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China Upgrades Russian Sovremenny-class Destroyers with Anti-ship Cruise Missiles
Chinese Navy’s Sovremenny-class guided missile destroyers conduct exercises in early 2021. China recently displayed the upgraded Russian-made Sovremenny-class Destroyer, Hangzhou installed with YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship missile... More of this article »
French DGA Orders 367 MICA NG Missiles
The French General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) has acquired 367 MICA NG missiles from MBDA to arm its Rafale fighter jets under ~€1.8 billion MICA NG program. The contract was signed on March 5, 2021. These missiles will be delivered... More of this article »
German Army Declares Upgraded PUMA IFV “System Panzergrenadier Fit to Fight
The German Army has declared System Panzergrenadier, upgraded version of Puma, “fit to fight.” On 18 March 2021, Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, the Chief of the German Army, recommended equipping NATO’s spearhead formation,... More of this article »
South Korea Delivers 1,400-ton Submarine to Indonesia
South Korea handed over Alugoro, a 1,400-ton submarine, to the Indonesian Navy today. The 61-meter Chang Bogo-class submarine was the third unit South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. delivered to Indonesia... More of this article »
U.S., U.K. Armies Order Aerovironment’s Switchblade Weapon Systems
he U.S. and U.K. today placed an order for Switchblade Weapon Systems for $45 million. Fiscal 2010 Foreign Military Sales (United Kingdom) funds; and fiscal 2020 missile procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $45 million were obligated... More of this article »
Ukraine’s Lviv Armored Plant Delivers T-64, T-72 Tanks to the MoD
Ukrainian Lviv Armored Plant handed over a new batch of modernized T-64 and T-72 tanks to the defense ministry. The tanks are equipped with the latest communication systems and fire control, instrumentation day and night vision reversing... More of this article »
Rockwell Collins Gets $17M for Full-Rate Prodn of E-3 AWACS Plane’s DRAGON Upgrades
The U.S. Air Force today awarded Rockwell Collins a contract valued $17 million for full-rate production of Diminishing Manufacturing Sources Replacement of Avionics for Global Operations and Navigation (DRAGON) for the Airborne Warning... More of this article »
Ukrainian Engine for Turkey’s ATAK 2 Helicopter
Turkey is looking to source a heavy helicopter engine from Ukraine for its proposed ATAK 2 combat helicopter, considered a competitor to the Boeing Apache. Prof. Dr. Temel Kotil, General Manager of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI)... More of this article »
Algeria ‘Close’ to Buying 14 Russian Su-34 Fighter-Bombers: Media
The Algerian Air Force (AAF) is ‘close’ to sealing a long-discussed deal to purchase 14 units of Russia’s never-before-exported Su-34 medium-range fighter-bomber jets. Multiple sources are stated to have told Menadefence... More of this article »
Lockheed Wins U.S. Navy’s $1.54B Conventional Prompt Strike Weapon Deal
The U.S. Navy today awarded Lockheed Martin $1.54 billion to work on the Intermediate Range Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) Weapon System. This modification contract covers design, development, build and integration of equipment... More of this article »
China Unveils Third-Generation Anti-tank Missile
Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed a new type of vehicle-mounted, third-generation anti-tank missile. This new homing missile is capable of attacking targets from above, or top attack, effectively destroying modern... More of this article »
Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 Strikes Target at Longest Range Yet
Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 drone hit a target at the longest range to date with smart ammunition in a naval drill held in the Eastern Mediterranean last week. The drone included in Turkey’s Naval Forces Command (DzKK) inventory fired... More of this article »
Saudi Arabia, South Korea to Jointly Produce Biho II Air Defense Systems
Saudi Arabia’s Science Technology has partnered with South Korea’s Hanwha Defense to jointly produce new K30 Biho (Flying Tiger) II air defense systems (ADS). According to the company, a hybrid Biho ADS completed foreign trials... More of this article »
Sweden Breaks Anti-war Doctrine, Delivers Shoulder-Fired Missile Launchers to Ukraine
Sweden broke its doctrine of not sending weapons to countries in active conflict and decided to deliver AT4 anti-tank missile launchers to Ukraine. “A Ukrainian soldier is now equipped with Swedish-supplied AT4 light anti-tank weapon.... More of this article »
Asian Country Orders Hermes 900 UAVs for $300M
Elbit Systems announced today it was awarded an approximately $300 million contract by a country in Asia to supply Hermes 900 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The contract will be performed over a period of five years. Under the contract,... More of this article »
Russian Electronic Warfare Systems Cannot Beat Bayraktar UAVs: Baykar
Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Baykar that manufactures Bayaraktar TB2 drones has claimed that these aircraft cannot be defeated by Russian electronic warfare (EW) systems. “Russian electronic warfare systems will not be able to interfere... More of this article »
