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The DragonFire will provide Type 45 destroyers with a 50 kW-class laser capable of engaging drone threats at very low cost per shot, about £10, adding a short-range interception layer that reduces reliance on Aster missile stocks and enables repeated engagements without ammunition constraints. (Picture source: Leonardo)

TACO Trump means Trump escalates not Trump backs down….. to think otherwise is to misunderstand what it means to be a coward in this moment.

This module enables the transition from a one-to-one sensor-to-shooter model to a networked configuration in which any sensor can provide targeting data to any available effector, optimizing engagement based on position, timing, and capability. Within a defined defensive sector of 10-15 km referred to as a “dead zone,” the system can interconnect artillery units, radar systems, satellite inputs, and counter-unmanned systems to respond to low-altitude and high-density threats. The architecture is scalable, allowing expansion of coverage depending on the number of connected systems and the availability of command authority over software and electronics. The MC5 module also supports real-time synchronization and secure data exchange across nodes.

This time surely these will work.

This conflict is growing more and more out of control by the hour, I don’t consider the use of smaller nuclear weapons by the US or Israel off the table here at all, and that is obviously extremely alarming.

This is not going to be a short war, don’t believe anyone who says that, stop believing anything they say if you hear them tell you the Iran War will be a short War.

Two Venoms, accompanied by aviation engineers, logisticians, and technical support staff, have been dispatched to maintain full operational autonomy.

In a contested littoral fight, speed of insertion directly affects survivability and tempo. Rapid infiltration for HIMARS has traditionally been associated with airlift, where a launcher is flown into an austere strip, fires, and departs before counterfire can be organized. The Hawaii operation extends that concept to the maritime surface route, enabling the Army to reposition launchers between islands and along coastlines using a platform purpose-built for shallow beaches and degraded port conditions.

The CH-147F Chinook is the most advanced international variant of the CH-47 family, tailored to Canadian requirements with long-range fuel tanks, a strengthened airframe, upgraded electrical system and a fully integrated digital avionics suite designed for demanding tactical profiles. The aircraft can transport up to 45 troops or around 11–12.7 tonnes of cargo internally or underslung, at speeds of more than 300 km/h and a range of roughly 1,100–1,200 km, giving planners the ability to leapfrog forces between coastal communities, inland training areas and remote observation posts in a single sortie.

Belgium’s rotary-wing force is in transition following the retirement in 2025 of four NH90 TTH helicopters due to cost and availability constraints, leaving four NH90 NFH aircraft in maritime and anti-submarine roles. The NH90 NFH continues to operate from Koksijde Air Base for coastal SAR and naval support, but the STAR plan provides for four dedicated SAR helicopters to assume rescue duties from 2026-2027 onward, supported by an investment of €232 million, including infrastructure. Belgium has also ordered 17 Airbus H145M helicopters in June 2024, later expanded by five additional units in 2025, bringing the combined Defence and Federal Police fleet to 20 aircraft with deliveries beginning in 2026 and service entry by the end of 2027. This restructuring separates light utility, SAR, and heavy lift functions into distinct fleets and frames the MH-60R within the SAR requirement.

Internally, it accommodates two full 463L master pallets or five half pallets without dismantling loads between fixed-wing and rotary-wing transport. The cabin measures 9.1 m in length, 2.62 m in width, and 1.98 m in height, allowing internal carriage of a High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. Floor loading is rated at 1,465 kg per square meter, and the internal cargo system supports six 1.22 m x 1.02 m wooden pallets at 1,134 kg each. Fuel capacity totals 8,650 L internally in sponson cells plus 9,085 L in auxiliary cabin tanks. Avionics and flight systems are based on a digital glass cockpit integrating five multi-function displays and two control display units within a joint interoperable CAAS architecture.

Based on the observed flight profile and known Triton mission sets, the most plausible assessment is that this sortie primarily supported maritime security and indications‑and‑warning (I&W), while possibly contributing to preliminary target development for potential U.S. strike planning. Operating over the Gulf of Oman, a Triton can map surface traffic patterns, monitor IRGC Navy activity, and maintain an updated electronic and visual baseline around sensitive coastal zones, including areas linked to missile infrastructure and military facilities. By continuously refreshing this situational picture, analysts can detect deviations from baseline behavior, such as missile dispersals, naval concentrations, or changes in air defense posture, thereby reinforcing deterrence, enabling rapid targeting decisions, and improving escalation management through enhanced situational awareness.

