The Nexter CAESAR 6×6 self-propelled artillery is one of the four competitors that compete to meet the Brazilian Army's VBC OAP 155 mm SR project. (Victor Barreira)  The Brazilian Army has shortlisted four companies as part of its VBC OAP 155 mm SR (Viatura Blindada de Combate Obuseiro Autopropulsado 155mm Sobre Rodas) 155 mm/52 wheeled self-propelled armoured combat vehicle howitzer project.  Brazilian logistics command – responsible for the multiphase project together with the army artillery command – has shortlisted Nexter CAESAR 6×6, Elbi...

The first Saab 340 Erieye AEW&C aircraft for Poland was delivered on 6 March. (Polish Ministry of National Defense)  Poland has received the first of two Saab 340 Erieye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft contracted in 2023.  Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defense (MND) Paweł Bejda made the announcement on 6 March, saying in-country acceptance testing will take place before the aircraft is handed over to the Polish Armed Forces.  The milestone came about five months after the first aircraft was officially pres...

A computer-generated image of Damen's MPSS 7000 design, with the larger MPSS 9000 behind. (Damen)  The Portuguese Navy has signed a contract covering the design, construction, and outfitting of one of Damen's new Multi-Purpose Support Ships (MPSSs), the Dutch shipyard group announced during the DIMDEX 2024 show held in Doha from 4 to 6 March.  It said in a press release that it has specifically developed the 107 m MPSS for the Portuguese Navy's requirement for a “truly multi-purpose vessel” designed for oceanic research, search-and-rescue, em...

The Gaza UAV displayed at the Iranian stand at DIMDEX 2024. (Janes/Ajay Shankar Pandey)  Iran promoted its Gaza unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for export for the first time at the DIMDEX 2024 show held in Doha from 4 to 6 March.  A model of the Gaza UAV was displayed at the Iranian stand and it was detailed in a brochure alongside the M129, which is the export name of the Shahed-129, the Iranian military's primary long-endurance UAV.  After the Gaza was unveiled in May 2021, it was reported to have a wingspan of 21 m and a maximum take-off wei...

A model of the GCAP fighter displayed at DSEI Japan 2023 in Chiba. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)  Japan is considering the implementation of further reforms to support military exports. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on 6 March that the additional reforms are necessary to allow future Japan sales of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) aircraft to international customers.  Speaking at the House of Councillors budget committee, Kishida said that additional export reforms – to support GCAP sales – are required for three reasons: to reduce GCAP produ...

Savronik's latest high-speed SDR at the DIMDEX 2024 show in Doha. The system is designed to transmit real-time ISR information from aerial platforms to a dedicated ground station. (Janes/Ajay Shankar Pandey)  Turkish defence manufacturer Savronik unveiled the latest iteration of its High-speed Software-Defined Radio (SDR) at the DIMDEX 2024 show held in Doha from 4 to 6 March.  The latest SDR supports twice the data rate of its predecessor – from 137 Mbps to 274 Mbps – as well as the latest custom waveforms and encrypted solutions, depending...

A model of the AW249 attack helicopter was displayed for the first time at DIMDEX 2024 in Doha. (Janes/Ajay Shankar Pandey)  Leonardo showcased its AW249 attack helicopter with a scale model displayed at the DIMDEX 2024 show held from 4 to 6 March in Doha.  The event marks the first time that the Italian manufacturer has displayed its developmental “heavy” attack helicopter to the public, and comes one-and-half years since the type made its maiden flight in August 2022.  With two prototypes now flying, Leonardo told Janes that it expects a fu...

The Ground Alerter 10 mortar detection radar and alerting system in-service with the French and German armed forces is receiving an MLU. (Thales)  France and Germany's Ground Alerter 10 (GA 10) anti-mortar radar will receive a mid-life upgrade (MLU) to bolster its capabilities and address obsolescence.  The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) will manage the MLU, with a contract totalling EUR15 million (USD16.2 million) expected to be awarded in early 2024, the authority detailed in its 2024 business plan published on 5 March....

Three Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawks of the Indian Navy in operation in February 2024. (Indian Navy)  The Indian Navy has commissioned its first Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk multirole helicopter squadron.  According to the navy, the new unit, Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 334, was commissioned on 6 March at Indian Naval Station Garuda in the southwestern Indian city of Kochi.  In a video of the commissioning, the Indian Navy displayed four MH-60Rs (serial numbers IN751, IN752, IN753, and IN755). However, the unit likely had at least six MH-60Rs at th...

The Guarani APC (pictured above) is designed to carry a section of infantry dismounts across a fire zone so that they can engage a target or complete a mission. (AEL Sistemas)    The Philippine Army has received the first batch of five Guarani 6×6 wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs) from Elbit Systems, Lieutenant Colonel Louie Dema-ala, the Philippine Armyʼs official spokesperson, told  Janes  on 6 March.   The APCs were delivered to the army in late February and are undergoing technical inspection with the serviceʼs...

