A trial held at Radnor Range, Wales, in October demonstrated how a blend of live and synthetic environments can be used to assure artificial intelligence. (Crown Copyright)  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 4 December that they have developed, alongside a consortium of companies, a new test and evaluation (T&E) capability for the assurance of autonomous systems under Project Zeus.  Led by Radnor Range, the new capability blends live and synthetic evaluation techniques to create a fast and more efficient approach to the T&E of aut...

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,...

A mock-up of the Sky Sword II missile – locally known as the TC-2 land-based missile – is pictured at TADTE 2023. The missile structure consists of the active radar seeker, followed by the electronics section, proximity fuze, warhead, and rocket motor, ending in the exhaust. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  Taiwan's state-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) has started the mass production of its land-based short-to-medium-range air-defence capability known as the Sky Sword II (locally termed Tien Chien II), a Republic o...

A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron takes off from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, for a deployment to an undisclosed Middle East location on 16 October 2023. (48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs)  The US conducted two rounds of strikes against what the Department of Defense (DoD) described as sites used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its affiliates in response to attacks on US bases in Syria and Iraq.  On 8 November two US Air Force (USAF) F-15Es bombed what US Secretary of Defen...

The Kestrel rockets are free-flight and fin-stabilised. In the above picture, a Kestrel rocket launcher is shown with the HEAT (on the left) and HESH (on the right) munitions. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Taiwan's Republic of China Army (RoCA) has ordered an additional 5,962 Kestrel individual shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon systems (ATWSs) from state-owned National Chung‐Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), a RoCA officer told Janes on 7 November.  The new order of 5,962 brings the total number of Kestrels to be procured to 10,96...

HII prepares to deliver Virginia-class submarine   New Jersey  as the company looks to open new markets through AUKUS deal.  (Janes/Michael Fabey)  HII sees the AUKUS agreement made by Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States for submarine programme development as a vehicle for new international business.  “We actually see that as an opening of markets,” Christopher Kastner, HII CEO and president told investment analysts on 2 November, during a quarterly earnings call.  In particular, HII expects to r...

The R‐Han rocket, pictured above, being test‐fired from a locally developed Rantis MLRS. (Kementrian Pertahanan Indonesia)  The Indonesia Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced in late-October that state-owned arms manufacturer PT Pindad has completed the development of a 122 mm multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) known as the R-Han 122B.  In a social media post, the MoD said that PT Pindad conducted a “series of successful trials on the system” before declaring its completion of development.  The MoD added it is now working on finalising the c...

Columbia-class submarine construction remains a Pentagon priority. (US Navy)  The US Navy (USN) has continued to face difficulties in delivering Virginia-class attack submarines (SSNs), maintaining existing vessels, and gearing up for the construction and delivery schedule for the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) meant to replace the Ohio-class boats for the US fleets.  Meeting the requirements for the trinational Australian, UK, and US (AUKUS) agreement to bolster the Australian submarine fleet will likely mean a dip in th...

Baden-Württemberg   departs its home port of Wilhelmshaven bound for the Eastern Mediterranean on 20 October.  (Bundeswehr/Leon Rodewald)  The first of the German Navy's Baden-Württemberg (Type 125)-class frigates has departed on its maiden deployment.    First-of-class   Baden-Württemberg  (F 222) set sail from Wilhelmshaven, Germany, on 20 October bound for Limassol, Cyprus, where it will participate in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission off the Lebanese coast.     Announcing t...

The KaraOk anti-tank guided weapon (pictured above) is fitted with a tandem high-explosive anti-tank warhead designed to defeat explosive reactive armour. (Rocketsan Missiles Inc)  The Malaysian Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has selected Turkey's defence company Roketsan's KaraOK anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) for the Malaysian Army requirement of 18 medium-range anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) systems, Rahayu Bahaudin, general manager at Malaysia's Ketech Asia, told Janes on 26 October.  The contract has been signed, and Ketech Asia – which i...

Finnish Navy divers examine damage and objects around the Balticconnector gas pipeline in the Gulf of Finland. (Finnish Navy)  An undersea telecommunications cable between Sweden and Estonia has been damaged by means of external force or tampering, the Swedish government has confirmed.  The incident has been linked to the suspected sabotage of the Balticconnector undersea gas pipeline and telecommunications cable that connects Finland and Estonia in early October.  In a 23 October announcement the Swedish government said the damage, which was...