Designed to replace legacy High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, the JLTV family provides significantly improved ballistic and blast protection through its V-shaped hull and scalable armor kits. Protection levels are engineered to withstand improvised explosive devices, underbody mines, artillery fragments, and small arms fire threats that have proven lethal to older light tactical vehicles. The TAK-4i independent suspension system allows for adjustable ride height and superior cross-country mobility, enabling the vehicle to maintain high speeds across rough terrain while carrying heavy payloads. The platform supports a gross vehicle weight exceeding 10,000 kg while retaining strategic mobility, including air transportability by C-130 aircraft and compatibility with NATO sealift and rail systems. For Slovakia, this combination of survivability and maneuverability is particularly relevant given the country’s mixed mountainous and forested operational environment.

However, the visual revealed at Enforce Tac 2026 seems to maintain the Boxer Overwatch role of providing close anti-armour support within heavy combat formations while refining packaging and integration. The first Boxer-Brimstone SL concept emerged in 2021 within the framework of the British Army’s Battle Group Organic Anti-Armour (BGOAA) programme, which aimed to replace legacy anti-tank systems, including Swingfire, Javelin, NLAW, and ASM, with a new system expected to enter service during the 2030s. In that initial configuration, the Brimstone launcher consisted of a large rectangular pack mounted externally on the left-rear side of the Boxer hull. The launcher contained 16 missiles arranged in a 2x8 grid within a single box enclosure and sat relatively low, protruding laterally beyond the side profile of the vehicle.

This CH-47 was initially produced in the 1960s…. and it is STILL so valuable special forces use them as a primary platform.

HMS Duncan’s response relied on a layered air and missile defence architecture typical of the Type 45 class. At long range, the Sea Viper system, combining multi-function and long-range radars with Aster family missiles, was exercised virtually against mock cruise and ballistic missile profiles. Closer in, the ship used her Phalanx automated gun, a 30 mm cannon, heavy machine guns and the 4.5-inch naval gun against live uncrewed surface vessels, aerial drones and simulated surface targets. The embarked Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron extended the defensive bubble with Martlet lightweight missiles, engaging fast and manoeuvring targets at ranges of up to six kilometres. Together, these layers formed a continuous engagement envelope against low, slow and fast-moving threats, reflecting the kind of multi-axis attacks now seen in several maritime theatres.

The Black Shadow project reflects a broader modernization trend in combat diver mobility, filling the gap between individual fin swimming and large swimmer delivery vehicles. Earlier iterations already emphasized two-person transport capability and sonar integration at operational depths up to 60 meters. Over time, the system evolved toward greater modularity and deployment flexibility, including concepts for aerial insertion using parachute harnesses and compatibility with submarine torpedo tubes for submerged launch. These features address a critical constraint in maritime special operations: discreet insertion without exposing surface craft near defended coastlines.

On February 24, 2026, the U.S. Air Force’s 509th Bomb Wing reported that a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber had joined Navy fighters from Carrier Air Wing Eleven for an integrated maritime strike exercise off the coast of California, demonstrating how U.S. strategic bombers and carrier aviation combine in a realistic blue-water scenario amid rising great-power competition and anti-access threats. Featuring the B-2’s low-observable profile alongside F-35C and F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft equipped with long-range AIM-174B missiles, the sortie showcased a networked “kill web” capable of engaging targets hundreds of miles at sea. The event, disclosed through Whiteman Air Force Base’s official account on X, underscored the enduring importance of joint air-maritime integration for U.S. power projection and deterrence.

In our assessment, the Scorpion Light represents one of the more innovative evolutions in light indirect fire systems currently entering U.S. service. Its combination of automation, reduced crew requirement, digital precision, and ultra-fast displacement directly addresses the vulnerability of traditional mortar teams on today’s sensor-saturated battlefield. By compressing the sensor-to-shooter timeline while simultaneously reducing exposure to counter-battery detection, the system embodies the kind of adaptive, survivable fire support solution required for contested littoral and multi-domain operations. The innovation is not merely technical but doctrinal, enabling smaller Marine units to generate disproportionate combat effects without increasing their logistical footprint.

