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25 Dec 25. SAMP/T NG: Thales contributes to the success of the European air defence system’s firing campaign.
- On Monday, December 15, 2025, the first test firing of the French version of the SAMP/T NG system was successfully performed from the DGA Essais de Missiles test range in Biscarosse (Nouvelle-Aquitaine region).
- Each system features a Thales Ground Fire radar, the leading radar in the field of surveillance and air defence with an unmatched performance: range of up to 400 km and panoramic coverage at 360° and 90° elevation.
- The Ground Fire radar, which has been in series production since the beginning of 2025, demonstrated its exceptional performance during this firing of the French version of the SAMP/T NG system.
This firing campaign has once again demonstrated the high level of performance of this long-range air defence system developed by eurosam, a joint venture between Thales and MBDA. After a successful first firing in Italy on December 3, 2025, this new firing in France demonstrated the innovations and performance of the SAMP/T NG fire control system with its new modernised Engagement Module when coupled with the Thales Ground Fire radar.
Based on fully digital active electronically scanned antennas (AESA) technology, the Ground Fire radar provides a very high level of performance for the detection, tracking and classification of all types of targets in the most difficult environments (sea, mountains, intense traffic density, jamming…). This multifunction radar features a refresh rate of only 1 second and a surveillance capacity of up to 400 km, with panoramic coverage at 360° and 90° elevation. It is capable of simultaneously detecting drones, fighter jets and ballistic missiles, while benefiting from the mobility of a tactical radar.
This success is a further step towards the operational deployment of the SAMP/T NG system in France and Italy, with the first deliveries scheduled for 2026.
The SAMP/T NG system has thus established itself as the only European alternative for medium- and long-range protection against all types of threat, including ballistic, manoeuvring and saturating threats.
The SAMP/T NG programme is supervised by the Organisation Conjoint de Coopération en matière d’Armement (OCCAR). Eurosam, a joint venture between Thales and MBDA, is prime contractor for the entire system.
“The success of this firing campaign of the French variant of the SAMP/T NG at Biscarosse confirms the remarkable capabilities of this system, which contributes to the industrial and defence sovereignty of European nations. It is a further step towards the commissioning of the system in the forces in 2026.” said Raphael DESI, Vice President, Integrated Airspace Protection Systems, Thales.
1 Active Electronically Scanned Array
25 Dec 25. Hanwha Defense USA signs U.S. Army research deal on K9 howitzers and 58-calibre cannon programme. Hanwha Defense USA has secured a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center to study integration of a 58-calibre cannon into its K9 family of self-propelled howitzers. The agreement focuses on fitting a U.S. government-designed 58-calibre cannon to the K9 platforms within Hanwha’s Long-Range Precision Fires portfolio. The company said the agreement comes as it works towards supplying the K9 to the U.S. Department of War. The collaboration is intended to explore how the cannon could be incorporated into existing K9 vehicle designs.
“This collaboration with the U.S. Army is a reflection of the versatility of the K9 turret—the centerpiece of Hanwha’s family of Long-Range Precision Fires platforms,” said Hanwha Defense USA COO Mike Smith. “The K9 closes capability gaps in volume and rate of fire, range, and rapid resupply, which translates into increased lethality and enhanced survivability of the American warfighter on the battlefield.”
Hanwha Defense USA CEO Michael Coulter highlighted the system’s existing operational footprint across allied nations. “The K9 is in service in nearly every potential theater of battle,” he said, adding, “Of the five NATO nations that share a land border with Russia, four rely upon the K9 for Long-Range Precision Fires capability.”
Coulter also pointed to the benefits of an established global user base for sustainment and logistics. “This broadly dispersed base provides a global sustainment network that is unmatched,” he said, concluding, “Wherever the U.S. Army goes, in all likelihood the K9 is already there.” According to the company, the K9 family meets current size, weight, and power requirements while offering growth margins for the 58-calibre cannon and future technology insertions. Six NATO members have already acquired the K9 for their armed forces, supporting its role within allied long-range fires capabilities. Hanwha Defense USA is a subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace and operates across multiple global markets and supply chains. The company said it continues to expand its U.S. footprint through organic growth, industrial partnerships, and selective acquisitions to support long-term production and sustainment needs. (Source: DIE)
26 Dec 25. Sweden hastens Gripen deep-strike punch with Taurus missiles. Sweden will soon have the capability to conduct deep strikes far behind enemy lines, as the Gripen will be integrated with the German-made Taurus cruise missile earlier than planned, the Swedish air chief said.
“We have reprioritized and done work to ensure that our industry, FMV, and the Air Force’s work on this overlaps as much as possible, resulting in the original timeline shifting left as I am expecting us to be operational at a date considerably earlier than previously planned,” Maj. Gen. Jonas Wikman, the commander of the Swedish Air Force, told Defense News in an interview.
