The VMIMS (seen here at DefExpo in October 2022) consists of a modified MDSL ALSV 4×4 armoured vehicle fitted with a two-door cab and an Alakran-L deployable mortar system equipped with an 81 mm mortar. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  Milanion NTGS, the UK manufacturer of the Alakran deployable mortar system, has said deliveries of the Indian Army's Vehicle Mounted Infantry Mortar System (VMIMS) are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.  The announcement coincided with the Indian Army's first public display of the system at the 75th Republic Day...

The CV9035NL mid-life upgrade has a new turret with a pop-up ATGM launcher, a mast-mounted commander's sight, and a hard-kill active protection system. Although the first production-standard vehicles have yet to be delivered, the RNLA is considering further upgrades for some of its subsystems. (Dutch MoD)  The Royal Netherlands Army (RNLA) is considering multiple engineering change proposals for its CV9035NL mid-life upgrade (MLU) infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), Janes learnt at Defence iQ's International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2024 conferen...

The Spanish Army is planning to upgrade the firepower, mobility, protection, command, control, and communications of its Leopard 2E fleet by 2032 under a three-phase modernisation programme. (Janes/Patrick Allen)    Spain is making progress on several armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) modernisation programmes and intends to start a three-phase programme to modernise its Leopard 2E main battle tank (MBT) fleet,  Janes  learnt at Defence iQ's International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2024 conference held in London from 22 to 25 January...

The Turkish Navy's Ada-class corvette TCG   Kınalıada  (F-514) test-fires an Atmaca anti-ship missile in the Black Sea in early November 2019.  (Roketsan)  Turkey has begun serial production of its indigenously developed Akya heavyweight torpedo (HWT), Atmaca surface-to-surface anti-ship guided missile, and Sapan anti-aircraft air-defence missile.  A contract signing ceremony to start mass producing the three weapon systems, which were developed by Turkish manufacturer Roketsan, was held on 20 January, the Turkis...

The PLA deploys YJ-62 missiles in Haiyang drills. (Janes)    The 333rd Coastal Defence Brigade of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Northern Theater Command (NTC) has deployed land-attack YJ-62 anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs) in a drill that took place in Haiyang, a coastal city southeast of the Shandong Peninsula    in China.   According to the drill's video footage released by Chinese state-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), the brigade was seen exercising with four 8×8 WS2400 transporter-erector-launch...

The Pinaka 214 mm (12-round) MBRL is an all-weather, indirect fire, free-flight artillery rocket system. The system is designed for shoot-and-scoot operations and is based on a locally manufactured Tatra 8×8 truck chassis. (BEML Limited)    The Indian Army has approved the development of advanced rockets for its Pinaka Multi‐Barrel Rocket Launchers (MBRLs),    a source at India's state-owned rocket manufacturer Munitions India Limited (MIL) told  Janes  on 24 January.   The army has granted official permission t...

An Atmaca missile seen here being launched from the Turkish corvette TCG   Kınalıada  . Indonesia looks set to be the first export customer of the missile.   (Roketsan)    Indonesia has awarded local defence company PT Republik Defensindo the contract to procure an initial batch of Atmaca anti-ship guided missiles from Turkey,   Janes  has been informed by multiple sources close to the matter.   This contract, which covers the procurement of 45 missile rounds and associated launcher units and u...

Rheinmetall officially opened its new factory in Zalaegerszeg, western Hungary, on 18 August 2023, which is producing the Lynx IFV for the HDF. (Rheinmetall)    Hungary will arm its Lynx infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) with Hero loitering munitions,   Janes  learnt at Defence iQ's International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2024 conference being held in London from 22 to 25 January. This is in addition to other ammunition for the vehicles and the 163 Lynx IFVs being produced in Hungary.   Hungary ordered Hero loitering munitio...

Germany is to join Spain and the UK in integrating the Brimstone air-to-surface missile onto its Eurofighter combat aircraft. (Janes/Patrick Allen)  Germany is to equip its Eurofighter combat aircraft with the MBDA Brimstone air-to-surface missile, the government revealed on 17 January.  Revealed in Bundeswehr budgetary documents disclosed by Der Spiegel, the Luftwaffe intends to acquire 274 of the low-yield missiles to equip its Eurofighter fleet, with a contract to be awarded in the second quarter (Q2) of 2024.  No further details of the pl...

An artist's portrayal of the Northrop Grumman LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM. (Northrop Grumman)  The US Air Force's (USAF's) LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) programme is to cost at least 37% more and enter service two years later than anticipated, the USAF said in a 19 January statement.  The Program Acquisition Unit Cost (PAUC) has increased from a projected USD118 million in 2020 to roughly USD162 million per missile in December 2023. Most of the overrun is due to cost increases in the command-and-control (C2) and missile...

