Italy begins development of Herakles railgun demonstrator for hypersonic strikes and orbital launches

As reported by Marco Florian Geo on July 9, 2025, the Italian Ministry of Defense officially approved on June 27, 2025, the launch of the second phase of the Herakles program, an ambitious initiative aimed at developing a hypersonic electromagnetic railgun system for both terrestrial and space applications. The second phase follows the completion of the first phase, which began on October 5, 2023, and concluded positively. The contract for the new phase was assigned by General Angelo Assorati to the company Kairospace via a negotiated procedure, due to the company’s prior involvement and technical qualifications. Funding for this phase totals €896,700 for 2026, with 50 percent financed by the Ministry of Defense and 50 percent by the contractor. Read full defense news at this link...

Electromagnetic railguns operate by accelerating projectiles along two parallel conductive rails using high-intensity electric currents that generate magnetic fields, producing muzzle velocities between 2,000 and 3,500 meters per second. (Picture source: US DoD)

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U.S. Army Conducts Gunnery Exercise With Latest Air Defense System Sgt Stout.

U.S. Army officials confirmed that a live gunnery exercise at Fort Hood, Texas, is underway, featuring the latest-generation Sgt Stout short-range air defense system. The drills mark a significant step toward full operational integration as units across the force adapt to evolving threats from drones, rotary-wing aircraft, and low-flying munitions. It matters because Sgt. Stout enhances the Army’s ability to defend forward-deployed troops and critical infrastructure from modern aerial threats. Read full Defense News at this link ... A U.S. Army SGT Stout SHORAD air defense vehicle maneuvers into firing position during live-fire training with the 6th Battalion, 56th Air Defense Artillery Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas, on October 3, 2025. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/NYmsS1n via IFTTT

US-built first Saudi MMSC frigate HMS Saud launched at Fincantieri’s shipyard

According to information published by the Saudi Ministry of Defense on December 18, 2025, the first Multi-Mission Surface Combatant frigate constructed in the United States for the Royal Saudi Navy has been officially launched at Fincantieri Marinette Marine’s shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin. The ship, designated HMS Saud with pennant number 820 and also known as Jalalat Al-Malik Saud in honor of King Saud, is the lead vessel in a four-ship program ordered under Project Tuwaiq through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales framework, a deal that defense officials have repeatedly described as a cornerstone of bilateral naval cooperation. Read more. The HMS Saud (820) has an overall length of approximately 118 meters, in some sources detailed as 118.6 meters, with a beam of 17.6 meters, a draft of about 4.3 meters, and a full-load displacement estimated at roughly 3,600 tonnes. (Picture source: Saudi MoD) Read full Defense news. from World Defence News https://ift....

Hellfire and JAGM Missiles Confirm Their Key Role in US Strike Power with New Contract

According to an announcement from the United States Department of Defense, Lockheed Martin has received a contract modification valued at $720 million for the fourth year of production of the Hellfire and Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) systems. This award brings the total value of the agreement to approximately $1.49 billion. Work will be carried out at the company’s facilities in Ocala, Florida, with completion expected by September 30, 2028. The program is managed by the Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, and is funded through the fiscal year 2025 missile procurement budget. Read more. The JAGM, designated AGM-179, builds on the Hellfire’s design with an improved guidance system that incorporates a multi-mode seeker combining semi-active laser and millimeter-wave radar (Picture source: US DoD) Read full Defense news. from World Defence News https://ift.tt/dvrFwSB via IFTTT

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