MTQ News

 The U.S. Air Force is preparing to keep the RQ-4 Global Hawk operational well into the next decade, with an August 17, 2026, contracting notice outlining modernization and sustainment support potentially extending through June 2033. The move signals that persistent high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance remains a critical requirement as U.S. forces monitor increasingly contested theaters across Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific.  Read Full Defense News At This Link.  The U.S. Air Force is laying the groundwork to modernize and sustain the RQ-4 Global Hawk through 2033, signaling a potentially longer operational future for the strategic ISR aircraft (Picture Source: U.S. Air Force) from World Defence News https://ift.tt/ji3zyVF via IFTTT

Greece is expected to sign agreements with Israel worth about €3 billion ($3.5 billion) for a new multi-layer air and missile defense architecture built around Israeli systems including David’s Sling, BARAK MX and SPYDER, according to two security sources cited by Reuters on August 31, 2026. The planned network would significantly strengthen Greece’s ability to counter drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles while reinforcing NATO’s southeastern flank and protecting allied bases, airspace and critical infrastructure across the Eastern Mediterranean. Read full Defense News at this link … Israeli BARAK MX air defense missile system, expected to form the medium- and extended-range layer of Greece’s Achilles Shield, would strengthen protection against aircraft, cruise missiles, drones and selected missile threats while improving NATO air-defense coverage in the eastern Mediterranean. (Picture source: Wikimedia) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/61rVSjx via IFTTT

The U.S. Navy is preparing a major reliability upgrade for the Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the latest generation of U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, after the system delivered much stronger performance during the carrier’s second operational deployment. According to the Navy’s April 21, 2026 Modernized Selected Acquisition Report, the improvement strengthens Ford’s ability to recover aircraft consistently during sustained high-tempo flight operations. Read full Naval Defense News at this link … USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) aircraft carrier operates at sea as the U.S. Navy advances reliability upgrades to its Advanced Arresting Gear, a key system for sustaining high-tempo aircraft recovery and sortie generation during carrier operations. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War/Defense) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/VAE5oRS via IFTTT

 South Korea has begun formal concept work on a fighter generation beyond the KF-21 Boramae, with BizHankook reporting that DAPA issued a request for proposals on August 21, 2026, for a 14-month Korean Next-Generation Fighter Concept Study. The move signals Seoul’s intent to turn its newly acquired fighter-development expertise into a long-term combat-air advantage rather than stopping with the KF-21.  Read Full Defense News At This Link.  South Korea has launched a 14-month concept study to define the missions, enabling technologies and aircraft configurations that could underpin a future sixth-generation fighter beyond the KF-21 Boramae. The image is an unofficial artist’s rendering. (Image credit: Choi Dong-hyun / @3DCG_mylife) from World Defence News https://ift.tt/onTuzNY via IFTTT

 Roketsan’s ÇAKIR cruise missile successfully struck both land and maritime targets in separate ground-launched firings, the Turkish company announced on 27 August 2026, demonstrating that the weapon can now deliver precision strikes from mobile surface platforms as well as aircraft. The achievement gives Türkiye a more distributed strike capability that can threaten targets ashore or at sea without relying on a dedicated launch platform.  Read Full Defense News At This Link.  Roketsan’s ÇAKIR cruise missile struck land and maritime targets from a mobile ground launcher, expanding the weapon’s demonstrated role into distributed surface-based precision strike (Picture Source: Roketsan/ Edited By Army Recognition Group) from World Defence News https://ift.tt/hGPAkB6 via IFTTT

The Harpoon Coastal Defense System (HCDS) is a U.S.-developed, road-mobile ground-based anti-ship missile system designed to provide a land-based over-the-horizon strike capability against hostile surface vessels operating in littoral waters, coastal approaches, and strategic maritime corridors. Read Harpoon Coastal Defense System Technical Review at this link … The Harpoon Coastal Defense System (HCDS) is a U.S.-developed, road-mobile anti-ship missile system designed to engage hostile surface vessels and protect strategic coastal areas and waterways. Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/VQflXcM via IFTTT

