Americas

The US Army is testing the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle-mounted Modular Turreted Mortar System (MTMS) prototype. Trials have been ongoing since January to ensure the expected performance from the system before an upcoming demonstration at Fort Moore, Georgia, in September. “We are diligently verifying its advertised capabilities and making sure it is safe for the soldiers to operate,” test officer Kevin Irr explained. “Additionally, we’re conducting several other tests to gauge the weapons system’s overall operability.”

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has announced two major upgrades to its MQ-9A Reaper drones for cyber and anti-aircraft missile threats. The company disclosed last week that it had tapped the services of US cybersecurity startup Shift5 to integrate its onboard cyber anomaly detection and predictive maintenance solutions into the remotely piloted aircraft. These capabilities will help defeat malicious code that could disable the drone or steal valuable intelligence data, ensuring cyber survivability and enhanced mission readiness.

Middle East & Africa

The Jordanian military announced Sunday the launch of the “Eager Lion” military exercise, with ground, naval and air forces from 33 countries represented including the United States, France, and Britain. The drills, set to end on May 23, include anti-terrorism and air defense training, army spokesman Colonel Mustafa al-Hiyari told a news conference. He said that “Eager Lion” is intended to help fight “terrorist organizations” and respond to “the proliferation of drones, and biological, chemical and nuclear weapons of mass destruction” as well as major disasters.

Europe

Fincantieri has acquired Leonardo’s torpedo unit for up to $446 million, the two Italian firms announced Thursday, bolstering the former’s ambition to become a major player in the undersea warfare business. State-controlled shipyard Fincantieri will pay €300 million, plus an additional sum of up to €115 million based on the unit’s performance in 2024, the companies said.

Asia-Pacific

China’s third aircraft carrier finished its maiden sea trials, state-controlled Xinhua News Agency announced. The carrier, Fujian, left the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai at around 0800 h local time on the day of the announcement. The trials primarily focused on testing the “reliability and stability of the aircraft carrier’s propulsion and electrical systems”.

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