On August 24, 2026, the former Italian aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi (C 551) departed Taranto under a mixed Italian-Indonesian crew bound for Indonesia, where it is scheduled to be commissioned as KRI Gajah Mada on September 25. Italy transferred the retired 14,150-tonne STOVL vessel free of charge to eliminate a €5 million annual inactive maintenance liability and an estimated €18.7 million dismantlement bill. Jakarta accepted the transfer to establish its first carrier-based command and aviation capability, budgeting between €350 million and €818 million for reactivation, structural refit, and technical modernization. Read full defense news at this link... Commissioned on September 30, 1985, the Giuseppe Garibaldi served the Italian Navy for 39 years, operating as a carrier and command ship in Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Libya. (Picture source: Italian Navy archives) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/CBQyrVk via IFTTT
U.S. Air Force Awards Raytheon $603M for AN/APQ-188 Radar to Give B-52s New Edge in All-Weather Strike
The U.S. Air Force is moving to equip its B-52 Stratofortress bombers with the AN/APQ-188 AESA radar under a $603 million Raytheon contract announced by the U.S. Department of War on August 25, 2026. The upgrade will strengthen the bomber’s ability to navigate, detect targets, and conduct long-range strike missions in poor weather while replacing an aging radar that is increasingly difficult to sustain. Read Full Defense News At This Link. The $603 million AN/APQ-188 award advances a major B-52 modernization effort, giving the aging bomber a more capable AESA radar for all-weather navigation, mapping, and target tracking (Picture Source: U.S. Air Force / Edited By Army Recognition Group) from World Defence News https://ift.tt/pjdf9E3 via IFTTT