Spain is set to become the latest international operator of the MH-60R Seahawk, with a contract for eight helicopters announced on 12 October. (US Navy)  Spain has confirmed the procurement of Lockheed Martin MH-60R Seahawk maritime helicopters, seven months after the proposed buy was approved by the US government.  The manufacturer announced on 12 October that it had been contracted by the US Navy (USN) to deliver eight helicopters to the Spanish Navy (Armada) following US government approval that was granted on 15 March.  According to the...

The deployment of US GA-ASI MQ-9s from Kyushu to Okinawa is expected to improve joint US-Japan reconnaissance capabilities near the Senkaku Islands and Taiwan. (US Air Force/Staff Sgt Christopher Broome)  The US military is redeploying a unit of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9s from Kyushu island to Okinawa to enhance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations in southwest Japan.  The 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron (ERS) operates eight MQ-9s, according to information from the US Depart...

Canada is preparing the persistent deployment of up to 2,200 troops with a squadron of 15 Leopard 2 tanks in Latvia. (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann)  The United Kingdom signed a long-term defence co-operation agreement with Estonia on the fringes of the 11–12 October meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels, while Germany and Canada reiterated their plans to defend Lithuania and Latvia, respectively.  After signing the agreement with UK Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps on 11 October, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said the agr...

The US Marine Corps fires the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California, on 28 June 2023. (US Marine Corps)  Oshkosh Defense was awarded a contract to provide 24 remotely operated Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) for the US Marine Corps (USMC) new anti-ship capability, the service told Janes on 11 October.  The contract – worth up to USD39.5 million – was announced on 2 October, and tasks Oshkosh with providing 24 Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires (ROGUE Fi...

Belgium is the latest European NATO country to offer F-16s to Ukraine, after Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands. (Belgian Ministry of Defence)  Belgium has joined Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands in pledging the transfer of Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft to Kyiv.  Belgian Minister of Defence Ludivine Dedonder and Ukrainian Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov made the disclosure in a joint communiqué released on 11 October.  “From 2025, the [Belgian] Minister of Defence will be able to offer to supply F-16s to the Ukr...

The sixth KF-21 prototype flies in June 2023 with both South Korean and Indonesian flags painted on its nose section. However, the Indonesian flag was missing from the fifth prototype, which is expected to be given to Jakarta. This likely reflected ongoing tensions between the two partners over Jakarta's payment delays. (DAPA)  The head of South Korea's Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has visited Indonesia in a bid to resolve problems associated with Jakarta's delayed payments for the joint development of the Korea Aerospace...

UVision's Hero-120 tactical loitering system. (UVision)  Israeli-based company UVision is developing a smaller munition in its family of loitering munitions that will participate in the US Army's only loitering munitions programme.  The Hero-120 – a tube-launched anti-tank loitering munition being used in Ukraine – weighs 40 lb and can fly at a maximum speed of 140 kt, said Itzik Huber, UVision vice-president for North America. The new Hero-90 munition is lighter and intended for a dismounted soldier, making it ideal for the Low Altitude Stal...

One of two Norwegian F-35As arriving at Vidsel forward operating base, marking the first time this aircraft type has operated in Sweden. (Swedish Armed Forces)  Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft operated from Sweden for the first time on 11 October, as part of the Nordic Cross Border Training agreement.  A pair of Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) F-35As from 331 Squadron flew into Vidsel forward operating base (FOB) in the north of Sweden, before being refuelled and departing again.  “In this way, the air...

The deployment of US GA-ASI MQ-9s from Kyushu to Okinawa is expected to improve joint US-Japan reconnaissance capabilities near the Senkaku Islands and Taiwan. (US Air Force/Staff Sgt Christopher Broome)  The US military is redeploying a unit of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9s from Kyushu island to Okinawa to enhance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations in southwest Japan.  The 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron (ERS) operates eight MQ-9s, according to information from the US Depart...

A Republic of Singapore Air Force F-15SG Eagle combat aircraft connects to an MRTT tanker during A3R testing in August. (Airbus)  Airbus Defence and Space (DS) has completed trials of the automatic air-to-air refuelling (A3R) system for its A330-200 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft.  Announced on 11 October, the completion of testing was carried out in conjunction with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), which utilised one of its own MRTTs along with its full fleet of receiver aircraft types in a series of ‘wet' and ‘dry' (...

