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A Taliban convoy of captured M117 Armored Security Vehicles heads to Afghanistan’s Iranian border. (Screenshot of video posted on Twitter).

Video shared on social media shows the Taliban sending U.S. military vehicles captured from the former Afghan National Defense and Security Forces along with some ancient Soviet-era tanks to Afghanistan’s border with Iran following a recent skirmish about access to the Helmand River.
On May 27, fighting broke out in Nimroz province in southern Afghanistan between the Taliban and Iranian border guards.

The UK government has extended its commitment to the Nato Kosovo Force (KFOR) until a least 2026. The Minister of the Armed Forces, James Heappey, announced the pledge while on a visit to the Balkans last week.
The mission began in 1999 when a United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 mandated a Nato force. The force was assigned to bring peace and stability to the country after the conflict in the 1990s.
As of today, Nato says that approximately 3,800 troops provided by 27 countries help ensure that KFOR’s objectives are met.

McNeil, Airforce Tech.

David Hambling, 1945
So what educated guesses can we make about the Navy’s billion-dollar kamikaze drone or loitering munition, a project so urgent that Raytheon is uniquely suited to carry…

Max Hauptman, Task and Purpose
The F-5, made famous in Top Gun, flew for an “aggressor” squadron, which plays the role of an enemy force for US fighter pilots.

Tirpak, A&SF
Congress should direct the Pentagon to break out the F-35’s propulsion upgrade from the rest of the program to better to track its scope, schedule, and cost, the Government…

DefenseScoop
Smith has pushed for transforming the Marine Corps through a variety of initiatives including Force Design 2030, Talent Management 2030, and the “stand-in forces” concept.

Image by Royal Standard of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

China is poised to break into the Middle Eastern arms market through big deals with Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which have traditionally relied on the US for their big-ticket purchases.
South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported this month that Saudi Arabia Military Industries (SAMI) is in talks with China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco) about acquiring China-made Sky Saker FX80 and CR500 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones, Cruise Dragon 5 and 10 loitering munitions and the HQ-17AE short-range air defense (SHORAD) system.

SSTL was awarded a contract in January 2022 to deliver a satellite for project Minerva. A total of GBP127 million is being invested in the Minerva programme over a four-year period, ensuring the UK has the processing power, radio frequencies, imaging capabilities, and data streams to deliver timely intelligence. (SSTL)
A UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) test satellite – Project Tyche – will launch in 2024 as part of project Minerva, the Head of Space Capability at UK Space Command, Commodore Dave Moody, told Janes on 25 May.

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has issued two contracts yesterday, 31 May, to adopt directed-energy weapon (DEW) systems for air defence and commit to funding pulsed laser research.
The first contract tasks the Alabama-based defence company, Kord Technologies, to develop, integrate, test and sustain directed-energy short-range air defence systems for the US Army.
Kord’s ‘Other Transaction Authority’ agreement – which gives the DoD flexibility to adopt business practices that reflect commercial industry standards –  is worth $158.1m.