More from Thomas Newdick (Page 2)

It appears that another new Chinese combat aircraft design has entered flight testing. Imagery of the previously unseen aircraft began to circulate on social media today, only a matter of hours after the first appearance of a remarkable diamond-shaped tailless combat aircraft design, thought to be a Chengdu product.

Yes, China Just Flew Another Tailless Next-Generation Stealth Combat Aircraft

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 26, 2024
A Russian cargo ship claimed to be heading to Syria, to take part in the Kremlin’s military withdrawal from that country, has sunk in the Mediterranean. The Ursa Major went down overnight between Spain and Algeria, with 14 crew members rescued and another two still unaccounted for. The incident comes amid uncertainty over the fate of the Russian naval base at Tartous on the Syrian coast, which provides Moscow with a vital foothold on the Mediterranean.

What We Know About The Russian Cargo Ship That Sank In Mediterranean

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 24, 2024
Gold Apollo pager

Ex-Mossad Agents Reveal Details Of How They Turned Hezbollah’s Communications Devices Into Bombs

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 24, 2024
Recent satellite imagery of Belbek Air Base, near Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea, shows new hardened aircraft shelters and additional construction to help shield aircraft from drone attacks and other indirect fire.

Russia’s Belbek Air Base In Crimea Is Getting Hardened Aircraft Shelters

By Thomas Newdick, Joseph Trevithick
Posted on Dec 20, 2024
A Spanish Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon participating in NATO exercise Ramstein Flag 24 flies over the west coast of Greece, Oct. 4, 2024. Over 130 fighter and enabler aircraft from Greece, Canada, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States are training side by side to improve tactics and foster more robust integration, demonstrating NATO’s resolve, commitment and ability to deter potential adversaries and defend the Alliance.

Spanish Typhoon Buy Signals Upward Trend For Eurofighter

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 20, 2024
As the world’s only operator of the legendary F-14 Tomcat swing-wing fighter, the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) has a unique airpower status. A recent airshow provided the chance for a very rare close-quarters look at the Cold War-era jet, which by now has very questionable capabilities and serviceability, while there are persistent reports that it could soon be replaced entirely by Russian-provided Su-35 Flanker multirole fighters.

Iranian F-14 Tomcat Encounter At An Airshow Unlike Any Other

By Thomas Newdick, Živojin Banković
Posted on Dec 19, 2024
Israeli has launched airstrikes on multiple targets in Yemen, including the capital of Sana’a, in response to an overnight missile launch from Yemen toward Israel. The Israeli raids come after an uptick in attacks against Israel by the Yemen-based Houthi militant group, including two in the past week.

Israeli Air Force Strikes Yemen With Popeye And Rampage Standoff Missiles

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 19, 2024
Bill Kennedy, 436th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron transit alert, marshals a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Dover Air Force Base, Del., April 26, 2015. The aircraft is loaded with 69 members of the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue Team, their supplies and equipment, and six K-9s, to assist Nepal with rescue operations after the country was struck by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake.

New Jersey Base Confirms Multiple Past Drone Incursions… By Contraband Smugglers

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman
Posted on Dec 18, 2024
Swedish defense firm Saab has presented concepts for a potential new-generation crewed fighter and a series of drones that would be intended to work alongside it.

These Are Saab’s Concepts For Its Next Generation Fighter, Drones

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 18, 2024
A view of the scene after Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, chief of Russia's Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Defense Troops, and his assistant were killed in an explosion in Moscow, Russia on December 17, 2024. The blast was caused by an explosive device planted in an electric scooter, Svetlana Petrenko, spokesperson for the Russian Investigative Committee, said in a video statement on Telegram.

Russian General Accused Of Using Chemical Weapons Assassinated By Ukraine

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 17, 2024
The Russian Khmeimim Air Base in Jabla in Latakia, Syria on December 15, 2024. With the Baath regime's collapse, Russia continued to transfer its troops from Damascus, Homs and other cities across Syria to the base.

