The GLOCK brand pistol is so synonymous with striker-fired, semi-automatic, polymer-frame handguns that other weapons following this design are sometimes referred to as “Glocks.” Named for its inventor, Gaston Glock, the GLOCK company is one of most recognizable in the firearms and manufacturing industries around the world. On December 27, 2023, GLOCK’s founder passed away at the age of 94.
Gaston Glock, inventor of the GLOCK pistol (GLOCK US)
Glock was born on July 19, 1929, in Vienna, Austria. In 1963, he founded the GLOCK company as a manufacturer of curtain rods.

The Chinese National Assembly elected Senior General Dong Quan as Minister of National Defense, replacing his predecessor, Li Shangfu.

“The Standing Committee of the 14th National Assembly on December 29 decided to appoint Mr. Dong Quan as Minister of National Defense,” Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported. This decision took place two months after Lieutenant General Ly Thuong Phuc was dismissed from his position.
Mr. Dong Quan, 62 years old, studied at Dalian Naval Academy and served in the Chinese Navy since 1979.

Hosts L Todd Wood and Colonel John Mills (USA, Ret) discuss the naval situation in the Pacific, US industrial base, Tinian Airfield, the Orca drone, and CCP smoke shops.

Back To 2-And-A-Half Wars?
What Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Is Doing To The Navy

The post LIVE 7pm EST: Pacific SitRep – Taiwan, Orca Drone, Tinian, CCP Smoke Shops appeared first on Armed Forces Press.

Photo by Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu via Getty Images
Russia launched an apparently unprecedented wave of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine overnight. If the claims of Ukrainian authorities are correct, and 122 missiles were indeed launched, together with 36 one-way attack drones, this would be the biggest air raid of its kind since the start of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Based on Ukrainian Air Force figures, previously the biggest assault was in November 2022 and involved 96 missiles launched against Ukraine.

The Talaiyeh long-range anti-ship missile is seen next to its launcher during the ceremony at Konarak naval base. (defapress.ir)
The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN) held a ceremony on 24 December to induct new equipment that included an anti-ship missile called the Talaiyeh, which is said to have a range of more than 1,000 km.
Iranian media coverage showed a Talaiyeh on display next to a mobile launcher at the naval base in Konarak, the headquarters of the IRIN’s third region.

Image by Unknown

It’s time for a post mortem, and accountability at the American ‘national security’ establishment over the Ukraine debacle.
Let’s start by enunciating some truths, that I have been declaring since 2014, when the war started.

Ukraine was never a U.S. national security priority – it simply was never our fight. The entire escapade was a farcical project for the ‘color revolution dominatrix’ Victoria Nuland (as Darren Beattie appropriately names her), and her ilk in the globalist deep State Department.

Ben Powell, a Public Interest Declassification Board board member, moderated a discussion with Adam Goldman, a reporter at the New York Times; Nomaan Merchant, a reporter at the Associated Press; Dustin Volz, a reporter with the Wall Street Journal; and Josh Gerstein, a journalist with Politico. The conversation talked about the role of the media in holding government accountable, the use of the Freedom of Information Act, and how the classification issue impacts the media business and the job of reporting.

A UK F-35B flying from HMS
Queen Elizabeth
intercepted a Russian Ilyushin Il-22 Coot special mission aircraft on 6 October. NATO has reported a drop in alliance interceptions of Russian military aircraft for 2023 compared with the spike of 2022, with numbers now at about the same level as before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
(Royal Norwegian Air Force)
The number of NATO intercepts of Russian military aircraft fell in 2023 to approximately the same levels as before the war in Ukraine was launched in early 2022.

A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Soryu-class submarine. The country has embarked on a programme to design the next-generation submarine, which will be able to deploy stand-off missiles with greater ranges. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries)
Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) has received a research and development (R&D) contract from the Japan Ministry of Defense (MoD) to design a new class of diesel-electric submarines (SSKs), a representative from the company confirmed to Janes on 28 December.