The 152 mm Krasnopol-M2 integrates a high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing approximately 8 kg. Russian reports indicate an effective range of up to 20 km when fired from standard 152 mm howitzers, with extended performance, reportedly reaching approximately 25 km, when launched from modern or longer-barrel systems. The munition is certified for use across a range of Russian artillery platforms, including the 2S19 Msta-S, the 2S5 Giatsint-S, the 2A65 Msta-B, and more recently the wheeled 2S43 Malva. The projectile’s aerodynamic refinements and guidance improvements distinguish it from earlier Krasnopol variants, offering enhanced engagement reliability against stationary and slowly moving point targets.

On 25 February 2026, reports from The Economic Times and The Jerusalem Post stated that U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft had reportedly landed in Israel as tensions with Iran continue to rise and U.S. military assets are reinforced across the region. The development remains publicly unconfirmed by both Washington and Jerusalem, which makes the reporting particularly notable in the current diplomatic and military context. The reports emerged one day after Army Recognition published that 12 F-22s had departed RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom toward the Middle East under tanker support. Together, these reports point to a possible forward positioning of high-end U.S. airpower at a moment when deterrence signaling and contingency planning are becoming increasingly visible.

The new facility establishes U.S.-based manufacturing capacity for the stabilized 30mm remote turret integrated on the ACV-30 variant of the U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle. This development not only accelerates delivery timelines but also reduces supply chain vulnerabilities for a combat system designed to operate at the forefront of contested littoral operations. For the U.S. Marine Corps, which is reshaping its force structure under Force Design 2030, industrial sovereignty over key lethality systems is directly tied to operational readiness.

Combining the combat-proven IRIS-T SLM with the upcoming SLX variant within the IRIS-T SLM/X would offer a layered air defence capability to the IRIS-T SL air defense system while preserving a common command and launcher infrastructure. The current SLM missile engages aerial threats such as aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and drones out to about 40 km and up to 20 km altitude, and it operates with a full 360-degree coverage and networked target data to coordinate with radar and control units. Adding the SLX fills the gap toward about 80 km range and roughly 30 km altitude, using a dual seeker and dual pulse motor to extend interception reach without requiring new fire control or sensor systems beyond those already fielded for the SLM.

From a strategic perspective, the Fuchs JAGM reflects Europe’s accelerating shift toward mobile, high-volume precision fires as a response to renewed armored warfare on the continent. The resurgence of heavy mechanized formations and the widespread deployment of active protection systems have increased the demand for platforms capable of delivering rapid, multi-vector missile engagements. By adapting air-launched missile technology to a ground-based vertical launch system, Rheinmetall bridges the gap between traditional anti-tank teams and heavier surface-to-surface missile systems.

The AH-1W Super Cobra is well-suited to the demanding littoral close air support profile flown over Putlos. The twin-engine helicopter is powered by two General Electric T700-GE-401 turboshafts, giving a maximum speed of around 190 knots and a typical combat radius of more than 300 nautical miles depending on payload and profile. Its nose turret houses a three-barrel 20 mm M197 cannon with approximately 750 rounds available, allowing crews to deliver short, precise bursts against hardened firing points, light vehicles and infantry positions along a defended shoreline. Four under-wing stations can be loaded with 70 mm Hydra rockets in 7- or 19-shot pods for area suppression, larger 127 mm Zuni rockets, up to eight TOW or AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles for engaging armoured threats, and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for short-range air defence. Coupled with night-vision systems, thermal imaging and a helmet-cueing sight, this armament suite allows Turkish crews to fly low-level ingress routes over water, establish racetrack orbits over the beachhead and deliver controlled fires in close coordination with forward air controllers and amphibious commanders.

The broader strategic implications of this training have been highlighted by specialized defense analysis, including a recent Army Recognition report that details how the U.S. Army is systematically hardening the AH-64E Apache for Arctic missions and positioning Alaska as a testbed for high-latitude deep-attack aviation.

The apparent demise of the Attack Helicopter is dangerous nonsense.

