06 April 2022
by Alexander Stronell
Horiba Mira's VIKING during demonstrations on Salisbury Plain, March 2022 (Janes/Alexander Stronell)
16 Air Assault Brigade has been chosen to become the British Army's first robotic autonomous systems (RAS)-enhanced brigade, it was announced on 6 April.
Speaking at SMi Military Robotics and Autonomous Systems 2022 (SMi MRAS 2022) conference in London, Lieutenant Colonel Iain Lamont, SO1 Robotics and Autonomous Systems, British Army, confirmed that 16 Air AssaultBrigade Combat Team had been chosen for the role.
The British Army intends to field its first RAS-enhanced light Brigade Combat Team by 2025 with a view to developing a Deep Recce Strike Combat Team by 2030, and finally multiple RAS-enhanced brigades by 2035. In March 2022, Janes reported that the British Army would nominate its intended RAS-enhanced Brigade Combat Team imminently.
16 Air Assault Brigade is the British Army's airborne rapid reaction force. It forms the core of the UK's high-readiness Air Assault Task Force, which can be deployed at short notice for a wide range of operations.
22 March 2024
by Michael Fabey & Ridzwan Rahmat
BAE Systems was confirmed as the UK shipbuilding partner for AUKUS submarines, shown here as an artist rendition. (BAE Systems)
Britian's BAE Systems will partner with Australian shipbuilder ASC to build Canberra's nuclear-powered submarines for the trilateral AUKUS defence agreement, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed on 21 March.
The partnership deal follows “months of negotiations” and could be worth “billions of pounds”, theMoD said in a release.
First announced in September 2021, AUKUS calls for the three countries – Australia, the UK, and the US – to work together on a range of capabilities, including a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability for Australia, the ministry release noted.
Phase Two of AUKUS involves the sale of three US Virginia-class submarines to Australia with an option for up to two more, subject to US Congressional approval. Phase Three is the construction of the trilateral nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) for AUKUS.
The first UK submarines built to this design will be delivered in the late 2030s to replace the current Astute-class vessels, and the first Australian submarines will follow in the early 2040s.
19 March 2024
by Nicholas Fiorenza & Andrew MacDonald
The Swedish flag was raised at NATO headquarters in Brussels on 11 March to mark the country's accession to the alliance as its 32nd member on 7 March. (NATO)
NATO welcomed Sweden as its 32nd member on 7 March. The Scandinavian country had intended to join together with Finland, but Turkey and Hungary blocked Swedish accession until the Grand National Assembly of Turkey approved it on 23 January, followed by the Hungarian parliament on 26 February.
In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership on 18 May 2022 and were invited to join the alliance by the Madrid summit of allied leaders on 4 July 2022. Finland joined NATO on 4 April 2023.
As Enhanced Opportunities Partners under NATO's Partnership Interoperability Initiative, Finland and Sweden were able to skip joining the alliance's Membership Action Plan that has been required of the most recent countries to become NATO members, reflecting the fact that the two Nordic countries are more interoperable with allies than some NATO countries.
18 March 2024
by Kapil Kajal
The CS/AA3 gun – pictured above in service with the Cameroonian Defence Forces – has a maximum slant range of 11 km, but its effective slant range is 4 km and effective altitude is 3 km. (Cameroon Ministry of Defence)
The Bangladesh Army's Adhoc 57 Air Defence (AD) Regiment Artillery test-fired two CS/AA3 twin-barrel anti-aircraft gun systems for the first time during a firing exercise held in mid-March at Inanistha AD Firing Range in Cox's Bazar.
According to a press release by Bangladesh Armed Forces' media and public relations wing Inter Services Public Relation Directorate (ISPR) in mid-March, the system is capable of hitting ground and air targets at a maximum strike range of 4 km.
The test fire confirms the induction of the systems – manufactured by China North Industries Group Corporation Limited (Norinco) – in the Bangladesh Army. The ISPR imagery suggests the induction of at least three CS/AA3 systems into the service.
The CS/AA3 – known as PG99 in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) service – is intended to intercept low and slow-flying threats such as close air support aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
16 Air Assault Brigade has been chosen to become the British Army's first robotic autonomous systems...
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