The Franco-German holding company KNDS will continue to provide simulator technology to the Swedish Procurement Office for the Leopard 2.

Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) Dassault Mirage 2000-5s (on the far left and far right) operate with QEAF Dassault Rafales and US Air Force Boeing F-15Es over Doha in 2020. The QEAF has since withdrawn its 12 Mirages in service, leading to Indonesia’s interest in procuring the fleet. (USAF/Staff Sgt Justin Parsons)
Indonesia has withdrawn from a contract to procure the Qatar Emiri Air Force’s (QEAF’s) combined force of 12 Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighter aircraft.

The TPY-4 radar. (Lockheed Martin)
Lockheed Martin is positioning its TPY-4 ground-based long-range surveillance radar for the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF’s) air-defence requirements.
Chandra Marshall, vice-president for radar and sensor systems at Lockheed Martin, confirmed the matter during a briefing for media representatives on 14 February. The briefing was held as a run-up to the Singapore Airshow, which will be held from 20 to 25 February.

The clock is ticking for U.S. forces in Syria. In October 2021, an Iranian-made drone slammed into Tanf, just missing the small row of trailers that house U.S. forces deployed at the spartan base. Last month, an Iranian splinter group managed to sneak a drone through U.S. defenses, killing three in a small outpost in Jordan. Daily attacks from the Axis of Resistance have made life hell for U.S. troops in both Syria and Iraq. The recent deaths of three servicemembers are a reminder of the stakes.

Aselsan Gürz SHORAD system shown at WDS 2024. (Janes/Sunil Nair)
Aselsan’s Gürz short-range air-defence (SHORAD) system was displayed at the World Defense Show (WDS) 2024 held in Riyadh from 4 to 8 February. This was the system’s international debut after it was shown at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul in July 2023.

GA-ASI’s Gambit UAV concept. Though the companies involved in the CCA programme have been tight-lipped about their submissions, GA-ASI’s may be based off the Gambit concept revealed in 2022. (GA-ASI)
The US Air Force (USAF) is set to downselect contractors on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme from five current potential providers to two to three “within the next few months”, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall told reporters on 13 February on the sidelines of the Air Force Association conference.

FNSS Pars Alpha 8×8 New Generation at WDS 2024. (Janes/Sunil Nair)
Turkish vehicle manufacturer FNSS unveiled its Pars Alpha 8×8 new generation (NG) armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) at the World Defence Show (WDS) 2024 held in Riyadh from 4 to 8 February.
The Pars Alpha on display had a Teber-II 30/40 remote-controlled turret (RCT) fitted with a 30 mm dual-feed automatic cannon. This can be replaced by a 40 mm cannon by changing the recoil spring and forward feeder.
A 7.62 mm or 5.

HMS
Prince of Wales
departs Portsmouth Harbour on 12 February to take part in Exercise ‘Steadfast Defender 2024′ with NATO partners off the coast of Norway.
(Crown Copyright)

The UK Royal Navy’s (RN’s) second Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier HMS
Prince of Wales
sets sail from Portsmouth on 12 February bound for northern Norway where it will lead an international task group in the NATO Exercise ‘Steadfast Defender 2024′.

The U.S. Air Force is looking at welcoming foreign allies and partners into “increment two” of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone program, or CCA, which it expects to kick off in the next year or so. The service also now plans to extend its CCA-related relationships within the U.S. military to include U.S. Special Operations Command later this year.
The Air Force’s plans to include key allies in CCA mirrors the case The War Zone laid out for doing exactly that in a in-depth feature last year, which you can check out here.

The Air National Guard’s top officer made it clear today during a roundtable with journalists at the Air Force Association’s Warfare Symposium what value he sees in the F-15EX Eagle II and that he wants more of them.
Our Howard Altman asked Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh, the Director of the Air National Guard, specifically about the future role of the F-15EX and the possibility of procuring more beyond the reduced number of 104 currently planned.
“So the F-15EX initial fielding is to the National Guard … It is both a homeland defense platform, as well as a power projection platform.

Fort Liberty Garrison Commander Col. John Wilcox, Command
Sgt. Major Gregory Seymour, and Director of Public Works employees move trash
to alleviate the trash overflow accumulation on the installation. (U.S. Army photo
by Jason Ragucci, Garrison Public Affairs).

Officials at Fort Liberty appeared to be tackling the overflowing dumpsters and uncollected trash across the Army’s largest military base on Tuesday after complaints and pictures of the refuse surfaced. 
Garrison Commander Col.