The U.S. Navy has successfully tested the Harpoon Coastal Defense System (HCDS), launching a land-based Harpoon anti-ship missile that intercepted a target vessel in littoral waters at California’s Point Mugu Sea Range. The July 2026 developmental test validates HCDS as a mobile coastal defense missile capable of protecting strategic waterways while potentially allowing U.S. forces to threaten hostile warships from shore without exposing U.S. Navy surface combatants to the same level of risk. Read full Naval Defense News at this link … The U.S. Navy Harpoon Coastal Defense System (HCDS) fires a land-based Harpoon anti-ship missile during Developmental Test 1 (DT-1) at Point Mugu Sea Range in California in July 2026, validating its ability to engage maritime targets in littoral waters. (Photo courtesy of Boeing) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/FeQdKU4 via IFTTT

The Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk is a twin-engine, four-blade, medium-lift utility and assault helicopter developed by Sikorsky for the U.S. Army as the current production-standard version of the UH-60 Black Hawk family. Developed from 2001 and first flown on September 17, 2003, it introduced two 1,994 shp General Electric T700-GE-701D engines, wide-chord composite rotor blades, an improved durability gearbox, digital flight controls and a four-screen glass cockpit to restore payload and high-and-hot performance lost as earlier UH-60 variants gained weight. With a maximum gross weight of 22,000 lb (9,979 kg), the UH-60M can carry an 11-soldier U.S. Army infantry squad, lift up to 9,000 lb (4,082 kg) externally, cruise at up to 151 knots (280 km/h) and reach 276 nmi (511 km) on internal fuel without reserve.  Read full technical review at this link... Full-rate production was authorized in June 2007; the first unit was equipped in February 2008; and the UH-60M has since become the pri...

The U.S. Navy is considering renaming its fourth Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, CVN-81, with USS Donald Trump emerging as a potential alternative to the current designation, USS Doris Miller, according to CNN. The potential name change coincides with a directive from the White House to produce a plan replacing the ship's planned Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Weapons Elevators with legacy steam catapults and hydraulic elevators. This dual review reflects ongoing evaluations of naval acquisition costs, industrial shipyard capacity, and fleet naming conventions ahead of the vessel's planned late-2026 keel-laying ceremony.  Read full defense news at this link... The USS Doris Miller (CVN-81) is the fourth Ford-class carrier planned after the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78),  USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), and USS Enterprise (CVN-80). (Picture source: HII) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/qYsVt0n via IFTTT

Taiwan has begun flight testing the MS-110 multispectral reconnaissance pod on its F-16V fleet, with the system publicly observed at Chiashan Air Force Base on August 26, 2026, according to Taiwan’s Liberty Times. Its wider coverage and improved day-and-night sensing could give Taiwanese commanders faster and more detailed intelligence on Chinese force movements during a rapidly developing cross-Strait crisis. Read Full Defense News At This Link.  Taiwan’s F-16V has debuted the MS-110 multispectral reconnaissance pod, expanding the fighter jet’s long-range day-and-night surveillance and speeding battlefield intelligence collection (Picture Source: The Liberty Times / Raytheon / Edited By Army Recognition Group) from World Defence News https://ift.tt/47x5rSl via IFTTT

 Sweden has received its first four Archer 8x8 self-propelled howitzers, with FMV announcing the handover on August 26, 2026, as part of a 48-system program to strengthen and expand the country’s artillery capability. The new guns will be particularly important for southern Sweden and Gotland, adding highly mobile long-range firepower with broader implications for Sweden’s contribution to NATO defence across the strategically critical Baltic region.  Read Full Defense News At This Link.  Sweden has begun fielding its first Archer 8x8 self-propelled howitzers, strengthening long-range artillery capacity and reinforcing NATO’s defense posture across the strategically critical Baltic region (Picture Source: Swedish Defence Materiel Administration) from World Defence News https://ift.tt/oiA39ka via IFTTT

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

 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

CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow on August 25, 2026, aboard a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III for roughly eight hours of unannounced, direct meetings with Russian security officials. Washington reportedly dispatched the intelligence chief to directly warn Moscow against potential further military mobilization and hybrid actions designed to test NATO's defensive resolve. The trip also potentially served to deliver sanctions warnings under Operation Economic Outcast regarding Russian commercial ties to Iran while urging Russian mediation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.  Read full defense news at this link... CIA Director John Ratcliffe flew to Moscow aboard the first U.S. Air Force C-17 to visit the Russian capital in nine years to warn Russia against further military mobilization and actions testing NATO resolve, while seeking Moscow’s help in pressuring Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. (Picture source: Telegram/CyberspecNews) Read more... from World D...

