MTQ News

Airbus Helicopters announced on 3 February 2026 that France’s Directorate General of Armament (DGA) has formally amended its ongoing SMDM contract to include a vertical take-off and landing variant of the Aliaca unmanned aircraft system for the French Navy. Ordered through Airbus Helicopters' subsidiary Survey Copter, the updated agreement makes France the first operator of the VTOL Aliaca, with deliveries scheduled to begin in May 2026 following a DGA-led qualification campaign. Read more.  The Aliaca VTOL is positioned as a tactical mini-drone rather than a long-endurance MALE asset (Picture source: Army Recognition) Read full Defense news.  from World Defence News https://ift.tt/nJRhrSA via IFTTT

On February 2, 2026, the French Armament General Directorate confirmed the award of the Syfrall heavy light crossing system framework contract to a consortium formed by CNIM Systèmes Industriels, CEFA, and Soframe. The decision follows a notification issued on December 30, 2025, and activates a contract with a maximum value of €697,254,995 excluding tax over a duration of 120 months. The program falls under the 2024–2030 French military programming law and allows acquisitions for partner nations. Read more.  The Pont Flottant Motorisé (PFM), composed of powered floating modules that can be assembled into ferries or continuous bridges, remains the primary floating bridge system in the French Army, notably in the PFM F2 configuration. (Picture source: CNIM Systèmes Industriels) Read full Defense news.  from World Defence News https://ift.tt/rZvuA0V via IFTTT

Speaking in Singapore, Boeing executives confirmed that the MQ-28 Ghost Bat program is shifting from its origins as a technology demonstrator toward an operational combat aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force, with initial service targeted before the end of the decade. According to Aviation Week reporting on February 2, 2026, the company is also shaping a Block 3 configuration designed specifically for international customers, as global air forces seek lower-cost, attritable platforms capable of operating alongside fighters such as the F-35 and future sixth-generation aircraft. Read more.  Boeing is accelerating MQ-28 Ghost Bat service with the RAAF by 2028 while developing an export-ready Block 3 variant for allied air forces. (Picture source: Australian MoD) Read full Defense news.  from World Defence News https://ift.tt/ZRTCVbF via IFTTT

On January 13, 2026, the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia confirmed the transfer of a C-130H Hercules tactical transport aircraft to the Tunisian Air Force during a ceremony at Sidi Ahmed Air Base. The delivery marked the fourth C-130 military transport aircraft provided to Tunisia since 2021, as part of ongoing bilateral military cooperation. U.S. and Tunisian officials stated the aircraft will be used for transport, security operations, joint exercises, and regional response missions.  Read full defense news at this link... Developed in the early 1950s, the C-130 entered service in 1956 and has since become one of the most widely used military transport aircraft globally, with more than 2,700 Hercules produced to date. (Picture source: U.S. Embassy in Tunisia) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/gCBZ98I via IFTTT

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense confirmed on February 1, 2026, that Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov held high-level talks in Kyiv with Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson on a sweeping new security assistance package, described by Ukrainian officials as both a political signal and an industrial breakthrough. According to official messaging, the discussions covered Saab-produced air defense systems and radars, expanded electronic warfare support, and multiple categories of drones, while also opening a parallel aviation dialogue on the possible transfer of JAS 39 Gripen fighters and Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles. Read more.   Meteor is designed specifically for Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) combat, with an emphasis on maintaining lethality at extended distances (Picture source: Army Recognition) Read full Defense news.  from World Defence News https://ift.tt/UfBlw0D via IFTTT

The Taiwanese Army is set to close out its long-awaited M1A2T Abrams tank program, with Taiwan’s Liberty Times reporting on 1 February that the final batch of 28 vehicles has completed production in the United States. According to the report, attributed to defense correspondent Tu Ju-min in Taipei, the tanks are expected to be transported by sea to Taiwan before the end of March, completing a 108-vehicle procurement that has been central to Taipei’s effort to restore credible heavy armor capability at the brigade level. Read more.  Taiwan’s final 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks have completed U.S. production, closing a 108-vehicle program to modernize the Taiwanese Army. (Picture source: Taiwan Military News Agency) Read full Defense news.  from World Defence News https://ift.tt/S6TxVh3 via IFTTT

On January 30, 2026, the United States approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Israel covering 3,250 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) and related equipment, with an estimated value of $1.98 billion. The vehicles are intended to replace part of the Israel Defense Forces' light tactical fleet, including a large number of Humvees.  Read full defense news at this link... The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) was developed to address shortcomings in protection, payload, and durability identified during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and by mid-2023, more than 20,000 JLTVs had been manufactured. (Picture source: U.S. Army) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/pQBW6uT via IFTTT

According to a February 1, 2026, report by South Korean outlet MAEIL Business Newspaper, Canada has intensified high-level engagement with South Korea as part of the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), a program described domestically as a 60 trillion won (USD 45 billion) acquisition. Stephen Poirier, identified as Canada’s Minister of National Defence Procurement, is expected to tour major shipyards this week to review submarine construction capacity and assess conditions for industrial cooperation, a move widely viewed by defense industry observers as late-stage due diligence before final proposals are locked in. Read full Naval News at this link … Launch ceremony of ROKS Jang Yeong-sil, the first South Korean KSS-III Batch-II submarine, at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard, representing the next-generation 3,600-ton-class design officially offered by South Korea to Canada under the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project. (Picture source: Wikimedia) Read More from World D...

On January 30, 2026, the British government announced that the Ministry of Defence intends to commission MBDA UK Limited to deliver a detailed technical report on the compatibility of the Aster missile family with the Mk41 Vertical Launching System, a widely used US naval launcher. The proposed one-year contract, valued at an estimated £2,000,000, is expected to be awarded under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023, citing a single-supplier justification based on the proprietary and highly specialized nature of the missile and launcher technologies involved, according to MoD documentation. Read full Naval News at this link … British Royal Navy HMS Dauntless, a Type 45 Daring-class air-defense destroyer, equipped with the Vertical Launching System (VLS) firing Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles as part of the UK’s principal naval area air defense capability. (Picture source: UK MoD) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/Xre7s5W via IFTTT