Americas
Raytheon has tested its Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) radar for the US Army in New Mexico. The trial was part of a $384-million deal signed in 2019 for six LTAMDS to replace older radars of the service’s Patriot surface-to-air missile systems.In July 2022, Raytheon received a $354-million contract to provide the army with additional LTAMDS prototypes.
The Biden administration is to send additional military assistance to Israel to ensure it has all it needs to rebuff the Hamas attack from Gaza, the US secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Sunday, as he confirmed that American civilians were among those killed and taken hostage. The United States will send multiple military ships and aircraft closer to Israel as a show of support, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, with Washington believing Hamas’ latest attack may have been motivated to disrupt a potential normalizing of Israel-Saudi Arabia ties.
Middle East and Africa
After the major attack by the radical Islamic Hamas, Israel is preparing for “a long and difficult war”. There will be no “breathing space” until Israel wins, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. Tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers fought Palestinian militants at home, while the air force bombed hundreds of targets in the Gaza Strip.
Europe
The US State Department approved a possible foreign military sale to Spain of Patriot missile defense systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.8 billion, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. The prime contractors for the latest version of the Patriot launcher will be Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon said in a statement.
Asia-Pacific
Australia is investing $139 million to boost munitions production at two factories in the country’s southeast, the government said in a statement Friday. The investment will boost production capacity for 155mm artillery ammunition and 500-pound aerial bombs at Thales-managed factories in Mulwala, New South Wales, and Benalla, Victoria.
In a strategic relocation, the US Air Force’s 19th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron is moving its MQ-9 Reaper drones from Kanoya Air Base in Kyushu to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. The move marks a significant shift in regional reconnaissance capabilities and underscores the strong collaboration between the US and Japan.
Today’s Video
WATCH: Rockets fired from Gaza, some intercepted by the Iron Dome