Future Of Russia’s Bases In Syria Remains In Flux, Libya Possible Alternative

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 16, 2024
Taiwan has received its first batch of M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks as it continues its drive to modernize its armed forces, which face an expanding military threat from Beijing. While the upgrade for the Republic of China Army (ROCA) — which was still operating 1950s-era M41A3 Walker Bulldog light tanks until the last couple of years — is obvious, there are still questions over how suitable the big and heavy Abrams is for the island’s defensive requirements.

M1A2 Abrams Tanks Arrive In Taiwan

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 16, 2024
A recently released video from the cockpit of a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 Flanker provides an unprecedented close-quarters view of the fighter lobbing GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) toward a Russian target.

Cockpit Video Of Ukrainian Su-27 Lobbing GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 13, 2024
A U.S. C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft takes off from Ramstein Air Base. A conference on the Ukraine war was held at the U.S. air base.

U.S. Air Force Confirms Drone Sightings Over Ramstein Air Base In Germany

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 13, 2024
We have gotten our best look at a Ukrainian 9K33 Osa (SA-8 Gecko) mobile short-range air defense system (SHORADS) armed with the Soviet-era R-73 (AA-11 Archer) infrared-guided air-to-air missile. While other such systems have typically integrated Western missile armament on existing Ukrainian ground-based air defense systems — known as ‘FrankenSAMs’ — this one is notable for combining a Soviet-era SHORADS vehicle with Soviet-era missiles.

Ukraine’s SA-8 Gecko ‘FrankenSAM’ Adapted To Fire Air-To-Air Missiles Seen In New Detail

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 12, 2024
A U2 Dragon Lady Pilot is integrated into his spacesuit for a flight to the Edge of Space. This photoshoot was done by Blair Bunting, a commercial photographer from Phoenix, AZ.

Dressing For Success At 70,000-Feet Aboard The U-2 Dragon Lady

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 11, 2024
Imagery has appeared showing Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 Felon new-generation fighter fitted with a new type of thrust-vectoring engine nozzle. The radical-looking design is intended to improve the low-observable features of the Felon, although the future of the new engine nozzle is far from certain.

Su-57 Felon’s Two-Dimensional Thrust-Vectoring Engine Nozzle Breaks Cover

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 10, 2024
North Korea is set to receive MiG-29 Fulcrum and Su-27 Flanker fighter aircraft from Russia in return for Pyongyang having sent thousands of troops to fight in Moscow’s war in Ukraine. This is the assessment of the commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), after much speculation about the nature of the support that might be headed to North Korea to reward that country for its growing military backing of Russia. The prospect of fighter aircraft being transferred by Russia is something that TWZ has discussed in the past.

Russia Giving North Korea MiG-29s And Su-27s Isn’t That Straightforward

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 10, 2024
The United Kingdom has taken an important step toward its Tempest next-generation fighter, with the start of a trials campaign for the Flight Test Aircraft (FTA), nicknamed Excalibur, which will serve as a flying laboratory for the new combat aircraft. Based on a Boeing 757 airliner, the FTA joins a growing band of dedicated trials aircraft that are being used to prove out technologies for current and future-generation fighter programs, also in the United States and China.

UK’s 757-Based ‘Excalibur’ Avionics Testbed For Tempest Future Fighter Emerges

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 9, 2024
A huge underground bunker complex, said to be beneath the mansion of Maj. Gen. Maher al-Assad, the disposed dictator’s brother. Maher al-Assad was best known as the leader of the Syrian Army’s elite Fourth Armored Division.

Descend Into The Depths Of The Assad Regime’s Massive Bunker

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 9, 2024
Gen. Bussiere said the number and speed of delivery of the B-21 is a “valid discussion” to have “based on the age of the B-1 and B-2” and the advancing strategic capabilities of Russia and China.

B-21 Raider Numbers Could Be Boosted With Existing Production Capacity

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 6, 2024
Ngad punted to trump adminstration

Future Of NGAD Fighter Punted To Trump Administration

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway
Posted on Dec 5, 2024
An anti-government fighter remotely fires rockets against regime forces, in the northern outskirts of Syria's west-central city of Hama on December 4, 2024. Syrian government forces pressed a counterattack against Islamist-led rebels around the key city of Hama on December 4 after suffering a string of staggering losses further north, a war monitor said.

