Category Archives: Military News

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.

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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.

Sikorsky VH-92A Presidential Helicopters

Sikorsky Receives Contract To Build VH-92A Presidential Helicopters

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Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, will build six production VH-92A Presidential Helicopters under a contract from the U.S Navy. These helicopters are part of the 23 aircraft program of record for the U.S. Marine Corps. Under the terms of the contract, known as Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 1, Sikorsky will begin deliveries of six VH-92A helicopters in 2021. The remaining production aircraft will be delivered in 2022 and 2023. The contract also provides spares and training support. The contract award follows an affirmative Milestone C decision on May 30 from the U.S. Navy moving the development program into production.

Sikorsky VH-92A Presidential Helicopters

Sikorsky VH-92A Presidential Helicopters


The VH-92A test aircraft at Patuxent River, Maryland, have proven their production readiness by undergoing rigorous U.S. government testing and operational assessments, which included operating on the south lawn of the White House. The VH-92A has flown over 520 flight test hours establishing the aircraft’s technical maturity and readiness of its mission systems. This production decision validates the modifications to Sikorsky’s most successful commercial helicopter making it capable to transport the President of the United States at anytime, anywhere around the world. Sikorsky has been building and providing helicopter transportation for every U.S. President and Commander in Chief since Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Sikorsky VH-92A Presidential Helicopters

Sikorsky VH-92A Presidential Helicopters


The VH-92A aircraft will provide safe, reliable and capable transportation for the President, Vice President and foreign heads of state. This program ensures long term affordability and maintainability by utilizing the FAA certified S-92 aircraft which has industry leading reliability and availability. The S-92 fleet surpassed 1.5 million flight hours in April and averages 14,600 hours of safe flight per month. Sikorsky and the U.S. Navy integrate mature mission and communication systems into the aircraft. This aircraft provides communication capability to perform the duties of Commander in Chief, Head of State and Chief Executive.
Sikorsky VH-92A Presidential Helicopters

Sikorsky VH-92A Presidential Helicopters


Lockheed Martin delivered and installed the first VH-92A training device at the Presidential Helicopter Squadron HMX-1 in Quantico, Virginia, earlier this year. Marine pilots, avionics technicians and squadron personnel are actively engaged in hands-on learning through the suite of devices. The Flight Training Device (FTD) is a replica of the VH-92A cockpit to give pilots mission-oriented flight training in a simulation-based training device. The training suite allows maintainers to hone their skills to effectively maintain the aircraft and practice troubleshooting.

A-10 Thunderbolts perform landing on unpaved strips

A-10 Thunderbolts perform landing on unpaved strips

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Two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 124th Fighter Wing out of Boise, Idaho, perform landing on unpaved landing strip at the National Training Center June 5, 2019. The Idaho Air Force National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing is supporting the Idaho Army National Guard’s 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team’s rotation at the National Training Center. The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team is completing National Training Center Rotation 19-08, a 29-day training event, which includes more than 4,000 service members comprised of units from 13 states and territories. The training simulates the modern day battlefield to train the U.S. military for global operations. The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team is the largest formation of the Idaho Army National Guard.

A-10 Thunderbolts perform landing on unpaved strips

A-10 Thunderbolts perform landing on unpaved strips


The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin turbofan engine, straight wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). It is commonly referred to by the nicknames “Warthog” or “Hog”, although the A-10’s official name comes from the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, a World War II fighter-bomber effective at attacking ground targets. The A-10 was designed for close air support (CAS) of friendly ground troops, attacking armored vehicles and tanks, and providing quick-action support against enemy ground forces. It entered service in 1976 and is the only production-built aircraft that has served in the USAF that was designed solely for CAS. Its secondary mission is to provide forward air controller – airborne support, by directing other aircraft in attacks on ground targets.
A-10 Thunderbolts perform landing on unpaved strips

A-10 Thunderbolts perform landing on unpaved strips

Elbit Systems awarded $125 M contract to provide new Israeli Self Propelled Howitzer

Elbit Systems awarded $125 M contract to provide new Israeli Self Propelled Howitzer

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Elbit Systems Ltd. announced that it was awarded an approximately $125 million (NIS 460 million) contract from the Israeli Ministry of Defense to supply fully automatic self-propelled howitzer gun systems to the Israeli Defense Forces (“IDF”). The contract, which also includes the supply of training simulators, will be performed over a 12-year period. The Israeli Ministry of Defense and Elbit Systems intend that further part of the automatic howitzer gun systems program, under an additional contract to the Company in an amount that is expected to be material, will be performed by various U.S. companies including Elbit Systems of America, LLC, subject to completion of the receipt of applicable governmental approvals for the U.S. content. About half the work will be done by Elbit’s subsidiaries and partners in the United States, a sign of how Israeli defense spending has shifted since Washington restricted its ally’s ability to spend US aid on non-US products.

Elbit Systems ATMOS self-propelled howitzer

Elbit Systems ATMOS self-propelled howitzer


The new automatic howitzer gun system is based on ATMOS (Autonomous Truck Mounted howitzer System) and experience Elbit Systems accumulated over decades of supplying artillery systems to numerous armed forces. The new howitzer gun system will replace the aging M-109 artillery guns that have been serving the IDF for the past 40 years. The new gun system automatically selects the required projectile, propellant and fuze, loads them and lays the gun to optimally engage targets. The new howitzer gun system will enhance the effectiveness of the artillery formation of the IDF while reducing the number soldiers in each platform and significantly reduce life-cycle costs. ATMOS is a 155 mm/52 calibre self-propelled gun system manufactured by Israeli military manufacturer Soltam Systems (Elbit Systems). The system is long range, fast moving, truck mounted with a high firepower and mobility, rapid deployment, short response time, operable in all terrain areas. Highly adaptable, the modular ATMOS system is compatible with any 6×6 or 8×8 high-mobility tactical truck.
Elbit Systems ATMOS self-propelled howitzer

Elbit Systems ATMOS self-propelled howitzer