Ever since the inclusion of Italy, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has had a more complicated relationship with maritime geography than its name implies. Now, with challenges to the international order appearing across multiple flanks, the alliance is trying to figure out how to further its mission in the Indo-Pacific. In recent years, like-minded European and East Asian nations have increasingly worked to deepen their defense ties.

Tron Future Tech displays its C-UAS’ new hard-kill component called T.Interceptor at the World Defense Show 2024 in Riyadh. (Janes/Akshara Parakala)

The Republic of China Army (RoCA) has deployed a modular counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) developed by Taiwan’s Tron Future Tech, the company told
Janes
at the World Defense Show (WDS) 2024 held in Riyadh from 4 to 8 February.

The C-UAS, with a new hard-kill component named T.Interceptor, has been displayed at the show.

The wreckage of a new Ukrainian jet-powered attack drone has appeared in Russia. So far, we know very little about the origins of the drone or its precise capabilities. Still, it signals, once again, Ukraine’s increasingly active development of long-range one-way attack drones as a means of taking the fight more directly to Russia.
A series of photos that appeared today on social media show the wreckage of one of the drones — the name and manufacturer of which remain unknown — and reveal some details about its construction and components.

The NFL and USAA, an official NFL Salute to Service Partner, named Joe Cardona, long snapper for the New England Patriots, as the recipient of the 2023 Salute to Service Award presented by USAA. The award recognizes the exceptional efforts by members of the NFL family to honor and support the military community.
Cardona will be recognized at NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air nationally on the CBS Television Network and NFL Network, and stream on Paramount+ and NFL+ on Thursday, Feb. 8 at the Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas.

U.S. service members assigned to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) participate in a disinterment ceremony held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The ceremony took placed on Mar. 4, 2019. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. Lloyd Villanueva).
The U.S. military has defended our country for over 200 years, often at the expense of service members’ blood and tears. Some paid the ultimate sacrifice, while others became prisoners of war or went missing in action — their families left wondering what happened to their loved ones.

Images emerging on social media in the aftermath of a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad indicate that a high-ranking member of the Iranian-backed Khataib Hezbollah militia was likely killed by a secretive AGM-114R9X Hellfire missile. The weapon, known colloquially as the “flying Ginsu,” is a variant of the standard Hellfire, but with six pop-out sword-like blades in lieu of a traditional explosive warhead.
The drone strike took place at 9:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, when U.S. Central Command forces “conducted a unilateral strike in Iraq in response to the attacks on U.S.

The Marine Corps will hold a service-wide inspection of every barracks between now and March 15, the service announced.
The Marine Corps will inspect every single barracks room it owns in the next month.
“None of this will happen overnight but this inspection is an important first step,” said  Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, in a video statement. “Commanders and senior leaders: if your barracks have issues, get out there and own it.”
The order directs base commanders to assign a Gunnery Sgt.

The U.S. Navy is interested in acquiring a relatively low-cost and compact air-launched stand-off anti-ship weapon, four of which could be carried internally by certain variants of the F-35 stealth fighter. The U.S. Air Force has also laid out its own requirements for a similar-sounding air-launched munition, but that is geared toward more general air-to-ground strike missions.
Naval Air Systems Command put out a contracting notice for what it is currently calling the Multi-Mission Affordable Capacity Effector weapon system, or MACE, on February 2.

The modernization of the Russian Tu-160M/M2 bombers arsenal has significant strategic implications.
A notable aspect of the modernization of Russian Tu-160M/M2 bombers is the inclusion of hypersonic missiles. These missiles are part of the “White Swans” arsenal, highlighting the Kinzhal (Dagger) missile for its high success rate.
Concerns about the modernization of the Russian nuclear triad
The community of military experts in Russia has raised significant concerns regarding the degree of modernization of its nuclear triad.

BAGHDAD, IRAQ – FEBRUARY 07: A crane lifts the wrecked car which has been targeted to kill the Senior commander Abu Baqir al-Saadi of Popular Mobilization Forces (Al-Hashd al-Shaabi) at eastern area of Al-Mashtal in Baghdad, Iraq on February 07, 2024. (Photo by Murtadha Al-Sudani/Anadolu via Getty Images).
A  U.S. drone strike killed a senior leader of an Iranian-backed militant group Wednesday.. The strike killed Abu Baqir al-Saadi, the commander of the Kataib Hezbollah militia. It was the second time in a little more than a month that a U.S. airstrike targeted a vehicle in Baghdad.

