This article is included in these additional categories:

Daily Rapid Fire

US Army Developing New 155mm Extended Range Artillery Rounds | Russian Satellite Jamming System Operational | Boeing to Upgrade NZ’s P-3K2 Orions

For more on this and other stories, please consider purchasing a membership.
If you are already a subscriber, login to your account.
Americas * A new 155mm artillery round with extended range is being developed by the US Army. Initial low rate production of the XM1113 Insensitive Munition High Explosive Rocket Assisted Projectile (XM1113 RAP) is expected to commence in 2022, and is due to replace the aging M549A1 rounds first produced in the 1970s and 1980s. […]
Americas

* A new 155mm artillery round with extended range is being developed by the US Army. Initial low rate production of the XM1113 Insensitive Munition High Explosive Rocket Assisted Projectile (XM1113 RAP) is expected to commence in 2022, and is due to replace the aging M549A1 rounds first produced in the 1970s and 1980s. The XM1113 program is a joint development between the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center and the Program Executive Office Ammunition.

* Canada’s government has announced the purchase of RQ-21A BlackJack UAVs in a $14.2 million foreign military sale (FMS). Included in the package are five unmanned aircraft, two ground control stations and one launch and recovery system. This marks the first sale of the system outside of the US Navy and will join the Canadian Army as part of its Land Force Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance program.

Europe

* Russia’s new satellite navigation jamming system, dubbed POLE-21, is now operational. Newspaper Izvestiya made the announcement following a statement from the Russian MoD. POLE-21 is capable of disrupting signals from GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou in the 1176.45-1575.42 MHz frequency. It is installed on cell phone towers and covers a radius of 80km.

* Ukrainian firm Antonov has cleared the An-178 for production. So far, the plane has clocked more than 160 hours in its development program over 100 flights and the manufacturer expects orders to reach 200 aircraft by 2032. The An-178 aircraft was developed on the basis of the An-158 passenger plane and is designed to replace the An-12 transport plane. It is able to carry up to 18 tonnes of cargo, including large-sized 1C containers.

Asia Pacific

* The Afghan Air Force has received its final batch of four MD-530 Cayuse Warrior helicopters. Unlike the previous delivery of five, the latest units are equipped with rocket and .50 caliber firing capabilities. This brings to 27 the number of Cayuse warriors now operated by the AAF, who often engage in providing aerial escort to convoys, providing over-watch to ANDSF operations and responding to “troops in contact” situations.

* Indonesia has been offered three US-2 amphibious planes by Japan. The offer would see a deal valuing the aircraft at $100 million each with discussions between Jakarta and Tokyo ongoing. The seaplane has also been sold to India, who previously ordered 18 to aid in monitoring and rescue missions based out of the Nicobar and Andaman Islands.

* French shipbuilder DCNS has been warned to beef up its security measures by Australian defense officials following a massive leak at the company. DCNS had just previously been contracted to build a fleet of submarines for Canberra, valued at $38.13 billion. In response, DCNS said that the leak, which covered details of the Scorpene-class model, and not the vessel currently being designed for the Australian fleet, bore the hallmarks of “economic warfare” carried out by frustrated competitors.

* Boeing has been tapped by New Zealand to conduct upgrades on their P-3K2 Orions. The $26.06 million deal will see Boeing replace aging, less reliable systems on the Orions, allowing the country to re-instate its anti-submarine warfare capability. New Zealand’s Orions have been in service since 1966, with five aircraft originally delivered as P-3Bs, and then upgraded in the 1980s to P-3K standard. A subsequent upgrade saw them designated as P-3K2s.

Today’s Video

GoPro Footage from the MiG-29 SMT:

One Source: Hundreds of programs; Thousands of links, photos, and analyses

DII brings a complete collection of articles with original reporting and research, and expert analyses of events to your desktop – no need for multiple modules, or complex subscriptions. All supporting documents, links, & appendices accompany each article.

Benefits

  • Save time
  • Eliminate your blind spots
  • Get the big picture, quickly
  • Keep up with the important facts
  • Stay on top of your projects or your competitors

Features

  • Coverage of procurement and doctrine issues
  • Timeline of past and future program events
  • Comprehensive links to other useful resources