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15 Aug 24. ADF gunners put K9 self-propelled howitzer through its paces in South Korea.
Australian Army and Republic of Korea soldiers on a familiarisation training course for the K9 self-propelled howitzer and the K10 armoured ammunition resupply vehicle in South Korea. Photo: Defence/Supplied
Australian Army gunners have fired the incoming K9 self-propelled howitzer as part of familiarisation training held in South Korea.
Townsville-based gunners were among nine members attending the training on the K9 self-propelled howitzer to become future instructors on the vehicles, which will be primarily operated by 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery in Townsville by 2028.
When Lance Bombadier Lachlan Kirk fired a K9 for the first time, he realised the shock didn’t compare to the standard towed M777 artillery piece.
“The recoil was good, it’s not as full-on as the M777,” he said.
LBDR Kirk was one of nine Aussie gunners on familiarisation training in South Korea to become future instructors on the vehicle.
This included each of them blasting 155mm rounds from the K9 for the first time.
Because the K9 has an automatic aiming system, LBDR Kirk said it was as simple as reviewing the fire control system data, aiming, and pressing a button to fire it.
“The main gunner has a screen in front of them where they review the firing solution provided by the fire direction centre. They then press a button to operate and lay (aim) the gun,” he said.
The self-propelled howitzer also has manual mode and a semi-automatic mode with a joystick for directional adjustments or direct fire.
They also learnt how to perform a lot of operator maintenance, such as removing the muzzle and tracks for repairs.
Sergeant Jake Brown, from Townsville’s 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, has been an instructor on the M777 and said the main difference was being able to shoot and move quickly.
If moving, the K9 can stop and fire within 60 seconds, or if stationary, 30 seconds.
“It will be able to fire rounds and move from that position immediately so you don’t receive counter-battery fire,” SGT Brown said.
He said the most beneficial part of the course was driver training. Tactically manoeuvring a 50-tonne armoured vehicle is something the gunners have not needed to do with the M777.
“Driving tracked vehicles is going to be new to everybody who’s coming through, and getting qualified on the system,” he said.
Towards the end of next year, there will be a more in-depth, train-the-trainer course for potential instructors so they can teach trainees from the 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery at Puckapunyal.
The Australian AS9 Huntsman and AS10 armoured ammunition resupply vehicle, which are based on the Korean K9 and K10, will have increased internal height, modernised direct fire and fire control systems, additional storage, and air conditioning.
Thirty AS9s and 15 AS10s are expected to be in service in the Army by 2028 and will be primarily operated by 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery in Townsville. (Source: Defence Connect)
14 Aug 24. India flight-tests Gaurav long-range glide bomb. India’s Gaurav long-range glide bomb (LRGB) has undergone its first airborne test flight, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 13 August.
Under development by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Gaurav LRGB is an air-launched 1,000 kg class glide munition.
An Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi Su-30MKI multirole combat aircraft launched the munition off the Odisha coast on 13 August, according to the MoD.
“During the flight test, the glide bomb hit the target erected at Long Wheeler’s island,” the ministry said.
According to the MoD, the glide munition steered to the target using a “hybrid navigation scheme with a combination of INS [inertial navigation system] and GPS data”.
The munition has a low-drag cylindrical body with a conical nose, fitted with mid-body foldable wings, and four tail fins. It measures 4.027 m in length, is 620 mm in diameter, and has a wingspan of 3.4 m.
Janes understands that the Gaurav has a maximum range of more than 80 km. The munition’s guidance system comprises satellite-aided INS with digital control and it is also compatible with the GPS-aided GEO augmented navigation (GAGAN) and Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) guidance systems.
The munition’s modular design allows it to carry penetration cum blast (PCB) or pre-fragmentation warheads. (Source: Janes)
14 Aug 24. DOD Spells Out New Requirements to Counter Blast Overpressure Risks. Last week, the Defense Department released requirements meant to help manage the risks to brain health from blast overpressure, which can be generated by weapons systems such as howitzers, mortars and shoulder-mounted weapons.
The policy memorandum, signed by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, aligns squarely with the department’s warfighter brain health initiative and the secretary of defense’s priority of Taking Care of Our People.
Among other things, the memorandum spells out requirements related to standoff distances for specific weapons systems; proposed limits on expending excess rounds once training requirements are met; tracking personnel exposed to blast overpressure, also called BOP; and consideration of BOP risks to brain health when developing new weapons systems.
“The department is committed to advancing combat readiness while reducing risks associated with blast overpressure,” Hicks wrote in her memorandum.
While the effort directs commanders to take reasonable steps to preserve the brain health of DOD personnel, it is not intended to undermine training efforts or combat effectiveness, Hicks said.
“This policy is not meant to preclude or unreasonably restrict commanders from conducting mission-essential weapons training,” she said. “Rather, this policy establishes requirements for practical risk management actions to mitigate and track BOP exposures across the DOD.”
Key elements of the new policy include requirements for the DOD components to:
- Implement procedures and standards for training and operations that incorporate blast overpressure risk management, including weapon specific standoff distances;
- Enhance training and education for civilian and military leaders and service members, to include procedures to seek medical evaluation when experiencing symptoms;
- Identify and track all DOD personnel who are at the highest risk for exposures to hazardous BOP using the DOD’s Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System-Industrial Hygiene, or DOEHRS-IH;
- Integrate simulations into training strategies to reduce BOP exposure, when appropriate, and not expend excess rounds once training standards are achieved;
- Consider BOP hazards within the acquisition life cycle of weapons systems; and
- Establish procedures to track and maintain oversight of BOP exposure risk management actions, including processes to request, and provide justification in writing for any exceptions to the policy requirements.
