-based substrates for gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors in a bid to push high-powered radar and radio frequency (RF) communication applications down to the tactical level.  A wide-bandgap se...

MVRsimulation (MVR) has developed a mixed reality (MR) sand table for training and mission rehearsal and showcased it at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) 2023 in Orlando in November.  The sand table enables users to collaborate interactively in a shared MR setting, viewing the virtual world on a three-dimensional (3D) visualised “table” in MVR's Virtual Reality Scene Generator (VRSG) environment, Garth Smith, president and co-founder of MVR, told  Janes  .   Each user is equipped with a Varj...