The HDF received the first of 209 Lynx armoured vehicles on 15 October 2022. (HDF)    Hungary will produce the ammunition for the KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) it is procuring domestically,   Janes  learnt at the International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) conference held in London on 23–26 January. This is in addition to the 163 Lynx IFVs being produced in Hungary.   The Lynx has a Rheinmetall Lance 2.0 turret armed with a MK 30-2/ABM (airburst munition) cannon that fires next-generation programmable kinetic energy...

Lockheed Martin's Directed Energy Interceptor for Manoeuvre Short-Range Air Defence System demonstrated ‘first light' in January 2023. (Lockheed Martin)  Lockheed Martin on 23 January announced its offering for the US Army's directed-energy weapon programme reached ‘first light', a development milestone that comes ahead of an expected competition to build the capability for the service.  Lockheed Martin's 50 kW Directed Energy Interceptor for Manoeuvre Short-Range Air Defence System (DEIMOS) achieved a first light demonstration on 13 January...

SH15 self-propelled howitzers lined up at Harar Meda Air Base. (Ethiopian Press Agency)  Ethiopia has acquired Chinese-built 155 mm SH15 wheeled self-propelled howitzers (SPH), it was revealed on 21 January.  The SH15s were seen in footage that was released as part of the coverage of a visit by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Awash Arba Combat Technical School, but the SPHs were filmed at Harar Meda Air Base in Bishoftu, south of Addis Ababa.  The SPHs were lined up in four columns of eight vehicles, indicating 32 have been delivered, although n...

US Army soldiers prepare to fire a Stinger missile during an exercise. (US Army)  The US Army expects to increase production of Stinger missiles to 60 a month by 2025, up 50% from the current rate, according to a spokesperson for the service's Program Executive Office Missiles and Space (PEO MS).  The ramp-up comes amid growing demand for the surface-to-air missile. The US government has provided about 1,500 Stinger missiles to Ukraine to help it counter Russia's February 2022 invasion. “The Stinger has proven to be effective in the support o...

The Qatari LPD   Al Fulk  in the dry dock at Fincantieri's Palermo yard before its launch on 24 January.  (Fincantieri)  Fincantieri launched the landing platform dock (LPD) amphibious assault ship it is building for Qatar at its shipyard in Palermo on 24 January, confirming it is equipped with vertical launch systems (VLSs).    Photographs of   Al Fulk  (L 141) show a box for the VLS has been attached to the ship's starboard side close to the end of the flight deck that looks sufficiently deep to...

Elbit presented the Crossbow 120 mm turreted mortar system at IAV 2023. (Elbit Systems)  Elbit Systems presented the Crossbow 120 mm turreted mortar at Defence IQ's International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2023 conference being held in London from 23 to 26 January.  The weapon can be installed in a mission module with minimal protrusion, can be easily operated by a single crew member, and is fuzed for fully automatic operation, according to Elbit.  It can fire the company's range of mortar rounds, including those with an extended range and preci...

France's Safran Group has offered the AASM-Hammer smart bomb to Indonesia for integration in the Dassault Rafale, KAI T-50I, and potentially the KAI KF-21 jet. (Safran)  The Indonesian government is in talks with France's Safran Group for the potential acquisition and domestic assembly of Armement Air‐Sol Modulaire (AASM) Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (Hammer) smart guided bombs.  The Indonesian Ministry of Defense's (MoD's) Directorate General of Defense Potential said that it had discussed Safran Group's offer of the air-to-s...

CAVS will contribute to participating countries seeking to increase the mobility of their armies, including in Arctic conditions. (Patria)  The Finnish-led 6×6 Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) programme continues to progress, Janes learnt at Defence IQ's International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2023 conference being held in London from 23 to 26 January.  CAVS variants include armoured personnel carrier (APC), heavy APC (HAPC), engineer, logistic support, and command-and-control versions, with future possibilities including indirect fire veh...

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base on 20 January failed to agree to send Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv (photo of Polish Leopard 2PL). (PGZ)  The Ukraine Defense Contact Group met at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on 20 January but failed to come to an agreement on sending Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.    The new German Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, said that Berlin had not reached a decision on supplying Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks. However, he    ordered his ministry to conduct an inventory of the different...

The US Navy still plans to fast-track the integration of the Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic weapon system into its DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers. (US Navy)  The US Navy (USN) still plans to fast-track the integration of the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapon system into its DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers, with the aim to complete the first live-fire tests in 2025, according to Vice Admiral Bill Galinis, commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).    Speaking to reporter...