“Blast overpressure is the wave that’s experienced after firing a weapon or munition,” said Kathy Lee, director of the Department of Defense policy for warfighter brain health. “When this wave occurs, there can be impacts that affect cognition, balance changes and other potential brain health issues.”
The memorandum includes examples of systems commonly in use across the department that can cause BOP. Such systems include the shoulder-mounted M72 light anti-armor weapon and M136 light antitank weapon; indirect fire systems, including all platforms of both howitzers and mortars; and .50-caliber rifles such as the M107 sniper rifle, the M2A1 machine gun, and the MK15 sniper rifle.
Lee said the weapons named in the memorandum were identified after consultation with the military services.
“Symptoms that have been reported after use of these munitions in a low-level blast exposure environment have included complaints of headache, concentration problems, dizziness and irritability, memory problems and slower reaction time,” Lee said. “So, these are some of the manifestations, some of the health and performance effects that were found while we performed some in-depth studies looking at those particular weapon systems.”
For such systems, one example of BOP mitigation includes defining an appropriate standoff distance from the blast source — how far away an individual such as instructors or range safety officers must stand in order to minimize their exposures to BOP. For the M120 and M121 120 mm mortars, the recommended standoff distance is 13 feet, for instance, while for the M107 sniper rifle, the standoff is seven feet.
The DOD Blast Overpressure Reference and Information Guide is a tool the department is using to better understand the level of BOP produced from high-risk weapons and operations, and the appropriate standoff distances, said Laura Macaluso, the director for force safety and occupational health.
“This is a great tool for personnel in the field to use and we have already received positive feedback. It has easily understood illustrations about the blast overpressure generated from specific weapons, such as where to stand and body positioning,” Macaluso said.
The memorandum also directs that the services identify and track within DOEHRS-IH all personnel who are potentially exposed to BOP. A special emphasis should also be placed on occupational specialties that, by nature of operational activities, regularly place those personnel at increased risk of BOP exposure, the memorandum says.
“The DOEHRS-IH system is expected to be used to enter information for tracking exposures … identifying those personnel who are potentially exposed and then tracking those exposures … so that we can link individual personnel to their level of exposure while performing their duties,” said Macaluso.
This memorandum also directs the acceleration of service members obtaining their first baseline cognitive assessment to support monitoring brain health throughout their time in service. In keeping with that, the memorandum requires DOD components to ensure all new active and reserve accessions undergo cognitive assessments as part of the entry process.
The department already conducts cognitive assessments on military personnel in advance of deployments and has been doing so since 2008. The new policy expands this to the newly accessioned, and creates a requirement that service members in career fields at high risk for exposure to BOP are given cognitive assessments at regular intervals throughout their careers.
“Monitoring will be regular and ongoing to identify and address any cognitive changes as soon as they are known,” Lee said. “Expansion will include the entire force through phased implementation after conducting the first baseline test. Then follow-up testing will allow opportunities for cognitive enhancements or cognitive restoration if necessary.”
Also required under the policy is for BOP risk management to be integrated into weapons system acquisition life cycles, to include leveraging technology to reassess and manage risks from BOP hazards for legacy weapons systems.
“We call it key performance parameters,” said Lee. “There is a policy that mandates that future weapon development must consider brain health as a key performance parameter in weapon development and acquisition. Through the Warfighter Brain Health Initiative, there has been a new provision in the manual that says there is now a key performance parameter which weapon developers and acquisition program managers will be looking at to ensure that effects on brain health were considered as you move through the stages of developing and acquiring weapons.”
While the new direction from the department aims to protect service member brain health by identifying BOP as a hazard, educating the force about the issue, and taking steps to mitigate exposure, it is not intended to prevent warfighters from doing their job, said Macaluso.
“The policy establishes requirements for practical risk management actions to mitigate and track blast overpressure exposures across the department. In the safety community, everything we do is focused on risk management. We want to keep our personnel as safe as possible in every environment that we can control.”
Lee said that the new policy may actually improve combat readiness because it will ensure fewer service members are taken out of action due to the adverse health impacts from BOP exposure.
“It will enhance training because you will have healthier warriors who know that they’re being taken care of, and they’re being protected from unnecessary blast exposures, which may put more people on the line in training scenarios to help them be ready to train as they fight and maximize our national defense strategy goals,” Lee said. (Source: U.S. DoD)
14 Aug 24. U.S. Navy’s newest air-to-air missile could tilt balance in South China Sea. The U.S. Navy’s deployment of new extremely long-range air-to-air missiles in the Indo-Pacific could erase China’s advantage in aerial reach, experts say, part of an intensifying focus on projecting power amid high tensions in the region.
The AIM-174B, developed from the readily available Raytheon SM-6 air defence missile, is the longest-range such missile the United States has ever fielded and was officially acknowledged in July.
It has three key advantages: it can fly several times farther than the next-best U.S. option, the AIM-120 AMRAAM; it does not require new production lines; and it is compatible with the aircraft of at least one ally, Australia.
