Crooked Bough News Round-up

— The Last Days Of The A-10 Warthog Weapons School

 

at 8/9/26 7:01am

The “brrrt” of the GAU-8 Gatling gun in action, the whistle of the TF34 engines as A-10 Warthogs fly at low level, the hurried calls of Joint Terminal Attack Controllers needing support from above – welcome to the first episode in our opening season of “Special Access” on TWZs YouTube channel, a series where we take you up close to the latest military technology and inside the wire at elite military units. In this episode, Jamie Hunter visits the U.S. Air Force A-10 Weapons Instructor Course that has been the center of excellence for the Warthog and its missions for nearly 50 years, but is now closing down as this close air support master nears retirement. Jamie had the rare opportunity to fly with the 66th Weapons Squadron’s A-10 team at Nellis Air Force Base, in Nevada, as they supported a capstone exercise one last time during the Weapons School’s final graduation events for new Weapon Instructors before they gain their prestigious graduate patches. An A-10 lands on a lakebed in the Nellis Test and Training Range during the Weapons School exercise. (Jamie Hunter) “The fundamentals of combat search and rescue, close air support, forward air control, even counter-maritime mission sets, as well, that starts the minute you walk in the door. The beauty of the weapons school is that it truly teaches you how to be an expert in your aircraft. It also teaches you, more importantly, how to be an expert in integration,” says Maj. Alex “Trippin” Boules, one of the last A-10 weapons instructor pilots at the 66th Weapons Squadron. The final Weapons Instructor Course, or WIC, concluded in December 2025 as the last pair of students graduated from the six-month course, which has been run by the USAF Weapons School since 1977. Many graduates of the 66th Weapons Squadron have taken part in significant combat operations since that time, such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the recent Operation Epic Fury in Iran. The latter saw A-10s taking on a critical role watching over combat search and rescue operations in partnership with special operations teams to recover down U.S. aircrews. Despite repeated calls for the A-10 to be retained in service, the Warthog is ultimately nearing retirement. Three squadrons have been granted a reprieve to continue operations until 2030, but the writing is on the wall for the Warthog as increasing numbers arrive at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) boneyard in Arizona for storage. So get ready for one last blast of A-10 action from Nellis as the 66th Weapons Squadron winds down the Warthog Weapons School. Contact the presenter: jamie.hunter@teamrecurrent.io The post The Last Days Of The A-10 Warthog Weapons School appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: Air, A-10, Attack, News & Features, Video] [Link to media]

— Russian Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines Are Now Cocooned In Nets

 

at 8/8/26 12:50pm

From recent satellite imagery, the Russian Navy now looks to be using nets to protect submarines from drone attacks at a highly strategic base on the countrys far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula. There are also signs that Russian forces have been taking new steps at a separate base along the Black Sea to shield submarines against uncrewed aerial threats. The appearance of the nets over the submarines at the base in Kamchatka point to how Russias concerns about drone threats have extended to critical facilities far removed from the battlefields of Ukraine. TWZ obtained the imagery showing the netting in place over submarines at the Russian Navys base at Rybachiy from Vantor. Business insider was first to report on these images. Rybachiy is notably the homeport for the vast majority of Borei and Borei-A class nuclear ballistic missile submarines, or SSBNs, in service in Russia today. It is also home to various other guided missile and attack submarines assigned to the Russian Navys Pacific Fleet. Images of Rybachiy from Vantor taken on August 4, seen at the top of this story and below, show several different types of submarines fully covered by nets. What is visible in the imagery is broadly consistent with netting that Russian forces have employed in and around Ukraine as a countermeasure against kamikaze drone attacks against assets on the ground and in the water. Similar netting has also observed in use by other armed forces elsewhere globally. A satellite image taken on August 4, 2026, showing various Russian Navy submarines under nets at Rybachiy in Kamchatka. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor A wider view of the submarine piers at Rybachiy as seen on August 4, 2026. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor Russian forces at Rybachiy look to have started using these nets back in May based on additional imagery from Vantor. The imagery from May and August show crane barges being used to help erect the nets around submarines at their moorings. Early signs of apparent coutner-drone nets being erected over submarines at Rybachiy can be seen in this satellite image taken on May 12, 2026. Note the crane barge visible in use at the bottom. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor Another, broader view of Rybachiy on May 12, 2026. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor As an aside, floating booms are also seen strung around the piers at Rybachiy. This is something else that is now commonplace at naval bases across Russia, and can help provide an additional barrier to certain threats on or near the surface, particularly explosive-laden kamikaze drone boats. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Defense in the United Kingdom also published additional imagery from Vantor of the Russian Navys base in Novorossiysk along the Black Sea taken back on June 13. The images show several Kilo class attack submarines partially submerged in port. Three of the boats also appear to have anti-drone armor screens installed over their conning towers. A cursory review of additional satellite imagery in Planet Labs archive suggests screens were a relatively new additional at that time. An annotated satellite image of Kilo class attack submarines in port at Novorossiysk on June 13, 2026. Vantor via UK Ministry of Defense The Russian Black Sea Fleet has equipped three of its four Kilo class submarines with counter-UAS [uncrewed aerial systems] cages covering the vessels conning towers. This was applied as a preventive measure in response to Ukraines increased ability to strike targets further from the front line, according to an accompanying assessment from British authorities earlier this week. Analysis of commercial satellite imagery dated 13 June 2026 identified that three of the submarines had loosened their moorings and had submerged within the basin. Whilst the majority of the hull was below the surface, their conning towers remained above the waterline, explaining the need for the counter-UAS cage. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 04 August 2026.Find out more about Defence Intelligences use of language: https://t.co/LD3hsOHHYW#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/RFWDQYmXv9— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) August 4, 2026 The fourth submarine, which had not been fitted with a counter-UAS cage, had slipped its mooring lines, manoeuvred away from nearby surface vessels and submerged within the harbour, its conning tower visible above the waterline, the British governments assessment continued. The lack of a counter-UAS cage likely signifies this vessel has been de-prioritised compared to the other three. TWZ has also now obtained the June 13 image of Novorossiysk directly from Vantor, as well as another one taken on June 17, which shows the submarines surfaced and at their moorings as usual. This, in turn raises questions about whether or not the boats were submerged in response an attack or indications that one might be imminent. There could be another explanation for why the submarines were temporarily submerged in port, including a force protection readiness exercise in preparation for such an incident. A wider view of Kilo class submarines seen submerged in port at Novorossiysk on June 13, 2026. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor The Kilo class submarines seen surfaced and at their moorings on June 17, 2026. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor Growing threats posed by uncrewed aerial systems, as well as uncrewed surface vessels (USV), have already had a marked impact on the establishment of new defensive capabilities and force protection postures at Russian naval and other facilities. This is especially true of sites in more immediate proximity to Ukraine. Back in 2024, satellite imagery of Novorossiysk notably showed that forces there had painted a silhouette of a submarine and built an actual mock conning tower on a pier at the base. This reflected a broader trend at the time to implement countermeasures against Ukrainian munitions with autonomous image-matching targeting capabilities. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 20 March 2024.Find out more about Defence Intelligences use of language: https://t.co/aCbSXPVpTt #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/DmWPWyqVUk— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) March 20, 2024 Also in 2024, what looked to be additional overhead protection against drone attacks appeared on the Delta-IV class nuclear ballistic missile submarine Tula at the Russian Navys base in Gadzhiyevo in the country’s far northern Murmansk region. What was seen fitted to Tula at that time very rudimentary compared to what has now been seen erected over submarines at Novorossiysk and Rybachiy, which offers far greater and more elaborate coverage . More extensive counter-drone screens have also now appeared on other types of Russian naval vessels. A view of Tula in 2024 with the apparent counter-drone armor screen installed on top of its conning tower. Russia-24 Ukrainian forces only continue to expand the area, both at sea and on land, that they can hold at risk with uncrewed systems, as well as more traditional missiles. As it stands now, Ukraine uses its ever more diverse arsenal of long-range kamikaze drones and cruise missiles to strike targets across whole swaths of Western Russia, including around the capital Moscow, on a near daily basis. Footage of a Ukrainian FP-2 attack drone slamming into a Russian Wildberries distribution center in Yekaterinburg this morning. The Russian distribution center, hit by multiple Ukrainian drones, is now ablaze. pic.twitter.com/W2r9t6f9q1— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 7, 2026 Ukrainian kamikaze USVs also regularly prowl the Black Sea. Submarines at Novorossiysk, as well as bases on the occupied Crimean Peninsula, have been the wide array of targets struck. There sas another daytime USV attack just yesterday on the Russian-occupied port of Yalta in Crimea. Its also worth noting here that Ukraine has developed USVs capable of launching kamikaze UAS, combining those two capabilities and creating additional threat vectors Russias force have to contend with. In addition, Ukraine now has the ability to hit even moving targets using long-range drones equipped with miniaturized satellite communications terminals. This leaves even ships not sitting static in port very much at risk, which Ukraine has highlighted in recent months as it goes after Russias logistics ships in the Sea of Azov, a campaign that is only accelerating and spreading. HURs Group 13 brought Magura naval drones to Yaltas waters for the citys holiday, bringing back the old tradition of Ukrainian warships off the coast, HUR reports. https://t.co/FY2uxCE3xD pic.twitter.com/ffH7AGnqAx— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) August 7, 2026 As noted, the appearance of the nets at Rybachiy, which sits thousands of miles from Ukraine, speaks to how much further the threat of drone attacks has expanded. This goes beyond long-range strikes, as well. Ukraines unprecedented Operation Spiderweb attacks on Russian airbases last year highlighted the dangers posed by near-field attacks launched from deep inside hostile territory closer to their actual targets. Bases in Russias far eastern regions were among those targeted in the clandestine operation. Ukrainian forces have also launched attacks on Russian-linked ships in the Mediterranean Sea. СБУ показала унікальні кадри спецоперації «Павутина», у результаті якої уражено 41 військовий літак стратегічної авіації рф https://t.co/OSxqEsI9CD pic.twitter.com/aGSZNEsoX3— СБ України (@ServiceSsu) June 4, 2025 The russian terrorist state no longer has the ability to produce Tu-95s or any kind of strategic bomber. This is a tremendous victory for Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/SVeQE78v0h— Michael MacKay (@mhmck) June 1, 2025 It also worth mentioning here that just this week, a small quadcopter drone equipped with explosive payload was discovered at next to Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane at an airport in Germany. CNN reported today that U.S. authorities have now assessed that uncrewed aerial system to have belonged to a Russian intelligence service. This follows year now of concerning drone incursions over military bases and other critical infrastructure across Western Europe. Just this week, the US assessed that an explosive-laden drone discovered at an airport in Germany overnight on Wednesday belonged to a Russian intelligence service, a US defense official in Europe told CNN — https://t.co/axn5uQRTiG— Haley Britzky (@halbritz) August 7, 2026 Uncrewed aerial threats large and small are not at all limited to the context of the conflict in Ukraine and spillover from it into Europe, either. Drones have been a major factor in the conflict this year with Iran, as well as in other crises in and around the Middle East in recent years. With the barrier to entry so low, drone threats are only becoming more commonplace globally as they proliferate to increasingly more capable degrees even among smaller nation state armed forces and non-state actors. For the U.S. government, counter-drone defenses for military installations and other critical infrastructure within the homeland, as to protect forces abroad, has become a major priority. Still, American authorities continue to lag in many respects in responding to the serious dangers that very present already. Altogether, the expansion of counter-drone defenses around submarines at the Russian Navys bases at Rybachiy and Novorossiysk reflect very immediate threats emanating from Ukraine, but are also a sign of larger trends globally. Similar force protection measures could well continue to emerge elsewhere, and not just in Russia. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The post Russian Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines Are Now Cocooned In Nets appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: News & Features, Air, Around The Globe, Drones, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Unmanned] [Link to media]

— Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

 

at 8/7/26 4:00pm

Welcome to Bunker Talk. This is a weekend open discussion post for the best commenting crew on the net, in which we can chat about all the stuff that went on this week that we didn’t cover. We can also talk about the stuff we did or whatever else grabs your interest. In other words, it’s an off-topic thread. This weeks caption reads: U.S. Marines with 3d Reconnaissance Battalion, 3d Marine Division patrol through an underground tunnel in support of offensive operations during the Korean Marine Exercise Program 25.1 at Camp Stanley, South Korea, March 10, 2025. KMEP is a semi-annual exercise that provides iterative opportunities for Republic of Korea Marine Corps and U.S. Marine Corps units to train together, improving their combined capabilities to deter threats and maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Kendrick Jackson)  PRIME DIRECTIVES: If you want to talk politics, do so respectfully and know that there’s always somebody that isn’t going to agree with you.  If you have political differences, hash it out respectfully, stick to the facts, and no childish name-calling or personal attacks of any kind. If you can’t handle yourself in that manner, then please, discuss virtually anything else. No drive-by garbage political memes. No conspiracy theory rants. Links to crackpot sites will be axed, too. Trolling and shitposting will not be tolerated. No obsessive behavior about other users. Just don’t interact with folks you don’t like.  Do not be a sucker and feed trolls! That’s as much on you as on them. Use the mute button if you don’t like what you see.   So unless you have something of quality to say, know how to treat people with respect, understand that everyone isn’t going to subscribe to your exact same worldview, and have come to terms with the reality that there is no perfect solution when it comes to moderation of a community like this, it’s probably best to just move on.  Finally, as always, report offenders, please. This doesn’t mean reporting people who don’t share your political views, but we really need your help in this regard. The post Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: News & Features, Bunker Talk] [Link to media]

— USS Theodore Roosevelt Is The First Carrier With A Drone Control Center Ready For MQ-25 Stingray Ops

 

