Alain Henry

Greece has officially joined the C-27J Spartan Cooperation program under the European Defence Agency (EDA), starting in March. This membership will contribute to enhancing the tactical airlifting capabilities of the C-27J military transport aircraft among the participating EU member states. For the first time, the Hellenic Air Force will contribute an aircraft to the European Spartan Exercise 2024.

Northrop Grumman has secured a multi-year agreement to manufacture initial batches of the AN/APR-39E(V)2 radar warning receivers for the U.S. Army. This state-of-the-art, fully digital system boasts the necessary instantaneous bandwidth and frequency range to defend against sophisticated radar threats effectively.

The OCCAR-EA COBRA Programme Division and Elektroniksystem und Logistik GmbH (ESG) have prepared a new Data System Software (DS SW) version for the French and German COBRA Systems.

Christopher McFadden, in an Interesting Engineering article, reports the U.S. Department of Defense's announcement to invest in creating an artificial intelligence-controlled aircraft fleet under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. This initiative is part of a broader $6 billion plan to integrate over 1,000 new drones into the United States Air Force (USAF), designed to function alongside manned aircraft for defense, escort, strike, and reconnaissance roles.

The "Come Back Alive" Army Relief Fund has successfully acquired 3,000 FPV kamikaze drones equipped for nighttime operations, as announced by the foundation's press service on social media platforms echoed by Militarnyi. This acquisition is part of a collaborative effort involving United24 and Monobank. The drones, featuring thermal imaging optics and purchased under "Operation Unity 2: New Year's Salute," are poised for deployment to military units.

The acquisition is part of a significant agreement valued at Rs 48,000 crore between the Defence Ministry and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the purchase of 83 Tejas Mark 1A jets for the Air Force, as reported by Manjeet Negi in India Today. Efforts are underway to potentially include a trainer variant of the aircraft alongside the fighter version in the delivery, according to sources.

Switzerland has handed over its first decommissioned Northrop F-5 Tiger fighter jet to the US military. The transfer marks the initial step towards fulfilling a contract signed in 2020 involving 22 aircraft, Ashish Dangwal reports in EurAsian Times.

On March 20, at the BEML Engine division in Mysuru, India's Defence Secretary, Giridhar Aramane, led the inaugural test of the country's first self-developed 1,500 HP engine for Main Battle Tanks, as reported by India.com. This significant achievement marks the beginning of a new chapter in India's defence sector, demonstrating its technological advancement and dedication to becoming self-sufficient in defence technology.

The German Bundeswehr has commissioned Rheinmetall to supply the "Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie (Heavy Weapon Carrier for the Infantry)". Following the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag approved the proposal on 20 March 2024, the contract was signed on 21 March 2023. The German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) will procure up to 123 vehicles "Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie". The contract is worth around €2.7 billion, which also includes service and maintenance. Delivery is scheduled to begin in 2025.

Saab has received an order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) regarding conceptual studies for future fighter systems. The contract period is 2024-2025. This includes conceptual studies of manned and unmanned solutions in a system of system perspective, technology development and demonstrations. Saab will collaborate closely with FMV, the Swedish Armed Forces, The Swedish Defence Research Agency, GKN Aerospace and other industry partners.