The Orbiter 2 mini UAS in operation with the FDF will receive a mid-life upgrade, bolstering its performance. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) Orbiter 2 mini unmanned aircraft system (UAS) will receive a mid-life upgrade following a contract signed between the authority and manufacturer Aeronautics.  According to an Aeronautics announcement on 3 April, the company will provide the FDF Orbiter 2 UAS with a comprehensive mid-life upgrade package that includes a full suite of sensors, avionics, and data-processing systems...

An assessment of Chinese air activity in Taiwan's ADIZ between 1 March 2022 and 27 March 2023 shows that the PLA began a sustained campaign of median line incursions from August. The data show that Chinese military aircraft are also involved in novel incursions into the ADIZ. (Taiwan MND/Japan MoD/Janes )  Flights by Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan's air-defence identification zone (ADIZ) are becoming increasingly complex and are showing a more diverse range of operations.  For years, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force (PL...

The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) selected Lockheed Martin as the ‘preferred tenderer' under Joint Project (JP) 9102 Phase 1 that seeks to build a military satellite communication (satcom) system for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).  Lo...

Army Air Corps Wildcat helicopters may take on the manned surveillance role within the UK. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  BritishArmy Air Corps (AAC) Wildcat battlefield observation helicopters are being proposed to take over the manned surveillance role within the UK, duties currently held by Gazelle light observation helicopters.  The new plan to re-equip 5 Regiment AAC, which currently operates the Gazelle from the Aldergrove Flying Station in Northern Ireland, emerged after it was confirmed by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) last month that five...

A US Air Force F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 354th Fighter Wing at   Eielson  Air Force Base, Alaska, lands at Kadena Air Base on 28 March 2023.  (US Air Force/Airman First Class Alexis Redin)  The United States has deployed a squadron of Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighters on Okinawa amid the continuing phased withdrawal of ageing Boeing F-15C/Ds from the island.  The US Air Force's (USAF's) 18th Wing on Okinawa said in a statement that F-35As from the 355th Fighter Squadron arrived at Kadena Air Ba...

The Taliban government has restored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles abandoned by the Afghan National Army. The above picture shows a US Army exercise with an HMMWV. (US Army)  The Taliban government in Afghanistan has restored at least 341 vehicles and 1,050 military weapons abandoned by the Afghan National Army (ANA) following the United States military's withdrawal from the country in 2021.  In a social media post in late March, Afghanistan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced that it had restored 300 military vehicles...

The Satellite Control Network's largest remote tracking station, operated by the 23rd Space Operations Squadron, at New Boston Space Force Station, New Hampshire. DARPA's Overwatch programme will allow for active tracking of 1,000 targets from space. (US Space Force)  The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is developing a new satellite-based targeting software, capable of tracking upwards of 1,000 individual terrestrial targets simultaneously from space, once it is mature.  DARPA's Oversight project, as designed, “seeks softwar...

Insitu is offering a vertical take-off option for the Integrator (designated RQ-21 Blackjack by the US Navy) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), using a new vehicle to pull it into the air for launch.  The new vehicle is a sky crane, which uses four ele...

The Skeye Hook can support a load of 250 kg. (Janes/Amael Kotlarski)  The Skeye Hook – a remote controlled grappling hook – was displayed for the first time at the SOFINS 2023 defence exhibition held near Bordeaux, France.  The brainchild of an active-duty French navy commando, the concept marries the functionality of a grappling hook with the flying abilities of a small unmanned aircraft system. Built with the assistance of French manufacturer Drone Act, the Skeye Hook is essentially a quadcopter design and features four claws. Each claw ca...

ADASI Garmoosha UAV with ventral payload turret. (Janes/Akshara Parakala)  Edge Group subsidiary ADASI demonstrated its Garmoosha light unmanned helicopter to a number of armed forces in the Middle East, including the UAE Navy in February 2023, Janes has learnt.  An ADASI spokesperson said the demonstration was part of ongoing field trials of the Garmoosha unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the Abu Dhabi area for an undisclosed customer from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  The aircraft is primarily designed for intelligence, surveillance, and...

An Airbus Capa-X UAS. (Janes/Amael Kotlarski)  Airbus unveiled its new Capa-X unmanned aircraft system (UAS) at the SOFINS 2023 exhibition, held near Bordeaux, France.  The aircraft has been designed with a modular architecture that is intended to enable it to undertake a wide range of missions, and according to Airbus, it will be able to accommodate up to three different payloads in a 10 kg-capacity internal bay. Capa-X will be reconfigurable for different operating profiles; in addition to horizontal take-off and landing via a runway, the a...

