The Bluebottle USV will be operated by the RNZN for seven months. (Tim Fish)  The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) will experiment with a new variant of the Bluebottle unmanned surface vehicle (USV) that will help inform future capabilities of uncrewed systems in the service.  The USV was delivered to RNZN's Devonport Naval Base on 8 December on HMNZS Aotearoa, which had completed a five-month international deployment with the frigate HMNZS Te Mana. In a ceremony on 13 December RNZN Maritime Component Commander Commodore Garin Golding said trial...

A Japan Air Self-Defense Force aircraft photographed a Chinese Shaanxi Aircraft Industry Group Corporation Y-8G (GX-3) electronic warfare aircraft as it operated with Russian and Chinese strategic bombers over the East China Sea on 14 December 2023. (Japan Ministry of Defense)  Chinese and Russian military forces have conducted their second joint strategic air patrol of 2023 in an effort to improve their air and naval force co-operation.  The joint air patrol, which was conducted on 14 December, comprised a nucleus of two Chinese People's Lib...

A new intergovernmental agency, named GIGO, has been set up by Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy to manage the sixth-generation Global Combat Air Programme. (Leonardo)  Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy have signed a treaty to establish a new intergovernmental organisation to advance the joint development of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) sixth-generation combat aircraft.  Japan's Minister of Defense Minoru Kihara and his Italian and UK counterparts, Guido Crosetto and Grant Shapps, signed the treaty in Tokyo on 14 December. The...

The H145M LKH will bridge the Tiger in the light attack role, as Germany considers its longer-term replacement options. (Airbus)  Germany has placed the largest ever order for Airbus H145M battlefield support helicopters, with the Bundeswehr contracting the rotorcraft and accompanying weapons systems to partially replace its Airbus Tigers and to support its special forces.  Announced on 14 December, the contract that will be funded primarily from the EUR100 billion (USD108 billion) special fund covers 62 (with an option for a further 20) heli...

The US Army announced the Precision Strike Missile had undergone qualification testing in November 2023. (US Army )  The first Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) weapons have been delivered to the US Army, representing the programme reaching initial operating capability (IOC), the service announced on 8 December.    Lockheed Martin plans to deliver three early operational capability (EOC) missiles out of 26 surface-to-surface missiles that are part of PrSM Increment 1 to the army before the end of the year, Paula Hartley, vice-president an...

Spain is buying extended-range AMRAAM missiles to equip Eurofighter and Hornet (pictured) fighters, as well as its ground-based NASAMS air defence. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Spain is to expand its procurement of extended-range Raytheon AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) for its fleet of Eurofighter (C16 in national service) and Boeing EF-18 (C15) Hornet combat aircraft, as well as for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) ground-based air-defence system.  With 68 AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM missiles havin...

Australia's fleet of Airbus A330 (KC-30A) MRTTs is receiving improved communications, tactical datalink, and encryption systems to bring the fleet to the latest “enhanced A330 MRTT” standard. (Commonwealth of Australia)  The first Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) has received a communications and cyber upgrade.  Australia's fleet of seven KC-30As are having their secure high-frequency (HF) and very-high frequency (VHF) radios, encryption device, and tactical datalink systems enhanced under the...

Poland began receiving into service the first of its Leonardo AW101 Merlin helicopters on 8 December. (General Command of the Polish Armed Forces)  Poland has begun inducting into service the first of four Leonardo AW101 Merlin helicopters it ordered in 2019 to satisfy its anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) requirements.  The Polish Navy and the General Command of the Armed Forces announced the milestone on 8 December, saying that three helicopters are now with the Naval Aviation Brigade at Darłowo. The fourth of...

The first of 34 F-35A aircraft for Belgium was formally presented on 10 December 2023. (Lockheed Martin)  Belgium formally received its first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) during a roll-out ceremony at the Fort Worth production facility in the United States.  Aircraft AY-01/FL001 was presented to the Belgian government and military leaders on 10 December, ahead of delivery to the international F-35 training school at Luke Air Force Base (AFB) in Arizona in early 2024.  News of the handover came days after the B...

The PLAAF has introduced an augmented reality (AR)-assisted maintenance programme for an air brigade newly equipped with SAC J-16 aircraft, coupled with “intelligent” warehousing to improve sustaining and support. This photo shows a J-16 in flight during the 2022 Zhuhai Air Show. (Qian Baihua/VCG via Getty Images)  Another Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) air brigade has converted from legacy aircraft to new 4.5-generation Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-16 fighter aircraft. During the transition, the brigade also adop...

