Poland has been approved for USD3.68 billion of air-launched missile sales to equip its front-line fighter force, including the F-16 (pictured here). (Polish Ministry of National Defence)  The US government has cleared the sale of air-launched missiles to Poland for a combined USD3.68 billion. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced the US Department of State approvals in three separate notifications on 12 March.  These notifications covered 821 Lockheed Martin AGM-158B-2 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles with Extende...

In a screenshot from a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) video, the Royal New Zealand Air Force's (RNZAF's) first C-130J-30 Hercules emerges from the Lockheed Martin paint shop with RNZAF and squadron livery on 15 February 2024. (New Zealand Defence Force)  The New Zealand government has issued a tender for the sale of its old Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules aircraft as it prepares to induct five new C-130J-30s in 2024.    The tender specified that the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) seeks to sell four of the five C-130Hs currently opera...

Germany is buying 35 F-35A aircraft, which it intends to use in the nuclear and conventional strike roles. (Lockheed Martin via Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The German Luftwaffe has welcomed the recent announcement that the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has been granted its nuclear certification, saying it was an important reason for buying the aircraft.  In a statement posted on 13 March, the Luftwaffe said it was an important decision by the Joint Program Office (JPO) to award the F-35A its nuclear operational cer...

A Swedish Gripen and a German Eurofighter seen trailing a Russia Tu-134 during what was one of two maiden interceptions by SwAF combat aircraft since Sweden joined NATO the day before. (NATO)  Swedish Air Force (SwAF) Saab Gripen combat aircraft have intercepted Russian aircraft for the first time since the country joined NATO. NATO Allied Air Command announced that the milestone took place on 11 March, the day after Sweden officially joined the alliance on 10 March.  According to the alliance, SwAF Gripen C fighters operating alongside Belgi...

The Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) are each procuring 25 units of Big Bang Boom Solutions' long-range Vajra Sentinel C-UAS (pictured). (Big Bang Boom Solutions)  Chennai-based Big Bang Boom Solutions (BBBS) has secured two contracts worth more than INR2 billion (USD24 million) to provide its counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) to the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF).  Janes understands that the Indian Army and the IAF will each receive 25 units of BBBS' long-range Vajra Sentinel C-UAS by mid-2025.  In an interview t...

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is slated to receive newly produced RD-33 engines, which will allow the IAF to increase the service life of its Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 fleet. (Hindustan Times via Getty Images/Pardeep Pandit)  Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has been contracted to deliver over 100 Klimov RD-33 engines for the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 force.  The engines will be produced by HAL at its Koraput Division (in east India) as part of a INR52.497 billion (USD634.4 million) contract announced on 1 March by the...

The Agni V – pictured above taking part in India's Republic Day parade in 2013 – is a nuclear-capable missile that can carry either a single warhead or multiple warheads over ranges up to 5,500 km. (Indian Ministry of Defence)  India's state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) test-fired the Agni V intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) equipped with multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicle (MIRV) technology for the first time on 11 March.  According to a press release by the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD...

The British Army has been experimenting with the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) battle management application installed on a Samsung phone as a potential option for the DSA programme. (ATAK)    The British Army's Dismounted Situational Awareness (DSA) programme is delayed,   Janes   learnt at SAE Group's Future Soldier Technology conference, being held from 11 to 13 March.   According to Lieutenant Colonel Gareth Davies, SO1 Combat Systems and Bearers, British Army, the delay is primarily because the DSA team has not yet...

India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft programme began in 2008 and is intended to produce aircraft for induction into the Indian Air Force by 2030. Data shows that the fifth-generation fighter aircraft requires about two decades of development before entering service. (Janes)  Development of India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fifth-generation fighter aircraft programme is expected to accelerate in 2024 following New Delhi's approval of the design and prototype programme, according to a project official.    The official, a me...

The Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) uses its E-2K Hawkeye fleet for aerial surveillance and command-and-control operations. (Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)  Northrop Grumman and Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) have announced a partnership to collaborate on a possible upgrade of Taiwan's Northrop Grumman E-2K Hawkeye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) fleet.  According to AIDC, the Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) requires a strengthening of its reconnaissance, search, and early warning capabilities to offset t...

