Jon Harper, DefenseScoop
Northrop Grumman has delivered the first E-6B Mercury aircraft with Block II modifications to the Navy.
Author: Michael
L.C. Williams, Defense One
Expect a one-stop cyber shop as network-related programs move to new homes.
India’s Varunastra torpedo has undergone ‘combat’ test-firings, with the weapon fitted with a high-explosive warhead, for the first time. (Bharat Dynamics Limited)
The Indian Navy and the country’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) undertook the first ‘combat’ test-firing of the Varunastra heavyweight torpedo on 5 June.
The SKEC WSS capability will eventually replace the MoD’s existing satcom fleet, such as Skynet 5 (pictured). (Paradigm Secure Communications)
The UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) Skynet Enduring Capability (SKEC) team is inviting industry to respond to a “pre-pre-qualification questionnaire” (Pre-PQQ) for the SKEC Wideband Satellite System (WSS), Defence Procurement announced on 5 June.
A diorama of ship crew operating a VTOL UAV from the flight deck of a corvette on display at IAI’s booth in MADEX 2023. The company is developing a new type of radar that can be fitted onboard VTOL UAVs. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is developing a compact radar that will convert ship-based vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into more capable maritime surveillance platforms.
The Fattah ballistic missile was displayed with a second re-entry vehicle (RV) and the motor that powers the RV. (Islamic Republic News Agency)
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) unveiled what it described as unique hypersonic ballistic missile that cannot be intercepted by existing missile defences on 6 June.
The IRGC claimed the Fattah missile that was unveiled during an event attended by President Ebrahim Raisi has a range of 1,400 km, is highly manoeuvrable, and can hit its target accurately at a speed of Mach 13–15.
A model of the South Korea-developed CIWS-II on display at MADEX 2023. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)
The Republic of Korea Navy’s (RoKN’s) Ulsan-class Batch III frigates will be equipped with the indigenously developed ‘CIWS-II’ close in weapon system (CIWS) but only from 2026.
This indicative timeline is almost two years later than originally planned as the RoKN has requested for slight design changes to be made to the CIWS-II, said an LIG Nex1 representative who spoke to Janes at the International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition (MADEX) 2023 in Busan, South Korea.
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV¹) used in recent attacks on complexes in Moscow. (Janes)
During the early hours of 30 May Moscow was attacked using multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The Ministry of Defence (MoD) of the Russian Federation has claimed that “the Kyiv regime launched a terrorist attack with UAVs on objects in Moscow”.
The MoD claims that multiple types of UAVs were used in a series of attacks. Images posted online indicate that there is one type of UAV (UAV1) that struck residential complexes or apartments.
Walo
, the first of three OPV 58 S-type patrol boats on order for the Senegalese Navy, was delivered on 2 June.
(Piriou)
French shipbuilder Piriou formally handed over the first Walo (OPV 58 S)-class offshore patrol ship to the Senegalese Navy during a ceremony held at its facilities in Brittany, northwest France, on 2 June.
First-of-class Walo is one of three OPV 58 S patrol ships being built under a contract signed with the Ministry of the Armed Forces of Senegal in November 2019.
The lead ship started construction in October 2020 and was launched on 11 April 2022.
Dstl is developing a Lightweight Fires Platform technology demonstrator to replace the 105 mm Light Gun. The red boxes on the sides represent batteries, the ‘Mickey Mouse ears’ house propellant, and up to 14 rounds can be stowed behind the elevating mass. (BAES IP)
The UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is working on a Lightweight Fires Platform technology demonstrator programme to replace the 105 mm Light Gun,
Janes
learnt on the last day of Defence iQ’s Future Artillery 2023 conference held in Munich from 30 May to 1 June.