The ICG has reported its first crash of an ALH Mk III helicopter. The coast guard completed the acquisition of all 16 Mk IIIs ordered from HAL in November 2022. (Janes/Prathamesh Karle)  The crash of a second Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv in three weeks has raised questions about the operational safety of the aircraft.  On 26 March, an ALH Mk III helicopter (serial No CG-855) in service with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), crashed shortly after take-off from Kochi airport in southern India, where the...

Reflecting its interest in the KC-390 (pictured) as a potential replacement for its ageing C-130K airlifters, Austria recently attended the type's user meeting in Portugal. A decision on whether to buy it or another type will be made “in the coming months”,   Janes  was told.  (Embraer)  Austria attended the recent user meeting for the Embraer KC-390 Millennium on 28 March, as it looks to finalise a selection decision for its Lockheed Martin C-130K Hercules replacement plan.  The Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea...

KYSEA approved the purchase of 100 Spike NLOS missiles to arm AH-64A attack helicopters of the Hellenic Army Air Corps, the upgrade of 19 of the helicopters by Israeli company Elbit, and the certification of nine of them to be armed with the air-to-ground version of Spike NLOS. (Boeing)  Greece's Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA) chaired by Prime Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos approved the purchase of Spike Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) systems and missiles for all three services on 29 March.  KYSEA approved the purchas...

Czech crews began US-based training on AH-1Z and UH-1Y helicopters in July 2022. (NAVAIR)  The Czech Republic's Bell H-1 helicopter procurement took a major step forward on 21 March, with the announcement that the first air and ground crews had completed their training in the United States.  US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said that the Czech crews from the 22nd Helicopter Air Force Base in Náměště nad Oslavou had graduated on 9 February.  “The students have been embedded with the [Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron] HMLAT...

Having been retired by the USMC in 2020, the AH-1W SuperCobra fleet is to be refurbished, modernised, and sold off to the international market. Bahrain is the first customer to be approved for such a procurement. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Bahrain has been approvedto buy 24 surplus Bell AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 29 March.  The US Department of State has cleared the Gulf state to buy the former US Marine Corps (USMC) platforms, plus spares, training, and other services for a...

The Republic of Korea Army is moving to replace its ageing fleet of Sikorsky CH-47D helicopters with the newer ‘F' version. Pictured above, members of the US National Guard conduct sling-load training with a CH-47D in 2016. (US Army National Guard photo/Capt Brian Hare)  The South Korean government said it has finalised the acquisition of Boeing CH-47F heavy-lift transport helicopters for the Republic of Korea (RoK) Army.  South Korea has been seeking to acquire 18 CH-47F helicopters to replace the army's ageing fleet of CH-47D Chinooks. The...

The Israeli Ministry of Defense has launched its latest surveillance satellite, Ofek-13, which will be operated by the IDF's 9900 Intelligence Unit, part of the Directorate of Military Intelligence. (Israel Ministry of Defense Spokesperson's Office)  The Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMoD) launched its latest surveillance satellite onboard the Shavit rocket on 29 March, the organisation announced.  Known as Ofek-13, the satellite utilises the latest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology to collect high-resolution spatial intelligence for...

Airbus demonstrated its Auto'Mate autonomous aerial refuelling of drones using an A310 MRTT and DT-25 target drones during two trials held earlier in March 2023. (Airbus)  Airbus Defence and Space has trialled the autonomous air-to-air refuelling (AAR) of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), flying two test sorties earlier in March.    Senior programme representatives told   Janes   and other defence media on 28 March that the two events saw the first successful AAR trials of the Auto'Mate technologies developed by Airbus UpNext, u...

A North Macedonian Mil Mi-17 ‘Hip' helicopter being used for fire-fighting duties. The country is to shed its offensive air-combat capabilities, in favour of new helicopters that will perform military and civil support duties. The ageing Mi-17s will also be retired. (Igor Bozinovski )  North Macedonia will axe the air combat power of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (Armija na Republika Severna Makedonija: ARSM), instead focusing on acquiring a multirole helicopter fleet for military and civil support.  Defence Minister Slavjanka P...