MBDA announced that the SPEAR air-to-surface missile completed its first flight aboard a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B test aircraft earlier this year. The flight at Naval Air Station Patuxent River marked another stage in the integration programme for the weapon onto the UK’s F-35B fleet, with additional testing activities planned.
MBDA has signed an agreement with the Indian Air Force to establish a Maintenance, Repair and Mid-Life Overhaul facility for MICA missiles in India. The Indian Air Force will operate the facility with MBDA providing tools, training and technical support.
The UK Ministry of Defence will conduct a major wargame with five defence companies to assess how supply chains would perform during sustained conflict. The exercise will examine risks, capacity constraints and policy responses to maintain military equipment supply.
Airbus Helicopters has revealed two next generation rotorcraft concepts for NATO’s Next Generation Rotorcraft Capabilities study. Developed with Collins Aerospace, Raytheon and MBDA, the proposal includes a conventional helicopter and a high-speed compound design.
The Brazilian Air Force has completed its first Meteor BVRAAM firings from the Gripen E, with two missiles hitting their targets during the BVR-X Technical Exercise, marking a major step in the country’s long-range air-defence capability.
Northrop Grumman and MBDA Deutschland have signed an MoU to explore cooperation on air and missile defence technologies, including technical exchanges and potential demonstrations involving systems such as IBCS and ARANEUS as part of efforts to assess integrated defence options for Germany and NATO partners.
Dassault’s new Rafale line isn’t just about speeding up deliveries. It’s also important for the future F5 upgrade. And to boost France’s position in Europe’s next-gen FCAS fighter drama. 🎥
Turkey signed separate agreements at the International Defence Industry Fair in Istanbul last week, with plans to purchase 40 Eurofighter aircraft from the United Kingdom and sell 48 of its indigenous Kaan fighter aircraft to Indonesia.
The Ukraine war and expanding global conflict showered a windfall on German arms companies like Rheinmetall and TKMS, with some startups like Helsing becoming the upstarts of the weapons industry, and other legacy companies like Heckler & Koch even experiencing a dramatic reversal of fortunes.
The proposed 2,000+ km range deep precision weapon planned to be fielded in the 2030s could fill a capability gap uncovered by the death of the INF Treaty between Russia and the U.S., which barred land-based intermediate range missiles.
Also noteworthy will be the Exocet anti-ship missile, with the SM39 submarine variant already delivered for the Indian Navy’s Scorpene submarines.
Even after two decades since the acquisition case, the Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) search has seen a system absent from trials and failing trials, being passed as technically compliant and ending up as, apparently, the cheapest. Also problematic is the difficulty its purchase could pose by provoking U.S. sanctions under their CAATSA.
India’s defence procurement continues to raise more questions than answers, points out Hemant Shivakumar, with the uncertainty over the order of Spike Anti Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) appearing to be the latest casualty to the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Saab satisfied the weight requirements for the RBS70 followed by a curious interpretation of test results, while the MBDA Mistral has failed to comply with EMI EMC requirements.
Angad Singh explains why the Indian Navy faces difficulties as it begins its search for new carrier fighters.
