At C-UAS TIE23, SAPIENT enabled the integration of companies' C-UAS sensory information into 12 different command-and-control applications. (Janes/Olivia Savage)  NATO will adopt the SAPIENT (Sensing for Asset Protection with Integrated Electronic Networked Technology) protocol developed by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) as a C-UAS (counter-unmanned aircraft system) standard, Janes learnt at NATO's C-UAS Technical Interoperability Exercise 2023 (TIE23) in Vredepeel, Netherlands, held from 12 to 22 September.  A year-long ratification proces...

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Lockheed Martin F-35As are scheduled to receive the TR-3 upgrade, which requires additional cooling for some of the aircraft's subsystems. This photo shows an RAAF F-35A with Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) Boeing-Mitsubishi F-15Js during Exercise ‘Bushido Guardian' in September 2023. (Commonwealth of Australia)  Honeywell is developing a cooling upgrade to its power and thermal management system (PTMS) to support avionics enhancements for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighte...

A Royal Norwegian Air Force prepares to take off from a Finnish road, during the type's first dispersed operation that was recently logged on Exercise ‘Baana 23'. (Finnish Air Force)  The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has operated from a roadway for the first time during Exercise ‘Baana 23' in Finland.  A pair of Royal Norwegian Air Force (RoNAF) F-35As performed the milestone on 21 September, landing on and taking off from a dedicated stretch of motorway near the Finnish town of Tervo as part of a wider disper...

Frequent use of the five surge Voyager tankers has caused the ONS to include them in the wider inventory of 14 aircraft in its latest report. (Crown Copyright)  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is increasingly calling on the ‘surge' fleet of AirTanker-owned Voyager aircraft to help fulfil a heightened demand for aerial refuelling, Janes was told on 21 September.  A spokesperson for the ministry said that “frequent use” of the five ‘surge' aircraft had resulted in their being included by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the overall...

The 12th and final Phénix MRTT aircraft for France was delivered on 21 September. (Airbus)  France has received its 12th and final Airbus Defence and Space (DS) A330-200 Phénix Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, the manufacturer announced on 21 September.  The arrival of the tanker-transport aircraft into Airbase 125 at Istres-Le Tubé concludes the French Air and Space Force's (Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace: AAE's) procurement programme that was launched in November 2014.  In AAE service, the Phénix replaced the Boeing KC-135R/C-135...

Slovenia has ordered an additional C-27J Spartan airlifter, with both to be in service by the end of 2024. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Slovenia has acquired a second C-27J Spartan transport aircraft, with the country's Ministry of Defence (MoD) announcing on 19 September that an amendment to the original November 2021 procurement contract for a single airlifter had been signed.  The amendment was signed by the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, Marjan Šarec, and the Minister of Defence of Italy, Guido Crosetto.  According to the anno...

BWX Technologies' transportable micro nuclear reactor is being developed in partnership with the Pentagon. (BWXT Advanced Technologies)  The Department of Defense (DoD) recently exercised a contract option with X-energy of Rockville, Maryland, to develop an enhanced engineering design for a transportable micro nuclear reactor, the Pentagon confirmed on 13 September.  The Pentagon's Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) executed the contract option to develop a complementary microreactor design that builds upon X-energy's developments completed...

Three of the new Barak tanks at the Merkava and Armored Vehicles Directorate in Tel HaShomer. (Israeli Ministry of Defense)  The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) unveiled a new version of the Merkava 4 main battle tank called the Barak on 19 September.  “The Barak tank incorporates ground-breaking technologies, which provide soldiers of the Armored Corps unique defensive and offensive capabilities that improve manoeuvrability tremendously,” an MoD statement quoted Ground Forces Commander Major General Tamir Yadai as saying.  The MoD released...

Austria is to acquire the KC-390 (pictured) to replace its ageing C-130K airlifters. (Embraer)  Austria has selected the Embraer KC-390 Millennium for its future fixed-wing medium-lift requirement.  Austrian Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner announced the selection on 20 September, with the Brazilian-made airlifter now set to replace the Lockheed Martin C-130K Hercules in Austrian Air Force (Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte) service.    At the announcement, Major General Harald Vodosek from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence said tha...

According to DAPA, the new KTSSM-II will have a greater range than the baseline KTSSM (pictured above), which Hanwha has said has a range of between 130 and 180 km. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)  South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has said it will invest KRW290 billion (USD218 million) over the next four years to complete the development of an upgraded version of its guided Korean Tactical Surface-to-Surface Missile (KTSSM).  DAPA said on 19 September that funds for development of the new KTSSM-II will be available from Sep...

