GA-ASI's Mojave STOL RPAS demonstrator takes off from HMS Prince of Wales on 15 November. (Crown Copyright)
The UK Royal Navy's (RN) ambitions to introduce a hybrid carrier air wing blending both crewed and uncrewed aircraft moved a step closer during November 2023 with a first flight demonstration of a tactical short take-off and landing (STOL) remotely piloted air system (RPAS) from a Queen Elizabeth-class (QEC) carrier.
Performed from HMS Prince of Wales towards the end of the ship's Westlant 23 deployme...
The upgraded Hamina-class missile boats have been comprehensively equipped for their size and are capable of monitoring and countering air, surface, and underwater threats. (Finnish Navy)
The Finnish Navy's Hamina-class fast attack craft (FAC) mid-life upgrade (MLU) and modernisation programme has officially concluded and all four vessels have been returned to active duty.
A ceremony to mark the milestone was held at the Finnish Navy's base in Turku on 12 December, the service announced the same day.
The Hamina-cla...
A ground-based interceptor was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on 11 December. This was the first flight test of a three-stage booster operating in two-stage mode, meaning the third-stage was not ignited. (Missile Defense Agency)
The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) conducted a test of the upgraded Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI), the first test of the capability to use the two-stage boost mode that is designed to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) across a wider engagement envelope, the agency announc...
Slovenia has signed a programme agreement with Germany to procure the IRIS-T SLM. (Diehl Defence)
The Slovenian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on its website on 6 December that it had signed a programme agreement with the German Federal MoD to buy the IRIS-T SLM (Surface Launched Medium Range) air-defence system from Diehl Defence. The agreement was signed by Slovenian State Secretary for Defence Damir Črnčec and his German counterpart, Benedikt Zimmer, in accordance with the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the joint procurement of...
The US Army announced the Precision Strike Missile had undergone qualification testing in November 2023. (US Army)
The first Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) weapons have been delivered to the US Army, representing the programme reaching initial operating capability (IOC), the service announced on 8 December.
Lockheed Martin plans to deliver three early operational capability missiles out of 26 surface-to-surface missiles that are part of PrSM Increment 1 to the army before the end of the year, Paula Hartley, vice-president and general manag...
Aegis Ashore is a four-storey deckhouse and launch tower, which will provide a static home in Romania and Poland for the SPY-1D(V) radar, SM-3 missiles, and other systems taken from the US Navy's BMD ships. (Missile Defense Agency)
The US Navy (USN) is scheduled to officially accept the Aegis Ashore site in Poland by mid-December, according to Rear Admiral Douglas Williams, the acting director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA).
“The navy will formally accept Aegis Ashore Poland into their inventory on December 15,” Rear Adm Williams told...
Ansar Allah released a photograph on 1 November showing a Zulfiqar launch to illustrate its attacks on Israel. (Ansar Allah)
The Yemeni rebel group Ansar Allah (Houthis) has been launching Zulfiqar ballistic missiles and Quds cruise missiles at Israel, not new types of weapons, according to two letters submitted to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) by Gilad Erdan,the Israeli ambassador to the UN.
The letters said Zulfiqars were launched from Yemen towards Israel on 31 October, 4 November, 9 November, and 14 November. The one on 4 N...
Sterenn Du has been reactivated by Naval Group for use as an experimental testbed for large unmanned platforms and autonomous systems. (Naval Group)
French shipbuilder Naval Group has started experimental at-sea trials with the medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) Sterenn Du from its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) centre of expertise in Saint-Mandrier.
A Naval Group spokesperson told Janes that the trials, expected to continue well into 2024, include testing manned-unmanned tea...
EW officers monitor a simulated test in the Central Control Facility (CCF) at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The CCF is used to oversee EW mission data flight-testing. Portions of their missions are likely to expand under the new Air Force Cyber Command. (US Air Force)
Members of the trilateral security co-operative between Australia, the UK, and the US (AUKUS) have agreed to kick off collaborative development of advanced combat technologies, with an eye towards commonality and interoperability, beginning with electroni...
Damen Naval marked the official start of the construction phase of the Type 126 frigates programme with a steel-cutting ceremony on 5 December. Pictured (from left to right): Damen Shipyards Group's CEO Arnout Damen and Lürssen CEO Friedrich Lürssen. (Damen/Felix Matthies)
Damen Naval held a steel-cutting ceremony for the first Type 126 multi-purpose frigate on order for the German Navy at NVL Group's Peene-Werft shipyard in Wolgast, Germany, on 5 December.
Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group was awarded a EUR4.6 billion (USD5 billion)...
