Seen at its home station of RAF Marham, the F-35B now comprises more than the previously stated 15% of value per aircraft to the UK economy, according to Lockheed Martin. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The value of the F-35 programme to the economy of the United Kingdom is now “significantly higher” than it was just a few years ago, Lockheed Martin has said.  Speaking to journalists on 24 January, the chief executive of Lockheed Martin UK, Paul Livingston, said that a new economic impact analysis of the international F-35 programme will show that i...

The Northrop Grumman B-21, shrouded in secrecy. (Northrop Grumman)  The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider has entered low-rate initial production (LRIP), according to a statement by the US Department of Defense's Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante.  “Production of the B-21 ‘Raider' stealth bomber is moving forward,” LaPlante said in a 22 January statement. “This past fall, based on the results of ground and flight tests and the team's mature plans for manufacturing, I gave the go-ahead to begin producing B-...

Brazil is evaluating two Centauro II armoured vehicles (shown at Eurosatory 2018). (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Defence iQ's International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2024 conference being held in London from 22 to 25 January received an update on Brazil's plans to upgrade its armoured forces.  The first part of the modernisation plan consists of two parts, the first involving the upgrade of Brazil's Leopard 1A5 tanks and installing a 30 mm turret on its M113 armoured personnel carriers (APCs), and the second part the acquisition of a new tracked armou...

The F100 Karma UAV is being developed to intercept Class I and II UAVs. (Janes/Amit Kalra)  Wedrones – a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based integrated aerial solution provider – exhibited its new F100 Karma unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX) 2024 in Abu Dhabi.    Speaking to   Janes   on 22 January  ,   a representative of Wedrones said the F100 Karma UAV is primarily designed to be a reusable UAV that will be capable of intercepting and neutralising Class I and II...

The tracked RCV ordered by the UAE Armed Forces is likely to be Milrem's Type-X. (Janes/Sonny Butterworth)  The United Arab Emirates' (UAE's) Edge Group announced on 24 January during the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX) 2024 show held in Abu Dhabi that the UAE Ministry of Defence had placed an order for unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) made by its Milrem Robotics subsidiary.  Edge said in a statement that the contract covers 20 tracked robotic combat vehicles (RCVs) that it did not identify and 40 THeMIS UGVs. It added that t...

Germany is to donate six of its retired Sea King helicopters to Ukraine. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  Germany has pledged to send Westland Sea King helicopters to Ukraine as part of a wider raft of military support for Kyiv.  German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius made the announcement on 23 January, saying that six Sea King helicopters would be sent.  “The Sea King is a proven and robust helicopter that will help the Ukrainians in many areas, from reconnaissance over the Black Sea to transporting soldiers. It is the first German delivery of thi...

One possible additional UK Boxer variant is the MCCO, the concept demonstrator for which fitted with a launcher for eight Brimstone missiles was displayed at DVD 2022. (Janes/Christopher Petrov)    The UK plans additional variants of the Boxer armoured vehicle,  Janes  learnt at Defence iQ's International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2024 conference being held in London from 22 to 25 January.   The first priority is to order Boxer Repair and Recovery Vehicle, Armoured Mortar Vehicle, and Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge variants...

The Land Warfare School in Skövde is one of the various centres receiving the new Leopard 2A5 MBT simulators. (Swedish Armed Forces)  The Swedish Armed Forces is procuring new Stridsvagn 122 (Leopard 2A5) tank simulators from KNDS to improve crew training.    KNDS – a joint venture between Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Nexter – will be supplying the new simulators, replacing all current turret trainers as well as the “full mission simulator” at the Land Warfare School, a spokesperson from the Defence Material Administration told...

Trials of the Challenger 3 MBT, featuring Epsom armour, the Trophy-MV APS, a fully digitised turret, and a 120 mm smoothbore gun, will begin in the coming weeks. (RBSL)  The first prototype of the Challenger 3 main battle tank (MBT) will begin trials in the coming weeks, Janes learnt on the first day of Defence iQ's International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2024 conference being held in London from 22 to 25 January.  The MBT will feature Epsom armour and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' Trophy-MV (Medium Vehicle) armour protection system (APS), a...

TCG   Istanbul  (F 515) was commissioned into service on 19 January.  (C D Yaylali)  Three new ships and an unmanned surface vessel (USV) joined the Turkish Navy's inventory during a commissioning ceremony held at Sefine Shipyard in Yalova on 19 January, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense(MND) confirmed the same day.  TCG Istanbul (F 515), the lead frigate in its class, was commissioned into service alongside the navy's new fleet replenishment ship (Dimdeg) TCG Derya (A 1590), logistic support ship TCG Üste...