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham authorized MBDA on August 24, 2026, to release classified technical data on British-made components of the SCALP and Storm Shadow cruise missile to Ukraine during his first overseas visit to Kyiv. The decision clears a legal and industrial hurdle preventing France and Ukraine from transferring intellectual property required for domestic manufacturing. The authorization enables Ukrainian facilities to pursue local component production, assembly, and certification to reduce reliance on diminishing European stockpiles.  Read full defense news at this link... The UK has authorized MBDA to give Ukraine classified information on British components of the Franco-British SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missile, removing a key obstacle to establishing Ukrainian production of the weapon by the end of 2026. (Picture source: UK MoD) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/j2KD0Pk via IFTTT

The U.S. Army is phasing out its specialized 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (3-504 PIR), returning the 600-soldier formation from its experimental drone assault role to standard airborne infantry duties following Exercise Saber Junction 2026 in Germany. Initiated under acting Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve’s "The Army Azimuth" strategy, the realignment pivots focus toward core combat fundamentals rather than centralized battalion-level unmanned formations. The shift comes despite ongoing combat in Ukraine demonstrating the force multiplier effect of combined unmanned systems, such as an August 2026 engagement near Vyshneve where three Ukrainian soldiers successfully killed 40 attacking Russian infantry using a UGV, a bomber drone, and FPVs.  Read full defense news at this link... The U.S. Army is phasing out its only dedicated drone battalion after less than a year, even as a recent Ukrainian battle in which three soldiers held off roughly 40 Russian...

On August 18, 2026, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered the defense ministry to accelerate the development of the Jangbogo-N nuclear-powered attack submarine while confirming plans to complete the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) during his term. The decision aims to establish long-endurance, independent undersea tracking capabilities against regional missile threats and expand Seoul's tactical contribution to the U.S. alliance. The move builds on the May 2026 formal project launch following a bilateral consensus reached with Washington to allow low-enriched uranium propulsion.  Read full defense news at this link... The Jangbogo-N represents South Korea’s first transition from a conventionally powered submarine force to an independent nuclear-powered attack submarine capability able to continuously track North Korean and Chinese operations across the Western Pacific. (Picture source: South Korean MoD) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/zB...

 Turkish Aerospace Industries is preparing to give its AKSUNGUR unmanned aircraft a major increase in payload and endurance, General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu disclosed on 23 August 2026 in remarks reported by Anadolu Agency. The upgrade would strengthen Türkiye’s ability to sustain long-range surveillance and strike missions while carrying heavier sensors and weapons, with particular value over maritime operating areas.  Read Full Defense News At This Link.  Turkish Aerospace is advancing its AKSUNGUR unmanned aircraft toward a 1,250-kg payload and roughly 60-hour endurance, significantly expanding its potential for persistent maritime surveillance, strike, and anti-submarine warfare missions (Picture Source: TAI) from World Defence News https://ift.tt/LBH6mAP via IFTTT

 The U.S. Navy is rebuilding the MH-60 Sea Hawk’s digital architecture to keep the helicopter combat-relevant through 2050, with the U.S. Department of War announcing the TALON prototype effort with the Royal Australian Navy on August 21, 2026. The shift to an open avionics foundation is intended to let MH-60R and MH-60S crews field new sensors, weapons and mission software faster as threats evolve, without waiting for major aircraft redesigns.  Read Full Defense News At This Link.  The MH-60 TALON project will rebuild the Sea Hawk’s digital architecture with open systems designed to speed upgrades, reduce obsolescence, and extend combat relevance through 2050 (Picture Source: U.S. Navy) from World Defence News https://ift.tt/C5XsOFv via IFTTT

