BAE Systems completed the first live-fire test of its Adaptable Deck Launcher (ADL) at China Lake, California, advancing an above-deck missile system designed to expand U.S. Navy warship firepower. Developed under a U.S. Department of War contract for the NATO Seasparrow Project Office, the modular launcher integrates Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) electronics and logistics to fire Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles (ESSM) from inclined canisters. The configuration bypasses deep hull penetration requirements, enabling frigates, amphibious vessels, and unmanned surface vessels to increase missile capacity while conducting at-sea replenishment. Read full defense news at this link... The fixed-angle Adaptable Deck Launcher (ADL) accommodates Mk 25 Quad-Pack canisters carrying four ESSM interceptors per cell across both tactical- and strike-length variants, providing supplementary missile firepower and enabling at-sea rearming without requiring deep vertical launch wells. (Picture sou...
China’s secretive reusable spaceplane has been formally identified in a newly released U.S. intelligence image, providing a clearer view of a spacecraft closely resembling the American Boeing X-37B. The unclassified photograph reveals the Chinese vehicle’s winged configuration, open payload bay, and deployed solar arrays, while leaving its equipment and specific orbital missions undisclosed. Read full Defense Aerospace News at this link … China’s experimental reusable spaceplane pictured in orbit with its payload bay open and solar arrays deployed. DIA published the image in its October 2026 space security report. (Photo: © 2024 Maxar Technologies, now Vantor, via DIA. Graphic: Army Recognition.) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/5g9X2Gd via IFTTT