Anti-Assad Forces’ Capture Of Strategic Hama A Critical Stop On Road To Damascus

By Thomas Newdick
Updated on Dec 5, 2024
A recent drill by the Russian Armed Forces in the Mediterranean has provided us with a more detailed view of the shadowy Zircon hypersonic missile, a weapon that has only been glimpsed in the past and shown up in the form of fragments after being combat tested in Ukraine. The maneuvers come as Russia’s position in Syria — home to its two major Mediterranean bases — increasingly looks to be under threat, as rebels continue their rapid advance south, threatening the rule of Bashar al-Assad, a key Kremlin ally.

Our Best Look At Russia’s Shadowy Zircon Hypersonic Missile

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 4, 2024
An advanced Russian air defense radar system is among the equipment captured by anti-regime forces in Syria as they continue their rapid push south, with the potential for serious repercussions in the wider region. The Podlet-K1 radar system, also known by the designation 48Ya6-K1, is one of the more modern pieces of equipment in its class and would be a significant intelligence windfall if it finds its way into Western hands.

Russia’s Advanced Podlet-1K Radar Captured By Anti-Assad Forces In Syria

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 4, 2024
The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) recently commissioned the first of its new KDX-III Batch 2 destroyers, also known as the Sejong Daewang class. Among the many advanced features incorporated in these warships, especially striking is the latest version of the Korean Vertical Launch System — KVLS-II — which is initially planned to hold surface-to-air missiles, but which could well also add land attack cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.

South Korea’s New Destroyer Is Designed To Fire Ballistic Missiles

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 3, 2024
The last of the classic Cold War-era MiG-21 Fishbed fighters in Europe have ben stood down from operational duties. Assigned to NATO, the Croatian Air Force was the last European operator of the MiG-21, a type that originally entered service back in 1959 and which had been a presence over the continent ever since then, in the hands of over a dozen different nations.

Final MiG-21 Fishbeds Stand Down From Active Duty In Europe

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 2, 2024
Additional photos provide a much more detailed look at the mysterious Chinese flattop that TWZ was first to report on, and which recently went to sea, apparently for its first trials. While the function of this vessel remains unknown, the recently published photos do confirm that it’s intended to operate rotary-wing aircraft (perhaps in addition to fixed-wing drones), but there are no obvious signs of catapults or arrester cables of the kind that would be used for operating heavier fixed-wing types. There is also no indication that the vessel has a floodable well-deck like those found on many amphibious warfare ships.

Detailed Deck View Emerges Of China’s Mysterious Aircraft Carrier-Like Ship

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Dec 2, 2024
Fighters fire towards Syrian Army troops in the Rashidin district on the outskirts of Aleppo on November 29, 2024, as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and allied factions continue their offensive in the Aleppo province against government forces. The jihadists along with Turkey-backed factions launched this week a shock offensive against Syrian regime troops and sparked the deadliest battle the country has seen in years, with the violence killing so far 242 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The war monitor said most of the victims were combatants on both sides but also including civilians.

Rebel Forces Enter Syria’s Second Largest City Of Aleppo

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 29, 2024
The Royal Australian Air Force, or RAAF has experimented with a new rapidly laid temporary surface, making it easier to conduct expeditionary aircraft operations, something that is of increasing relevance across the Indo-Pacific region. The trial, which used a temporary surface known as Dura-Base, involved an RAAF F-35A stealth fighter at RAAF Base Tindal, in Australia’s Northern Territory.

Australian F-35 Tests Expeditionary Base Concept

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 27, 2024
The German arm of the European missile house described its RCM² remote carrier (RC) as a multidomain platform that is able to perform both kinetic strike and electronic warfare (EW) jamming and decoy roles in highly contested and denied airspace.

