Zen Technologies will provide 20 Zen Anti-Drone Systems (pictured) to the Indian Army along with 69 driving simulators for the Ashok Leyland Stallion range of trucks under two contracts secured in September. (Zen Technologies)

Hyderabad-based Zen Technologies secured two contracts worth INR2.27 billion (USD27.3 million) and INR1.2 billion from the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) in September to provide counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UASs) and driving simulators to forces.

An industry source told Janes on 27 September that under these two contracts, Zen Technologies will supply at least 20 units of its C-UAS, named the Zen Anti-Drone System (ZADS), as well as 69 driving simulators for the Ashok Leyland Stallion range of trucks to the Indian Army.

Delivery of both the C-UAS and the driving simulators will commence from March 2024, the source said.

Company officials have previously told Janes that ZADS includes a radio frequency (RF) detector, a jammer, antennas for the jammer and detector, and a video-based drone identification and tracking (VDIT) system. The system has a detection range of 5 km and a jamming range of 4 km.

The completion of the mid-life upgrade of the Republic of Singapore Air Force's F-16 fleet increases the type's operational service life to the mid-2030s. (Getty Images/Suhaimi Abdullah)

The Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) Lockheed Martin F-16C/D fleet has been upgraded for improved operational capabilities.

The enhancements are part of a long-standing mid-life upgrade (MLU) for the RSAF's F-16C/D/D+ Block 52/52+ fleet. Singapore first announced a plan to upgrade the fleet in September 2013. The RSAF is currently thought to operate 60 F-16C/D/D+ fighter aircraft.

In a statement on 24 September, the Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said the improvements have increased the operational service of the RSAF F-16 fleet to the mid-2030s. According to MINDEF, the MLUs include a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Other capability enhancements include the ability to integrate newer air-to-air missiles, such as the Rafael Python-5 missile.

These upgrades enable the F-16s “to engage a wider spectrum of air threats”, MINDEF said.

The Luftwaffe intends to equip all its Eurofighter combat aircraft with the ECRS Mk 1 E-Scan radar. (Luftwaffe)

The German Luftwaffe will equip its entire fleet of Eurofighter combat aircraft with electronically scanned (E-Scan) radar sets, the government disclosed on 21 September.

Included in the Bundestag's Budget Committee approval list was the commitment to receive all newbuild Eurofighters with the European Common Radar System Mark 1 (ECRS Mk 1) E-Scan radar, and to retrofit the Luftwaffe's existing fleet of aircraft with Captor-M mechanically scanned (M-Scan) radars.

“All [Luftwaffe] Eurofighters will be equipped with a modern E-Scan radar,” the Bundeswehr said. “Newly ordered fighter jets will be delivered directly with the E-Scan radar, as 38 Eurofighters will arrive in the force from 2025. The remaining machines will have their radars retrofitted in the following years.”

Under the terms of the committee's approval, EUR197.7 million (USD210.4 million) has been earmarked for the development, procurement, and retrofitting of the ECRS Mk 1 over the term of the upcoming budget cycle. More funding will need to be made available for its completion.