The US Navy is seeking funds to buy another San Antonio-class transport dock in FY2025. (Michael Fabey)  The fiscal year (FY) 2025 US Navy (USN) budget request includes USD1.6 billion to buy one Flight II San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship (LPD), according to budget documents released 11 March.  Including that procurement, the five-year Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP) included in the FY 2025 request includes three LPDs, with another ship being slated for acquisition in FY 2027 and then another in FY 2029.  The FY 2025 also incl...

The US Navy and Army are jointly developing hypersonic technologies through the navy's Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) offensive hypersonic strike capability and the army's Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW). (US Navy)  President Joe Biden's budget request for fiscal year 2025, unveiled on 11 March, includes about USD744 million in procurement for the US Army's delayed long range hypersonic weapon (LRHW) missile system, more than four times the amount requested for procurement in fiscal year 2024.  After failing two flight tests in fisca...

The airborne SAR was displayed on the Iranian stand labelled as both the S-811 and the larger S-813. (Janes/Ajay Shankar Pandey)  Iran displayed a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that it has developed for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during the DIMDEX 2024 show held in Doha from 4 to 6 March.  The SAR has a monopulse flat-plate slotted-array antenna and was labelled as both the S-811 and S-813, with Iranian officials refusing to identify which one it was.  An Arabic-language brochure provided details of both types, saying they can provide...

The M-LIDS weapon system can be mounted on vehicles and is designed to target and disable or destroy hostile drones or other UAVs. Soldiers have trained and tested the technology in US Central Command's area of responsibility. (US Army)  As the war in Ukraine highlights the need for deep magazines and counter unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) capabilities, the US Army's latest budget request includes more funding for counter small-unmanned aerial systems (C-sUAS) and precision munitions.  A “continued emphasis” on counter small unmanned aerial...

The Haider MBT is Pakistan's variant of the Chinese VT4 MBT (pictured above from a demonstration at Airshow China 2018), which is an export-only third-generation MBT marketed by Norinco. (Janes/Kelvin Wong)  Pakistan's state-owned Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) unveiled an “indigenously manufactured” Haider main battle tank (MBT) during a ‘rollout ceremony' on 6 March, Pakistan Armed Forces' Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) agency said in a press release on 7 March.  The HIT collaborated with China North Industries Group Corporation Limi...

An F-35 launches off the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) in 2016. The US Navy intends to purchase 13 F-35Cs in FY 2025. (US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kris R. Lindstrom)  The US Navy (USN) has requested USD16.6 billion in its fiscal year (FY) 2025 presidential budget request, intended to purchase 75 aircraft or helicopters, down from USD17.3 billion in FY 2024.  The service intends to purchase 26 Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters: 13 short-takeoff-vertical-landing B-models for the...

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on 14 February, sending six satellites to orbit – two for the Missile Defense Agency and four for the Space Development Agency. (US Space Force )  The Pentagon's Space Development Agency (SDA) anticipates having a testing strategy in place by the end of 2024 to evaluate Link 16 connectivity across US airspace for satellite communications (satcom) in the agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).  Officials from SDA and...

The USAF intends to purchase 42 F-35s in FY2025, a lower number than FY 2024. An A-model aircraft is shown. (Lockheed Martin)  The US Air Force's (USAF's) fiscal year (FY) 2025 presidential budget request includes the acquisition of at least 90 aircraft and hundreds of missiles.  Aircraft lead the USAF procurement budget with 82 platforms listed in briefing materials, revealed on 11 March.  The procurement of Lockheed Martin F-35As leads with USD5.9 billion for 42 aircraft, down from the FY 2024 request of USD6.1 billion for 48 F-35s. The F-3...

South Korea defence budget, 2015–30. (Janes)  South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has announced a business plan for 2024 aimed at driving developments in military capability and boosting domestic defence innovation and exports.  DAPA said on 8 March that its ‘major business implementation plan for 2024' is a response to increased threats from North Korea and growing international defence industrial competition. The plan is supported by South Korea's 2024 new defence budget and its associated five-year funding plan....

The US Navy's FY2025 budget requests includes funding for carrier Enterprise, being built now at Newport News Shipbuilding. (Michael Fabey)    The US Navy (USN) is requesting about USD1.9 billion in its fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget request to continue incremental funding of Ford-class aircraft carriers   Enterprise  (CVN 80) and   Doris Miller  (CVN 81), roughly the same amount requested for similar needs in FY 2024, according to budget documents released on 11 March.   The FY2025 represents the eighth increment...

