Category Archives: Military News

Brazilian Navy Launched 3rd Prototype of MANSUP Anti-ship Missile

Brazilian Navy Launched 3rd Prototype of MANSUP Anti-ship Missile

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The Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil)launched the third prototype of the Antinavio Surface Missile (MANSUP) on July 10, targeting the hull of the former “Tridente” Deep Sea Tugboat. In this third test were made additional checks, recorded by means of telemetry data, also national, installed in the missile and in participating units of the operation. The information obtained will be used as subsidies to proceed with the improvement of the component subsystems. The event took place in the maritime area between Rio de Janeiro and Cabo Frio.

Brazilian Navy Launched 3rd Prototype of MANSUP Anti-ship Missile

Brazilian Navy Launched 3rd Prototype of MANSUP Anti-ship Missile


The succesful launch, conducted by the “Independence” Frigate, proved that all subsystems performed well and behaved in a harmonic manner. Three ships of the Fleet, the Multipurpose Dock “Bahia” (G 40), the Frigate “Constitution” (F 42), and the launcher were used, which was the “Independence” Frigate (F 44). The results confirmed the progress of the project and the adjustments made after the first tests in November 2018 and March 2019, on board the “Barroso” Corvette and the “Independência” Frigate, respectively.
Brazilian Navy Launched 3rd Prototype of MANSUP Anti-ship Missile

Brazilian Navy Launched 3rd Prototype of MANSUP Anti-ship Missile


The operation was also supported by the Ocean Patrol Vessel “Apa” and the “Purus” Ocean Support Vessel from the 1st Naval District; Squirrel (UH-12), Super Cougar (UH-15), Seahawk SH-16) and Lynx (AH-11A) helicopters of the Naval Air Force Command, and a P-3AM maritime patrol aircraft of the Brazilian Air Force, as well as a detachment of Combat Divers.
Brazilian Navy Launched 3rd Prototype of MANSUP Anti-ship Missile

Brazilian Navy Launched 3rd Prototype of MANSUP Anti-ship Missile


National Anti-Ship Missile (Míssil Antinavio Nacional, MANSUP) also named AV-RE40 —previously known as MAN-1—is an $75 USD millions anti-ship missile project under development by Avibras, Mectron, Atech and Omnisys for the Brazilian Navy. The design aims performance similar to MBDA MM40 Exocet Block III. An initial asset of R$50 millions was sponsored by the Brazilian Navy, through the Directorate of Navy Weapons Systems, contracts were signed on 5 and 6 December 2011, with Mectron and Avibras, respectively.

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Russia Starts Delivery of S-400 System to Turkey

Russia Starts Delivery of S-400 System to Turkey

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The first shipment of Russian-made S-400 air defence system components was loaded into an Antonov An-124 (NATO reporting name: Condor) cargo plane in an undisclosed location in Russia, before being delivered and unloaded at the Murted Air Base near Ankara on Friday. Turkish S-400 operators will travel to Russia for training in July and August. About 20 Turkish servicemen underwent training at a Russian training center in May and June.

Russia Starts Delivery of S-400 System to Turkey

Russia Starts Delivery of S-400 System to Turkey


In late 2017, the president of Turkey and Russian officials have signed an agreement worth of $US 2.5 billion for delivery of the S-400 air defence system units. More recently, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, raised concerns over Turkey’s S-400 deal with Russia, but President Erdogan and other Turkish officials rejected the US threat of sanctions over its purchase of S-400 missile systems citing existing international protocols and agreement forms mutually signed and agreed by Turkey and Russia.
Russia Starts Delivery of S-400 System to Turkey