at 8/7/26 11:44am

The Nimitz class USS Theodore Roosevelt has become the first U.S. Navy supercarrier with an Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC) fully capable of supporting the forthcoming MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone. This marks another step toward the Navy finally reaching initial operational capability with the MQ-25, now set to come in 2029 after years of delays. There is still a lot of work to be done before the Stingray can be fully woven into routine carrier flight operations. The new details about the Theodore Roosevelts UAWC and other information about the MQ-25 are contained in a Modernized Selected Acquisition Report (MSAR) that the Pentagon recently released. The report itself is dated April 21, 2026, and it was produced as part of work on the U.S. militarys proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget. In March 2026, the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) UAWC became the first fully operational/deployable MQ-25 capable aircraft carrier, according to the report. The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) UAWC is planned to be operational/deployable at the end of Aug 2026. A stock picture of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, seen here returning to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii during Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2026 (RIMPAC 2026) in July 2026. USN In August 2024, the first test Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC), where Air Vehicle Pilots will control future MQ-25 airborne operations, was installed and tested aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), the report also notes. The USS Ronald Reagan and USS George H.W. Bush are also Nimitz class aircraft carriers. The Navy publicly announced the integration of the UAWC on the George H.W. Bush, a first-of-its-kind development, back in 2024. It is unclear why Theodore Roosevelts UAWC has now become the first to be fully certified to support MQ-25 operations. It has been previously reported that the Navys plan is to deploy Stingrays first on the Theodore Roosevelt. As mentioned, the MQ-25 program, overall, has been beset by delays, as well as cost growth, for years now. The Navy originally hoped to see the Stingray reach initial operational capability (IOC) in 2024. The IOC timeline subsequently slipped to July 2027 and has now been pushed even further to the right to February 2029. The first production representative example only made its maiden flight this past April. An earlier MQ-25 demonstrator, also known as the T1, has been flying since 2019. The first production-representative MQ-25 Stingray drone seen during its maiden flight in April 2026. Boeing The Navy currently plans to acquire a total fleet of 76 Stingrays, which will offer critical range extension for current and future aircraft in its carrier air wings. The aim, in turn, is also to eliminate the need for crewed F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to fly in the tanker role, which accounts for a significant portion of their sorties while deployed. This will free up those aircraft up for other missions and reduce overall wear and tear on the airframes. The new drones will also have a secondary intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability from the start. The MQ-25 Air System is integrating a Ground Control Station (GCS) managed by the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (UMCS) program within UCA [the Navys Unmanned Carrier Aviation program]. The UMCS program is a separate ACAT II [Acquisition Category II] program that integrates with multiple networks and systems both afloat and ashore, the recently released MSAR also notes. The MQ-25 and UMCS programs are synchronized to provide complete capability to the aircraft carrier. While Boeing is the prime contractor for the MQ-25 drone, Lockheed Martin has been leading work on the UMCS, and has described it previously as a system of systems. The central element is the MD-5E GCS, which consists of operator stations with arrays of monitors, tablet-like devices, and other computer hardware. What has been seen of the MD-5 system to date in terms of the physical hardware is fully in line with other known GCS designs, including ones the U.S. Air Force has used over the years to operate MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers. A picture the Navy previously released of the inside of the UAWC on the Nimitz class carrier USS George H.W. Bush. USN An example of a GCS used to operate the MQ-9 Reaper. GA-ASI The UMCS also includes the Multi Domain Combat System (MDCX), an autonomy platform developed by Lockheed Martins famed Skunk Works advanced projects division. The company has told TWZ directly in the past that MDCX provides uncrewed vehicle autonomy, mission planning, and command and control (C2) capability. In October 2025, MQ-25A and the UMCS connected for the first time during air vehicle and Ground Control Station (GCS) Integration Checkout testing, allowing the Lockheed Martin GCS to establish command and control of the aircraft, which was critical to achieving First Flight, per the recently released MSAR. The first Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I) Operational Network Evaluation test event was also conducted in collaboration with the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72), the report also highlights. This test event transmitted representative-network traffic between an at sea-configured aircraft carrier and a remote MQ-25 surrogate through operational C4I paths that include satellite communications links and the Navys primary tactical wide area network. The Navy has previously disclosed testing of the UMCS in conjunction with General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger drone to demonstrate the control systems ability to support other uncrewed platforms beyond the MQ-25. The Navy does envision its future carrier air wings eventually incorporating multiple types of drones, including ones capable of attacking enemy forces at least 1,000 nautical miles away, as you can read more about here. A year ago, the service awarded contracts to Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics, and Northrop Grumman for work on concepts for future carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) type designs. Navy officials have said in the past that the composition of the services carrier air wings could eventually become 60 percent or more uncrewed. A US Navy briefing slide from August 2025 discussing CCA contracts and other uncrewed carrier-based aviation plans. USN Beyond the important additional capabilities the MQ-25 will bring to the Navys carrier air wings, the Navy has long described the Stingray as a foundational pathfinder for its broader uncrewed aviation plans, something the new MSAR reiterates. As TWZ has explored in detail in the past, the MQ-25’s design and baseline performance, especially its extreme endurance and low-signature design, open the door to the Stingray itself being adapted to strike, advanced ISR, and other missions in the future. There is more work still to be done before the MQ-25 can enter operational service, including demonstrating the ability of Navy carriers to launch and recover the drones. The service has laid at least some of the groundwork for that years ago with extensive testing involving a pair of X-47B stealthy demonstrator drones, which achieved many firsts for carrier-based uncrewed aviation. That very promising work was done under the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program, which subsequently morphed into the radically different Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS) effort in the mid-2010s. The reasons for that shift are still not entirely clear, as you can read more about in detail here. CBARS ultimately led to the MQ-25. The Stingrays will have to be further integrated into routine flight deck operations, including just making sure they can be safely moved around with everything else going on. As we have previously written: Carrier decks are very constrained environments physically, and present very different conditions to operate in compared to bases on land. This is true even for crewed aircraft operations, where individuals onboard can provide additional situational awareness. A wearable glove-like system that personnel could use for deck handling was notably used during testing of the X-47B. A different kind of portable control device has been used in testing of the T1 MQ-25 demonstrator in the past, as well. The video released today does not appear to offer any major new insights into how the Navy plans to maneuver the Stingray around on carrier decks. It is still unclear what the Navy will be using to manage operational MQ-25s on carrier flight decks when the drones enter service. The glove-like system used during testing of the X-47Bs. USN The Navy has already been working to establish new units and training pipelines to support the future MQ-25 fleet. The Stingray force structure is set to be deeply intertwined with that of the Navys E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning and control aircraft. With the USS Theodore Roosevelts UAWC now deemed fully able to support MQ-25 operations, the Navy has moved at least one more step closer toward finally fielding the Stingray. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The post USS Theodore Roosevelt Is The First Carrier With A Drone Control Center Ready For MQ-25 Stingray Ops appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: Air, Carriers, MQ-25, Navies, Nimitz Class, Sea, U.S. Navy, Unmanned, USS Theordore Roosevelt (CVN-71)] [Link to media]

— KC-135 That Lost Its Tail In Deadly Collision Over Iraq Now At Tinker AFB Repair Shop

 