A document published in February by agency officials noted that the planned initial operational capability of the Taurus KEPD-350 air-launched cruise missile on the JAS39 Gripen C/D was first expected by 2028. Given the sensitivity of the project, the official did not disclose the precise date of integration. The missile was developed by Taurus Systems GmbH, a German-Swedish joint venture between MBDA Deutschland and Saab. The weapon can carry a 481-kilogram warhead and is designed to destroy hardened and deeply-buried targets of all sizes at ranges above 500 kilometers, per the company’s website. Wikman referred to the future introduction of the weapon as “a huge step,” that will also influence the air force’s doctrine and operational concepts.
“The capability itself is very important because we haven’t had any deep-strike or offensive counter-air capabilities before. We could just put all of our money on defensive abilities, but now that is a huge shift for us,” he said.
He added that the Scandinavian country has received great support from Germany on all aspects of long-range offensive fires. (Source: Defense News)
18 Dec 25. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) completed a successful static fire test of a prototype Mk 72 solid rocket motor (SRM) at its advanced propulsion production facility in Elkton, Maryland. This achievement highlights the company’s commitment to deliver proven solid rocket motors at scale today, investment in capacity to meet Department of War needs and innovate for tomorrow. The Northrop Grumman Mk 72 focuses on meeting current performance requirements while improving manufacturability, lead time and cost efficiency. The company is pioneering processes and techniques to design and deliver new and second source rocket motors faster than ever, by leveraging low risk solutions and innovative qualification and production methodologies.
Northrop Grumman’s Mk 72 solid rocket motor solution:
- Proved the alignment of our digital twin and performance modeling technologies to real, measured motor performance through captured data in this U.S. Navy-funded static test.
- Addressed manufacturability, producibility, and supply chain resiliency challenges being experienced by other SRM suppliers through tailored trade studies.
- Established multiple sources for critical components, achieving supply chain resilience to ensure deliveries even as demand increases.
Expert:
Gordon LoPresti, senior director of propulsion systems and controls at Northrop Grumman: “The successful Mk 72 static fire test is a testament to the proven solid rocket motor technologies Northrop Grumman has delivered for over seven decades. We rapidly developed this innovative Mk 72 solution that is tailorable to the U.S. Navy’s needs, is low-risk and can be produced at scale.”
Details:
As a leading provider in the propulsion industry, Northrop Grumman has already made substantial investments and continues to invest in state-of-the-art facilities, increased capacity, and advanced technologies to deliver effective weapons systems and solid rocket motors at an affordable scale. To meet the growing demand from customers, we are enhancing our capabilities for producing missile components, including solid rocket motors. With a legacy of over seventy years and the successful delivery of more than 1.3 m solid rocket motors, Northrop Grumman has become a trusted supplier of various sizes of solid rocket motors and advanced propulsion solutions that are crucial for deterring threats, delivering payloads, and supporting exploration in space.
Over the last seven years, Northrop Grumman has invested more than $1 bn in advanced manufacturing facilities across the U.S. to increase solid rocket motor and missile-component production. That includes tripling capacity for tactical SRMs at the company’s West Virginia production facility and, over the next five years, doubling production capacity at its large solid rocket motor facilities in Utah.
Our advanced and digital manufacturing capabilities, especially those at our advanced propulsion facility, position us as a generator for highly-skilled technical talent, contributing significantly to Maryland-Delaware-Pennsylvania region. We remain dedicated to being an employer of choice that invests in local communities, driving economic growth and partnerships with local colleges.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.
22 Dec 25. The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) will be part of the weapons mix for the British Army’s AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, with integration planned for 2027. In a written response to Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty, defence minister Luke Pollard said APKWS has been assessed “as part of a suite of systems available for the AH-64E weapons load”, highlighting its potential to give commanders greater flexibility when engaging different target sets. Pollard said the system would allow the Apache to “engage a range of targets with a measured effect”, suggesting interest in capabilities that sit below high-end guided missiles in terms of cost and destructive power.
Apache helicopter parts
The minister confirmed that procurement activity for UK AH-64E armament is ongoing, with the capability due to be integrated and introduced on British Apaches by 2027. However, he stressed that no final procurement decisions have yet been made for this to be fitted on other platforms. Pollard added that while APKWS is being considered for Apache, “the potential for use on other platforms remains under review”, indicating that any wider adoption across UK forces has not yet been agreed.
What is APKWS?
