WB Electronics exhibited the full Topaz ICMS hardware configuration for the FONET network at Eurosatory 2022. (Jakub Link-Lenczowski)    Poland has proven the interoperability of its army's    Topaz integrated combat management system (ICMS)    with US artillery command-and-control systems. During trials at Poland's War Studies University in Rembertów from 7 to 21 July, Topaz was successfully plugged into the Artillery Systems Cooperation Activities (ASCA) interface.   To join ASCA, Poland must prove the interoper...

The DGA received the last batch of 10 VT4 4×4 Standard 2 tactical vehicles on 26 July. (SIMMT)  The Directorate General of Armaments (Direction générale de l'armement: DGA), the French armaments procurement agency, announced on its website on 27 July that it received its last batch of 10 VT4 4×4 Standard 2 tactical vehicles the day before.  This brings the total number of VT4 vehicles delivered to the three armed services, the Operational Energy Service (Service de l'Énergie Opérationnelle), and the Joint Munitions Service (Service Interarmé...

US Marines hike as a part of Marine Rotational Force-Europe in Setermoen, Norway, in February 2023. (US Marine Corps)  The Pentagon wants military personnel ready to brave the Arctic, one of the most unforgiving environments in the world. To survive, US ground forces have to upgrade many pieces of equipment, down to the clothes on a servicemember's back.  Since 2016, for example, the US Army has been developing new material technology to clothe soldiers on Arctic missions, said James Murdock, a textile technologist and project manager at US...

The US and Australia have agreed to deepen co-operation on guided weapons including the sustainment and upgrade of the Standard Missile-2, pictured above being fired from Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS   Newcastle  .  (Australian Department of Defence )  The US and Australia have agreed to strengthen co-operation on Canberra's drive to locally develop and produce guided weapons. The agreement was announced in late July at the 33rd Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) held in Brisbane, according to a...

DCM Shriram CUAS at Drone International Expo 2023. Pictured are the RF detector and jammer. (Janes/Akshara Parakala)  Israeli Avnon Group's Skylock has partnered with India's DCM Shriram Industries Ltd to manufacture the former's VIP Dome Pro under the name DCM portable counter-unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) system.    The venture is aimed at the Indian market, a DCM Shriram official told   Janes   at the 4th Drone International Expo 2023 held in New Delhi from 26 to 27 July.   Manufacturing work started in 2022, and DCM S...

FNSS Pars Scout 8×8 vehicle at IDEF 2023. (Janes/CS Raghuraman )  FNSS exhibited its Pars Scout 8×8 special purpose vehicle for the first time at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) held in Istanbul from 25 to 28 July.  The vehicle was developed in response to the Turkish Armed Forces' Special Purpose Tactical Wheeled Armoured Vehicles project and is the first 8×8 to enter service with the Turkish military.  The Pars Scout 8×8 has been designed for reconnaissance and internal security duties. It houses a two-person driving com...

FNSS Kaplan Hybrid powerpack at IDEF 2023. (Janes/Ben Burnett)  FNSS exhibited its Kaplan Hybrid vehicle powerpack for the first time at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) held in Istanbul from 25 to 28 July.  Development of the powerpack commenced in 2021 through FNSS' Hybrid Power Group project, and although work continues, critical verification tests are scheduled to begin at the end of 2023. FNSS hopes to integrate a bespoke hybrid solution in its range of tracked vehicles and as an upgrade package to others through enhan...

The Reconfigurable Virtual Collective Trainer (RVCT) should be in the hands of US Army soldiers in March–April 2024, officials said on 24 July.  Soldiers will participate in a final soldier touchpoint in August 2023 before an operational demonstrat...

Poland is establishing a HIMARS academy and the 1st Rocket Brigade. (Polish MND)  Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak approved the establishment of a High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) academy and the 1st Rocket Brigade, Błaszczak's ministry announced on its website on 27 July. The brigade will be based in Toruń in north-central Poland and Orzysz, 120 km from the Belarusian border.  Modelled on the Abrams Tank Training Academy in Biedrusko, the HIMARS academy will provide training and lo...

EDePro unveiled its new Hurricane 262 mm surface-to-surface rocket at IDEF 2023. (Janes/Nicholas Fiorenza)  Serbian company Engine Development & Production (EDePro) displayed its new Hurricane 262 mm unguided surface-to-surface rocket at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) held from 25 to 28 July in Istanbul. With a range of up to 70.7 km, the rocket is intended for attacking motor rifle and infantry units in concentration areas, on the march, and in battlefield mode, as well as artillery and mortar batteries, air-defence unit...

