South Korea’s Lockheed Martin C-130 fleet is a key component of its special forces’ operations and deep infiltration and penetration. In this photo, a RoKAF C-130 drops five-gallon drums of water during a military exercise in South Korea in 2017. (US Department of Defense)
Hanwha Systems has announced that it has been awarded a contract by the South Korean government to improve the Republic of Korea’s (RoK’s) Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules aircraft.
Author: Michael
Singapore’s defence spending has risen incrementally as it modernises its military capabilities, with the southeast Asian country planning to increase outlay from $13.5bn in 2024 to $16.3bn in 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 4.7%.
According to GlobalData’s latest Singapore Defense Market Data 2023-2033 report, Singapore has spent significant resources on defence due to the high terrorism threat level from organisations such as the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, as well as ensuring the city state’s ability to defence its small territorial holdings.
Leonardo secured two contracts on 19 June that will consolidate its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) technology, particularly radar, in the global defence market.
The first contract was made with Nato, which procured a RAT 31 air defence system to be operated by the German Air Force; while the second was made with the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) for the Eurodrone’s airborne mission system (AMS) – a project being developed by four countries.
Israeli defence exports. (Israeli Ministry of Defense )
The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) has announced record defence exports for 2022, saying the contracts agreed on totalled USD12.5 billion, up from USD11.4 billion in 2021, which was itself a record high.
The figures the MoD released on 14 June on the regions buying Israeli military products showed a massive increase in the ‘Abraham Accords’ category, from USD853 million (7% of the total) in 2021 to USD2.962 billion (24%) in 2022, as well as a significant decrease in the Europe category, from USD4.645 billion (41%) to USD3.
In a move towards strengthening their defence capabilities with greater economy, Estonia, Belgium, Cyprus, France, and Hungary have signed a co-operation agreement to purchase the Mistral short-range air defence missile systems through a joint procurement, allowing the countries to save costs and speed up delivery.
Under the agreement, France has been granted the authority to conduct joint procurement on behalf of all participating nations, with the expectation of reaching an agreement with the French company MBDA in the coming autumn.
A model of the New Generation Fighter element of the wider FCAS/SCAF programme at the Paris Air Show 2023. Belgium announced that it is to join the programme in an observer capacity. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
Belgium has joined France, Germany, and Spain in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS)/Système de Combat Aérien du Futur (SCAF) programme, with Belgian Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder saying the country will have an observer status.
Taiwanese navy soldiers walk by
Yushan
during its handover ceremony in Kaohsiung City on 30 September 2022. The ship was commissioned on 19 June 2023.
(Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)
The Republic of China Navy (RoCN) has commissioned its first locally built landing platform dock (LPD)-like amphibious assault ship.
The vessel, ROCS Yushan, was commissioned on 19 June at a ceremony in Kaohsiung City; various Taiwanese media outlets reported on the same day with images from the event.
RTX announced a number of upgrade milestones for the F-35, including those related to the F135 powerplant. (US Navy)
The three Raytheon Technologies (RTX) companies at the heart of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme have announced major upgrade milestones at the Paris Air Show 2023.
Speaking at a joint press briefing on 19 June, senior officials from Pratt & Whitney (P&W), Collins Aerospace, and Raytheon announced major upgrade milestones related to the aircraft’s powerplant, power generation, and weapons systems, respectively.
Singapore’s first Type 218SG submarine seen here during its sea trials in 2020. The second-of-class has begun its journey home to Singapore from Germany. (Michael Nitz/Naval Press Service)
A Type 218SG diesel-electric submarine (SSK) destined for service with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has begun its journey home and is expected to arrive in-country by August 2023.
Burkina Faso, a poor, landlocked former French colony in the heart of West Africa, is dying. It faces one if not two jihadist insurgencies that have seized hold over much of the countryside, accompanied by horrific violence and displacement. Its government, weak to begin with but further destabilized by two successive military coups, is largely incapable of surmounting the herculean tasks before it. Its security forces likewise are undersized, under-resourced, and ill-equipped to deal with an internal crisis of this magnitude.