In the wake of the significant tank losses experienced by Russia in the conflict, a considerable number of T-62s have been reactivated from reserves.
The update of the T-62MV Obr. 2022 incorporates improvements in optics, reactive armor, anti-drone defenses and a minehunting system, marking a significant advance in the operational capacity of this historic 42-tonne model with a crew of four.
Tactical and technological improvements of the T-62MV Obr. 2022 on the battlefield
The T-62MV Obr.

Ryan and Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, chatted about, well, it’s in his job title. They discussed North Korean intentions, American military posture, deepening cooperation between South Korea and Japan, Chinese military modernization, corruption in the Chinese military, and deterring an attack on Taiwan. Image: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Charles J. Scudella III
The post Security in the Indo-Pacific with Assistant Secretary of Defense Ely Ratner appeared first on War on the Rocks.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Nathan R. Hernandez, military working dog handler, Provost Marshal Office, Security Battalion, leads his military working dog Fredy through an obstacle course on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, April 27, 2022. (US Marine Corps photo/Lance Cpl. Kayla LaMar).
So you want to be a dog handler in the military — awesome! — but you have no idea where to start or what that journey looks like? No worries, we got you. The Military Working Dog Handler course is where all U.S.

A series of photos have appeared that suggest that a mockup of China’s stealthy J-35 carrier-capable fighter has been used for tests aboard the aircraft carrier Liaoning. As well as indicating further progress in the J-35’s path to a career as a frontline naval fighter, it also raises the possibility of a version of the jet operating from China’s two in-service carriers, which are not equipped with catapult launch gear, instead having ‘ski jump’ ramps.

FILE: A CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter lands on the flight deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21), Dec. 17, 2019.. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Lyle Wilkie/U.S. Navy).
The recent crash of a Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter that killed five Marines took place amid the ongoing stand down of all military V-22 Ospreys. The result, say Marine aviation experts, has almost certainly increased the usage of the aging CH-53E fleet.

The Pentagon is in the process of alerting an undisclosed number of current and former employees, job applicants and partners that their sensitive personal information may have been exposed online in a “data breach incident” that was first detected in early 2023.
DefenseScoop viewed a notice — dated Feb. 1, 2024 and sent by the Defense Intelligence Agency to a longtime Defense Department official — encouraging them to sign up for government-provided identity theft protection services as a result of the exposure.

AURORA, Colo. — The Air Force will move forward with at least two vendors for the next phase of its collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) program within “the next few months,” Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall told reporters Tuesday.
The service has confirmed that five companies are currently contracted for the initial stages of the CCA program — Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Anduril.

The U.S. Air Force plans to cut the number of companies it now has working on its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drone program roughly in half in just a few a months. This is in line with the service’s previously started goal of having a “first increment” of CCAs in production by around 2028.
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall provided the updates on the CCA program at a media roundtable The War Zone and other outlets attended today on the sidelines of the 2024 Air & Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium.

CSM Keith DeBoo shows off a photo of his grandfather, Louis DeBoo, a 1950s veteran, to illustrate a multigenerational tradition of service. The background picture used behind them inadvertantly shows World War II reenactors wearing German uniforms. Photos from Facebook, iStock.
There are two things you need to know about the pictures on a recent Montana National Guard recruiting poster: The first is that the soldier in the center is Command Sgt. Maj.

Israel owns an anti-UAV system with a smart viewfinder that can target accurately without control.

An unnamed senior defense official in Israel said on February 10 that the country is using many new weapons to deal with UAVs, weapons that Hamas often uses to drop explosives.
Weapons company Smart Shooter in Israel has cooperated with HDT Global Group and Leonardo’s branch in the US to develop a mobile anti-UAV system.
The system’s weapon is the SMASH Hooper remote control gun complex manufactured by Smart Shooter.

Admiral Nils Andreas Stensjones, at the head of E-tjenesten, highlights Russia’s current superiority compared to the previous year.
Amid escalating tensions, the European security landscape hangs in the balance due to Russia’s persistence in Ukraine, according to Norwegian military intelligence.
Russia strengthens its war position in Ukraine, according to E-tjenesten
The recent statement by French President  Emmanuel Macron underlines European concern about a possible Russian triumph in Ukraine, considering it a direct threat to the security of the continent.

Tokyo acquires unmanned underwater vehicles and partners with Australia to counter China’s growing underwater threat.
Japan aims to strengthen its underwater warfare capabilities around the strategic Nansei Islands off China by acquiring new unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and partnering with Australia to obtain such technologies.
Asian Military Review has reported that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) plans to enhance its ocean observation capabilities with new UUVs and long-range underwater acoustic communication systems.