Australia has envisaged procuring at least six Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Tritons. (Northrop Grumman/Commonwealth of Australia)  The Australian government is enhancing its maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities by approving the acquisition of a fourth Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) and upgrades to its Boeing P-8A ‘Poseidon' maritime aircraft fleet.  “The estimated combined value of these decisions is over AUD1.5 billion [USD965.5 million],” the Australian Department of De...

The UK will bring its F-35B fleet up to the latest TR-3 Block 4 standard, the government has confirmed. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  The United Kingdom has committed to retrofit its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning combat aircraft to the latest Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3) Block 4 standard.  Answering questions in the House of Commons on 18 September Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence (MoD), James Cartlidge, said a decision to bring the country's fleet of aircraft up to the latest standard had been made.  “I can confirm the [MoD] i...

SPX CommTech 953 COMINT receiver, displayed at DSEI 2023, can support counter-unmanned aircraft system activities and operates over low-bandwidth and intermittent networks. (Janes/Olivia Savage)  SPX CommTech debuted its new tactical communications intelligence (COMINT) receiver at DSEI 2023 held from 12 to 15 September in London.  The solution – known as the 953 COMINT RF (radio frequency) Receiver – performs continuous, unmanned, remote, and real-time signal collection with low size, weight, and power (SWaP) for dismounted operations.  One...

The Seawolf 400 autonomous underwater vehicle, pictured above from TADTE 2023, is designed to perform underwater anti-mine; search-and-rescue; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  Taiwan's Thunder Tiger Corp unveiled a prototype of the Seawolf 400 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition 2023 (TADTE 2023) held in Taipei from 14 to 16 September 2023.  Tony Chang, chief strategy officer, Thunder Tiger Corp, told Janes at the show that the showcased...

Northrop Grumman's BattleOne would network sensors and shooters across the battlespace. (Northrop Grumman)  Northrop Grumman demonstrated its BattleOne vision of a connected battlespace at DSEI 2023 in London, with the concept drawing on the company's Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS), which is being fielded by the US and Polish armies.  Jon Ferko, Northrop Grumman's director for business development, told journalists at DSEI 2023 that BattleOne integrates systems from across domains and different countries' armed forces to generate a d...

The Sky Bow III – locally known as Tien-Kung III – is a mid/long-range surface-to-air missile system. It is displayed at TADTE 2023. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)    Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology (NCSIST) has developed two upgraded variants of the Sky Bow III surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, a spokesperson for NCSIST told   Janes   at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition 2023 (TADTE 2023) held in Taipei from 14 to 16 September.   The new variants are named Strong Bow I and Strong B...

Australia procured 24 F/A-18Fs from 2010 as an interim acquisition owing to delayed Lockheed Martin F-35 deliveries. (Commonwealth of Australia)  Australia has said it is considering a “variety of options” for its future fighter aircraft requirements.  The Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF's) fighter force includes three squadrons, comprising two Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II squadrons and one Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet squadron.  To strengthen future air combat capability, Australia has been considering the acquisition of a further ba...

The A7700 airborne flat panel OTM satcom antenna displayed at DSEI 2023 and designed by Hanwha Phasor enables multi-orbit connectivity. (Janes/Olivia Savage)  Hanwha Phasor – a subsidiary of Hanwha Systems – will launch a land, maritime, and manportable variant of its on-the-move (OTM) satellite communications (satcom) antenna, Janes learnt at DSEI 2023 held from 12 to 15 September in London.  The land variant will be available for customers by the end of 2024 and is suited for command-and-control vehicles such as Humvees, large artillery pla...

Bulgaria will receive 16 F-16 Block 70 aircraft at the same standard as this Slovakian jet that was recently rolled out. (Slovakian Armed Forces)  The US Department of Defense (DoD) has contracted Lockheed Martin to build a second batch of F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft for Bulgaria.  The contract notification published on 14 September authorises the production of eight F-16C/D Block 70 to add to the eight already under contract.  Work on the USD151.36 million Foreign Military Sales (FMS) award will run through to 30 September 2027. Giv...

A 5.56 mm XT112 assault rifle prototype showcased at TADTE 2023. The rifle has a firing range of 600 m. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense's (MND's) Armaments Bureau has developed a new 5.56 mm rifle called XT112 assault rifle to replace the Republic of China Army's (RoCA's) in-service T91 assault rifles.  The bureau showcased the rifle at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition 2023 (TADTE 2023) held in Taipei from 14 to 16 September.  Under development by the 205th Arsenal of the Armaments Bureau, w...