19 February 2024
by Kapil Kajal
The SAMAR air-defence system – seen here at Aero India 2023 – features two refurbished Russian Vympel R-73E infrared‐guided air-to-air missiles mounted on a Stallion 4×4 Mk IV BS-III truck. (Janes/Saketha Potlapalli)
The Indian Air Force test-fired its newly inducted Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation (SAMAR) air-defence system during Exercise ‘Vayu Shakti-24', which took place in the Pokhran range near Jaisalmer on 17 February.
According to a press release by the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 17 February, the Indian Air Force test-fired SAMAR – along with the Akash surface-to-air missile weapon system – which destroyed “multiple aerial targets”.
SAMAR was inducted into the air force in December 2023, when the service first test-fired at Air Force Station Suryalanka, located in the southern coastal region of India.
SAMAR is a part of India's short-range air-defence system, and it can intercept low-flying aerial targets, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, loitering munitions, and attack helicopters, up to a range of 12 km at a maximum speed of Mach 2.5.
07 May 2024
by Akhil Kadidal
It is possible that Malaysia will acquire the latest version of the Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-33 Sniper airborne targeting pod, with the capability improvements as detailed in this 2021 Lockheed Martin infographic. (Lockheed Martin)
The US Department of State has approved a possible sale of Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods (ATPs) for the Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF's) Boeing F/A-18D fleet.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 7 May that 10 AN/AAQ-33 airborne targeting pods had been approved for sale, following a request from the Malaysian government. The proposed sale package, which includes technical data and publications, personnel training, software and training equipment, and related elements of logistics and programme support, has an estimated value of USD80 million.
“The proposed sale will improve Malaysia's capability to meet current and future threats by modernising its current F/A-18D platform with a common targeting pod,” the DSCA said.
“This proposed sale will also mitigate future obsolescence concerns and allow the [RMAF] to meet future operational requirements. Malaysia will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces,” DSCA added.
According to Janes
07 May 2024
by Gareth Jennings
Having previously signalled its intent to acquire 48 new Eurofighter Typhoons in addition to the 72 already received (pictured), Saudi Arabia is now looking at the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II and the Dassault Rafale for its future requirements also. (Saudi Press Agency)
France, the United Kingdom, and the United States are to bid on Saudi Arabia's pending combat aircraft requirement, with the Middle East country holding a full and open competition for the first time.
A senior industry official with knowledge of the requirement told Janes and other defence media in late April of Riyadh's decision to hold a competition between the Dassault Rafale, the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II, and the Eurofighter Typhoon respectively, when previously, political considerations would be uppermost in its considerations for such high-end military hardware.
The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) has an outstanding requirement of approximately 50 combat aircraft to add to the 83 Boeing F-15SA Advanced Eagles, 63 F-15S Eagles, 66 F-15C Eagles, 20 F-15D Eagles, 72 Eurofighter Typhoons, and 79 Panavia Tornados it currently fields.
07 May 2024
by Carlo Munoz
An AFRL chart outlining the Battle Management of AI concept under development by the US Air Force. (US Air Force)
The US Air Force's (USAF's) main research and development (R&D) directorate is soliciting industry solutions to accelerate the air service's integration of artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities into its command-and-control (C2) and battle management systems.
Officials from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) issued a broad agency announcement (BAA) in March, seeking industry input on “development and application of AI to C2, new concepts and techniques for the battle management, and orchestration of AI at pace and scale”.
AFRL officials at the organisation's Rome Research Site in Rome, New York, are seeking proposals to also explore “how the use of AI by adversaries can be considered in the C2 planning and execution process and distributed and collaborative C2 to enable C2 anywhere and anyplace”, the 24 March BAA noted.
The Indian Air Force test-fired its newly inducted Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation (S...
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