at 8/7/26 11:02am

The KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling jet involved in a deadly midair collision with another tanker over Iraq in March is now undergoing full repairs at Tinker Air Force Base. The Oklahoma installation hosts the only unit specifically designed to repair battle damage to the Air Force’s fleet of aerial refuelers and strategic bombers. The collision on March 12 killed the entire crew of the tanker, which had the call sign Zeus 95. Maj. John A. Klinner, Capt. Ariana G. Savino and Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Capt. Seth R. Koval, Capt. Curtis J. Angst and Master Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons (who was posthumously promoted) were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio. After the incident, the surviving jet, serial 63-8017, landed at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. Images emerged showing that half its tail was sheared off. תיעוד: אחד ממטוסי התדלוק האמריקניים, שהיה מעורב אתמול בתאונה בשמי עיראק, צולם בנתב"ג ללא חלק משמעותי ממיצב הכיוון בזנב המטוס. תיעוד המטוס הגיע אלינו הבוקר, ומלמד משהו על התאונה החריגה במהלך התקיפות באיראןהמטוס השני שהיה מעורב בתאונה התרסק בעיראק, גורל ששת אנשי הצוות לא ידוע pic.twitter.com/igBPfEOZjf— איתי בלומנטל Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) March 13, 2026 Little more was known publicly about the jet assigned to the 314th Air Refueling Squadron at Beale Air Force Base, California until it arrived at RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom on Aug. 2 with a replacement tail. Local aviation photographer Andrew McKelvey was kind enough to share images he took of the aircraft, one of which you can see below. KC-135, damaged in a midair collision over Iraq that killed all six crew members of the other jet, arrived at RAF Mildenhall on Aug. 2 with a donor tail. (Andrew McKelvey photo) Serial 63-8017 left Mildenhall and finally arrived at Tinker on Aug. 3. Rare arrival today at Tinker. 63-8017 completed its transit from the Middle East as RCH564.This was the KC-135R involved in a tragic mid-air collision back in March with ZEUS95. Wild to see the 8002 tail on. (it was in pdm when the crash happened) Same jet, 2 different numbers. pic.twitter.com/kweSOarcTy— MAGPhoto (@MAGPhotoOK) August 3, 2026 After McKelvey sent us the pictures, we reached out to the Air Force to find out how the aircraft was repaired and what would happen to it next. In addition, Mildenhall, as we have previously reported, was also a pit stop for at least two KC-135 tankers that returned from the Middle East full of patch mark repairs from shrapnel damage incurred during Iranian attacks. “The aircraft are being inducted for programmed depot maintenance, where any damage patched by an Expeditionary Depot Maintenance (EDMX) unit will be fully repaired in conjunction with regularly scheduled 5-year maintenance,” an Air Force spokesperson told us Thursday afternoon. Located at Tinker, the EDMX is “responsible for maintaining the Air Force’s sole source for Aircraft Battle Damage Repair (ABDR) rapid repair capabilities for the entire tanker and bomber fleets,” according to the Air Force. “Timelines for when the aircraft will fully return to the fleet ultimately depends on the extent of any additional defects or engineering issues identified during the inspection portion of the programmed depot maintenance,” the Air Force spokesperson added. “The current average for this regularly scheduled maintenance is 155 days, but it is reasonable to assume the timeline may be extended based on findings. A KC-135 Stratotanker undergoes programmed depot maintenance at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Nov. 23, 2019. During PDM, each KC-135 undergoes a series of inspections, upgrades to the aircraft, and a flight test to ensure proper functionality. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Kiaundra Miller) Senior Airman Kiaundra Miller The repair process to keep these aircraft able to maintain full mission capability can be much quicker, the Air Force spokesperson explained. “Several damaged KC-135 Stratotankers were repaired by members of the 76th Aircraft Maintenance Group’s Expeditionary Depot Maintenance Flight [EDMX], allowing the aircraft to maintain full mission capability to complete deployed missions,” the Air Force added. The EDMX “completed more than 200 repairs over the course of three weeks; effective patches that also allowed the aircraft to return to Tinker Air Force Base for comprehensive repairs.” The Air Force declined to provide details about the number of aircraft that arrived at Tinker to be repaired after being damaged in the war on Iran and did not immediately provide additional information about the work done on 63-8017 in Israel to enable it to fly again in the first place. Whether coincidental or not, a few weeks after the mishap in March over Iraq, the Air Force pulled a Stratotanker out of storage and brought it to Tinker. “At the request of the KC-135 System Program Office, the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group regenerated KC-135R, tail number 58-011, to support operational requirements,” the Air Force told us back in April. “The aircraft departed on April 2, 2026, en route to the Oklahoma Air Logistics Complex at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.” The Air Force at the time declined to say if 58-011 was being used specifically to repair jets damaged during Epic Fury. KC-135 Stratotanker serial number 58-0011 seen in a hangar at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas on Sept. 1, 2015. (USAF) In addition to the tanker involved in the midair collision, an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB) in Saudi Arabia is said to have damaged five tankers. However, the full destruction inflicted by it and subsequent strikes on PSAB remains murky, as do potential impacts to facilities and aircraft located across the region. The lack of regular satellite imagery from U.S. providers of the Middle East has made it harder to understand what has occurred, but as we state repeatedly, satellite images would not show more minor damage to aircraft, such as the shrapnel holes in images of two KC-135s that made a temporary stop at Mildenhall before heading to Tinker. As we noted earlier in this story, on April 12, a KC-135, serial 59-1444, belonging to the Ohio Air National Guard’s 121st Air Refueling Wing, arrived at the air base in England covered in patches installed over shrapnel damage. You can see that jets arrival in the following photograph. (Andrew McKelvey) A little more than a month later, another Stratotanker, serial 63-8028, assigned to the Alaska Air National Guard’s 168th Wing, arrived at Mildenhall also peppered with temporary shrapnel damage repairs. The following photograph shows the aircraft at the base. (Andrew McKelvey) The damaged tankers are among at least 40 aircraft damaged or destroyed during the U.S. conflict with Iran. Our last tabulation is from April 10. There have been several other Iranian attacks on air bases in the region housing U.S. aircraft since then, but U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has declined to discuss battle damage. So it is possible, if not likely, that there have been additional assets destroyed or damaged. The Air Force is seeking money to replace some of these aircraft. “We hope to be able to address this in a supplemental for the aircraft that we’ve lost,” Air Force Chief of Staff Kenneth S. Wilsbach told Congress in April. “And the procurement going forward is meant to increase the number of tails we have, especially in the fighter force, but it will also include bombers and tankers as well. So both the supplemental and the ’27 budget is supposed to address those losses.” You can get an idea of the extent of U.S. aircraft losses from our graphic linked here. Operation Epic Fury U.S. Aircraft Losses VisualizedHere are all the known American aircraft losses during the nearly six week-long war with Iran.https://t.co/5tzH2gks1l— TWZ (@thewarzonewire) April 10, 2026 The fact that these tankers, which have all been in service for more than 60 years, were able to return to flight is a testament to the crews that fixed them. How much repair work they still have to undergo remains unclear. Tankers are critical assets in high demand, and in this case of these jets, there may be at least one positive side effect from the damage. Executing a battle damage repair plan in the field to get a KC-135 back in the air is a good real-life exercise, one that could prove vital if a future conflict in the Pacific were to erupt. Lessons will certainly be learned on many levels from the war on Iran. And some of these lessons unfortunately, and perhaps needlessly, came the hard way. Contact the author: howard@twz.com The post KC-135 That Lost Its Tail In Deadly Collision Over Iraq Now At Tinker AFB Repair Shop appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: Air, Around The Globe, Europe, Iran, KC-135, Middle East, News & Features, Tankers, United Kingdom] [Link to media]

— New M1A2T Abrams Tanks Guard Taiwan’s Main Airport During Invasion Drill

 

