The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system (pictured above) is armed with an anti-ship warhead of weight varying between 200 and 300 kg. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  The Indian Army test-fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and the Akash semi-mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) in two separate exercises that took place in late March.  The BrahMos test was carried out by the Rising Sun missile unit of the Indian Army's Eastern Command in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. According to a social media post by Eastern Command, the missile hit th...

The Type 12 SSM is pictured (left), being launched from a transporter-erector-launcher vehicle. Images on the right show the system's sensor and control station. (Japanese MoD)  The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) has deployed an anti-ship missile (ASM) unit known as the ‘7th Surface-to-Ship Missile Regiment' at the JGSDF's Katsuren camp located at Uruma city in Okinawa Prefecture, the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) said in late March.  The new unit is equipped with Type 12 coastal-defence surface-to-ship guided missiles, which ar...

The USN CNO noted the need for the development of directed energy weapons, such as the laser system shown in this artist's rendition. (Lockheed Martin)  Recent US Navy (USN) operations in the Red Sea have underscored the importance of logistics, according to Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the USN chief of naval operations (CNO).  Adm Franchetti also noted the importance of developing new weapons and related capabilities to match emerging threats.  The CNO made the comments during a discussion for Defense One that was shown online on 27 March.  “I'v...

US B-52 Stratofortress crews look at an AGM-183 ARRW during a hypersonic weapon familiarisation briefing at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on 27 February. The yellow bands on the missile indicate that it is a live round. (USAF/Staff Sgt. Pedro Tenorio)  The US Air Force (USAF) launched the last AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) on 17 March, completing the hypersonic missile's formal test programme. ARRW has a chequered test history, and although the test likely succeeded in meeting its goals, the USAF has yet to decide whethe...

Hours after the Polish Ministry of National Defence reduced the heightened air defence of its eastern border by its own (including the F-16 pictured) and allied combat aircraft, a Russian cruise missile violated the country's airspace en route to striking western Ukraine. (Polish MND)  A Russian cruise missile launched against a target in Ukraine briefly violated Polish airspace, hours after the NATO country reported a reduction in the threat level on its eastern border.  The Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND) confirmed the incident in...

The US Navy wants to acquire two attack submarines, such as New Jersey shown here, per year through the 2030s. (Janes/Michael Fabey)  The US Navy (USN) intends to achieve and sustain a force-structure fleet of 350 ships after fiscal year (FY) 2037, according to the Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels for Fiscal Year 2025, often called USN's 30-yearshipbuilding plan, sent to US lawmakers on 19 March.  The USN's proposed FY 2025 budget includes procurement of six manned ships in FY 2025 and 57 mann...

Lithuania is purchasing omnidirectional C-UASs and individual suppressors from NT Service. The company developed a handheld jammer, displayed at DSEI 2023, called Skywiper Electronic Drone Mitigation 4 – System (EDM4S) that could be offered as part of the procurement and which is already in service with the Lithuanian military. (Janes/Olivia Savage)  Lithuania-based NT Service has been contracted to deliver counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UASs) to the Lithuanian military to meet an urgent requirement to combat ‘drones'.  The contract, va...

A file photo of a Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16. The Dutch government has said it will provide EUR150 million in weapons for the F-16s to be transferred to Ukraine, as part of a wider aid package valued at EUR350 million. (US Department of Defense)  The Netherlands has pledged a multimillion-euro aid package to Ukraine comprising weapons for the soon-to-be-delivered Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft, as well as providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).  The more than...

The DRDO has developed a laser beam-riding guidance   system  equipped with an ELRF to guide its very short-range air-defence system – pictured above from a DRDO test in March 2023.  (DRDO)  India's state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a laser beam-riding (LBR) guidance system equipped with an eye-safe laser rangefinder (ELRF), a senior DRDO official told Janes on 18 March.  “The technology development of the system is completed and now the DRDO is looking for an Indian i...

A file photo of AASM Hammer guided bombs (in their imaging infrared seeker configuration) of the type Russia now claims to have intercepted over Ukraine. (Safran)  Russia has claimed to have intercepted a Safran Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) Hammer launched at its forces in Ukraine.  Russian state-controlled media reported the claim on 6 March, quoting the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation as saying that ground-based air defences had shot down a single guided bomb “in the zone of a special military operation”.    The repo...

Italy is acquiring the latest AIM-9X Block II+ air-to-air missile to equip its fleet of F-35 (pictured) combat aircraft. (Italian Air Force)  The United States has approved the sale of 66 Raytheon AIM-9X Block II+ Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles to Italy, announcing a potential USD90.6 million sale on 15 March.  The US Department of State approval covers the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of an additional 28 Block II+ missiles to add to the 38 previously approved, as well as training missiles, related equipment, training, and support...

