Missiles / Drones / Directed Energy

The Indian Space Research Organisation marked a decisive step toward air-breathing launch systems with the first flight of its Scramjet Engine Technology Demonstrator from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, at 06:00 IST on 28 August 2016. A twelve-hour countdown ended with a clean lift-off of the Advanced Technology Vehicle-D02, a two-stage RH-560 solid booster adapted to carry twin hydrogen-fuelled scramjet modules on the back of its second stage.

Finland has decided to keep its backbone air-surveillance radars in shape for another five years. Defence Minister Jussi Niinistö authorized the Defence Forces Logistics Command to sign an extension with Thales LAS France S.A.S.

The United States has cleared the sale of twenty-two MQ-9B Guardian unmanned aircraft to India, opening a path for New Delhi to field its first long-endurance maritime surveillance fleet just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets President Donald Trump. U.S. officials notified both the Indian government and manufacturer General Atomics of the State Department decision on 21 June, valuing the package at two to three billion dollars.

The United Kingdom faces fresh budget pain round its next-gen Protector RG Mk 1 drones. Latest figures show the bill jumping forty per cent above first plan. Ministers stay quiet on why the math went off, yet insiders point at fast-shifting specs and a rough pound-to-dollar rate. Critics fear the rush to sign papers back in 2016 left blind spots that now bite. RAF chiefs, for their part, say the fleet still matters if Britain wants teeth in skies crowded with peer threats.

The Taranis unmanned combat air vehicle once showed up in the corner of BAE Systems’ Warton site, almost out of sight. At first glance the jet-black body looked like a sculpture more than a warplane. That day in 2010 set off fresh talk in defense circles, and the story still grows even fifteen years on. The aircraft carries the name of a Celtic thunder god, yet its real weight sits in data files spread across labs from Lancashire to Canberra.

The United States okayed the largest single arms deal in Kosovo’s short history. Pristina can now order 246 Javelin FGM-148F missiles plus 24 Lightweight Command Launch Units, worth about $75 million. Officials in both capitals frame the move as key step in stiffening Kosovo’s frontline strength without dragging American troops back onto local soil.

Purdue University in West Lafayette has finished a large step in high-speed flight study. The new Hypersonics Applied Research Facility (HARF) cost about $41 million and covers near 65 000 sq ft. It sits inside the Discovery Park District, close to existing engine and rocket labs. Managers say the building links theory with hardware, letting ideas move from slide deck to test article without months of delay.

The contract keeps Raytheon busy well into 2028. The firm will push out more Silent Knight units, spares, an updated software pack, plus support gear. U.S. Special Operations Command wants these radars so aircrews can hug the rough ground at night and still dodge threats. First sets already left the factory months ahead of plan, hinting the line will stay hot.