Italy has been approved to buy further SDB II and AIM-120C-8 air-launched munitions to be carried by its combat aircraft types, such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. (Italian Air Force)  The US government has approved the sale of air-launched munitions to Italy for an estimated USD219.3 million.  In two separate approval notifications posted by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 15 February, the US Department of State cleared the sale to Italy of RTX GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) II (also known as StormBreaker)...

A display of the Ultimax 100 Mk 9, the latest variant of ST Engineering's Ultimax 100 light machine gun, at Singapore Airshow 2024. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  Singapore state-affiliated defence company ST Engineering has unveiled the latest variant of its Ultimax 100 5.56 mm gas-operated light machine gun.  The product, known as the Ultimax 100 Mk 9, is on display to the public for the first time at the Singapore Airshow 2024 defence exhibition, taking place at the Changi Exhibition Centre from 20 to 25 February.  A new feature found on the Mk...

Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC   Clarence Sutphin Jr  interdicted missile, communications, and other military equipment in the Arabian Sea.  (US Navy)  A US Coast Guard (USCG) cutter recently seized advanced conventional weapons and other lethal aid originating in Iran and bound for Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen from a vessel in the Arabian Sea, US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on 15 February.    Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC   Clarence Sutphin Jr  (WPC 1147), assign...

A graphic of the Sea Eagle-6 anti-ship missile that was launched by North Korea on 14 February 2024. (Janes)  North Korea claimed on 15 February that it successfully test-fired a new type of anti-ship missile known as the Padasuri-6 (Sea Eagle-6).  The test firing was conducted on the morning of 14 February and was witnessed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, state-owned Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) disclosed in a statement the next day.  The weapon flew over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) for about 1,400 seconds before hitting a designat...

Aselsan Gürz SHORAD system shown at WDS 2024. (Janes/Sunil Nair)  Aselsan's Gürz short-range air-defence (SHORAD) system was displayed at the World Defense Show (WDS) 2024 held in Riyadh from 4 to 8 February. This was the system's international debut after it was shown at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul in July 2023. An all-in-one, layered air and missile-defence system, the Gürz is designed to intercept aerial targets ranging from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of all types and sizes, fixed- and rotary-wing a...

A Pentagon report confirms the effectiveness of modified Mk 48 torpedoes. (US Department of Defense)  The US Navy's modified Advanced Processor Build (APB) 5+ Mk 48 torpedo is “operationally effective and suitable”, according to the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) FY 2023 Annual Report, released on 2 February.  However, “Mk 48 Mod 7 torpedo reliability has degraded below navy-defined requirements”, the DOT&E noted, recommending the navy determine and correct the causes of the degraded reliability of that modified Mk 48.  The...

Shahid Mahdavi  , seen here when it was officially commissioned in March 2023, was used to launch ballistic missiles.   (IRNA)  Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has launched ballistic missiles from a ship for the first time, the force announced on 13 February.  Iranian news agencies reported that the launch was a collaboration between the IRGC's naval and aerospace forces and involved missiles from the Fateh family.    A video released by the IRGC shows two missiles elevated on launchers in containers on the deck...

The Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı UAV that was unveiled on 9 February. (President of the Republic of Azerbaijan)  Azerbaijan unveiled its Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on 9 February when President Ilham Aliyev visited what was described as the Azerbaijani Air Forces' (HHQ's) UAV academy.  The Ministry of Defence reported that Aliyev was briefed on the facilities that have been created at the academy for training personnel and viewed an Akıncı taking off and landing.  Photographs released by the president's office showed an Akıncı w...

The DGA has ordered sights from the GME between Nexter and Safran for the Leclerc XLR, which was displayed at Eurosatory 2022. (Janes/Sonny Butterworth)  The Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA), the French defence procurement agency, has ordered sights from the temporary company grouping (GME) between KNDS's Nexter and Safran Electronics & Defense for the upgrade of the Leclerc main battle tank (MBT) to the XLR standard, the two companies announced in a joint press release on 8 February.  Nexter and Safran will digitise the optronic core o...

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)  India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has approved the procurement of the towed gun system (TGS) for the Indian Army.  The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement on 9 February that the procurement – approved through the provision...

SIATT in Brazil is expanding its production facilities in co-operation with UAE defence firm Edge Group. The companies have been working together on the MANSUP-ER for the Brazilian and Emirati navies. Edge Group displayed a mock-up of the missile at the Dubai Airshow in November 2023. (Edge Group)  SIATT – Engenharia, Indústria e Comércio, a Brazilian privately owned precision weapons and integrated systems firm, is significantly expanding its facilities in São José dos Campos in São Paulo state under a strategic partnership with the state-ow...

The Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı UAV that was unveiled on 9 February. (President of the Republic of Azerbaijan)  Azerbaijan unveiled its Bayraktar Akıncı unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on 9 February when President Ilham Aliyev visited what was described as the Azerbaijani Air Forces' (HHQ's) UAV academy.  The Ministry of Defence reported that Aliyev was briefed on the facilities that have been created at the academy for training personnel and viewed an Akıncı taking off and landing.  Photographs released by the president's office showed an Akıncı w...

The DGA has ordered sights from the GME between Nexter and Safran for the Leclerc XLR, which was displayed at Eurosatory 2022. (Janes/Sonny Butterworth)  The Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA), the French defence procurement agency, has ordered sights from the temporary company grouping (GME) between KNDS's Nexter and Safran Electronics & Defense for the upgrade of the Leclerc main battle tank (MBT) to the XLR standard, the two companies announced in a joint press release on 8 February.  Nexter and Safran will digitise the optronic core o...

A Meteor missile aboard a Swedish Gripen combat aircraft. The six partner countries are assessing a potential mid-life upgrade, with a decision to be made by the end of 2024. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)  The partner countries will decide before the end of 2024 on the scope and scale of a planned mid-life upgrade (MLU) to the MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM).  Answering questions in the House of Commons, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) James Cartlidge said on 8 February that the UK and the five other p...

The Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Test Complex conducted a successful ballistic missile defence test. (US Army)  The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and US Navy (USN) successfully demonstrated that the Aegis Weapon System can track and discriminate a medium-range ballistic missile target with countermeasures during a complex target scene, the MDA confirmed on 8 February.  The MDA also confirmed the successful execution of Flight Test Other-23 (FTX-23) or Stellar Sisyphus, a two-part developmental test of sensor tracking and communications link ca...

Field Marshal Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Khalifa poses with air defenders from the Royal Bahraini Air Force in front of Patriot and HAWK components at Camp Ras al-Bar. (Bahrain News Agency)  Field Marshal Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, the commander-in-chief of the Bahrain Defence Force, inaugurated a base for the kingdom's new Patriot air-defence systems on 7 February.  Bahrain TV aired footage of the event held at a location identified as Camp Ras al-Bar, where a Patriot system was displayed in Bahrain for the first time alongside on...

This infographic shows Poongsan's 155 mm shells for the K9 howitzer. A photograph of a cutaway version of the extended-range 155 mm shell appears at the bottom. (Janes/Akhil Kadidal)  South Korean metal and munition manufacturer Poongsan will initiate the mass production of the extended-range 155 mm artillery shells for the Hanwha Land Systems K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) in 2024, a Poongsan official told Janes on 8 February.  Development and trials of the extended-range 155 mm shells were completed in 2023 and the company recei...

Turkey's Ministry of National Defence, SSB, and Roketsan signed contracts on 3 February for the serial production of Tayfun, Sungur (displayed at DIMDEX 2022), Karaok, and TRLG-230 missiles. (Janes/Shaurav Gairola)  Turkey's Ministry of National Defence announced on its website on 3 February that it, the Defence Industry Agency (SSB), and Turkish missile house Roketsan signed contracts earlier the same day for the serial production of Tayfun, Sungur, Karaok, and Artillery Rocket Laser Guided-230 (TRLG-230) missiles for the Turkish Land Forces...

Tron Future Tech displays its C-UAS' new hard-kill component called T.Interceptor at the World Defense Show 2024 in Riyadh. (Janes/Akshara Parakala)    The Republic of China Army (RoCA) has deployed a modular counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) developed by Taiwan's Tron Future Tech, the company told  Janes  at the World Defense Show (WDS) 2024 held in Riyadh from 4 to 8 February.   The C-UAS, with a new hard-kill component named T.Interceptor, has been displayed at the show.    Tron Future Tech told   Jane...

Saudi Arabia will locally manufacture the Orion-H9 handheld jammer, developed by TRD Singapore, as part of a joint venture. (TRD Singapore)  Saudi Arabia has struck a deal with counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) manufacturer TRD Singapore to locally manufacture its Orion-H9 radio frequency (RF) jammer.  The agreement, disclosed at the World Defense Show (WDS) 2024 held in Riyadh from 4 to 8 February, is part of a joint venture (JV) called TRD Middle East Industry Co, established between TRD Singapore and domestic defence company Rakaa...