US B-52 Stratofortress crews look at an AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) during a hypersonic weapon familiarisation briefing at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on 27 February. The yellow bands on the missile indicate that it is a live round. (USAF/SSgt Pedro Tenorio)  The US Air Force (USAF) has deployed a hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) on Guam for testing.  The presence of this hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) was disclosed in USAF-published photographs on 28 February. The missile's appearance on G...

US soldiers carry out the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical Transportable Tactical Command Communications operational test at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (US Army)  US Army officials are looking to develop a new slate of zero trust software for use on the service's tactical networks as a way to further insulate battlefield command, control, and communications operations from rapidly maturing cyber threats.  Industry proposals for tactical zero trust software are due to programme officials at the army's Command, Control, Co...

Royal Norwegian Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35 (F-35A) Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters operating over the High North. The Nordic countries have opened a CAOC to protect NATO's northern flank. (Royal Norwegian Air Force)  The Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have opened a combined air operations centre (CAOC) aimed at protecting NATO's northern flank.  The Danish Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on 6 March that the new CAOC at Bodø in northern Norway is made up of personnel drawn from the air forces of the four Nordic...

General Dynamics submitted one Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle prototype to the US Marine Corps for testing in 2023. (General Dynamics Land Systems )  The two competitors for the first variant of the US Marine Corps (USMC) Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) have been selected to prototype the second variant as well, the marines announced on 7 March.  Textron Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems received contracts to build one prototype each of an ARV with a 30 mm medium-calibre autocannon (ARV-30), according to a Program Executive Off...

The first Saab 340 Erieye AEW&C aircraft for Poland was delivered on 6 March. (Polish Ministry of National Defense)  Poland has received the first of two Saab 340 Erieye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft contracted in 2023.  Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defense (MND) Paweł Bejda made the announcement on 6 March, saying in-country acceptance testing will take place before the aircraft is handed over to the Polish Armed Forces.  The milestone came about five months after the first aircraft was officially pres...

A file photo of AASM Hammer guided bombs (in their imaging infrared seeker configuration) of the type Russia now claims to have intercepted over Ukraine. (Safran)  Russia has claimed to have intercepted a Safran Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) Hammer launched at its forces in Ukraine.  Russian state-controlled media reported the claim on 6 March, quoting the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation as saying that ground-based air defences had shot down a single guided bomb “in the zone of a special military operation”.  The report cam...

HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, officially opened a permanent UK military facility on an airbase in the United Arab Emirates on 6 March. (Crown Copyright)  The United Kingdom has opened a permanent military facility in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 6 March.  Named Donnelly Lines, the facility at Al Minhad Air Base (AMAB) was officially opened by the UK's Princess Anne and senior military and political dignitaries from both countries on the same day as the announcement.  “The siting of Don...

One of the first three F-16 Block 70 aircraft bound for Bahrain departs the Greenville production facility in the US on 6 March. (Lockheed Martin)  The first Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft for Bahrain departed the United States for the Gulf on 6 March.  The manufacturer announced the milestone, saying the first three of 16 jets had left the Greenville production facility in South Carolina bound for Bahrain.  To date, Lockheed Martin has produced five F-16 Block 70 jets for Bahrain, with the additional 11 in vari...

Royal Norwegian Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35 (F-35A) Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters operating over the High North. The Nordic countries have opened a CAOC to protect NATO's northern flank. (Royal Norwegian Air Force)  The Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have opened a combined air operations centre (CAOC) aimed at protecting NATO's northern flank.  The Danish Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on 6 March that the new CAOC at Bodø in northern Norway is made up of personnel drawn from the air forces of the four Nordic...

A Tactical Resupply Vehicle-150 takes off from a Stern Landing Vessel to conduct a ship-to-ship experimentation as part of Project Convergence Capstone 4. (US Army 24th Theater Public Affairs Support)  The US Marine Corps' (USMC's) experimental Stern Landing Vessel (SLV) made an impact at one of its first joint experiments as one of three support vessels participating in the 2024 Project Convergence Capstone 4 event.  The vessel is meant as a bridging solution to get a better understanding of what the USMC wants for the US Navy's Landing Ship...