Americas
Lockheed Martin has selected Aerojet Rocketdyne to develop an advanced propulsion solution for the US Army’s future Long Range Maneuverable Fires (LRMF) missile. The LRMF is a precision-fire missile that can deploy from existing US Army launchers, including the battle-proven High Mobility Artillery Rocket System or HIMARS.
Lockheed Martin has awarded Aerojet Rocketdyne a $23.8-million contract to extend the propulsion unit supply of Javelin missiles for two years. Javelins are shoulder-deployed, fire-and-forget, anti-armor weapon systems that can lock onto targets after launch, enabling warfighters to counterfire and take cover during combat.
Middle East & Africa
The completion of the 500th unit of the Bayraktar TB2, Turkey’s first indigenous armed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), was celebrated with great enthusiasm during a ceremony held at Baykar Technologies’ state-of-the-art technology center located in Istanbul’s Ba?ak?ehir district. The ceremony itself revolved around the symbolic exit of the Bayraktar TB2, designated with the tail number T500, from the production line. This momentous occasion elevated the total production of these advanced drones to an impressive count of 580 units, inclusive of the 80 UAVs that have already been successfully deployed. The event was attended by distinguished guests, industry experts, and members of the production team, all of whom recognized the collective effort and dedication required to achieve such a feat.
IWI (Israel Weapon Industries) a member of the SK Group and a global producer of small arms for military forces, police units, law enforcement agencies, and governmental entities around the world, will supply the IDF with 2,800 additional Micro-Tavor rifles for the Nahal, Golani, and Givati infantry brigades.
Europe
Rheinmetall is supplying 20 additional Marder infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) to Ukraine as part of a German government contract. Berlin awarded the multi-million-euro deal in May as part of a $1.9 billion defense package for Ukraine. The vehicles are scheduled to be delivered this summer. Ukraine has already received 40 Marders: 20 shipped by Rheinmetall and 20 by the German government from its military stock. Rheinmetall stated that it could deliver an additional 60 Marders to Ukraine at a rate of up to 10 vehicles per month. It added that work is already underway in its Kassel and Unterlus plants.
Asia-Pacific
The Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) have embarked on a trial implementation of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation since March, as disclosed by reliable government sources. This strategic decision aims to fortify the JSDF’s communication capabilities in response to China and Russia’s recent efforts to bolster their satellite attack capabilities. Starting from the upcoming fiscal year, there are plans to fully leverage the exceptional high-speed communication service offered by the renowned US space development company, SpaceX. Additionally, the SDF is actively working on arrangements to incorporate military satellites from the United States and other allied nations into their communication network.
Today’s Video
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