Russia Starts Delivery of S-400 System to Turkey


The S-400 offer with Russia was a better deal than the MIM-104 Patriot system offered by US. The United States threatened Turkey with CAATSA sanctions over Turkey’s decision to buy the S-400 missile defense system from Russia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he chose to go ahead with the $2.5 billion purchase from Russia because the United States did not make an adequate offer on its own Patriot air defense system. NATO has that system stationed in Turkey for its own purposes in Syria, but Turkey never purchased it from Washington. NATO officials have raised concerns that the S-400 purchase will not be compatible with other systems already in use in Turkey.
Russia Starts Delivery of S-400 System to Turkey

Russia Starts Delivery of S-400 System to Turkey


The S-400 Triumph (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler), previously known as the S-300 PMU-3, is an anti-aircraft weapon system developed in the 1990s by Russia’s Almaz Central Design Bureau as an upgrade of the S-300 family. It has been in service with the Russian Armed Forces since 2007. One system comprising up to eight divisions (battalions) can control up to 72 launchers, with a maximum of 384 missiles[51] (including missiles with a range of less than 250 km (160 mi)) In 2017 the S-400 was described by The Economist as “one of the best air-defence systems currently made”. According to Siemon Wezeman Senior Researcher of SIPRI the S-400 “is among the most advanced air defence systems available”.

Leonardo unveils its largest-ever drone, the Falco Xplorer

Leonardo unveils its largest-ever drone, the Falco Xplorer

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Today, at an unveiling event at the Paris Air Show, Leonardo introduced its largest-ever Remotely-Piloted Air System (RPAS), the Falco Xplorer. Building on the success of the Company’s Falco family of tactical-class RPAS, the new drone features a payload capacity of 350kg, more than 24 hours flight time and a satellite communications capability for beyond-radio-line-of-sight operations, all within a 1.3 ton maximum take-off weight (MTOW). Everything is designed in-house by Leonardo, from the aircraft itself to the sensor suite, mission system and ground control station and the Falco Xplorer will be offered as both an integrated platform and as a fully-managed information-superiority service. In the latter model, Leonardo will operate the aircraft and its sensors and manage logistics to provide actionable information directly to the customer.

“Leonardo invests continuously in new capabilities to ensure we position the right products in the right markets”, said Leonardo CEO Alessandro Profumo, who presented the Falco Xplorer at its unveiling. “The Falco Xplorer is designed to be extremely competitive in its category, building on the experience we’ve gained working with Falco family customers over a number of years and our Company’s strengths in the unmanned domain. By understanding and being able to meet our customers’ needs, we expect to increase our share of the unmanned systems market.”

The Falco Xplorer has been designed from the ground-up to access the widest possible market. It is undergoing certification for flight in non-segregated airspace, meaning Leonardo will be able to pitch it to civil customers such as coast guards and emergency responders as well as the military market. Because the Falco Xplorer system is entirely designed and manufactured in Europe, it is not subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) restrictions and its technical characteristics place it within the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) class II category. Together, these make the Falco Xplorer readily exportable around the world.

Leonardo unveils its largest-ever drone, the Falco Xplorer

Leonardo unveils its largest-ever drone, the Falco Xplorer


Following the unveiling, the new RPAS is expected to embark on its maiden flight in June from Trapani Airport in Italy. A series of trials will then take place throughout the year, capped off by a flight campaign with the platform’s fully-integrated sensor suite on-board. The RPAS could then be delivered to its launch customer as early as 2020. The drone will be certified according to NATO STANAG4671, meaning that it will be readily approved to fly for NATO countries.

Leonardo believes that an unmanned capability goes beyond the aircraft, so the baseline ‘Block 10’ equipment fit for the new RPAS takes advantage of Leonardo’s world-class in-house electronics portfolio to offer a comprehensive Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability over land and sea. This high level of integration has a dual benefit for customers who will be able to acquire a highly capable and effective system at a competitive price. The platform will come equipped with a Gabbiano T-80 surveillance radar, LEOSS electro-optical turret, SAGE electronic intelligence (ELINT) system and an automatic identification system (AIS) for maritime use. The sensors will be integrated through Leonardo’s powerful mission management system, which draws on the Company’s experience in both the manned and unmanned domains and includes protection from cyber-attacks as standard under the Company’s ‘secure by design’ philosophy. Leonardo can also flexibly modify the sensor suite in-line with customer requirements, including integrating third-party sensors. The platform’s Ground Control Station (GCS) allows operators to control the aircraft and its sensors and incorporates data exploitation tools, enabling the dissemination of useful information to wider C5I systems. It also provides mission data analysis, mission planning, training and simulation capabilities.

