The UK's RC-135W Rivet Joint fleet has been operating at almost 200% of the normal tempo. (Crown Copyright)  UK Royal Air Force (RAF) RC-135W Rivet Joint signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft have been operating at nearly three times their normal operating tempo to support intelligence-gathering operations in the Black Sea theatre, according to the service's senior operations officer.  Delivering the annual Sir Sydney Camm Lecture at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London on 1 February, Air Marshal Harvey Smyth, deputy commander (operation...

The USAF's 45th Space Wing launches an advanced extremely high frequency satellite onboard an Atlas V launch vehicle, which is part of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle programme. (US Air Force)  Engineers at the US Department of Defense (DoD) and US Space Force (USSF) are looking to develop a new generation of microchips that can withstand the harsh radiation exposure associated with deep-space operations, while also employing cutting-edge micro-electronics (ME) technologies from the military and commercial sectors.  The Advanced Next Ge...

An artist's rendering of the SEWIP Block 3 EA subsystem installed on a DDG-51 destroyer. (Northrop Grumman)  Northrop Grumman is preparing to conduct a new round of sea trials of its prototype electronic attack (EA) system for the US Navy, building upon the lessons learned from the system's last live demonstration carried out during the sea service's Rim of the Pacific' (RIMPAC) exercises in the summer of 2022.  As part of thatramp up to the new sea trials, tentatively scheduled for the end of 2023, company officials are preparing to conduct...

Several US Army conventional 155 mm artillery projectiles outfitted with Northrop Grumman's Precision Guidance Kit. (US Army/Northrop Grumman)  US defence company Northrop Grumman will begin integrating Military Code (M-Code) global positioning system (GPS) capability into the company's precision guidance systems for medium- and long-range artillery systems.  CAES, a Northern Virginia-based company specialising in advanced radio frequency (RF) technologies, will carry out the M-Code GPS integration work into Northrop Grumman's Precision Guid...

The Technical High Mobility Shelter is a rapidly deployable C2 system that can be fitted on wheeled or tracked vehicles. (Elbit Systems )  Elbit Systems is to equip the Swedish Armed Forces with new mobile tactical communications stations.  The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) awarded a SEK500 million (USD48.79 million) contract to Elbit Systems Sweden for the supply of its Technical High Mobility Shelters (THMSs) to the Swedish Army, the company announced on 24 January.  Under the contract, the company will develop and deliver...

The German Army will receive additional IdZ-ES VJTF 2023 solider systems  .  The variant is based on Rheinmetall's modular Gladius 2.0, showing (l) the CeoTronics CT-MultiPTT 3C central operation and control unit and chest-mounted tablet and (II) the single central hub. This configuration has two radios, suited for a platoon commander.  (Giles Ebbutt)  Rheinmetall is to expand delivering its latest dismounted Future Soldier command-and-control (C2) system to the German Army.  As per a company announcement on 26 J...

Janes  assesses that the design of the new VTOL UAV by KAI and Northrop Grumman could be influenced by the US company's MQ-8C UAV (pictured).  (US Navy)  Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed an agreement with Northrop Grumman to develop vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can be operated from warships and coastguard vessels.  Janes understands that the Republic of Korea (RoK) Navy plans to acquire around 20 of these VTOL UAVs.  The UAVs will be used for “territorial defence missions” such...

The Qatari LPD   Al Fulk  in the dry dock at Fincantieri's Palermo yard before its launch on 24 January.  (Fincantieri)  Fincantieri launched the landing platform dock (LPD) amphibious assault ship it is building for Qatar at its shipyard in Palermo on 24 January, confirming it is equipped with vertical launch systems (VLSs).    Photographs of   Al Fulk  (L 141) show a box for the VLS has been attached to the ship's starboard side close to the end of the flight deck that looks sufficiently deep to...

Janes  assesses that the design of the new VTOL UAV by KAI and Northrop Grumman could be influenced by the US company's MQ-8C UAV (pictured).  (US Navy)  Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed an agreement with Northrop Grumman to develop vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can be operated from warships and coastguard vessels.  Janes understands that the Republic of Korea (RoK) Navy plans to acquire around 20 of these VTOL UAVs.  The UAVs will be used for “territorial defence missions” such...

