Defence`s Feeds

The largest U.S. union of registered nurses has condemned the Centers for Disease Control's recent announcement that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in most settings.

Iranian Minister of Health Saeed Namaki said on Sunday that the country will vaccinate some 13 to 14 million citizens against COVID-19 by the end of June.

The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran exceeded 76,936 with 303 more Iranians who died from the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Sunday.

All fields and units are further intensifying emergency anti-epidemic work in the DPRK.

More than 392.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across China as of Saturday, the National Health Commission said Sunday.

Northeast China's Liaoning Province reported four confirmed COVID-19 cases and five asymptomatic carriers on Saturday, all locally transmitted, said the provincial health commission.

East China's Anhui Province on Saturday reported no new confirmed, suspected or asymptomatic COVID-19 cases, the provincial health commission said Sunday.

The Chinese mainland on Saturday reported four new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in Liaoning Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Sunday.

The National Health Commission (NHC) has dispatched a working group to guide the COVID-19 prevention and control efforts in northeast China's Liaoning Province, the NHC said on Sunday.

The more than 100,000 people who were given nucleic acid tests in Feixi County in east China's Anhui Province on Saturday tested negative for COVID-19.

Eighteen states in the United States and some major-label businesses have announced plans as of Saturday to drop public mask mandates either immediately or in the weeks to come, but other states such as California, New York and New Jersey are moving forward with caution.

Northeast China's Liaoning Province reported one new confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 case in the first 12 hours of Sunday in the provincial capital Shenyang, according to the provincial health commission.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 8,500 to 3,593,434, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday, according to Reuters.

The Republic of Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 600s for the second consecutive day on Sunday, Yonhap reported.

Vaccination forms an integral component of the comprehensive strategy of Government of India of containment and management of the pandemic (including Test, Track, Treat and COVID Appropriate Behaviour)

India's cumulative recoveries have reached 2,07,95,335 today. The National Recovery Rate is 84.25%.

In a spirit of goodwill and solidarity for India, the international community is supporting efforts by Government of India to combat the ongoing COVID-19

Overcoming all hurdles and finding new solutions, Indian Railways is continuing its journey of bringing relief by delivering Liquid Medical Oxygen(LMO) to various states across the country

Americas

Textron Systems won a $15.8 million contract for a one-time mid-life upgrade engineering change proposal for the advanced boresight equipment (ABE) system to modernize and bring 100 fielded domestic and Foreign Military Sales units up to the current commercial off the shelf configuration. Additionally, this contract procures depot repair and upgrade support for the ABE currently installed on AH-1Z, AH-1W and MH-60R combat aircraft, ashore and afloat. Depot repair and upgrade support includes tear down and evaluation of ABE, as well as restoration, modification, and procurement of spare parts in support of ABE component and assembly repairs and upgrades. Work will take place in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Expected completion date is in May 2026.

Raytheon won a $9.4 million order to support the Evolved Seasparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2 life, parts, and ESSM Block 1 test equipment supplies. The ESSM is a medium-range, surface-to-air missile developed to protect warships from advanced anti-ship cruise missiles. Work will take place in California and Arizona. Estimated completion will be by September 2022. The order combines purchases for the US Navy, international consortium nation navies, and the government of Japan under the Foreign Military Sales program.

Middle East & Africa

Nigeria will induct its three JF-17 fighters into service on May 20 at Airforce Base Makurdi. The three jets were delivered there in March. The base is also home to the Tactical Air Command (TAC).

Europe

Georgia’s Minister of Defense Juansher Burchuladze revealed that the country is in talks to buy mobile anti-air missile defense systems from Rafael. The negotiations are to be concluded by end of the year and the new systems will protect manoeuvring forces.

Leonardo is pitching its M-346FA as a potential replacement for Poland’s ageing fleet of Sukhoi Su-22 ‘Fitter’ aircraft, the company announced on May 14. Declaring its intention to bid its M-346FA light attack aircraft as a replacement for the Polish air force (Inspektorat Si? Powietrznych: ISP) fleet of nearly 30 Warsaw Pact-era Su-22M4 aircraft that have been in service since 1985, Leonardo noted the synergies that the ISP could reap given that it already operates the baseline M-346 Master trainer version.

Asia-Pacific

The Malaysian government has decided to retain state-affiliated Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) as the shipbuilder for the country’s troubled Maharaja Lela (Gowind)-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme. The decision was made in early May by a ministerial committee that was convened to examine options for the long-delayed programme, the country’s defense minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, said in a statement.

Today’s Video

Watch: M-346FA

The Pentagon has several hypersonic weapons programs currently in development in a bid to close the gap with Russia and China, both of which already have hypersonic missiles deployed. The ultra-fast weapons are capable of evading most methods of detection as well as interception.