A trio of lawmakers from the Senate Armed Services Committee have written a letter to President Joe Biden asking the administration to incorporate more insights from the Pentagon as it begins to implement the National Spectrum Strategy.
The letter — signed by Sens. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Angus King, I-Maine — outlines the legislators’ apprehensions over the possible repercussions if the Department of Defense is asked to vacate portions of the electromagnetic spectrum that are exclusively used for military operations.

On Wednesday, several lawmakers asked service officials to use more privatized housing in an effort to shift the problem away from the military and its troops and on to private companies. Photo by Randy Cephus.
The military needs to get troops “out of the hotel management business,” one congressman told military officials Wednesday, and to let troops focus on their duties rather than fixing barracks issues.

The Department of the Air Force is tightening the linkage and relationship between its cyber entity and the Space Force to harden networks against threats and improve operational outcomes.
The 16th Air Force announced in January that it is partnering with Space Operations Command (SpOC) in order to integrate space-based capabilities into all of its warfighting operations. Through the agreement — which will see Space Force personnel embedded with 16th Air Force — the two organizations are seeking a greater understanding of how to defend space assets from cyber attacks.

Geostationary satellites, operating from higher altitudes, span a larger field of view compared to those in low Earth orbit, in addition to offering constant observation of specific geographic areas, a capability that LEO satellite constellations cannot replicate.
In the recent fall, General James Rainey of the US Army issued a telling warning: “Our ability to conceal ourselves, essential to our combat strategy, has become obsolete.” This statement preceded China’s deployment of the Yaogan-41.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has released images of a brand new, fully-constructed advanced air combat drone called the XQ-67A. The company built it as part of a contract to support the U.S. Air Force’s secretive Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) program. Though an explicit connection has not been made, there have been indications in the past that this design leverages work the company is doing on Gambit, a novel family of advanced drones that involves different airframes that can be mated to a modular common ‘core’ chassis.

The S-400 air defense systems stand as a pinnacle of capability and reliability. Recent discussions surrounding delivering the final S-400 systems to India have sparked various speculations and concerns.
However, Alexander Mikheev, the general director of Rosoboronexport, has vehemently denied any delays, dismissing them as baseless rumors. Amidst geopolitical tensions and the specter of sanctions, Mikheev’s assurance underscores Russia’s dedication to honoring its agreements with India.

Hamas proposed a three-phase ceasefire plan lasting 135 days to exchange hostages and lead to an end to fighting in Gaza.

According to Hamas’ ceasefire proposal seen by Reuters on February 7, the plan will include 45 days for each stage to exchange Israeli hostages captured in October 2023, starting the process of rebuilding Gaza. Hamas demanded that Israeli forces completely withdraw their troops and that the two sides exchange the bodies of those who died as a result of the fighting.

A lot happens every day. Alliances shift, leaders change, and conflicts erupt. With In Brief, we’ll help you make sense of it all. Each week, experts will dig deep on a single issue happening in the world to help you better understand it. *** Things are heating up between Iran and the United States in the Middle East. On Sunday, Jan. 28, three U.S. servicemembers were killed in an Iranian-linked drone attack on the Tower 22 U.S. military outpost in Jordan, near the Syrian border, one of over 160 such attacks on U.S. targets in Iraq and Syria since October.

Host L Todd Wood speaks with ‘Alex’ from Kyiv, with an inside view of what is happening NOW on the ground in Ukraine.

Ukrainian farmers being incentivized to grow drugs over food
Ukrainian borders blocked for food transport; Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe
Civil war imminent

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With an explicit goal of addressing staffing shortfalls and other obstacles to accomplishing its mission, the Defense Innovation Unit is entering its next era: DIU 3.0.
The military innovation hub’s director Doug Beck (a Navy reserve captain and former Apple executive) unveiled his strategic vision for DIU 3.0 in a 9-page plan on Wednesday.
“The imperative for DIU 3.0 is clear. Against a backdrop of international challenges and with the world’s most capable technology sector, we can and must do more to identify and adopt impactful commercial technologies at speed and scale.

Over three-quarters of survey respondents believe AI will be disruptive, but not everyone believes the technology deserves the hype.