The CS/AA3 gun – pictured above in service with the Cameroonian Defence Forces – has a maximum slant range of 11 km, but its effective slant range is 4 km and effective altitude is 3 km. (Cameroon Ministry of Defence)  The Bangladesh Army's Adhoc 57 Air Defence (AD) Regiment Artillery test-fired two CS/AA3 twin-barrel anti-aircraft gun systems for the first time during a firing exercise held in mid-March at Inanistha AD Firing Range in Cox's Bazar.  According to a press release by Bangladesh Armed Forces' media and public relations wing Inter...

An Exocet MM40 Block 3 missile being launched from an Indonesian Navy Bung Tomo-class frigate. The country's latest attempt to replenish its stock of Exocet missiles has been delayed by non-conformity issues. (Indonesian Navy Armada I)  Indonesia will have to restart a process to replenish the country's stock of MBDA Exocet MM40 Block 3 anti-ship missiles after an earlier attempt failed because of licensing non-conformity issues.  A 24 February letter from the Indonesian Ministry of Finance's (MoF's) Directorate General of Budget Financing a...

EvoLogics Sonobot 5 USV being demonstrated at Oceanology International 2024 in London on 13 March. (Janes/Neil Dee)  German company EvoLogics is planning to deliver a further batch of Sonobot unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) to the Ukrainian armed forces. EvoLogics CEO Fabian Bannasch told Janes at Oceanology International 2024, held in London on 12–14 March, that his company is “currently preparing a fourth configuration of Sonobot with enhanced underwater data networking and positioning capabilities in order to guide and support complex und...

A Bayraktar Akıncı takes off with a Roketsan Çakir cruise missile for the test-firing announced on 1 March. (Baykar)  The Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is carrying out firing trials with versions of the Roketsan MAM-L and MAM-T guided bombs that can be used against targets concealed by cloud cover, the UAV's Turkish manufacturer announced on 15 March.  Both the MAM-L, which is the standard munition for Baykar's UAVs, and the MAM-T, a small glide bomb, usually use semi-active laser guidance, but the company said it was...

TCG  Istanbul  seen transiting the Bosphorus Strait enroute to the test site on 2 March.  (Cem Devrim Yaylali)    The Turkish Navy performed its first Hisar-D missile launch from the Midlas vertical launch system (VLS) installed onboard the TCG  Istanbul  in the second week of March.   The event marked the first launch from the indigenous VLS on the high seas. The frigate was observed sailing northbound through the Bosphorus Strait to the test site on 2 March.    Haluk Görgün, the president...

The US Navy is seeking more money for Tomahawk missiles and systems. (Raytheon)  The fiscal year (FY) 2025 US Navy (USN) budget request includes USD6.6 billion for weapons procurement, according to budget documents released on 11 March.  This request is a slight decrease from the USD6.9 billion requested in FY 2024, budget documents show.  The USN is seeking to buy 2,656 weapons in FY 2025, compared with the 2,773 weapons the service sought to buy in FY 2024.  “The [FY 2025] focus is to continue to build up critical munitions inventories whil...

A B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron takes off from Edwards Air Force Base, California, in 2020. The aircraft conducted a captive-carry flight test of the AGM-183A ARRW, a programme that is zeroed out in the FY 2025 budget. (US Air Force/Matt Williams)  The US Air Force (USAF) requested just shy of USD517 million to continue development of Raytheon's Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) hypersonic air-breathing missile in its fiscal year (FY) 2025 presidential budget request, but zeroed out the procurement of t...

TCG   Istanbul   seen transiting the Bosphorus Strait enroute to the test site on 2 March.  (Cem Devrim Yaylali)  The Turkish Navy performed its first Hisar-D missile launch from the Midlas vertical launch system (VLS) installed onboard the TCG Istanbul in the second week of March.  The event marked the first launch from the indigenous VLS on the high seas. The frigate was observed sailing northbound through the Bosphorus Strait to the test site on 2 March.  Haluk Görgün, the president of the Defence Industry Agen...

A QELF Boxer is seen fitted with a passive radio frequency sensor that enables it to identify the locations of UAVs so they can be engaged with its RCT30 turret. (Janes/Jeremy Binnie)  The Qatar Emiri Land Forces (QELF) stand at the DIMDEX 2024 show held in Doha from 4 to 6 March included a Boxer 8×8 armoured vehicle that has been modified to enable it to shoot down small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).    A Qatari general told  Janes  that his service is in the process of receiving 10 of the specially modified Boxers.   T...