BMC unveiled an upgraded version of the Altay main battle tank (MBT) on 22 March 2023. (BMC)

BMC unveiled an upgraded version of the Altay main battle tank (MBT) on 22 March.

Two vehicles are under construction and scheduled to be delivered to the Turkish Land Forces Command (TLFC) in late April, and will undergo a series of trials ahead of entering service in 2024.

The new Altay is the prototype of an initial production batch of 40 tanks. The vehicle features some important changes from the pre-production prototypes built by Otokar, such as the repositioning of some of the ammunition to racks on either side of the driver. Owing to problems in obtaining parts and subsystems from international manufacturers – including the bilge, fuel, hydraulic and preheat pumps, and hydraulic coupling components – these are now sourced from Turkish companies.

The MRZR Alpha LTATV was initially designed for the US SOF. (Polaris Government and Defense)

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is set to become the first international customer for Polaris Government and Defense's 4×4 MRZR Alpha light tactical all-terrain vehicle (LTATV).

According to the social media pages of Polaris' in-country distributor, Specialised Sports Equipment (SSE), employees in the UAE are training to “serve the customer prior to delivery of the product”.

SSE was unavailable to comment on the procurement, at the time of publication, but a spokesperson for Polaris confirmed to Janes that “Polaris has supplied our first Alphas into the Middle East through Specialised Sports Equipment in the UAE”.

“SSE is fully trained on our military platforms to provide localised support to our customers in the region, including parts support, operator training, and mechanic certification courses,” the statement continued.

Polaris was able to confirm the purchase was a direct sale but was unable to comment on the customer, number of vehicles to be delivered, and timelines involved.

Defence sources suggested to Janes

Hensoldt UK will supply its Kelvin Hughes Mk11 SharpEye naval navigation radars (pictured) for the Philippine Navy's new offshore patrol vessels and corvettes, being developed by Hyundai Heavy Industries. (Hensoldt)

Hensoldt UK, formerly known as Kelvin Hughes, has secured two contracts to supply its Mk11 SharpEye naval navigation radars for the Philippine Navy's new offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and corvettes, being developed by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).

In addition to navigation, the Mk11 SharpEye pulse-doppler radar can provide enhanced surface surveillance capability to the Philippine Navy, Hensoldt said in a media release on 17 March. The radar will be installed in conjunction with an integrated navigation bridge system, the company added.

According to company specifications, the Mk11 SharpEye can transmit powers of up to 300 W. The radar's X-band (I-band) transmitters employ gallium nitride (GaN) power transistor technology to improve the performance of the radar.