Details are still limited at this stage, but a search is on for a U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter that went missing late Tuesday night while flying from Nevada to California.
The U.S. Marine Corps has confirmed that the CH-53 had five Marines onboard when it went missing. Search and rescue crews, including from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the Civil Air Patrol are now looking for the helicopter as part of a coordinated effort.

A Shahed-238 is launched from the roof of a vehicle in a still from a documentary aired on Iranian television in 2023. (Islamic Republic News Agency)
A series of documents released by an Iranian hacking network have seemingly revealed new variants and specifications for Iranian one-way-attack (OWA) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The Prana Network released the documents on 4 February, saying it obtained them from a company set up as a front for Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) to sell UAVs to Russia and transfer the technology to build them locally.

American Rheinmetall Vehicles and GM Defense have delivered their three protoypes trucks for the US Army CTT programme.

Saudi Arabia will locally manufacture the Orion-H9 handheld jammer, developed by TRD Singapore, as part of a joint venture. (TRD Singapore)
Saudi Arabia has struck a deal with counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) manufacturer TRD Singapore to locally manufacture its Orion-H9 radio frequency (RF) jammer.
The agreement, disclosed at the World Defense Show (WDS) 2024 held in Riyadh from 4 to 8 February, is part of a joint venture (JV) called TRD Middle East Industry Co, established between TRD Singapore and domestic defence company Rakaa Holding.

(L-R) USPTO Public Affairs Specialist Christy Whitaker moderates the Women’s Entrepreneurship (WE) session featuring Jen Pasqual, Founder, Pride and Grit; Haley McClain Hill, Founder, TORCH Warriorwear; and Charlynda Scales, Founder, Mutt’s Sauce, at the Military Influencers Conference on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023 in Las Vegas.
The Military Influencer Conference (MIC) is an annual gathering of the leaders, entrepreneurs, content creators, creatives, and brands who shape and support the military community.

An F-16 is flown by Alec ‘Bulldog’ Spencer during a mission at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, in February 2019. (US Air Force/Tech Sgt John Raven)
Turkey will upgrade its fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft with Northrop Grumman’s latest electronic warfare (EW) suite, with plans to integrate the system into future blocks of the venerable jet fighter, Janes has learnt.

FILE: A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion flies toward the landing deck of the United States Naval Ship Sacagawea at Kushiro Port, Japan, Oct 13, 2022. (Lance Cpl. Federico Marquez/U.S. Marine Corps).
Search efforts are underway for a missing Marine Corps CH-53E helicopter with five Marines aboard, Corps officials said Wednesday.
The aircraft is assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, according to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

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FILE: A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion flies toward the landing deck of the United States Naval Ship Sacagawea at Kushiro Port, Japan, Oct 13, 2022. (Lance Cpl. Federico Marquez/U.S. Marine Corps).
A missing Marine CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter has been located in California, and search efforts for the five Marines who were aboard the aircraft remain ongoing, Corps officials announced on Wednesday.
The aircraft is assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, according to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

OCCAR director visited Sweden in an information campaign requested by the six member states to approach European partners to sign agreements.

To enhance operational readiness, Babcock has been given exclusive training duties for the armoured vehicle community by the British Army.

Static front lines and an inability to make a breakthrough will lead to attritional warfare in Ukraine through 2024.

Forbes
Sometime later this year, probably near the holidays, Amazon

Dorman & Vadum, Epoch Times Military academies were excluded from a prior decision striking down affirmative action.

MHN
In the mid-fifth century, the Roman Empire faced off against the Hunnic Empire of Attila.

Newsweek
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has lost a third of its firepower since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Kyiv has said.

Patrick Drennan, RealClearDefense

France’s Director General of Armaments made notification of €20.3bn of purchases in 2023, under the Military programming Law for 2024-2030.

One of the NAF’s two new T129 attack helicopters at Makurdi airbase. (Defence HQ Nigeria)
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) held a ceremony to formally induct its new T129 attack helicopters and a King Air 360ER into service at NAF Base, Makurdi, on 6 February.
The order for six T129s was announced by Turkish Aerospace in July 2022 and satellite imagery shows two had been delivered to Makurdi by 16 November 2023.

