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Turkey First Indigenous Helicopter Engine to be Ready for Integration This Year
Turkey’s first indigenous helicopter engine, that will power the T-625 Gökbey utility helicopter and the ATAK combat chopper will be delivered to Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for integration this year. “Core of the... More of this article »
Delivery of 6 Pantsir-S1 Missile Systems to Serbia in 2020
Russia will deliver one Pantsir-S1 battery consisting of six missile systems to Serbia in this year. “Russia and Serbia signed a deal on one battery made up of six Pantsir-S1 missile systems. The work on it is underway and will be... More of this article »
Russian Pantsir Air Defense System- Sitting duck or Top Dog?
Russian Pantsir air defense system (ADS) has been much maligned in the war zones of Syria and Libya as having been shot down by Turkish drones and Israeli jets. However, its manufacturers tout its impressive performance in protecting... More of this article »
Sweden to Propose Development of a New Fighter Aircraft
he Swedish government on Tuesday revealed its plans to improve its military capabilities including development of a new fighter jet to replace the JAS 39 Grippen. “The development of the next generation fighter aircraft will commence,”... More of this article »
Turkish Bayraktar Drone is ‘Copied’ from Israeli UAVs: Russian media
Israel has shared technology of its Aerostar and Heron UAVs with Turkey to manufacture Bayraktar drones, successful in the Syrian and Libyan battlegrounds, a Russian news outlet has alleged. Besides sharing similar appearance,... More of this article »
Italy Procures 6 F-35 Jets for $368.2M
The Pentagon has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract $368.2 million to produce five F-35A fighters and an F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) jet. “Lockheed Martin is awarded a $368.2 million contract modification. This... More of this article »
Russia Kamov Ka-52M Helicopter to Get New 100Km Range Cruise Missile
Russia’s upgraded Kamov Ka-52M gunship will soon be armed with a new cruise missile with a range of 100km. According to the government’s procurement website, state trials of the missile codenamed ‘item 305’ equipped on the... More of this article »
British Army’s ATHENA AJAX Vehicle to Begin Tests Soon
The British Army’s ATHENA armored vehicle, a Command and Control Variant of AJAX family of tracked armored fighting vehicles, will soon begin factory tests. “Our highly-skilled AJAX production team at Merthyr has completed production... More of this article »
Some 23 Russian Pantsir Air Defense Systems Destroyed in Syria, Libya: Reports
At least 23 Pantsir air defense systems have been destroyed by Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and Anka-S combat drones in Syria and Libya. Eight more Russian missile systems and 15 combat vehicles were blown up in Middle East conflicts and... More of this article »
Armenia to Start Production of Russian AK103 Assault Rifles in July
Production of 50,000 AK103 assault rifles in Armenia is scheduled to begin in July in this year. The relevant contract for the organization of the phased manufacture of AK-103 in Armenia was signed based on the decision of the Russian... More of this article »
Australia May Replace BAE Hawk Advanced Trainers
Australia has issued a Request for Information (RFI) looking to acquire Lead-in Fighter Training System (LIFTS) capabilities that could include replacing Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)’s BAE Hawk 127 LIFs. The RFI issued on June... More of this article »
Greece to Receive 350 Bradley IFVs from US Surplus
A Greek Army team will head to the United States to select 350 Bradley AIFV (Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicles) from the US Army surplus stocks. The armored vehicles will replace the Army’s old M113s. Athens is also procuring... More of this article »
Russia Developing Sniper Rifle with 7 KM Range
A Russian arms manufacturer has announced the development of a sniper rifle combined with a new cartridge that can hit targets at up to 7 kilometer range. Development work has started on the DXL-5 sniper rifle, whose maximum range... More of this article »
After Copying F-35’s Stealth, China’s J-20 Duplicating its Non-Stealth Features
China’s J-20 stealth jet, believed to be a copycat design of the US-made F-35, is now duplicating its non-stealth feature – to carry weapons on external pylons. The F-35 and J-20 carry missiles and bombs in an internal... More of this article »
Ukraine to Upgrade Pakistan Air Force Il-78 Tanker Plane
AF Ilyushin Il-78 tanker aircraft (image via Ukroboronprom) Ukraine’s state-owned Ukrspetsexport company said Thursday that it signed a deal with Pakistan to repair and modernize the Air Force’s Il-78 aerial refueling tanker plane. Work... More of this article »
Czech Republic to buy 52 Nexter Caesar Howitzers for $249M
n Thursday, the Czech MoD said it intends to buy 52 Caesar howitzers built by France’s Nexter company. The Ministry of Defense of Czech Republic has begun negotiations with French firm Nexter to acquire 52 units of Caesar 155mm... More of this article »
