Poland's KAI FA-50 light attack aircraft ordered in 2022 will be equipped with the PhantomStrike radar, with deliveries expected by 2025. (KAI)  Poland's FA-50 Fighting Eagle aircraft – manufactured by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) – will be equipped with Raytheon's PhantomStrike radar, a Raytheon spokesperson confirmed to Janes on 17 May.  The PhantomStrike active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar is a compact platform designed for light attack aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and stationary platfor...

The ex-USS   Robert G Bradley  undergoing refurbishment in a dry dock in Charleston in May 2022. The frigate will be called RBNS   Khalid Bin Ali   in Bahraini service.  (NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support)  Bahrain's existing Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate and a second it is in the process of acquiring will have their radars and combat management systems (CMSs) replaced, according to a notice that the US Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division released via the System for Award Management website on 15 May.  Ba...

Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles underlined the need to enhance advanced defence technologies such as ‘quantum computing' to strengthen the ADF's asymmetric capabilities. (BAE Systems)  The Australian government intensified its efforts to accelerate the development of quantum technologies for defence application, highlighting these technologies as a key to improve the capabilities of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).  In a speech to the American Chamber of Commerce in Adelaide on 17 May, Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Ric...

Screengrab from an Airbus video shown at the AOC Europe 2023 conference in Bonn, Germany, showing a Luftwaffe A400M aircraft in a stand-off jammer configuration for the luWES airborne electronic attack requirement. (Richard Scott)  Airbus Defence and Space has revealed a stand-off jammer (SOJ) adaptation of its A400M Atlas airlifter as a potential solution for Germany's Luftgestätze Wirkung im Elektromagnetischen Spektrum (luWES) programme.  Showcased for the first time at the AOC Europe 2023 conference and exhibition in Bonn, Germany, from 1...

This is Ukraine's third order for a tranche of TRML-4D radars in less than two years. The ground-based air-defence system is designed for near- to long-range ground-to-air detection and for weapon assignment. (Hensoldt)  Ukraine will receive additional Hensoldt TRML-4D active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars to strengthen its air defences.  Under the agreement, Hensoldt will supply six systems to Ukraine for EUR100 million (USD108.2 million), the company announced on 16 May.  The radars will be delivered in the second half of 2023,...

A US Army network engineer at Joint Modernization Command works on creating the Project Convergence Mission Partner Environment at Fort Bliss, Texas. (US Department of Defense)  US Army units have begun employing a new variant of the Mission Partner Environment (MPE) network, allowing service commanders to exchange data more freely with allies and partner country forces downrange.    The Secure but Unclassified (SBU) variant of the MPE is employed across service formations deployed in the United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF)...

Chief of Staff General Saïd Chengriha inspects forces after an exercise, including trucks with the antennas associated with the CHL-906's multifunction radar jamming and ELINT stations. (Algerian Ministry of National Defence)  The Algerian Ministry of National Defence (MND) released a photograph on 9 May confirming it has acquired the CHL-906 electronic warfare system made by China's ELINC.  The photograph showed Chief of Staff General Saïd Chengriha inspecting troops after an exercise in the 3rd Military Region, which is headquartered at Béc...

Australia's Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has launched a counter-unmanned aircraft system, named the Slinger (pictured), that can eliminate UAVs at a range of more than 800 m. (Electro Optic Systems)  Australian company Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has launched a counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) that can track and shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at a range of more than 800 m.  The C-UAS, named the Slinger, is also capable of dealing with UAV swarms, a spokesperson for EOS told Janes on 15 May.  “The optical/radar-based UAV det...

A US Marine Corps field radio operator from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit sets up satellite communication at Camp Korean Village, Iraq, in 2008. (US Department of Defense)  The Pentagon's Space Development Agency (SDA) is soliciting industry proposals for space vehicle (SV) prototype variants and associated payloads for the Transport Layer of the agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).  PWSA programme officials are looking to acquire 100 Tranche 2 Transport Layer (T2TL) ‘Alpha' variant low-Earth orbit (LEO) SVs and as...

A computer-generated image of the OPV that is being built by Hyundai Heavy Industries for the Philippine Navy. Hanwha Systems has secured a contract to provide its combat management system (CMS) and tactical datalink (TDL) for the OPV. (Hyundai Heavy Industries)  South Korea's Hanwha Systems has secured a contract worth USD34.5 million to supply its combat management system (CMS) and tactical datalink (TDL) for the Philippine Navy's new offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), being built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).  Under the contract, Hanwha...