The AIM-424 Malice is an American long-range air-to-air missile designed to engage hostile aircraft at distances far beyond those normally associated with conventional beyond-visual-range weapons. Developed for the U.S. Navy by Raytheon, an RTX business, the missile is intended to extend the engagement reach of carrier-based and future combat aircraft against fighters, airborne early-warning aircraft, tankers, electronic-warfare platforms and other high-value aerial targets. Read AIM424 Malice Technical Review at this link ... The AIM-424 Malice is a new-generation U.S. long-range air-to-air missile developed by Raytheon for extended-range interception of fighters and high-value airborne targets. Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/vF235lJ via IFTTT

The U.S. Army is expanding its Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) fleet eighteen-fold, from the original objective of 649 vehicles to 11,582, as drones and long-range precision fires reshape how infantry must move and survive. The increase reflects a shift toward faster, more dispersed ground forces that can limit exposure to enemy surveillance and precision targeting. Read full Defense News at this link … U.S. Army Infantry Squad Vehicles (ISVs) provide nine-Soldier infantry squads with lightweight, rapidly deployable mobility, allowing units to disperse, relocate quickly, and operate under persistent drone surveillance and long-range precision-fire threats. The U.S. Army has increased its ISV acquisition objective from 649 to 11,582 vehicles as demand grows for faster battlefield mobility. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War/Defense) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/6WzClY1 via IFTTT

 Italy could add thousands of low-cost precision interceptors to its counter-drone arsenal after the U.S. State Department approved a possible $364 million sale of 5,031 air-to-air APKWS II guidance sections on August 21, 2026. The package would give Italian forces a more economical way to engage large numbers of drones and other low-end aerial threats without relying on scarce, expensive air-to-air missiles.  Read Full Defense News At This Link. The U.S. has approved a potential $364 million sale of 5,031 air-to-air APKWS II guidance sections to strengthen Italy’s counter-drone and short-range air defense capabilities (Picture Source: QinetiQ/ Britannica/ Edited By Army Recognition Group) from World Defence News https://ift.tt/EJe5gTW via IFTTT

 Sweden has fired a TAURUS KEPD 350 long-range cruise missile from a JAS 39 Gripen C for the first time, demonstrating progress toward a deep-strike capability that could extend the reach of Swedish and NATO air power. The Swedish Air Force disclosed the August 21, 2026 test at the Vidsel Test Range, highlighting a potential ability to engage high-value targets far beyond frontline air defenses. Read Full Defense News At This Link.  Sweden’s first TAURUS KEPD 350 launch from a JAS 39 Gripen C marks a major step toward fielding a long-range precision-strike capability that could strengthen NATO’s deterrence across Northern Europe (Picture Source: Swedish Air Force) from World Defence News https://ift.tt/YxZpqgv via IFTTT

 The U.S. Department of War live-fired a Low-Cost Containerized Missile at White Sands Missile Range on August 19, moving the LCCM program from acquisition planning into operational testing. The effort is intended to support the procurement of roughly 10,000 lower-cost cruise missiles starting in 2027 and to expand U.S. capacity for distributed land and maritime strike. The launch took place during the J-REX 26.3 experimentation event and tested a program centered on containerized weapons capable of engaging both ground and naval targets. Anduril, CoAspire, Leidos, and Zone 5 Technologies are competing under the LCCM framework, with candidate systems including Anduril’s Surface-Launched Barracuda-500M, which has a stated range exceeding 500 nautical miles and can be carried in a 20-foot ISO container holding up to 16 missiles. The current test campaign will assess weapon maturity, survivability, and operational suitability before a Military Utility Assessment and planned large-scal...

On August 20, 2026, the U.S. State Department approved a potential $4.5 billion Foreign Military Sale to Qatar for up to four Boeing KC-46A Pegasus aerial-refueling tankers and associated equipment. The transaction addresses a major operational vulnerability for the Qatar Emiri Air Force, which operates dozens of advanced F-15QA, Rafale, and Typhoon fighters without organic airborne refueling infrastructure. Establishing a dedicated Qatari KC-46A fleet extends defensive patrol endurance around key national infrastructure and reduces operational reliance on U.S. and coalition tanker assets.  Read full defense news at this link... In the event of sustained Iranian attacks, KC-46A Pegasus tankers would allow Qatar’s F-15QA and other compatible fighters to refuel in flight, remain on air defense patrols longer, and avoid repeated returns to Qatari air bases that could be under missile or drone attack, damaged, or temporarily closed. (Picture source: US Air Force) Read more... from Wo...