The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) is a precision-guided rocket system that converts standard 2.75-inch (70 mm) Hydra 70 unguided rockets into laser-guided munitions through the addition of a mid-body guidance section. The guidance unit uses a semi-active laser seeker based on a distributed aperture design, allowing the rocket to home in on laser-designated targets with improved accuracy. APKWS is developed and manufactured by BAE Systems and is designated by the US Department of Defense as the programme of record for laser-guided 70 mm rockets. Development of APKWS began in the early 2000s to address the requirement for a precision weapon with lower cost and reduced explosive yield compared with traditional guided missiles. The system achieved initial operational capability in 2012 and has since been fielded across a range of rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft. APKWS is designed to be compatible with existing Hydra 70 rocket motors, warheads and launchers, enabling integration with minimal changes to aircraft hardware or software. (Source: UKDJ.)
26 Dec 25. Pentagon counter-drone task force plans Golden Dome link. Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF 401, delivers remarks at a JIATF 401 interagency summit in Alexandria, Virginia, Nov. 25, 2025. (Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza/DOD) The Joint Interagency Task Force 401, established by the Pentagon as the military’s lead counter-drone organization, plans to share data with the Golden Dome missile defense project to defend against threats from larger drones, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF 401, said at a media roundtable Friday.
“Our integrated counter-UAS posture across the homeland has to be tied into the Golden Dome and we’re going to make sure that it is,” Ross told reporters.
Data sharing between JIATF 401 and the Golden Dome effort will focus on drones classified as belonging to Group 3, Ross explained. Drones categorized in that size are around the size of the Army’s RQ-7B Shadow and carry heavier payloads.
Ross said he is currently discussing data sharing with Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, head of the Golden Dome project.
“We have to be able to share data seamlessly so we should be able to see each other’s threat picture,” Ross told Defense News. “Just because you have the ability to see that data or share that data doesn’t mean you have to at each location.”
Layered defenses
JIATF 401 was established in August by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure that all U.S. military branches are equipped with counter-UAS defense capabilities. Describing the threat of small unmanned aerial systems as “the defining threat of our time,” Ross said that a multilayered defense infrastructure is necessary to defeat those threats.
“Our formations must be able to detect, track, identify and defeat these systems anywhere on the planet,” Ross said. “This requires us to layer our defenses by integrating sensors with kinetic and nonkinetic efforts and battle management systems into a responsive, interoperable network.”
JIATF 401 has already assessed counter-drone capabilities across all U.S. military service branches and is providing counter-drone capabilities to forces at home and overseas, he said.
Small system threats
Ross noted that while many defense systems exist to defeat Group 3 drones, more work remains to be done in protecting service members and the public from threats by small drones, which fall under Groups 1 and 2.
“I want to make sure that we have just as robust protection against Group 1 and Group 2 systems that are smaller and much more likely to be seen over a lively attended gathering, stadium or a watch party specifically for the World Cup,” Ross said. Next year’s FIFA World Cup will see soccer matches held in 11 major metropolitan stadiums across the United States, which will host games along with Canada and Mexico.
In the event of a drone attack on U.S. soil, the Department of Homeland Security and local law enforcement would lead the response, Adam Scher, spokesperson for JIATF 401, told Defense News.
“If requested, the [Pentagon] could serve in a support capacity in many of the same ways we have previously,” Scher said.
“The JIATF is not an operational command, and our support to these events comes from our partnerships and our data sharing,” Scher said, adding that the task force shares threat information and works to streamline and support counter-drone activities with interagency partners and other authorities.
Border cooperation
Amid an uptick in drone activity along the U.S.-Mexico border and cartels increasingly adopting drone tactics used in Ukraine, JIATF 401 is currently working to perform threat assessments along the southern border, Scher told Defense News. The task force is cooperating with other agencies and commands, including U.S. Northern Command and federal and tribal law enforcement agencies, to gather and share data about threats posed by drones in border areas. The task force is also working with commanders of military installations to ensure that they have everything they need to guard bases and personnel from emerging drone threats of all types.
“We are going to help ensure they have clear guidance on what constitutes a threat, and we are going to make sure they are equipped with the best tools our industry can offer,” Scher said. (Source: Defense News)
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About Galvion:
Galvion designs, develops, and delivers mission critical head, face, and torso protective solutions as well as intelligent power and data management systems for the world’s most demanding military and tactical teams. Founded in 2002 as Revision Military, a foundational belief in calculated investment and capability expansion led to a strategic refocus, resulting in the divestiture of the protective eyewear business, along with the Revision name, in 2019. Rebranded as Galvion, the company’s products and technology continue to evolve beyond purely passive protection, focusing instead on active systems that enhance performance and survivability, with an eye to the ever-changing demands of the modern battlefield. Through advanced design, keen end-user insight and intelligent integration, Galvion engineers uniquely customized solutions that go beyond what was once thought possible.
Privately owned with ISO 9001:2015 certified facilities in Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the US, Montreal in Canada and Bristol in the UK, Galvion’s team of 400+ employees work proactively to solve the problems left unsolved by others.
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