Denmark will replace the RAT-31 DL radar situated in Bornholm, at the very east of Denmark in the Baltic Sea. (Selex ES)  Denmark is to replace two of its coastal air-defence radars to enhance the surveillance of its airspace, Janes has learnt.  A Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) spokesperson informed Janes on 26 July that the authority plans to replace the Alenia Marconi Systems S-723 Martello 3D radar on the island of Bornholm and the Leonardo RAT-31 DL (previously Selex) radar in Skagen.  The spokesp...

TDU Defense Systems presented a Kirpi armoured vehicle decoy and personnel thermal protectors that look like rocks at IDEF 2023. (Janes/Nicholas Fiorenza)  TDU Defense Systems presented an inflatable Kirpi armoured vehicle decoy at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) held from 25 to 28 July in Istanbul. TDU decoys like this are being used by the Turkish Armed Forces, a company representative told Janes.  Asked what air threats Turkey employs decoys against, a company representative replied that there had been instances in whic...

The VAMPIRE remote weapon system. (L3Harris)  L3Harris has selected Alabama-based EOS Defense Systems to support the Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) Rocket Equipment (VAMPIRE) programme, which has been tagged by the US Department of Defense (DoD) as one of several weapon systems bound for Ukraine.  The Pentagon contracted L3Harris to integrate the VAMPIRE remote weapon system (RWS) into DoD-provided combat vehicles scheduled for delivery to Ukrainian defence forces. Under the terms of t...

Australian Army soldiers use Systematic's SitaWare suite at Exercise ‘Talisman Sabre' in July 2021. On 27 July 2023 Systematic announced that its SitaWare Headquarters and SitaWare Frontline have been downselected for Tranche 1 of the Australian Army's LAND 200 Phase 3 project. (Commonwealth of Australia)  The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has downselected elements of the SitaWare suite of battle management software (BMS) developed by Danish company Systematic for Tranche 1 of the Australian Army's LAND 200 Phase 3 project.  The Sita...

Otokar unveiled an Arma II IFV with Turkey's first indigenously produced powerpack for 8×8 vehicles at IDEF 2023. (Janes/Nicholas Fiorenza)  Otokar unveiled an Arma II infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), Turkey's first 8×8 vehicle with an indigenously produced powerpack, at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) 2023 held in Istanbul on 24–28 July. The 720 hp Ecotorq powerpack was developed by Otokar based on a civilian truck engine from Ford Otosan, in which equal shares are held by Ford Motor Company and Koç Holding, which also ho...

Meteksan unveiled the Retinar AESA radar at IDEF 2023. (Janes/Nicholas Fiorenza)  Meteksan unveiled the Retinar active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) held from 25 to 28 July in Istanbul. The software-defined multimission radar is designed for counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UASs), point air-defence systems, and surveillance systems.  Ödül Öden, Meteksan's international sales manager, told Janes on 27 July that the radar has 90° azimuth and elevation and operates in the S-b...

Nurol Makina unveiled the NMS Light 4×4 armoured vehicle at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair held in Istanbul from 24 to 28 July 2023. (Janes/Nicholas Fiorenza)  Nurol Makina and NP Aerospace signed an agreement to form a joint venture (JV) in the UK at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) being held in Istanbul from 24 to 28 July, Janes has learnt. Emre Akin, head of strategic planning at Nurol Holding, told Janes on 27 July that the Turkish company's Ejder Yalçın 4×4 tactical wheeled armoured vehicles would be pro...

Canberra has selected Hanwha's Redback for a long-standing Australian Army infantry fighting vehicle requirement. The Redbacks will be built in Australia and delivered from 2027. (Hanwha)  The Australian government has selected Hanwha Defense Australia (HDA) to deliver 129 Redback infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to the Australian Army under its Land 400 Phase 3 programme, the country's Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy announced in Canberra on 27 July.  The announcement concludes a five-year tender process during which HDA, a subsidi...

Otokar unveiled the Arma II mobile repair and recovery vehicle at IDEF 2023. (Janes/Nicholas Fiorenza)  Otokar unveiled the Arma II 8×8 mobile repair and recovery vehicle at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) held from 25 to 28 July in Istanbul. It also unveiled an Alma II infantry fighting vehicle, which is Turkey's first 8×8 vehicle with an indigenously produced powerpack, according to the Turkish version of the press announcing what it would display at IDEF 2023. However, this was not mentioned in the English version....

Republican Guard soldiers with Calidus MCAV-20 armoured vehicles. (Présidence RDC)  The Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC's) Republican Guard confirmed it is operating Calidus MCAV-20 armoured vehicles on 22 July, when a significant number were displayed on the streets of the capital, Kinshasa.  The presidential office said two groups from the Republican Guard conducted an endurance march through the streets of Kinshasa. “This march is one of the normal activities of the Republican Guard, namely maintaining the physical fitness of the u...