Working Hypersonic Cruise Missiles: MBDA Provides an Update

04/12/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - There appears to be no problem in setting up flight tests of a French technology demonstrator for a hypersonic cruise missile in the U.S., the executive chairman of European missile company MBDA said April 6. “I am not aware of any particular problem,” Eric Béranger…

The Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon: A March 2022 Update

03/22/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - France is keen to work with the U.K. on a project for next generation cruise and naval missiles, while Britain looked determined to field a hypersonic weapon, a French navy officer said. There are 18 months of talks under an Anglo-French agreement signed Feb. 18…

Launching the Tiger Mk III Program: Next Steps in European Defense Industrial Cooperation

03/04/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - An announced deal for the upgrade of 60 Airbus Helicopters Tiger attack helicopters, flown by the French and Spanish forces, was worth €4 billion ($4.4 billion) for the first batch of work, a senior source said. France will pay €2.8 billion for the upgrade of…

Spain Invests in the European MALE UAV Program

01/28/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - Spain formally approved Jan. 25 a total budget of €3.17 billion ($3.5 billion) for its share of development, production and service of a European medium-altitude, long-endurance drone, clearing the way for a contract to be signed with industrial partners Airbus, Dassault Aviation and Leonardo. That…

Team Tempest Reinforced by Japanese-UK Engine Agreement

01/20/2022
Both the UK and Japan are working towards their next fighter aircraft. Both are members of the F-35 enterprise and can build on that operational experience as well. The Japanese are looking in their F-X program to replace their F-2 aircraft; and the UK is looking beyond its current generation…

Digital Twining and the Loyal Wingman Program

01/02/2022
By the Australian Defence Business Review Boeing Australia has revealed that, in conjunction with the Royal Australian Air Force, it has advanced the operational readiness of its Airpower Teaming System (ATS) being developed for the RAAF’s Loyal Wingman program in a digital environment. Using a ‘digital twin’ of the actual…

INS Visakhapatnam Commissioned into the Indian Navy: November 2021

11/24/2021
By India Strategic Mumbai. INS Visakhapatnam, a P15B stealth guided missile destroyer, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on November 21, 2021. The event marks the formal induction of the first of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers,…