Crucially, a weapon such as the AIM-174B, which can attack aerial targets as far away as 400km (250 miles), outranges China’s PL-15 missile, allowing U.S. jets to keep threats farther from aircraft carriers, and safely strike “high-value” Chinese targets, such as command-and-control planes.
“The United States can ensure the safety of their important assets, such as carrier groups, and launch long-range strikes on PLA targets,” said Chieh Chung, a researcher at a Taipei-based thinktank, the Association of Strategic Foresight, using an abbreviation for the People’s Liberation Army.
The West has not easily been able to do that until now.
Taliban mark third anniversary of return to power in Afghanistan
requires the launching aircraft to fly deeper into contested territory, exposing aircraft carriers to greater danger of anti-ship attacks.
Any type of South China Sea conflict, within the so-called First Island Chain, which runs roughly from Indonesia northeast to the Japanese mainland, means the U.S. Navy would operate within few hundred kilometres of its Chinese adversary.
Supporting Taiwan in an invasion would pull the Navy in even closer.
The AIM-174B changes that equation, keeping PLA carrier-hunting aircraft out of firing range and even endangering their planes attacking Taiwan, Cheih said. That increased the likelihood the United States would get involved in a major conflict in the region, he added.
“The big thing is that it lets the United States push in a little bit further” into the South China Sea during a conflict, said a senior U.S. defence technical analyst, who declined to be identified because the matter is a sensitive one.
“And it’s going to potentially change Chinese behaviour because it’s going to hold large, slow, unmanoeuvrable aircraft at greater risk.”
RANGE ADVANTAGE
For decades, the United States’ advantage in stealth fighters, first with the F-117 and then with the F-22 and F-35, meant that missiles such as the AIM-120 were all that was needed.
The U.S. military also leaned into developing the AMRAAM as a cheaper alternative to a new missile, drastically improving its performance over decades, said Justin Bronk, an airpower and technology expert at London’s Royal United Services Institute.
The SM-6 is estimated to cost about $4 m each, says the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, while an AMRAAM costs about $1 m.
European nations, which lacked access to stealth technology until recent years, developed the ramjet-powered Meteor missile, with a range of 200 km (124 miles), produced by MBDA.
MBDA did not respond to a request for comment.
The advent of Chinese stealth aircraft such as the J-20, and more important, the PL-15 missile it can carry internally – with a range of 250 km (155 miles) or more – eroded the U.S. edge, said Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center.
Now a stealthy Chinese aircraft could theoretically spot non-stealthy U.S. aircraft and shoot them down well outside the range where they could even fight back, she said.
Even U.S. stealth aircraft might be forced to fly dangerously close to fire their missiles.
“If a Chinese fighter can outrange an American fighter, it means they can get the first shot,” she said. “It’s hard to outrun something that’s travelling at Mach 4.”
The AIM-174B was developed to quickly address that need.
The secretive Lockheed Martin AIM-260, a separate U.S. Air Force program to develop an extremely long-range air-to-air missile small enough for stealth aircraft to carry internally, has been in development for at least seven years.
Lockheed Martin declined to comment on the project.
China is developing missiles with longer range than the PL-15, Bronk said, but the radar of launching aircraft may be unable to spot targets at such distances.
“If you go too big and too heavy with the missiles, you end up trading off fuel” for the aircraft, he added.
AVAILABILITY
Using Raytheon’s SM-6, originally designed for a ship-launched air defence role, means production lines are already available. Funding has already been earmarked for more than 100 SM-6 missiles a year.
Raytheon declined to comment on how many AIM-174Bs would be produced or if existing SM-6s would be converted.
So far it has only been shown on U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft, which are operated by the U.S. and Australian militaries.
The United States sees Australia as a crucial ally and location for projecting power into the South China Sea, and is investing hundreds of ms of dollars in military infrastructure there.
Australia’s defence ministry said it “works closely with the U.S. to understand capability options available for Australian consideration”.
The U.S. Defense Department referred questions about the AIM-174B to the U.S. Navy.
The Navy said the missile was “operationally deployed” but declined to comment on whether it would be supplied to allies, whether it would be integrated onto other aircraft, and how many AIM-174Bs it wanted each year.
The versatility of the SM-6, which has also been used to hit ships, land targets and missiles, opens up possibilities beyond the AIM-174B, said Peter Layton, a defence and aviation expert at the Griffith Asia Institute.
For instance, if fitted with an anti-radar seeker, it could attack and disrupt surface-to-air missile batteries from extremely long range.
For now, though, adding the AIM-174B to the U.S. Navy’s arsenal, even if not yet in large numbers, changes the calculus of a regional conflict, the senior technical analyst said.
“If this is enough to push (China’s high-value) aircraft way back, then you don’t need many,” the analyst added.
“Because the threat has caused the adversary to change their behaviour … It makes a South China Sea scenario easier.” (Source: Reuters)
11 Aug 24. Reaction Engines Achieves Ground-breaking Hypersonic Propulsion System Milestone. Reaction Engines has successfully demonstrated the integration of its innovative precooler technology with existing jet-engine architecture, achieving sustained Mach 3.5 operating conditions and demonstrating the viability of a key element for its innovative propulsion system concept for high-Mach/hypersonic aircraft.