The platform on which these digital enhancements are being installed is highly distinctive in naval terms. The Skjold class is a surface effect ship (SES) built in a catamaran configuration, using twin rigid sidewalls to contain an air cushion generated by lift fans. Rubber finger seals forward and a stern bag seal limit air leakage, while a ride-control system actively manages cushion pressure to reduce motions and wave slam at speed. The hull and superstructure are realised as a glass-fibre and carbon-fibre sandwich with vinylester or polyester resins and PVC or PMI cores, combining low structural weight with high stiffness. Radar-absorbing material is integrated directly into load-bearing structures as so-called structural RAM, allowing the designers to shape the vessel with large, angled panels and no right angles while keeping mass under tight control.

Central to the AH-64E’s lethality is its sensor and fire control suite. The helicopter integrates the AN/APG-78 Longbow fire control radar mounted above the rotor mast, capable of detecting and prioritizing multiple targets in adverse weather and through battlefield obscurants. Coupled with the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight and Pilot Night Vision Sensor, the crew can identify armored vehicles at extended standoff distances and engage without direct line of sight in certain conditions.

The precision air-to-surface munition is designed to engage moving and stationary targets in adverse weather, using a multi-mode seeker to operate over land and at sea. With carrier air wings increasingly expected to operate in contested, sensor-dense environments, the integration gives naval aviators a broader and more flexible strike option against time-sensitive and mobile threats. The decision marks a significant step in aligning Navy strike capabilities with evolving maritime warfare demands.

Operationally, the configuration shown in the video aligns closely with the air-superiority and multirole doctrine of the Turkish Air Force. KAAN is designed as a low-observable, twin-engine platform with internal weapons bays, high thrust-to-weight ratio and advanced avionics, capable of conducting both air-dominance and deep-strike missions in heavily contested airspace.

The recent reporting by The New York Times, citing Airbus commercial satellite imagery captured Friday, shows a substantial U.S. air power buildup at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in eastern Jordan, with at least 60 combat aircraft now parked on the aprons alongside unmanned aerial systems, helicopters, and newly emplaced air defense assets. Flight tracking data referenced in the report indicate dozens of cargo aircraft arrived within days, delivering personnel, munitions, and support equipment, suggesting a rapid force surge.

Looking ahead, the Luchs 2 package illustrates how armoured reconnaissance is being redefined by the convergence of persistent drone surveillance, electronic warfare and faster artillery kill chains. In this environment, reconnaissance vehicles are increasingly required to operate as survivable, networked collectors that can sense, classify and transmit faster than an adversary can locate and strike, while retaining enough organic firepower to suppress threats and break contact without waiting for heavier forces.

AN is conceived as a short-range, battery-level counter-uncrewed aerial system architecture optimized for low-altitude threats. While detailed procurement data were not reiterated during the February 19 presentation, earlier information indicated that 18 SAN batteries are to be fielded, structured around three fire platoons and one support platoon per battery. This modular organization allows dispersion along vulnerable sectors of the eastern frontier while maintaining centralized coordination through the support element.

For decades, Slovakia’s mechanized units have relied on BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles inherited from the former Czechoslovak arsenal. Although maintained and partially upgraded, these platforms were designed for a different era of warfare. Their limited armor protection, vulnerability to mines and improvised explosive devices, analog targeting systems, and absence of networked battlefield management capabilities increasingly restricted operational effectiveness. Recent conflicts, particularly in Eastern Europe, have demonstrated the vulnerability of legacy IFVs against precision-guided munitions, loitering drones, and modern anti-tank weapons.

Where Iran becomes most technically dangerous to U.S. surface forces is the coastal anti-ship missile belt and its expanding reach into the Gulf of Oman. The Noor and Qader families, derived from Chinese C-802 technology, are sea-skimming anti-ship cruise missiles with reported ranges between 200 and 300 kilometers and warheads of around 200 kilograms in the Qader configuration. They are deployable from mobile coastal launchers, surface vessels, and selected aircraft. More strategically significant is Iran’s push toward longer-range anti-ship cruise missiles in the 1,000-kilometer class, exemplified by systems such as the Ghadr-380. Even if real-world wartime accuracy proves lower than claimed, extended reach forces U.S. naval planners to assume that ships operating in the Sea of Oman can be held at risk while Iranian launch crews remain under hardened cover deep inland.

