Funding has been allocated to support the return to service of the South African Air Force’s Gripen fleet. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
South Africa’s defence budget for 2023–24 is slightly down from the previous year’s adjusted allocation of ZAR51.6 billion (USD2.84 billion) to ZAR51.12 billion (USD2.8 billion), with the Medium Term Expenditure Framework plan seeing it increase to just over ZAR53 billion in 2026–27, according to data released by the government on 22 February.
A total of ZAR3.
Author: Michael
The Biden administration marked the one-year anniversary of the start of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine by trumpeting plans to procure a variety of additional drones and other military equipment for Kyiv.
The $2 billion security assistance package announced by the Pentagon on Friday includes an unspecified quantity of JUMP 20, Switchblade 600, ALTIUS-600 and CyberLux K8 unmanned aerial systems.
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), together with the US Army and other industry partners, has recently demonstrated a battlefield airspace deconfliction software.
The demonstration was a part of the Air Space Total Awareness for Rapid Tactical Execution (ASTARTE) programme, which began in 2021 as a joint effort between the US Air Force (USAF), Army, and DAPRA.
It was conducted at the US Army’s Mission Command Battle Lab in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, US, in late 2022.
The Czech Republic has reportedly spent CZK 10 billion ($4.5b) on military training and equipment, which has been provided directly to Ukraine, amid ongoing efforts to rearm the embattled country with necessary military support to help it defend itself against the ongoing Russian aggression.
The Czech Republic government officially announced on their government website that roughly one-third of the material came from the Czech Army, and Czech defence companies supplied the rest. The government also sent another CZK 30 billion ($13.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s term as president officially ends in 2024 but he is highly likely to ‘contest’ the 2024 presidential election despite his dwindling popularity as a consequence of the war in Ukraine. Carlos Berrera and Aditya Pareek analyse scenarios around the future of Putin’s presidency and the war in Ukraine.
The Royal Thai Air Force’s upgraded F-5E/F TH ‘Super Tigris’ force has improved combat capabilities. The RTAF expects the aircraft to provide another 10 to 15 years of operational service. (Royal Thai Air Force)
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has completed upgrades to its active force of Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II fighter aircraft.
In a statement on 16 February, the RTAF said that 14 aircraft have been upgraded to the F-5E/F TH ‘Super Tigris’ standard as part of the B.Khor.18 B/C Capability Improvement Project.
Mistral missile production has been increased from 20 in 2022 to 30 in 2023, and is expected to rise to 40 in 2024. (MBDA)
French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu unveiled an action plan to accelerate ammunition production and relocate strategic activities during a meeting with defence industry representatives on 22 February.
The war in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in the relocation of stocks and production sites, according to the French Ministry of Armed Forces.
China is struggling in the battle for advanced semiconductor technology. With President Joe Biden’s most recent round of export controls on semiconductors, China is now facing an increasingly urgent challenge as it seeks to ramp up its domestic innovative capacity for high-end chips. Yet at the turn of the new year, Bloomberg reported that China […]
The post Great Leap Nowhere: The Challenges of China’s Semiconductor Industry appeared first on War on the Rocks.
On Wednesday, the chief of the United States Navy stated that the Chinese Navy has substantial advantages over its American competitor, including a larger fleet and higher shipbuilding capacity, as Beijing strives to spread its might across the oceans.
U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro made these claims in a speech to the National Press Club in Washington, DC: “China systematically strives to violate the maritime sovereignty and economic well-being of other nations, including our allies in the China Sea.
The Alakran-S, fitted to a Polaris RZR ATV, was displayed at IDEX 2023. Two of the vehicle’s rear seats were removed to accommodate the mortar and racks for 24 81 mm mortar bombs, but it was otherwise unmodified. (Janes/Sonny Butterworth)
Milanion New Technologies Global Systems (NTGS) displayed a new member of the Alakran family of vehicle-mounted mortars at IDEX 2023, being held in Abu Dhabi from 20 to 24 February.