A FOST Airbus AS365N2 Dauphin operated by British International Helicopters under the FHSU requirement. The MoD has put the tender out to requirement, hoping to secure a new service starting from 1 April 2026. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has reopened its requirement for a Fleet Helicopter Support Unit (FHSU) provider to deliver a crewed rotary-wing service to the Royal Navy (RN), having seemingly failed to do so on previous occasions.  A notification posted on the UK government's Contract Finder website on 8 May ca...

The EDF is procuring and sustaining some of its L3Harris communications equipment. The force currently operates the Falcon III RF-7800M-MP multiband networking manpack radio (pictured). (L3Harris Technologies)  L3Harris Technologies has been contracted by the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) to supply its radios to the Estonian and Moldovan defence forces.  The EUR30 million (USD32.3 million) deal involves the procurement of radios, supplies, and training for the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) as well as maintenance and support f...

DEFTECH's Aludra EE UAV – pictured above displayed at the DSA 2024 exhibition – has a length of 3.28 m, a width of 4.86 m, and a maximum take-off weight of 120 kg. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  Malaysia's DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies (DEFTECH) showcased its tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) – also known as Aludra EE – at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May.    A company representative from DEFTECH told  Janes  at the exhibition that the development of the UAV is completed.   “T...

The Raybolt, displayed at the DSA 2024 exhibition, is a manportable anti-tank system designed to be carried and operated by one user. It fires guided projectiles that can be used in either top-attack or direct-attack flightpath modes. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  South Korea is planning to initiate a “performance improvement plan” for its Raybolt anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), a LIG Nex1 spokesperson told Janes at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May.  The Raybolt ATGM is developed by South Korea's Ag...

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it has tested the KAI KF-21's ability to launch the MBDA Meteor air-to-air missile and guide the weapon to target using the aircraft's active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. (Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)  The Indonesian government has sought a reduction of its payment share for the joint development of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 fighter programme, from KRW1.6 trillion to KRW600 billion (USD1.2 billion to USD438 million), according t...

Following FARA's cancellation, the Boeing MH-6 Little Bird is due to soldier on with USSOCOM for the foreseeable future. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has shed light on how the organisation proposes to replace the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) in its acquisition schedule following the US Army's cancellation of the programme in February.  Addressing delegates at the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week 2024 conference in Tampa, Florida, on 7 May, Program Executive Officer for Rotary Wing (PEO-RW)...

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)    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.  “Currently, final assembly and check-out of German F-35 aircraft is planned to occur at the Fort Worth facility using major components from across Europe, including Germany, UK, a...

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 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...

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 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...

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....

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...