The US Army announced the Precision Strike Missile had undergone qualification testing in November 2023. (US Army)  The first Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) weapons have been delivered to the US Army, representing the programme reaching initial operating capability (IOC), the service announced on 8 December.  Lockheed Martin plans to deliver three early operational capability missiles out of 26 surface-to-surface missiles that are part of PrSM Increment 1 to the army before the end of the year, Paula Hartley, vice-president and general manag...

Rohde & Schwarz has officially been named as the chosen vendor for the Bundeswehr's multibillion-euro digital radio programme. The company has already delivered units to the Bundeswehr, which are based on the SVFuA dual-channel, multiband radio (pictured in the vehicular variant). (Rohde & Schwarz)  Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) has officially been named as the chosen vendor for the German Bundeswehr's major Combat Net Radio (CNR) programme, the company announced on 7 December.  In December 2022 the Bundeswehr signed a multibillion-euro contract with...

The UK stood up 809 NAS as its second front-line F-35B unit at RAF Marham on 8 December 2023. (Janes/Gareth Jennings )  The UK stood up its second operational squadron for the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning combat aircraft on 8 December.  The Royal Navy's (RN's) 809 ‘Immortals' Naval Air Squadron (NAS) was reconstituted at the home of the Lightning Force at Royal Air Force (RAF) Marham in Norfolk.  The squadron joins the RAF's 617 ‘Dambusters' Squadron as the UK's two front-line units for the ‘fifth-generation' short take-off and vertical la...

A visual comparison of the new Taurus KEPD 350K-2 (in foreground) and KEPD 350K precision-attack cruise missiles. The KEPD 350K-2 uses a new wing design and improved dynamics to retain the 500 km range of the older and larger KEPD 350K. (Janes)  A smaller version of the Taurus Systems KEPD 350K air-launched precision‐attack cruise missile being planned for the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 fighter aircraft could enter production two years after full-scale development is launched.  Designated as the KEPD 350K-2, this all-weather-capab...

The first of 28 Royal Netherlands Air Force AH-64D Apaches to be converted to the latest AH-64E standard seen at its rollout in March 2022. (Netherlands Ministry of Defence)  The first Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters to be remanufactured to the latest AH-64E Apache Guardian standard have arrived back in the Netherlands.  The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) said on 7 December that the first two of 20 helicopters to be operated in the Netherlands (a further eight will be sent to Fort Cavazos – formerly Fort Hood – in Texas f...

Sweden has now received back into service seven NH90 search-and-rescue helicopters following an upgrade programme. (Swedish Air Force)  Sweden has received back into service the final NHIndustries (NHI) NH90 – Helikopter (HKP) 14 in national service – search-and-rescue (SAR) helicopter upgraded to the final operating capability (FOC) standard.  NHI announced the milestone on 5 December, saying the last of seven SAR-configured NH90 Tactical Troop Transport (TTT) helicopters to be upgraded in partnership with Patria had been delivered back to t...

An Australian Army AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzer test-fires a practice round at the Proof and Experimental Establishment in Port Wakefield. (Commonwealth of Australia)  The Australian Army test-fired artillery rounds from an AS9 Huntsman 155 mm/52 calibre self-propelled howitzer (SPH) at the Proof and Experimental Establishment in Port Wakefield in late November, the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) said in a press release on 5 December.  According to the DoD, this testing – overseen by the Joint Proof and Experimental Unit (JPEU...

With many of its European allies, including Norway (pictured), fielding the F-35A, Portugal is now eyeing the type also. (Royal Norwegian Air Force)  The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II aircraft could emerge as the next combat aircraft in the inventory of the Portuguese Air Force (FAP).  The Chief of Staff of the FAP, General João Guilherme Rosado Cartaxo Alves, described the F-35A as the preferred choice to replace the Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon on 27 November.  Speaking at the SAE Media Group Military Airlift and Air-to-Ai...

A file photo of the Shadow ISTAR aircraft taken at its home base in the UK. The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the Shadow ISTAR aircraft is flying in the Gaza region in support of efforts to locate hostages taken by Hamas. (Crown Copyright)  The United Kingdom has deployed surveillance aircraft to the Gaza region to help in the search for British nationals taken hostage by Hamas, the UK defence minister announced on 3 December.  Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps said, “Unarmed UK aircraft will begin carrying out surveilla...

A Republic of Korea Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35A drops a GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb during a training exercise in November 2022. (South Korea MND)  The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of munitions for South Korea's Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs.  In an announcement on 1 December the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said that the South Korean government had requested the purchase of a range of air-launched munitions for the Republic of Korea Air Force's (RoKAF's) F-35. The...