The Latvian MoD has signed a EUR600 million contract with Diehl for IRIS-T SLM air-defence systems. (Diehl)
The Latvian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Diehl Defence have announced that they signed a contract on 30 November for the delivery of the IRIS-T SLM (Surface Launched Medium Range) air-defence system to Latvia. The EUR600 million (USD649 million) contract was signed by Latvian National Armaments Director Mārtiņš Paškēvičs and Torsten Cook, senior vice-president of Diehl Defence's ground-based air-defence business unit.
The order follo...
The Latvian MoD has signed a EUR600 million contract with Diehl for IRIS-T SLM air-defence systems. (Diehl)
The Latvian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Diehl Defence have announced that they signed a contract on 30 November for the delivery of the IRIS-T SLM (Surface Launched Medium Range) air-defence system to Latvia. The EUR600 million (USD649 million) contract was signed by Latvian National Armaments Director Mārtiņš Paškēvičs and Torsten Cook, senior vice-president of Diehl Defence's ground-based air-defence business unit.
The order follo...
More US attack submarines such as USS Asheville are planned to call in Australia under the AUKUS agreement. (US Navy)
US, UK, and Australian leaders noted their AUKUS agreement Pillar 1 milestones and plans on 1 December, even as the US struggles to reach its own desired submarine production rate.
“There has been an enormous amount of progress, particularly in respect of Australia acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine capability, with the help of the United States and United Kingdom under Pillar 1 of AUKUS,...
The Spanish Navy's first S-80 Plus submarine, Isaac Peral, was commissioned into service on 30 November 2023. (Janes/Kate Tringham)
The Spanish Navy's first new S-80 Plus-class diesel-electric submarine (SSK) has been commissioned into service following the completion of sea acceptance trials.
First-of-class Isaac Peral (S-81) was formally commissioned during a ceremony held at the Spanish Navy's naval base in Cartagena on 30 November.
Isaac Peral is the first of four S-80...
Despite concerns over submarine-building capacity to meet AUKUS Pillar 1 needs, AUKUS countries are moving ahead with Pillar 2 efforts. (Janes/Michael Fabey)
While questions remain about the ability of Australia, the UK, and the US (AUKUS) to meet submarine requirement commitments for their AUKUS Pillar 1 agreement, the trio of defence partners detailed more specific Pillar 2 ambitions on 1 December.
Defence and government officials underscored plans aimed to better develop technology related to autonomous operations, electronic warfare (EW...
Australia, the UK, and the US are looking for more streamlined processes to share submarine-building technology for AUKUS. (Janes/Michael Fabey)
Australia, the UK, and the US will need to depend on industry and more streamlined processes for sharing data and technology for their AUKUS agreement to succeed, according to US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins.
“There's no way we're going to do this without industry being involved,” Jenkins said during a 27 AUKUS discussion at the Atlantic Counci...
The US Navy conducted another exercise in the Gulf using unmanned systems such as the MAST-13 USV. (US Navy)
Recent events underscore how military operators are beginning to increasingly test and deploy unmanned systems in the Gulf.
US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) utilised Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Indianapolis (LCS 17) as a staging base and command centre on 27 November for a host of unmanned systems during live weapons firing exercises in the international waters of the central Gulf, US Navy (US...
The Aster 30 missile (pictured above) is a two-stage kinetic kill effector fitted with an active seeker with an interception range of approximately 100 km against threats operating at altitudes up to 20,000 m. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
The Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) Aster 30 SAMP/T (Sol-Air Moyenne-Portée/Terrestre or surface-to-air medium range/land based) self-propelled surface-to-air missile (SAM) system has achieved full operational capability (FOC), the Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said in a press release on 29 Nov...
The new multi-purpose vessel, which will be named D João II , is planned to enter service in the second half of 2026. (Damen)
Damen Shipyards Group has been awarded a contract for the design, construction, and outfitting of a new multi-purpose vessel for the Portuguese Navy.
Announcing the contract award on 24 November, Damen said the 107 m-long vessel had been designed to meet the Portuguese Navy's requirement for a platform that combined oceanic research with unmanned systems deployment capabilities.
The...
The Sting Ray torpedo is to be integrated aboard the RAF's fleet of Poseidon MRA1 aircraft. (Crown Copyright)
The United Kingdom is to arm its fleet of Boeing P-8A Poseidon MRA1 maritime multimission aircraft (MMA) with the domestically developed Sting Ray torpedo.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the decision on 30 November, saying the British-built Sting Ray will be used alongside the US-built Mk 54 torpedo that was delivered as part of the US government's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) package.
“The programme to integrate Sting Ray...