In the current ground-based testing programme, Reaction Engines’ innovative precooler has been integrated and close-coupled with a modified Rolls-Royce jet engine to simulate a propulsion system for an unpiloted, reusable high-Mach air vehicle concept.
The test programme initially achieved sustained Mach 2.3 operating conditions, representing speeds faster than Concorde’s maximum operating speed, before operating at Mach 3.5 pressures and temperatures, matching the maximum known airspeed record of the SR-71, the world’s fastest aircraft powered by an air-breathing engine.
In addition to developing precooler technology, Reaction Engines is developing and testing novel high-Mach intake designs and technology for hypersonics capabilities. Hardware is currently being manufactured and assembled for a full-scale ground-based high-Mach thermomechanical test. Sub-scale aerodynamic wind-tunnel testing is already being undertaken to assess intake performance over a range of supersonic conditions.
Mark Thomas, Chief Executive of Reaction Engines, said: “As the world’s most advanced heat exchanger technology company, this significant milestone is a testament to our relentless efforts to develop novel, innovative, reusable and affordable propulsion systems for hypersonic air vehicles at pace. This capability is transferrable to thermal management solutions for multiple applications and mission profiles.” (Source: ASD Network)
14 Aug 24. Armscor seeking personal protective equipment for BMA. The Border Management Authority (BMA) is acquiring equipment for its border guards, with state defence materiel agency Armscor issuing multiple tenders for protective and other equipment.
Tender EWSD/2024/78, issued on 29 July with bids closing on 12 August, called for 303 tactical vests and 103 maritime bulletproof vests, to be delivered to the BMA by 30 November 2024. The vests must offer ballistic protection to NIJ Level II or better and incorporate hard armour plates. (NIJ Level II provides protection against 9 mm and .357 Magnum ammunition, but not assault rifle ammunition.)
The majority of vests will be in medium size, with small, large and extra-large acquired in smaller numbers along with several testing samples. According to the Armscor tender, the tactical vests must weigh no more than 6 kg. The maritime vests need to contain a flotation device and have positive buoyancy.
Tender EWSD/2024/77, issued on 29 July and closing on 16 August, calls for 400 elbow and knee guard sets and 400 tactical gloves to be delivered to the Border Management Authority in Pretoria.
The elbow and knee guard sets are required to have a polycarbonate outer shell while the gloves need to be of thermal plastic rubber (TPR) material with palm reinforcement, fingertip protection, and touch screen capability.
Of the elbow and knee guard sets, 300 need to be in green and 100 in black, with the green for border guards and black for maritime guards.
Armscor also has a tender out for tactical equipment and gear, including electronics (EWSD/2024/76, closing 16 August).
The Border Management Authority is getting a range of new equipment for its border guards. Funding from the Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA) is being used to acquire “critical security and ICT equipment,” which includes unmanned aerial systems, body cameras, and speed boats, with procurement being done through Armscor.
In March, BMA Commissioner Dr Mike Masiapato told the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) that the BMA is, through Armscor, in the process of acquiring patrol boats to patrol the maritime environment and to ensure domain awareness.
An initial 50 BMA Coastal Guards have been deployed to eight sites along the South African coastline to monitor the various maritime ports of entry (main harbours like Durban, Cape Town and Gqeberha) and also protect marine resources. “Coast Guards conduct maritime border law enforcement functions such as preventing and combating of human trafficking and the illegal movement of vessels,” the BMA said
An initial 200 border guards were deployed in July 2022 ahead of the BMA’s full establishment in July 2023 and official launch that October. In June 2024, 400 junior border guards joined the BMA’s ranks after eight months of training.
From July 2022 to July 2024, the BMA intercepted and deported over 296 000 individuals, who had attempted to enter the country illegally. Additionally, the BMA recovered 303 vehicles which were in the process of being illegally smuggled across the border, and seized significant quantities of illicit goods and drugs. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
13 Aug 24. Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics to build their own rocket motors. Lockheed Martin said on Tuesday it had signed an agreement with peer General Dynamics to build solid rocket motors, which propel missiles, amid surging demand driven by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Efforts to replenish U.S. inventory are also driving the global demand for missiles and a shortage of rocket motors could pressure production.
Starting in 2025, General Dynamics (GD.N), will start producing solid rocket motors, used to propel missiles, for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) at its Camden, Arkansas facility.
Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) which builds GMLRS, is ramping up deliveries from 10,000 in 2024 to 14,000 in 2025.
Much sought-after and relatively inexpensive, rocket motors have been supplied mainly by Northrop (NOC.N) and L3Harris Technologies (LHX.N) in the past.
However, startup rocket maker Ursa Major has also attracted interest from the Pentagon, which is seeking to widen its supplier base beyond these two dominant companies. (Source: Reuters)
09 Aug 24. Ship-killing guided bomb put to test as USAF sinks cargo vessel. The Air Force in July tested a new ship-killing guided bomb to demonstrate the service’s growing ability to sink enemy vessels.
A B-2 Spirit bomber released the weapon, which the Air Force Research Laboratory calls QUICKSINK, against an empty cargo vessel in the Gulf of Mexico, AFRL said in a Thursday release.