The U.S. Navy is nearing a decision on its F/A-XX sixth-generation carrier fighter, with Boeing and Northrop Grumman remaining in competition ahead of an expected August 2026 downselect, according to Defense IQ’s 2026 International Fighter Aircraft Global Market Report. Long-range threats are increasingly forcing U.S. carriers to operate farther from contested areas, heightening the urgency of fielding an F/A-18 replacement that can preserve carrier air superiority and long-range strike capability across the Indo-Pacific. Read full Naval News at this link … Boeing rendering of a future U.S. Navy carrier-based sixth-generation fighter concept associated with the F/A-XX program, which is intended to replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and preserve carrier air superiority, long-range strike reach, and survivability in contested Indo-Pacific operations. (Image source: Boeing) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/X9ydbIE via IFTTT

The K9 Mobile Howitzer, also known as K9MH, is a South Korean 8x8 self-propelled howitzer developed by Hanwha Aerospace as the wheeled variant of the K9 Thunder. The K9MH combines the CN98 155 mm/52-caliber gun, a fully automated artillery module derived from the K9A2, and a heavy 8×8 wheeled chassis in a new artillery system optimized for operational mobility. Formal development began in December 2024 and is scheduled for completion in June 2027, while the first complete prototype appeared publicly in spring 2026. The current prototype uses a third-generation Tatra Force 8×8 chassis, an armored forward crew cab, four stabilizers, and a rear-mounted automated artillery module, with all three crew members remaining inside the cab during normal firing operations.  Read full technical review at this link... The U.S. Army selected the K9MH on August 18, 2026, for the experimentation phase of its Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) program, ordering six prototypes with an option for 12 additio...

 China’s J-35 carrier-based stealth fighter has appeared in photographs circulating since mid-August with a highly reflective, silver-like surface, drawing renewed attention on August 19, 2026, because similar treatments have previously been tested on U.S. F-22A and F-35C aircraft. The unusual finish could point to Chinese work on materials designed to preserve low observability against evolving sensors while supporting carrier-based combat operations.  Read Full Defense News At This Link.  China’s J-35 carrier-based stealth fighter has emerged with an unusual mirror-like reflective coating, drawing comparisons with experimental surface treatments previously tested on U.S. F-22 and F-35C fighters (Picture Source: Chinese Social Media) from World Defence News https://ift.tt/RnMv6ml via IFTTT

Developed by the Swedish company Saab, the GlobalEye is a long-range surveillance aircraft that combines the functions normally associated with an airborne early warning and control aircraft and a maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft, a notable difference from Boeing, where such functions are divided between the E-7 Wedgetail and the P-8 Poseidon. Based on the Canadian Bombardier Global 6000/6500 business jet, the GlobalEye combines the Saab Erieye ER AESA radar with a Leonardo Seaspray 7500E maritime radar, electro-optical/infrared sensors, ESM/ELINT equipment, identification systems and an integrated command-and-control architecture.  Read full technical review at this link... The GlobalEye can therefore maintain the regional air picture while simultaneously searching the sea and monitoring ground activity during the same sortie, rather than requiring separate specialized aircraft for each surveillance domain. Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/wg5bx1f vi...

The U.S. Army awarded Elroy Air a $46 million multiyear contract to develop the Chaparral autonomous hybrid-electric VTOL cargo aircraft into a more capable system for resupplying forces in contested, infrastructure-limited environments, the company announced on August 18, 2026. The effort aims to reduce reliance on runways, pilots, and vulnerable logistics networks when conventional supply routes are disrupted or exposed to attack. Read full Defense News at this link … Elroy Air’s Chaparral is an autonomous hybrid-electric VTOL cargo aircraft being developed under a $46 million U.S. Army program to provide GPS-denied navigation, protected communications, modular payload delivery and runway-independent resupply for contested logistics. (Picture source: Elroy Air) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/0987mPo via IFTTT

