The Ministry of Defence has signed a £700 million agreement with Thales UK to develop, manufacture, and support the Watchkeeper unmanned system. The single signature secures every major phase of work, from completing design through initial sustainment, under one integrated schedule.
Thales Signs £700 Million Watchkeeper Contract with MoD Read More »
The first taxi runs of Jiutian’s SS-UAV “drone mothership” at a private airfield in Sichuan on 16 June reflect how far China’s unmanned programs have moved in a single decade. According to industry sources, technicians completed telemetry checks in less than six weeks, after the 15-ton airframe left the final assembly hangar in early May.
China’s Expanding Drone Arsenal Reveals Strength of Civil-Military Integration Read More »
Three AH-64D Apache attack helicopters landed this morning at the 56th Air Base in Latkowo, near Inowrocław. They taxied to the ramp in quick succession, rotors still spinning while ground crews signaled them into place. Defense officials confirm these aircraft now belong to the 1st Army Aviation Brigade, a unit that already flies Mi-24 gunships but has never operated an aircraft as advanced as the Apache.
Poland Receives First AH-64D Apaches to Prepare for Guardian Fleet Read More »
The Pentagon just raised the F-35 bill again. Numbers inside its fresh acquisition report point to $438 billion for development plus production. Last year they put the figure at $412 billion. Now planners must live with extra $26 billion—they said inflation and stretched schedules forced the jump.
The F-35 Fighter Jet, The World’s Costliest Weapons Program, Just Got More Expensive Read More »
Every tank feels different. Controls on a T-72 ask for muscle memory, while the Leopard’s clutch and gearbox demand a softer touch. “The Leo turns quicker and keeps speed on hills,” one Ukrainian trainee explains through a volunteer interpreter. “That helps when you must leave cover fast.” His words match the design. The Leopard 1 weighs about forty tonnes – light for a main battle tank – and its MTU diesel pushes it beyond 60 km/h on a firm road.
Training for the Mission – Ukrainians Learn to Operate the Leopard 1 A5 Read More »
Paris—At Eurosatory 2012 Russia’s state arms trader Rosoboronexport and France’s Thales Optronics signed a licence that lets the Vologda Optical-Mechanical Plant build Catherine XP thermal imagers inside Russia.
Russia Will Produce French New Generation Thermal Imagers Read More »
Pilots walk to their jets before sunrise, climb the ladder, key the INS, and watch the route and target files flow in by Link 16. A typical launch leaves the chocks with the following kit:
Rafale in Combat: “War for Dummies” Read More »
The Royal Australian Air Force keeps 41 de-commissioned F/A-18A/B Hornets in climate-controlled hangars at RAAF Base Williamtown. Canberra, Washington, and Kyiv are now in formal talks that could move a portion of that fleet to Ukraine instead of a scrapyard.
Exclusive: Retired RAAF Fighter Jets Could Be Sent to Ukraine (excerpt) Read More »
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 is America’s most expensive weapons project. After fifteen years in development, the jet is still not ready for the fight the services expect. A confidential memorandum dated Aug 9 from Dr. Michael Gilmore, the Defense Department’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, warns that the fighter “is not on a path toward success.” His language is blunt.
Lockheed’s F-35 Still Falls Short, Pentagon’s Chief Tester Says Read More »