The new platform joins Leonardo’s successful Falco family of tactical RPAS. The original Falco was chosen by five nations, while its successor, the Falco EVO, has been chosen for the United Nations MONUSCO humanitarian mission and has been deployed for the European Union’s Frontex surveillance research programme. Today more than 50 Falco family RPAS are currently engaged on operations around the world, some being operated by customers directly and some being owned and operated by Leonardo on behalf of customers as a managed service.

Bharat Dynamics Limited to Varunastra anti-submarine torpedoes to Indian Navy

Bharat Dynamics Limited to supply Varunastra anti-submarine torpedoes to Indian Navy

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Indian state-owned defence company Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has signed an USD170.7 million (INR11.87 billion) contract with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to supply heavyweight weight Varunastra anti-submarine torpedoes for the Indian Navy’s (IN’s) front-line warships.T he contract was inked by NP Diwakar, Director (Technical), BDL and Nidhi Chhibber, Joint Secretary & Acquisition Manager (Maritime & Systems), Ministry of Defence, Govt of India in New Delhi. The company announced in a 13 June statement that the contract, which was signed in New Delhi two days earlier, mandates the delivery of the ship-launched torpedoes over the next 42 months. The weapon will be manufactured at BDL Visakhapatnam Unit under collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Bharat Dynamics Limited to supply Varunastra anti-submarine torpedoes to Indian Navy

Bharat Dynamics Limited to supply Varunastra anti-submarine torpedoes to Indian Navy


Varunastra has been designed with the latest technologies such as high speed and long endurance propulsion, software-driven intelligence, conformal array acoustic homing with wide look angle and advanced digital signal processing. The weapon has been developed by the Naval Science and and Technology Laboratory (NTSL), Visakhapatnam. This torpedo has been developed with a high degree of modularity with more than 95 per cent indigenous content. All the test systems, accessories, special tools and handling equipment are developed simultaneously, enabling smooth maintenance, sourcing of spares, industry support and up-gradation.

The Heavy Weight Torpedo or the Varunastra is a ship launched, electrically propelled underwater weapon equipped with one of the most advanced automatic and remote controlled guidance systems. Varunastra can hit stealth submarines underwater. The ship-launched missiles can also be launched from ashore. It is seven to eight metres long, weighs 1,500 kg and has a diameter of 533 mm. The anti-submarine electric torpedo when fired can travel at 40 knots, or 74 kmph. The operational range is 40 km and it can carry a warhead weighing 250 kg. According to DRDO, it can be launched from ships and submarines.

Lockheed Martin Develops Advanced Visualization Training Tool for Apache Flight Line Maintainers

Lockheed Martin Develops Advanced Visualization Training Tool for Apache Flight Line Maintainers

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Lockheed Martin has launched the latest version of RELY3D®, an advanced visualization and training tool for Apache AH-64 sensor system maintainers. RELY3D originated from an employee idea to improve maintenance efficiency through interactive training content. The tool leverages capabilities from popular commercial gaming technology to transform training into advanced visualization modules, reducing training time by up to 60 percent. “RELY3D is an invaluable tool for our new employees who are just learning about our sensors, as well as field maintainers. With this tool, maintainers can troubleshoot and perform maintenance on the flight line, dramatically reducing cost and increasing system availability,” Lockheed Martin Apache Fire Control Program Director Matt Hoffman said. “As the industry pushes to advance training capabilities, we continue to innovate advanced technology and deliver affordable solutions for the Apache aviation community.”

