The DAGR-SA system on trial with the British Army in a drop-down hands-free harness configuration. BAE Systems is proposing its new NavGuide platform as a replacement to the legacy DAGR. (Rockwell Collins)  Programme officials at BAE Systems have unveiled their newest Assured-Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (A-PNT) end-user device featuring full integration of M-Code-enabled Global Positioning System (GPS) technology.  The NavGuide system is a portable, handheld A-PNT device designed to replace legacy Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR)...

The Bundestag's budget committee on 14 June approved the procurement of the Arrow Weapon System and Arrow 3 missiles for the Bundeswehr. (IAI)  The budget committee of the Bundestag, Germany's parliament, on 14 June approved the procurement of six IRIS-T SLM (Surface Launched Medium Range) ground-based air defence (GBAD) systems and the Arrow Weapon System (AWS), including missiles.  Germany plans to sign a letter of commitment with the Israeli government by the end of 2023 on the procurement of the AWS and Arrow 3 missiles, with a planned in...

The Indonesian Army's Harimau tanks on display at Indo Defence 2022. The tanks will be equipped with reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles. (Janes/Andrew Galer)  The Indonesian Army'sHarimau medium tanks will be equipped with reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) “to adapt to the demands of combat operations”, said the country's Minister of Defense, Prabowo Subianto.  In a recent statement, Subianto said the addition of UAVs to the tanks will improve the “completeness of the combat operation”.  Indonesia and Turkey signed an agreem...

The US plans to take 15 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles from its reserves and send them to Ukraine. (US Transportation Command)  The US wants to supply more Stryker armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) in the latest assistance package to Ukraine.  The package will provide Ukraine with USD325 million worth of equipment from US stocks, the Pentagon announced on 13 June. The 15 Bradleys and 10 Strykers will help support Ukrainian offensive operations as vehicles are damaged, said Deputy Pentagon Pre...

The RE-liON Blacksuit immersive virtual training system provides small unit tactical training. (Netherlands MoD)  The Royal Netherlands Army (RNLA) has initiated a four-pronged plan to improve its simulation capability by 2030, focusing particularly on expanding virtual simulation.    Speaking at the 2023 Defence Simulation Education and Training conference (DSET 23) in Bristol, Lieutenant Colonel Marcel Wassenaar, head    of the RNLA Simulation Centre for Land Operations (SIMCEN Land) at Amersfoort, said that in 2020 the RNLA...

USS   Freedom  and USS   Independence  were both decommissioned in 2021.  (US Navy)  As the US Navy (USN) assesses some of the first overall fleet operations – and recreates operational concepts – for its littoral combat ships (LCSs), the service appears to be just as determined to quickly reduce LCS numbers as it was to introduce and augment the LCS force decades ago.  LCSs were initially designed decades ago and built to conduct antisubmarine warfare (ASW), surface warfare (SuW), and mine counter...

Ocius Technologies' Bluebottle USV operates in the waters of Jervis Bay during Exercise ‘Autonomous Warrior 2022' at HMAS Creswell in the Australian Capital Territory. On 9 June the Australian DoD announced that Ocius has completed the delivery of the fifth and final Bluebottle USV to the RAN. (Commonwealth of Australia)  Ocius Technologies has completed the delivery of all Bluebottle unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) under a AUD4.9 million (USD3.3 million) contract secured in November 2022.  The Australian De...

Textron submitted its M3 Ripsaw – a variant of the vehicle picture on the right – for the US Army's RCV-L Middle Tier Acquisition rapid prototyping programme. (Textron Systems)  Textron recently offered its proposal for the US Army's Robotic Combat Vehicle – Light (RCV-L), an executive told   Janes  on 5 June.   The company submitted its M3 Ripsaw robotic ground vehicle to the service on 15 May, David Phillips, senior vice-president for land and sea systems, told   Janes  . The army is expected to make its selection of four com...

The Indian Army seeks to upgrade its T-90 MBTs with 1,200–1,500 hp engines. The image shows a T-90 MBT at an Indian Army exercise in November 2022. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved plans to procure Future Ready Combat Vehicles (FRCVs) and engines to upgrade in-service T-90 main battle tanks (MBTs).  The two projects were granted ‘Approval in Principle' (AIP) by the MoD in late May. The MoD said the programmes will proceed under the government-funded ‘Make-I' category.  The FRCV project features the acqui...

The ZMT SR-50M may feature multiple calibre options in future. (Zakłady Mechaniczne Tarnów)  Zakłady Mechaniczne Tarnów (ZMT) presented its ZMT SR-50M anti-materiel sniper rifle at a conference held at the Military Institute of Armament Technology in Zielonka on 2 June 2023.  The event included the first live-firing demonstration of the 12.7 mm (.50) calibre bolt-action rifle since it passed initial factory trials earlier this year.  Roman Uznański, chief small arms designer at ZMT, told Janes that the ZMT SR-50M has a modular design and migh...

