MARSS Group RADiRguard solar-powered capability enables 24/7 autonomous monitoring, suitable for perimeter and border surveillance. (MARSS Group)  MARSS Group, a company that develops surveillance systems, will deliver its RADiRguard solar-powered artificial intelligence (AI) surveillance solution to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).  According to a company announcement on 7 September, the KSA signed a multimillion Euro contract for 50 RADiRguard units.    The RADiRguard is a multisensor perimeter surveillance capability, which combines...

Systematic's data-centric AI-based SitaWare Insight being viewed by UK staff. SitaWare Insight is intended to support staff across intelligence, planning, and operations at all levels of command. It enables data from all domains to be combined and...

A rendition of Eutelsat 36D, a GEO satellite that will be integrated with Airbus' military satcom payload. (Airbus)  Airbus will provide military satellite communications (satcom) services to the Czech and Dutch armed forces.  The ministries of defence for the Czech Republic and the Netherlands signed an agreement with Airbus to access the company's ultra-high frequency (UHF) military satcom payload onboard the Eutelsat 36D telecommunications satellite, the company announced on 9 September.  According to the announcement, the countries will u...

US Coast Guard icebreaker   Healy   is hosting a series of Arctic-related research and scientific experimentation off the Alaskan coast.  (Michael Fabey)  US Coast Guard medium icebreaker Healy (WAGB-20) recently completed operations in the Beaufort Sea in support of the Arctic Mobile Observing System (AMOS) programme being developed and tested by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Healy'sCaptain Ken Boda told Janes.  AMOS is a collection of buoys designed for use in the Arctic, as well as unmanned underwater veh...

Soldiers from the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division use IVAS prototypes during Solider Touchpoint 3 in October 2020 at Fort Pickett in Virginia. (US Army)  The US Army has begun accepting 5,000 Microsoft Integrated Augmentation System (IVAS) units and is finalising plans to field them. However, it is not yet clear how soldiers will use these early versions of the capability that will require software upgrades.  In March 2021, service leaders signed a contract valued up to USD21.88 billion for more than 10 years for the militarised HoloLens 2 h...

The US Coast Guard is experiencing    greater demand for operations in the higher latitudes.  (Janes/Michael Fabey)  Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a new Russian naval doctrine on 31 July, which underscored the importance of the Arctic for Russia's geopolitical future and the growing tension between Moscow and Washington, including on the high seas and in the higher latitudes.    The Pentagon is looking for guidance on how to operate in the Arctic and higher latitudes, seeking advice from the one...

With the RAF set to receive the first of its Wedgetail aircraft in 2024, the service has embedded personnel with the RAAF so as to more quickly stand up the capability. (Commonwealth of Australia)  The UK is furthering preparations for the introduction into service of the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, with the announcement on 5 September that Royal Air Force (RAF) crews are supporting the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in its latest exercises.  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that RAF ‘see...

South Korea has planned to upgrade its Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter fleet to the most modern Version 6 (V6) standard. This will enhance the helicopter's ability to deal with larger numbers of adversarial mechanised forces. (US Army/Sgt 1st Class Vincent Abril)  South Korea has announced a programme to upgrade its fleet of AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters to the latest Version 6 (V6) standard.  In an announcement, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said on 2 September that the Defense Project Prom...

A US Army soldier and a Polish army officer establish an expeditionary network during exercise ‘Saber Strike' at Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area, Poland. (US Department of Defense)  The Pentagon's intelligence directorate is investing heavily in systems and programmes specifically designed to knock down barriers to collaboration between US armed forces, allies, and partner countries across all strata of command, senior Pentagon and military officials said.  Increasing capabilities to foster increased collaboration between the Pentagon and its...

Important elements of Thailand's Air Command and Control System, which is based on Saab's 9AIR C4I product, include the RTAF's JAS 39 Gripen C/D multirole fighter aircraft and its Saab 340 Erieye airborne early warning and control aircraft. (Peter Liander/Copyright Saab AB)  Saab and the Royal Thai Army (RTA) are discussing a possible expansion of Thailand's countrywide command-and-control (C2) system.  Speaking at the Defense & Security 2022 show in Bangkok, a Saab spokesperson said talks about the potential deal are focused on Thailand's Ai...

