The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is preparing to modernize how forensic evidence is processed.
NCIS told DefenseScoop that it plans to implement a new Evidence Management Portal (EMP) in the first quarter of 2024. The tracking technology is already used by both the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. The Army is credited for developing the system and currently serves as the program manager.

MBDA and PGZ will deliver Narew air defences for £4bn, making it the largest ever commercial contract between UK and Poland.
The post MBDA and PGZ sign £4bn air defence contract, largest UK-Poland deal ever appeared first on Army Technology.

The military is always looking toward tomorrow, the future, and the big picture. The routine of deployment lets you focus on one thing only, the task at hand: Mission first, no distractions. The days are counted by today and tomorrow—just get through today, and you are going home tomorrow.
Eventually, that statement becomes true, but for your family back home the chaos of everyday life continues, thousands of miles away. The focus for them is always today.

Al Seer Marine 11 m USV that was unveiled at NAVDEX 2021. (NAVDEX)
The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE’s) Coast Guard Group contributed an unmanned surface vessel (USV) to the ‘Union Fortress 9′ demonstration that was held on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on 5 November.
‘Union Fortress’ is held every year in different locations to show the public the capabilities of the UAE Armed Forces and security organisations.

When Craig Morgan reenlisted on the Grand Ole Opry stage in the summer of 2023, he made history. Now he’s about to do it again with a brand new, recently released duets album while managing his role back in uniform.
“It all started with my managers hammering about re-recording Redneck Yacht Club and I kept saying no, for basically an entire year. Then I wrote a song with Billy Dean called Raise the Bar,” he laughed. 
Though he initially thought of superstar country singer Luke Combs for the song, Morgan recorded the song for him and got ready to pitch it.

As of March 28, 2023, the Federation of American Scientists reports that the United States possesses a stockpile of 5,244 nuclear warheads, and 1,670 of these are deployed on ballistic missiles and gravity bombs. That’s right, America’s nuclear arsenal still includes traditional gravity bombs. The primary model in the stockpile is the B61 nuclear bomb. Designed in 1963 at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, production engineering of the B61 began two years later. Thirteen versions of the bomb, Mod 0 through Mod 12, have been designed; nine of these entered production.

The slow-moving L-4 Grasshopper was the ideal plane for spotting hidden German armor during World War II. With a top speed of around 75 miles per hour, it wasn’t the ideal fighter-bomber or ground attack aircraft. That role was best left to the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, which could blaze across a field strafing enemy targets at well over 425 miles per hour. Or was it?
If you asked Major Charles Carpenter, also known as “Bazooka Charlie,” he would tell you that it all depends on what the little L-4 Grasshopper is shooting at those targets.

Certain battles in naval history mark significant evolutions in technology and doctrine. On March 9, 1862, the Battle of Hampton Roads saw the first engagement between ironclad warships, the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia. In May 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea validated the importance of naval air power as neither the American nor Japanese fleets sighted or fired on each other, instead conducting battle from over the horizon with their respective carrier aircraft.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy shuts down prospect of elections, calling it “irresponsible” in a time of war.
The post “Now is not the right time for elections,” Ukraine president declares appeared first on Army Technology.

With the Luftwaffe to field the Eurofighter EK in the electronic attack role, a mock-up was showcased at the ILA Berlin Airshow 2022. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
The German Luftwaffe intends to operate its Eurofighter Elektronischer Kampf (EK) electronic warfare (EW) aircraft alongside a dedicated unmanned ‘loyal wingman’, it was disclosed on 6 November.
Commanding General of Air Force Forces Command, Lieutenant General Günter Katz, revealed the Electronic Combat Wingman (ECW) in a briefing slide presented at the IQPC International Fighter Conference (IFC) 2023 in Madrid.

Thailand has signed a contract with Norinco to become the first international customer of the Chinese company’s Sky Saker FX80 UAV, a scale model of which was displayed at the Defense & Security 2023 exhibition in Bangkok. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)
China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) has signed a contract with the Royal Thai Army (RTA) to supply its fixed-wing/vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) Sky Saker FX80 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the company has confirmed.

The US State Department has given the green light to a plan to supply Israel with SPICE-guided bombs valued at $320 million, pending approval from Congress. This decision was recently disclosed in a letter from the US State Department to Congress, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The letter explained that the Biden administration has permitted Rafael USA, a defense enterprise, to modify its technical assistance agreement with its parent company, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in Israel.

