A delegation from Kuwait's Land Force has officially received the first M1A2K main battle tank at a ceremony in the United States, the Kuwait Army General Staff Headquarters announced on 29 July.  Kuwaiti officers pose with a M1A2K tank. (Kuwait Army General Staff HQ)  “The entry of the new tank into operational service soon will represent an enhancement of capabilities and an addition to the combat efficiency of the Kuwaiti Land Force,” it said in a tweet.  It released photographs and a video of the tanks to show that it has been fitted with...

The US Army officials are exploring ways to integrate cloud computing and mesh networking capabilities into the service's Command Post Computing Environment (CPCE) system, as programme officials are in the midst of implementing cyber awareness applications in the platform.  CPCE officials and their counterparts at the army's Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) directorate are working to evaluate the Rainmaker mesh data fabric application for artificial intelligence (AI)-en...

The Portuguese Army is planning a significant field artillery modernisation by 2030, which is likely to begin with new radar acquisitions next year.  Portugal's 2019–30 Military Programming Law, worth EUR4.6 billion (USD5.47 billion), includes EUR3...

The Indonesian Ministry of Finance (MoF) has granted approval for the country's armed forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia: TNI) and defence ministry to obtain up to USD5.8 billion in foreign loans for the 2021 financial year.  Permissions to source for foreign loans have been approved for a total of 31 procurement, upgrades, and maintenance programmes across all three services of the TNI, according to documents and circulars that have been provided to Janes by Indonesian government sources.  The approvals have been granted after consultations...

A visit by the United Arab Emirates' (UAE's) top defence official to Calidus indicated the company's Wahash 8×8 infantry fighting vehicle and MCAV-20 are now in serial production.  A still from the video released on 29 July shows the UAE's Minister of State for Defence Affairs Mohammed bin Ahmed al-Bowardi inspecting completed Wahash IFVs at the Calidus Land Systems plant in Al-Wathbah. (WAM News Agency)  The WAM state news agency reported Minister of State for Defence Affairs Mohammed bin Ahmed al-Bowardi's visit to Calidus on 29 July, sayi...

Indian Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt confirmed on 28 July that the government-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a system designed to detect, track, and neutralise micro and mini unmanned aerial vehicl...

Finland has signed a USD32 million contract with BAE Systems to upgrade its fleet of CV90 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), the company announced in a press release on 27 July.  Finland has signed a contract with BAE Systems to upgrade its CV90 IFVs. (Photocred FDF)  BAE Systems said the mid-life extension (MLE) would “increase the vehicles' combat efficiency for the future battlefield”. The Finnish Ministry of Defence (MoD) told Janes on 29 July that two CV9030FIN prototypes, three test series vehicles, and the first six series vehicles wou...

The Republic of Korea Army (RoKA) has begun deploying an upgraded version of its locally developed 81 mm mortar system, according to South Korea's Defense Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA).  Delivery to RoKA units of the upgraded system, which is now in series production, began in June, noted DAPA in a 29 July statement.  A screengrab from footage provided by DAPA showing soldiers using South Korea's upgraded 81 mm mortar system. (DAPA)  Referred to as the ‘81 mm Mortar-II', the weapon, development of which began in December 2014 an...

The UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is leading a programme, referred to as the Light Fires Platform (LFP), to study a potential replacement for the towed 105 mm L118 Light Gun.  The LFP effort is at a pre-concept phase that is now in its second year and is due to be completed in 2022, according to Ricky Hart, principal advisor for Land Weapons and Land Fires at Dstl.  An L118 Light Gun waiting to be airlifted by an RAF Chinook. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Hart said unmanned, autonomous, and self-propelled concepts are being c...

Israel's Elbit Systems is developing a new fully automatic 155 mm/52 calibre SP artillery system for the Israel Defense Force (IDF) that will start to replace the IDF's 155 mm/39 calibre M109 tracked SP artillery systems around 2023 , company representatives told Janes.  While many countries still deploy tracked self-propelled (SP) 155 mm artillery systems, there is a trend towards 155 mm wheeled artillery systems, as they offer strategic mobility due to less reliance upon heavy equipment transporters.  A rendering of the new SIGMA 155 mm/52...

Chinese state-owned media has revealed that a new wheeled multiple rocket launcher (MRL) system has entered service with a combined arms brigade under the People's Liberation Army's (PLA's) Tibet Military Command.  A screengrab from video footage released by CCTV on 24 July showing that a new MRL has entered service with the PLA's Tibet Military Command. (CCTV)  In a news report released by China Central Television (CCTV) on 24 July several examples of the new 4×4 MRL were shown being used in a live-fire exercise at an undisclosed location o...

Chinese state-owned media have released an image suggesting that the Hongjian-12 (J-12) manportable anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) system is being operated by the People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF).  A photograph released on 22 July via...

The Georgian government has revealed its defence procurement priorities up to 2030, which includes acquisition of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), new artillery systems, and a revitalisation of its defence housing infrastructure.  At a ceremony for the release of the Action Plan of the Georgian Defence Forces 2020–30 on 22 July, Minister of Defence Juansher Burchuladze revealed that the country would be acquiring additional Javelin anti-tank missiles in 2021 from the United States. Negotiations are also under way with Polish and South African...

The US Army has selected five teams to proceed onward to the next phase of the revamped Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) programme, where they will spend the next 15 months working on concept designs.  On 23 July the service announced that American Rheinmetall Vehicle, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), a Hanwha Defense-Oshkosh Defense team, and Point Blank Enterprises will begin working on M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) replacement vehicle designs immediately. The total value of the five contracts is plac...

Israeli-owned Pap Tecnos has launched an appeal against Spain's decision to award the 30 mm turret contract for its new 8×8 Dragón infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) to Spanish company Escribano Mechanical & Engineering.  In a document presented to th...

Video footage and imagery sourced from social media and analysed by   Janes  between 13 July and 21 July appears to show that Russia has begun to withdraw equipment from a training ground in Voronezh, close to the Ukrainian border.   The equipment, which is assessed by   Janes  to belong to the Central Military District's 41  st  Combined Arms Army, was deployed over thousands of kilometres from central Russia to Voronezh during a buildup of forces in March and April. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed on 22 Apr...

India's government-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) test-fired on 21 July a manportable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM) being developed for the Indian Army (IA).  In a statement issued the same day, the Indian government's Press Information Bureau (PIB) said that the low-weight, fire-and-forget weapon was launched in direct-attack mode from a manportable launcher integrated with a thermal sight, adding that it successfully hit a mock tank target.  On 21 July India's DRDO test-fired a new manportable ATGM being deve...

The Blighter Surveillance Systems B402 ground-based target acquisition radar as part of a mast-mounted system with an electro-optical suite above it. (Blighter Surveillance Systems)  The UK's Blighter Surveillance Systems has been contracted to provide at least 25 of its B402 target acquisition radars to a European armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) manufacturer as part of an order for a non-European customer, the company's Chief Operations Officer, James Long, told Janes on 21 July.  “The contract will be performed over five years, but may be e...

The Australian and US armies have marked a new level of interoperability between the two services with the first-ever firings of Patriot surface-to-air missiles on Australian soil.  The firings, which was conducted as part of Exercise ‘Talisman Sab...

The first footage of the Almaz-Antey S-500 Prometey (‘Prometheus') air and missile defence system (GRAU designation 55R6M), shown conducting a test launch, has been released by the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) via a video published on its YouTube channel on 20 July.  The missile shown being launched was reported to have successfully intercepted a “high-speed ballistic target” during test firings at the Kapustin Yar range, about 100 km east of Volgograd, according to the video. Once tests are complete, the system is to enter service with...