On June 5, 2024, the U.S. Government awarded a $73.5 million contract to UVision Inc. and Mistral Inc. for the supply of Hero-120SF loitering munitions to the U.S. Special Operations Command. The contract, expected to be completed by May 2029, includes not only the munitions themselves but also spare parts, engineering change proposals, new equipment […]
US; USAF selects JSM for its F-35
USAF has become the third JSM customer behind Japan and Norway. The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multirole version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the F-35 for anti-ship and land-attack missions. The US Air Force has ordered JSMs from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace […]
Canada; Colt Canada offers C8A4 assault rifle to the Canadian Army CMAR tender.
Colt Canada – a subsidiary of Colt CZ Group – presented a new variant of the C8 carbine at the CANSEC 2024 exhibition. The C8A4 is considered as a potential future assault rifle configuration for the Canadian Armed Forces as part of the Canadian Modular Assault Rifle (CMAR) project. The compact C8A4 assault rifle is […]
US; Army awards $756 million for LRHW production
Lockheed Martin delivered equipment for the first Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LTHW) battery, referred to as Dark Eagle, to US soldiers in 2021. The system has been designed to deliver additional capability for the nation’s ground-based hypersonic weapon system. Lockheed Martin will provide additional LRHW battery equipment, systems and software engineering support, and logistics solutions to […]
US; DoD selects Switchblade-600 for Replicator program
The Pentagon said Monday that AeroVironment Inc’s Switchblade-600 loitering munition was the first weapon to be publicly confirmed to be part of the Replicator initiative, which aims to rapidly deploy thousands of military drones. The Switchblade-600 has gained notoriety because the Ukrainian military is using it to strike Russian troops. In an effort to enhance […]
US; Navy baptizes SM-3 interceptors against Iranian SSM attack
First Combat Use of US SM-3 Interceptor Missiles Against Iranian Ballistic Missiles On April 14, 2024, Arleigh Burke-class missile destroyers deployed Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors for the first time to counter an Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel. This operation, conducted in the Eastern Mediterranean, involved the USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) and USS Carney (DDG-64), […]
US; Army selects Switchblade 600 loitering munition for LASSO Program
On March 10, 2024, the U.S. Army announced a funding request of $120.6 million for the acquisition of Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) systems for fiscal year 2025. This initiative is part of a strategy aimed at maintaining operational superiority on the battlefield by leveraging the most advanced available technologies. To achieve this, […]
US; SpaceX is building spy satellite network for US intelligence agency
SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a U.S. intelligence agency, five sources familiar with the program said, demonstrating deepening ties between billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s space company and national security agencies. The network is being built by SpaceX’s Starshield business unit under a $1.8 billion contract […]
US; DoD allocates $1Bn. in Replicator-1 drones programs
The United States Department of Defense announced on March 11, 2024, an initial investment of approximately $1 billion to develop a fleet of small unmanned craft as part of the Replicator Initiative. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks revealed that the first, Replicator 1, addresses how to slow down or defeat an amphibious invasion of Taiwan […]
US; Air Force to phase out 250 aircraft in 2025
Chris Goron from Air & Space Forces Magazine reports a significant shift in the U.S. Air Force’s strategy as it enters fiscal 2025, with plans to streamline its aircraft fleet. This initiative, detailed in the service’s budget request from March 11, indicates a reduction of 250 aircraft, bringing the total inventory down to 4,903 — […]