An artist's impression of the FAC 50 that the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces has ordered. (Dearsan)  Dearsan has been awarded a contract to design and build two 50 m fast attack craft (FAC) for the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces (QENF), the Turkish shipyard announced during the DIMDEX 2024 show held in Doha from 4 to 6 March.  The contract was also reported by Qatar News Agency, which said the QENF signed a contract to “implement the fast attack craft project (Halul 11)”. It cited QENF Commander Major General Abdullah Hassan Al-Sulaiti as saying that the...

Indian Army soldiers wearing a combination of Newndra's JaipurBelt and ArmMax exoskeletons while carrying ammunition and other load. (Newndra Innovations)  The Indian military has procured passive exoskeletons to support logistics and potentially combat operations, it has been confirmed to Janes.  The company that developed the exoskeletons – Newndra Innovations in Rajasthan – has provided two types of exoskeletons to the Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in the past few months.  Ganesh Ram...

Images released by Babcock in February 2024 showing progress being made on the hullform and superstructure of the future HMS   Venturer   at its facilities in Rosyth, Scotland.  (Babcock International)  Thales has successfully completed factory acceptance tests (FATs) for the first Type 31 mission system, the company announced on 28 February.  UK shipbuilder Babcock, leading the ‘Team 31' consortium, is delivering five Type 31 Inspiration-class general-purpose frigates based on the Arrowhead 140 design for the Roy...

Janes Defence Budgets forecasts that real annual growth rates in China's total military expenditure, which includes the official defence budget, will fall below 4% before the end of the decade. (Janes)  The Chinese government has proposed a defence budget of CNY1.67 trillion (USD232 billion) for 2024, official state media has reported. The new expenditure represents a nominal year-on-year increase of 7.2%, the same rate of growth announced in 2023.  The new defence budget was submitted to the national legislature on 5 March and distributed to...

The Boeing P-8A Poseidon in Canadian markings. (Boeing)  The US Navy (USN) has ordered 17 Boeing P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft on behalf of foreign customers, according to the US Department of Defense's (DoD's) 29 February contract announcement. The Royal Canadian Air Force is to receive 14 P-8s, while the remaining three are destined for Germany. The Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract is worth USD3.4 billion.  Canada and Germany ordered P-8s to replace their respective fleets of P-3 Orions (designated CP-140 Auroras i...

An Anka MALE UAV equipped with sensors and weapons at IDEX 2023, Abu Dhabi. This UAV was armed with MAM-L munitions and a ŞİMŞEK aerial target on the port hardpoint (not visible in this photograph). (Janes/Akshara Parakala)  The Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara: TNI-AU) has announced that it will add two additional unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) squadrons to its operational forces.    State-owned media said on 29 February that the two new units will be deployed at Anang Busra Air Base in Tarakan in North Kal...

The Carl-Gustaf M4 – pictured above – can be fired from the shoulder from the prone position with the soldier's body at an angle of at least 45° to the axis of the bore, or from a mount on an armoured personnel carrier. A heavy‐duty, detachable bipod is used when firing from the prone position. (ECDI)  Swedish defence company Saab has started the construction of a new Carl-Gustaf manufacturing facility in India, Saab said on 4 March.  Saab is building the new facility in Jhajjar, in India's northern state of Haryana, approximately 80 km from...

The Gaza UAV scale model displayed at DIMDEX 2024. (Janes/Ajay Shankar Pandey)  The Iranian defence industry displayed its multirole Gaza-armed intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at the DIMDEX 2024 exhibition held in Doha, Qatar, from 4 to 6 March.  The Gaza UAV is a turboprop-powered remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) designed for military and civilian missions. It has an endurance of over 24 hours at minimum payload, with a maximum speed of 350 km/h, a cruising speed of 215...

An artist's conceptualisation of a swarming drone capability being developed by 216 Squadron. However, since being formed in 2020, the unit, which is tasked with testing future drone swarm technology, has completed no tests or trials either in-house or with industry, the government has disclosed. (Leonardo)  The United Kingdom's effort to develop and field an unmanned ‘swarming drone' capability is being stymied by “competing resource priorities”, the government disclosed on 4 March.  Answering questions in the House of Commons, Minister of S...

Norway has exercised a contract option for three additional TPY-4 early warning multimission radars. (Lockheed Martin)  The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) is procuring three additional TPY-4 multimission ground-based radars from Lockheed Martin after exercising a contract option with the company.  According to an announcement by the NDMA on 3 March, the additional radars will be stationed in Senja, Målselv, and Nordkapp to enhance surveillance in the northern region of the country.  In November 2022 Norway contracted Lockheed Martin...