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The UK plans for the 14 Challenger 2 MBTs it is donating to Ukraine to be operated by Ukrainian crews before the end of March. (Crown copyright)
The 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks (MBTs) that the United Kingdom is donating to Ukraine will be operated by Ukrainian crews before the end of March, a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson told Janes on 18 January. He added that the AS90 self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) the UK is also donating to Ukraine would follow but could not say when.

The retirement of Australia’s older-generation S-70A-9 Black Hawks in 2021, such as the aircraft pictured here, reduced the transport capabilities of the Australian Army. The earlier Black Hawks were used for special forces operations, flood relief, and other logistical duties. Canberra sees the acquisition of UH-60Ms as a return to a familiar, tested platform. (Commonwealth of Australia)
The Australian government has confirmed that it is proceeding with the acquisition of 40 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the Australian Army.

Reuters has reported that the Russian and Belarusian air forces have started a series of bilateral dogfight exercises near the Ukrainian border.
Reuters has reported that eight Russian fighter jets and four cargo planes arrived in Belarus on Sunday, citing unofficial military monitoring channels on Telegram. The maneuvers began on January 16 and are scheduled to last until February 1.

The Australian Government has confirmed its plans to procure a total of 40 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
Delivery of the new helicopters to the Australian Army is expected to commence later this year.
Once delivered, the new UH-60M Black Hawk fleet will be based at Oakey, Queensland, and at Holsworthy, New South Wales, Australia.

The fleet will be supported by a highly skilled workforce comprising maintenance personnel from the ADF and Australia’s defence industry partners.

Last fall, as Ukraine recaptured large swaths of territory in a series of counterattacks, it bombarded Russian forces with US-made artillery and rockets. Some of that artillery was guided by a homemade targeting system Ukraine developed on the battlefield.
Tablets and smartphones are easy to get, but a computer program made in Ukraine has turned them into sophisticated targeting tools that are now widely used by the Ukrainian military.

Mahindra Automotive has announced the order for 1,470 units of the Scorpio Classic, an example of which is pictured above, for 12 units of the Indian Army. (Mahindra Automotive)
The Indian Army has ordered Scorpio sports utility vehicles (SUVs) from Mahindra Automotive, the company announced in a social media post. The SUV has been selected under the 4×4 light utility vehicle – general services (LUV-GS) category.
Mahindra has received an order for 1,470 Scorpio Classics from the Indian Army. The seven-seater SUV is fitted with a 2.

Pre-series production of the KF41 Lynx IFV (pictured at Rheinmetall’s new Zalaegerszeg plant) began in Hungary at the beginning of 2023. (Rheinmetall)
The low-rate initial production of the KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) began in Hungary at the beginning of 2023, Rheinmetall announced in a press release on 12 January. Pre-series production includes building the Lynx’s Lance turret and additional variants of the vehicle, the company noted. This would be followed by full-rate production in mid-July, it added.

The Doot Mk-I, a nano UAV developed by private-sector firm Indian Defence Reforms (IDR) Research and Development Private Limited, has been trialled by the Indian Armed Forces for situational awareness missions in urban environments. (Janes/Amit Kalra)
The Indian government launched its ‘Drone Rules 2021′ in August of that year to promote the development of a domestic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market. The rules are intended to provide a much-needed boost to the Indian UAV industry and reduce reliance on imports.

On Monday, Russia and Belarus launched joint aerial exercises in Belarusian airspace. The exercises are expected to last a full 2 weeks, ending on February 1. It is a worrisome sign for neighboring Ukraine as its war with Russia enters a full year next month.
Due to accusations from Kyiv that Belarus is about to join Russia in its war against Ukraine, Minsk called the drills “defensive in nature” in an attempt to downplay joint exercises that are being taken as an escalation by Ukraine. Minsk has also referred to the exercises as “technical drills.

The Moldovan army received the first three of 19 Piranha 3H APCs on 12 January. (Moldovan MoD)
The Moldovan army received the first three of 19 Piranha 3H armoured personnel carriers (APCs) on 12 January, the Moldovan and German ministries of Defence (MoDs) announced the same day. The delivery is part of a bilateral agreement signed by the two countries in October 2022 during a visit by then German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht. The procurement is funded by the German government’s Enable and Enhance Initiative, with the vehicles coming from industry stocks.