Col. Matthew Caspers, head of AFRL’s munitions directorate at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, said in a statement that the technology will ensure the U.S. can defend its interests, keep seas open, and “seize the initiative over large maritime areas.”
“QUICKSINK is an answer to an urgent need to neutralize maritime threats to freedom around the world,” Caspers said.
The Air Force is developing QUICKSINK to bolster its anti-ship capabilities, which would be crucial in a potential conflict with China or another major adversary. Defense leaders have repeatedly said the U.S. military’s top challenge is China, which views the island nation of Taiwan as a breakaway province with which it must reunify, possibly through a swift invasion.
A war against China would likely involve fierce naval battles across the Pacific, and the Air Force hopes QUICKSINK would provide another weapon in its arsenal to counter the Chinese navy.
The QUICKSINK program will allow the Air Force to modify current or future weapons to hit targets at sea that are either stationary or moving. AFRL said in 2021, as it began testing the concept, that it wants the weapons to home in on specific points on the target vessel, including at its top, at the waterline or just below the water’s surface.
AFRL did not specify which weapon was used in July’s test to sink the cargo vessel, called the Monarch Countess. A previous test in 2022 used a modified GPS-guided GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAM, to strike a target vessel.
The JDAM does not operate under its own power, and uses fins to steer towards its target while the speed of the releasing aircraft and gravity provide the weapon’s velocity.
AFRL said in a 2021 interview with Military.com that the JDAM’s nose plug had been redesigned as part of this effort. That was done to ensure the JDAM does not careen off in an unexpected direction if it hits the water before striking its target, which an AFRL official compared to a stone skipping across a pond’s surface.
While the Air Force hopes QUICKSINK would have a similar ship-killing effect as a traditional torpedo, this weapon would not travel under the water’s surface to the target. Air Force officials say QUICKSINK would be cheaper and more flexible than heavy-weight torpedoes, and could be released from most of the service’s combat aircraft.
A B-2 bomber carried out July’s test, and an F-15E Strike Eagle released a GBU-31 JDAM that had been modified into a maritime QUICKSINK weapon in a previous test in 2022.
AFRL’s munitions directorate is working with the Navy on a Maritime Weapon Program to develop air-launched weapons that can sink enemy ships.
The July test in the Gulf of Mexico was separate from the Navy’s live-fire sinking exercises during the Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC, drills that same month, AFRL said.
The RIMPAC exercises included sinking two decommissioned ships — the amphibious transport dock Dubuque and the amphibious assault ship Tarawa — off the coast of Hawaii. Those ships were struck by aircraft and ships from the U.S., Australia, Malaysia, the Netherlands and South Korea, using weapons that included the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile and the RGM-84 Harpoon missile. (Source: Defense News)
09 Aug 24. US Army to test hypervelocity projectile for 155mm cannon artillery. The U.S. Army is slated to begin evaluating a hypervelocity projectile for the service’s artillery systems in 2025, according to Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office director.
The service is pursuing such a capability as a potential munition for eliminating cheaper targets, rather than using high-end missiles for the same mission, Rasch told Defense News at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium.
Hypervelocity projectiles are “an order of magnitude cheaper than its equivalent missile,” Rasch said, “but can go really fast to close on the target.”
The Army plans to prototype the hypervelocity capability through the Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Rasch said, and will spend roughly three years studying the physics of shooting the projectile from a 155mm cannon.
“We have to learn through testing,” he said. “There [are] different physical pressures that are put on that cannon — the amount of force required to project something at that speed.”
As part of the evaluation the Army will also look at autoloader capabilities. It will also aim to ensure the projectile will reliably work while tied into the Integrated Battle Command System, the command-and-control system that connects any sensor and shooter on the battlefield.
“It’s got to fight as part of Army formations,” Rasch stressed.
The project to develop a hypervelocity projectile for cannons will transition from the Strategic Capabilities Office to the Army next year, Rasch said.
“We’re joined at the hip with [SCO] right now,” he said. “My team worked very closely with them to understand where they are in the development process of that capability.”
Rasch is aiming to get the capability ready for operational testing in fiscal 2028.
“It’s an impressive capability,” he said. “I’m looking forward to trying to turn it into an Army platform.” (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
13 Aug 24. Bulgarian Company Launches Loitering Munition Production.
Bulgarian company Samel-90 has launched an assembly line for a new one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) named SAMJET.
Developed in collaboration with Swiss defense drone specialists ALIDRONE SAGL, the SAMJET is designed for cost-effective and rapid production, with a design resembling the Iranian Shahed-136 drone.
SAMJET is a next-generation loitering munition drone that features autonomous takeoff capabilities assisted by rocket engines. It is engineered for high-speed flight and ease of use, requiring no assembly. All SAMJET units can be operated using a common ground control station. During flight, the drone’s position is displayed on a map, and imagery from its onboard camera is available to operators.
The drone is equipped with a forward-facing camera stabilized on three axes, allowing for movement and zoom control to identify and confirm targets during the final attack phase.
The company says the new suicide drone has automatic takeoff with a rocket booster and can travel at 120 to 250 km/h, with a range of up to several hundred kilometers.
“All our SAMJET units can be operated using the same ground control station. During flight, the position is displayed on the map, along with the image from the onboard camera,” a company representative stated. This integration ensures ease of use and operational efficiency for military personnel.