Air defence is deliberately stitched into the JLTV story. Kaunas noted that, because air defence remains a top priority, part of the purchased vehicles are RBS70 NG short-range air defence system-capable. The ministry repeats the same point in its technical description, presenting compatibility with the RBS70 NG as an embedded feature of the fleet rather than a separate add-on, indicating that at least a portion of Lithuania’s JLTVs are intended to move and support short-range air defence teams as a mobile element of the force.

The Treva-30 Tactical Recovery and Evacuation Vehicle was first publicly introduced at Eurosatory 2022 in Paris and is built on the Tatra Force 8x8 chassis family. It is intended for recovery of stranded or damaged equipment, removal of disabled armored vehicles, evacuation and rescue work, crane operations, engineering terrain modification, and obstacle clearance in operational environments. The vehicle is also suitable for civil rescue missions, firefighting operations, and heavy engineering support tasks beyond military use. Propulsion is provided by an engine rated at nearly 400 kW, enabling the handling of heavy loads under desert, off-road, and uneven terrain conditions. The 8x8 drivetrain and independent suspension architecture associated with the Tatra chassis support mobility across soft ground and rugged surfaces.

That platform, Saab’s Docksta CB90 Next Generation, known in Swedish service as the CB 90HSM, is built for exactly this kind of distributed littoral warfare. The all-aluminum craft measures 16.3 m in overall length, 3.8 m in beam, and draws only 0.9 m of water. Powered by two 900 hp diesel engines driving twin waterjets, it can exceed 40 knots and offers a range of about 300 nautical miles at cruise. The design’s tactical value is not only speed but also handling. Its waterjet agility and shallow draft allow it to operate inside archipelagos, river mouths, and narrow coastal approaches where larger combatants are constrained, including the ability to stop quickly and maneuver violently without surrendering control. The latest configuration integrates improved ergonomics, an updated combat management system, and enhanced ballistic and CBRN protection measures tailored for high-threat environments.

According to Mashregh News and other Iranian media, the launch occurred during the “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” exercise, a drill designed to demonstrate integrated surveillance and fire-control across the narrow waterway. The footage shows Shahid Sayyad Shirazi steadying on course before a single canister-stored missile erupts vertically from the forward section of the ship, where the class’s vertical launch system (VLS) is located. Open-source monitoring accounts on X had previously highlighted still images of the same launcher, describing it as the first clear view of the vertical-launch Sayyad-3F family missile at sea; the latest reports now refer to this specific naval configuration as Sayyad-3G rather than earlier provisional labels such as Sayyad-3N. Although Tehran has not yet publicly detailed the exact designation, the sequence of images and videos indicates that the missile tested from Shahid Sayyad Shirazi is a vertically launched, ship-integrated evolution of the land-based Sayyad-3.

At Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, a CH-53K King Stallion from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 lifted clear of a desert drop zone during Service Level Training Exercise 1-26, while Marines on the ground worked an improvised forward refueling site designed for operations under threat. The sequence is a compact illustration of what the Marine Corps is trying to institutionalize in 2026: assault support aviation that can keep moving, keep fueling, and keep delivering heavy lift even when the battlespace is saturated with surveillance, long-range fires, and electronic attack. In that construct, the helicopter is only the visible edge of the capability; the decisive factor is the expeditionary aviation ground support that builds, defends, and rapidly displaces the refueling and servicing nodes that make sustained sortie generation possible.

The U.S. Army’s latest Foreign Military Sales action for Israel quietly signals something bigger than a spare-parts purchase. On February 17, 2026, a notice released by the U.S. Department of War showed Rolls-Royce Solutions America Inc. awarded a $73,528,916 firm-fixed-price contract for Merkava Power Pack Less Transmission full and lite kits, metal containers, and contractor engineering technical services, with work centered in Graniteville, South Carolina, and scheduled through December 31, 2032. Framed inside a broader cumulative program value of $462,947,478 and managed by Army Contracting Command at Detroit Arsenal under contract W912CH-26-C-0019, the award points to a long-horizon sustainment pipeline designed to keep Israel’s heavy armor fleet moving, not a one-time replenishment.