A THAAD interceptor is launched from the Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, during Flight Test THAAD-23, August 30, 2019 (The Pentagon's FY 2025 budget request includes USD247 million for 12 THAAD interceptors.)    The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has requested USD639.9    million for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) programme in fiscal year (FY) 2025.   This funding would procure 12 THAAD interceptors for USD247 million, according to Pentagon budget documents publis...

Polish Treasury and Armaments Agency ordered over 6,000 Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles from Saab on 4 March 2024. (Saab)  The Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND), Armaments Agency (AA), and Saab announced an order for more than 6,000 Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles on their websites on 4 March.    Saab valued the agreement between it and the Polish State Treasury and AA at SEK12.9 billion (USD1.26 billion), although the AA gave a higher value of over PLN6 billion (USD1.53 billion). A Saab spokesperson told   Janes  on...

USS   Portland  has been outfitted with a Laser Weapon System Demonstrator.  (US Navy)  US Navy (USN) Secretary Carlos Del Toro highlighted milestones and development of surface ship combat systems equipment and directed energy weapons on 7 March during the 2024 McAleese Defense Programs Conference.  “We are pushing the bounds of tactics and capability with the future [landing transport dock] USS Richard M McCoolJr (LPD 29),” Del Toro said. “Earlier this year, she was fitted with the Enterprise Air Surveillance R...

The Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) uses its E-2K Hawkeye fleet for aerial surveillance and command-and-control operations. (Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)  Northrop Grumman and Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) have announced a partnership to collaborate on a possible upgrade of Taiwan's Northrop Grumman E-2K Hawkeye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) fleet.  According to AIDC, the Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) requires a strengthening of its reconnaissance, search, and early warning capabilities to offset t...

HMS   St Albans  heads back out to sea after a longhaul refit at HMNB Devonport in Plymouth.  (Crown Copyright)    The UK Royal Navy's (RN's) Duke-class Type 23 frigate HMS   St Albans   (F 83) has returned to sea following the completion of a major life-extension (LIFEX) refit.   St Albans  departed HMNB Devonport on 1 March to begin a period of post-refit trials, the RN announced the same day.   After completing sea trials and subsequent UK-based training, the ship is planned to be...

US B-52 Stratofortress crews look at an AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) during a hypersonic weapon familiarisation briefing at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on 27 February. The yellow bands on the missile indicate that it is a live round. (USAF/SSgt Pedro Tenorio)  The US Air Force (USAF) has deployed a hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) on Guam for testing.  The presence of this hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) was disclosed in USAF-published photographs on 28 February. The missile's appearance on G...

The CEW-102E UAV countermeasure system replica is displayed at DIMDEX 2024. (Janes/Ajay Shankar Pandey)    China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is deploying a new counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) suite known as the CEW-102E from domestic company Poly Defence,  Janes  learnt at the DIMDEX 2024 show held in Doha from 4 to 6 March.     A spokesperson for the company was unable to provide details to  Janes  about when and how many units had been ordered.   The CEW-102E is an integrated detection, tr...

General Dynamics submitted one Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle prototype to the US Marine Corps for testing in 2023. (General Dynamics Land Systems )  The two competitors for the first variant of the US Marine Corps (USMC) Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) have been selected to prototype the second variant as well, the marines announced on 7 March.  Textron Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems received contracts to build one prototype each of an ARV with a 30 mm medium-calibre autocannon (ARV-30), according to a Program Executive Off...

XSS-11 was designed to advance technologies and techniques to increase the level of autonomy, guidance, and safety for microsatellites. However, US officials say it could be used to carry out RPOs as part of an ASAT mission. (USAF research labatory)  The US Space Force (USSF) is looking to industry to provide inputs in support of its efforts to develop an operational architecture for a new slate of satellites and payloads operating at geosynchronous orbit (GEO), according to a 5 March USSF request for information (RFI).  USSF's Space Systems...

US soldiers carry out the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical Transportable Tactical Command Communications operational test at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (US Army)  US Army officials are looking to develop a new slate of zero trust software for use on the service's tactical networks as a way to further insulate battlefield command, control, and communications operations from rapidly maturing cyber threats.  Industry proposals for tactical zero trust software are due to programme officials at the army's Command, Control, Co...