04 December 2023
by Akhil Kadidal
A Republic of Korea Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35A drops a GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb during a training exercise in November 2022. (South Korea MND)
The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of munitions for South Korea's Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs.
In an announcement on 1 December the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said that the South Korean government had requested the purchase of a range of air-launched munitions for the Republic of Korea Air Force's (RoKAF's) F-35. The proposed sale has a value of USD271 million, according to the DSCA.
The munitions include 39 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) and 86 Mk 84 General Purpose (GP) 2,000 lb bombs for the GBU-31V(1) Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), 70 BLU-109C/B 2,000 lb bombs for the GBU-31V(3) JDAM, and 342 Mk 82 500 lb GP bombs for the GBU-12 Paveway II or GBU-54 Laser JDAM (LJDAM).
06 May 2024
by Ridzwan Rahmat
A file image of a USMC ACV from 2022. The service marked its first employment of the ACV at an overseas exercise during ‘Balikatan' 2024 in the Philippines. (US Marine Corps)
The US Marine Corps (USMC) has marked the first employment of its amphibious combat vehicles (ACVs) in an overseas military exercise.
This milestone was accomplished on 4 May when ACVs from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) splashed down into Oyster Bay on the Philippines' Palawan Island from US Navy (USN) landing ship dock USS Harpers Ferry.
It was done as part of the 2024 iteration of Exercise ‘Balikatan', a bilateral drill between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US military.
As part of the amphibious manoeuvres, the ACV platoon organised itself into assault sections in the water after being launched from Harpers Ferry, the USMC said in a 4 May statement.
The vehicles then engaged multiple shore-based targets using their remote weapons systems to control externally mounted Mk 19 40 mm grenade machine guns.
These weapons were co-ordinated and fired simultaneously while afloat to maximise the effect against the targets at shore, the service added.
03 May 2024
by Akhil Kadidal
China first unveiled the new ALBM in November 2022, during AirShow China 2022. At the time, the two missiles unveiled had a yellow stripe and a code signifying that they were training missiles (as shown in the image, in the top part of this graphic). Recent imagery shows the ALBM in a low-observable grey-blue colour scheme, indicating that the missile is progressing to production. (Janes/Gettyimages)
China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has released a video showing a Xi'an H-6K strategic bomber launching a new ballistic missile in flight.
Imagery of the air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) being dropped from the H-6K was included in an official PLA video released on 1 May. In the video, the new missile is dropped from the port side wing pylon of an H-6K. The missile, which has the tentative designation of KD-21, is not shown igniting its engine.
The new ALBM is potentially a hypersonic missile, similar to the Russian Kh‐47M2 Kinzhal (AS-24 ‘Killjoy'). Janes has previously assessed that the KD-21 ALBM is likely powered by a solid-propellant rocket engine. However, it is unclear if the KD-21 in the recent video was equipped with an engine.
02 May 2024
by Gareth Jennings
A Luftwaffe Eurofighter on the flightline at the 2022 ILA Berlin Airshow. The service has told Janes that it does not yet know how many additional aircraft it will buy to replace the 90 Tornados being retired. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
The German Luftwaffe has not yet determined how many new combat aircraft it is to acquire to replace its fleet of Panavia Tornados, a senior service official told Janes on 2 May.
Responding to a request for clarification and confirmation of the 85 new aircraft figure previously given by industry officials, Commanding General of Air Force Forces Command, Lieutenant General Günter Katz, said the Luftwaffe had never formally declared a one-for-one replacement of the Tornado, and that “a new target number does actually not exist”.
The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of munitions for South ...
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