Americas
The US has agreed to co-produce the Stryker armored fighting vehicle with India in an effort to enhance New Delhi’s deterrence against China. New Delhi recently submitted a letter of intent for the deal to Washington, Nikkei reported citing a US defense official.
The US Air Force has announced that its B-21 Raider stealth bomber completed its inaugural flight on November 10. A video captured uploaded on X shows the futuristic warplane flying over Palmdale, California, where it has reportedly been under rigorous testing and development. Developed by Northrop Grumman, the B-21 is the first new bomber aircraft in the US Air Force inventory in more than 30 years.
Middle East and Africa
The French government will send dozens of armored vehicles to the Lebanese Army to assist its patrol missions. Speaking after his visit to Lebanon last month, French defense minister Sebastien Lecornu said the donation is part of Paris’ efforts to bolster the capabilities of the Lebanese Army so it can coordinate with UN peacekeeping forces.
The French Navy’s Frigate FS Floréal made an unannounced arrival off Cape Town on November 1, marking the eighth visit by a French warship to Cape Town in less than two years. This unexpected presence generated intrigue, especially given the lack of prior notification compared to the routine announcements accompanying NATO warship visits.
Europe
Germany plans to accelerate reforms of its military bureaucracy as part of an ongoing overhaul of the country’s military, defense minister Boris Pistoris outlined in a document presented on Thursday in Berlin. The revamp of the military seeks to make the force more capable of defending Germany and its allies. The Bundeswehr “must be ready for war in all areas. This means that its personnel and equipment must be geared towards fulfilling its demanding missions,” the document said.
Asia-Pacific
The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) first-ever MQ-4C Triton drone completed its inaugural flight in Palmdale, California. The maiden flight was carried out amid weeks of delay due to unspecified technical issues in previous taxi tests. The aircraft, which rolled out of Northrop Grumman’s factory in September last year, had its first flight pushed back by a few weeks due to some technical issues encountered during early taxi tests.
Today’s Video
WATCH: Australia will buy a fourth MQ-4C Triton reconnaissance drone