India Orders 156 Modern BMP Infantry Combat Vehicles from OFB
The Indian Ministry of Defense has placed an order for 156 BMP 2/2k Infantry Combat Vehicles (ICV) with Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) for an estimated INR 1,094 crore ($145.7 million). “In a major boost to ‘Make in India’ initiative... More of this article »
Kuwait Seeks $1.42 Billion Patriot PAC-3 Missile Systems to Protect Oil and Gas Infrastructure
The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Kuwait of 84 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancements (MSEs) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $800 million. Patriot... More of this article »
Libyan National Army Shoots Down Own Chinese-made Wing Loong Drones
The Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Belqasim Haftar have down two of their own Chinese-built Wing Loong II combat drones supplied to them by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “It seems the LNA shot down another of their... More of this article »
China Develops 12.7mm Gun for Z-20 helicopters, Combat Vehicles
China has developed a new Gatling gun with 12.7mm caliber barrels for mounting on its Z-20 utility helicopter, combat vehicles and motor boats. China is focusing on agility and mobility for its army and marine units in anticipation... More of this article »
Swiss Internal Report Flags F-35 Afterburner Issue
A department in the Swiss government tasked with defense procurements has flagged a problem with the F-35 jet – the engine’s afterburner causes overheating at the aircraft’s rear. The Military Intelligence Service (SRM)... More of this article »
China’s PLA Replaces Two Artillery Guns with Vehicle-mounted 155mm Howitzer
The Chinese PLA has started receiving the new PLC 181 155mm vehicle-mounted, air transportable howitzer in mass numbers to replace legacy PL-66 152-mm guns and Type 59-1 130-mm towed cannons. The howitzers were delivered to the... More of this article »
Russian Army Orders 35 Units of MSTA-SM 152MM Self-propelled Artillery
The Russian military is set to receive over 35 units of MSTA-SM self-propelled howitzers by the end of this year. “The Missile Troops and Artillery (MT&A;) of the Russian Ground Forces will receive in 2020 more than 35 2S19M2... More of this article »
Qatar Airways Plans Flights to 80 destinations by June
By the end of June, Qatar Airways aims is to have 80 destinations in its schedule including 23 in Europe, four in the Americas, 20 in Middle East/Africa and 33 in Asia-Pacific. Many cities will be served with a strong schedule with... More of this article »
Russian Army to get 30+ Tornado Multiple Launch Rocket Systems in 2020
Russian troops are set to receive over 30 new Tornado multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) in 2020. “The delivery of more than thirty modern multiple launch rocket systems to units of rocket troops and artillery of the Russian... More of this article »
Saudi Arabia to build Combat Drones from 2021
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has granted a license to a local company to manufacture military drones first unveiled at Dubai Airshow-2019, starting next year. On April 27, the General Authority for Military Industries approved for... More of this article »
China May Have Executed Large Order for CH-4 Drones
China may have executed a large order for CH-4 drones which are considered similar to the MQ-9 Reaper armed/reconnaissance UAVs. Twitter handles following Chinese defence industry reported Tunisia to be possible customer as it had... More of this article »
Is Ukraine a Possible Buyer for Pakistani-Chinese JF-17 Block III Jet?
A Ukraine Air Force (UAF) delegation headed by Colonel General Sergii Drozdov, UAF Commander visited Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAF) Kamra on March 06 this year setting off speculation that Kiev was looking at buying the JF-17... More of this article »
Eurofighter to Zoom Past Dassault Rafale with Germany’s 93 Typhoon Order
The Eurofighter Typhoon is set to race past European rival Dassault’s Rafale in new orders if the proposed German contract for 93 aircraft comes through. Germany’s defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced earlier... More of this article »
Iran’s Army unveils 2 Phased Array Radars to Detect Stealth Aircraft, Missiles
Iran’s Army has unveiled two new locally-made radars based on AESA technology which it claims can detect low-observable aircraft, drones besides ballistic and cruise missiles. The radars, named Khalij-e Fars (Persian Gulf) and... More of this article »
Armata T-14 Tank Tested in Syria, Delivery to Russian Forces Pushed Back to 2021
Delivery of Russia’s most advanced battle Tank, the Armata T-14 to its armed forces has been pushed back to 2021 owing to the need for more testing even as the tank was tried out in the Syrian battleground. “Deliveries of T-14... More of this article »
Is Cambodia the Mystery Buyer of China’s FTC-2000G Trainer/Fighter Jet?
