Defence`s Feeds

On December 30, 2024, President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to U.S. President Joe Biden over the passing of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

All Russian tanks are equipped with protection against drones; their design received such a change as a result of the special military operation experience, tank maker Uralvagonzavod told journalists.

In response to US Treasury's claim that a China state-sponsored actor infiltrated Treasury workstations in what US Treasury officials are describing as a "major incident," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that regarding these unfounded accusations lacking evidence, we have repeatedly stated our position.

No description

Iranian authorities say the country will re-examine anti-money laundering and terrorism financing conventions adopted by the global financial crime watchdog FATF.

No description

The Chinese naval build up continues with the launch of Sichuan amphibious assault ship, the lead ship of the Type 076 class, displacing 40,000 tons and equipped with an electromagnetic catapult for fixed-wing aircraft operations. On Dec. 27, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) officially launched its latest amphibious assault ship (AAS) from Shanghai, […]

The post China Launches ‘40,000 Ton’ Catapult-Equipped Amphibious Assault Ship Sichuan in a Bid to Rival the U.S. appeared first on The Aviationist.

Ukraine’s Military Intelligence equipped a Magura V5 Unmanned Surface Vessel with R-73 air-to-air missiles and says it scored a kill against a Russian Mi-8 helicopter, with another helicopter damaged. On Dec. 31, 2024, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine posted on its Telegram and X accounts a video from Ukraine’s Military Intelligence, showing the downing […]

The post Ukrainian Surface Drone Equipped with R-73 Air-to-Air Missiles Shot Down Russian Mi-8 Helicopter appeared first on The Aviationist.

We recently visited Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, in Japan, to witness an ordinary day of operations at the base. It became immediately evident that MCAS Iwakuni is anything but ordinary. MCAS Iwakuni, located on the southwestern tip of Honshu – the most populated island in Japan, is home to the largest concentration of combat […]

The post Exclusive: Interviews With Senior Leaders from MCAS Iwakuni, Home of the Indo-Pacific’s Largest Concentration of Combat Airpower appeared first on The Aviationist.

Americas Performance Drone Works (PDW) has received more than $15.3 million in contracts to deliver its proprietary C100 small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) to the US Army. The drones will support the force’s posture across high-profile theaters, according to the Alabama-based company, with most to be distributed across the Indo-Pacific, European, and Central Command areas of responsibility. The “game-changing” capabilities are expected to provide medium-range reconnaissance and tactical air support. Raytheon has been awarded a $401.2 million full-rate production contract by the US Navy for 131 Block V Tomahawk missiles. As part of the contract, 26 missiles will be delivered to the US Army, 16 to the US Marine Corps, 11 to Australia, and 78 to Japan. Work will be performed in various locations across the US, with expected completion by March 2028. Middle East & Africa Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar has purchased Italy’s Piaggio Aerospace, reflecting Baykar’s growing global ambitions while marking a timely rescue for the troubled Italian aircraft producer. The deal, which was announced on Friday by Italy’s industry ministry, follows six years of Italian state management at Piaggio after it went into receivership in 2018. Europe Austria is to purchase 12 Italian Leonardo M-346FA jets to serve in both […]

A €91.7 million contract to replace Ireland’s existing EC135 fleet was awarded to Airbus Helicopters, with deliveries to commence in 2027. Ireland’s EC135s have been in service since 2003, with the introduction of the first EC135 T2. Two EC135 P2s, with different engines, increased the fleet to three aircraft in 2005, before an additional T2 […]

The post Irish Air Corps Orders Four Airbus H145M Helicopters appeared first on The Aviationist.

The only USAF base in Europe and Africa with CSAR helicopters, Aviano is the last active duty base to transition from the legacy HH-60G Pave Hawk to the recently delivered HH-60W Jolly Green II. The 56th Rescue and Rescue Generation Squadrons at Aviano Air Base, Italy, recently flew the last mission of the active duty […]

The post U.S. Air Force Flies Final Active Duty HH-60G Mission at Aviano Air Base as First HH-60W Arrives appeared first on The Aviationist.

