Archive: News & Articles

If you declare war on something, industry will make goods to sell to the warriors. This has been the case since antiquity. The so-called ‘War on Drugs’ is no exception. A variety of techniques and technologies have come into use in the worldwide struggle against smuggling, manufacturing, and sale of dangerous drugs. The substances of […]

The enduring importance of medium helicopters to military forces has been highlighted by the initiation of three acquisition and development programmes in Europe – the UK’s New Medium Helicopter (NMH), NATO’s Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) and the EU’s Next Generation Medium Helicopter (NGMH). This article examines the emerging requirements for new helicopters in this […]

Armed forces are currently evaluating mid- to long-term technology innovations with the goal of improving speed, reach and survivability of transport aircraft. Farther. Faster. Better than they used to be. While reminiscent of a 1970s television series, these words describe current military planners’ aspirations regarding the next generation of transport aircraft. On the one hand, […]

From recce to troop transport, medevac to close air support, spec ops, SAR and maritime roles, the versatility of helicopters makes them indispensable work horses on today’s battlefields. The war in Ukraine is a case in point, where the high-profile use of helicopters by both sides, of often aged, though formidable, Soviet-era airframes flying nap-of-the-earth […]

The war in Ukraine ensuing conflict has brought drone warfare into sharp focus. Though not new by any stretch of the imagination – unmanned systems have been used in conflict around the world since the turn of the century – the execution of drone warfare in Ukraine has given the issue new prominence, raised more […]

The proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is transforming conflicts, both ashore and afloat. Unmanned aerial vehicles are increasingly used for kinetic and non-kinetic attacks, along with their primary intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission. Attack UAVs – in function effectively cruise missiles – have been extensively used in the Red Sea, Syria and Iraq, […]

Over the past six months, the War in Ukraine has been reshaped due to both sides widely using various types of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). In 2022, Ukraine had the upper hand in this regard, but in 2023, Russia caught up, employing a variety of reconnaissance drones and disposable loitering munitions (often referred to as […]

Tanks provide a vital form of fire support in Ukraine, which means that both sides rely extensively on high explosive (HE) and guided ammunition natures. If you watch enough videos and read enough reports, you will get a sense of the vast scale of Ukraine. It is more easily appreciated by driving; even the relatively […]

As sensor fusion and AI begin to enter the networked warfighting space, armed forces have been experimenting with and implementing some of the new possibilities these technologies can provide.  In 2020 a data centre at Joint Base Lewis McChord in the US began to receive data from a number of low earth orbit satellites and […]

The arrival of uncrewed systems into force structures and operations is providing navies with an opportunity to harness the capabilities these systems can add to those of crewed platforms. This new force package is combining to generate force multiplying operational effects. However, there are still challenges to be worked through, including in both conceptual and […]

As submarines become quieter and operations shift towards the littorals, high-end sonar systems are needed in order to better detect and identify targets in the water column, especially in a cluttered environment. This article examines the latest technologies being used to improve sonar performance and the new products on the market that meet emerging naval […]

Providing sustained presence on station at depth below the surface is a role that sits neatly with uncrewed underwater vehicles. For emerging operational requirements such as seabed warfare, autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated vehicles combine to generate surveillance and response for this task. Seabed warfare is a new element to the maritime underwater domain, […]

Despite the ever-increasing number of navies harbouring ‘blue water’ naval ambitions, the total of those with the means to field this capability underwater is limited. The nuclear-powered submarine’s combination of speed and endurance continues to provide an unrivalled capacity to undertake long-range, oceanic deployment. However, few nations have either the technological base or financial resources […]

Technological developments in the field of naval mine countermeasures (MCM) are revolutionising a traditionally dangerous, difficult and time-consuming process. Advances in areas such as networking, autonomy and wider aspects of artificial intelligence are speeding the detection, identification, classification and disposal of mines. Significantly, they also offer the prospect of ‘taking the ship out of the […]

Coastal zones face a broad array of airborne and seaborne threats. Since defence against airborne threats is not unique to coastal zones, this article will focus on the seaborne category. The seaborne category includes a range of threats including: reconnaissance and direct attack missions by manned and unmanned vessels; stealth missions to conduct underwater sabotage, […]

An innovative, new system employing artificial intelligence (AI) could help enhance the resilience of US Army tactical networks on the battlefield against aggressive electronic warfare. “Shoot, move, communicate” was the mantra of the US Army’s tactical doctrine in the 1980s. Seen as the three basic tasks a solider must achieve to not only survive, but […]

The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) is forging ahead with an important overhaul of its strategic high-frequency communications. To some, it may seem an insignificant milestone, but on 9 July 2023, the UK’s Defence High Frequency Communications Service (DHFCS) celebrated its 21st birthday. The DHFCS provides a nationwide and international high frequency (HF) strategic […]

The US Air Force (USAF) is continuing to modernise its Falconer command and control (C2) architecture, but does the system have a long-term future as the Pentagon embraces new warfighting doctrines? In August 2022, the USAF awarded a USD 319 million contract to SAIC, for sustainment and modernisation of the AN/USQ-163 Falconer C2 system, which […]

Dominated by fighter types produced by Western manufacturers, the air forces of the Gulf region remain a viable market for future fighter sales. While some Gulf states – effectively Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – have made significant moves in recent years to indigenise defence production, in the aerospace sector these efforts have […]

Military commanders have always been concerned about supplying their forces on the ground. Determining stock levels, providing, distributing, and replenishing constitute the supply function. This article focuses on combat supply operations in a NATO environment from a French perspective. Supplying armies in the field has always been a concern for military leaders – supplies include […]

On 9 August 2022, the Biden administration signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law. The act was intended to boost semiconductor manufacturing in the US, decreasing its reliance on foreign suppliers. Since then, the global competition for semiconductor production and the supply of rare earth metals has only heated up. During President Xi Jin […]