The SAMJET’s capabilities make it a significant addition to the growing arsenal of loitering munitions, offering enhanced operational flexibility and precision for military applications. (Source: UAS VISION/Defence Blog)
09 Aug 24. Missile Defense Agency to pick hypersonic interceptor vendor this year. The Missile Defense Agency is planning to choose a single vendor to deliver an interceptor capable of taking out a hypersonic weapon in its glide phase of flight, Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, the agency’s director, said Aug. 8 at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium.
“We will be making a down-select, resource-driven decision later this year,” Collins said.
“As we came into [FY]25, the Fiscal Responsibility Act … put pressure on the entire department to make really tough prioritization and resource-informed decisions,” Collins told Defense News in an interview at the conference. “We were no exception, so we had to take a look at how we balance and make decisions on the capability we bring.”
The MDA, as part of that assessment, decided to halt its SM-3 Block 1B production line and down-select a winning vendor earlier than planned — rather than carry two teams farther into the development process, which tends to drive down program risk — in a competition to build a Next-Generation Interceptor. Such munitions are designed to counter intercontinental ballistic missiles aimed at the homeland.
“The risk inherent with an early pre-[preliminary design review] down-select is reflected by the express reference to this being ‘resource driven,’” Tom Karako, missile defense analyst at the Center for International and Strategic Studies, told Defense News. “Defeating high speed maneuvering threats in many respects reflects the future of missile defense broadly, so we have to get this capability right.”
Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman both won contracts to continue developing the Glide Phase Interceptor, or GPI, in June 2022. Each company was awarded a firm-fixed price modification to a previously awarded contract for rapid prototyping. Every modification is worth roughly $41.5m, bringing the total contract value to around $61m each.
The U.S and Japan signed a cooperative agreement in May to co-develop the GPI, with MDA’s budget plan envisioning a first fielding in the mid-2030s. Congress, meanwhile, has mandated MDA reach full operational capability by the end of 2032 and provide no fewer than 12 GPIs for tests by the deadline.
“We’ll have to assess the risk of that design, any corrective actions … or mitigation activities we want to take,” Collins said, discussing next steps after MDA chooses a single vendor. “And then we would re-baseline the program based on that with an updated, independent cost estimate … to inform that program.”
Hypersonic weapons are difficult to counter, not because of their speed, Collins said, but because their ability to maneuver in flight.
Some ballistic missiles are already able to fly at hypersonic speeds. The SM-6 missile currently in the inventory is capable of defeating hypersonic threats in the terminal phase of flight, but an interceptor capable of knocking out a hypersonic earlier in flight remains a high priority for the Defense Department. (Source: Defense News)
12 Aug 24. US Army’s high-energy laser competition to kick off early next year. The U.S. Army plans to choose a few teams from a larger pool to compete to develop its Enduring High Energy Laser, or HEL, system for short-range air defense in early 2025, Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office director, said last week.
The Army will carry teams through design and development and plans to select a winner to build an enduring HEL for short-range air defense in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, according to a broad agency announcement for the effort posted to Sam.gov.
The service held an industry day in July and has been collecting proposals with “a lot of interest from those industry partners we’ve seen and some that we hadn’t necessarily seen before,” Rasch told Defense News in an interview at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium here.
“Some of them are teaming up together. Some of them are on their own. But they see what other folks are doing and trying to get better,” Rasch added. “That is where innovation occurs and that’s where we maintain that leap ahead capability over our adversaries.”
The service has spent years developing lasers for various weapons systems and recently deployed four Directed Energy Maneuver-SHORAD Stryker Combat Vehicle-based prototypes to the U.S. Central Command area of operations to evaluate how well a 50-kilowatt laser could fulfill the mission of taking out short-range air threats.
The first prototypes consist of a 50-kilowatt laser from Raytheon. Kord Technologies, a KBR company, is the lead integrator.
Rasch’s office is currently evaluating 10-, 20-, 50- and 300-kilowatt options for a wide variety of threats and missions. The 300-kilowatt laser is designed for the Indirect Fire Protection Capability, which is a system that will use kinetic, laser and high-powered microwave weapons to destroy threats including rockets, artillery, mortars, drones and cruise missiles. The Army is to receive that laser weapon next year.
“That informed the Enduring High Energy Laser [broad agency announcement] that we put out,” Rasch said. “You’ll notice… that we didn’t reference kilowatts, right? It’s easy to talk about lasers in regards to kilowatts because it’s easy to get your head wrapped around more kilowatts, probably better, less kilowatts, probably not as effective or lethal, but that’s only one factor that comes into how effective the system is downrange.”
For example, Rasch noted, a 50-kilowatt system might have an ideal beam director “so it’s not making all the proper utilization of beam forming and getting that power down range. You might not be as effective as a 30-kilowatt, so there’s multiple components and multiple levers… that come into play.”
The extensive evaluations have led the Army to see “how those systems perform from the different designs at the system level and at the component level and sub-component level. It’s really, I think, opened up the aperture on what we know about how to make effective laser systems,” Rasch said.
The Army has also learned about what will be needed to sustain directed energy systems in the Middle East.
“It’s a big step to go from lab demonstration of a capability or even taking it out to a range for a week or two to giving it to soldiers for good and then having them take it, quite frankly, in some of the most austere places that you would ever want to put equipment,” Rasch said.