The MRSAM system (pictured above) can intercept multiple targets at ranges up to 70 km. (Israel Aerospace Industries)    The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed an air-defence system known as the medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) near India's northwestern borders with Pakistan, an IAF source told   Janes  on 9 October  .  The MRSAM – which is the domestic variant of the Israeli-developed Barak-8 SAM system – is deployed at Air Force Station (AFS) Adampur in Jalandhar district, Punjab, the source added.  AFS Adam...

BrahMos ER is an improved variant of baseline BrahMos (pictured above) taking part in India's Republic Day parade. The estimated range of the extended variant is 72% (between 450 and 500 km) more than the baseline version range of 290 km. (Indian Ministry of Defence)  The BrahMos Missile Regiment of the Indian Army has test-fired a land-attack version of extended range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile (BrahMos ER) from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on 10 October, an Indian Army official told Janes.  The official said the test was part of t...

Teledyne FLIR's BH 3 nano UAS. Since 2017 company officials have delivered roughly 20,000 BH3 systems to 44 countries, including most recently 1,000 BH3 nano drones to Ukrainian forces. (Teledyne FLIR)  Teledyne FLIR unveiled the newest variant of its Black Hornet nano-unmanned aircraft system (UAS) at the Association of United States Army (AUSA) 2023 annual conference.  The Black Hornet 4 (BH4) variant builds upon the technical attributes of the previous iteration of the nano UAS – the Black Hornet 3 (BH3) – according to Dave Viens, vice-pre...

Seen in the service of the former Afghan Air Force, the MD 530F is to be flown by the Latvian Air Force also according to a US Army contract notification. (US DoD)  Latvia is to field the MD Helicopters (MDH) MD 530F Cayuse Warrior light attack rotorcraft in a proposed deal that was disclosed by neither the manufacturer nor the customer.  First revealed by the scramble.nl aviation blog on 1 October, the pending order came to light in a US Army Contracting Command (ACC)-Redstone Arsenal notification for component repair and contracted field se...

The Brazilian Army has formally started the refurbishment process for its M109A3 self-propelled howitzers fleet. (Victor Manuel Saraiva Barreira)  The Brazilian Army has formally cleared a guideline on 2 October to start refurbishing its M109A3 self-propelled howitzers, according to a 22 September army announcement.  The effort is part of the subprogram ‘Field Artillery System' (SPrg SAC) and seeks to restore operability and extend the M109A3's life cycle by replacing structural parts and components or equipment, the army said. An army workin...

Sikorsky's Raider X prototype at the company's West Palm Beach, Florida factory, in September 2023. (Lockheed Martin Corporation – Sikorsky)  Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky's Raider X, the company's submission for the US Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme, is 98% complete, Sikorsky president Paul Lemmo said during a 3 October media roundtable. The compound helicopter lacks only its engine, the General Electric (GE) T901 Improved Engine Turbine Program (ITEP), which Lemmo expects to arrive later in October.  “We...

A quadcopter co-ordinating autonomously alongside a UGV in a de-mining exercise in Belgium in September 2023, supported by the European Defence Agency. (European Defence Agency)  A de-mining exercise involving an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and two unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) was held in Belgium in September to assess the application of artificial intelligence (AI) for improvised explosive device (IED) detection.  The exercise, supported by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and announced on 2 October, involved a quadcopter and two UGVs...

China's Wing Loong-2 is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV that is capable of strike and surveillance operations. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)  A Chinese military Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Wing Loong II (GJ-2) strike-capable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has made its first recorded appearance in Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).  The aircraft was recorded on 3 October as it flew into the southwestern quadrant of the ADIZ, north of Pratas island, according to Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense (MN...

Sweden is exploring options for the transfer of Gripen combat aircraft to Ukraine, but it will only do this after it has been admitted into the NATO alliance. (Saab)  Sweden has touted the possibility of transferring Saab JAS 39 Gripen combat aircraft to Ukraine, but only once its accession into the NATO alliance has been concluded.  Swedish Minister of Defence Pål Jonson announced the offer on 6 October as part of a wider raft of Swedish military support for Ukraine.  “Today, Sweden announced the 14th military support package for Ukraine wor...

Starshield system is utilised during Exercise ‘Vanguard' on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan. (Lance Cpl. Joseph E. DeMarcus)  The US Army's 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) will be one of the first units to use SpaceX's new defence capability in theatre, the commanding general of the formation told Janes on 4 October.  The brigade received four Starshield systems – the military variant of SpaceX's low-Earth orbit satellite constellation for communications – on 1 October, US Army Colonel Brandon Teague, 5th SFAB commander, said in an i...