Americas
In an effort to attract US customers, Anduril Industries recently showcased the capabilities of its Dive Extra-Large Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (XL-AUV) off the coast of California. The autonomous submarine reportedly completed a 100-hour single voyage — the “longest for a vehicle of this class.” While the company views it as a significant milestone, it emphasized that this achievement is just a precursor to an upcoming demonstration, where the Dive-XL will attempt to complete a 1,000-nautical-mile (1,852-kilometer) mission in a single trip.
Northrop Grumman has secured a contract to integrate advanced tactical data links into the US Marine Corps’ F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft. The data links will be incorporated into the fighter jet’s LITENING electro-optical/infrared targeting pods, significantly enhancing its ability to communicate and share information with other military platforms.
Middle East & Africa
Tehran received its first two Russian SU-35 SE fighter jets this week, part of an order for 50 aircraft intended to replace its aging fleet of F-14s and Phantoms. According to reports from FLUGREVUE, the initial jets were officially delivered to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. The jets were dismantled and transported to Iran aboard a Russian Antonov AN-124 transport plane, where they were reassembled at Mehrabad Airport. Initially, Tehran ordered 25 SU-35 SE aircraft, but the order was later expanded to 50.
Europe
An F-35 fighter jet demonstrated in-air classified data-sharing with a non-US Command and Control (C2) system recently. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and the Royal Air Force (RAF) Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) collaborated for the first-ever live demonstration across borders. An F-35 flying from Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas, shared classified data with the UK’s Nexus combat cloud in Farnborough, UK.
Asia-Pacific
India’s defense minister watched the commissioning of his country’s latest naval vessel at a Russian shipyard Monday, hailing it as a “significant milestone” in ties with a longstanding defense ally. Indian defense minister Rajnath Singh took part in the commissioning ceremony of the country’s latest multi-role stealth guided missile frigate, INS Tushil, in the Baltic port of Kaliningrad.
