Defence`s Feeds

The US firm BlackSky, a New Space veteran dedicated to geospatial intelligence (GEOINT), is due to present its next results on

The Poniard rocket successfully passed the performance tests of the U.S. Navy and might become the first South Korean weapon system to be exported to the United States. The U.S. DoD (Department of Defense) and [...]

The post South Korea’s Poniard Guided-Rocket Test-Fired From USV, Destroys Target At RIMPAC 2024 appeared first on The Aviationist.

Flight test cancelled at Groom Lake for a “Watchdog Tango” condition. Michał Rokita, is an aviation spotter and photographer who often travel to remote spots, on public land, in Nevada from where he can have [...]

The post Area 51 Helicopter Spots Aviation Spotter on Tikaboo In The Darkness: Sensitive Mission Aborted appeared first on The Aviationist.

July 27, 2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the first flight of the de Havilland Comet, the world’s first jet-powered airliner. This airliner had a troubled start to service, but eventually became a reliable workhorse. [...]

The post The de Havilland Comet at 75: From Troubled Jetliner to Military Icon appeared first on The Aviationist.

Americas North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) conducted a series of intercepts involving Russian and Chinese military aircraft operating within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on July 24. Two Russian Tu-95MS and two Chinese H-6K aircraft were detected, tracked, and intercepted by NORAD fighter jets from the United States and Canada. While operating in international airspace, their presence within the ADIZ necessitated a response from NORAD which dispatched F-16, F-35 and CF-18 fighter aircraft. Raytheon won a $325 million ceiling increase modification for the StormBreaker® Small Diameter Bomb Increment II (SDB II, GBU-53/B). The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract from $275,000,000 to $600,000,000. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2026. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. Middle East & Africa Bell Textron has delivered five 505 Jet Ranger X (JRX) training helicopters to the Royal Jordanian Air Force, completing a contract signed in 2022. The tranche is the second half of a 10-unit deal ordered with corresponding flight training devices and a computer-based training […]

Ukrainian authorities have faced an upsurge this month in fires at rail signal boxes, electrical transformers and energy storage substations. This critical infrastructure ensures the electricity supply to the Ukrainian rail network, in a climate of severe national energy restrictions.Meanwhile,

On 19 July, with the utmost discretion, Abu Dhabi sent out an invitation to tender to a handful of carefully

Space sector lawyers in Riyadh were silent this week when asked when the Saudi government would publish a final version

Detecting information attacks on French forces in external theatres is the responsibility of the French cyber defence organisation Comcyber, according

In the opening scenes of the film Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Sean Connery's James Bond is on the hunt for

The Latvian police is investigating the circumstances around the bankruptcy of PNB Banka (formerly Norvik Banka). On the same day

China could benefit from familiarizing itself with the Mirage 2000’s performance and capabilities, as well as from the possibility of engaging in dissimilar air-combat training. This preparation could be advantageous in the event of a [...]

The post Concerns Over UAE Mirage 2000s Involved In Air Combat Exercise In China appeared first on The Aviationist.

The NATO Support and Procurement Agency contracted Airbus Helicopters, Sikorsky and Leonardo to identify and exploit cutting-edge technologies for the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability program. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) announced the award [...]

The post NATO Awards Contracts For Next Generation Rotorcraft Study appeared first on The Aviationist.

GBU-53/B, aka. SDB-II (click to view full) The 250 pound GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb gives American fighters the ability to carry more high-precision GPS-guided glide bombs, without sacrificing punching power against fortified targets. The initial award to Boeing was controversial, and the Darlene Druyun corruption scandal ultimately forced a re-compete of the Increment II development program. Whereas the initial GBU-39 SDB-I offered GPS-guided accuracy in a small and streamlined package, the goal of the GBU-53 SDB-II competition was a bomb that could hit moving targets in any weather, using a combination of guidance modes. For the SDB-II competition, Boeing found itself allied with Lockheed Martin, its key opponent for the initial SDB-I contract. Its main competitor this time was Raytheon, whose SDB-II bid team found itself sharing its tri-mode seeker technology with a separate Boeing team, as they compete together for the tri-service JAGM missile award against… Lockheed Martin. So, is Raytheon’s win of the SDB-II competition also good news for its main competitor? It’s certainly good news for Raytheon, who wins a program that could be worth over $5 billion. Raytheon’s GBU-53 Small Diameter Bomb SDB-II: cutaway (click to view full) Raytheon’s GBU-53/B SDB-II is 7″ in diameter around […]

The network-enabled StormBreaker smart weapon was part of 28 test missions in 2023, of which 14 with the F-35Cs, and the remaining ones with F-35B, F/A-18E/F and F-15E. Raytheon conducted 28 tests of the StormBreaker [...]

The post StormBreaker SDB II Achieves 100% Success Rate During F-35C Testing appeared first on The Aviationist.

Americas Boeing has expressed interest in converting its F-15EX Eagle II fighter jet into electronic attack aircraft similar to the EA-18G Growler. Company official Rob Novotny said to Breaking Defense that internal discussions are currently underway whether to proceed with the proposed conversion or not. The F-15EX already boasts an electronic warfare (EW) capability, thanks to its Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System. Kratos has unveiled a small affordable engine intended for the US Air Force’s futuristic Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). Developed in partnership with GE Aerospace, the GEK800 can reportedly generate up to 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms) of thrust, making it “ideally suited” for cruise missiles. But the two companies said it could still be scaled up to meet the requirements of the CCA program. Middle East & Africa According to Defense News, Israel Aerospace Industries, the maker of Germany’s future long-range antimissile system, has increased shifts and hired more workers to meet the deadline of setting up an installation in Germany sometime next year, a company executive said. The extra effort follows the national logic of outfitting the Israel Defense Forces as the priority, while also keeping international orders on track, Shay Gal, vice president for external relations, told Defense News at the Farnborough […]

The Nigerian Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) secured its purchase of an Airbus A330 VIP, series number 1054, via US broker

General Andres Centino, who was appointed as special maritime affairs assistant to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, aka ‘Bongbong' on 19

Intelligence Online has learned that Giorgia Meloni has asked three bodies from the Italian defence community to produce a report

Computer raids causing document leaks (IO, 28/07/23) have been shaking the upper echelons of Monaco for months and have sparked