Yemeni Houthis Display Iranian Drones and Loitering Missiles

Among many types of loitering missiles and attack drones displayed by the Houthis at the recent parade in Sanaa was the local version of the Iranian Shahed 136 - the Wa'id, new models of Samad and Qhasef, loitering missiles, Rased weaponized mini-drones, VTOL variant of Mersad-2, and the Masir hexacopter weaponized drone that was also demonstrated in formation flight.

New Ballistic Missiles Displayed at the Houthi Military Parade

New ballistic, cruise and loitering missiles were shown by the Houthis in the recent military parade in Sanaa, Yemen. Among the new missiles were several types of precision-guided ballistic missiles, capable of attack at ranges from 300 to 1,400 km, carrying warheads weighing up to half a ton. All missiles are believed to be Iranian designed, they were likely delivered to Yemen as pre-assembled or knocked down kits.

Houthis a New Cruise Missile, Quds-3

New ballistic, cruise and loitering missiles were shown by the Houthis in the recent military parade in Sanaa, Yemen. Among the new missiles on display was the Quds-3 cruise missile, believed to be a new, longer-range variant of the Iranian Soumar cruise missile.

Houthi’s New Naval Weapons Extend Their Reach 200 nm into the Gulf of Aden

The Iranians and Houthis have gradually extended the range of their weapons from tens to a few hundred nautical miles. Rather than employing these weapons on board ships to extend range, they can now reach beyond 200 nm, using the new ballistic anti-ship missiles, practically blocking the movements of naval vessels well beyond Yemen's coastal waters.

Orbiter 4 (NITZOZ) UAS to Enter IAF Service

Israel's Air & Space Force (IAF) has recently reactivated the 144th squadron at Hatzor air force base, a new unit destined to operate the Orbiter 4 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) under a new multi-domain force sharing IAF, ground, and intelligence forces assets. These platforms will provide the aerial layer of Israel's Defense Forces (IDF) 'Storm Clouds' program.

MSPO 2022 – Land Systems Update

The MSPO 2022 defense expo in Kielce, Poland, provided a view into the significant modernization and transformation the Polish Army is going through. Positioned at the eastern edge of NATO, Poland, and the Baltic states could be facing the brunt of a Russian onslaught if hostilities would spill beyond Ukraine. That's why the country is beefing up its military, modernizing its armed forces, and replenishing hardware handed over to Ukraine with new equipment.

Rheinmetall and UVision Awarded First Order for HERO-30 Loitering Munitions

Rheinmetall and its partner UVision have won the first order from a major European NATO military force for HERO loitering munitions. The customer, a special forces unit, placed an initial order for Hero-30 combat and training munitions, simulator, training courses as well as integrated logistics equipment and support. This first order is worth a figure in the single-digit million-euro range with possible additional orders that might be expected. The exact number of munitions to be supplied is classified. The order was placed in July 2022, with delivery scheduled to take place by 2023.

New Launchers for Laser Guided Rocket

While large caliber weapons such as the M142 HIMARS and its M31 GMLRS rockets are making the headlines in the Russian-Ukrainian War, smaller, more agile guided rockets have evolved, utilizing the laser-guided light rockets. Initially, these weapons utilized standard launchers, but recent developments from Thales, BAE Systems, and L3Harris have optimized the use of such weapons by helicopters, special operations forces, and unmanned vehicles.

A New Chinese Loitering Weapon Appears in Thailand

Today, Chinese aerospace company ALIT unveiled a new type of loitering weapon at the Thailand Defense and Security 2022 exhibition. The canister-launched version on show in Bangkok has a larger and heavier warhead. The ALIT display at D&S2022 outlines two versions of the weapon. The FH901 has a takeoff weight of 9 kg and carries a warhead of 3.5 kg.

Israe’s Mafat to Evaluate Bird Aerosystems’ HybridEye – a New Active Protection for Ground Forces

Israel’s Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Research and Development (MAFAT – DDR&D) has tasked BIRD Aerosystems to demonstrate a prototype of an active defense system that will protect ground troops and high-value assets against airborne threats (including anti-tank guided missiles – ATGM). The system called ‘HybridEye’ was unveiled at the Eurosatory 2022 exhibition. The system provides hemispheric detection of threats and provides target data for passive or active countermeasures on board.

Intelligent Firepower

PITBULL RCWS
General Robotics is introducing at Eurosatory 2022 a new version of its PITBULL RCWS equipped with Smart-AI features. With the new AI-driven capabilities, armored vehicles and unmanned platforms substantially improve situational awareness, response rate, and firepower.

Russia – Ukraine War 2022 – Air Support Turns to Unmanned Assets

Aircraft and helicopters on both sides used flares extensively but lacked the capacity to face the dense MANPADS on long sorties over the enemy area. Some Russian helicopters were also equipped with electro-optic jammer countermeasures, but these did not prevent losses.

The Russian – Ukraine War 2022 – Opening Moves

When the orders were received on the 24th of February and units began rolling forward across the border, the operational forces lacked adequate planning and intelligence and did not prepare ammunition and supplies for the battle. They were unaware of the terrain and mobility constraints expected downrange and did not prepare the equipment to deal with those obstacles. Neither they had the foresight of an alternative' plan B' in case that 'decapitation' move failed.

Preparations for the Russian – Ukraine War

By February 2022 the Russian forces deployed on the Russian-Ukraine border included 10 Russian armies gathered from the Eastern, Central, Western, and Southern military districts, all these forces arrived in Western Russia to take part in extensive military exercises with Belarus. After completing those exercises, about 120 Battalion Tactical Groups (BTGs) were deployed along the Ukraine borders, ready to move south and west into Ukraine if ordered. The units from the Southern District have joined two armies of Russian-backed Ukrainian separatists from the Donbas.