at 8/7/26 10:36am

Taiwan’s newest M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks have deployed to Taoyuan International Airport, the main hub serving Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, for the first time. The deployment is part of the ongoing Han Kuang 42 exercise and reflects a growing emphasis on denying critical infrastructure to an invading force from the Chinese mainland. The airport defense drill simulated an attempt by enemy airborne forces to seize Taiwan’s largest international airport and establish it as an airbridge for follow-on troops and logistics. Alongside M1A2T tanks, Republic of China Army (ROCA) Clouded Leopard 88 infantry fighting vehicles occupied defensive positions around the airfield while engineers erected obstacles across key approach routes. A Taiwanese M1A2T tank during a drill simulating an enemy airborne assault at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan on August 7, 2026. Photo by CHENG Yu-chen / AFP During the exercise, armored vehicles from the ROCA’s 584th Armored Brigade, including four M1A2Ts and six Clouded Leopard vehicles in three different variants, established firing positions while engineering units emplaced temporary obstacles intended to prevent the landing of enemy aircraft, airborne troops, and special operations forces. 漢光42號演習進入第三天，台灣陸軍M1A2T戰車首度進駐桃園國際機場，與雲豹甲車共同投入機場防衛演練，模擬中國解放軍企圖以空降方式奪取機場作為登陸地點https://t.co/FTk4ZLT9ax pic.twitter.com/9EfSXjpqqb— 新‧二七部隊 軍事雜談 (New 27 Brigade) (@new27brigade) August 7, 2026 Combat engineers assembled steel “hedgehog” anti-vehicle obstacles in three-man teams, creating a defensive barrier along the airfield. Additional obstacles were constructed using cargo containers and airport vehicles provided by airport authorities, demonstrating how civilian infrastructure is incorporated into wartime defensive planning. The scenario focused on preventing an airborne assault from establishing control of Taoyuan Airport, a long-recognized strategic objective in Chinas People’s Liberation Army invasion planning because of its proximity to Taipei. Taiwanese military planners assess that if an attacking force secured the airport intact, it could serve as a hub for reinforcements, logistics, and the rapid advance of mechanized forces toward the capital. Taiwanese soldiers set up “hedgehog” obstacles during a civil-military drill simulating an enemy airborne assault at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan on August 7, 2026. Photo by CHENG Yu-chen / AFP CHENG YU-CHEN The exercise also rehearsed casualty treatment and evacuation under combat conditions, with medical personnel conducting battlefield trauma procedures before evacuating simulated wounded. Meanwhile, Taoyuan Airport Fire Department firefighting vehicles participated by spraying water across parts of the training area to simulate decontamination and firefighting operations following chemical incidents or attacks. "Han Kuang-42" ExercisesAugust 7, 2026.Defense of FacilitiesThe 584th Combined Arms Brigade deployed four M1A2T Abrams tanks, six CM-32 armored vehicles, and medical and fire-fighting vehicles to Taoyuan International Airport. The objective was to thwart any attempt by… pic.twitter.com/Z0dhM9jE2F— dana (@dana916) August 7, 2026 Military officials said the drill was designed to validate joint military-civilian coordination during wartime while ensuring normal airport operations continued uninterrupted. Commercial flights continued to arrive and depart throughout the exercise. The airport defense scenario also included a final escalation phase. Should defending forces prove unable to hold the airfield, other ROCA units would coordinate with the 53rd Engineer Group and airport authorities to demolish runways and other critical infrastructure, denying their use to an occupying force. A pair of M1A2T tanks next to a Cargolux 747 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan on August 7, 2026. Photo by CHENG Yu-chen / AFP CHENG YU-CHEN For a deeper look at how Taiwan plans to counter a Chinese invasion, you can read our detailed analysis here. Suffice it to say, the Han Kuang 42 scenario echoes the battle for Hostomel Airport during the opening phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russian airborne forces succeeded in capturing the airport after an initial helicopter assault, but the airfield was heavily contested and damaged in the ensuing fighting, preventing it from functioning as the airbridge Moscow had envisioned for rapidly flying in large numbers of reinforcements and heavy equipment. Ukrainian counterattacks ultimately forced Russian troops to abandon Hostomel as they withdrew from the Kyiv region weeks later. Returning to Taiwan, the ROCA has received all 108 of the M1A2T tanks it ordered as part of the modernization of its armed forces, which face an expanding military threat from Beijing. Generally speaking, the M1A2T is equivalent to the M1A2 SEPv3 version — or System Enhancement Package version 3 — which you can read more about here. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed today that the first shipment of M1A2T tanks had arrived from the United States in December 2024, as we reported here. The final examples were reportedly delivered in April of this year. The M1A2T procurement led to some questions about how suitable the big and heavy Abrams is for Taiwan’s very particular defensive requirements. The Abrams is arguably not ideal for the kinds of urban warfare that the ROCA might have to engage in if it meets a PLA invasion — something that it already regularly trains for in these kinds of settings. Scenarios like this also pose a particular challenge for main battle tanks. However, the drill at Taoyuan Airport reflects the reality that, were it to face a PLA invasion, Taiwan could not afford to leave any armored vehicle on the sidelines. Beijing continues to claim the self-governed island as its own and has repeatedly threatened to seize it by force if necessary, compelling Taiwan to keep even aging armored vehicles in service. The annual #HanKuang exercise is now underway across #Taiwan. The #ROCArmedForces are conducting live-force drills, including urban operations, cross-area reinforcement, and key port defense under realistic operational scenarios.#HK42 pic.twitter.com/2RsgiZn8TV— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) (@MoNDefense) August 6, 2026 Despite questions about the utility of heavy armor in potential conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region, the ROCA is clearly looking at how the M1A2T and other armored vehicles could help defend key objectives in urban areas. It’s also worth noting that the M1A2Ts are only one element of Taiwan’s layered defense. The ROCA also fields AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, long-range artillery, multiple-launch rocket systems, coastal anti-ship missile batteries, and air defenses intended to disrupt and attrit an invasion force well before it can land troops and armored vehicles on the island. Increasingly, drones, too, are part of this defensive equation. Should the ROCA have to fight the PLA in its cities, this is another area in which specialist tactics are regularly trained. We have reported in the past how Taiwan has demonstrated the extraordinary measures it is prepared to take to keep its armored forces alive in a conflict with China. During combat readiness drills, the ROCA conceals tanks and other armored vehicles throughout urban areas using improvised camouflage, disguising them as piles of scrap or civilian construction equipment in an effort to complicate PLA targeting. A Clouded Leopard 8×8 infantry fighting vehicle adapted to look like a yellow civilian crane. ROC Military News Agency An ROCA M113 armored personnel carrier concealed under a bridge during an urban warfare exercise. ROC Military News Agency Taiwan’s military has also begun incorporating Taipei’s subway system into its wartime planning. During exercises last year, troops — including teams armed with Stinger shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles — used the Taipei Metro to move around the capital in what appeared to be the first public demonstration of the concept. In a conflict with China, the underground network could provide a comparatively protected route for shifting troops, air defense teams, and supplies between key sectors while roads and other infrastructure above ground come under attack. At the same time, it is clear that the PLA, too, would expect to take on Taiwanese forces in urban settings, and there is plenty of evidence of its units training accordingly. The Han Kuang exercise has increasingly emphasized defending Taiwan’s critical infrastructure against airborne and special operations attacks. The appearance of the M1A2T at Taoyuan Airport marks the first time Taiwan’s newest and most capable tanks have participated in this high-profile airport defense mission, highlighting their growing operational role beyond conventional armored warfare. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The post New M1A2T Abrams Tanks Guard Taiwan’s Main Airport During Invasion Drill appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: News & Features, Around The Globe, Indo-Pacific, Land, M1 Abrams, Taiwan, Tanks] [Link to media]

— Jet-Powered JDAM Production Is A Go For The U.S. Navy

 