“We’ve actually made some big inroads on how to do sustainment repairs in a really ugly environment where dust particles are really high,” he added. “Ultimately we want to get these systems to … where your soldiers can pull out a piece and put in another piece in a fight.”
In addition to the four prototypes already downrange, Rasch’s office will soon receive prototypes from two additional teams – Lockheed Martin and nLight – each offering different design solutions, which the office will evaluate over the next several years in addition to the original DE M-SHORAD prototyping effort. (Source: Defense News)
13 Aug 24. Thai army starts D11A trials. Thailand’s state-run Defence Technology Institute (DTI) has delivered a prototype of its D11A Multi-Purpose Rocket and Missile Launcher to the Royal Thai Army (RTA) for testing before potential manufacturing.
The D11A – local version of Elbit Systems’ multicalibre Precise and Universal Launching System (PULS) – was handed over to the RTA’s 71st Artillery Regiment in Lopburi, central Thailand, on 9 August.
Trials of the prototype are intended to certify the platform with a view of entering a wider manufacturing phase from 2025. Production of the system will likely be conducted by the RTA’s production facilities.
The new trials are expected to be expansive, building on preliminary RTA evaluations of the D11A conducted in 2022, also in Lopburi. Early trials were focused on the stability of the platform, which integrates Elbit Systems’ rocket launcher on a 6×6 10-tonne Tatra truck from the Czech Republic.
Thai Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang said in a ceremony marking the start of trials that the development of the rocket system reflects the Thai government’s intention to meet military requirements through domestic industry and capability.
Once operational, the modular D11A will be able to launch several guided and unguided rocket systems of different calibres, with a range of between 40 and 300 km.
These include locally developed and Chinese-origin 122 mm rockets and Israeli systems such as the 306 mm Predator Hawk, the 306 mm EXTended Range Artillery (EXTRA), and the 122 mm and 160 mm Accular surface-to-surface GPS-guided rockets.
The DTI and RTA have also been considering the integration of Elbit Systems SkyStriker autonomous loitering munition onto the D11A. In 2023 the DTI held talks with Elbit about the integration but it has not yet progressed to a formal project. (Source: Janes)
11 Aug 24. Russia unveils new S-500 Prometey missile system. The Russian defense industry has introduced the S-500 Prometey missile system to the public for the first time at the Army-2024 defense exhibition in the Moscow region. This advanced system is designed to provide long-range air defense and theater ballistic missile defense.
The S-500 Prometey, named after the Greek mythological figure Prometheus, is a road-mobile system built on the BAZ-69096 chassis, featuring 10×10 transporter-erector-launchers. This system is expected to eventually replace the aging A-135 anti-ballistic missile system, which has been defending Moscow and its surrounding regions from silos. Additionally, the S-500 is designed to complement the S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, which has frequently been targeted in recent Ukrainian attacks.
The versatility of the S-500 is one of its key features. Like many of Russia’s high-end air defense systems, the S-500 can be configured to fire a range of different missiles, allowing it to tackle a variety of threats at different ranges and elevations. This capability makes it a formidable asset in Russia’s air defense network.
The development of the S-500 began in earnest in 2009, but the program has faced delays, missing its initial targets for series production, which were confidently predicted to begin by 2012. Despite these setbacks, the system reached a significant milestone when the first brigade set of S-500 Prometey units was delivered in October 2021 to the 15th Special Purpose Army of the Russian Aerospace Forces, responsible for protecting Moscow and the central region of Russia.
In a statement on May 25, 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted the importance of the S-500 to Russia’s defense strategy, noting that “more than 70% of the anti-aircraft missile regiments in the Aerospace Forces have been re-equipped with the modern S-400 systems. The delivery of the S-500 system to the troops is next, with its tests already successfully concluding.”
Vice Prime Minister of Russia, Yuri Borisov, announced on August 23, 2021, that the S-500 system had entered serial production, marking a new phase in its deployment across Russia’s defense forces. (Source: Google/https://defence-blog.com/)
10 Aug 24. Australia tests advanced SM-6 missile for first time. The Australian government said on Saturday it had for the first time test-fired a Raytheon (RTX.N) SM-6 missile from a Navy ship, a major step in acquiring and integrating the air-defence weapon into its inventory.
The HMAS Sydney conducted the test near the U.S. state of Hawaii as part of the Pacific Dragon 2024 exercise, Australia’s defence ministry said, calling it a “significant milestone” in a deal first approved in 2021.
The SM-6 is the most advanced naval air defence missile in the U.S. arsenal, including against ballistic missiles, and has also been tested for striking ships and ground targets, and in air-to-air scenarios.
“This is another example of the acceleration in acquisitions of critical capabilities for the Navy,” said Pat Conroy, Australia’s minister for defence industry and capability delivery. “The ability to deter an adversary from extended ranges and to deter attempts to project power against Australia is a core part of the National Defence Strategy.”
Australia has been working to bolster its military capabilities in the face of rising tensions with China, including U.S.-funded improvements in bases.
Expanding the area that a ship can defend forces adversaries to operate farther away and enables the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to push deeper into contested waters if there is a conflict.
In March, Australia helped with a separate U.S. SM-6 test by providing data collection, communications and tracking, according to the U.S. Missile Defence Agency.
