Defense Business

Though late to sign on to the network of nations purchasing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Israel will be the first international customer to operate the fifth-generation fighter, Aviation Week's David Eshel reports. “Israel will become the first non-U.S. operator of the F-35 in the world,” said Steve O’Bryan, Lockheed Martin’s vice president for F-35 program integration and business development...

Defense-Update talks with John Lloyd, Zero Motorcycles President and CEO about the advantages and challenges the new electric motorcycles represent to the military user

Thales UK and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have joined forces to offer IAI’s Sea Serpent anti-ship missile to replace the Harpoon Block1C anti-ship missile currently in service on board the Royal Navy Type 23 frigates.

Following rigorous testing and delays that lasted almost two years, Canada is renewing its battlefield reconnaissance and tactical armored vehicle fleet, with the first shipment of Tactical Armored Patrol Vehicles (TAPV) this month.

Munich, Germany: The Artec company has signed a contract with OCCAR, for the production of a second batch of 131 Boxer armored personnel carriers for the German Army. The total order is worth EUR 476 million.

Colombo is likely to drop its plan to buy 10 new JF-17 fighter jets from Pakistan, following intensive Indian pressure to drop the deal, that would have cost $400 million.

Ares, a Brazilian subsidiary of Elbit Systems will supply the Brazilian Armed Forces remotely Controled Weapon Stations (RCWS). REMAX is a stabilized weapon station for 12.7/7.62 mm machine guns that was Specifically designed by Ares to meet Brazilian Army requirements as part of the VBTP program. The system have been successfully tested and fielded in Brazilian Army Guarani 6X6 vehicles.. Some of the Brazilian VBTP vehicles are also armed with a larger weapon station mounting the 30mm automatic cannon.

The Australian Government has approved the development of a new Short Range Ground Based Air Defense system to improve protection for deployed personnel. Raytheon Australia has been selected as the single supplier for the A$2 Billion program, delivering the NASAMS to the Australian Defense Force.

The German Rheinmetall company outlined today its role in the overhaul and upgrade of 128 Leopard 2 main Battle Tanks for the Polish military, a program expected to yield the consortium of companies nearly €220 million.

Aerovironment announced today expanding its loitering weapon family, as it introduced the Switchblade 600 – the largest weapon in the family announced to date. The new weapon employs the tube-launched, collapsible wing, electric propulsion architecture as Switchblade 300, and its Blackwing variant. With longer range, extended mission endurance, and multi-purpose warhead Switchblade 600 expand the warfighter’s capability engaging larger, hardened targets at greater distances.

The MTS multi-sensor payload integrates infrared and CCDTV sensors, laser rangefinder, designator, and illuminator with optional addition of a laser spot tracker. The system provides high rate of stabilization (six axis) and flexible operating modes including integrated line-of-sight targeting (for laser designating), sensor fusion and automatic target tracking, using centroid, area and feature tracks. Embedded maintenance and alignment contribute to...

With the expected delivery of the first of Magen Class corvette next year the IMOD awards orders for the combat systems to be integrated with those vessels as they arrive in Israel. Elbit Systems announced today the receipt of an order worth US$85 for electronic warfare systems destined for those ships.

Australia selected the Israeli Spike LR2 multi-purpose guided missile to equip the new Boxer Combat Reconnaissance vehicles procured from Rheinmetall Defense under an A$2.1 billion Under project Land 400 Phase 2 contract. Australia is the second user to select the new LR2 version of the missile, following the Israel Defense Forces that placed an order for 2,000 in 2017.

Three newly commissioned Multi-Purpose Assault Crafts (MPAC MKIII) of the Philippines Navy will soon be equipped with Spike ER multi-purpose missiles, the local Department of National Defense (DND) said. The missiles are expected to arrive in country during the first quarter of 2018. Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems company is providing three Mini Typhoon weapon systems for the new...