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 Saniya C-UAS fitted on the turret roof cage of a Russian 1st Army Corps T-80BVM tank. (Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation)  A new counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) known as Saniya, developed by Russian company 3MX, has been equipped on one of Russia's T-80BVM tanks.  The system was seen onboard a Russian 1st Army Corps T-80BVM tank operating near Pervomayskoye, Ukraine in a video posted by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation on Telegram on 14 January.  Tests of the C-UAS were scheduled to be completed by the...

The FMV has ordered two MSHORAD systems with RBS 70 NG missiles mounted on the roof of the Bv410 and two EldE 98s with four IRIS-T missiles on the back of the ATV (pictured). (Försvarsmakten/Jessica Krantz)  The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) ordered mobile short-range air defence (MSHORAD) systems from Saab during the fourth quarter of 2023, the agency and company announced on 17 January.  Saab valued the contract at SEK300 million (over USD28 million) and said the contract period ranged from 2024 to 2026, while the FMV expect...

US marines with Marine Corps Systems Command fire a Stinger Missile from the Marine Air Defense Integrated System at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona on 13 December 2023. (US Marine Corps )  Marines recently got their hands on a Marine Air-Defense Integrated System (MADIS) for the first live fire of an initial rate production model, US Marine Corps (USMC) officials announced on 11 January.  As one of the marine's central air-defence capabilities, MADIS is being developed to take on the threat of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other...

LATACC is primarily being funded by the European Defence Fund and includes a range of companies specialising in key technology areas such as cloud software, communications, sensors, robotics, artificial intelligence, and system resilience in challenging environments. (Thales)  A project to enhance and accelerate collaborative combat for European land forces has been launched following the signing of a grant agreement between Thales and the European Commission, the company announced on 17 January.  Called the Land Tactical Collaborative Combat...

The DRDO showcased a scale model of the Zorawar light tank at Defexpo 2022 held in October 2022 in Gandhinagar. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)    India's state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has “successfully” developed a fully functional prototype of the Zorawar light tank, Vipin Kumar Kaushik, director of the DRDO's Directorate of Public Interface, told   Janes  on 16 January.   “The prototype of the light tank will now undergo development trials within the DRDO, and user trials with the Indian Army will b...

Serbia is procuring equipment including 81 Miloš II 4×4 multi-purpose armoured combat vehicles (pictured during a live-firing demonstration at the Nikinci testing range on 18 July 2023). (Serbian MoD)  Serbia will spend nearly EUR740 million (USD810. million) in 2024 on new military equipment, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced on 13 January during a visit to Serbia's Military Security Agency.  He said, “We currently have EUR186 million of free funds in the bank account of [state-owned intermediary for export/import of defence equip...

The Swedish Armed Forces plan to contribute army units to NATO's forward presence in Latvia no earlier than 2025, with the first rotation consisting of professional soldiers and officers, mainly from the Skåne Regiment's 71st Battalion, which is equipped with the AMV (pictured). (Swedish Armed Forces/Tim Gustavsson)  The Swedish Armed Forces announced on their website on 9 January that they plan to contribute army units to NATO's forward presence in Latvia. The announcement came a day after Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told the annu...

A WMA301 fire-support vehicle displayed during an inspection of new equipment by the president of Burkina Faso on 12 January 2024. (Présidence du Faso)  Burkina Faso is the latest African military to procure 105 mm WMA301 fire-support vehicles made by Chinese company Norinco, it was revealed on 12 January when President Captain Ibrahim Traoré attended a ceremony to mark the delivery of a consignment of new military equipment.  A video released by the president's office showed Traoré inspecting six WMA301s with a command vehicle, along with ei...

A screengrab from the 501st Separate Marine Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Grifon 501) destroying a Russian armoured vehicle with a UAV, possibly an MBT or TOS-1 MLRS, because of the large explosion. (501st Separate Marine Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine)  Russia is said to have lost approximately 90% of its military equipment in Krynky, Kherson, likely because of a shortage of Russian electronic warfare (EW) systems in the area, according to a UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) intelligence update on 12 January.  The equipment...

Kosovo has requested 246 FGM-148F Javelin missiles and related equipment from the US. (Javelin Joint Venture)  The US State Department notified the US Congress on 11 January of a possible Foreign Military Sales of Javelin anti-tank missiles to Kosovo for an estimated cost of USD75 million, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced in a press release later the same day.  Kosovo has requested 246 FGM-148F Javelin missiles, including six fly-to-buy missiles; 24 Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LWCLUs); Javelin LWCLU ba...