at 8/6/26 5:15pm

Boeing has been cleared to start producing Joint Direct Attack Munition-Long Range (JDAM-LR) precision-guided weapons for the U.S. Navy. The JDAM-LR is essentially a small cruise missile derived from the JDAM family of precision-guided bombs. The weapon will give the Navy, and potentially other services, a new way to bolster stocks of air-launched stand-off munitions. This all follows the Navys announcement of successful test launches of JDAM-LRs from F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters back in April. In a press release yesterday, Boeing announced that it had received an Undefinitized Contract Action (UCA) from the U.S. Air Force valued at $75 million related to JDAM-LR production for the Navy. The Air Force serves as the central manager for the joint-service JDAM program. By definition, a UCA means the parties still have to work out the final details of the deal, which could include the price point. UCAs are often used to kick-start work in response to urgent requirements. A JDAM-LR is seen under the left wing of a US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet during a test. USN “This first production contract is a major milestone for the JDAM LR program, demonstrating our ability to deliver long-range precision-strike capability at a significantly lower cost,” Bob Ciesla, Vice President of Boeing Precision Engagement Systems, said in a statement, underscoring confidence in the new UCA. “Scaling production of the GBU-75 will provide the fleet with an affordable, sustainable solution designed to eliminate long-range land and sea-based threats to U.S. and international forces and enable them to safely and effectively operate in a contested battlespace.” GBU-75/B is the designation that has been applied, so far, to complete JDAM-LR munitions. Boeings release yesterday also revealed that the core component of the weapon, the so-called Payload Delivery Unit (PDU), has now also been designated BSU-111/B. Like unpowered JDAMs, the JDAM-LR is more of a kit than a munition by itself. The PDU contains the guidance section, systems to interface with the launching aircraft, a pop-out wing kit, and a compact turbojet engine (understood to be the TDI-J85). PDU is then combined with a standardized low-drag 500-pound-class bomb as its warhead to create a complete weapon. A New Era for Precision Strike: JDAM LR Completes Milestone Test FlightsThe U.S. Navy has successfully demonstrated the new JDAM Long Range variant, marking a huge step in bringing affordable, long-range standoff capabilities to the Carrier Air Wing.https://t.co/GvMomaPnSp pic.twitter.com/cNgEgnZGXy— NAVAIR (@NAVAIRNews) April 20, 2026 As with JDAM variants – which also come in 1,000-pound-class and 2,000-pound-class variations – the modular kit-type design creates immense flexibility for how JDAM-LRs can be configured. In the past, Boeing has shown depictions of what it originally called the Powered JDAM (PJDAM) paired with general-purpose high-explosive bombs and air-dropped shallow-water anti-ship mines. There are many other 500-pound-class bombs with this same form factor already available, including specialized designs intended to reduce the risk of collateral damage. A wind-tunnel model representing a version of what was originally called the Power JDAM (PJDAM) fitted with a general-purpose high-explosive bomb as its warhead. Boeing A picture Boeing released from the PJDAM wind tunnel tests that wrapped up earlier this year. Boeing Another PJDAM wind tunnel model, in this case depicting one fitted with a Quickstrike-series shallow-water naval mine. Boeing A wind tunnel model depicting a PJDAM fitted with a U.S.-made Quickstrike shallow-water naval mine as its warhead. Boeing In terms of guidance, JDAM-LR leverages the GPS-assisted inertial navigation system from the unpowered JDAM family. This guidance method can only be used to target static coordinates. Boeing has previously shown concepts for multi-mode guidance packages that could also include active seekers, such as a radar or imaging infrared system, which would enable strikes on moving targets at sea and on land. Boeing already produces a version of the 500-pound-class JDAM that adds a laser seeker to allow for the engagement of moving targets. The biggest capability boost offered by the JDAM-LR over existing JDAM types is, of course, the stand-off range. Boeing says the powered version can hit targets more than 345 miles (300 nautical miles) away. A typical underpowered JDAM can still glide after release, but only out to around 15 miles, according to the Air Force. With the addition of a pop-out wing kit, JDAM-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) types have greater reach, extending out to roughly 45 miles. This all depends on various factors, especially release altitude and the speed of the launch platform. There are also benefits to this design, and to leveraging existing technology from the JDAM family, when it comes to cost and scalability of production. Boeing says it has also invested nearly $100 million of its own money in this program, which traces its roots back to the late 2010s, at least. A Powered JDAM model seen on display in 2021. Joseph Trevithick A mock-up of the Powered JDAM with its pop-out wings in the deployed position. Joseph Trevithick What the exact unit cost of a typical JDAM-LR will be is unclear. However, historically, standard JDAM kits have cost between $20,000 and $30,000. The current price point for a TDI-J85 engine is unknown, but TWZ has used the Williams F107, a larger turbojet used in various cruise missiles, as a point of comparison in the past. Past reports have put the F107s price tag at some $190,000. A typical 500-pound-class low-drag bomb would add another few thousand dollars to that total. Regardless, for the Navy especially, JDAM-LR offers a lower-cost and lower-risk pathway to bolstering the standoff munition capabilities of its carrier air wings, and stockpiles of those weapons for future fights. The sevice notably cancelled previous plans to acquire a turbojet-powered version of the AGM-154 Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW) glide bomb back in 2021 in favor of a new version of the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRAM) with secondary land attack capability. In 2024, the Navy also disclosed that it was axing plans to incorporate land attack functionality on the AGM-158C-3 variant. It should also be noted here that LRASM is a very capable, but also very expensive weapon, with unit costs generally pegged in the $3 million range, regardless of version. Navy carrier air wings do also have access to the AGM-84K Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) missile, which can be employed by F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. An air-launched land-attack outgrowth of the Harpoon anti-ship cruise missile, the SLAM-ERs maximum range is reportedly around 170 miles. These missiles also have unit costs in the $3 million range. 1/ Aside from the launch of F/A-18E/Fs armed with JSOW C/C-1s, the video also shows F/A-18Es armed with SLAM-ER ATAs parked on the fligh deck. https://t.co/3TC4kKIn17 pic.twitter.com/OqQBbRrYGY— Guy Plopsky (@GuyPlopsky) March 16, 2025 Extending the reach of strike aircraft in Navy carrier air wings is already a top priority and is only set to continue being so in the future as adversaries, especially China, continue to expand their anti-access and area denial bubbles (A2/AD). This, in turn, will push carriers further and further from target areas. Standoff range also helps keep launch platforms further away from hostile air defenses. On top of this, ongoing fighting with Iran, which has followed years of other crises in and around the Middle East and elsewhere globally, has also underscored concerns about munitions stockpiles and the ability to replenish them quickly. Alarm bells are now ringing very loudly. The U.S. military has been taking steps to reverse these trends, but they are still years away from yielding substantial results. Capabilities like JDAM-LR offer increasingly critical additional avenues for refilling stockpiles of standoff strike munitions. With this in mind, it is possible, if not highly probable, that JDAM-LR production will expand to other services beyond the Navy. As noted, the Air Force is the central manager for the JDAM program and is the one placing the orders. Foreign allies and partners, especially ones that already have stocks of JDAMs, could also join in this new acquisition effort, creating additional economies of scale benefits. If nothing else, after years of development, Boeing is now set to finally put the JDAM-LR into production starting with the orders for the Navy. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The post Jet-Powered JDAM Production Is A Go For The U.S. Navy appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: Air, Air Force Munitions, Air-To-Ground, Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), Navies, News & Features, Sea, U.S. Navy] [Link to media]

— The Falaj 3 May Be The World’s Most Heavily Armed Patrol Boat

 

at 8/6/26 3:15pm

Photos of the United Arab Emirates’ Falaj 3 class patrol boat are a reminder that a vessel doesn’t need to be a corvette or even a frigate to be armed like one. At a little over 200 feet long, the Falaj 3 is officially designated an offshore patrol vessel (OPV), but it boasts a weapons suite that would be impressive on a missile corvette and, in some respects, even a light frigate. In fact, at around 670 tons full load displacement, and a crew of just 39, it may be one of the most heavily armed warships anywhere in the world for its size. A Falaj 3 offshore patrol vessel underway. Edge Group OPVs are generally built for constabulary duties rather than high-end naval combat. Their primary missions include enforcing exclusive economic zones, countering piracy and smuggling, fisheries protection, search and rescue, and humanitarian assistance. As a result, they typically prioritize endurance, seakeeping, and low operating costs over heavy armament. Many Western designs in this category carry little more than a medium-caliber gun and a handful of remotely operated weapon systems, with no dedicated anti-ship missiles or significant air-defense systems. The Falaj 3 takes a very different approach, as is immediately apparent from these photos. Forward sits a Leonardo 76mm OTO Super Rapid gun equipped with the STRALES guided ammunition system, giving the ship a weapon capable of engaging everything from surface targets to fast-moving aerial threats. The STRALES system combines the 76mm gun with DART projectiles, which are guided to the target by a radio beam. The projectile is fitted with a proximity fuze, and the result is claimed to be especially effective against manoeuvring supersonic missiles, as well as fast-manoeuvring small boats. The DART ammunition also comes at lower cost than dedicated anti-air missiles, an increasingly important consideration, especially in the Middle East, where costly surface-to-air missile effectors are routinely expended, in significant quantities, against far cheaper incoming threats. Directly behind the gun is an eight-cell vertical launch system loaded with MBDA VL MICA surface-to-air missiles. This ‘fire and forget’ missile can intercept targets at a range of up to around 12 miles and at altitudes of up to 30,000 feet. Further aft is a 21-cell Raytheon Mk 49 launcher for the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM), giving the vessel a second, independent layer of point air defense. Most OPVs are fortunate to carry an adapted man-portable air defense system, if they have any dedicated air-defense system at all. The RAM launcher on a Falaj 3 offshore patrol vessel. Edge Group The offensive fit is equally notable. Four MM40 Exocet Block 3C anti-ship missiles provide over-the-horizon strike capability, while two 12-cell Low-cost Guided Imaging Rocket (LOGIR) guided rocket launchers offer an inexpensive way to engage drones, uncrewed surface vessels, and fast attack craft without expending much more costly missiles. The MM40 Block 3C is the latest iteration of the well-known Exocet sea-skimming missile and has a range of around 150 miles. The LOGIR, a weapon we have discussed in the past, is part of a growing number of 70mm rockets with an infrared seeker on the market now. A U.S.-South Korean co-production, the LOGIR was developed primarily for coastal defense and other maritime applications. It has a maximum range of around a few miles. Completing the package are two Electro Optic Systems (EOS) R400-M 30mm remote weapon stations and two 32-barrel Rheinmetall Multi Ammunition Soft-kill System (MASS) decoy launchers, providing close-range firepower and survivability against incoming guided weapons, respectively. The Falaj 3 class is also well equipped with sensors, including a Leonardo Kronos 3D G-band multifunction radar for air and surface search in the conical radome of the integrated mast. The mast also features the SPYNEL infrared search and track suite. A close-up of the mast on the Falaj 3 offshore patrol vessel. Edge Group Combining all of these systems results in a ship with genuine layered air defense, anti-ship strike capability, counter-swarm weapons, modern electronic self-protection, and a sophisticated medium-caliber gun, all crammed into a hull roughly one-third the displacement of many contemporary corvettes. Instead of sacrificing armament for patrol endurance, the Falaj 3 concentrates an extraordinary amount of firepower into a compact hull. The design is closer to a ‘pocket’ missile corvette optimized for Gulf operations than a conventional OPV. A rendering of the Falaj 3 reveals the locations of the various weapons and sensors. Edge Group The Persian Gulf is a relatively confined operating environment where naval combat is more likely to occur at short ranges, with vessels operating under constant threat from anti-ship missiles, drones, helicopters, and swarms of fast attack craft. In that environment, packing as many defensive and offensive systems as possible into a relatively inexpensive platform makes considerable operational sense. For more demanding missions, including in true blue-water environments, the United Arab Emirates Navy can call upon close to a dozen true missile corvettes, with four different active classes constructed in France, Germany, and Italy. These carry many of the same weapons as found on the Falaj 3, but the largest examples displace close to 3,000 tons, and all can also embark a helicopter. Based on the Fearless class patrol vessel operated by the Republic of Singapore Navy, the Falaj 3 class is built by the Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB), a subsidiary of the UAE’s Edge Group. The first ship of the class, Altaf, was commissioned in February 2025. The Edge Group is also building eight vessels of the same design for Kuwait, these being known as the Al Dorra class. The design of the Falaj 3 reflects a broader trend in naval warfare. Advances in radar, combat management systems, vertical launch technology, and compact missile designs increasingly allow capabilities once reserved for frigates or larger vessels to be integrated successfully in much smaller vessels. Rather than relying exclusively on a handful of expensive large combatants, navies that operate heavily in littoral geography have the opportunity to field larger numbers of smaller ships that still possess credible offensive and defensive capabilities. The Falaj 3 represents perhaps one of the most extreme examples of that philosophy. Special thanks to X user @D__Mitch for alerting us to this story. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The post The Falaj 3 May Be The World’s Most Heavily Armed Patrol Boat appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: Uncategorized] [Link to media]

