The 4GD stand at DSET 2023 – one of the members of the Alliance team headed by Lockheed Martin UK that is competing for the MoD STP CTTP contract. (Janes/James Rands)  The competition for the Strategic Training Partner (STP) under the British Army's Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP) has been delayed, Janes learnt at the 2023 Defence Simulation Education & Training (DSET) exhibition, held in Bristol from June 5 to 8.  Initially, the competition was scheduled to be announced in January 2023, but it was then delayed until April...

The US Marine Corps is focusing on developing better logistics. (Janes/Michael Fabey)  To lay the foundation for revamped US Marine Corps (USMC) expeditionary operations, USMC leadership has underscored the need to properly support dispersed forces with sufficient logistics.  In much the same way, the US Navy (USN) is developing its own somewhat similarly designed distributed lethality concept that also must provide the logistics support for those far-flung, thinly spread forces.    The USN acknowledges the importance of logistics force...

New Zealand's Defence Policy Review will outline some of the modernisation objectives of the country's armed forces. Pictured above, the New Zealand Army took delivery in May of an initial batch of Bushmaster vehicles from Thales Australia. (CPL Maddy Butcher/New Zealand MoD)  New Zealand is expecting to soon publish its Defence Policy Review (DPR), Minister of Defence Andrew Little told Janes. “I don't have a precise date for that [publication of the DPR], but I'm expecting it will be published within the next two months,” he said.  Accordi...

The Sea Ghost (above) can control up to four M-Searcher USVs operating in swarm. (Janes/Chinmay Kohad)  Hanwha Systems displayed its manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) solution for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) at the MADEX 2023 exhibition in Busan, which concluded on 9 June. The concept features two types of unmanned surface vessel (USV) platforms – the Sea Ghost and the M-Searcher.  The Sea Ghost USV has a length of 12 m and a width of 3.5 m. This vessel is powered by two engines using hybrid propulsion, with two water-jets enabling a crui...

The RNoN Ula-class submarine, HNoMS  Utsira  (foreground), and Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate HNoMS  Otto Sverdrup  operate together during NATO's ‘Dynamic Mongoose' anti-submarine warfare exercise in the North Atlantic in 2020. Under the defence chief's recommendations, Norway could expand both its submarine and surface fleets.  (NATO Maritime Command Flickr feed)  Norway's Chief of Defence General Eirik Kristoffersen has called for an increase in the Royal Norwegian Navy's (RNoN's) submarine and fri...

A new US government report cites concerns about installing hypersonic missile equipment on the USS   Zumwalt  .  (Janes/Michael Fabey)  Both US Navy (USN) vessel platforms lined up for the service's first Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) deployments face issues with scheduling and development, according to a US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released on 8 June.    The first USN platform lined up for the CPS weapon system is the guided-missile destroyer, USS   Zumwalt  (DDG 1000)....

A model of the Surion MCH displayed at MADEX 2023. (Janes/Chinmay Kohad)  Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and BAE Systems signed a contract agreement on 8 June to support delivery of the UK company's Archerfish Mine Neutralisation System (AMNS) for integration onto the KAI KUH-1 Surion mine-countermeasures helicopter (MCH).  The total number of AMNS units to be delivered to KAI under the agreement, which was signed at the MADEX 2023 exhibition held in Busan, is unknown. However, KAI intends to fit the MCH with four Archerfish systems and an...

A model of HHI's latest CVX aircraft carrier design. (Janes/Mike Plunkett)  Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) displayed the latest iteration of its CVX aircraft carrier concept at the MADEX 2023 exhibition in Busan, which concludes on 9 June.  Previous versions of the CVX programme have featured short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) designs. However, HHI's new CVX design features a catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) capability enabling it to operate a wide range of naval fixed-wing aircraft.    An HHI represent...

During the live demonstration observed by the NCIA on 9 March, multiple laptop devices were connected to OneWeb's LEO constellation via Kymeta's Hawk u8 user terminal, which was mounted onboard a 4×4 Land Rover Discovery vehicle. (OneWeb)  The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) has disclosed details regarding its most recent evaluation of commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications (satcom).  The event, which was conducted on 9 March at Eutelsat's teleport facility in Rambouillet, France, featured a live demonstra...

LIG Nex1's new AUV and XLUUV are being developed to meet South Korea's mine-countermeasures requirements. (Janes/Chinmay Kohad)  LIG Nex1 displayed models of a new autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and an extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle (XLUUV) at the MADEX 2023 exhibition in Busan, South Korea.  The company told Janes that the AUV, which is under development, has a length of 2 m and a diameter of 20 cm. It has an operational depth of 200 m and weighs 60 kg.  The AUV is being developed under a KRW12 billion (USD9.1 million) contract...