This is the context in which the Aircrew Laser Eye Protection – Technology Insertion (ALEP-TI) program has been structured as an evolutionary acquisition effort. Managed by AFLCMC/ROU at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and supported by the Operations and Support team at Robins AFB, the program replaces and upgrades laser protection eyewear every five to seven years. Instead of treating eye protection as a static item of personal equipment, the Air Force is turning it into a rolling technology baseline, allowing it to keep pace with changing laser wavelengths, power levels, and operational feedback from the field. The latest iteration, known as the Block 3 family of products, is built around a modular kit concept that can be tailored to the mission profile.

The helicopter can exchange data in real time with ground units and other aircraft via digital links, and it has the ability to control unmanned aerial systems directly from the cockpit, extending the division’s reconnaissance and target acquisition reach without exposing the helicopter to unnecessary risk. These features, originally designed for complex battlefields in other theaters, translate directly into an ability to find and engage concealed vehicles, command posts or missile launchers across vast, snow-covered areas while maintaining standoff from enemy air defenses.

The firing integrated the Wescam MX-10D electro-optical and infrared stabilized targeting system mounted on a telescopic mast with the Widow mission management system and Thales’ rocket and launcher assembly.

The six-aircraft plan had previously received U.S. clearance on April 30, 2021, at an estimated cost of $2.42 billion for aircraft and associated equipment, with the number reduced from ten due to budget constraints. The associated package included at the time eight MIDS-JTRS 5 units, forty-two AN/AAR-54 missile warning sensors, and fourteen LN-251 Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation Systems.

One of the casualties of the current media bubble in western media that considers attack helicopters obsolete is a lack of reporting on the obvious power balancing of supplying AH-64 helicopters to an Arab country as well as Israel that the US has undertaken.

From the perspective of Army Recognition defense analysts, the significance of the WDS 2026 display is reinforced by the system’s real-world combat record. Earlier versions of the 2S22 Bohdana have been in active service with the Ukrainian Army’s 44th Artillery Brigade, where the howitzer has been extensively employed during the Russia-Ukraine war. In operational use, Bohdana has demonstrated high effectiveness in counter-battery fire, deep-strike missions, and precision engagements against high-value targets. Its ability to deliver accurate long-range fires while rapidly relocating has proven critical for survivability, contributing to a strong combat performance record under sustained enemy pressure.

These eight systems are defined as providing a first operational crossing capability for a combined-arms tactical group equipped with Scorpion vehicles and Leclerc tanks, establishing a reference level for brigade-level maneuver operations. The program is therefore structured to restore autonomous wet-gap crossing capacity at brigade level while also contributing to divisional-level logistical crossings when systems are combined.

Epirus presents Leonidas as a response to this shift by targeting the drone’s electronics rather than its communications. The company describes Leonidas as an electronic warfare platform capable of delivering “software-defined weaponized electromagnetic interference” to induce a full shutdown of critical onboard electronics. Unlike kinetic defeat, the effect is not based on impact or fragmentation but on forcing failures in the subsystems that keep the drone flying and navigating: flight controllers, power management, computers, and processors. This logic directly matches the fiber-optic challenge: even if the operator retains perfect control through the cable, the aircraft still depends on electronics that can be vulnerable to high-power effects.

Crew training and operational proficiency represent a third major reason for the system’s results. Ukrainian air defense personnel transitioned from Soviet air defense systems to Patriot after focused training abroad and returned to combat service within weeks. This rapid adaptation mattered because Patriot demands disciplined radar management, precise engagement logic, and strict adherence to firing doctrine under time pressure.

At the core of the SAN CUAS solution are Kongsberg’s PROTECTOR weapon systems, including the Medium Caliber Turret (MCT30) and various Remote Weapon Stations (RWS). These platforms, originally designed for vehicle-mounted precision firepower, have been adapted for counter-drone warfare through modular effector integration and digitized targeting systems. The MCT30, with its unmanned configuration, lightweight design, and fully networked digital architecture, is particularly well-suited for detecting, tracking, and neutralizing low-signature aerial platforms operating in cluttered or contested environments.

The turret procurement reflects the Marine Corps’ evolving requirements for its Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Battalions, which are shifting toward networked, multi-domain reconnaissance capabilities under the Force Design 2030 framework. While the RT20 selected for the ARV stems from the same family of Kongsberg remote weapon stations as the one mounted on the Amphibious Combat Vehicle-30 (ACV-30), the two systems are not identical. The ARV configuration features a lighter, more modular design tailored explicitly for integration with reconnaissance-focused platforms, offering greater space for onboard sensors, command-and-control suites, and connectivity for unmanned systems.

