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Saurabh Joshi

Founded India's first defence news and analysis website in 2008. Trained in journalism. Studied law. Pioneered online video to tell stories of defence technologies. Video journalist. Analyst. Reporter. Follow him on Post.News: https://post.news/@/saurabhjoshi and Twitter.

Legal trouble for defence, drone companies

Chinese drone manufacturer DJI is facing trouble doing business in the U.S with all kinds of legal hurdles and has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Pentagon, while Raytheon has been fined almost $1 billion and Sweden’s Saab has been subpoenaed for its sale of Gripen fighters to Brazil.

Anduril releases two new drones

The Bolt VTOL drone does not require any dedicated launch equipment and can operate from congested environments. It can be unpacked and airborne in under five minutes and loaded with a range of anti-personnel and anti-materiel warheads.

Ukraine orders artillery ammo plant from Rheinmetall

155 mm ammunition | Photo: Rheinmetall

The order is for a turnkey factory that will become a ‘Ukrainian Centre of Excellence for Ammunition’ to be operated by a Rheinmetall joint venture with a Ukrainian state-owned company, that will begin production within 24 months to manufacture hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery ammunition per year.

04 more A330 MRTT refuellers for Saudi Arabia

A Royal Saudi Air Force Airbus A330 MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport) | Photo: Pablo Cabellos del Sol/Airbus Defence and Space

The Royal Saudi Air Force already operates six Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft and the four new aircraft are expected to enter service in 2027. A total of 82 A330 MRTT aircraft have been ordered by 15 countries, giving Airbus a 90 percent market share outside the USA.

U.S. announces $2.35B military aid for Ukraine

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Gerard Holodak, with the 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB), fires an M136E1 AT4-CS confined space light anti-armour weapon at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska on October 12, 2017 | Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Westin Warburton

The latest round of military aid worth USD 150 million is the Biden administration’s 60th tranche of aid since August 2021, including artillery and ammunition from its own inventories, in addition to purchases of air defence systems worth USD 2.2 billion for Ukraine.

Russia to make armour-piercing tank ammo in India
| Indo-Russian JV also completes delivery of 35,000 AK203 rifles to India

Mango APFSDS rounds | Photo: Rosoboronexport

Russia has set up manufacturing of the Mango armour-piercing tank round in India, designed to be fired from the guns of T-72 and T-90 Main Battle Tanks and penetrate composite armour. It has also announced the delivery of 35,000 AK203 rifles to the Indian defence ministry, manufactured by the Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited joint venture at Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

U.S. postpones military exercise in Georgia

Members of Georgian special operations forces and Green Berets with U.S. Army 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) perform a training dive in Batumi, Georgia, October 25, 2023 in Exercise Georgian Wave | Photo: U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Laura Bauer

The Pentagon said last week the U.S. will indefinitely postpone a military exercise in Georgia ‘due to the Georgian government’s false accusations against the United States and other western entities, to pressure Georgia to open a second front against Russia to alleviate pressure on Ukraine, and of participating in two coup attempts against the ruling party.’

Israeli arms exports topped $12.5B in 2022

Israeli defence exports from 2000 to 2022. Click the image to view the complete set of graphics explaining Israel's defence exports | Source: International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT), Israeli Ministry of Defence

Israel’s defence ministry reported that exports to Abraham Accords countries, alone, reached approximately USD 3 billion, amounting to 24 percent of Israeli weapons sales and exports of unmanned systems made up 25 percent of its exports.

Israel to order 25 F-35 fighters

File photo of the Israeli Air Force F-35 "Adir" | Photo: Israeli Ministry of Defense

Israel will acquire 25 Lockheed Martin fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighters and the Israeli Air Force will expand its fleet to 75 of these advanced stealth aircraft. The delivery of the aircraft to the IDF will commence in 2028 at a rate of three to five aircraft per year. The transaction is valued at approximately USD 3 billion, funded by U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF).

Turkish naval UCAV passes ski-jump tests

Bayraktar TB3 naval Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle conducts ski-jump tests at the Baykar Flight Training and Test Center in Keşan, Edirne in the Turkish Republic on June 02, 2024 | Photo: Baykar

The Bayraktar TB3 naval Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle is intended for service in the Turkish UAV carrier TCG Anadolu and according to manufacturer, Baykar, the test was conducted from a ramp at a test centre. The Bayraktar TB3 has logged almost 396 hours of flight over the course of testing, with a peak endurance demonstration of 32 hours, covering a distance of 5,700 kilometres during a test in December. Baykar said they plan to begin tests of the TB3 onboard the TCG Anadolu later this year.