The Australian government has not said how many of the missiles they are planning to buy from the United States. But when the foreign military sale was approved in 2021, U.S. government documents show an estimated cost of $350m for “defence articles and services”.
That number included both SM-6 and older SM-2 missiles, already in use by Australia’s navy.
The announcement on Saturday did not say when the SM-6 would be operational, but said it would be deployed on Hobart-class destroyers, of which Australia has three. Each can carry 48 air defence missiles.
“The versatility of SM-6 makes it an attractive addition to the RAN’s limited missile armoury, giving it additional anti-ship and missile defence capability to complement the Naval Strike Missile,” an advanced anti-ship missile the RAN also recently tested, said Euan Graham, a senior analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. (Source: Google/Reuters)
08 Aug 24. NGC to Collaborate with Genohco on the RoK’s Mine Countermeasures Program. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) and Genohco have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in connection with the Republic of Korea’s Mine Countermeasures Helicopter (KMCH) program. The agreement supports Northrop Grumman’s longstanding industrial cooperation with the Republic of Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration and defines the work that Genohco will perform as a supplier.
- This MOU follows Korea Aerospace Industries’ (KAI) 2023 contract for Northrop Grumman to provide Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) solutions and technical support for the Engineering, Manufacturing and Design phase of the Republic of Korea’s KMCH program.
- Under the agreement, Genohco will support the manufacturing of ALMDS hardware components.
- To date, Northrop Grumman has delivered 24 ALMDS units to the U.S. Navy and four units to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Experts: Janice Zilch, vice president, multi-domain command and control programs, Northrop Grumman: “Industry collaborations with companies such as Genohco and KAI are key to Northrop Grumman’s approach to technology development across the globe. Our team is committed to delivering advanced solutions to meet the security needs of the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of National Defense.”
Richard D. Yoo, senior director of business development, Genohco: “We are honored to be working with Northrop Grumman, a world leader in the defense industry. Projects like the KMCH program allow global contractors to collaborate with Korean industry. Being part of Northrop Grumman’s supply chain network, we look forward to providing innovative solutions together in the global market.”
Details: Northrop Grumman’s AN/AES-1 ALMDS detects, classifies and locates floating and near-surface moored mines. Mounted onto a variety of helicopter platforms, the system is capable of untethered day or night operations, which allow it to attain high area search rates. ALMDS also provides accurate target geo-location to support follow-on neutralization of the detected mines. Northrop Grumman’s support of the KMCH program leverages the company’s extensive systems integration and digital engineering expertise.
Genohco is a leading defense and aerospace communications company, located in the Republic of Korea and founded by Dr. Taesam Yoo in 2004. The company provides all-around support to their global commercial, military and government customer base by providing state-of-the-art systems in satellite communications, aerospace, electronic warfare, radar, test and maintenance, equipment, hybrid electro-optical cables, and other communication related business segments. (Source: ASD Network)
09 Aug 24. US Army’s successful hypersonic missile test puts fielding on horizon. The U.S. Army has deemed a first complete, end-to-end flight test of its hypersonic missile a success, which puts the initial fielding to the first unit closer on the horizon, Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office director, told Defense News at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium.
“We’re really close,” Rasch said. “I’m super proud of the team because this is an important capability.”
But he cautioned that more testing remains before any decision is made on the future of its ground-launched hypersonic missile.
“We’ve got to make sure this capability works. If the decision is made to implement this, it’s for real, serious reasons, strategic-level reasons and we need it to work every time,” Rasch said.
The first flight test of the industry-manufactured missile — which took place at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii in May — was highly anticipated as part of a joint development program between the U.S. Navy and Army following a series of failed or aborted tests of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body.
Hypersonic weapons are capable of flying faster than Mach 5 — or more than 3,836 miles per hour — and can maneuver between varying altitudes, making them difficult to detect. The C-HGB is made up of the weapon’s warhead, guidance system, cabling and thermal protection shield.
The U.S. is in a race to field the capability and develop systems to defend against hypersonic missiles. China and Russia are actively developing and testing hypersonic weapons.
Missile development programs typically take about 10 years, Rasch stressed, and while the plan to field hypersonic missiles to a first unit has been delayed by over a year, the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon program is only at the five-year mark.
The Army has worked with Leidos’ Dynetics for years to build the industrial base for the Common Hypersonic Glide Body that will be used by both the ground service and the Navy, as the domestic private sector has never built a hypersonic weapon.
The service also separately produced launchers, trucks, trailers and the battle operations center necessary to put together the first weapon battery. Lockheed Martin is the weapon system integrator for the Army’s hypersonic capability that will be launched from a mobile truck.
The Army completed its delivery of the first hypersonic weapon capability — minus the all-up rounds — to the I Corps’ 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade unit at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state two days ahead of its end-of-fiscal 2021 fielding deadline.
The original plan was to train on the equipment and receive those rounds in the fall of 2023, but based on a series of failed or aborted tests, that timeline has slid further down the road.
The Army and Navy last year had to abort flight tests in March, October and November due to challenges at the range related not to the round but the process of firing up the missile for launch.
While Rasch could not provide details on the timing of forthcoming decisions for the program, he said, “We’re leaning forward wherever we can to make sure that as soon as we’re done with our testing, this capability will be in the hands of the soldier.” (Source: Defense News)
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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.
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