With the Eurofighter Typhoon set to remain in global service through into the 2060s, the LTE package is an essential element in maintaining the capabilities of the jet while also attracting new and follow-on customers. (Leonardo)

The NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) has launched the activities phase of the Eurofighter Long Term Evolution (LTE) project, awarding its first contracts to industry.

Speaking at BAE System's Warton production facility in northern England on 14 May, David Hulme, Eurofighter programme director for the consortium member, disclosed the milestone that came five years after the LTE project was launched with the first study contracts awarded at the Paris Air Show in 2019.

“LTE early-activities contracts have been awarded, and these will start a three-year technology maturation programme,” Hulme said.

Also known as Eurofighter Evolution (and sometimes Typhoon Evolution), LTE is being developed concurrent to the ongoing Phase Enhancement (PE) upgrade packages, and is geared at taking the aircraft's capabilities out to beyond these PE packages.

The Malaysian Army Aviation is currently equipped with two helicopter types: the Agusta A109LOH (background) and the MD Helicopter MD530G (in foreground). The army lacks a medium rotary-wing utility and transport capability. (Janes/Akhil Kadidal)

The Malaysian Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) is planning to review the leasing of four Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk utility helicopters from a private company over delays in delivery of the aircraft.

Speaking to Janes on 9 May during the recently concluded Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur, the Chief of the Malaysian Army, General Tan Sri Dato' Muhammad Hafizuddeain bin Jantan, said that the private contractor had requested additional time to deliver the Black Hawks.

“The last communication we have from MINDEF is that the [company] is not yet ready to deliver the aircraft,” Gen Tan said.

It was in May 2023 that MINDEF announced a deal to lease four Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters from Aerotree Defence & Services Sdn Bhd, a Kuala Lumpur-based company. Janes

The Sirko-S1 modular UGV developed by Ukrainian company SkyLab is designed to support resupply, medevac, reconnaissance, and mining operations. Its dimensions are 1100×800×500 mm with a maximum speed of up to 7.5 m/s. (Mykhailo Fedorov/Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine)

A Ukrainian-made unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), Sirko-S1, is undergoing trials in Estonia during Exercise ‘Spring Storm', held between 6 and 17 May.

The trials will focus on testing the vehicle's minelaying capabilities in collaboration with ASAX Innovation, the Estonian company said on 11 May.

Sirko-S1 is a 4×4 multi-purpose UGV with a 3 hour battery life, 160 mm ground clearance, and 200 kg payload capacity, making it suitable for various tasks. These include transporting cargo, evacuating wounded soldiers, conducting reconnaissance missions, and supporting minelaying and demining operations.

The vehicle, backed by Ukraine's Brave1 defence innovation cluster, has a 3 km operational range that can be extended out to 10 km with a repeater, SkyLab detailed. It is also equipped with a day/night 360° camera.

Along with this, the company is exploring the possibility of adding a “combat turret” to the vehicle, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov previously noted.