Otokar Tulpar AFV with HITFACT II 120 mm turret at WDS 2024. (Janes/Sunil Nair)
Turkish company Otokar displayed the Tulpar armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) fitted with Leonardo’s Highly Integrated Technology, Fire Against Combat Tank (HITFACT) II 120 mm smoothbore gun turret at the World Defense Show (WDS) 2024 held in Riyadh from 4 to 8 February.
Otokar’s Tulpar is a family of medium-weight tracked AFVs designed to provide a user with a single common platform that can perform multiple roles.

Otokar Tulpar AFV with HITFACT MkII 120 mm turret at WDS 2024. (Janes/Sunil Nair)Turkish company Otokar displayed the Tulpar armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) fitted with Leonardo’s Highly Integrated Technology, Fire Against Combat Tank (HITFACT) MkII 120 mm smoothbore gun turret at the World Defense Show (WDS) 2024 held in Riyadh from 4 to 8 February.Otokar’s Tulpar is a family of medium-weight tracked AFVs designed to provide a user with a single common platform that can perform multiple roles.

Ukrainian scientists say that Russia has used its secretive hypersonic Zircon cruise missile in attacks on at least one target in Ukraine. If that’s the case, this is a highly significant development, with the first combat use of a ‘true’ hypersonic strike weapon. However, there remain many questions about the Zircon’s actual capabilities and its operational status.
An official claim that Zircon (sometimes written as Tsirkon) was used to strike Ukraine comes from the Kyiv Scientific-Research Institute for Forensic Examinations.

Public Domain

Lloyd Austin underwent an invasive surgical procedure called a prostatectomy for his prostate cancer. He was readmitted to the ICU ward of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center seven days later, on January 1st, due to complications caused by a severe infection. It appears he was septic. He concealed his inability to carry out his duties from Biden, Congress, the Pentagon, and his Deputy Secretary, Dr. Kathleen Hicks. On January 4th, finally becoming aware of Austin’s hospitalization, security adviser Jake Sullivan notified Hicks, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico.

Russia is reportedly deploying Starlink terminals in contested regions in Ukraine, the GUR said. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The Russian Armed Forces is reportedly using the Starlink satellite communications system in Ukraine to establish internet connectivity, Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) confirmed on 11 February.
Russian forces, such as the 83rd Air Assault Brigade, which are fighting in the contested region of Donetsk, near Klishchiivka and Andriivka, are currently deploying the system at the front, the GUR said.

The Armed Forces of the Czech Republic has received all eight of its EL/M-2084 radars, with FOC expected by the end of 2024. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
The Czech Republic’s EL/M-2084 Multi-Mission radars (MMRs) from Elta Systems will reach full operating capability (FOC) by the end of 2024, Janes learnt.
A spokesperson from the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic told Janes that all eight radars are now in the country after the final system was delivered in December 2023, with FOC expected before the end of the 2024.

Russian Missile Strike Causes Panic Among Ukrainian Leadership Over Loss Of Moral

KYIV – Below is a situation report on the Russian assault on Avdiivka in Donbass, a critical junction in the conflict.
Situation: Tense, but Ukrainian control holds.
Russian Activity:

22 assaults near Avdiivka, 7 near Tonenky/Nevelsky.
Aiming to disrupt Ukrainian logistics and gather intel.

Losses:

Russian forces: ~400-500 troops/day.
Ukrainian forces: Selidovo missile strike caused injuries (exact number unconfirmed, likely higher than 1,500 reported).

Shahid Mahdavi
, seen here when it was officially commissioned in March 2023, was used to launch ballistic missiles.
(IRNA)
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has launched ballistic missiles from a ship for the first time, the force announced on 13 February.
Iranian news agencies reported that the launch was a collaboration between the IRGC’s naval and aerospace forces and involved missiles from the Fateh family.

Goldman Sachs and Houlihan Lokey top financial advisers in the North American M&A market, as per latest league table published by GlobalData.

Defence industry concerns over AI ‘hallucinations’ are not as pressing as the technology’s ethical and legal constraints.

Steve Lambakis, NIPP

Andrew A.

BrDef
. . .

Kyle Mizokami, PM
The M1283 Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle will form the backbone of the armored corps for decades to come.

Stephen Losey, Air Force Times
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La.

Is China overtaking the US in submarine technology? This article delves into the shifting dynamics of underwater warfare and the implications of China’s rising naval prowess.
In naval warfare, submarines have long been regarded as the silent guardians of the seas, capable of exerting influence far beyond their underwater domain. For decades, the United States has maintained a position of supremacy in submarine technology, wielding its underwater fleet as a strategic deterrent and projection of power.