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS   Barry  is seen here launching a Tomahawk cruise missile. The JMSDF will soon be equipped with this capability.  (US Navy)  Japan has concluded a letter of acceptance (LOA) that paves the way for the country to acquire the Tomahawk cruise missile and its related equipment from the US.  This acquisition milestone was concluded on 18 January, the Japan Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on the same day. The weapons will be procured under the Foreign Military Sa...

The Saniya C-UAS fitted on the turret roof cage of a Russian 1st Army Corps T-80BVM tank. (Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation)  A new counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) known as Saniya, developed by Russian company 3MX, has been equipped on one of Russia's T-80BVM tanks.  The system was seen onboard a Russian 1st Army Corps T-80BVM tank operating near Pervomayskoye, Ukraine in a video posted by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation on Telegram on 14 January.  Tests of the C-UAS were scheduled to be completed by the...

The FMV has ordered two MSHORAD systems with RBS 70 NG missiles mounted on the roof of the Bv410 and two EldE 98s with four IRIS-T missiles on the back of the ATV (pictured). (Försvarsmakten/Jessica Krantz)  The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) ordered mobile short-range air defence (MSHORAD) systems from Saab during the fourth quarter of 2023, the agency and company announced on 17 January.  Saab valued the contract at SEK300 million (over USD28 million) and said the contract period ranged from 2024 to 2026, while the FMV expect...

France has announced a package of air-launched munitions for Ukraine, including the AASM Hammer guided bomb. Although seen here in its baseline GPS/INS-guided version in front of French Rafale fighters, they will likely be used by Ukraine on the F-16. (Safran)  France is to send to Ukraine the Safran Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) Hammer guided bomb for the first time while pledging more MBDA SCALP EG cruise missiles. At the same time, Germany has refused to transfer the Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missile.  French President Emmanuel Macron sai...

US marines with Marine Corps Systems Command fire a Stinger Missile from the Marine Air Defense Integrated System at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona on 13 December 2023. (US Marine Corps )  Marines recently got their hands on a Marine Air-Defense Integrated System (MADIS) for the first live fire of an initial rate production model, US Marine Corps (USMC) officials announced on 11 January.  As one of the marine's central air-defence capabilities, MADIS is being developed to take on the threat of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other...

An artist's portrayal of the Northrop Grumman LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM. (Northrop Grumman)  Northrop Grumman has fired the second-stage solid-fuel rocket motor for the LGM-35A Sentinel nuclear missile for the first time, the company announced on 16 January.  The test was conducted inside a vacuum chamber at the US Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Complex in Tullahoma, Tennessee, intended to simulate the high-altitude and space environments in which the motor would operate. Data from the test is to be compared against digitally simulate...

A Bayraktar TB2 carries a Desert Sting 16 guided bomb during an integration test flight. (Edge)  The Emirati defence group Edge is working with Baykar to integrate its Desert Sting guided bomb on the Turkish company's Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), it was announced on 17 January.  In a statement, Edge said the plan is to initially integrate the Desert Sting 16 (DS-16) with the TB2 before the end of this year as part of its strategic alliance agreement with Baykar, with other payloads to follow.  “Integration of the Desert Sting...

The DRDO conducted a successful flight test of the new-generation missile from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha, in mid-January. (Indian Ministry of Defence)  India's state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has test-fired the new-generation Akash (Akash-NG) surface-to-air missile (SAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off India's northeastern coast of Odisha, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a press release in mid-January.  According to the MoD, the flight test...

The M142 HIMARS – pictured above from Exercise ‘Talisman Sabre' 2019 – is a 227 mm (six-round) MLRS. HIMARS can hit targets at a range of 70 km using GMLRS missiles. (Australian Department of Defence)  The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has awarded a contract worth AUD37.4 million (USD24.9 million) to Lockheed Martin Australia (LMA) to manufacture guided multiple launch rocket system (GMLRS) missiles in Australia, the DoD said in a press release on 16 January.  Under the ‘Guided Weapons Production Capability (GWPC) Risk Reduction Acti...

Serbia is procuring equipment including 81 Miloš II 4×4 multi-purpose armoured combat vehicles (pictured during a live-firing demonstration at the Nikinci testing range on 18 July 2023). (Serbian MoD)  Serbia will spend nearly EUR740 million (USD810. million) in 2024 on new military equipment, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced on 13 January during a visit to Serbia's Military Security Agency.  He said, “We currently have EUR186 million of free funds in the bank account of [state-owned intermediary for export/import of defence equip...