Army T.

C4ISRNET
The Army’s ground combat forces will see three new vehicles arrive in 2024.

Stew Magnuson, NatDefM
ORLANDO — For more than four decades, the Army, other militaries and law enforcement agencies around the world have used a laser-based system to…

Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics
Tested and proven in Ukraine, loitering munitions would give infantrymen the ability to search and destroy targets at ranges once reserved for heavy…

DNews
The new year will likely prove to be one of significant force structure changes for the Army, according to its senior leaders.

South Korea’s fleet of 22 Westland WG13 Lynx Mk 99 maritime helicopters has been operational with the RoK Navy since 1991. (NurPhoto via Getty Images)
South Korea has approved a plan to replace the country’s ageing Westland WG13 Lynx Mk 99 maritime helicopter fleet amid other decisions on future rotary-wing-related acquisitions.
During its 158th meeting on 29 December, the Defense Acquisition Program Committee backed a “basic strategic plan” to replace the Republic of Korea (RoK) Navy’s 22 operational Lynx Mk 99s.

An artist’s rendering of the MiG-UTS shows it to be similar in appearance to the L-39 it is intended to replace. This is based largely on earlier design work done in the 1990s on the MiG-AT that is now being carried over. (Rostec)
Russia’s Mikoyan (MiG) design bureau is developing a new affordable jet trainer aircraft to be used by the country’s aviation forces, the Rostec conglomerate announced on 28 December.
The MiG-UTS will be a twin-seat, single-engined aircraft that will form part of a wider training system being developed.

The Anka 3 UCAV flew for the first time on 28 December. (Turkish government)
The Turkish Aerospace (TA) Anka 3 flying-wing unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) made its maiden flight on 28 December.
The flight over Ankara lasted for 70 minutes, during which the UCAV reached a height of 8,000 ft and a speed of 150 kt.
The existence of a low-observable, jet-powered UCAV was first made public in December 2022. The first taxi tests were performed in April 2023.
According to TA, the maximum take-off weight of the Anka 3 is 6.5 tons.

As we look back on 2023, the crises that dominated 2022 continue, while another war has begun in the Middle East. At this time last year, the world was concerned about Russian nuclear weapons use in Ukraine, even while many believed that the Russian leadership was mired in a conflict that it could not win. Now, Russia may still not be able to achieve President Vladimir Putin’s maximalist war aims, but as winter begins anew, there is growing pessimism about the Ukrainian military’s ability to force the Russian military from all territory it has captured since 2014.

A comprehensive exploration into the Pentagon’s groundbreaking “Replicator” initiative, delving into its objectives, avant-garde strategies, and burgeoning technologies within the contemporary warfare landscape.
Strategic Paradigms and Sophisticated Maneuvers within the “Replicator” Endeavor The Pentagon’s “Replicator” initiative integrates advanced strategic paradigms to redefine deterrence and combat tactics.

This article provides a technical and strategic examination of the Boxer, an advanced armored fighting vehicle that reinforces the United Kingdom’s arsenal. The focus is on its design, capabilities, and role in military modernization.
Analysis of the Arrival of Boxer Prototypes in the United Kingdom and Their Impact
The first prototypes of the Boxer armored vehicle have been delivered to the United Kingdom, marking a crucial milestone in strengthening its land military capability.

Via X
Less than 12 months after it first broke cover, Turkey’s home-grown reduced signature flying wing unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) has taken to the air. The first flight of the Turkish Aircraft Industries (TAI) ANKA-3 MIUS (which stands for National Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle System in Turkish) is a significant development, putting Turkey in an exclusive club of nations to have flown a drone in this class.

ANKA-3 İnsansız Savaş Uçağı’nın ilk uçuşu: pic.twitter.com/lNxcuCy4m5
— SavunmaSanayiST.