Seen in US Marine Corps service, the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter will shortly be flown by the Nigerian Air Force also. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The US Department of Defense (DoD) has confirmed the sale of the Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter to Nigeria, with a related contract notification posted on 19 December.  Having been approved for the sale of 12 helicopters in 2022, Nigeria's procurement was confirmed with the announcement that Northrop Grumman had been awarded a USD7.7 million contract modification “for the production and delivery...

Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket launches the Victus Nox mission on 14 September 2023. (Firefly Aerospace)  The US Space Force (USSF) intends to conduct at least one additional tactically responsive space launch to the two already publicised, following Victus Nox – launched on 14 September 2023 – and the upcoming Victus Haze mission with a third flight, dubbed Victus Sol, USSF Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael Guetlein said on 19 January at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.  “Beyond Victus Haze there's Victus So...

Hades Defense Systems Lamia UAV. (Janes)  Bulgarian defence and security systems developer Hades Defense Systems revealed details of its new Lamia developmental multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX) 2024 in Abu Dhabi.  Speaking to   Janes   on 23 January, Yordon Yordanov, regional manager at Hades, said the Lamia is being designed as a hybrid-propulsion multi-purpose UAV for both civil and defence applications. Hades began working on the platform in 2023. The data gathere...

The Yugoimport Senka UAV can carry two 60 mm warheads on the hardpoints provided under its wings. (Janes/Amit Kalra)  Serbian defence manufacturer Yugoimport (J P Jugoimport-SDPR) displayed the Senka and Mosquito unmanned aerial systems (UASs) at the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX 2024) held from 23 to 25 January in Abu Dhabi.  The Senka is a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) being developed for conventional attack and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) roles.    According to Yugoimport, the Senka ha...

Rheinmetall's HX3 10×10 SPH conducted trials in Bovington in 2023 under the UK's MFP programme. (Rheinmetall)  Rheinmetall's HX3 10×10 truck equipped with an automatic remote-controlled artillery turret conducted trials for the UK's Mobile Fires Pl...

One possible additional UK Boxer variant is the MCCO, the concept demonstrator for which fitted with a launcher for eight Brimstone missiles was displayed at DVD 2022. (Janes/Christopher Petrov)  The UK plans additional variants of the Boxer armoured vehicle, Janes learnt at the International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2024 conference being held in London from 22 to 25 January.  The first priority is to order Boxer Repair and Recovery Vehicle, Armoured Mortar Vehicle, and Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge variants in 2024, with initial operating...

The crew training facility, BTA 122, is one of various centres receiving new Leopard 2A5 MBT simulators, replacing existing systems such as the one pictured. (Swedish Armed Forces)  The Swedish Armed Forces is procuring new Stridsvagn 122 (Leopard 2A5) tank simulators from KNDS to improve crew training.  KNDS – a joint venture between Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Nexter – will be supplying the new simulators, replacing the trainers at the BTA 122 and TBTA crew training facilities, according to an announcement by the Swedish Armed Forces on...

Seen here in its company demonstrator form, the Leonardo AW149 has been selected along with the AW169M to replace North Macedonia's ageing Soviet-built helicopter inventory. (Leonardo)  The North Macedonian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (Armija na Republika Severna Makedonija: ARSM) have decided to acquire Italian helicopters to replace the country's Soviet-built airframes.  North Macedonian Defence Minister Slavjanka Petrovska made the announcement on national TV on 22 January, saying four Leonardo...

Germany is to join Spain and the UK in integrating the Brimstone air-to-surface missile onto its Eurofighter combat aircraft. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Germany is to equip its Eurofighter combat aircraft with the MBDA Brimstone air-to-surface missile, the government revealed on 17 January.  Revealed in Bundeswehr budgetary documents disclosed by Der Spiegel, the Luftwaffe intends to acquire 274 of the low-yield missiles to equip its Eurofighter fleet, with a contract to be awarded in the second quarter (Q2) of 2024.  No further details of the pl...

An F-35B with UK-specific ASRAAM, SPEAR 3, and Meteor laid out in front of it. While the ASRAAM is already fielded, the SPEAR 3 and Meteor will not be available until the end of the decade, the government has now said. (Crown Copyright)  The Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning should receive additional UK-specific weapons “by the end of the decade”, the government said on 16 January.  Answering questions in the House of Commons, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) James Cartlidge said that, with the MBDA AIM-132 Advanced Short-Rang...