Author: Michael

BAE Systems in collaboration with the US Army has successfully test-fired a sub-calibre artillery long-range projectile with enhanced lethality.
The test was conducted as part of the US Army’s XM1155 extended-range artillery projectile programme. BAE Systems is under contract to develop and test the projectile for this programme.
It was performed from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

For this test, the company validated the compatibility of the projectile with a 155mm Extended Range Cannon Artillery Howitzer Test Bed, as well as with propelling charges.

The purpose? Force Russian President Vladimir Putin to reevaluate his “special military operation” viability by pushing back Russian forces on the battlefield.
The West has begun to ship numerous major weapon systems to Kyiv. Yet, Ukraine will require more to prevail.
Western weapons systems and combined arms warfare
One of the main considerations of the Ukrainian leadership is the addition of new weapons systems to the Ukrainian army. Several countries have committed to sending a number of major weapons systems to Ukraine.

Having been retired by the USMC in 2020, the AH-1W SuperCobra fleet is to be refurbished, modernised, and sold off to the international market. Bahrain is the first customer to be approved for such a procurement. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
Bahrain has been approvedto buy 24 surplus Bell AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 29 March.
The US Department of State has cleared the Gulf state to buy the former US Marine Corps (USMC) platforms, plus spares, training, and other services for an estimated USD350 million.

Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss several recent articles focused on alliance burden sharing. Should America want Europe to be dependent on it for Europe’s defense? Is the leverage the United States obtains over European allies because of their dependence worth the cost? Is it even possible for Europe to have collective defense? Should the American […]
The post Better Burden Sharing With Allies appeared first on War on the Rocks.

When Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership last spring, Russia’s reaction was negative but muted. It consisted only of words, not actions — in all likelihood due to Russia’s preoccupation with its war against Ukraine. Yet we should not assume that Russia will refrain from responding in the future. The Kremlin made its position clear […]
The post Russia Won’t Sit Idly by after Finland and Sweden Join NATO appeared first on War on the Rocks.

Czech crews began US-based training on AH-1Z and UH-1Y helicopters in July 2022. (NAVAIR)
The Czech Republic’s Bell H-1 helicopter procurement took a major step forward on 21 March, with the announcement that the first air and ground crews had completed their training in the United States.
US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said that the Czech crews from the 22nd Helicopter Air Force Base in Náměště nad Oslavou had graduated on 9 February.

Twitter screencap

The Wagner private military group has about 6,000 “actual mercenaries” fighting around the embattled city of Bakhmut with another 20,000 to 30,000 recruits “many of who come from prisons,” the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testified before the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday.
“They are suffering an enormous amount of casualties in the Bakhmut area of Ukraine,” Army Gen. Mark Milley told the House Armed Services Committee. Ukrainian forces, he said, are inflicting “a lot of death and destruction on those guys.

On March 13, the US Air Force tested a hypersonic weapon, the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW). But this test was not a success.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told lawmakers the ARRW program could be jeopardized. The ARRW initiative has had “some problems in its testing program,” and, according to Kendall, the Air Force is currently “more committed to the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) at the moment than it is to the ARRW .

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has released the first image of the new ANKA-3 stealth drone. This monster of iron and technology is ready to wreak havoc from the sky.
The ANKA-3 MIUS (National Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle System in Turkish) is being developed with domestic technology and is expected to make its maiden flight in 2023. The shared photo shows two supersonic drones at ANKA’s external weapon station -3, ready to unleash their power.
The Imposing Force of the ANKA-3
The Chairman of the Defense Industry Presidency, Prof. Dr.

Amid a tense sky, Russia’s Su-57 Felon stealth fighter spreads its wings, displaying air power that has yet to be fully tested.
A fierce predator lurks in the sky.
Russia’s aerial beast, the Su-57 Felon stealth fighter, has raised concerns among military analysts. Rumors spread like the wind about its possible use in the Ukrainian conflict. With its mighty Mach 2 roar, this winged cat glides through the skies like an invisible hunter, and its range of up to 3,000 kilometers makes it a potential threat to Ukraine and the West.