Read the latest articles from The War Zone (Page 48)

Australia is pushing back on a report that Russia asked to base its long-range bombers at an Indonesian airbase.
Russian Air Force

Australia Casts Doubt On Russia Basing Bombers At Indonesian Air Base

Australian officials are pushing back on a report claiming Moscow has asked Jakarta to base bombers at an Indonesian air base about 850 miles from Darwin.

Russia has made few gains in its new offensive in Ukraine.
Russia

New Russian Offensive Has Gained Little Ground So Far

Ukraine Situation Report: Russia is trying to create a 'buffer zone' in Sumy as both sides jockey for territory ahead of possible negotiations.

Lockheed Martin has confirmed Sweden's Visby class corvettes will use three-cell Extensible Launching System (ExLS) launchers to fire their forthcoming Common Anti-air Modular Missiles (CAMM).
Maritime Surface-To-Air Missiles

Sweden’s Stealthy Visby Corvettes Getting Mk 41 Based Vertical Launch Systems For Air Defense Missiles

Lockheed Martin's Extensible Launching System will give Sweden the option of adding other missiles and decoys to the Visby class arsenal.

U.S. President Donald Trump derided Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's offer to buy 10 Patriot air defense systems.
MIM-104 Patriot

Trump Derides Zelensky’s Request To Buy $15B Worth Of Patriot Air Defense Systems

The Ukrainian leader now says he wants to purchase ten Patriot air defense systems from the United States.

We have gotten our best look so far at China’s enigmatic KJ-700 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft in service with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). This latest addition to China’s rapidly proliferating family of AEW&C platforms remains somewhat mysterious, although multiple accounts suggest that it’s something of a unique ‘dual-mode’ aircraft, combining both airborne radar as well as an array of electro-optical and infrared sensors, likely intended to track stealthy and low-radar-signature targets.
Airborne Radar

China’s New KJ-700 Multi-Intelligence Radar Plane’s Interesting Features

The latest Chinese airborne early warning and control aircraft boasts an array of electro-optical and infrared sensors, as well as multiple radars.

An unknown weapon seen being fired from a U.S. Bradley Fighting Vehicle's BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missile launcher at a major test event earlier this year has now been identified.
M2/3 Bradley

Mysterious Weapon Fired From M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle Identified

The modular drone launched from a TOW missile launcher opens up many possibilities beyond its pairing with the Bradley.

Photograph of an armoury of a night bombing squadron on the British front in France. Scrupulous care was taken of their guns and pistols. Dated 1942 (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty images)
Bunker Talk

Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

Get cozy, we may not be going out for a while.

President Donald Trump wants to purchase foreign-made ships to help close the vessel gap with China.
U.S. Navy

Trump Considering Buying Foreign Ships To Make Up Gap With China

The president’s comments come after he signed a new executive order aimed at reforming America’s shipbuilding capacity.

The U.S. Navy has halted plans to acquire an air-launched, air-breathing hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile, citing cost and industrial base factors.
Air-launched hypersonic cruise missiles

Navy Axes Its Hypersonic Anti-Ship Cruise Missile Plans

The Navy has said for years that the HALO program is essential, but now it is reevaluating its plans based on cost concerns.

KC-10 for sale
KC-10

KC-10 Extender Tankers Are Up For Auction

The government has begun selling off the mothballed KC-10 fleet, which could present an opportunity for private aerial refueling companies.

The first two American F-35A Lightning II fighter jets land in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, on May 23, 2016. The F-35 program is an international effort where the United States works with eight other partner nations, including the Netherlands, to design and develop the F-35.
F-35A

Dutch F-35s Provide Targeting For Rocket Artillery

Dutch F-35s recently used a new system called Keystone to provide targeting data to cue Israeli-made artillery.

Defiant Drone Ship Gets Closer To Months-Long DARPA At Sea Demonstration
U.S. Navy

Defiant Drone Ship Gets Closer To Months-Long DARPA At Sea Demonstration

USX-1 Defiant, which will sail without humans onboard and is designed for mass production, is undergoing trials ahead of its long-endurance cruise.

When the U.S. wanted to shift a Patriot battery from the Pacific to the Middle East, it took 73 C-17 flights to do so, highlighting sustainment concerns.
C-17

It Took 73 C-17 Loads To Move Patriot Battalion From Pacific To Middle East

Alarm bells grow louder in regard to major deficiencies in sustained U.S. military logistics support needed for a Pacific fight.

The first Constellation class frigate for the U.S. Navy is just 10 percent complete more than two years after construction began and nearly five years after the award of the initial contract for the ship.
U.S. Navy

First Constellation Frigate Only 10% Complete, Design Still Being Finalized

The late and over-budget Constellation class design is still in flux, with only 15% commonality with the frigate it's based on, not 85% as planned.

The French Air and Space Force has officially reintroduced the modernized Mirage 2000D strike aircraft, the service has confirmed. By the end of this year, the force will have 50 upgraded examples of the delta-wing jet, which, despite its relative age, remains a highly capable long-range conventional strike and close air support asset.
French Air Force

Deeply Upgraded Mirage 2000DRMV Strike Jet Enters French Service

A workhorse of the French Air and Space Force, the modernized Mirage 2000D is set to serve with new weapons until at least 2035.

Every Marine A Drone Pilot: Individual Lethality To Go From Meters To Kilometers
Loitering Munitions

Every Marine A Drone Pilot: Individual Lethality To Go From Meters To Kilometers

General highlights how drones and small guided munitions are about to give each Marine exponentially more reach than the traditional rifle.

Satellite imagery has confirmed the presence of the Su-35 Flanker-M multirole fighter in Algerian service, indicating that at least some of these aircraft have been transferred to the country, a new customer for the type. The Su-35 is almost certainly from a batch of aircraft originally built for Egypt, but never delivered, and then repeatedly connected with a sale to Iran. Algeria had also previously been reported as the first export customer for the Su-57 Felon next-generation fighter, as you can read about here.
Flankers

Su-35s Once Expected To Arm Iran Are Now In Algeria

Originally built for Egypt, the Su-35s now being transferred to Algeria had long been expected to bolster Iran’s decrepit air arm.

M346N Navy trainer
Flight Training

M-346N Pitched To Replace Navy’s T-45 Goshawk Jet Trainers

The Navy has meanwhile decided that its new jet trainer will not have to operate from aircraft carriers.

We now have our first look at a new version of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) 70mm guided rocket with an infrared seeker on top of the existing laser guidance capability.
Infrared Search And Track

Infrared Seeker For APKWS Guided 70mm Rockets Unveiled

Adding infrared guidance to APKWS II rockets allows for multiple targets to be engaged more rapidly, especially in the air-to-air role.

For Lockheed Martin, combining PAC-3 MSE with the Mk 41 presents a potential way to break Raytheon’s long-standing lock on naval missile sales.
U.S. Navy

Patriot PAC-3 Missile Puts Crosshairs On Replacing Navy’s Long-Serving SM-2

Putting the proven PAC-3 MSE missile on warships could fill a notable niche, and possibly a looming supply gap, in the Navy’s layered air defenses.