Archive: News & Articles

As it continues to work through its Strategic Defence Review (SDR), the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is withdrawing a number of ships, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from service ahead of schedule to put its budget and future capabilities on a sounder footing. Addressing the House of Commons on 20 November 2024, UK […]

The development of hypersonic technology is to be accelerated via a new arrangement under the AUKUS strategic partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 18 November 2024. The joint work, under AUKUS Pillar II, will enable the faster development, testing and evaluation of innovative […]

UK-based technology group Cohort has strengthened its naval sector portfolio with the acquisition of EM Solutions, a leading Australian developer and producer of high-end naval satellite communication (satcom) terminals, Cohort announced on 21 November 2024. As part of Cohort’s ambitious growth strategy, the EM Solutions acquisition will reinforce the group’s market position in Australasia. Commenting on […]

Australian Assured positioning, navigation and timing (APNT) specialist Advanced Navigation and European missile house MBDA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to co-develop a resilient navigation system integrating MBDA’s NILEQ absolute positioning technology. The co-developed solution will provide resilient absolute positioning for a multitude of airborne platforms, with the MoU seeing the companies foster joint research […]

Publishing its financial statement for the third quarter (Q3) of 2024 on 21 November, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has declared itself to be marking the most profitable period in the company’s history. IAI reported a 74% increase in net income in the nine months ending on 30 September 2024 (the reporting period) to about USD 416 million (EUR 395) […]

EuroDASS, the consortium responsible for the Eurofighter Typhoon’s Praetorian defensive suite, unveiled details on the next generation of Typhoon sensing and jamming capabilities on 20 November 2024 following the completion of concept work and technology flight trials. Drawing on Europe’s sovereign electronic warfare (EW) expertise, the EuroDASS partners – Leonardo (in the UK), ELT Group […]

BAE Systems has been awarded a follow-on contract from the US Army to further develop its Multi-Class Soft Kill System (MCSKS) countermeasures to protect ground combat vehicles against missiles and other threats, the company announced on 19 November 2024. Under the follow-on MCSKS contract BAE Systems will further develop its laser-based Stormcrow and Terra Raven […]

The first guided firing trial of a SPEAR air-to-surface cruise missile has recently been conducted by a joint UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and industry team at the Vidsel test range in Sweden, the MoD announced on 17 November 2024. The guided firing of the MBDA-designed SPEAR, which is a turbojet-powered miniature cruise missile with […]

General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) – Bridge Systems has handed over the first M3 amphibious bridge and ferry system to the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV). A ceremony was held on 14 November 2024 at the GDELS site in Kaiserslautern, Germany, attended by Swedish Brigadier General Jonas Lotsne, representing the FMV, and Dr Christian […]

Saab and Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) have signed an expanded memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deepen collaboration on the exploration of underwater technologies. The agreement was signed on 20 November 2024 at the Sweden–Singapore Royal Business Forum in connection with the first Swedish state visit to Singapore. The expanded MoU builds upon […]

While industry forecasts for shipbuilding, and the defence industry more generally, are predicting significant expansion over the next decade, differences of opinion remain on the strategies for achieving such growth and the factors that will influence them. At the Euronaval 2024 defence exhibition McKinsey & Company launched its industry report titled ‘McKinsey on the Maritime […]

A General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) Gray Eagle STOL unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has taken off from a South Korean warship and landed at a ground base in the first-ever such mission for a UAV of that type, GA-ASI announced on 13 November 2024. The mission took place on 12 November 2024, when the […]

The US Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to support increasing its production capacity to 650 Patriot Advanced Capability – 3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) rounds per year, the company announced on 14 November 2024. The value of the contract award was not disclosed. There is currently significant global demand for the PAC-3 […]

BAE Systems has received USD 202 million (EUR 191 million) in US Navy contracts to provide modernisation and maintenance services for the guided missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) and the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), the company announced on 18 November 2024. Work on the two ships will begin in February and […]

The Austrian Armed Forces have contracted Systematic Defence to provide its SitaWare Headquarters and SitaWare Frontline command-and-control (C2) software, the company announced on 19 November 2024. The Systematic software, which was selected following a public tender process, will form a key component in the Austrian Armed Forces’ efforts to modernise their C2 infrastructure and ensure […]

The decision of US President Joe Biden to authorise Ukraine to use US long-range missiles to strike deep into Russia, as confirmed to US media channels on 17 November 2024 by multiple officials familiar with the decision, could help Ukrainian forces hold on to their territorial gains in Russia’s Kursk region in advance of the […]

BAE Systems is establishing a new artillery development and production facility in Sheffield, the company announced on 15 November 2024. The new facility, which will cover 94,000 ft2 (8,733 m2) and create 50 high-skilled jobs, is being funded with investments of more than GBP 25 million (EUR 30 million). It will house a state-of-the-art factory […]

Canada-headquartered Allen-Vanguard, which provides customised solutions for defeating radio frequency (RF)-based threats, is entering into a strategic collaboration with the UK’s Metis Aerospace, a domain knowledge specialist in passive RF detection, the company announced on 18 November 2024. The collaboration has been established to leverage the two companies’ respective expertise and proven products to address […]

The first barge shock test for the F110 frigate programme has been successfully completed, Navantia announced on 14 November 2024. The test, which was conducted on 31 October, will allow the shock qualification of the diesel generator, main switchboard and fuel purifier module that will be installed on the five frigates that Navantia is contracted […]

Personal protective equipment specialist Avon Protection has been awarded three contracts by the US Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) Advanced System for Protection and Integrated Reduction of Encumbrances Hood/Mask Interface (ASPIRE HMI) programme, which is executed by the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND). The three contracts, announced on 11 […]

Investment in naval surface-to-surface guided weapons (SSGWs) has fallen behind since the end of the Cold War but recent projects aim to modernise missile capabilities and adapt them for the emerging operational environment. Meanwhile naval gun systems are also proving to offer a useful all-round multi-mission fire support and air defence capability for warships, being […]