Defense Brief

In this episode, we look at IAI’s cutting-edge air defense system - BARAK MX. This air and missile defense system offers a comprehensive solution for modern air and missile defense challenges, providing scalability, flexibility, growth potential, and interoperability. The system was developed to meet Israel's stringent requirements and is a crucial component of the country's air defense network.

The Israeli Ministery of Defense (IMOD) OFEK program (Horizon in Hebrew, often referred to as OFEQ) will be awarded the prestigious 'Israel's Defense Prize for 2022' for the group's achievements that jointly developed, produced, and deployed Israel's most advanced observation satellite – OFEK-16. In this post, we look at the satellite, its high-resolution payload, and the different operators using these unique assets.

Defense-Update takes an exclusive close look at General Robotics's new PITBULL SMART-AI days before its introduction at Eurosatory 2022 next week. This latest version of the PITBULL RCWS is embedded with AI technology enabling armored vehicles and unmanned platforms to substantially improve their situational awareness, response rate, and firepower.

Switzerland's defense ministry (ArmaSwiss) has announced that the first two Elbit Systems Hermes 900HFE drones have been delivered to Emmen airfield last week. Two ground stations, communications, logistics, and maintenance equipment were also delivered with the drones. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (D-11 and D-14) have already been assembled and they will undergo a functional check before the first flight tests in mid-year. 

Sig Sauer has won a 10-year contract with the U.S. Army with an initial delivery order worth $20.4 million and a ceiling value of $4.7 billion. Under this contract, the company will supply a family of weapons of up to 250,000 rifles and light machine guns. The XM5 Rifle will replace the M4/M4A1 carbine within the close combat force, and the XM250 Automatic Rifle will replace the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). Having won the handgun contract in 2017, that makes Sig Sauer the premier supplier of small arms providers to the Army's close combat and special operations forces.

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General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) began the first installation of factory upgrades to a Gray Eagle-Extended Range (GE-ER) Unmanned Aircraft System to enhance its capabilities to support Multi-Domain Operations (MDO). The MDO upgrade follows a series of demonstrations that showcased GE-ER’s persistent stand-off survivability with stand-in capabilities and up to 40 hours of endurance. Under the current program, the U.S. Army-funded program includes two aircraft. Flight tests and qualifications will start later this year. 

Facing a new wave of terror, Israel should take tough decisions on how to deal with uncontrolled traffic - of Palestinian people and weapon smuggling into Israel. The separation fence erected around the West Bank is riddled with holes where tens of thousands of Palestinians enter Israel for daily work. This traffic is ignored by security forces, allowing a cheap workforce to enter the country, but at times of tension, terrorists also take advantage of this weak point to infiltrate and attack.

Heven Drones, a fast-growing Israeli drone technology company, has unveiled at ISDEF 2022 an integrated robotic solution combining an aerial multirotor and unmanned ground vehicle for land and air operation. Heven Drones and Roboteam, an Israeli tactical ground robotic systems provider, jointly developed the solution. The companies began working on the project responding to a specific requirement for defense and homeland security applications raised by a customer. They are now exploring additional use cases for land and air robots to maximize efficiency in other applications. 

Until now, the war in Ukraine does not reflect the latest technology as analysts would expect. Since 2014 the Ukrainian army has been equipped with many locally produced weapons familiar to the Russians. But in recent months, Ukraine has obtained many western anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons that have surprised the Russians and caused the invading forces many losses. This review summarizes our impressions from the first three weeks of this devastating conflict.

Israel’s C-UAS expert Skylock has unveiled at the UMEX exhibition in Dubai this week a new rocket-shaped hard-kill drone inhibitor countermeasure called Sky Interceptor, that can disable hostile drones at a range of 1,100 m’. A booster-extended range version can reach up to 3 km.

Israel’s Ministry of Defense, Rafael, and IAI have completed testing the C-Dome air and missile defense system onboard Israel’s Navy Magen corvette, the lead ship of the Saar-6 Magen class. The test conducted in February 2022 included the interception of targets simulating rockets, cruise missiles, and drones launched from the shore, simulating realistic threats the vessels could face at sea and on missions protecting Israel’s offshore facilities in the Mediterranean Sea.

Israel's Ministry of Defense, Rafael, and IAI have completed testing the C-Dome air and missile defense system onboard Israel's Navy Magen corvette, the lead ship of the Saar-6 Magen class. The test conducted in February 2022 included the interception of targets simulating rockets, cruise missiles, and drones launched from the shore, simulating realistic threats the vessels could face at sea and on missions protecting Israel's offshore facilities in the Mediterranean Sea.

Defense-Update: France’s Nexter company has announced the receipt of an order worth €600 million from the national armament development agency (DGA) to develop and produce a new generation of the Caesar truck-mounted self-propelled howitzer to be designated Caesar 6x6 Mark 2 New generation (NG).

Rheinmetall has unveiled a new member of the company’s Lynx combat vehicle family. Described as the mechanized fire support variant of the Lynx KF41 IFV, the Lynx 120, comprises a turret concept that mounts the proven 120mm smoothbore cannon with the Lynx KF 41 chassis. Just a couple of weeks ago, Rheinmetall Defence Australia unveiled a combat support vehicle (CSV) variant of the Lynx, now there is the fire support version as well.  DEFENSE-UPDATE

Elbit Systems unveiled today a new version of its Skylark 3 Small Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (STUAS) equipped with a hybrid propulsion system. As the classic Skylark 3, the drone is a covert operation UAS. The hybrid propulsion system is designed to enable fast arrival to the Area Of Interest (AOI) using the combustion engine. when operating in the area of interest, the silent mode (electrical engine) can be activated. Therefore, it enables the combination of long-endurance operations while providing real-time, day, and night intelligence.

Rheinmetall Defense has introduced another variant of its Skyranger air defense weapon system, the Skyranger 30 HEL - a mobile, hybrid solution mounting the company's 30mm AHEAD with a laser onboard. The Skyranger 30 HEL is designed to thwart the full range of current and future airborne threats as a hybrid solution. The interplay of a 30mm automatic cannon, guided missiles, and a high-energy laser (HEL) results in a mix of effectors unique in this combination. The Skyranger HEL was presented in public for the first time at a counter-drone event held last year by the Swiss procurement agency armasuisse in Bure, Switzerland.

Today, the Middle East's International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 2022 began. It is the region’s largest maritime exercise and the world's largest unmanned exercise with more than 80 unmanned systems from ten nations participating.

A conflict erupting in 2022 is likely to involve the direct intervention of Russian mechanized regiments stationed in Belarus and East Ukraine, which are superior to the Ukraine forces. The outcome would be determined by Ukraine’s ability to endure a prolonged conflict. Ukraine requested new weapons from its new friends in the West to challenge the Russian armor – lightweight, man-portable weapons using a top attack that dismounted forces could deploy in large numbers with minimal logistical footprint. Their pledge was answered with shipments of hundreds of Javelin and NLAW missiles that improve Ukraine’s capability to deal with Russian armored formations in urban and complex terrain, particularly in the low visibility conditions characteristic of the winter season...

Today, Israel conducted a successful flight test of the Arrow Weapon System (AWS) and two Arrow 3 interceptors, which are designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside of the earth’s atmosphere. The test was performed at a test site in central Israel, and led by the system's prime contractor Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).  https://defense-update.com/20220118_arrow3.html

Hungary will soon operate improved Greepen fighter jets similar to those used by the Swedish Air Force, following the modernization of its leased aircraft to the latest version MS20 Block 2 version. This upgrade brings several improvements in sensors, weapons, and avionics. The Swedish Air Force first introduced this upgrade in 2016.