Hensoldt will develop a SIGINT pod demonstrator for German Eurodrone MALE UAVs. The collective Eurodrone platform will be developed by Airbus, Leonardo, and Dassault. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Hensoldt has been awarded a contract to develop an intelligence capability for the Eurodrone platform.  The German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) awarded a EUR15 million (USD16.3 million) contract to Hensoldt for the development of a signals intelligence (SIGINT) demonstrator for the Eurodr...

The Type 31 mission system is based on a tailored variant of Thales' TACTICOS Baseline 2 CMS product. (Richard Scott/NAVYPIX)  Thales Nederland has completed production of the first TACTICOS combat management system (CMS) shipset for the first of the UK Royal Navy's (RN's) Inspiration (Type 31)-class general-purpose frigates.  Under a contract awarded in November 2019, UK shipbuilder Babcock, leading the ‘Team 31' consortium, will deliver five Type 31 ships for the RN. The class is based on the Arrowhead 140 design – an evolution of the Royal...

With US Navy (USN) Constellation-class guided-missile frigate (FFG 62) shipbuilding under way, Thales' Advanced Acoustic Concepts is now looking to ramp up its own manufacturing capacity and resources for the ships' combined active/passive towed-ar...

Hensoldt's TRML-4D multifunctional surveillance and target acquisition sensor system is highly mobile and can be deployed within 10 minutes. (Hensoldt)  Hensoldt is to equip the Ukrainian military with two new TRML-4D radars.  According to a company announcement on 18 January, Ukraine will receive the new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars to strengthen its air defences.  Valued in the “two-digit million-euro range”, the company is expected to deliver the radars in the next three months.  A Hensoldt spokesperson informed Janes...

USAF personnel test ABMS capabilities. The USAF is making progress on ABMS but lacks precise plans, requirements, and financial estimates, the GAO said. (US Air Force/DVIDS)  The US Air Force (USAF) is making progress on but lacks definitions and plans for the Air Battle Management System (ABMS), the service's component of Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2), according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).  A GAO report, released on 13 January, details the USAF's efforts to build and implement ABMS.  The USAF has defined tw...

The antenna array for the S1850M long-range wide-search air surveillance radar suited for medium and large surface ships. (Thales Nederland)  Thales has won a contract to support the S1850M radar in use with specific NATO navies.  On behalf of the French, Italian, and British ministries of defence (MoDs), the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) has signed a service contract with Thales for the support and maintenance of the company's S1850M long-range air surveillance radar.  The new three-year service contract comprises deli...

Xtend's Griffon C-UAS engaging with a UAV using its net effector. (XTEND)  The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been trialling unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in counter-UAS (C-UAS) and counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) roles to improve force protection.  Working alongside Israeli company Xtend, the IDF Yahalom special operations engineering unit (SOEU) has been experimenting with the company's Griffon C-UAS and Wolverine UAS over a four-year period to demonstrate their utility in a C-UAS and C-IED role, a platoon commander from the...

Regulus Cyber launches Ring, a flexible modular C-UAS solution that can defeat unmanned swarms from a 5 km range. (Regulus Cyber)  Israeli company Regulus Cyber has launched a new counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) effector that is capable of neutralising a wide range of unmanned threats including swarms, the company announced on 19 January.  Known as ‘Ring', the portable or fixed C-UAS solution utilises global navigation satellite system (GNSS) manipulation to allow the user to take control of the unmanned threat by pushing back, holding...

L3Harris Technologies completed the first flight of the US Army Airborne Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare System (ARES) aircraft – that will help modernise and enhance the army's ISR capabilities – on 27 August 2021 in Melbourne, Florida. (L3H...

An F-35B short take-off and vertical landing variant and F-35C carrier variant aircraft fly together over Fort Worth, Texas, on functional check flights on 14 March 2013. (Lockheed Martin)  Engineers at Northrop Grumman are developing a new advanced active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for the F-35 Lightning II, which company officials say will be compatible with all variants of the advanced stealth fighter jet.  Work within the company's electronic systems directorate is ongoing on the AN/APG-85, which will replace the current AN...

Israeli company Xtend will supply its robotic operating system, which enables unmanned swarming, to the Israel Ministry of Defense (MoD).  The USD20 million multi-year contract is part of a joint project with the Israeli MoD called ‘Urban Capsule',...