Thales is pitching its Ground Master 400 Alpha air-surveillance radar for a requirement within the Royal Thai Air Force. The system is an enhanced version of the GM400 (pictured above). (Thales)  Thales is positioning its new Ground Master 400 Alpha (GM400α) for a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) requirement for a series of air-surveillance radars.  A spokesperson for Thales told Janes at the Defense & Security 2022 exhibition in Bangkok that the company is proposing the GM400α in an RTAF programme to replace about 15 ground-based radars in operat...

HAL is testing a new mission computer for the Indian Navy's MiG-29K carrier-borne fighter aircraft. The new system has been designed to give the navy the ability to integrate a wide range of domestic and international air-launched weapons with the MiG-29K. (US Navy)  The Indian Navy is test-flying a new mission computer for its Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29K/KUB carrier-borne fighter aircraft.    The mission computer has been developed by the state-owned defence company, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The new system is intended to give t...

Saab is the latest company to declare its intent to offer an electronic warfare solution for the Eurofighter EK to be developed for the Luftwaffe. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Saab has described its Arexis electronic warfare (EW) suite as being “the perfect fit” for Germany's Eurofighter Elektronischer Kampf (EK) requirement.    Speaking to   Janes  and other defence media at the company's Stockholm headquarters, EW and Arexis sales director Mikael Corp, said that as the incumbent provider for the EW system for the Luftwaffe's Pan...

The Aselpod is almost certainly in service with the Nigerian Air Force. (Aselsan)  A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) JF-17 Thunder multirole fighter has been seen carrying what is almost certainly an Aselpod targeting pod made by Turkish company Aselsan.  A short clip posted on social media on 14 August showed a Nigerian JF-17 with the number 720 taxiing with a dark grey pod on its centreline hardpoint.  Earlier this year, a photograph emerged showing a man next to a JF-17 carrying a targeting pod with an air intake on its starboard side that looked...

Pictured is the MIDS-JTRS terminal, which provides land, sea, and air forces with communications, navigation, and identification capabilities. (Data Link Solutions)  The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Morocco for ground command-and-control equipment.  Announced on 25 August by the US State Department, Morocco has requested to purchase six Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio Systems (MIDS-JTRS) from the US for an estimated USD141.1 million.  Prime contractors for the...

Zephyr HAPS. (Airbus Defence and Security)  A recent US Army Futures Command (AFC) live-flight demonstration of a solar-powered, stratospheric unmanned aerial system (UAS) could play into service-led efforts to extend intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, as well as enable new long-range, beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communications programmes.  Officials from the command's Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing/Space (APNT/Space) Cross-Functional Team (CFT) conductedan over two-month flight test of the Airbus-b...

GDLS has not publicly released an image of its new Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle prototype but said that it is a ‘new, purpose-built' platform, which builds on its previous work to design such a vehicle for the USMC. (GDLS)  General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) is disclosing additional details about its ‘new, purpose-built' prototype designed to win over the US Marine Corps (USMC) leaders who are on the hunt for a future Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV).    Phil Skuta, the GDLS director for USMC programmes, provided   Janes...

A US Army solider assigned to 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, conducts an engine start on the Jump 20 at Fort Riley in Kansas in April 2020. The service has selected the UAS for its FTUAS Increment 1 programme. (US Army )  The US Army selected AeroVironment's Jump 20 medium unmanned aerial system (UAS) for its first Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) programme, a pathway designed to replace the runway-dependent RQ-7B Shadow fleet.  The service awarded an USD8 million ‘other transaction agreement' contract to the c...

The Royal Malaysian Navy's first-of-class littoral combat ship   Maharaja Lela   seen here at its launching ceremony in 2017. A parliamentary committee investigation that concluded in 2022 indicates that the vessel has yet to enter the water.  (Royal Malaysian Navy)  Several weapons and combat systems on Malaysia's Maharaja Lela-class littoral combat ship (LCS) programme were selected to reflect recommendations made by the programme's main contractor despite objections from the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).  This wa...

Lockheed Martin delivered a HELIOS system to the US Navy. (Lockheed Martin)  Lockheed Martin delivered to the US Navy (USN) a 60+ kW-class High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS), the first tactical laser weapon system to be integrated into existing ships and provide directed energy capability to the fleet, the company confirmed on 18 August.  The HELIOS system is designed to provide a tactically relevant laser weapon system warfighting capability as an important element of a layered defence architecture....