Australia’s AIM-260 Acquisition Could Reshape Beyond-Visual-Range Air Warfare in the Indo-Pacific

Australia will become the first country outside the United States to operate the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, with Canberra announcing an almost A$736 million acquisition on 6 August 2026 during Exercise Pitch Black. The move will extend the Royal Australian Air Force’s beyond-visual-range reach, allowing its combat aircraft to threaten hostile airpower earlier and defend wider areas across the Indo-Pacific. Read Full Defense News At This Link.

Australia’s A$736 million acquisition of the U.S.-developed AIM-260 JATM will strengthen the Royal Australian Air Force’s long-range air-to-air capability and deepen interoperability with U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific (Picture Source: Carnegie Endowment / Jonathan Tweedy / Edited By Army Recognition Group) © Army Recognition Group. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution prohibited.

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US Navy considers Ford-class aircraft carrier redesign to match Trump's WWII island style preference

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...

Bath Iron Works starts building new Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyer USS J. William Middendorf

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works has started construction of the future USS J. William Middendorf (DDG 138), a Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that will strengthen the U.S. Navy’s missile-defense and escort capacity during sustained operations in the Red Sea, Eastern Mediterranean, and Indo-Pacific. The ceremonial first steel cut took place in Maine on May 19, 2026, as the Navy continues relying on Flight III destroyers equipped with the SPY-6 radar and Aegis Baseline 10 combat system to replace the air defense and command role of retiring Ticonderoga-class cruisers ahead of the future DDG(X) program. Read full defense news at this link... USS J. William Middendorf belongs to the Flight III configuration that began with USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), the first Flight III destroyer commissioned in October 2023. (Picture source: US Navy) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/tSRkVWI via IFTTT

China’s PHL-191 MLRS Shows How Airburst Munitions Could Transform Modern Battlefield Suppression

China has showcased what appears to be an airburst-capable munition fired from its PHL-191 long-range modular multiple launch rocket system during a live-fire exercise, highlighting a growing emphasis on suppressing dispersed battlefield targets rather than relying solely on point strikes. Footage released on July 19, 2026, by China Military Online and the Chinese Ministry of National Defense suggests the PLA is expanding its long-range fire-support options with effects designed to disrupt troops, air-defense sites, and lightly protected equipment across a wider area, reinforcing its ability to shape the battlefield before major combat operations begin. Read Full Defense News At This Link. New PLA footage shows China’s PHL-191 rocket artillery system delivering concentrated, apparent airburst fragmentation effects against dispersed battlefield targets (Picture Source: Chinese Ministry of National Defense) from World Defence News https://ift.tt/jYnGm7H via IFTTT

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