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The French Navy frigate Alsace has returned from its operational deployment to the Red Sea, with its commander describing what he says is an unprecedented degree of threat against shipping from Houthi drone and missile attacks. The words of Captain Jérôme Henry highlight the challenge being faced in the Red Sea since October last year and also raise questions about the wider readiness of European navies involved in Aspides — the European Union’s naval task force created to protect commercial shipping in the region.
French Navy

French Frigate Captain Describes Frenetic Red Sea Combat

The French frigate Alsace faced “uninhibited violence" from the Houthis via waves of drones and ballistic missile attacks.

Hezbollah has launched a new barrage of rockets and drones against targets in Israel as fears grow that a larger coordinated strike by Iran and/or proxies may be imminent.
Iran

Is Hezbollah’s Barrage On Israel Prelude To Much Larger Iranian Attack? (Updated)

Iran has launched vengeance strikes against Israel, thrusting the region into an scenario that could easily spill out into a wider conflict.

Recently released pictures of a Bahraini Block 70 F-16D Viper undergoing testing in the United States show what one of these jets might look like one an actual combat mission.
F-16

Our First Look At An Armed-Up Block 70 F-16 Viper

Two of Bahrain's new Block 70 F-16s are still in the U.S. for testing and one carried missiles, bombs, and other stores on a recent sortie.

Kharkiv power plant destroyed
Russia

Ukraine Situation Report: Kyiv’s Biggest Power Plant Destroyed

Russia's campaign against Ukrainian energy infrastructure has claimed one of its most prominent targets so far.

The Navy is pushing ahead with work on a scalable electronic attack system for ships that cannot be fitted with the powerful, but massive AN/SLQ-32(V)7 electronic warfare suite.
Electronic Warfare/Countermeasures

Rush Is On To Give Smaller And Older Navy Ships Advanced Electronic Attack Capability

A scalable system will gives critical electronic attack capabilities to ships that can't handle the massive new SEWIP Block III system.

Concept art for DARPA's medium USV "NOMARS"
U.S. Navy

DARPA’s Defiant Fully Uncrewed Demonstrator Ship Will Hit The Seas Later This Year

Serco's super efficient and low-cost Defiant could have wide-ranging utility for the Navy, including working as a missile-laden drone boat.

Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new hypersonic missile, the Mako, which it is pitching to the U.S. Navy and Air Force and which it says will potentially also be able to arm submarines and surface warships. The weapon, which was originally developed for the Air Force’s Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) program reflects growing interest in more affordable hypersonic strike weapons, smaller than cruise missiles but offering standoff range and very rapid response.
F-35

The Lowdown On Lockheed’s Newly Revealed Mako Hypersonic Missile

Mako is an interesting weapon with compelling features, and may offer clues as to the capabilities of a similar weapon the USAF is procuring.

New AIM-9X configuration for the super hornet and growler.
EA-18G

F/A-18 Super Hornets Now Flying With Four AIM-9Xs From USS Eisenhower To Counter Drones

Just a day after we broke the news that the Navy had cleared Super Hornets to carry Sidewinders under their wings, images show them doing so.

Navy's CCA vision
Loyal Wingman

Navy’s Vision For Disposable Carrier-Based Loyal Wingman Drones Comes Into Focus

The Navy wants carrier-based drones to cost less than $15 million and be 'consumed' as weapons or targets when their short service ends.

Cheap torpedo to augment the Mk48
U.S. Navy

Navy Wants A Cheap Heavy Torpedo That Can Be Stockpiled Fast

The Navy is eyeing a torpedo that can be procured fast and efficiently to augment the more advanced Mk 48 ADCAP.

MQ-25 with LRASM missiles
MQ-25

MQ-25 Stingray Tanker Drone Armed With Stealthy Anti-Ship Missiles Makes Perfect Sense

Arming MQ-25s with standoff weapons fits with the Navy's future air wing vision and would provide unique capabilities suited to a Pacific fight.

Serbia is poised to sign a deal to buy Dassault Rafale multirole fighters, the country’s president confirmed today, saying that “concrete agreements” had been made to purchase of 12 of the jets. The move, should it happen, would mark a major break for Serbia, which has long had a close military relationship with Russia and traditionally has operated significant quantities of Russian-supplied equipment.
Rafale

France’s Rafale Is Set To Be Serbia’s Next Fighter

Serbia looks set to buy French Rafale fighters in a significant shift away from dependence on Russia for combat aircraft and other arms.

Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike
Future Vertical Lift

How To Satisfy The Navy’s Future Vertical Lift-Maritime Strike Needs With Bell’s Rob Freeland

Bell sees a version of its V-280 Valor and its navalized V-247 Vigilant drone concept as the solution for the Navy's ambitious goals.

The US Navy has cleared its EA-18G Growlers to carry AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles, and increased how many its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet can carry, decisions driven by Houthi drone things in and around the Red Sea.
EA-18G

Navy EA-18G Growlers Get AIM-9X, Super Hornets Can Now Carry More Sidewinders

Adding additional AIM-9X Sidewinder capacity to Navy fast jets was in response to an urgent need to take down Houthi drones.

The US Navy is looking to add RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles to the arsenals of most of its Arleigh Burke class destroyers, and is pushing ahead with other more substantial upgrades for those ships, too.
U.S. Navy

Rolling Airframe Missiles To Arm Arleigh Burke Destroyer Fleet

New point defenses, which come amid growing missile and drone threats, are just one Navy modernization effort for the Arleigh Burke class.

A missile is launched from the Sa'ar 6-class corvette during the series of live-fire tests of the naval version of its Iron Dome missile-defense system, called "C-Dome"at sea on February 21, 2022.
Israeli Navy

Israel’s Ship-Based Iron Dome Just Got Its First Combat Kill

The C-Dome air defense system aboard a Sa'ar 6 class corvette downed a drone headed toward the port of Eilat.

Full-scale prototype of Northrop Grumman's Manta Ray
U.S. Navy

Manta Ray High-Endurance Underwater Drone Unveiled

The testbed that mimics its namesake is designed to help DARPA hone its requirements for a new class of multi-mission submersible drones.

Russia cope cage like none other.
Russian Army

Bizarre ‘Turtle Tank’ Appears In Ukraine With Shell Covering It Nearly Completely (Updated)

We have never seen a 'cope cage' like this, which is basically a steel shed built around the tank.

B-1B Lancer aircraft nicknamed “Lancelot,” touches down at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Feb. 8, 2024. “Lancelot” is being regenerated to the active bomber fleet after previously being retired to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. Photo was redacted for security purposes.
B-1

B-1B ‘Lancelot’ Is Being Resurrected For Active Service

After being flown out of long-term storage at the boneyard, the bomber is now being regenerated and upgraded to replace a B-1 lost to fire.

A T-72 tank modified with counter-drone electronic warfare jamming systems.
Ukraine

Ukraine Situation Report: Russian Anti-Drone Electronic Warfare Tank Captured

Capture of the hastily modified T-72 tank sporting advanced jamming gear will be a boon for Ukraine and Western intelligence.