This Is MBDA’s Latest Vision For Its Cruise Missile-Like RCM² ‘Remote Carrier’

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 27, 2024
SUMY, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 26: A destroyed car stands in a parking lot after a Russian missile attack on November 26, 2024 in Sumy, Ukraine. According to the acting mayor of Sumy, Artem Kobzar, the Russian army attacked the city with a missile. As a result of the strike, a residential multi-storey building was damaged and a parking lot was destroyed.

Russia Launched The Largest Drone Attack On Ukraine Of The War

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 26, 2024
An AH-64 helicopter hovers during a military drill July 28, 2003 in Yeounchun, South Korea. About 37,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea under a security alliance forged after the 1950-53 Korean War.

AH-64 Apache To Be Tested With Wing-Mounted AESA Radar

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 25, 2024
The U.S. Army has received the first of its new High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) aircraft, based on the Bombardier Global 6500 bizjet. Set to supersede a varied fleet of turboprop intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, HADES will fly higher, faster, and farther, and for longer periods, while carrying a bigger sensor payload.

Army Gets Its First HADES Airborne Reconnaissance Jet

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 25, 2024
Anti-aircraft missile system S-400 parade on Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square during the Victory Day ceremony devoted to the 71th anniversary of the end of World War II in St.Petersburg on May 9, 2016.

North Korea Getting New Air Defenses In Return For Supporting Russia In Ukraine: Official

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 22, 2024
A RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile vehicle during the rehearsals for the Victory Day Military Parade at the polygon, on April 18, 2022 in Alabino, outside of Moscow, Russia. About 12,000 soldiers and officers are expected to take pat at the Red Square Victory Day Military Parade, planned on May 9.

The Story Of Russia’s Secretive RS-26 Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 22, 2024
Ukraine claims Russia fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the city of Dmipro.

Russia’s Unprecedented Ballistic Missile Attack On Ukraine: What We Know

By Howard Altman, Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 21, 2024
Pictured is an RAF Chinook (27(R) Squadron) flying in formation with a Puma (230 Squadron) over RAF Cosford. After a 3-year Covid-enforced break, the RAF Cosford Air Show will take place on 12 June 2022. The last RAF-organised air show, it attracts 50,000 people to the airfield and incorporates a flying display, static aircraft displays, STEM displays and vintage villages. The highlights of the flying will be the RAF Red Arrows, BBMF, Typhoon display team, Belgian F16 and French Rafale. The RAF F35B displayed at the air show for the first time.

British Defense Cuts Hit All Three Services Hard

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 20, 2024
The Chinese ship, the bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 (R) is anchored and being monitored by a Danish naval patrol vessels in the sea of Kattegat, near the City og Granaa in Jutland, Denmark, on November 20, 2024. Denmark's navy said on November 20, 2024 it was shadowing a Chinese cargo vessel in the Baltic Sea, a day after Finland and Sweden opened investigations into suspected sabotage of two severed undersea telecoms cables. "The Danish Defence can confirm that we are present in the area near the Chinese ship Yi Peng 3," the military wrote in an email to AFP, adding that it would make no further comment for the time-being.

Danish Navy Shadows Chinese Cargo Ship After Baltic Sea Cable Damage

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 20, 2024
29 November 2023, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Sassnitz: A fiber optic cable is pulled ashore from the cable-laying ship "Pleijel" at the entrance to the port of Sassnitz. After several weather-related delays, an 800-kilometre-long undersea cable from Scandinavia landed in Sassnitz on the island of Rügen on Wednesday. the yellow cable, which is about the thickness of a broomstick, will soon be connected to the GlobalConnect fiber optic network. Including land and sea routes, the cable for the digital high-speed highway is a total of 2600 kilometers long, as GlobalConnect announced. Work began in fall 2021.

Sabotage Claims Swirl Around Severed Baltic Sea Cable Incidents

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 19, 2024
Ukraine has used the U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) for the first time against a target inside Russia. The announcement comes soon after Moscow warned that the use of Western-supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine against Russia could trigger a nuclear response, after Russian nuclear war plans were updated.