The combination of heavy armor and real-time ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) proved decisive in the simulated combat scenarios, according to officers overseeing the drill.

Similar selection and cancellation cycles followed when tenders were floated again in 2010 and later in 2018. Each attempt ended without contract execution, despite repeated identification of the same operational requirement. Over this period, the force continued to operate with no increase in tanker numbers. The current conversion plan is therefore framed as a means to conclude a process that has extended for almost two decades. Its advancement indicates a shift toward a solution that can proceed without reopening a broad competition. Operational pressure behind the program is closely linked to the condition of India’s existing tanker fleet, which consists of six Ilyushin Il-78MKI aircraft acquired from Uzbekistan in 2003 and 2004. These aircraft have faced persistent sustainment and availability challenges over time.

Rather than a ceremonial “elephant walk,” the drill was designed to test how fast parked aircraft could be converted into an airborne mobility package under operational time pressure, reflecting real-world deployment demands.

According to information released during UMEX, the latest configuration is capable of climbing to approximately 6,000 metres, reaching speeds of up to 340 km/h and operating at distances of up to 30 km from its launch point.

The contract, signed between KNDS Deutschland and the Belgian procurement agency OCASC, covers the delivery of eight LEGUAN bridge layers mounted on a 10x10 wheeled chassis, accompanied by 17 LEGUAN bridges with a length of 26 meters. The overall package also includes dedicated logistics support and special tools, ensuring long-term sustainment and operational availability. Valued at approximately EUR 80 million, the program was awarded to KNDS following a competitive selection process against several international contenders.

On January 16, 2026, NRK, the state-owned public service broadcaster in Norway, announced that a parliamentary majority cleared the political path for the Norwegian government’s proposed financing for the acquisition of a long-range precision fire system with ranges of up to 500 kilometers from South Korea, identified as the K239 Chunmoo.

Under the contract, Romania is to receive 1,059 Cobra II 4×4 armored vehicles over five years, with an initial batch of 278 produced in Türkiye and the remainder manufactured in-country.

Troops are drilled in shooting at drone analogues flying at varying speeds and angles, from head-on to flanking trajectories. Realistic scenarios involve dummy drones equipped with visual cues such as flashing lights or smoke, while instructors simulate battlefield conditions with noise and distraction. The exercises also cover ambidextrous firing positions, rapid target reacquisition, and firing from cover, mimicking trenches and urban rubble where soldiers would realistically encounter drone threats.

Under the signed contract, Bulgaria is to receive a total of 198 armored and support vehicles. The core fleet consists of 183 Stryker Family of Vehicles complemented by heavy support and recovery assets, which explains why Bulgarian officials consistently refer to a 198-vehicle package. The most substantial portion includes 90 XM1296 Infantry Carrier Vehicles Dragoon, supported by M1126 infantry carriers, M1132 engineer squad vehicles, M1130 command vehicles, M1133 medical evacuation vehicles, and M1135 nuclear, biological, and chemical reconnaissance vehicles.

Its effectiveness in delivering precision fires with a limited logistical footprint has driven growing interest among European allies, including Lithuania, which has committed to acquiring the system as part of its effort to strengthen national and allied deterrence. For Lithuanian forces, training alongside U.S. crews before full national fielding accelerates the development of procedures, command-and-control habits and sustainment practices that cannot be improvised during a crisis.

This first live firing of the M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 by the 1st Armoured Brigade therefore stands as both a practical and symbolic milestone. It confirms the transition of Poland’s Abrams fleet into operational service and illustrates how armoured modernisation is being embedded from the outset within allied training and command structures.

In a milestone for armored warfare modernization, the U.S. Army has successfully demonstrated the Precision Effects & Reconnaissance, Canister-Housed (PERCH) system mounted on the M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 Main Battel Tank. Developed by General Dynamics Land Systems in partnership with AeroVironment, the system allows tank crews to launch Switchblade loitering munitions directly from the vehicle, extending surveillance and strike reach well beyond visual range while remaining under armor. Army officials have emphasized that PERCH is still in the evaluation phase and has not yet been fielded to operational units.