Americas General Atomics Aeronautical Systems won a $108 million contract for Canada MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft systems hardware. This contract provides the necessary Foreign Military Sales (FMS) hardware and components to support Canada’s MQ-9B Direct Commercial Sale program. This contract involves FMS to Canada. This contract was a sole source acquisition. FMS funds in the amount of $12,890,775 will be obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. BAE Systems has received a $68 million in contracts to manufacture 44 additional Beowulf Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicles (CATVs) for the US Army. The deal is part of a seven-year program assigned to the firm in 2022 to produce a modern ground-based fleet that can maneuver in the Arctic region and other environments with similar conditions. “The CATV provides a dynamic combination of mobility and flexibility to the US Army enabling rapid response in all terrains,” BAE Systems Sustainment & International VP Dean Medland stated. Middle East & Africa The American THAAD system, deployed in Israel last October, participated on Thursday in its first operational interception since entering service 18 years ago. The system intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) […]

The contract comes after Lockheed Martin said in October that it was internally funding the F-35 production line while negotiations for Lots 18 and 19, which had been ongoing since 2023, were underway. The Pentagon has awarded Lockheed Martin an “undefinitized” contract, worth $11.8 billion, to produce as a part of Lot 18 a total […]

The post Lockheed Martin Awarded ‘Undefinitized’ Contract for 145 F-35s Worth $11 Billion appeared first on The Aviationist.

Unconfirmed accounts from two pilots, including the one shot down, described how the F/A-18F was engaged while recovering on the USS Truman and another missile was launched at a second aircraft. As already reported, on Dec. 22, 2024, an F/A-18F Super Hornet, embarked aboard USS Harry S. Truman, was shot down in what the U.S. Central […]

The post Let’s Examine the Pilots’ Accounts Emerged After the Friendly Fire Incident Involving the F/A-18 Over the Red Sea appeared first on The Aviationist.

Originally intended for long-range heavy bomber escort missions over Japan during World War Two, the F-82 arrived in service too late but did see action in the next war in Korea. First Blood from the Last of Her Kind On Jun. 25, 1950, a peaceful Sunday was suddenly interrupted when 90,000 North Korean troops stormed […]

The post The North American F-82 Twin Mustang: A Forgotten Fighter of the Forgotten War appeared first on The Aviationist.

The unusual design integrates radar arrays in its booms, as well as satellite communication, which would allow the PLA to create a networked mesh of manned and unmanned AEW assets, offering redundancy and flexibility. A video has emerged of China’s unorthodox Wuzhen-9 (or WZ-9) “Divine Eagle” unmanned aircraft, which has been described in social media […]

The post First Visuals of China’s WZ-9 Divine Eagle AEW Drone Surface Online appeared first on The Aviationist.

The Austrian MoD is currently negotiating the procurement contract with the Italian government, with the 12 aircraft being eyed for both training and air defense roles. Austria has decided to acquire the Leonardo M-346FA, the light fighter variant of the M-346 Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT). Citing military sources, the Austrian newspaper Krone said a letter […]

The post Austria Announces Acquisition of M-346FA appeared first on The Aviationist.

Americas The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) demonstrated the first at-sea refueling of the No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program. A pair of unmanned surface vessels (USV) — the Ranger and the Mariner — demonstrated the task originally designed for the program’s Defiant USV. A long-endurance NOMARS USV is intended to be designed from the ground up without the necessity for humans on board. Bollinger Shipyards has started the construction of the US Coast Guard’s initial vessel planned under the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) program. The PSC effort will replace the service’s aging ships deployed for national, maritime, commercial, and economic security support across the Arctic and Antarctic regions by the 2030s. The assembly is now taking place at the company’s facility in Pascagoula, Mississippi, marking the first local heavy polar icebreaker development in the US in over 50 years. Middle East & Afria Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) has secured its first export order for the KUH-1 Surion utility helicopter. The deal, valued at approximately $93.4million, involves the sale of the domestically developed helicopter to the Iraqi government. This contract not only represents a major win for KAI but also signals the growing international interest in South Korean […]

Americas Lockheed Martin Corp won a $3 billion modification to provide continued logistics support to include ground maintenance activities, action request solution, depot activities, automatic logistics information system operations and maintenance, reliability and maintainability, supply chain management, pilot training, maintainer training, and training system sustainment in support of delivered F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Air Systems for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers, and non-Department of Defense (DOD) program partners . The contract being modified was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Honeywell International won a $92 million for a firm-fixed-price, five-year, spares requirements contract with no options for procurement of 15 inboard wheel segments, 15 outboard wheel segments, 905 landing gear wheels, 630 of another type of landing gear wheels, 610 rotor assemblies, 192 multiple disk brakes, 68 of another type of multiple disk brakes, 137 of another type of landing gear wheels, 1,286 disk brake stators, 337 hydraulic piston assemblies, 1,393 of another type of hydraulic piston assemblies, and 508 of another type of landing gear wheels, for a total of 6,096 weapon repairable assemblies, in support of the F/A-18 aircraft. Naval Supply Systems Command […]