The JF-22 hypersonic wind tunnel could potentially benefit the further development of China's WZ-8 unmanned aerial vehicle. Western intelligence classifies the WZ-8 as a supersonic aircraft. However, Chinese media claims that the WZ-8 is a hypersonic vehicle. (Long Wei/VCG via Getty Images)  A new hypervelocity wind tunnel in China has passed its acceptance check.  Known as the JF-22 hypervelocity wind tunnel, the new facility is expected to contribute to China's “development of aerospace transport systems and hypersonic aircraft”, according...

The first Polish-made Patriot launcher and resupply vehicle delivered by Huta Stalowa Wola was displayed at International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO 2021. (Janes/Jakub Link-Lenczowski)    Delivery of the first battery of the Wisła medium-range air-defence (MRAD) system to the Polish Armed Forces has been completed, Polish Armaments Agency (AA) spokesperson Kacper Bakuła told   Janes  on 2 June.   The programme, which will provide upper-tier air defence, is divided into two phases. Under phase one the first of the two...

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders are expected to offer the Indian Navy a version of the Type 214 submarine for the service's P-75I programme for six AIP-capable submarines. (Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft)  India's Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) and Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) have signed an agreement to support the construction in India of air-independent propulsion (AIP)-capable diesel-electric submarines (SSKs).  The deal is intended to position the two companies for the Indian Navy's stalled Pr...

A US triservice formation of the US Air Force F-35A (lead), the US Marine Corps F-35B, and the US Navy F-35C. (US Air Force)  On 30 May the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report about the Lockheed Martin F-35, finding that the programme has not adequately explained a cost increase of USD13.4 billion since 2019, that the upgraded Block 4 version has run into technical snags and a USD1 billion cost increase, and that the US Department of Defense (DoD) has not fully defined requirements for an engine cooling system upgrade....

First showcased at the Farnborough International Airshow in 2016, the armed Black Hawk is now being considered by the Polish army. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Lockheed Martin expects Poland to order approximately 32 armed S-70 Black Hawk helicopters as part of a wider revamp of the country's rotary-winged capabilities.  Speaking at the PZL Mielec facility in southern Poland on 7 June, Marek Chojecki, sales and business development manager at Lockheed Martin's Polish subsidiary, said that discussions had been held with the Polish Ministry of Nati...

HHI's HCX-23 trimaran incorporates low-observability features, including reduced radar cross-sections and a retractable radar. (Janes/Chinmay Kohad)  Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) displayed a concept model of its new HCX-23 trimaran ship at the MADEX 2023 exhibition in Busan, South Korea.  The HCX-23 has a length of 130 m, a beam of 36 m, and a displacement of 6,000 tonnes. The ship features a 48 cell vertical launching system (VLS) on its foredeck, which can be fitted with a mix of surface-to-air or anti-surface missiles. At the front there...

A model of the LiG Nex1 MPUH displayed at the MADEX 2023 exhibition in Busan. (Janes/Chinmay Kohad)  LIG Nex1 has displayed a model of its new Multi-Purpose Unmanned Helicopter (MPUH) at the MADEX 2023 exhibition in Busan.  The South Korean firm said the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has a length of 3.5 m and an operating range of more than 50 km. It has a maximum take-off weight of 200 kg with a payload of 60 kg.  The MPUH is fitted with an electro-optic/infrared pod and a front-facing camera for reconnai...

Japan's MoD has signed contracts with MHI to research hypersonic weapons and signed a contract with KHI to research new anti-ship missiles, an example of which is seen here on display at the DSEI Japan 2023 show. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)  Japan's Ministry of Defense (MoD) has signed contracts with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) to research and develop anti-ship and hypersonic missiles, according to an MoD press release on 6 June.  The MoD signed three contracts with MHI, which include hypersonic weapons resea...

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's fleet of Bell AH-1S Huey Cobras is scheduled to be replaced by unmanned combat aerial vehicles by 2027. This photo of JGSDF AH-1Ss and a Hughes OH-6 Cayuse light observation helicopter was taken in 2014 in the United States. (US Army/PFC Brianne Patterson)    The Ministry of Defense (MoD) in Tokyo has said it is planning to invest JPY1 trillion (USD7.1 billion) over the next five years to replace some manned units in the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) with unmanned systems. The funding will support...

Poongsan's 127 mm naval guided munition has a range of about 100 km. (Janes/Mike Plunkett)  South Korean ammunition firm Poongsan has unveiled a 127 mm gun-launched, extended-range guided munition for naval applications at the MADEX 2023 exhibition in Busan.    Dong Won Lee, Poongsan's director of defence products exports, told   Janes  that the concept of 127 mm Gliding Guided Naval Munition (GGNM) is centred on the projectile being fired on a steep trajectory to a high altitude, estimated to be in the region of 20 km....