The U.S. Navy is examining how unmanned underwater vehicles could deliver critical parts between nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers while submarines remain fully submerged. The concept, outlined by the Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet in August 2026, could preserve submarine stealth while extending combat endurance across contested Pacific waters. Read full Naval Defense News at this link … U.S. Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) leads a multinational formation during RIMPAC 2026 in the Pacific. U.S. Navy commanders are examining how unmanned underwater vehicles could eventually transfer critical components between aircraft carriers and submerged submarines. (Picture source: PACOM) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/GT5Snid via IFTTT

On August 17, 2026, the Russian Navy's Project 09851 Khabarovsk nuclear submarine departed the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk to commence its first factory sea trials in the White Sea. This deployment initiates the critical at-sea testing phase for the first submarine designed from its inception to carry six 2M39 Poseidon nuclear-powered, intercontinental autonomous underwater vehicles. The trials will evaluate the 10,000-tonne vessel's novel forward-hull geometry, integrated propulsion systems, and overall structural integrity prior to state acceptance and its anticipated transfer to the Pacific Fleet.  Read full defense news at this link... The Khabarovsk is the first Russian nuclear-powered submarine built specifically to carry and launch six long-range, nuclear-powered Poseidon underwater weapons against strategic targets. (Picture source: X/Massimo Frantarelli) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/7Fzs1w2 via IFTTT

On August 14, 2026, the U.S. Army awarded Airbus Helicopters Inc. a $115.4 million firm-fixed-price contract for 10 UH-72B Lakota light utility helicopters, with options for two additional units bringing the total cumulative face value to $140.7 million. The order extends production of the five-bladed, Fenestron-equipped variant for Army National Guard operational units through 2030, delivering enhanced high-altitude hover performance and digital flight controls for domestic response missions. The contract action occurs as the service prepares to remove roughly 220 older UH-72A models from initial entry pilot training under the Flight School Next initiative.  Read full defense news at this link... The UH-72B Lakota is essentially a more modern UH-72A, with more powerful engines, a five-blade main rotor, an enclosed Fenestron tail rotor, greater payload capacity and a newer digital cockpit with a four-axis autopilot that can automate more of the flight. (Picture source: South Caroli...

On August 16, 2026, the U.S. Navy initiated an operational and technical evaluation regarding whether to move the island superstructure on future Ford-class aircraft carriers from its current far-aft placement toward amidships, following directive preferences from President Donald Trump. The assessment will likely focus on whether relocating the command structure toward a World War II-era configuration would negatively impact flight deck operations, sortie generation rates, and recovery airflow dynamics. This design review also follows an August 13 directive ordering the Navy to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Weapons Elevators on the future USS Doris Miller with steam catapults and hydraulic systems.  Read full defense news at this link... The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) places its island much farther aft so more aircraft can be parked and moved directly toward the catapults without interfering with landings, whereas USS Enterprise (CV-6)'s amidship...

 A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon has been photographed over the U.S. Central Command area carrying eight GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs, giving the fighter a high-density precision-strike load while retaining air-to-air weapons, targeting equipment and external fuel. Imagery released by U.S. Air Forces Central through DVIDS on August 13 shows how a mature fourth-generation fighter can deliver multiple precision effects in a single sortie without sacrificing endurance or self-defense capability.  Read Full Defense News At This Link.  The imagery provides a rare operational look at an F-16 configured for high-density precision attack, combining eight GBU-39/B bombs with targeting, fuel and air-to-air stores for sustained multirole combat operations (Picture Source: U.S. CENTCOM from World Defence News https://ift.tt/81Xsq7H via IFTTT

U.S. Marines are now training to shoot down small drones traveling at speeds exceeding 90 mph using M27 rifles, M1014 shotguns, and grenade launchers as part of the Marine Corps’ first dedicated counter-drone training lanes at Twentynine Palms, California. Marines engaged simulated hostile unmanned aerial systems at distances as short as 20 meters while also employing electronic warfare, creating a layered defense against the type of fast-moving first-person-view (FPV) drone threat reshaping modern ground combat. Read full Defense News at this link … U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jeremiah Smith fires an M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle during counter-drone training at Twentynine Palms, California, on July 17, 2026, as Marines practice engaging fast-moving small unmanned aerial systems at close range. (Picture source: U.S. Marine Corps) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/5uxwFEJ via IFTTT