The first FA-50 for Poland was rolled out in March 2023. (KAI)  Poland is to equip its soon-to-be-delivered Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 Fighting Eagle light combat aircraft with the Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods (ATP).  The US State Department approved the sale of 34 Sniper ATPs on 9 May, saying the pods will enhance the FA-50's abilities to identify targets, track, and engage from a standoff distance, while increasing interoperability with US and NATO forces. The estimated value of the proposed deal is U...

Launch of the Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation-4 (HIFiRE-4) hypersonic test vehicle at the Royal Australian Air Force Woomera Range Complex, South Australia. The new DoD science and technology strategy will look to accelerate partnerships such as the Australian-US HIFiRE hypersonics research collaboration programme over the next several years. (Commonwealth of Australia)  The US Department of Defense (DoD) is looking to accelerate co-operation with allies and partner countries in the area of science and technology (S&T...

Rheinmetall's MASS decoy system is pictured here firing an Omni-Trap multispectral decoy round during a live trial. Australia will become the 16th user country of the system. (Rheinmetall)  The Australian government has signed a deal with Rheinmetall Defence Australia (RDA) to procure the company's Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS).  The Department of Defence (DoD) in Canberra said on 5 May that the MASS decoy system will be integrated onto the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) Anzac-class frigates and Hobart-class destroyers.  The deal a...

The GMST being supplied by Elbit Systems will provide individual classroom training through to integrated crew training at platoon level for up to four networked vehicles. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Elbit Systems UK has been awarded a contract under Project Vulcan to supply and operate the British Army's Ground Manoeuvre Synthetic Trainer (GMST) system intended for the UK's Boxer and Challenger 3 (CR3) armoured vehicles, the company announced on 9 May.  The GMST is designed to offer comprehensive training for crews and individuals (drivers, gunn...

A computer-generated image of an FDI HN frigate deploying corner reflector (SEALEM 08-02) and IR (SEALIR 08-01) payloads. Each FDI HN frigate will be fitted with four fixed Sylena Mk 1 launchers. (Lacroix Defense)  Lacroix Defense has confirmed that it is supplying its Sylena decoy launching system (DLS) and associated decoy ammunition to the Hellenic Navy as part of a larger Frégate de Défense et d'Intervention – Hellenic Navy (FDI HN) contract being delivered by Naval Group.  In a 9 May statement, the company said each FDI HN frigate will b...

Senop ‘Lilly' is a compact, handheld, multifunctional observation and surveillance target acquisition device in service with the Finnish Army, which will receive a life-cycle upgrade as part of the latest contract signed with the company. (Senop)  Senop has received a large order from the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command for the provision of its night-vision goggles (NVGs), laser sights, and target acquisition devices.  The contract comprises the ‘Senop EVA 40 NVG' image intensifier, ‘Lilly' compact thermal imager observation and targ...

Saab AB's Maritime Live Training solution's field-level components are on display at IMDEX 2023, Singapore. (Janes/Vinod Kumar CV)  Saab AB has unveiled a training system that can simulate various naval operations, including littoral warfare and amphibious assault missions.  The system, Maritime Live Training (MLT), was unveiled at the IMDEX 2023 exhibition in Singapore, held from 3 to 5 May at the Changi Exhibition Centre.  The MLT is similar to the Force on Force Training Systems–Next (FoFTS-Next), the contract for which was secured with th...

Climate change is creating a greater security burden for the US Coast Guard in the Arctic. (Michael Fabey)  The US should develop a US Arctic intelligence strategy, according to a recent report released by the Wilson Center's Polar Institute on 8 May.    “The US intelligence community (IC) and its customers would benefit from a pan-Arctic approach that views the region as a whole instead of through the current, fragmented lens split across three different combatant commands (European Command, Northern Command, and Indo-Pacific Command),”...

The third-generation UNWAS system enables 24/7 highly automated and cost-efficient surveillance and protection of underwater pipelines, subsea cables, ports, and harbours. (Image Soft)  Image Soft, a Finnish underwater and maritime technology company, launched on 8 May the latest version of its Underwater Surveillance System (UNWAS) designed to protect subsea cables, pipelines, and harbours.  The new third-generation UNWAS system is a highly automated maritime surveillance system that detects, locates, and classifies all underwater threats su...

Role players pretend to protest outside a building in Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. The protesters simulated tensions in a foreign country that could lead to a non-combatant evacuation of the building, which represented a consulate in the 26th MEU's training exercise. (Janes/Meredith Roaten)  From rapidly deploying from US Navy ships to keeping track of civilians, the US Marine Corps (USMC) wants to keep its non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO) running smoothly through its latest training exercise in Camp LeJeune, North Carolina.  The tr...