Saudi Arabia Negotiating S-400, Su-35 Buy
Saudi Arabia is negotiating the purchase of S-400 air defense systems and Su-35 jets with Russia, three years after the two countries signed a military cooperation agreement. “Until we sign the contracts, we are not talking about... More of this article »
UAE to Supply SkyNight Air Defence Missile System to Germany’s Rheinmetall
U.A.E.’s Halcon, owned by Edge Group, will supply its first locally manufactured SkyNight air defense missiles to Germany’s Rheinmetall AG. “Edge Group has been developing its own short-range air defense system, as has Germany-based... More of this article »
Textron Systems Wins $34.4M Unmanned Influence Sweep System USV Contract
The U.S. Navy has awarded Textron Systems $34.4 million to support for the Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) Unmanned Surface Vehicle program. Designed for the littoral combat ship (LCS) as part of the mine countermeasures mission... More of this article »
Russian Military to Receive New Kalashnikov Submachine Guns in 2021
Kalashnikov Group will begin deliveries of the new 9-mm PPK-20 submachine guns to the Russian military this year. “PPK-20 supplies have not yet taken place; they are planned in 2021,” Kalashnikov CEO Dmitry Tarasov told... More of this article »
Ukroboronprom Wins Pakistan’s $86M T-80 Tank Support Contract at IDEX 2021
Ukraine’s state-owned Ukroboronprom has signed a $86 million contract to support and repair Pakistan military’s T-80UD tanks. The agreement was finalized at the ongoing IDEX-21 exhibition in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Yuri Gusev, CEO of... More of this article »
Russia, Saudi Arabia Sign Agreement to set up of Kalashnikov Rifles Factory
Russia has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia to implement the first stage of joint production of Kalashnikov assault rifles. “As for the contract for the implementation of the first stage of creating a joint production of... More of this article »
After Russia, U.S. announced Plans to Develop 4.5 Gen Light Fighter Jet
The U.S. has announced plans to develop a 4.5 generation light fighter jet to replace the F-16 months after Russia made known its plans for a single engine light fighter jet. The U.S. Air Force is launching a study on future aircraft... More of this article »
Russia to Demo Anti-drone Repellent-Patrol EW system at IDEX 2021
Russia’s Rosoboronexport will demo its Repellent-Patrol EW system at IDEX 2021 that is capable of jamming malicious drones from up to 20 km away. The EW complex designed to destroy small-sized UAVs. It is available in both mobile... More of this article »
Russia’s Antey-4000 Long-Range Missile System to Debut at IDEX 2021
IDEX 2021 in Abu Dhabi from February 21-25 will see the first presentation abroad of the Antey-4000 air defense missile system (ADMS), the export version of Russia’s S-300V4 system. The system will be demonstrated at the Rosoboronexport... More of this article »
U.S. Super Hornet Tracking Russian Su-35 Over Syria had ‘Several’ Technical Issues
A U.S. F/A-18E Super Hornet monitoring a Russian Su-35 fighter jet faced ‘several’ technical issues including failure of its Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera during a mission over Syria in 2017. The sensor breakdown took... More of this article »
Russia’s Boomerang Armored Vehicle can be fitted with Foreign Combat Modules
Russia’s Boomerang (Bumerang) armored vehicle can be equipped with foreign-made combat modules, a top official of Military Industrial Company (VPK), manufacturer of the vehicle, said. “We see the possibility of equipping Bumerang... More of this article »
Russia Tests New Kalashnikov AKV-521 Carbine
Russia’s Kalashnikov Concern has begun testing a new carbine for its AKV-521 rifle. The AKV-521 semi-automatic carbine is intended to provide shooters with modular, multi-caliber weapon platform which build on purpose of mounting... More of this article »
China’s JF-17, FC-31 Jet Engine Production Line Ready
China has completed construction of a third-generation medium-thurst aeroengine production line that will reportedly be responsible for the manufacture of engines that would power JF-17 and FC-31 fighter jets. The construction project... More of this article »
Russia’s Proposed Aircraft Carrier to Have Ski Jump, Electromagnetic Catapult Launch
The Russian Navy’s proposed nuclear powered aircraft carrier will have both ski-jump and an electromagnetic catapult launch system. According to Alexei Rakhmanov, General Director of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC),... More of this article »
Russian PD-14 Engine for MC-21 Airliner passes ICAO Emission Certification Test
The PD-14 engine designed to power Russia’s MC-21 airliner has cleared emission tests conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The corresponding addition to the PD-14 type certificate was received by UEC-Aviadvigatel,... More of this article »
Russia’s Pantsir-S1 Systems Destroy ‘Enemy’ Drones Attacking S-400s
Russian military’s Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft systems destroyed “enemy” drones that were attacking S-400 air defense systems during a recent exercise in Crimea. The Southern Military District said in a statement that the Pantsir... More of this article »