The Carl-Gustaf M4 (pictured above) is an 84 mm, shoulder-fired, one-manportable, breech-loaded, percussion-fired, recoilless rifle. (ECDI)  The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) has ordered 300 Carl-Gustaf 84 mm shoulder-fired recoilless rifles from Swedish defence company Saab, the company said in a press release on 19 October.  Without specifying the Carl-Gustaf variant to be acquired by the JGSDF or the cost of the order, Saab said the rifles will be delivered in 2025.  Janes assesses that the JGSDF order potentially includes the pr...

A Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 transport aircraft performs a tactical take-off from an unprepared runway. (Lockheed Martin Aeronautics)  The Department of National Defense (DND) in Manila has announced plans to procure three Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules medium-lift transport aircraft for the Philippine Air Force (PAF).  The DND said on 17 October that it has issued a ‘notice to proceed' with the procurement and awarded the project to Lockheed Martin. It said deliveries are scheduled for July 2026, October 2026, and January 2027 respe...

The Type 10 MBT has a typical combat weight of 44 tonnes, although it can be stripped down to 40 tonnes for improved transportability via road, rail, or sea. This feature enables the tank to be rapidly deployed across the Japanese home islands. (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force)  The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) will procure additional Type 10 main battle tanks (MBTs) and 155 mm/52 calibre Type 19 self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) in fiscal year (FY) 2024, a spokesperson for the Japan Ministry of Defense (MoD) told Janes in mid-Octo...

The UK is deploying a naval task group comprising RFA   Lyme Bay   (pictured), RFA   Argus  , three Merlin HC Mk4 helicopters, and a company of Royal Marines as well as surveillance aircraft to the Eastern Mediterranean in the coming days to support Israel, reinforce regional stability, and prevent escalation.  (Michael Nitz/Naval Press Service)  The UK government has announced plans to deploy a Royal Navy (RN) task force and surveillance aircraft to the Eastern Mediterranean as part of efforts to st...

Aluminium printed by the US Marine Depot Maintenance Command's Production Plant in Barstow, California. (US Marine Corps)  The war in Ukraine is reshaping how the US Army is looking at logistics and readiness as the service examines more opportunities to boost those operations through advanced manufacturing technologies and other innovations, according to Army Chief of Staff General Randy George.  The service established a Contested Logistics Cross-Functional Team (CLCFT) earlier in 2023, Gen George noted on 10 October during the Association...

The UK is deploying a naval task group comprising RFA   Lyme Bay   (pictured), RFA   Argus  , three Merlin HC Mk4 helicopters, and a company of Royal Marines as well as surveillance aircraft to the Eastern Mediterranean in the coming days to support Israel, reinforce regional stability, and prevent escalation.  (Michael Nitz/Naval Press Service)  The UK government has announced plans to deploy a Royal Navy (RN) task force and surveillance aircraft to the Eastern Mediterranean as part of efforts to st...

Key pointsThe Israel Air Force announced at 0550 h local time, “During the night [of 12 October] the air force launched a wave of attacks with the aim of continuing to damage the commando force of the terrorist organization Hamas known as ‘Nukhba', by attacking [its] operational headquarters, which were used by operatives who infiltrated the Otaf settlements last Saturday [7 October]US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on 12 October to meet with President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Blinken is also sc...

Finnish Navy's mine-countermeasures vessel   Purunpää  is pictured near the location of the damaged Balticconnector gas pipeline in the Gulf of Finland.  (Finnish Defence Forces)  Finland's Central Criminal Police (CKP) has launched a preliminary investigation into “possible intentional damage” to the Balticconnector undersea gas pipeline and telecommunications cable that connects Finland and Estonia.  Finnish authorities confirmed on 10 October that a sudden drop in pressure in the pipeline that occurred during...

Israel-Gaza conflict: Timeline. (Janes)Operation ‘Swords of Iron'  On 8 October 2023, at 0459 h local time, the Prime Minister of Israel's X (formerly Twitter) account posted, “The Security Cabinet convened this evening and made a series of operational decisions, the goal of which is to achieve the destruction of the military and governing capabilities of Hamas and [the Palestinian] Islamic Jihad in a way that will preclude their ability and willingness to threaten and attack the citizens of Israel for many years.” It further stated th...