Taiwan’s next-generation fighter is almost certainly intended to become the primary air combat asset for the Republic of China Air Force. This is because the latest Lockheed-Martin F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft currently on order are believed to be an unequal match for Chinese fifth-generation aircraft in certain aspects. (Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)
Taipei is seeking US technical assistance for its next-generation fighter aircraft project amid the Taiwan air force’s declining combat strength.
Author: Michael
A High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability-configured Mk 54 lightweight torpedo is dropped from a US Navy P-8A Poseidon MPA during testing. The wing kit adaptor is visible atop the torpedo body. The Mk 54 torpedo is used by many countries in the APAC region. (NAVAIR)
The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is one of the most important maritime regions in the world, with several countries possessing extensive coastlines, strategic naval bases, and busy sea lanes.
In October 2015, the U.S. Marine Corps formally adopted the M4 carbine as its primary infantry weapon. The Army made the switch from the longer M16 rifle a decade earlier. Despite this, the M4 was never meant to be a primary infantry weapon. Rather, it was originally conceived as a specialized weapon to be issued on a limited basis.
The XM177 carbine used a moderator to reduce muzzle flash and blast (U.S. Army)
During the Vietnam War, the military procured commercial-off-the-shelf carbine versions of the M16 from Colt.
On August 16, 1780, U.S. and British forces fought each other in the Battle of Camden in South Carolina. It was one of the costliest battles of the Revolutionary War, with 900 Americans and over 300 British killed or wounded. The bitter fight was a British victory in a conflict that led to America’s independence. Over 200 years later, soldiers from both nations came together as allies to honor their fallen.
The Battle of Camden was a bloody defeat for the U.S.
With the publication in March 2023 of its National Quantum Strategy, the UK Government has signalled its intention to be an early mover in quantum technologies with a wide slate of investments in the sector.
In many ways the arc of development set out is a clear example of what defence procurement should be: heavy investment early on, subsidising risks for research partners while allowing private sector institutions room to innovate as the technology grows in sophistication.
Rheinmetall’s MASS decoy system is pictured here firing an Omni-Trap multispectral decoy round during a live trial. Australia will become the 16th user nation of the system. (Rheinmetall)
The Australian government has signed a deal with Rheinmetall Defence Australia (RDA) to procure the company’s Multi-Ammunition Soft-kill System (MASS).
The Department of Defence (DoD) in Canberra said on 5 May that the MASS decoy system will be integrated onto the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) Anzac-class frigates and Hobart-class destroyers.
Two Indian Army HAL Dhruv helicopters fly in formation with a Dhruv Mk IV (Rudra) armed helicopter during a parade on 9 January 2023. The Indian Army operates 144 Dhruvs. (Janes/Akhil Kadidal)
An Indian Army Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv helicopter has crashed. It is the third Dhruv crash since the start of 2023.
The Dhruv Mk III was on an operational mission in the Kishtwar region of Jammu and Kashmir on 4 May when it crashed, according to a statement by the Indian Army’s Northern Command.
A UK House of Lords inquiry looking at autonomous weapons systems (AWS) held its first public evidence session in March, where three experts in International Humanitarian Law (IHL) answered questions around from the committee members on a potential definition for AWS to be used in future legislation.
It was not as straightforward as the committee members had expected. “I think we should at least tell our witnesses that we’ve got the message about having a broader look at this,” said Lord Brown at the end of two hours of questioning.
Panasonic have announced that its latest Toughbook 40 notebook can be equipped with the Eclypt core encrypted internal solid state drive (SSD).
While the Toughbook 40 is secured by its rugged computer hardware – with one Toughbook undergoing physical resilience tests, instead of the standard practice of using a different device for each test – the software is given the equivalent level of security with the Viasat produced SSD.
Viasat’s SSD is a solid state self-encrypting hard drive that has been certified for use by Nato and other European countries.
The Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr Kathleen Hicks held a meeting with executives from six American-based lithium-ion battery and critical mineral companies on 28 April 2023.
The industry attendees included executives from Bren-Tronics, EaglePicher, Enersys, Forge Nano, General Motors Defense, and Our Next Energy.