China announced on Sunday that FTC-2000G trainer/fighter jet has secured its first overseas customer less than two years from the launch of the aircraft. While the buying nation was identified only as a “South East Asian nation”... More of this article »
Philippine National Police Acquire Russian Ural Next Trucks
Russia delivered a batch of 37 Ural Next off-road trucks to the Philippine National Police earlier this week. The trucks, built at Ural plant in Russian city of Miass, was delivered at the port of Manila on April 14, wrote dambiev.livejournal.com. In... More of this article »
Russian Forces Incapacitate Drones, Intercept Radio Using Local Electronic Warfare Systems
The Russian Forces have managed to incapacitate combat drones and intercept radio networks using their latest Electronic Warfare (EW systems) during an exercise held recently. “EW units of the Eastern Military District worked out... More of this article »
Barnard Construction Affiliate Awarded $569M for US-Mexico Border Wall Construction
The Pentagon has awarded BFBC LLC, an affiliate of Barnard Construction Co., $569 million to design-build 17.17 miles of US-Mexico border wall in California. “BFBC LLC, Bozeman, Montana, was awarded a $569 million modification to... More of this article »
Russia’s Arbalet-DM Remote Controlled Weapon Station Tested against Helicopter Target
Arbalet-DM RCWS equipped on Tigr armored vehicle Russsia’s Arbalet-DM remote controlled weapon station (RCWS) was successfully tested for the first time against a moving target resembling a helicopter, at night last week. This RCWS,... More of this article »
Locally-made UAS for Reconnaissance & Adjusting Artillery Fire Delivered to Ukrainian Army
The Ukrainian Army has received the locally-made A1-SM Furia flying wing unmanned aerial system (UAS) capable of aerial reconnaissance and adjusting artillery fire. “According to the order No.115 of 09.04.2020 of the Ukrainian... More of this article »
China’s FTC-2000G Fighter/Trainer Aircraft Secures First Export Order
The Chinese FTC-2000G fighter-trainer made by Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation (GAIC) has secured its first export order barely two years after the jet was launched at the 2018 Zhuhai air show. “It took less than two... More of this article »
Nigeria Receives Chinese Artillery, VT4 MBT & STI Tank Destroyer
China’s state-owned NORINCO delivered 17 armored vehicles including artillery trucks, VT4 main battle tanks and ST1 tank destroyers to the Nigerian Army (NA) on Wednesday. The company won the $152 million military equipment... More of this article »
Rostec Completes Modernization of 203mm 2S7M Malka ‘World’s biggest’ Howitzer
A subsidiary of Russia’s Rostec, Uraltransmash company has completed the overhaul/modernization of the 203mm 2S7M Malka self-propelled gun, claimed to the worlds biggest wheeled artillery howitzer. As part of the modernization,... More of this article »
Testing Commences of Russian R-37M Hypersonic air-to-air Missile from Su-35 Jet
Test firing of the Russian R-37M hypersonic air-to-air missile (also known as RVV-BD) from the Su-35 fighter jets are planned for end-2020 while flight tests to confirm compatibility with the Su-35 have already commenced. The R-37M... More of this article »
Ukraine tests Vilkha-M Short-Range Missile
Ukraine’s Luch Design Bureau conducted another test of Vilkha-M missile which has a range of 120km at Odesa on March 30-31. “Even in the conditions of quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing implementation of... More of this article »
How Turkey Won the Electronic Warfare Battle Against Syria in Idlib
Turkey’s success against Syrian regime armor during its ‘Operation Spring Shield’ in February can be attributed to the effective use of electronic warfare (EW) and the deployment of lightly-armed drones that crippled tanks,... More of this article »
Land of the Blazing Guns: Japan’s Quest for Advanced Weapons
After laying to rest its pacifist post-World War II posture since the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to power, Japan has its eyes set on matching if not overtaking the United States and Europe in aerospace and defense... More of this article »
China’s Norinco Marks First Export of HJ-12 ‘Javelin Copycat’ Anti-tank Guided Missile
China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco) has announced the first export of its HJ-12 ‘Red Arrow’ Anti-tank Guided Missile (ATGM), seen as a ‘copycat’ Javelin ATGM, having the same range and penetration... More of this article »
L3-Harris, Raytheon Net $1B for Anti-Jam SATCOM Software
The Pentagon has awarded L3-Harris and Raytheon $500 million each to develop anti-jam communications software — called the Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW) used in military satellites. “Raytheon and L3-Harris have each been... More of this article »
Russian Arms Sales Growing in Africa
Russia has emerged as the biggest supplier of weapons to Africa and accounts for half of the region’s arms market pie, more than twice that of China and the United States. According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute... More of this article »
India Buys Light Machine Guns from Israeli Firm for $116.4M
The Indian Ministry of Defence has contracted Israel Weapons Industries (IWI) to supply 16,479 Negev 7.62X51 mm Light Machine Guns (LMGs) for $116.4 million (INR 880 crore). “The Indian Armed Forces’ long-standing requirement... More of this article »