Russia has officially pulled out of the Convention on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, and they’re pointing the finger at the US, claiming that post-Cold War security is being undermined.
The Russian Foreign Ministry made the announcement that they completed the withdrawal from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) as per the rules, at midnight on November 7. They stated, “All those international legal documents that Russia suspended back in 2007 are now a thing of the past for us.

First-time job seekers will face a lot of uncertainty when looking for work, especially in today’s market. It’s important to mitigate that uncertainty by focusing on the things you can control. Whether looking for work for the first time after leaving the military, switching jobs or switching careers, avoiding these four common mistakes will help anyone save a lot of time, effort and heartbreak.
1. Focusing on take-home pay
Don’t make the mistake of thinking your compensation package is the same as your base salary.

With the F-16 providing the US Air Force with its affordable mass, the service will shortly begin considering what follows the aircraft type in the future. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
The US Air Force (USAF) is to shortly begin assessing its longer-term requirement for an “affordable” aircraft that it can operate in the post-Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon timeframe.

The Spike NLOS missile has a range of 25 km. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
Thailand’s Defence Technology Institute (DTI) has entered an agreement with Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to collaborate on producing the Spike family of lightweight multi-purpose electro-optical guided missile systems in the Southeast Asian country.

Chaiseri unveiled its new armoured wheeled amphibious vehicle (AWAV) at the Defense & Security show in Bangkok. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)
Thai firm Chaiseri has unveiled its new 8×8 Armoured Wheeled Amphibious Vehicle (AWAV) at the Defense & Security exhibition in Bangkok.

A company official told
Janes
that the AWAV on display at the exhibition is a prototype, but that Chaiseri has started producing seven vehicles for the Royal Thai Marine Corps (RTMC) under a contract awarded in August.

Deliveries of these vehicles will start mid-2024.

According to the  Israel Defense Forces  (IDF), recent attacks in the northern  Gaza Strip have caused considerable damage to  Hamas structures. Likewise, the death of an Israeli soldier in previous clashes was confirmed.
Significant Damage to Hamas Infrastructure from Night Attacks
The IDF reported offensive actions against  Hamas targets, hitting both underground and aerial infrastructure. These attacks are believed to have caused the death of several field commanders of the terrorist group, who were hiding in tunnels.

The Pentagon confirmed the use of drones in support of Israel in the framework of the war against Hamas in Gaza.
Confirmed Drone Operations in Palestinian Territory
The Pentagon, through Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, verified the use of drones in the Gaza Strip. These unmanned aircraft are part of a broader collaboration provided by the United States armed forces to Israel, which has been maintained since October 7 after the massacre carried out by Hamas in Israel.
As of October 7, drones have been instrumental in combat strategies and advising on hostage rescue missions.

When asked about ground operations and the danger they pose to hostages, Netanyahu said they are considering all variables.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that Israel will take charge of security in the Gaza Strip indefinitely following conflicts with Hamas.

Netanyahu Lays Out Continued Security Need in Gaza
During an interview with  ABC News,  Benjamin Netanyahu stated the importance of  Israel maintaining an active role in the security of the  Gaza Strip.

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The Israel Army, which is currently engaged in combat operations inside Gaza, has seen significant investment into armoured vehicles.
The post Merkava, Namer, and Eitan: inside Israel’s new model army appeared first on Army Technology.

Corey Dickstein, Stars and Stripes
Several senators are demanding the Pentagon improve the poor conditions of its barracks across the armed forces and better track costs associated with…

Boguslaw, Intercept
The U.S. intelligence community is facing calls to reform the spying tool known as 702, which is set to expire at the end of the year.

Paul W. Viscovich, CIMSEC
Vale la pena (“It is worth the effort”) was the motto of Naval Special Warfare Group EIGHT when it was stationed in Panama some 30 years ago.

Bloomberg
The Biden administration’s $14 billion aid request for Israel would significantly expand its missile defenses, including new Iron Dome launchers equivalent to more than twice the…

Axios
Sensitive, highly detailed personal data for thousands of active-duty and veteran U.S.

US CENTCOM broadens its deterrence against militant groups joining the fighting amid the Israel-Hamas war with an Ohio-class submarine.
The post Signal: US Ohio-class submarine sent as a new form of Middle East deterrence appeared first on Army Technology.

The UK is procuring the GM200 multimode radar under a government-to-government deal with the Netherlands. (Thales Nederland)
The UK has elected to pursue a government-to-government deal with the Netherlands for the procurement of a new Deep Find radar as part of a wider recapitalisation of the British Army’s weapons locating capability under Project Serpens, Janes has learnt.

The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat is one of the international ‘loyal wingman’ programmes being considered by Poland for its Harpii Szpon programme. (Commonwealth of Australia)
Poland is assessing the market as it looks to field an unmanned ‘loyal wingman’ for its future fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II combat aircraft, the Deputy General Commander of the Polish Armed Forces said on 6 November.

For the last several months, the Chinese government has steadily ramped up its coercive gray-zone tactics in order to interfere with Philippine civilian resupply missions of troops aboard the BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. In 1999, Manila intentionally ran the World War II-era ship aground on this disputed shoal, establishing a permanent military presence, to demonstrate Philippine sovereignty there. Since then, Philippine resupply missions have consistently faced Chinese harassment.

Dr. Paul Edgar, the executive director of the William P. Clements, Jr. Center for National Security at the University of Texas-Austin, sat down with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson to discuss energy and national security. The conversation focused on energy security, its relevance for U.S. national security, and how a more effective energy policy would allow for a more robust response to global crises. Image: Wikipedia
The post A Conversation with Dr. Paul Edgar and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison appeared first on War on the Rocks.

Editor’s Note: This article was written in response to our unofficial support for the Department of Defense’s innovation challenge for talent management. We want to help with this effort and have asked for original, creative ideas that reconsider the status quo, shake widely held assumptions, and take on the conventional wisdom about recruitment and retention.  Generational change happens similar to how Ernest Hemingway described going bankrupt: “gradually and then suddenly.

The Type 19 IFV feature a hull identical to the ZBL-09 IFV (pictured above) in service with the PLA and a new turret. (Russian MoD)
The Eastern Theater Command (ETC) of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has inducted a new type of 8×8 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) in an equipment awarding ceremony in eastern Guangdong.

A model of a Halcon II Eurofighter displayed at IFC 2023. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
The Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft to be delivered to the Spanish Air and Space Force (Ejército del Aire y del Espacio: EdAE) under the Halcon II procurement programme will be at the Tranche 4+ standard, Airbus confirmed on 6 November.

The Tp 47 lightweight torpedo was fired from Finnish Navy Hamina-class FACs for the first time on 31 October. (Finnish Navy)
The Finnish Navy has conducted acceptance firings of the Torpedo 47 (Tp 47) lightweight torpedo from its Hamina-class fast attack craft (FAC).

The test firings were performed by first-of-class FRNS
Hamina
(80) and fourth boat FRNS
Pori
(83) in the Archipelago Sea on 31 October, the Finnish Navy confirmed on 1 November.

As the Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip continue, the need to assess the human and environmental impact becomes increasingly important. This article seeks to delve into the human and environmental costs of the ongoing conflict, providing a perspective that transcends the raw statistics and data.
Human Losses on Both Sides
It is vital to emphasize that behind every statistic is a human being, and in this conflict, human losses have been significant. On the Israeli side, the toll stands at least 1,500 civilians and security forces killed.

A criminal investigation has been launched against Ukrainian soldiers who organized a ceremony to honor their troops and tragically fell victim to a Russian missile during the event. This devastating attack resulted in the loss of 19 soldiers, making it one of the deadliest incidents involving Ukrainian forces.
The State Investigation Bureau has expressed its intention to hold military officials responsible for the Rocket and Artillery Forces Day event.

Saudi officials on Sunday spoke out strongly against comments by Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu suggesting that nuclear weapons could be an option in the ongoing conflict with Hamas.

On October 7, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in history against Israel, and Israel launched its most intense airstrikes against Gaza in response. As of Sunday, more than 1,400 people had been killed in Israel, according to the Associated Press, while more than 9,000 Palestinians in Gaza had lost their lives in Israel’s subsequent attacks.

A model of the F-35 was displayed at the IQPC International Fighter Conference in Madrid. Tellingly, it featured Czech markings rather than those of the host country, Spain. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
Spain has rowed back its previously stated interest in procuring the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II as a potential partial replacement for its current Boeing EF-18 Hornet and McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II aircraft.

Artist’s concept of the Kratos Thanatos UAV. (Kratos)
Kratos Defense and Space has unveiled an image of its Thanatos unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) but declined to provide further information about the concept or its potential uses.
“Among the new opportunities we are pursuing, we are in discussions with a customer and hope to be under contract next year related to certain other Kratos tactical drone systems, including Thanatos,” said Kratos president and CEO Eric DeMarco on a 2 November call with investors.

Under current fielding and procurement plans, the Spanish Air and Space Force will have 96 Eurofighters that may be fitted with LTE enhancements. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)Spain may retrofit Long Term Evolution (LTE) enhancements for the Eurofighter combat aircraft (C.16 in national service) to its wider fleet, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told
Janes
on 6 November.

U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris
The U.S. Air Force’s proposed plans to retire all of its iconic U-2 Dragon Lady spy planes by 2026 have taken a major step forward with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s signing of a critical waiver to make the controversial move a reality. This mechanism allows the Secretary of Defense to jettison congressional requirements that would ensure the capabilities lost by the end of the U-2 program would be replaced in a cost-effective manner.

Saving Private Ryan was a cinematic triumph that showed audiences a gritty and honest depiction of WWII. With an emphasis on realism and accuracy, many of the film’s props were later reused in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. Producer Gary Goetzman and Executive Producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks crafted an iconic 10 episodes that became legendary in both the military and civilian communities.
Maintaining a balance of attention to detail and cinematic quality, the three men went on to release the 2010 HBO miniseries The Pacific; a Marine Corps version of Band of Brothers.

The Marine Corps emphasizes the concepts of improvise, adapt and overcome. With a smaller size and budget than the Army, the USMC has to be clever when it comes to arming the Corps. For example, the Marines replaced their M4 carbines with the M27 IAR; this started as a replacement for just the M249 SAW. Pushing the envelope of technology, the Marines test-fired an anti-tank rocket from a robotic goat.
The M72 LAW is a single-shot 66mm rocket launcher (U.S.

We all remember the opening days of the Russian invasion. Initially, it appeared that Russia might quickly sweep through Ukraine, but then Ukraine began bottlenecking and destroying the invaders. The Oryx tracker filled up with photos of dead equipment, especially tanks. Hundreds and then thousands showed up destroyed in photos and videos. The images got turned into jewelry and patches. And Russia had to pull Cold War-era tanks out of deep storage.

Via Twitter
What could very well be the first image of an M1A1 Abrams main battle tank in Ukraine surfaced on social media today, three weeks after U.S. officials confirmed all 31 donated to Kyiv had arrived in-country. The photo is being referenced as the first glimpse of the M1 in-country, although where exactly it was taken and under what circumstances remain unclear.
The photo shows the front of the tank’s hull and the turret rear bustle rack — a metal cage for storing extra gear and supplies. That means the 120mm main gun is pointing rearward.

The Defense Innovation Unit is calling on industry for solutions that can help the Pentagon go after digital threats.
A new solicitation for the Advanced Rapid Analysis of Cyber Hunt Network Infrastructure Data (ARACHNID) program was posted Monday on DIU’s website.
“The Department of Defense (DoD) requires the ability to conduct cyber hunt operations on a variety of DoD-owned and partner-owned networks in order to find, analyze, and reveal malicious cyber actors’ activities, capabilities, and infrastructure.

Maine’s Senators sent a letter to the Army, asking for information about what went wrong with its reservist who committed the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images).
Two U.S. Senators are pressing the Army to investigate its own handling of the reservist who carried out the “largest mass shooting in Maine’s modern history” and procedures that could’ve prevented it, according to a letter sent Monday. 
Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) sent a letter to the Inspector General of the Army, Lt. Gen.

Jack Lowe holds his Eagle Globe and Anchor out after becoming an “Honorary Marine,” during a ceremony at the Lowe family residence on November 1, 2023. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Warren Smith.
Jack Lowe wanted nothing more than to be a United States Marine. Service in the Marine Corps is in Jack’s blood. His great-grandfather was a Marine pilot and both his parents are Marines
He planned to enlist in the Marines right out of high school until, in March of his junior year in 2022, he was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.