— Houthis Stage Large-Scale Attack On Saudi-Aligned Forces In Yemen

 

at 8/6/26 2:42pm

The Houthi rebels of Yemen have launched one of their biggest attacks on Saudi-aligned forces in that country in years. The strikes are a flare-up in what up until recently has been a largely dormant conflict. They took place in eastern Yemeni provinces of Marib and Hadhramaut, which are areas controlled by local forces opposed to the Houthis. This unfolded as the Iranian-backed rebel group is also expanding its campaign against Saudi shipping in the Red Sea region and its oil production infrastructure. The Houthis claim they killed and injured hundreds of the Saudi-aligned troops. Yemeni government officials said that at least 30 troops were killed while there has been no official comment from Riyadh. However, the U.S. Embassy in Yemen, the Yemeni Defense Ministry and the Saudi-led forces confirmed the attacks. Our armed forces carried out a broad and precise military operation targeting the Saudi enemys mobilizations in the areas of Al-Ruwaik, Al-Abr, and Al-Thaniyah, and other camps belonging to what is called the First and Third Emergency Divisions, using a large number of ballistic missiles and drones, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree stated on X. In addition to “the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Saudi enemy mercenaries,” Saree claimed the “destruction and burning of a large number of Saudi enemy camps, mobilizations, storage depots, and weapons in the Al-Wadiah area in the east of the country” as well as the destruction of a large number of vehicles. Saree added that the actions were preemptive to prevent an assault on Houthi forces. بيانٌ صادرٌ عنِ القواتِ المسلحةِ اليمنيةِ بسمِ اللهِ الرحمنِ الرحيم قال تعالى: {فَلَا عُدۡوَ ٰ⁠نَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلظَّـالِمِینَ} صدق اللهُ العظيمإمعانًا من العدوِّ السعوديِّ المجرمِ في مواصلةِ الحصارِ والعدوانِ على شعبِنا اليمنيِّ العزيزِ منذُ ما يقاربُ 12 عامًا، فقد رصدتْ… pic.twitter.com/Q64p0wp5Sj— العميد يحيى سريع (@Yahya_Saree) August 6, 2026 In a statement on X, the Yemeni Defense Ministry said the Houthis carried out a treacherous attack using ballistic missiles and drones, targeting several camps and units of the Armed Forces deployed in the provinces of Marib and Hadramaut The Ministry of Defense affirmed that the Yemeni Armed Forces will respond to this aggression at the appropriate time and place, and that this treacherous attack will not undermine the resolve of the Armed Forces heroes or affect their ability to perform their national duties; rather, it will increase their steadfastness, cohesion, and determination to defend the Republic, restore the state, and end the coup. وزارة الدفاع: القوات المسلحة سترد على عدوان مليشيا الحوثي الإرهابية في الزمان والمكان المناسبين اعلنت وزارة الدفاع اقدام مليشيا الحوثي الإرهابية، اليوم الخميس، على تنفيذ هجوم غادر بالصواريخ الباليستية والطائرات المسيّرة، استهدف عدداً من معسكرات ووحدات القوات المسلحة المنتشرة في… pic.twitter.com/TIdCw2FYy9— المركز الإعلامي للقوات المسلحة اليمنية (@Yem_army_media) August 6, 2026 The target of these strikes, the Yemen Emergency Forces (YEF), acknowledged they had been hit.  “In a new military escalation, the Houthi terrorist militias targeted several military bases and military units, including emergency forces, resulting in material and human losses,” YEF claimed on Facebook. “This targeting comes after the military forces success in carrying out their duties under the directives of the Minister of Defense, aiming to secure areas, protect international roads, pursue gangs of kidnappers and smugglers, and apprehend those involved in robbery, kidnapping, and organized crimes.” Yemeni government-aligned forces said on Thursday that the Houthis had attacked several military camps and units, causing casualties and material damage.The First Division of Yemens Emergency Forces said its camps were among those targeted, without specifying where the attacks…— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) August 6, 2026 The Yemen Emergency Forces “are made up mostly of Salafi-aligned fighters from Yemens northern governorates and fall entirely under the Yemeni Forces Authority, itself commanded by the Saudi-led Joint Forces Command,” according to Defenseliney, an independent Yemeni media platform focusing on security issues. “Their roots trace to an earlier nucleus called the ‘Happy Yemen Forces,’ formed with Saudi funding, training, and support since 2019 and deployed along the Saada border strip extending north into Al-Jawf; most of its brigades had earlier operated under separate presidential decrees before being absorbed into the Emergency Forces.” The U.S. Embassy in Yemen derided the Houthi attack as an act of terrorism. “The U.S. Embassy to Yemen expresses our deepest condolences to the families of the brave Yemeni soldiers killed today in Hadhramawt and Marib,” the embassy announced on X. “The Iran-backed Houthis’ cowardly attacks represent yet another example of their terrorism against the Yemeni people. We wish the wounded a speedy recovery.” بشأن هجمات اليوم في حضرموت ومأرب. pic.twitter.com/IirMLRRTNq— U.S. Embassy Yemen السفارة الأمريكية لدى اليمن (@USEmbassyYemen) August 6, 2026 Several videos emerged online purporting to show the Houthi attacks. They depict plumes of smoke wafting from what appear to be strikes and the sounds of small arms fire and what appears to be a drone strike can be heard, but they offer little real sense of the scope of the incidents or the damage inflicted. Yemen’s Houthis frame the strikes as a pre-emptive response to a large Saudi military build-up they say was in its final stages, aimed at escalating against them to force them to abandon their push to end the blockade.Houthi statement warns Saudi Arabia against any "folly,"… https://t.co/WkpUIyGxTQ— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 6, 2026 Reports are emerging of a significant Houthi assault on the Saudi backed Yemen Emergency Forces encampment near Marib, Yemen with several casualties reported. This video purports to show the aftermath of one of the attacks, though it has not been verified.Marib is the… pic.twitter.com/6LmQyHkhW2— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 6, 2026 Update 3 |Exclusive sources: The 13 ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group were fired from three Yemeni governorates: Sana’a, Ma’rib, and Al-Jawf, while the drones were launched from Al-Bayda governorate. Missile launch sites identified: The mountainous… https://t.co/fICrwP6KBV pic.twitter.com/7FDHTMQeXz— عاصم المجاهد | Asem Al_Mujahed (@Asem22mo) August 6, 2026 There was also video purporting to show Houthi missile launches against the Saudi-backed forces; however TWZ cannot confirm any of claims about these videos. #BREAKING Several Yemeni soldiers killed in Houthi attack on Hadermout province pic.twitter.com/gi53wCTS0M— Guy Elster גיא אלסטר (@guyelster) August 6, 2026 Today’s engagement marks a major escalation both in Houthi-Saudi hostilities and in the battle for Yemen, one of the world’s poorest countries, but strategically located along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The civil war in Yemen erupted in 2014 and expanded a year later when a Saudi-led coalition joined forces with the government ousted by the Houthis. For a while, the U.S. was supporting that coalition’s bombing campaign by providing aerial refueling and intelligence. However, then-Defense Secretary James Mattis ended that in 2018 during the first Trump presidency after growing concerns over the large number of civilian casualties being inflicted. The Saudi coalition’s fight against the Houthis also complicated the U.S. counterterrorism campaign against Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The fighting between Saudi-led forces and the Houthis largely abated after a tenuous ceasefire was signed in 2022. Tensions, however, reignited in recent weeks after the Houthis joined the U.S.-Iran conflict on the side of their major supporter. The Houthis imposed a blockade on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and began striking Saudi ships in the southern part of the Red Sea as well as refineries along the northern portion. As we noted yesterday, the Yemeni rebel group said it was expanding its campaign against Saudi Arabia to strike vessels in the northern part of the Red Sea. All this is adding to the pressure on oil supplies flowing out of the region, which has created global economic stress. Bab al-Mandab Strait. (Google Earth) In response to attacks on its shipping, Saudi Arabia hit Houthi missile-launch platforms, a rocket-launch site, and weapons depots. However, the Saudi reaction was limited in nature. It remains to be seen how the kingdom will respond now given that many of the fighters it supports have been killed. The uptick in Saudi-Houthi fighting comes as the region is already roiled in conflict, though efforts are underway to achieve a diplomatic solution to the U.S.-Iran war, now paused in an uneasy ceasefire. As we have reported in the past, the two countries and Oman are working toward a deal that would essentially give Iran control over the Strait of Hormuz.  Tehran is “insisting the framework represents a new security model for the strategic waterway rather than a full reopening of the strait,” CBS News reported on Thursday, citing Irans state news agency IRNA. The proposed mechanism would regulate the movement of commercial vessels, with ships entering through Iranian waters and exiting through Omani waters. IRNA said the talks are aimed at defining a new model that is different from the 60-year-old practice of the past in which ships passed through the strait at will. Iran state media Fars: according to the negotiations between Iran and Oman, after an initial period, "passage of vessels through both the northern and southern corridors [of the Strait of Hormuz] will cease, and all traffic will occur through the central corridor. However, the… pic.twitter.com/ezIj2Bf5We— Steve Lookner (@lookner) August 6, 2026 The flow of traffic through the strategic chokepoint has become the main sticking point between Washington and Tehran as the two sides work toward ending hostilities. U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted that Iran must fully open the vital chokepoint or face new and more intense attacks that would include power plants, other civilian infrastructure and even leadership. How much increased fighting between the Saudis and Houthis complicates these matters is an open question. As we have frequently noted, the closing of the BAM to Saudi oil traffic and now threats to the transit route north to the canal have already raised the specter of the U.S. having to get as involved as it did during the previous Houthi campaign against shipping that ended last September, which could pull resources away from Iranian-focused operations. It’s possible Egypt would have a major problem with such actions too, as it would impact the canal’s revenue and freedom of movement.  A major intensification of Saudi-Houthi hostilities represents yet another complication in a region already in turmoil.  Contact the author: howard@twz.com The post Houthis Stage Large-Scale Attack On Saudi-Aligned Forces In Yemen appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: News & Features, Around The Globe, Middle East, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen] [Link to media]