Indian MoD to Buy Software Defined Radio from BEL Worth Over INR 1,000 Crore
The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) today signed a contract for procurement of Software Defined Radio Tactical (SDR-Tac) worth over INR 1,000 crore ($137 million). The SDR-Tac, jointly designed... More of this article »
Indian Su-30MKI Upgrade Program to be Finalized in 6-9 Months
Upgrading of the Su-30MKI fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be finalized in the next 6-9 months with some aircraft undergoing the upgrade in Russia and the rest in India. Discussions with the IAF and the Russians (United Aircraft... More of this article »
Kalashnikov May Have Bagged Strela 9М333 Guided Missile deal in India
Russia’s Kalashnikov may have marked the first international sale of its Strela 9М333 Guided Missiles systems to India. Sources in the know told defenseworld.net that progress in the contract was made towards the end of 2020. A... More of this article »
France Orders 3,000 Thales O-NYX Night Vision Goggles
The French armed forces have placed an order for 3,000 O-NYX goggles with Thales. The additional 3,000 night vision goggles ordered by the French Armament General Directorate (DGA) will be delivered in 2021 for deployment into French... More of this article »
HAL to Fly Production Version of AESA Radar in Jaguar Darin III Aircraft in March
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will fly a Jaguar Darin III fighter with a production version of an ELTA-sourced Active Electronically Scanning Radar by March 2021. The radar will be a completely built up unit (CBU) but integrated... More of this article »
India’s HAL Readies New Plant to Double Tejas Jets Production Capacity
India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is preparing the third plant to produce 83 new Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mark 1A jets that the Air Force is expected to sign a contract for, during Aero-India 2021 event scheduled... More of this article »
HAL’s Displays RUAV Drone Concept for High-Altitude Cargo Delivery
India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has shown the concept of a helicopter drone called RUAV designed to carry load in high altitude regions. The concept shown at Aero India 2021 can be fitted with a surveillance payload... More of this article »
Is the Carting Away of Russian Pantsir S1 linked to U.S. Army’s IM-SHORAD Testing?
Speculation is rife that the U S military moving a Russian-made Pantsir S1 air defence system (ADS) from Libya to Germany may have something to do with the development and testing of the Interim Maneuver, Short-range Air-defense... More of this article »
Lockheed Receives Mission Planning Contract for Potential F-16 Sales to India, Pakistan, 21 Other Nations
Lockheed Martin received a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) contract worth $64.3 million for F-16 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) mission planning. It involves FMS to Slovakia, Bulgaria, Taiwan, Morocco, Greece, United Arab Emirates,... More of this article »
First Serially Produced Su-57 Jet Delivered to Russian MoD
The first serially produced Su-57 has been rolled out from the hangar of a test center in Russia’s Akhtubinsk Air Base. The stealthy fifth generation jet will be handed over to the Russian Ministry of Defense soon, state-owned... More of this article »
U.S. Military Smuggled Pantsir System from Libya in 2020: No Impact Says Russian Expert
The U.S. military reportedly spirited a Russian-made Pantsir S1 anti-aircraft system out of Libya in June last year. The air defense system was allegedly captured from forces aligned with renegade commander Khalifa Haftar. A U.S.... More of this article »
Pakistan Receives CH-4 Drones from China
A shipment containing an unspecified number of CH-4 Drones from China was received in Pakistan on January 15. According to a customs extract quoted by Pakistani website Quwa, 21 pieces of equipment other than drones were exported by... More of this article »
Greece Confirms Plans to Buy F-35 Jets
Greek Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos said Tuesday that the country plans to acquire 40 fighter aircraft inclusive of French Rafales and U.S.-made F-35 jets. “Sooner or later we will enter the discussion about a 5th generation... More of this article »
German Air Force Begins Phasing Out A310 MRTT Planes
The German Air Force (Luftwaffe) has begun decommissioning its special convertible version of the Airbus A310 plane, called the A310 MRTT. “The 10 + 27 is the first to be dismantled at Deutsche Lufthansa Technik. In the coming days,... More of this article »
Northrop Grumman to Deliver IBCS Air Defense System Hardware & Software to Poland
Northrop Grumman has won a contract worth nearly $10 million to supply Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) hardware and software to Poland. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an... More of this article »
First Export of Russian Orlan-E Drones Goes to Myanmar
Russia has bagged its first ever contract to provide Orlan-10E drones it has been aggressively marketing for several years. On January 22, Myanmar placed an order for Pantsir S1 anti-aircraft systems and Orlan-10E drones. Although... More of this article »