The UK has leased to Australia five H135 helicopters that will be used for training. (Crown Copyright)
The United Kingdom has leased to Australia five Airbus H135 Juno helicopters to be used for pilot training.
The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) announced the arrangement on 7 February, saying the helicopters will arrive in-country later in 2024 alongside ongoing deliveries of 40 newly ordered Lockheed Martin UH-60M Black Hawks.

The Viking 6×6 multirole UGV was used in the AUKUS TORVICE trial, held in Australia in 2023. The vehicle can carry payloads weighing up to 750 kg and is suitable for a range of missions including last-mile logistics, surveillance, combat, and improvised explosive device detection. (Crown Copyright)
Australia hosted a robotics and autonomous systems trial under the AUKUS Pillar 2 initiative to evaluate the technologies’ resilience and performance in contested environments, the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) announced on 5 February.

In June 2022, I travelled with a Ukrainian reconnaissance unit that was seeking to get an uncrewed aerial system with a camera over a series of Russian positions. Although the drone they were using was autonomous, this was not achieved from a remote headquarters with the press of buttons. Instead, a convoy of vehicles and eight personnel had to thread their way into no-man’s land, establish a communications array, and hold their position for several hours.

Boeing T-7A tail number 7002, the first to be delivered to the USAF, taking off from St Louis Lambert International Airport, Missouri, co-located with Boeing’s factory. (Boeing/Eric Shindelbower)

The Boeing T-7A Red Hawk is undergoing flutter testing at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) and climatic ground testing at Eglin AFB, Evelyn Moore, Boeing’s programme manager for the T-7, told
Janes
on 2 February.

Boeing delivered three engineering, manufacturing, and development (EMD) aircraft to the US Air Force (USAF) in 2023, short of the goal of five.

An artist’s impression of the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules in Swedish markings. (Lockheed Martin)
Lockheed Martin is pushing its C-130J Hercules airlifter for Sweden, announcing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with national industry on 6 February.
With the Swedish Air Force (SwAF) scoping out a replacement for its ageing C-130H Hercules fleet, Lockheed Martin has launched its C-130J-30 offering with an MOU signed with MilDef, a Stockholm-based provider of ‘tactical IT solutions’.

An infographic showing the status of F-35 sales across Europe. (Janes)
Two recent announcements pertaining to the Czech Republic and Greece confirmed the seemingly relentless progress of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) in securing sales across Europe.

BAE Systems has unveiled a new design configuration for its “Concept 2” uncrewed aircraft, which was first revealed in 2022. The platform forms part of the company’s vision for integrating uncrewed systems into future air combat operations, and is designed to assist crewed fighters in a variety of ways.
A sub-scale model of the revised design was recently revealed at the World Defense Show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and was first reported on by FlightGlobal.

The city of Avdiivka, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, continues to see intense fighting with the situation there for Ukrainian defenders becoming dire. With dwindling artillery ammunition and troops worn out after months of intense combat, Russia is now making larger gains.
Located northwest of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, Avdiivka has long been identified as a key Ukrainian strongpoint and Moscow has put considerable effort into its capture.

Warriors from the 110th Mechanized Brigade repel another russian attack on the Avdiivka axis.

The Ulyanovsk, with all its promise and possibilities, became a symbol of an era of unrealized ambitions and wasted resources.
Soviet naval grave: The failure of the Ulyanovsk in 1991
Analysis of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 often focuses on the inflation of its defense spending, a symptom of its desperate attempt to match the military capabilities of the United States. A prominent and telling example of this trend is Project 1143.7, the Ulyanovsk, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

Army veteran Brendon Bowersox was killed in Ukraine on Dec. 3. He felt compelled to go there to help children, his family says. (Photos courtesy of Beth Bowersox).
Brendon Bowersox was broken emotionally when he left for Ukraine in September, said his mother Beth.
A former U.S. Army air defense soldier, Bowersox’s greatest joy was being a father, his mother told Task & Purpose, but a court had recently awarded primary custody of his two children to their mother.

Tiger Helicopter Woes: A Closer Look
The Tiger attack helicopter, despite its service in Germany, France, Spain, and Australia, faces significant challenges. Let’s delve into the complexities surrounding this modern aircraft.
A Struggle for Reliability
Although initially envisioned as a pan-European alternative to the Apache helicopter, the Tiger’s journey has been fraught with difficulties. With approximately 7 billion euros invested in its development, it stands as a symbol of modern warfare technology. However, its operational challenges cannot be ignored.