Author: Defenceline Webdesk

On 05 June 2026, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted the first publicly disclosed live-fire trial of the Hong Qi (HQ)-16F surface-to-air missile (SAM), with the state broadcaster CCTV airing footage of an unmanned brigade of the 73rd Group Army firing the system in the Gobi Desert in northwestern China. The test was conducted over 1,000 km from the unit’s home garrison in Fujian to showcase the HQ-16F’s capacity to operate in demanding terrain and amid electromagnetic interference. The HQ-16F was shown intercepting an airborne target at a range of around 50 km. While Chinese state media stopped short…

The UK’s F-35B stealth fighters are vastly capable, but delivery and fielding is flawed. Credit: UK MoD/Crown copyright UK figures show only 13 of 47 F-35Bs are at TR-3 (Block 4 gateway); 34 remain TR-2 Four TR-2 jets are in the US for training, leaving about 30 in the UK; ~30% availability suggests ~10 flyable TR-3 boosts computing power, but full combat certification isn’t expected until 2027 First introduced into operational service in 2018, the F-35B stealth fighter is a backbone of the UK’s air combat force, offering next-generation capabilities to the two services, and achieving its first combat kills…

Manufacturing aircraft is often described as the most visible part of the aviation industry, but sustaining them over decades is the true test of capability.In India’s case, even the manufacturing stage is fraught with delays and bottlenecks, yet the far greater challenge lies in ensuring that fleets remain operationally available for forty years or more.The acquisition of 100–200 Russian Il-114-300 regional turboprops, alongside potential SJ-100 jets, raises precisely this issue: whether India can build a robust ecosystem of maintenance, repair, overhaul, spares distribution, and logistics support to keep these aircraft flying reliably.Airlines do not merely purchase aircraft; they purchase the…

Carley Welch & Diana Stancy, BrDefense The Marine Corps didn’t provide specifics on why the service was possibly seeking another JLTV supplier, but told Breaking Defense in a statement that… Source link

BERLIN — Company officials with Boeing Australia and Germany’s Rheinmetall dramatically pulled back a white sheet here at the Berlin Air Show today to reveal a MQ-28 Ghost Bat, a collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) that’s already taken to the skies in Australia and hopes to do so for the German air force. The drone was specially flown in from its home Down Under, less than three months after Boeing Australia and Rheinmetall announced their team up to offer up the unmanned craft in Germany’s quest for its own CCA, envisioned as flying alongside manned aircraft. “At the moment, we are…

SAIC will oversee the design, development, and deployment of key parts of the DAF Battle Network. Credit: Mehaniq/Shutterstock.com. Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) has secured a position on a US Department of the Air Force (DAF) contract for the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) Digital Infrastructure Network Developer programme. The multiple-award contract carries an estimated value of $192m. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms. Find out more The contract aims to advance the DAF’s Battle Network programme and assist in the deployment of the Department of…

India’s Defence Ministry has signed a ₹449 crore contract with Accord Software and Systems Private Limited, Bangalore, for the procurement of 20 Enhanced Capability Global Navigation Satellite System (ECGNSS) jammers for the Indian Navy, marking a major boost to indigenous electronic warfare capabilities.Designed to thwart enemy navigation systems, the GNSS jammers can disrupt tracking and counter signal spoofing. The systems will degrade adversary satellite navigation performance and provide spoofing functions, ensuring safer naval operations in multi-threat environments.The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the contract was signed in New Delhi on Wednesday, 10 June 2026, under the “Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed…

Jeremy Black, Strategy Page Selected rather than collected, these essays offer an interesting mélange of auto-biography, reflections on others, and comments on issues that have… Source link

WASHINGTON — The House Appropriations Committee released its $1 trillion defense spending bill for fiscal 2027, which would green light about a dozen multiyear munitions deals and add back funding for the E-7 Wedgetail program. The spending level allocated by appropriators is in line with the Pentagon’s $1.15 trillion discretionary request, as funding for military construction, among other things, are spelled out in a separate bill. The department has also requested $350 billion in mandatory funding through a reconciliation bill, which is also formulated outside of the appropriations process. Munitions production is a focus of the FY27 spending measure, with…

Harbinger Praesidia platforms are built on the same clean-sheet designed, medium-duty plug-in hybrid chassis that is leveraged for commercial vehicles. Credit: Harbinger/PRNewswire. US-based Harbinger has introduced a new uncrewed hybrid-electric vehicle platform designed for defence and military use. The platform, developed under its newly formed defence unit Harbinger Praesidia, is being configured for a range of mission-specific applications in collaboration with government clients and defence contractors. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms. Find out more According to the company, the platform is intended to support operations…