Barbie is a world-famous, Mattel-brand fashion doll that has been on store shelves for decades. It began as the brainchild of Ruth Handler and was officially introduced on March 9, 1959. It has since become a multimedia franchise, which includes the blockbuster Barbie film of 2023, which grossed over $1.4B at the box office. The doll has had a strong impact on culture and society at large, which includes influencing female independence and living an upscale existence with cars, clothes and properties to boot.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling on set filming Barbie. Photo courtesy of imdb.com.

Rostec
The Russian Aircraft Corporation (RAC) MiG has begun work on a new jet trainer, the MiG-UTS. The program is being launched with some urgency, reusing components from a previous MiG trainer design from the 1990s, amid growing problems in Russia’s military pilot training pipeline.
It was announced today on the website of the Rostec state defense conglomerate that RAC MiG has begun the development of the MiG-UTS, with the aircraft described as the centerpiece of a “new pilot training complex.” However, no more details were provided of the other components of this system.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Kyra Helwick
An F-35B stealth fighter conducting vertical or rolling vertical landings on a warship’s deck at night is a sight to behold. Perhaps the most dramatic aspect of this audio-visual spectacle is the vertical ‘pillar of thrust’ upon which the jet perches as it makes its descent onto the deck. But while it looks very much like an afterburner plume, and many on social media think that’s what it is, the F-35B doesn’t actually engage this function when operating in vertical mode.

The Department of Defense provided new projections for how much money contractors and other organizations will have to spend to implement the Pentagon’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program.
The updated estimates were included in a proposed rule for CMMC 2.0 that was published Tuesday in the Federal Register.

A 1918 Elgin General Funston Trench Watch. (Photo of watch courtesy of LRF Antique Watches, background photo via U.S. Signal Corps/Library of Congress).
World War I is largely remembered for mud, trenches, and barbed wire, but it also marked a significant turning point in the history of timepieces.
Prior to the United States’ entry into the war, many Americans had pocket watches. But that began to change when the Yanks started heading “over there” to fight the Kaiser, said Stan Czubernat, an expert in American-made World War I watches.

The Romanian Navy’s first Sandown-class minehunter arrives at the Port of Constanta on 19 December 2023. (Romanian MoD)
The first of two ex-Royal Navy (RN) Sandown-class mine-countermeasure vessels (MCMVs) procured by Romania from the United Kingdom has arrived in country.

Special military prosecutors will now handle accusations of sexual assault, domestic violence and murder among other serious crimes, taking prosecutions out of the chain of the command of the accused. A 2-113th Infantry Soldier at Camp McGregor, New Mexico. New Jersey National Guard photo by Spc Jacqueline Robinson.
A major overhaul in how the military investigates and prosecutes sexual assaults and other serious crimes launches today as the Pentagon shifts decision-making from unit commanders to independent prosecutors to determine if an accusation should go to court martial.

The 100th Polish-built Black Hawk helicopter rolled off the PZL Mielec production line in late November. (PZL Mielec)
Lockheed Martin’s subsidiary, PZL Mielec, recently turned out the 100th S-70 Black Hawk helicopter to be built at its facility in southern Poland.
Announced at the end of November, the milestone helicopter was an S-70i for the Polish Armed Forces (as well as the S-70i, the plant also builds the S-70M with the difference between the two being one of certification).

German C-130Js are to be equipped for the SOF role, a senior Luftwaffe official has disclosed. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
Germany is to equip its Lockheed Martin C-130J transport aircraft for the special operations forces (SOF) role, it was revealed in late November.
The Head of the Air Transport/Jet/Unmanned Aircraft System Branch at the German Air Force Command, Colonel Stefan Kleinheyer, made the disclosure during the SAE Media Group Military Airlift and Air-to-Air Refuelling conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

Alex Hollings, Sandboxx News
During the opening days of Operation Desert Storm, one American F-16 pilot overcame incredible odds by dodging not just one surface-to-air missile fired at him,…

JS
Kaga
, seen here during its sea trials post-refit.
(JMSDF)

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has released post-refit images of its Izumo-class helicopter carrier JS
Kaga
, which has been modified for F-35B aircraft operations.

