Archive: News & Articles

The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Netherlands covering eight eight-cell MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) Baseline (B/L) VII Strike Length Launcher Modules and related equipment, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 2 June 2023. The potential sale, worth an estimated USD 110 M […]

Leonardo launched two new turrets at the Seafuture exhibition, held at La Spezia Naval Base from 5 to 8 June 2023. The Lionfish 30 naval turret and Hitfist 30 UL (Unmanned Light) turret for land platforms are both remote-controlled turrets that integrate the new 30 mm X-Gun: an ITAR-free, electrically powered weapon incorporating innovative, patented […]

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, alongside the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) and in collaboration with the Israeli Navy, has successfully completed a series of comprehensive tests for the naval version of the Iron Dome system, known as C-Dome, the company announced on 5 June 2023. The tests mark a significant step toward achieving the final […]

From major vehicle programmes and autonomous battlefield systems, to new individual equipment and devices, British infantry are in line for some much-needed upgrades and additions to their inventories. Procurement is a long and winding process for any arm of service and only with the dark clouds of war gathering does any sense of urgency seem […]

Spain’s Escribano Mechanical & Engineering secured the sale of 516 Guardian 30 remote weapon stations (RWSs) to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Army at the beginning of this year, the company announced at the end of May 2023. The order follows the sale of more than 800 small-calibre weapon stations to the UAE in 2019 […]

UK anti-submarine warfare (ASW) specialist SEA has been awarded a contract to supply two of its KraitSense ASW systems to an unnamed Southeast Asian navy for a new offshore patrol vessel (OPV) programme, the Cohort subsidiary announced on 5 June 2023. KraitSense is a lightweight passive ASW system that is designed to bring an ASW […]

Italy’s Leonardo unveiled a number of new developments in relation to its AWHero rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (RW UAV) on the first day of the Seafuture 2023 exhibition, held at La Spezia Naval base from 5 to 8 June 2023. The new developments include: a heavy fuel powerplant based on a unique twin-engine solution, increasing […]

In the aftermath of the Korean War (1950-1953), small-scale maritime industry grew rapidly in the Republic of Korea (ROK) to meet the domestic demand for fishing vessels and similar smaller craft. It was not until the 1970s that the economic growth programmes of the ROK Government began to encourage domestic corporations to invest in shipbuilding. […]

The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Ukraine of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) and related equipment, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 24 May 2023. The sale, which is worth an estimated cost of USD 285 M (EUR 266.5 M), has been passed to […]

In an interview with MDM, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi, Chief of Naval Staff, Pakistan Navy, outlines how his force is stepping up efforts to modernise its inventory in order to continue to cope with the challenges of meeting operational requirements. At the same time, as the biggest stumbling block, the conundrum of finding cost-effective […]

The world’s coast guards are a motley crew, whose missions, authorities, and responsibilities vary greatly by country. Some nations have a single maritime service with both coast guard and naval responsibilities; others have a separate coast guard. Separate coast guards can be military services (or not), and may or may not have law-enforcement authorities. They […]

Following a long wait, Ukraine has restarted offensive combat operations against Russia, starting in late-April, and gradually ramping up throughout May. The bulk of the offensive action around this time has been around the periphery of Bakhmut, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been attempting to push back Russian forces. While Ukrainian forces made incremental […]

The US Army has ordered Survitec’s Inflatable Walls Training System (IWTS) in a contract worth USD 2.5 M (EUR 2.3 M) for temporary training in urban warfare, the company announced on 31 may 2023. According to Survitec, which is considered a specialist in survival technologies, eight sets each of Level 2 and 4 IWTS will […]

The eight ‘seagoing artillery platforms’ ordered by the Swedish armed forces from Swedish shipbuilder Swede Ship Marine AB will be armed with the turreted naval version of the Patria NEMO 120 mm mortar system, Patria confirmed in a 26 May 2023 press release. Patria will deliver the NEMO mortar systems as a subcontractor to Swede […]

The Swedish Defence Materiel Organisation (Försvarets materielverk – FMV) has placed a SEK 3 Bn (EUR 260 M) order with defence contractor Saab for ammunition for the 84 mm Carl Gustaf recoilless gun, both Saab and the FMV announced on 29 May 2023. The order was placed under an existing 10-year framework agreement between the […]

Pearson Engineering has been awarded a contract to provide a suite of capability enhancing front-end equipment (FEE) to an undisclosed end-user across both their main battle tank (MBT) and combat engineering programmes, the company announced on 1 June 2023. End users will receive their next-generation MBT equipped with Pearson Engineering’s innovative SLICE interface, General Purpose […]

The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) Logistics Command has ordered 91 Patria 6×6 armoured vehicles as a part of the multinational Finland-led Common Armoured Vehicle Systems (CAVS) programme that also features Latvia, Sweden, and Germany, Patria announced on 2 June 2023. The contract includes spare parts, tools, operation and maintenance training, as well as a purchase […]

Promoteq, a strategic partner of the UK’s Avon Protection, has been awarded a seven-year framework contract by the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) for Avon Protection advanced respiratory protection systems, Avon announced on 31 May 2023. The SEK 100 M (EUR 8.65 M) contract includes FM54 respirators, CS-PAPR powered air-purifying respirators and ST54 self-contained breathing […]

The president of Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky rotorcraft business, Paul Lemmo, provided a considerably upbeat outlook for the company future orderbook in an online briefing to journalists on 1 June 2023, ahead of the Paris Air Show later in the month. Regarding one of Sikorsky’s signature programmes, Lemmo said the company is confident of securing further […]

Australia’s acquisition of a replacement for its Collins class conventional submarine fleet is proving remarkably complicated. The 2009 Australian Defence White Paper agreed to by the then Labour Party Government announced the six Collins would be replaced by 12 new submarines, possibly of an evolved Collins design. In 2013, a conservative Liberal National Party (LNP) […]

The need to operate in increasingly complex and demanding operational environments threatens to overload the human-centred command chain on board a modern warship. Expanded use of rapidly developing AI techniques offers the potential to address this challenge, revolutionising decision-making in the command space. This article examines recent experimentation in this area, using the Royal Navy […]