Over the past 18 months, the health of the U.S.-Philippines alliance has been restored. A patient on life support during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte is now being readmitted into the ranks of America’s high-functioning Indo-Pacific allies. Beginning with the reaffirmation of the visiting forces agreement by the Duterte administration in July 2021, the two sides have made steady progress toward establishing an operationally meaningful defense partnership.
Author: Michael
The Kuwait Low Altitude Surveillance System is seen during a visit by Minister of Defence Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah in January 2021. (Kuwait News Agency)
US Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM) is carrying out market research to see if there are contractors other than TCOM that can operate the Kuwait Low Altitude Surveillance System (KLASS).
In a request for information released on 13 June MARCORSYSCOM said the KLASS consists of a TCOM 71M tethered aerostat that carries a TPS-63 solid-state radar, as well as associated ground equipment and systems.
The MARCOS, or Marine Commandos, are the elite special forces unit of the Indian Navy. Officially known as the Marine Commando Force (MCF), they carry out special operations in India’s maritime domain.
The MARCOS undergoes specialized training to handle various situations, including counter-terrorism, underwater missions, and anti-piracy operations. They possess the ability to operate in diverse environments, including sea, air, and land.
The Indian Marine Special Forces (IMSF) established the MARCOS in 1985, and two years later, it was renamed the Marine Commando Force (MCF).
As the largest UAV to be built in France, the scale of the Aarok is apparent in this image of the aircraft parked next to a Turgis & Gaillard employee. (Frédéric Lert)
The Turgis & Gaillard group will be presenting the prototype of its Aarok unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at the Paris Air Show, held from 19 to 25 June. With a wingspan of 22 m, the Aarok is the largest UAV designed in France.
The Turgis & Gaillard group, named after its two founders, has been working on the Aarok project since 2020.
US lawmakers raised no official objection to the decommissioning of LCS USS
Jackson
.
(Michael Fabey)
In its National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2024 mark, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee detailed its desires during a 13 June hearing of the mark to retain most of the vessels the US Navy (USN) is seeking to decommission soon.
Special Forces, renowned for their exceptional skills and specialized capabilities, are elite military groups dedicated to handling specific security issues. Selected from all three military branches, these personnel undergo rigorous training and are entrusted with critical missions. While the origins of special forces can be traced back to World War II, many of these units were disbanded after the war.
However, almost every country boasts at least one special force within its Armed Forces today.
Jamie Hunter
A farewell flypast for the Royal Air Force’s C-130 Hercules transport aircraft took place today as the service’s remaining J-models approach retirement later this month. C-130s — starting with legacy C-130K models — have been in operational service with the RAF for 56 years. The retirement of the RAF’s C-130Js marks the end of the Hercules’ use by the service, with the C-130K models having been retired in 2013.
Two of the three C-130Js pictured above the Mach Loop, west-central Wales. Jamie Hunter
To bid farewell to the C-130, and the standing down of No.
Commonwealth of Australia – Department of Defence (DoD)/Sgt David Gibbs
In a follow-up to our feature on how Australia’s surplus upgraded F/A-18 Hornets could be well suited for reequipping Ukraine’s war torn air force, The War Zone has confirmed that Ukraine is indeed exploring if the jets could be a fit for its very pressing needs.
“We are at the early stage studying the technical characteristics and operability of the aircraft,” Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, told The War Zone Wednesday afternoon.
USAF.
Two U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters recently arrived in the Middle East as part of a broader and explicit show of force in direct response to actions in recent months by elements of the Russia’s military in the region. American forces have been experiencing an uptick in unsafe and unprofessional Russian aerial activity in skies over Syria and this may be tied in part to Iranian support for the latter’s war effort in Ukraine. That’s the view of the Air Force’s top commander in the Middle East.
An F-22 after deploying to the Middle East earlier today. USAF
U.S.
The US Air Force has recently initiated the process of accepting proposals for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) sixth-generation fighter, with plans to award the contract in 2024. However, there are concerns regarding the cost of the NGAD, which is expected to be significantly higher than that of the F-35. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall has stated that the NGAD will cost “multiples” of the F-35, implying that each plane will likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars.