A Teal 2 unmanned aerial vehicle in flight. (Teal Drones)
Red Cat announced a USD2.6 million purchase order to supply 172 Teal 2s to the US Defense Logistics Agency on 23 August. The company had announced an initial order for the same number of systems on 8 August. The small unmanned aircraft systems (sUASs) are to be operated by the US Air Force (USAF).

Red Cat is one of three companies shortlisted for the US Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) programme intended to procure inexpensive, rucksack-portable sUASs.

Children scavenged cardboard to make fires, adults lined up to buy bread and water, while bombs and bullets continuously rained down on the Gaza Strip.

Palestinians sell water by horse cart in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, October 31.

On October 31, Gazans continued to experience a sleepless night due to Israeli air strikes. Israel has continuously bombed the Gaza Strip since October 7, in retaliation for the surprise attack by Hamas. The area was devastated on a large scale.

People carrying cans wait for water in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, on October 31.

MBDA Deutschland is developing the MILOS-P laser for infantry and for installation on an unmanned ground vehicle. (MBDA)
MBDA Deutschland is developing the Modular Integrated Laser Optic System (MILOS) for the German Army, the company’s head of laser solutions, Doris Laarmann, told international journalists including Janes visiting her company on 27 October.

The Bayraktar TB2 UAV was once considered the “savior” of the Ukrainian army but is now almost useless against Russian air defense and electronic warfare systems.

In the first weeks of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) made by the Turkish company Baykar was praised for repeatedly attacking Russian tanks, armor, and artillery.
The Bayraktar TB2 UAV was then hailed as the “savior of the Ukrainian army” and was a weapon that helped the country’s army change the war situation, repelling Russian forces in the northern region.

With over 1.7 million verified, active VetTixers, the non-profit organization Vet Tix is comparable in size and reach to the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, making it among the most impactful veteran non-profit organizations in the nation. And their size and impact is growing every day. 
At Vet Tix, the mission is simple: offer opportunities for vets and all currently serving members of the armed forces to have a good time.

Switzerland selects the PAC-3 MSE missile interceptor to furnish its recent acquisition of MIM-104 Patriot missile defence systems.
The post Switzerland selects the PAC-3 MSE missile, the fifteenth nation to do so appeared first on Army Technology.

Israel announced that seven soldiers died when the armored vehicle carrying them was hit by a Hamas-guided missile in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Ministry of Defense today announced that the armed group Hamas launched an anti-tank guided missile at an armored vehicle of the Givati ​​Infantry Brigade operating in the northern Gaza Strip, killing 7 soldiers and wounding 4.
This is the heaviest casualty in a day for the Israeli army since the country sent infantry to attack the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas.

Politico
A top Senate Democrat said that the Marine Corps commandant’s recent medical emergency may be due in part to the fallout from Sen.

Donald M.

The Israeli Navy dispatched missile ships to the Red Sea to strengthen defense capabilities following raids by the pro-Iranian Houthi group in Yemen.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said missile boats were dispatched to the Red Sea on October 31 in an effort to strengthen defense in the area after the Houthi group in Yemen conducted raids in the south of the country.
The IDF said it had deployed multiple layers of air defense in the area to block Houthi attacks. US forces deployed in the Red Sea have shot down a number of Houthi drones (UAVs) and missiles aimed at Israel.

A Hamas capture confirmed that the organization uses hospitals and clinics because they are sure that Israel will not attack them.

Moussa Abu Marzouk, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, states that the network of tunnels in Gaza is designed primarily to protect members of the terrorist group.

Moussa Abu Marzouk of Hamas’s political bureau stated that the organization has no responsibility to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.
This claim emerged in an interview with Russia Today’s Arabic channel.

India prioritizes self-sufficiency by contemplating the local production of the R-73E air-to-air missile, key in its air defense and used in aircraft such as the MiG-29 and Su-30 MKI.
The Indian Air Force relies on a notable series of aircraft, with special mention going to the Bison, MiG-29 and Su-30 MKI. These vehicles play a crucial role in fortifying the national air defense system.
Within this set, the R-73E missile stands out, a short-range air-to-air tool with strategic weight.

The acquisition of five Thales Ground Master 200 radars has paved the way for a defence partnership between Denmark and the Netherlands.
The post Thales to bolster Denmark’s air surveillance and defence with GM200 radars appeared first on Army Technology.

A KF-21 prototype launches an InfraRed Imaging System-Tail control (IRIS-T) guided missile in tests in April. (Defense Acquisition Program Administration)
South Korea has identified a list of 31 priority defence procurements it wants to leverage through its defence offset policy over the next two years.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) in Seoul said on 31 October that the new 2023–25 list has been made public so that local firms can position to bid for offset contracts with foreign suppliers.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 loaded with a Tranche 0 payload variant for the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) sits on the launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. (Space Development Agency)
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has closed the second of two prototype development contracts for the next phase of the Space Development Agency’s (SDA’s) Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) development, bringing the total cost of both contracts to USD1.3 billion, according to a 30 October agency statement.

Shield AI is securing growth in a populous and profitable AI defence market through its wide-range of products and integration of tech.
The post Signal: Shield AI raises $200m in Series F funding round, securing the AI revolution appeared first on Army Technology.

The Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missile during integration tests with a Spanish Air Force EF-18. (Spanish Air Force)

Integration of the Taurus KEPD 350 air-launched cruise missile into a Ukrainian Su-24 combat aircraft would take a couple of months and training crews for its use would take three or four months, Joachim Knopf, CEO of MBDA Deutschland-Saab Dynamics 67:33 joint venture Taurus Systems, told international journalists, including
Janes,
visiting MBDA Deutschland on 27 October.

The role of U.S. allies and partners lies at the center of the U.S. defense strategy, as their military cooperation provides the United States with an edge that near-peer competitors like China and Russia cannot match. Yet, despite years of efforts by senior Department of Defense officials to make the defense acquisition system more agile and flexible, the system retains a culture inherently resistant to foreign cooperation because it was built for a prior era of U.S. technological dominance.

Hamas’ unexpected and gruesome attack on Oct. 7 and Israel’s disproportionate effort to remove the group from power in Gaza constitute a watershed moment. Both Israeli and Palestinian societies are caught by the trauma of their interconnected histories and the violence of war. The myth of an invincible Israeli military and intelligence is broken. U.S. government efforts to recalibrate the regional order by facilitating Arab-Israeli normalization are disrupted, if not totally off the table in the near term.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken sat down for a conversation on the state of foreign affairs with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. The conversation touched on America’s role in the world, the war in Ukraine, and the on-going challenges posed by illegal migration and the fentanyl trade. The two also discussed President Biden’s belief that the world is now at an inflection point that requires continued American diplomatic leadership. Image: Clements Center
The post A Conversation with Secretary of State Antony Blinken appeared first on War on the Rocks.

U.S. Navy SEAL candidates participate in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training. SEALs are the maritime component of U.S. Special Forces and are trained to conduct a variety of operations from the sea, air and land. (Petty Officer 1st Class Abe McNatt/U.S. Navy).
If you recently signed a contract with the U.S. Navy for a shot at Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, better known as BUD/S, there are a few things you need to know in order to pass the grueling training. 
The U.S. military has some of the best-trained and most experienced special operations forces in the world.

NASA/Lockheed Marin
When it comes to its search for UFOs, the Pentagon office charged with finding them says it has full access to U.S. government orbital imaging and early warning satellite products. The issue is that a lot of what’s being found turns out to be balloons. Additionally, video from multiple shootdowns of unidentified flying objects over North America earlier this year will be released.

The chief of the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) on Tuesday unveiled the newest iteration of an online reporting system that he and his team of investigators have developed to engage with current and former government employees, military service members and contractors who wish to contribute to the records they’re generating about “unidentified anomalous phenomena” (UAP) that might threaten U.S. national security.

The recent Pentagon report details the improvements and adaptations that China is implementing in its J-20 stealth fighter, with an emphasis on the integration of manned and unmanned teams.
This month, a report issued by the Pentagon on China’s Military Power indicated that Beijing is immersed in experiments to optimize its J-20 stealth fighter. The text reveals that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force is exploring the integration of concepts that combine manned and unmanned equipment in its recent combat platform.

The United States is involved in a proxy war supporting Ukraine against Russia. The conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East may worsen; US aircraft carriers are already taking up positions. China constantly harasses its neighbors and waits for the right moment to take control of Taiwan. North Korea continually rattles its saber.
In such a geopolitical climate, is the US military sufficiently staffed to meet current geopolitical needs?
All six branches of the US military are facing recruiting problems.

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Keira Rossman
A pair of U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers touched down in Turkey today for what may well have been the first-ever visit by the type to Incirlik Air Base. The visit comes at a time of significant tensions between Turkey and Israel, with Turkish President Recep Erdogan ramping up his rhetoric directed against the Israeli government, while at the same time claiming that its adversary, Hamas, is not a terrorist organization.

A science fiction concept of a man with a torch looking at an alien UFO. Floating above a field on a spooky foggy night in the countryside.(Getty Images).
If you worked for a clandestine government project on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena – formerly known as UFOs – then the Defense Department’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, or AARO, is giving you a chance to come forward.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has emphasized the growing appeal of the ties between Moscow and Beijing to a “circle of like-minded countries.” He cautioned that NATO’s expansion into the Asia-Pacific region raises the risk of a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers.
Speaking at the 10th Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, Shoigu highlighted the exemplary nature of the relationship between Moscow and Beijing, which is increasingly gaining the interest of other nations.

Davidi Vardi/Wikimedia Commons
The current conflict in Gaza is once again putting Hamas militants up against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), one of the most technologically advanced militaries on the planet. Among the signature weapons used by the IDF is the attack helicopter fleet of the Israeli Air Force. While these helicopters are highly modified to Israeli specifications, one alteration is especially interesting as it changes the iconic mold-line of the AH-64 Apache.

The Department of Defense recently reinstated a campaign medal for troops serving in Iraq but not, apparently, because of the recent upswing in drone and rocket attacks on bases there.
The Pentagon confirmed to Task & Purpose Tuesday that troops in Iraq are now again able to receive the Operation Inherent Resolve medal after a hiatus. The medal was unavailable to U.S. troops in Iraq, according to Pentagon spokesperson Nicole Schwegman, “due to Iraq no longer being classified as a combat mission.

Host L Todd Wood speaks to Netanyahu Advisor and Breitbart Journalist Joshua Klein for an update on the Israeli conflict in Gaza.
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Yesterday, Monday, October 30, 2023, at the facilities of the 7th Airborne Division in Nowy Glinnik and with the participation of the Minister of National Defense, Mariusz Błaszczak, the reception ceremony of the first two helicopters of the Leonardo company, Augusta, took place Westland AW149 for the Polish Army Airborne Forces.
The first two of the 32 multipurpose support helicopters of the AW 149 type contracted last year with PZL-Świdnik (Leonardo’s subsidiary) arrived at the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade.

Diego Garcia is a place you can work hard and play even harder. Photos courtesy of the U.S. Navy and Jayme Pastoric. Composite image by Joshua Skovlund/Task & Purpose.
There are sets of orders that many soldiers, sailors, Marines, guardians, and airmen sigh about when they first receive them. Sometimes, it’s the unit; other times, it’s the location or a combination of the two. But, some places have a bad rap based on lack of knowledge, and Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia is one of them.

The Iron Beam successfully demonstrated its abilities to destroy incoming rockets, mortars, and swarm UAVs in 2022. Photos courtesy of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Composite image by Joshua Skovlund/Task & Purpose.
Pictures and video of the Iron Dome in action have made appearances across the news and social media apps since Hamas terrorists launched an attack against Israel on Oct. 7.

The three-star American general sent to Israel to advise the country on the risks of a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip reportedly returned to the United States last week, a senior defense official confirmed on Monday.
In recent days, Israel has stepped up its ground operations in the Gaza Strip in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described as the second phase of his war against Hamas. Its air force also continues to bomb targets in the enclave, causing increasing civilian casualties.
Marine Corps Lt. Gen.

Continuing our series of conversations about issues at the intersection of defense and capital, Ryan chatted with Raj Shah of Shield Capital last month in San Francisco. From his service in the Air Force flying F-16s to his time as an entrepreneur to the Defense Innovation Unit-Experimental to his current work in venture capital, Shah has been a critical player in trying to maintain and grow the U.S. military’s technological advantages. Image: Midjourney
The post Defense and Capital: A Conversation with Raj Shah of Shield Capital appeared first on War on the Rocks.

Russia’s Su-57 stealth fighter, a fifth-generation aircraft, is poised to gain extended strike capabilities with the integration of a new air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) into its concealed internal compartment.
According to a source quoted by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, this cutting-edge internally stowed KRBB (long-range cruise missile) has been specifically designed for the Su-57. Despite its reduced size, the missile boasts a range comparable to munitions employed in long-range aviation, similar to those found on the Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers.

IAI
Israel on Tuesday said it used its Arrow ballistic missile defense system for the first time during this war, intercepting a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) launched from the “Red Sea region.” A spokesman from Yemen’s Houthi rebels took credit for launching missile as well as drones toward Eilat in Israel Tuesday, further raising concerns about the Israel-Hamas conflict expanding across the region.

U.S. Air National Guard photo Senior Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot
It’s the time of the year when specters, ghouls, and all manner of other unearthly visions take to the streets — and to the skies. In the spirit of Halloween, The War Zone recalls a ghost story with a difference; one that tells the tale of a real-world U.S. Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker, aptly named “The Phantom.”
A quick look at the KC-135R in question, tail number 58-0109, reveals some pretty striking — and sinister — nose art.

Ministry Of Defense Special Escort Group Range Rovers
Two exceedingly rare ex-U.K. police armored Range Rovers — which, in a previous life, served together as escort vehicles for heavy-duty transports carrying components of nuclear weapons — were recently sold at auction.
The Range Rovers in question are stretched 1992 Vogue Efi As, with the registration numbers K256RKN and K327YVP, and were auctioned by Brightwells Ltd. on October 25. K256RKN was sold for £33,600 ($40,882 at the current exchange rate), while K327YVP was sold for £18,592 ($22,621).

Norway’s Ministry of Defence, Raytheon, and Kongsberg are collaborating to advance mobility on NASAMS air defences.
The post Norway, Raytheon and Kongsberg to advance mobility on NASAMS appeared first on Army Technology.

By Commander Salamander
This is one of those DivThu that could be a, in a word, tome.
As such, I am only going to pull a small portion of the things I normally would. You will have to do some reading yourself.
Trust me on this, depending on your areas of concern, you will find many items worse than I will pull out on today’s post.
USNA COMDTMIDNINST_1500.5-DIVERSITY_PEER_EDUCATOR_PROGRAM (pdf)
Enclosure (10) DPE Education Session Guide v3 dtd 26 Feb 0800_Redacted (1) (pdf)
Poison wrapped in a few nice marshmallows…but poison nonetheless.

Navy Cmdr. Steven J. Green was relieved on Oct. 30 as the commanding officer of Transaction Service Center Great Lakes in Illinois. (Navy photo).
Cmdr. Steven J. Green has been fired as commanding officer of Transaction Service Center Great Lakes in Illinois, following an investigation, Navy officials announced on Tuesday.
The Navy has not said publicly what the investigation looked into.
“The relief was the result of Cmdr. Green failing to fulfill his responsibilities as the commanding officer of TSC Great Lakes,” Lt. Cmdr. John J. Stevens, a spokesman for MyNavy Career Center.

Dstl alongside the Royal Navy and British Army conducted a beach landing exercise with a multitude of vessels including the Madfox unmanned surface vessel, to shape AI development. (Crown Copyright)
The UK held a large beach landing exercise in Hampshire to shape the development of artificial intelligence (AI) for the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the authority announced on 31 October.

The so-called modern triad — an idea pioneered by the Army that includes a combination of special operations, cyber and space forces — is still mostly conceptual at the joint level, according to a senior Department of Defense official.
The traditional term “triad,” in U.S. military parlance, refers to the air-, land- and sea-based legs of the Pentagon’s nuclear arsenal. The Army began conceptualizing a new triad over a year ago as a partnership between the unique — and global — capabilities of space, cyber and SOF.
“I think we’re beginning to explain it better.

The Israeli army announced that it had intercepted a surface-to-surface missile launched from the “Red Sea area” aimed at the country.

The Arrow air defense system tracked the flight path of a surface-to-surface missile and intercepted it “at the most suitable time and location,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said today. The move marks the first time the Arrow long-range air defense system has been fired in the current conflict with Hamas.

Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected information that Israel would cease-fire with Hamas, claiming that it would mean surrendering to this organization.

“I want to clarify Israel’s position on the ceasefire. Just as the United States did not agree to a ceasefire after Pearl Harbor or the September 11 attacks, Israel will not agree to end the campaign against Hamas,” Prime Minister Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a press conference on October 30.
Mr.

Israel set up a special unit to hunt down Hamas commandos, whose members were the elite Kidon assassin team of the Mossad intelligence agency.

Israeli media reported last week that the Intelligence and Special Operations Department (Mossad) and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) had established a special unit named Nili, which stands for the phrase “Eternity of Israel will not lie” in Hebrew.
The unit’s main task is to hunt down and kill members of Nukhba.

Israel deployed tanks close to Gaza City, the largest city in the Gaza Strip, from two directions, seemingly aiming to isolate the area to surround Hamas.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on October 31 that it had killed “countless” Hamas members in its attack on the Gaza Strip the day before and raided about 300 targets.
During the operation, IDF units clashed with groups of Hamas militants who fired machine guns and anti-tank missiles at Israeli soldiers. Israeli infantry and tanks engaged these groups and then instructed fighter jets to launch air strikes.

RAAF Base Darwin often hosts US and allied aircraft as part of Enhanced Air Cooperation or for bilateral training exercises. This November 2018 photo shows a US Air Force Boeing B-52H Stratofortress of the 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron. (USAF/Senior Airman Christopher Quail)
The United States has funded a new fuel facility at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Darwin in northern Australia to support the planned deployment of US military aircraft at this location as part of Enhanced Air Cooperation (EAC) between the countries.