These images were released by the service’s Escort Flotilla 4 via its official social media page between 25 and 27 December and were taken during the vessel’s post-refit sea trials, it added.
Kaga
is the second of two Izumo-class helicopter carriers operated by the JMSDF.

The 15,000 lbf-class turbofan engine to be developed by South Korea could potentially lead to a domestic powerplant for the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50/FA-50 trainer/light fighter and unmanned combat aerial vehicles. (Janes/Akhil Kadidal)
South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has announced that it has launched a research programme to develop a 15,000 lbf-class turbofan engine for fighter aircraft.
In a statement on 26 December, DAPA said it plans to complete the development of the engine by the mid-to-late 2030s.

On 22 December the Netherlands said it had made the first 18 F-16s available to Ukraine, with more potentially to follow. (Royal Netherlands Air Force)
The Netherlands has released to Ukraine the first 18 Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft, with others potentially to follow.
Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren made the announcement on 22 December, saying that with the export approvals in place, the jets are being prepared for delivery.

With five KC-390 aircraft already on order, the Portuguese Air Force is considering the procurement of a sixth aircraft as part of a wider revamp of its capabilities. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
The Portuguese Air Force (FAP) is looking to strengthen its transport and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities through the acquisition and modernisation of existing aircraft.

Russia warns that Moscow-Tokyo relations will suffer serious consequences if Japanese-made Patriot air defense missiles are transferred to Ukraine.

“It is possible that the Patriot missiles Japan sold to the US will be transferred to Ukraine like many other types of weapons. The Japanese missiles falling into the hands of the Ukrainian army will be considered a clear hostile act aimed at Russia, leading to to the most serious consequences for bilateral relations between Moscow and Tokyo,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on December 27.

Urban areas and residential areas in northern Israel were attacked by dozens of rockets launched from Lebanon, causing many structures to be damaged.

On December 27, sirens continuously sounded in northern Israel when rockets launched from Lebanon targeted several towns here, including the coastal town of Rosh Hanikra and the city of Kiryat Shmona.
During the first raid, the town of Rosh Hanikra received at least 18 rockets. Israel’s Iron Dome air defense complex intercepted at least 6 rockets, and several other shells fell into open areas.

The recent accord between BAAINBw and Diehl Defense for the procurement of more than 1,200 IRIS-T missiles signifies a momentous stride in fortifying Germany’s aerial defense capabilities.
Pact between BAAINBw and Diehl Defense for the reinforcement of air defense On December 20, Annette Lehnigk-Emden, the President of the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology, and In-Service Support of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), and Helmut Rauch, the CEO of Diehl Defence, sealed a substantial framework agreement.

The highly anticipated launch of the X-37B, an advanced unmanned aircraft operated by the US Space Force, is scheduled for December 28, 7:00 p.m., from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
This event marks the fourth attempt at this mission, overcoming previous delays caused by adverse weather conditions and technical challenges on the ground. Initially slated for December 7, the launch faced successive postponements, illustrating the complexities of such high-stakes operations.
Tactical Space Capabilities: X-37B vs.

F-35 Upgrades: AI and Cybersecurity Integration On joint missions, squadrons of AI-enhanced F-35s have demonstrated superior teamwork with the F-22 using two-way data links, sharing critical information in real-time.
This analysis details ongoing improvements to the F-35 fighter, focusing on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced cybersecurity measures.
AI Integration into the F-35 to Maintain Air Superiority.
The F-35 fighter, a jewel of aerospace engineering, is in a constant process of evolution.

Public Domain

The Air Force Academy’s top official worried the Supreme Court’s decision that race-based admissions were unconstitutional would set back the service’s “warfighting imperative” of building a racially diverse military, according to emails obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
On June 30, 2023, Lt. Gen.