U.S.-Supplied ATACMS Missile Strike Inside Russia Have Begun

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 19, 2024
A Turkish Air Force F-4E Phantom II, adorned with a striking Turkish flag livery, soars in a low-altitude maneuver over Eskisehir to commemorate 50 years of service in the Turkish Air Force in Eskisehir, Turkiye on November 16, 2024.

F-4 Phantoms Tear Through Turkey To Mark 50 Years Of Service

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 18, 2024
SPEAR 3 air-to-surface mini cruise missile.

UK’s New SPEAR 3 Mini Cruise Missile Succeeds In First End-To-End Test

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 18, 2024
German Navy warships were once nearly armed with gun turrets taken from land-based PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers. The installation was tested in experiments around a decade ago, with some positive results. Although it was ultimately considered too complex an undertaking, it reflected a broader focus on increasing the range and accuracy of naval guns, efforts which continue today.

The Time Germany Grafted An Army Howitzer Turret Onto A Frigate

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 15, 2024
North Koran drones

North Korea’s Kim Orders Mass Production Of Kamikaze Drones

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 15, 2024
A photo has emerged showing examples of the North Korean-made self-propelled artillery system under transport in Russia, the clearest suggestion so far that Pyongyang is also now providing Moscow with these kinds of weapons for its war in Ukraine. That would hardly be a surprise at this point, with North Korea having supplied Russia with huge amounts of weaponry, as well as having committed to the deployment of thousands of troops for the conflict.

North Korean Long-Range Self-Propelled Artillery Appears In Russia

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 14, 2024
The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) Gray Eagle STOL drone has undertaken its first experimental operations from a warship, taking off from the deck of the South Korean amphibious assault ship Dokdo. Gray Eagle STOL — which we have discussed in depth in the past — incorporates technology first demonstrated on the company’s Mojave, which was specifically developed with the ability to perform short takeoffs and landings, including from rough fields, with minimal support. The latest development adds to the aviation-capable warships that the wider family of Q-1 lineage drones have now operated from.

Gray Eagle STOL Drone Flies From South Korean Amphibious Assault Ship

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 13, 2024
Boeing is pushing ahead with plans for future upgrades to the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. While the scope of what is tentatively known as the modernized Apache have been scaled back somewhat compared to how it once looked, the company is considering the lessons of the war in Ukraine as it seeks to optimize the AH-64 so that it can continue to serve the U.S. Army into the 2060s.

Boeing’s Plan For Modernized AH-64 Apaches Serving Into The 2060s

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 13, 2024
The W5000, the world's largest unmanned cargo plane, is shown at The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, China, on November 12, 2024.

China’s New W5000 Cargo Drone Is The Biggest Yet

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 12, 2024
Visitors view a model of the aviation industry J-35A stealth fighter jet at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Expo in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China, on November 10, 2024.

New Version Of Chinese PL-15 Air-To-Air Missile Tailored For Stealth Fighters Revealed

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 11, 2024
China’s mysterious CH-7 stealthy flying-wing drone seems to have reappeared, although with a notably different look to it and a very impressive size.

China’s Stealth CH-7 Long-Endurance Drone Emerges

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 8, 2024
Another long-serving U.S. military aircraft has completed its final operational deployment, with the return of the U.S. Navy’s EP-3E Aries II surveillance platform from the 5th Fleet area of operations. The countdown to the spy plane’s final retirement is now on, which will see its vital intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) mission handed over fully to the MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance drone.

EP-3E Aries II Spy Plane Has Flown Its Last Operational Mission

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 7, 2024
Israel will buy 25 F-15IA fighters, marking the first new Eagles that the country has acquired since November 1995, when it ordered F-15I Ra’am jets. This summer, Israel had been given U.S. approval to by as many as 50 F-15IAs, as well as upgrade its F-15Is. Whether more F-15s or upgrades are added, the current wars in the Middle East mean that further acquisitions of combat aircraft are likely.

Israel Executes Long Awaited Buy Of F-15IA Advanced Eagle Fighters

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 7, 2024
J-15T fighter jet arrives in Zhuhai ahead of the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China 2024, on November 6, 2024 in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province of China. The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition will be held in Zhuhai from November 12 to 17.

