Author: Michael

The first KC-130J Hercules tanker-transport aircraft for Germany was rolled out of Lockheed Martin’s Marietta production facility in Georgia on 26 January. (Lockheed Martin)
The first Lockheed Martin KC-130J tanker-transport aircraft for Germany was rolled out of the company’s Marietta production facility in Georgia on 26 January.
The Luftwaffe has to date received two ‘stretched’ C-130J-30 airlifters that it operates with the French Air and Space Force (Armee de l’Air et de l’Espace: AAE) as part of the joint C-130 air-transport squadron.

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Boeing has been awarded a new contract to produce and deliver more next generation automatic test systems (NGATS) for the US Army.
The estimated ceiling value of the contract is approximately $92m. It has a performance period of three years.
NGATS is a single, modular, mobile diagnostic test system designed to provide real-time testing in the field. It can provide automated fault diagnosis for over 100 components, along with their immediate solutions.

The new units of NGATS are primarily being procured for the army’s M109A7 Paladin artillery system and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.

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Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA ) soldiers were seen using a portable scope and firing their rifles around corners by accessing the sight of the aiming system in their scopes, in a different form of “corner shooting” system.
The system, featured in a promotional story by a military-affiliated media outlet and a defense technology publication, is useful but risks going the way of two such US military programs that it doesn’tdoesn’t. They did well, neither technologically nor financially.

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On this week’s episode of Horns of a Dilemma Clement Center Senior National Security Fellow Mark Pomar, who helped to oversee the Russian language broadcasts of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty during the Cold War, discusses his book, Cold War Radio: The Russian Broadcasts of Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Pomar is joined by […]
The post The Truth Shall Set You Free: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in the Cold War appeared first on War on the Rocks.

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The Canadian Ministry of National Defence (MND) has announced it will donate a total of four Leopard 2 main battle tanks (MBTs) to Ukraine.
The tanks, along with spare parts and ammunition, will be delivered from the Canadian Armed Forces’ inventory.
Additionally, Canada will deploy military personnel to provide the associated training to Ukrainian soldiers in a third country.

The MND confirmed that Leopard 2 MBTs are being provided in response to Ukraine’s repeated requests for tanks.

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Last month, the Japanese government released three landmark strategic documents: the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Buildup Plan. Collectively, they represent pathbreaking change and may signal that Tokyo not only shares a common strategic vision with the United States but is also committed to do far more for its own […]
The post Japan’s Strategic Shift Is Significant, but Implementation Hurdles Await appeared first on War on the Rocks.

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Quantum-Systems Vector UAV, suited for a range of reconnaissance missions and capable of operating at speeds of up to 25 m/s in challenging environments, has been selected by the Ukrainian MoD. (Quantum-Systems)
Ukraine has ordered an additional tranche of reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
According to Germany-based Quantum-Systems, the company has received a contract from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) for 105 Vector reconnaissance UAVs.
Ukraine’s armed forces will receive the systems, which have been funded by the German government, the company detailed.

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The Wisent 1 combat support vehicle fitted with a Full Width Mine Plough is scheduled to be delivered to Ukraine in 2023. (Pearson Engineering)
Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) and Pearson Engineering announced that they would supply minefield breaching equipment to Ukraine, in a press release issued on 24 January 2023.
The equipment will consist of FFG’s Wisent 1 armoured support vehicle fitted with Pearson Engineering’s Full Width Mine Plough (FWMP), a combination that has previously been supplied to the Royal Danish Army.

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All 28 of the RAF’s Hawk T2 jet trainer aircraft have been grounded while the MoD investigates an engine issue. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has grounded its fleet of BAE Systems Hawk T2 training aircraft following a runway engine incident at the type’s homebase in North Wales.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the temporary flight suspension to
Janes
on 26 January, saying the precautionary measure had been put in place pending the result of an investigation into a ground-based engine issue.

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The Boxer RRV consists of a Boxer drive module fitted with the ARM mission module. The new version of the RRV presented at IAV will require the drive module to be fitted with a power take-off. (FFG)
Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) has implemented several changes to its proposed Boxer Repair and Recovery Vehicle (RRV) variant, the company revealed during a presentation at Defence iQ’s International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2023 conference, which was held in London from 23 to 26 January.

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