USAF
The U.S. Air Force is seeking modified underwing pylons for its B-52H bombers to help ensure they will be able to carry as many hypersonic cruise missiles as possible in the future. The service says this is a particularly important requirement in the context of being prepared for a potential future high-end conflict in the Pacific against China.
A contracting notice discussing the Air Force’s B-52 pylon plans in relation to the development of a new conventionally-armed air-breathing hypersonic cruise missile was released back at the end of November.

The Self Defense Test Ship, ex-USS
Paul F Foster
(EDD 964), will be overhauled.
(US Navy)

BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair business has been awarded a USD22 million firm-fixed-price contract to overhaul the US Navy’s (USN’s) Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) ex-USS
Paul F Foster
(EDD 964).

Awarded on 15 December by Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Port Hueneme Division (PHD), the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) will see the SDTS subject to pier-side maintenance, repair, and alterations.

Continuously attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea, the Houthis are creating a major challenge to US power, forcing Washington to find a response.

When Iranian-backed militia groups repeatedly attacked US forces in Syria and Iraq recently, President Joe Biden’s administration responded strongly with force. On December 25, the Pentagon announced that it had deployed “necessary and proportionate” airstrikes against three facilities used by the Kataib Hezbollah armed group in Iraq, killing many gunmen.

The Space Force recently held its first-ever Red Skies exercise focused on training guardians how to respond to potential adversary attacks against U.S. space-based assets, the service announced Dec. 22.
Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) hosted the inaugural event Dec. 11-15. Red Skies is envisioned as an annual training experience that emphasizes “orbital warfare” disciplines, according to the Space Force.

At the height of World War II in 1945, Tinian Airfield was the busiest airfield in the world as hundreds of B-29s gathered here for the final bombing campaign of Japan. Tinian had been seized from the Japanese in a bloody campaign in late summer of 1944 and now roared with the sounds of thousands of Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclones, one of the biggest aircraft piston engines ever made. One time in Cleveland in the 1990s I stepped out of our car and immediately recognized the sound as one of the few remaining B-29s flew overhead.

via X
As Moscow announces plans to deploy its 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled gun to Ukraine, it’s worth recalling the rather more bizarre, double-barreled configuration of that same weapon, that was eventually rejected by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The name used by Russia’s latest self-propelled gun harkens back to the original double-barreled version, also the 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV, meaning ‘coalition’ in Russian — a reference to the paired main guns.

Both dual-barrelled Koalitsiya prototypes in the same photo. A russian fever dream of the past… pic.twitter.

Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies
New satellite imagery offers clear looks at the aftermath of the destruction of the Russian Navy’s Ropucha class landing ship Novocherkassk. There is clear damage to the pier where the vessel, which is now just a burned-out hulk, was moored in the port city of Feodosia on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. Novocherkassk suffered multiple secondary explosions, including one that produced a huge fireball, after being hit by Ukrainian air-launched cruise missiles, as you can read more about in The War Zone‘s initial reporting.

The U.S. Air Force released new doctrine for electromagnetic spectrum operations, reflecting a change in the operating environment.
The document, published Dec. 14, outlines concepts, terminology, roles and responsibilities, authorities, operations and the importance of the spectrum to joint ops.
“The joint force requires an overmatching, offensive approach to electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO) to enhance competitive advantage and create multiple dilemmas for adversaries in all domains.

On December 14, 2021, the CMV-22B Osprey reached initial operational capability with the Navy to perform the carrier onboard delivery mission. Unlike the C-2A Greyhound, which it is replacing, the Osprey is able to carry the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine that powers the F-35 Lightning II. However, following the fatal crash of an Air Force Special Operations CV-22 in late November 2023, all but one Osprey squadron across the U.S. military have been grounded. To pick up the slack, the Navy is relying on the legacy Greyhound.
A C-2A taxis on the deck of USS Nimitz (CVN-68) (U.S.