Al-Jasoor displayed a new variant of the Rabdan IFV at IDEX 2023. The primary difference between this version and the Rabdan IFV delivered to the UAE Army was the Shaheen 30 uncrewed turret. (Janes/Sonny Butterworth)
The Al-Jasoor joint venture company expects to produce new variants of the Rabdan 8×8 amphibious armoured vehicle for the UAE Army,
Janes
learnt at IDEX 2023 being held in Abu Dhabi from 20 to 24 February.
Maia Sandu and Klaus Iohannis, via Official website of Romanian President
The Russian Defense Ministry announced Thursday that they have intelligence reports that the Zelensky regime is plotting a provocation in the Transnistria region of Moldova in an effort to draw the Republic of Moldova into the war in Ukraine.
A dramatic aerial video shared by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on Telegram shows how Ukrainian forces continue to carry out deadly strikes against Russian positions using munitions delivered from drones.
Although many of the drones used in Ukraine are designed to explode on impact, Ukrainian forces have also frequently converted commercially available camera drones into weapons that can launch grenades at Russian equipment and vehicles.
Malaysia is expected to receive its first batch of KAI FA-50 LCA in 2026. (Korea Aerospace Industries)
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has announced a USD920 million deal with Malaysia’s Ministry of Defense (MINDEF) to supply 18 FA-50 light combat aircraft (LCA).
The announcement, which was made on 24 February, comprises an improved variant of the FA-50 aircraft.
Janes previously reported that this is the FA-50 Block 20 aircraft. According to KAI, the aircraft will have an “aerial refuelling function and armed expansion, in line with customer demands”.
Poland is to receive 48 FA-50 light combat aircraft from late 2023 to augment its existing types. (KAI)
Polish Air Force pilots have begun training on the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 Fighting Eagle light combat aircraft in South Korea.
Seoul media reported the milestone on 22 February, saying the first cadre of four pilots had been inducted into the Republic of Korea Air Force’s (RoKAF’s) 1st Fighter Wing in Gwangju. A further four will pass through the 23-week training pipeline before the end of 2023.
Forbes
Boeing BA
British arms, security, and aerospace company BAE Systems has reported sales of £23.3bn for fiscal year 2022, a 4.4% increase from £21.3bn in 2021.
The annual order intake reported by the company for 2022 was £37.1bn, which resulted in an order backlog of £58.9bn.
Underlying earnings per share for the year, which ended on 31 December 2022, went up by 9.5% to 55.5p.
BAE Systems also recorded free cash flow of £1.950bn in 2022, compared to £1.864bn in 2021.
Underlying earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) stood at £2.479bn and the share repurchases totalled £0.8bn in 2022.
A televised North Korean military parade held in Pyongyang to mark the 75th founding anniversary of its armed forces, which showcased a record number of intercontinental ballistic missiles. (JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)
On 18 February, North Korea conducted a test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that a Hwaseong-15 ICBM was fired in a “surprise ICBM launching drill”, following written direction from the country’s leader Kim Jong-un.
The H145M could be a solution for the German LAH requirement, seen here firing a Rafael Spike ER2 missile in Romania in January 2022. (Airbus Helicopters)
In light of the Russia-Ukraine war, the German Army is now looking for a new fleet of light attack helicopters (LAHs) to augment its rotary-wing combat power.
The United Arab Emirates hosts the 16th edition of the International Defense Exhibition (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi, with the participation of almost 65 countries and more than 1,300 exhibitors, in what is known as the largest defense exhibition in the region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
In addition to offering countries a platform to present and commercialize their cutting-edge technologies, the UAE has signed major, large-scale contracts.
