The British Army has been experimenting with the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) battle management application installed on a Samsung phone as a potential option for the DSA programme. (ATAK)    The British Army's Dismounted Situational Awareness (DSA) programme is delayed,   Janes   learnt at SAE Group's Future Soldier Technology conference, being held from 11 to 13 March.   According to Lieutenant Colonel Gareth Davies, SO1 Combat Systems and Bearers, British Army, the delay is primarily because the DSA team has not yet...

The Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) are each procuring 25 units of Big Bang Boom Solutions' long-range Vajra Sentinel C-UAS (pictured). (Big Bang Boom Solutions)  Chennai-based Big Bang Boom Solutions (BBBS) has secured two contracts worth more than INR2 billion (USD24 million) to provide its counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) to the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF).  Janes understands that the Indian Army and the IAF will each receive 25 units of BBBS' long-range Vajra Sentinel C-UAS by mid-2025.  In an interview t...

The M-LIDS weapon system can be mounted on vehicles and is designed to target and disable or destroy hostile drones or other UAVs. Soldiers have trained and tested the technology in US Central Command's area of responsibility. (US Army)  As the war in Ukraine highlights the need for deep magazines and counter unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) capabilities, the US Army's latest budget request includes more funding for counter small-unmanned aerial systems (C-sUAS) and precision munitions.  A “continued emphasis” on counter small unmanned aerial...

The Haider MBT is Pakistan's variant of the Chinese VT4 MBT (pictured above from a demonstration at Airshow China 2018), which is an export-only third-generation MBT marketed by Norinco. (Janes/Kelvin Wong)  Pakistan's state-owned Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) unveiled an “indigenously manufactured” Haider main battle tank (MBT) during a ‘rollout ceremony' on 6 March, Pakistan Armed Forces' Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) agency said in a press release on 7 March.  The HIT collaborated with China North Industries Group Corporation Limi...

A THAAD interceptor is launched from the Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, during Flight Test THAAD-23, August 30, 2019 (The Pentagon's FY 2025 budget request includes USD247 million for 12 THAAD interceptors.)    The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has requested USD639.9    million for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) programme in fiscal year (FY) 2025.   This funding would procure 12 THAAD interceptors for USD247 million, according to Pentagon budget documents publis...

Polish Treasury and Armaments Agency ordered over 6,000 Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles from Saab on 4 March 2024. (Saab)  The Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND), Armaments Agency (AA), and Saab announced an order for more than 6,000 Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles on their websites on 4 March.    Saab valued the agreement between it and the Polish State Treasury and AA at SEK12.9 billion (USD1.26 billion), although the AA gave a higher value of over PLN6 billion (USD1.53 billion). A Saab spokesperson told   Janes  on...

A model of Schiebel's Camcopter S-300 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Schiebel in collaboration with South Korea's Hanwha Systems and UI Helicopter will provide three Camcopter S-300s equipped with locally developed synthetic aperture radars (SARs) and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors to the RoK Navy. (Janes)    The Republic of Korea (RoK) Navy plans to equip two undisclosed classes of its vessels with Schiebel's Camcopter S-300 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the company confirmed to  Ja...

The CEW-102E UAV countermeasure system replica is displayed at DIMDEX 2024. (Janes/Ajay Shankar Pandey)    China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is deploying a new counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) suite known as the CEW-102E from domestic company Poly Defence,  Janes  learnt at the DIMDEX 2024 show held in Doha from 4 to 6 March.     A spokesperson for the company was unable to provide details to  Janes  about when and how many units had been ordered.   The CEW-102E is an integrated detection, tr...

General Dynamics submitted one Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle prototype to the US Marine Corps for testing in 2023. (General Dynamics Land Systems )  The two competitors for the first variant of the US Marine Corps (USMC) Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) have been selected to prototype the second variant as well, the marines announced on 7 March.  Textron Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems received contracts to build one prototype each of an ARV with a 30 mm medium-calibre autocannon (ARV-30), according to a Program Executive Off...

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...

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...

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...

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....

An Arquus-upgraded VAB on display at the Milipol Qatar show held in Doha in May 2022. (Arquus)  French armoured vehicle company Arquus announced during the DIMDEX 2024 show held in Doha from 4 to 6 March that it had secured an additional contract to upgrade more of the Qatar Emiri Land Forces' (QELF's) Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé (VAB) armoured personnel carriers (APCs).  It said that the contract covers 54 VABs in addition to the 126 it has already modernised in France since 2018. An Arquus representative told Janes that a letter of intent wa...

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...

US marines conduct cold-weather training in preparation for NATO Exercise ‘Nordic Response 2024' in Setermoen. (US Marine Corps)  With the kick-off of Exercise ‘Nordic Response 2024' in February in the Norwegian Arctic, NATO is including Finland forces for the first time as a new official allied member and has transferred the Land Component Command headquarters for the exercise to the US Marine Corps' II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF), another first.  The component, including Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish division forces, will exercise...

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...

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 M1A2 Abrams MBTs – pictured above from a US Army exercise – are protected by composite armours, armed with a 120 mm smoothbore gun, and powered by a bespoke gas-turbine engine. (US Army)  The Republic of China Army (RoCA) will receive 38 M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs), 11 M142 High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and associated ammunition, and 81 ‘BGM‐71F tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided (TOW) 2B' anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) from the United States in 2024, a RoCA officer told Janes on 3 March.  The RoCA...

KNDS's Nexter qualified its Shard 120 mm APFSDS tank ammunition in late 2023. (Nexter)  KNDS's Nexter announced in a press release on 29 February that it had qualified its Shard 120 mm armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS) tank ammunition in late 2023 and that it is now ready for production.  The ammunition was demonstrated against rolled homogeneous armour with Leclerc and Leopard 2 main battle tank (MBT) users in Alcochete.  Shard is designed to defeat modern MBTs and future threats, with Nexter claiming it offers increas...