Lockheed Martin Develops Advanced Visualization Training Tool for Apache Flight Line Maintainers

Lockheed Martin Develops Advanced Visualization Training Tool for Apache Flight Line Maintainers


RELY3D reduces maintenance and repair time through its intuitive interface on the Apache Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight and Pilotage Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) and LONGBOW® Fire Control Radar (FCR) systems by placing high fidelity, technically accurate 3-D models into the hands of maintainers via a mobile tablet or laptop. The tool is also being developed for use on other rotary and fixed-wing aircraft sensors and weapons systems. M-TADS/PNVS provides Apache helicopter pilots with long-range, precision engagement and pilotage capabilities for mission success and flight safety during day and night, and in adverse weather conditions. To date, Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 1,400 M-TADS/PNVS systems and spares to the U.S. Army and 16 international customers in 15 nations.
Lockheed Martin Develops Advanced Visualization Training Tool for Apache Flight Line Maintainers

Lockheed Martin Develops Advanced Visualization Training Tool for Apache Flight Line Maintainers


LONGBOW® FCR, developed by the LONGBOW Limited Liability Company (LBL) – a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman – automatically searches, detects, locates, classifies and prioritizes multiple moving targets to 16km, or stationary targets, on land, on the water, or in the air, in clear or adverse weather, and in obscured battlefields – giving commanders the precision engagement capabilities necessary to win the battle. LONGBOW has delivered nearly 500 systems to the U.S. Army and 13 international customers in 12 nations. Lockheed Martin also provides training and simulation systems for aircraft maintainers supporting numerous U.S. and international platforms including the C-130J, F-16, F-35, and basic flight training courses in countries such as Australia and the U.K.

Littoral Combat Ship 21 Christened and Launched

Littoral Combat Ship 21 Christened and Launched

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The Lockheed Martin-led shipbuilding team launched Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 21, the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul into the Menominee River at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine Shipyard. Ship sponsor Jodi J. Greene, Deputy Under Secretary of the U.S. Navy for Policy, christened LCS 21 just prior to launch. “LCS is the second largest ship class in the U.S. Navy, and Lockheed Martin is proud to deliver capability and added force projection with each additional hull,” said Joe DePietro, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager of Small Combatants and Ship Systems. “LCS is ready to serve a variety of missions, and our team is working with the Navy to add lethality and survivability enhancements to meet the missions sailors will face in the future.”

Littoral Combat Ship 21 Christened and Launched

Littoral Combat Ship 21 Christened and Launched


Unique among combat ships, LCS is designed to complete close-to-shore missions and is a growing and relevant part of the Navy’s fleet.
It is flexible—with 40 percent of the hull easily reconfigurable, LCS can be modified to integrate capabilities including over-the-horizon missiles, advanced electronic warfare systems and decoys, and in the future, vertical launching systems or laser weapon systems.
It is fast—capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots.
It is automated—with the most efficient staffing of any combat ship.
It is lethal—standard equipped with Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) and a Mark 110 gun, capable of firing 220 rounds per minute.
Littoral Combat Ship 21 Christened and Launched

Littoral Combat Ship 21 Christened and Launched


Lockheed Martin is in full-rate production and has delivered eight ships to the U.S. Navy. There are eight ships in various stages of production and test. This year, Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine will begin construction on two ships, deliver two ships, complete sea trials for two ships and see three ships commissioned (LCS 13, 15 and 17). Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. This year the company received three Edison Awards for ground-breaking innovations in autonomy, satellite technology and directed energy.
Littoral Combat Ship 21 Christened and Launched

Littoral Combat Ship 21 Christened and Launched


LCS is a highly maneuverable, lethal and adaptable ship designed to support focused mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare missions. The Freedom-variant LCS integrates new technology and capability to affordably support current and future mission capability from deep water to the littorals. The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and the Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Lockheed Martin-led team builds the odd-numbered hulls. The Independence variant team is led by Austal USA, Mobile, Alabama. The Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a resilient flexible warship, designed from the keel up to affordably take on new capabilities – from the most advanced sensors, to the latest missiles, to cutting-edge cyber systems.