The Italian Army operating SitaWare HQ, known internally by the army as Imperio, during military exercise ‘Cursor 2023'. (Italian Army)    The Italian Army has opted for Systematic's SitaWare Headquarters (HQ) command-and-control (C2) software for its higher echelons of command,   Janes   has learnt.     SitaWare HQ, known internally in the Italian Army as Imperio, will be rolled out from the regimental to army corps level, simplifying the operations process, improving interoperability between allied forces, and establ...

A Temsah-3 on display at the SOFEX show held in Jordan in November 2022. (Janes/Jeremy Binnie)  The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced the approval of two Egyptian requests on 10 January: one covering chassis and engines for light tactical vehicles and the other for additional 28 m coastal patrol craft.  It said the REV1-B Rolling Chassis, which is used for the Humvee series, and 205 hp turbocharged engines will be supplied by AM General. It did not say how many Egypt has requested but estimated the proposed sale to be wo...

The Lithuanian MND completed the purchase of Boxer IFVs at the end of 2023. (Lithuanian MND/SFC A Čemerka)  The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence (MND) announced in a press release on 12 January that it had completed the procurement of Boxer infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) at the end of 2023, with the acquisition of a total of 89 vehicles and two prototypes.  The completion of this first phase of Lithuania's Boxer programme was delayed from mid-2023. Explaining the cause of the delay, an MND spokesperson told Janes, “Testing of the la...

A photograph released on 10 January 2024 shows a Rafael SPYDER All in One air-defence system launching a Python missile in a test. (Rafael Advanced Defense Systems)  Rafael and the Israel Ministry of Defense's (MoD's) Directorate for Defense Research and Development have completed a successful test of the All in One (AiO) variant of the company's SPYDER air-defence system, it was announced on 10 January.  Carried out in December 2023, the test included the interception of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) “in a challenging operational scenario...

The Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed a new 7.62×51 mm assault rifle known as ‘Ugram' for the Indian Army. (Defence Research and Development Organisation/Janes)  India's state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) subsidiary Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) has developed a new 7.62×51 mm assault rifle known as ‘Ugram' for the Indian Army, an ARDE spokesperson told Janes on 9 January.  The rifle can strike at a maximum range of 500 m and is developed in collaboration with Hyder...

Poland's first company of 14 M1A1 tanks arriving at Szczecin on 28 June 2023. (Polish MND)  The Polish Armament Agency announced in a press release that a US shipment of 29 more M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) and 79 Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) All-Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs) arrived at the Polish Port of Świnoujście on 6 January, followed two days later by the unloading of the vessel.  The delivery followed an earlier US shipment that also arrived at Świnoujście on 21 November 2023 with 26 M1A1s and nine M88A2 Hercules armoured...

The ECDI has delivered the Piorun to the EDF (photo of Lt Col Lelov holding the MANPADS). (ECDI/Kermo Pastarus)  The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) announced in a press release on 8 January that it had delivered Polish Piorun short-range manportable air defence systems (MANPADS) to the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF).  An ECDI spokesperson told Janes on 9 January that deliveries were ongoing from 2023 to 2025 but would not disclose numbers. He said training mainly for reservists had begun in mid-2023 as part of the planned deliv...

The Indian Army seeks to equip its in-service BMP-2 ICVs (pictured above) taking part in an Indian Army exercise – with TI-based DNS to improve their night-fighting capability. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  The Indian Army has outlined the detailed requirements supporting its acquisition of thermal imager (TI)-based driver night sights (DNSs) for its in-service BMP-2/2K infantry combat vehicles (ICVs).  In a request for information (RFI) document issued by the army on 8 January, the service intends to procure approximately 2,500 TI-based DNS for BMP-...

A news broadcast with file footage of North Korea's artillery firing, at a railway station in Seoul on 5 January 2024. North Korea fired more than 200 artillery shells near two South Korean islands that day, said the South Korean government. (Jung Yeon-je /AFP via Getty Images)  North Korea fired more than 200 artillery shells into waters near the Seoul-controlled Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands early on 5 January, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) spokesperson Colonel Lee Sung-jun disclosed in a statement to reporters on the same...