Americas
Lockheed Martin won a $101.5 million deal for AEGIS development and test sites operation and maintenance. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey and is expected to be completed by January 2028. The Aegis Combat System is an advanced integrated naval weapons system developed by the United States. It is primarily designed for missile defense, but it also has capabilities for anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare. The Aegis system is used on various naval vessels, including cruisers and destroyers.
L3Harris has inked a deal to provide electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensors for Canada’s MQ-9B SkyGuardian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Delivery of the 11 WESCAM MX™-20D sensor systems is expected to start this year, with the first aircraft delivery to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) estimated to be in 2028.
Middle East & Africa
According to C4ISRNET, Houthi rebels harassing shipping lanes in the Greater Middle East, eliciting responses from the US military and other forces, are relying on foreign arsenals for their missiles and drones in the air and on the water, specifically on Iranian arsenals. “Despite being the latest militia to join Iran’s axis of resistance network, the Houthis are in possession of some of the most sophisticated copies or variants of Iranian weapons,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank.
Europe
Russia may have started using an upgraded jet-powered Sahed drone that is harder to intercept in Ukraine. A popular Ukrainian blogger first shared the purported images of Shahed-238 drone debris on his Telegram channel on Tuesday. The Ukraine Armed Forces has yet to confirm the claim.
Asia-Pacific
India’s Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has launched the country’s new, domestically-built assault rifle for the armed forces, paramilitary, and state police. Called the “Ugram,” the weapon uses a 7.62 x 51-millimeter caliber round and weighs less than four kilograms. It was developed and manufactured with private industry partner Dvipa Armour India Private Limited.
The Australian government has awarded BAE Systems a deal to upgrade the firepower of its Anzac-class frigates. As part of the contract, the company is to integrate a Common Control System (CCS) into the vessel’s Mk-45 naval guns, similar to the configuration being used by the US Navy. This way, the Australian frigates will have commonality and increased interoperability with its ally.