Regulus Cyber launches Ring, a flexible modular C-UAS solution that can defeat unmanned swarms from a 5 km range. (Regulus Cyber)  Israeli company Regulus Cyber has launched a new counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) effector that is capable of neutralising a wide range of unmanned threats including swarms, the company announced on 19 January.  Known as ‘Ring', the portable or fixed C-UAS solution utilises global navigation satellite system (GNSS) manipulation to allow the user to take control of the unmanned threat by pushing back, holding...

The UK is accelerating the British Army's Mobile Fires Platform programme to replace its AS90 SPHs (pictured above). (Crown copyright)  UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced to the House of Commons on 16 January that he is accelerating the British Army's Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) programme, so that it delivers during the 2020s rather than the 2030s. He said he has also directed an interim artillery capability to be delivered, subject to commercial negotiation.  Janes understands that the UK now plans for the MFP to enter service in 202...

The MMT-40 light tank uses a 2S1 Gvozdika hull, the example of which is shown in the image. This image shows Serbia's 2S1 during field trials in 2020. (Serbian MoD)    The Myanmar Army has unveiled    the MAM-03 multiple rocket launcher (MRL) and MMT-40 light tank commemorating the 75th anniversary of the country's independence.   According to video footage released by the state-owned broadcaster Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV), the MAM-03 and MMT-40 were seen participating in the independence day parade. Both capabilit...

DAPA said that it has signed a contract with Hanwha Aerospace to mass-produce 120 mm SPMs and fire command vehicles. Pictured above is an example of a 120 mm SPM integrated into an M113-type tracked armoured personnel carrier. (Hanwha Defense)  South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has announced the full-scale deployment of120 mm self-propelled mortars (SPMs) in the Republic of Korea (RoK) Army by 2025.  DAPA said in a recent press release that it has signed a “follow-up mass production” contract worth KRW584 billion...

The US Department of State has approved the sale of Volcano anti-tank munition-laying systems to Taiwan, the example of which is pictured above. The Volcano can rapidly dispense up to 960 mines from expendable canisters mounted on as many as four launcher racks. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  The US Department of State has approved the possible Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of Volcano anti-tank munition-laying systems to Taiwan for an estimated cost of USD180 million.  In a recent press release, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announ...

The Hero-30 weighs 7.7 kg and has a range beyond 15 km. (Janes/Daniel Wasserbly)  The Argentine Ministry of Defense (MoD) on 27 December signed a contract with the Israeli MoD's Directorate of International Defense Cooperation to buy Uvision's Hero-120 and Hero-30 loitering munitions.  Argentine Defence Minister Jorge Taiana and head of the Israeli directorate Yair Kulas signed the contract.  This is the first time a Latin American country has bought Uvision's series of loitering munitions, and is part of a programme launched in 2022 by the A...

North Macedonia will continue the procurement of the JLTV in 2023, including the Heavy Guns Carrier A1 (JLTV-HGCA1) pictured, six of which entered service in mid-2022, all equipped with the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace M153 Protector Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station carrying an M2HB-QCB (Heavy Barrel-Quick Change Barrel) 50 calibre (12.7×99 mm NATO) machine gun. (Igor Bozinovski)  The Macedonian parliament approved a 2023 national budget on 23 December that includes EUR274.6 million (over USD292 million) for defence. EUR88.79 million...

A mock-up of the modular twin-tube launcher of Cheongeom missile, which is a standard configuration for the Light Armed Helicopters developed by Korea Aerospace Industries. (Janes/Kelvin Wong)    South Korea's Defense Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA) announced that the development of the    Cheongeom air-launched anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) has been completed.   Cheongeom, which has been in development since November 2015, will be integrated into the Light Armed Helicopters (LAHs) developed by Korea Aerospace...

India's state-run Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited unveiled the Dhanush 155 mm/52 calibre towed howitzer (pictured above) at Defexpo 2022, held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. This is one of the gun options available to the Indian Army. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  The Indian Army has outlined detailed requirements supporting its acquisition of 155 mm/52 calibre towed gun systems.  In a request for information (RFI) document issued by the army, the service confirmed that the guns would be procured from local industry.  The RFI said that the Indi...

SMT Motiv showcased K15 5.56 mm light machine gun at the DX Korea 2022 exhibition, which was held in Seoul from 21 to 25 September 2022. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)  South Korean firearms manufacturer SNT Motiv has delivered the first batch of K15 light machine guns (LMGs) to the Republic of Korea (RoK) Army.  According to a press release by SNT Motiv, the 5.56 mm K15 LMGs will replace the ageing fleet of K3 LMGs with the RoK Army.  SNT Motiv said that the new K15 guns are integrated with day and night sighting devices, which were not available in th...