China’s J-15T Enhanced Carrier-Based Flanker Officially Unveiled

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 6, 2024
China’s J-35A Stealth Fighter Officially Breaks Cover

China’s J-35A Stealth Fighter Officially Breaks Cover

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway
Updated on Nov 5, 2024
The arrival of two Su-57 Felon prototypes for the upcoming Airshow China has provided a good look at details of the next-generation fighter, although the most interesting has been a first up-close view of its small wing-root weapons bays. At TWZ we have previous examined this feature as well as the air-to-air missiles that are understood to be accommodated in the bays. While long known about, the weapons bays had long remained something of a mystery.

We Finally Get A Clear Look At The Su-57 Felon’s Side Weapons Bays

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 5, 2024
Notoriously underarmed F125 frigate will have to avoid the Red Sea.

German Navy Confirms Its Supersized Frigate Will Avoid The Red Sea

By Thomas Newdick
Updated on Nov 4, 2024
North Korea has tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that it claims is its longest-ranged so far. The announcement of the test of the Hwasong-19 comes amid large-scale U.S.-South Korean military maneuvers during which their aircraft have bombed mock-ups of North Korean ballistic missile launchers.

North Korea’s New ICBM May Have Biggest Transporter-Erector-Launcher We’ve Ever Seen

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Nov 1, 2024
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN has for the first time conducted dual-carrier operations in the South China Sea. The drills, involving the country’s first two in-service carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong, as well as at least 11 other vessels, also showcased the PLAN’s fast-growing air wing, with a flyby conducted by a dozen J-15 carrier-based multirole fighters. While clearly engineered for public consumption, the photo opportunity also points to the very rapid progress made by the PLAN in developing its aircraft carrier and wider blue-water capabilities.

Two New Versions Of China’s J-15 Carrier Fighter Now Appear To Be Operational

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Oct 31, 2024
A fire has ripped through the BAE Systems’ nuclear submarine shipyard in Cumbria, England, where the U.K. Royal Navy’s Dreadnought class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), among others are being built. While the cause of the blaze is yet to be determined, it comes at a time of increasing concern about Russian-inspired sabotage activities across Europe.

Cause Of Fire At UK’s Critical Nuclear Submarine Shipyard Still Unclear

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Oct 30, 2024
Taiwan is lining up to become the next customer for the combat-proven National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System or NASAMS air defense system, after the United States approved its sale to the country.

Battle-Proven NASAMS Air Defense Systems Approved For Taiwan

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Oct 30, 2024
New imagery of Taiwan’s homegrown Huilong uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) reveals new details, including a pair of apparent tornedo tubes, indicating a possible combat capability. At this stage, it seems the submarine is intended as a testbed, rather than for a combat role, but the development does point to the growing ambitions of the Taiwanese Navy in terms of underwater warfare.

Our Best Look At Taiwan’s New Uncrewed ‘Smart Dragon’ Submarine

By Thomas Newdick
Updated on Oct 29, 2024
The Kremlin-appointed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has vowed to avenge a Ukrainian drone attack that struck a military training facility in Chechnya. The raid, which appears to be the first of its kind to hit the southern Russian republic, is one of the longest-range drone strikes that Ukraine has attempted. The target was special forces training center, but the attack also has significant symbolic value, due to Kadyrov’s vocal support for the Russian war in Ukraine.

Ukraine Strikes Chechnya With Long-Range Drones For The First Time

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Oct 29, 2024
A Russian-made, S-300 missile system drives in front of the officials' stand during a military parade marking the annual Iranian National Army Day in Tehran, on April 18, 2019. - Iran's President Hassan Rouhani called on Middle East states on April 18 to "drive back Zionism", in an Army Day tirade against the Islamic republic's archfoe Israel. Speaking flanked by top general as troops paraded in a show of might, Rouhani also sought to reassure the region that the weaponry on display was for defensive purposes and not a threat.

Israeli Strikes Knocked Out All Of Iran’s S-300 Air Defense Systems: Officials

By Thomas Newdick
Posted on Oct 28, 2024