Rafael adds synthetic aperture radar capability for its Litening and Reccelite EO Pods

Rafael adds synthetic aperture radar capability for its Litening and Reccelite EO Pods

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Rafael Advanced Defence Systems teamed with Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI’s) Elta Systems to equip the Litening 5 and Reccelite XR all-weather stand-off airborne electro-optic (EO) targeting pods with a powerful SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar), adding significant capabilities to the Litenings’s EO, multi-spectral, stand-off pod, significantly expanded wide area coverage and true day/night, all-weather operation. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. is unveiling it has upgraded its fifth generation Litening and Reccelite systems, effectively transforming them from traditional EO pods into EO+, with the addition of a unique SAR feature and the optional application of additional EO+ features, such as (EW, Comm, IRST). This constitutes a revolutionary quantum leap in all-weather, stand-off targeting and reconnaissance pods.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for Rafael Litening and Reccelite EO Pods

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for Rafael Litening and Reccelite EO Pods


Litening 5 is Rafael Advanced Defence Systems latest-generation high-resolution multi-sensor targeting pod, incorporating an upgraded 1.2K × 1.2K large aperture forward-looking mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and a short-wave infrared (SWIR). The MWIR/SWIR sensor package is complemented by a large aperture colour charge-coupled device (CCD) containing a 1.2K × 1.6K visible radiation sensor, a laser designator, ground moving target indicator, and advanced image processing and digital video output. Litening is the most popular pod in the world, with over 1,900 units already in service. They are deployed by 27 Air Forces around the world. Litening is integrated and operational on over 25 types of aircraft ‒ including the F-16, F-15, AV8B, F-18, F-4, F-5, A-10, B-2, Jaguar, LCA, AMX, Mirage 2000, Tornado, Typhoon, MiG-21, MiG-27, M346, KC390, Gripen, and Sukhoi 27 & 30.
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for Rafael Litening and Reccelite EO Pods

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for Rafael Litening and Reccelite EO Pods


Weighing 250 kg, the Reccelite XR turret incorporates a multispectral sensor package, using red, green, blue, NIR, and MWIR sensors for vertical scanning, and MWIR and SWIR sensors with a large common aperture for stand-off persistent wide-area scanning. The turret features separate wide-band (Ku band) and close air support (C band) digital communications channels, full motion video, and a ground exploitation system with automatic real time processing. The Reccelite XR’s mission plan can be uploaded prior to take off or uplinked during flight, and either performed automatically or manually for targets of opportunity. Reccelite is deployed by more than 10 Air Forces around the world. The system is integrated and operational on multiple aircraft types, including the AMX, F-16, F-18, Gripen, Heron 1, Jaguar, Reaper, Tornado, and Typhoon.
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for Rafael Litening and Reccelite EO Pods

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for Rafael Litening and Reccelite EO Pods


Reccelite + SAR is one of Rafael’s latest game-changers, with the addition of ELTA’s powerful SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) to the, stand-off Reccelite ISR pod. A SAR is a coherent, mostly airborne, sidelooking radar system that utilises the flight path of the platform to electronically simulate an extremely large antenna or aperture and generate high-resolution remote sensing imagery. Over time, individual transmit/receive cycles (PRT’s) are completed with the data from each cycle being stored electronically. The GMTI capability enables the radar to discriminate a specific target against clutter. The addition of the SAR payload – where the EO and radar sensors in the SAR upgraded Litening 5 and RecceLite XR pods are operated autonomously – is a quantum leap both in terms of capability and flexibility, according to Rafael Advanced Defence Systems.