Can you kill a bear with a thousand paper cuts or slay a dragon with an armada of toy boats? Many a wargame I have participated in suggests you can. Beyond rolling dice and questioning salvo exchange models, the challenge is understanding the types of battles and larger campaigns where swarms make a difference. From debates about the viability of Project Replicator to the Ukrainian calls to build a million first person view drones in 2024, there is a rising tide of interest in low-cost, attritable battlefield effects. The swarm is now a “new” theory of victory.

To better cope with the emerging threat from China, the Air and Space forces announced two dozen changes to their force structure ranging from creating a new major command (MAJCOM) and rebranding others to altering how air wings deploy.
Dubbed “Reoptimizing for Great Power Competition, it is a mix of near- and mid-term efforts designed to better position for the future at minimal additional cost, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said at the AIr & Space Forces Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colorado on Monday. Some of these efforts could take a year or longer to implement.

The DGA has ordered sights from the GME between Nexter and Safran for the Leclerc XLR, which was displayed at Eurosatory 2022. (Janes/Sonny Butterworth)
The Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), the French defence procurement agency, has ordered sights from the temporary company grouping (GME) between KNDS’s Nexter and Safran Electronics & Defense for the upgrade of the Leclerc main battle tank (MBT) to the XLR standard, the two companies announced in a joint press release on 8 February.

Bell’s HSVTOL concepts with folded rotors on display on 21 September 2021 at the Air Force Association’s annual conference. (Janes/Pat Host)
Bell Helicopters tested the high- and low-speed transitions of its High-Speed Vertical Take-off and Landing (HSVTOL) concept on a ground-based sled at Holloman Air Force Base (AFB), New Mexico, the company announced on 8 February.
Bell’s HSVTOL concept entails transitioning from rotary propulsion to jet propulsion in mid-air, a mode of flight never tested before.

A legacy AN/PRC-117G Adaptive Networking Wideband Waveform aboard an MV-22 Osprey at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. (US Marine Corps)
The US Marine Corps (USMC) is exploring options for building in a mission module capability into the service’s fleet of tactical radios, as a way to accelerate waveform integration as part of an ongoing massive tactical radio upgrade effort.

In the global aerospace & defence industry, there were 2 M&A deals announced in Q4 2023, worth a total value of $837.6m, according to GlobalData’s Deals Database.

Ukraine is using a network made up of thousands of acoustic sensors across the country to help detect and track incoming Russian kamikaze drones, alert traditional air defenses in advance, and also dispatch ad hoc drone hunting teams to shoot them down. This is according to the U.S. Air Force’s top officer in Europe who also said the U.S. military is now looking to test this capability to see if it might help meet its own demands for additional ways to persistently monitor for, and engag,e drone threats.
Gen. James Hecker, head of U.S.

The U.K. Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales is headed to Norway to lead an international task group in one of the largest NATO exercises since the end of the Cold War. This comes after significant controversy over the reason for its departure, as well as a delay in leaving its pier, which has reignited debate over the readiness of the class. 
The carrier left the Royal Navy’s Portsmouth Naval Base for Steadfast Defender 2024 on February 12.

AURORA, Colo. — Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall unveiled his plans to reorganize the department he leads in order to boost overall readiness and ensure the Air and Space Forces have the right capabilities to combat U.S. adversaries — an effort known as Reoptimizing for Great Power Competition. 
During the annual AFA Warfare Symposium on Monday, he and other top officials outlined a total of 24 changes that will be part of the initiative.

The fourth and fifth MQ-28A prototypes have started flight-testing, according to a video released by Boeing. The fifth prototype (on the right) has an IRST system installed on the upper nose surface. This system was not seen on the earlier MQ-28 prototypes. (Boeing)
The Australian government has announced AUD399 million (USD259.5 million) in funding to further develop key systems for the Boeing MQ-28A Ghost Bat Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and build three new next-generation Block 2 aircraft.

A pair of Ukraine’s prized M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) have returned to the United States, likely for repairs, after sustaining differing degrees of battle damage. Video and photos posted recently to social media show the HIMARS launchers, two of 39 delivered, being unloaded from an Antonov An-124 transport aircraft at Harrisburg International Airport in Middletown, Pennsylvania.

A series of photos of the HIMARS as they were being unloaded was also shared with The War Zone by Keystone Intel (@KSOINT) and you can see them below, as well as the top of this story.