Author: Michael

The US Air Force has sent its premier air-to-air combat aircraft, the F-22 Raptor, to CENTCOM AOR “in the wake of increasingly unsafe and unprofessional behaviour by Russian aircraft in the region”. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
The US has sent Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fighters to the Middle East in response to “unsafe and unprofessional” behaviour by Russian aircraft in the region, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on 14 June.

Read More

The Indonesian Army’s Harimau tanks on display at Indo Defence 2022. The tanks will be equipped with reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles. (Janes/Andrew Galer)
The Indonesian Army’sHarimau medium tanks will be equipped with reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) “to adapt to the demands of combat operations”, said the country’s Minister of Defense, Prabowo Subianto.
In a recent statement, Subianto said the addition of UAVs to the tanks will improve the “completeness of the combat operation”.

Read More

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans
 

The
following list attempts to keep track of military equipment
delivered or pledged to Ukraine by North Macedonia during the Russian invasion of
Ukraine. The entries below are sorted by armament category (with a flag
denoting the country of origin). Due to the confidential nature of North Macedonia’s arms deliveries they can serve only as a lower bound to the total
volume of weaponry delivered. This list will be updated as further military support is uncovered.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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).

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More