The UK Ministry of Defence has selected Avioniq to develop modeling and simulation software for the country’s maiden hypersonic missile development effort. Avioniq’s technology will be assessed for Lot 2 of the Hypersonic Technologies & Capability Development Framework agreement to rapidly develop the country’s first hypersonic missile over the next seven years. Around 90 organizations are eligible to bid for contracts for the 1-billion-pound ($1.3-billion), eight-lot framework agreement. Lot 2 covers modeling, simulation, and mission planning. Avioniq’s Software Avioniq’s AqLab and AqMode ..read more

A European customer country has ordered Skynex air defense system ammunition from Rheinmetall. A “six-digit number” of 35mm AHEAD cartridges will be manufactured under the “low three-digit million euro” contract. “The Skynex system strengthens the protection of the customer country’s armed forces against threats from the air,” Rheinmetall said in a press release. Rheinmetall earlier received a contract in March from an undisclosed European customer for the delivery of Skynex systems by 2025. Additionally, the company has also been tapped by Austria to upgrade its air defense systems with Skyne ..read more

Ahead of their imminent arrival in Ukraine, Denmark announced that it is allowing Kyiv to use its promised F-16 fighter jets to strike targets inside Russia. The decision, publicized by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, comes amid increasing calls to give the war-torn nation greater freedom to strike deep into Russian territory. Since the invasion began in February 2022, Ukraine has been restricted by most of its Western allies to using their donated weapons only inside Ukraine over fear of war escalation. According to Rasmussen, the broader use of F-16s in Ukraine would be “within ..read more

Nine people were wounded in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian border regions of Belgorod and Kursk, the respective regional governors said on Sunday. “Six civilians were wounded as a result of the bombardment of Shebekino town,” Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram, adding that they had been taken to hospital. All six, five of whom were in two buses and the sixth who was on the street, were wounded by shrapnel. Shebekino is a town of 40,000 people close to the border with Ukraine, fewer than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Kharkiv. Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukrain ..read more

Russian forces are advancing on all fronts in Ukraine and have seized 880 square kilometers (340 square miles) of territory this year alone, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said on Friday. If confirmed, Russia would have made more gains in the past five months than in the whole of 2023, when the front line remained largely static despite a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the summer. “The advance is underway in all tactical directions. In general, 880 square kilometres of territory have come under the control of the Russian army this year,” Belousov said at a meeting of the Russian-led CSTO sec ..read more

Northrop Grumman has signed a deal with Norwegian company Andøya Space to develop capabilities for Norway’s Long Term Defence Plan. Under the memorandum of agreement, the two companies will create new autonomous maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment that will be integrated into all armed forces branches. Northrop global surveillance vice president Jane Bishop stated that the partners will begin the program’s development by leveraging the MQ-4C Triton as a premier unmanned aerial vehicle for Norway. “Our partnership with Andøya Space marks a pivotal moment in our comm ..read more

Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has begun the acquisition of four new harbor tugs for the armed forces. The order is part of an effort to expand the military’s transport capabilities for goods, trucks, containers, as well as solid and water waste across naval base battalions. The agency wrote that the upcoming fleet will also replenish supplies for other surface vessels and submarines. Currently, the government is reviewing proposals for the tugboat procurement. Another phase will produce related documentation regarding the platforms’ specifications. The first two vessels are sc ..read more

To address its continuing recruitment crisis, the British Army is considering enlisting those with autism or a previous mental health diagnosis. Outsourcing giant Capita has reportedly been directed by the service to formulate a plan to potentially hire those who would normally face a blanket ban in the British Army. Under current rules, applicants who have autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or a history of depression are outright rejected. But a report by The Telegraph said the army is pushing to reverse this policy, with plans to reassess its medical requirements by ref ..read more

Airbus will integrate its DeckFinder positioning system into Turkey’s ALPIN unmanned helicopter as part of a collaborative agreement with Turkish manufacturer Titra. The deal, signed during a recent border security expo in Ankara, will allow the drone to take off and land autonomously from naval platforms regardless of environmental conditions. The positioning system will provide the ALPIN with a 3D image of its relative position, aiding in safe landings even in the absence of satellite geolocation systems. Its components are also built to withstand extreme temperatures at sea, which could ran ..read more

Milrem Robotics has opened a new Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System (THeMIS) production facility in Estonia. THeMIS is an armed unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) designed to support dismounted troops, explosives detection and disposal teams, logistics missions, and mobile weapon stations. Established near Milrem’s headquarters in Tallinn, the center will increase THeMIS assembly and manufacturing to over 500 units annually. The company wrote that this factory will further “satisfy the growing need for intelligent robotics solutions” of THeMIS users. Currently, the drone is included in military ..read more