Australian P-8 Participated in Operation Sea Guardian | SpearUAV Unveiled Viper | Japan Launched 3rd Taigei Sub

Americas

NATO’s Operation Sea Guardian, an ongoing maritime security operation in the Mediterranean, saw a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-8 maritime patrol aircraft participating for the first time. Departing from its base in Edinburgh, Australia, the jet and its crew took 3 days to arrive in Italy. From there, the jet undertook a few overwater surveillance missions from October 3-14.

A first-of-its-kind, F-35 crash recovery course was held at Hill Air Force Base and twenty-nine maintainers had the opportunity to train on handling different scenarios using a real F-35A. One of the scenarios in the five-day Crash Damaged or Disabled Aircraft Recovery course involved dealing with a collapsed nose gear, which will be destructive when done on a real jet. Instructors were able to use a repurposed F-35A for this type of training.

Middle East & Africa

SpearUAV, an Israeli developer of an autonomous, AI-based technology for encapsulated UAS, unveiled last week the Viper encapsulated and launchable hovering precision attack drone, empowering tactical forces with an immediate, precise and autonomous aerial loitering munition (ALM) capability against BLOS targets. According the company, enhancing force protection, the hovering capability of the Viper enables aerial observation of targets – including the ability to review buildings floor by floor – in complex urban environments, while also offering mission abort and wave-off capabilities.

Europe

France will train up to 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers on its territory, Minister for the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu told Le Parisien newspaper in an interview on Saturday. The soldiers will “be taken into our units for several weeks,” he said, adding that there would be three levels of training: general combat, “specific needs outlined by the Ukrainians such as logistics” and then training on how to use defense material furnished by Ukraine’s Estern allies.

Fincantieri has inked memorandums of understanding with potential suppliers for four future Greek corvettes and integrated logistics and in-service solutions for the Hellenic Navy. The agreements support the “high-profile process” for the corvette program set by the Hellenic National Defence Ministry.

Asia-Pacific

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has launched the country’s third Taigei-class attack submarine during a ceremony at the company’s shipyard in Kobe City. Named Jingei (swift swimming whale), the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) will use the underwater vehicle to support a wide variety of missions, including sinking enemy vessels.

Today’s Video

WATCH: Why Japan’s Taigei Submarines Embraced Lithium-ion Batteries