Caracal offers its CAR 816 assault rifles, an example of which is pictured above, to the Malaysian Army. The rifles are chambered for the 5.56×45 mm cartridge. (Edge)  United Arab Emirates small-arms manufacturer Edge Group's Caracal subsidiary has offered its CAR 816assault rifles to the Malaysian Army.  A spokesperson of Edge told Janes that Caracal is “in discussion” with the Malaysian Army regarding the possible sale of CAR 816s to the service.  In late May Caracal signed an agreement with Ketech Asia for the production and resale of the...

A model of the Surion MCH displayed at MADEX 2023. (Janes/Chinmay Kohad)  Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and BAE Systems signed a contract agreement on 8 June to support delivery of the UK company's Archerfish Mine Neutralisation System (AMNS) for integration onto the KAI KUH-1 Surion mine-countermeasures helicopter (MCH).  The total number of AMNS units to be delivered to KAI under the agreement, which was signed at the MADEX 2023 exhibition held in Busan, is unknown. However, KAI intends to fit the MCH with four Archerfish systems and an...

New Zealand's Defence Policy Review will outline some of the modernisation objectives of the country's armed forces. Pictured above, the New Zealand Army took delivery in May of an initial batch of Bushmaster vehicles from Thales Australia. (CPL Maddy Butcher/New Zealand MoD)  New Zealand is expecting to soon publish its Defence Policy Review (DPR), Minister of Defence Andrew Little told Janes. “I don't have a precise date for that [publication of the DPR], but I'm expecting it will be published within the next two months,” he said.  Accordi...

The first Polish-made Patriot launcher and resupply vehicle delivered by Huta Stalowa Wola was displayed at International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO 2021. (Janes/Jakub Link-Lenczowski)    Delivery of the first battery of the Wisła medium-range air-defence (MRAD) system to the Polish Armed Forces has been completed, Polish Armaments Agency (AA) spokesperson Kacper Bakuła told   Janes  on 2 June.   The programme, which will provide upper-tier air defence, is divided into two phases. Under phase one the first of the two...

Poongsan's 127 mm naval guided munition has a range of about 100 km. (Janes/Mike Plunkett)  South Korean ammunition firm Poongsan has unveiled a 127 mm gun-launched, extended-range guided munition for naval applications at the MADEX 2023 exhibition in Busan.    Dong Won Lee, Poongsan's director of defence products exports, told   Janes  that the concept of 127 mm Gliding Guided Naval Munition (GGNM) is centred on the projectile being fired on a steep trajectory to a high altitude, estimated to be in the region of 20 km....

Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command has ordered 91 6×6 vehicles from Patria under the CAVS programme, with an option for up to 70 APCs. (Patria)  Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command has ordered 91 6×6 vehicles from Patria under the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) programme led by Finland, the company announced in a press release on 2 June. The order includes spare parts, tools, and operation and maintenance training, with an option for up to 70 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) in addition to the 91 vehicles. Deliveries are s...

Dstl is developing a Lightweight Fires Platform technology demonstrator to replace the 105 mm Light Gun. The red boxes on the sides represent batteries, the ‘Mickey Mouse ears' house propellant, and up to 14 rounds can be stowed behind the elevating mass. (BAES IP)    The UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is working on a Lightweight Fires Platform technology demonstrator programme to replace the 105 mm Light Gun,   Janes  learnt on the last day of Defence iQ's Future Artillery 2023 conference held in Munich...

Northrop Grumman's Forward Area Air Defense system provides C2 for SHORAD missions and supports C-UAS operations. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Northrop Grumman has successfully modernised Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania's air-defence capabilities, ensuring interoperability with NATO and US forces.  According to a company announcement on 5 June, Northrop Grumman has successfully fielded its Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2) system and provided training to the Baltics' armed forces.  In December 2021 the US Army – in support of US...

The Indian Army seeks to arm in-service BMP-2 ICVs – pictured above taking part in an Indian Army exercise in November 2022 – with anti-tank guided missiles. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has outlined plans to procure anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and general-purpose machine guns (GPMG) for the Indian Army.  The projects, which indicate India's efforts to enhance firepower along its borders with China and Pakistan, were initiated through requests for information (RFIs) issued by the MoD in early June.  The ATG...

The British Army will shortly launch the competition to find a commercial Strategic Training Partner to help deliver the Future Collective Training System (pictured: soldiers from A Company, 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, training in Morocco in late 2022). (Crown copyright)  Lockheed Martin UK (LMUK) has announced that it is leading the seven-company Alliance team to bid to become the Strategic Training Partner (STP) for the British Army's Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP). The programme will deliver the army's Futur...