Europe

Updated post, originally published on March 3, 2016: The Russian navy is deploying its single aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, to head the Russian flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea. It will be the first combat operation for a Russian or Soviet aircraft carrier.

Addressing the growing domestic and international demand for the French fighter aircraft, Dassault and the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) will soon begin a six-year development phase of the next-generation Rafale F4. The French Minister of Defense, Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, authorized the start of development of the next generation variant of the Rafale. The aircraft will introduce new capacities empowered by the modern missile and engine technologies.

The tests are a step towards full inter-operability between the current force of Typhoon and Tornado GR4s and future fifth-generation jets that will be used by the RAF and the UK’s Royal Navy from 2018.

Depleting stocks of Precision Guided Munitions (PGM) used by European Air Forces in Libya is expected to trigger demand for affordable guided weapons. This article examines the operational advantages and weaknesses of the various weapons, and how it reflects in their costs

Stretched along the eastern Mediterranean Sea and linked to the Indian Ocean through the Gulf of Eilat and the Red-Sea, Israel has always strived to maintain a naval force to protect its maritime border and sea lines of communications. Since the 1970s, following repeated terror attacks from the sea, the Israeli Navy assumed the responsibility to combat terror at...

Dassault Aviation has begun testing an upgraded variant of the Rafale  configured to carry an expanded configuration of weapons and fuel. This configuration will enable the French strike fighter aircraft to attack more targets and conduct counter-air missions at longer range. At present, the French military remains the single user of this impressive, but controversial jet fighter, since it failed...

Singapore is likely to expand the missions and operational capabilities of its submarine force in the next decade, fielding large ocean going submarines with mission endurance of weeks, even months in the next decade. Sofar the island state operated much smaller subs, designed for operations in shallow waters and littorals closer to home. The Defense ministry of Singapore announced...

BAE Systems introduced today the fifth evolutionary variant of the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle that embeds many of the upgrades and modifications designed through the evolution of the vehicle family.

Facing serious threats to their armored forces operating in Syria, the Turkish Army turned to Ukraine to counter the Kurd missile attacks on their tanks. The system presented by the Turks as ‘Akkor Pulat’ is actually the light version of the Ukrainian Zaslon that has recently completed its initial tests in Ukraine and now enters an accelerated test series in Turkey. Designed with simplicity and relatively simple integration, the system is expected to be fitted soon to all types of Turkish main battle tanks currently operating in Syria.

In a recent firing series held in South Africa, the German-South African joint-venture Rheinmetall Denel Munitions (RDM) demonstrated a dramatic increase in the range of its artillery firepower. The demonstration employed three 155 mm cannons with 52 and 39 caliber lengths, which scored three world records - firing at ranges of 76, 67 and 54 km.

Oto Melara is developing a family of extended range, guided and unguided 76mm projectiles designed for the popular 76/62 naval gun system. The weapon addresses new operational requirements evolving from modern littoral warfare missions; as reflected in the Second lebanon War (2006) and the Libyan campaign in 2011.

The United Kingdom is preparing its F-35 Lightning II to carry and operate the Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) as its principal long-range air/air weapon.

Finland and the Netherlands have agreed to transfer most of the remaining stock of Dutch Leopard 2A6 Main Battle Tanks (MBT) to Finland over a period of four years, for amount around €200 million. Defence Minister Carl Haglund has approved the acquisition of last thursday. Under the agreement Finland will procure 100 Leopard 2A6 tanks from the with the...

Above: Upgraded Marder APC. Photo: Tamir Eshel, Defense-Update // // Main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) as well as wheeled armored combat vehicles continue to form the backbone of modern mechanized armed forces. Even in contemporary asymmetric conflicts, their mobility, excellent protection, firepower and C4I capabilities render them invaluable. Rheinmetall is offering upgrading and modernization of legacy vehicles such as...