— XQ-58 Valkyrie Drones With Built-In Landing Gear Are Now In Production

 

at 8/6/26 12:21pm

Kratos has built the first landing gear-equipped versions of its stealthy XQ-58 Valkyrie drone, with several additional examples now in various stages of construction. The company is also still producing XQ-58s designed for rocket-assisted takeoffs via static launchers, and Valkyrie production is ramping up overall. Both types offer certain advantages in different operational scenarios. Valkyrie flight test activities are currently paused following the crash of one of the drones on Tuesday, which TWZ was first to report and that readers can get caught up on first here. In reporting on the crash, TWZ had a chance to speak yesterday with Steve Fendley, President of Kratos’ Unmanned Systems Division, who provided additional updates on the Valkyrie program. The U.S. Marine Corps notably previously announced that it is acquiring a fleet of Valkyries in the landing gear-equipped configuration under its Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. Fendley also discussed developments across other parts of the companys tactical drone portfolio. To provide some quick additional context, the rocket-assisted takeoff (RATO) and landing gear-equipped conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) versions of the Valkyrie are the two main known configurations of the design. The RATO type, which first flew in 2019, also lands via parachute. Kratos has also developed a special launch trolley that allows RATO Valkyries to conduct runway takeoffs, though they still land using the parachute recovery system. An XQ-58 seen being launched via rocket. Kratos The CTOL version was first publicly announced in 2024. Drones in this configuration can also be launched via rocket, but then land conventionally. The addition of the landing gear does reduce the available internal payload space, as well, something we will come back to later on. In January, Kratos had told us it was targeting the early 2026 timeframe for a first flight, but we cannot confirm whether this has occurred. The Valkyrie crash on Tuesday did come after takeoff from a test-range runway, but Kratos would only say the drone in question was in test configuration. Whether or not this may have been the first flight of the CTOL variant is not clear. More generally, Valkyrie is a highly modular design with an open mission systems architecture intended to be readily configurable to meet customer needs. Kratos has told TWZ in the past that it has developed at least five distinct versions of the drone. The company has also been steadily working to expand the performance envelope of the design. We have several CTOL aircrafts [sic] weve been working on it for about a year and a half, Kratos Fendley told TWZ. The CTOL configuration is now in production. Started on those earlier this year, and again, those aircraft are – some are ready, and some still in the pipeline. Overall, work on the CTOL version is pressing ahead, he added, while noting that RATO versions are also still being actively produced. Kratos has customers now for both versions. The U.S. Air Force was the first known XQ-58 operator, and continues to utilize RATO types in support of research and development and test and evaluation activities. The Marine Corps also has a handful of RATO Valkyries, which it has been using to help lay the groundwork for its future operational fleet of CTOL types, which are now sometimes also referred to as MQ-58Bs. The Marines are hoping to see the delivery of the first of these drones in 2029. One of the U.S. Marine Corps RATO-configured XQ-58s. USAF Master Sgt. John McRell Kratos has also publicly announced a partnership with European aviation giant Airbus to develop a version of the Valkyrie aimed at meeting German requirements for a CCA-type drone. When asked about other Valkyrie sales opportunities yesterday, Fendley told TWZ that there are a number of other international customers, but could not elaborate. We have a set of customers for each configuration, and in many cases, we have customers that want both configurations, he did note. Theyll do test and training ops generally with the CTOL variant, but then for forward-deployed scenarios or for scenarios where they want to maximize the payload capacity, theyll use the RATO configuration. which allows capacity inside the bomb bay. At the time of writing, Kratos website says RATO XQ-58s can carry up to 1,200 pounds of stores in their internal centerline bay, as well as payloads weighing up to 600 pounds on a single hardpoint under each wing. The bay itself is also said to be sized around a loadout consisting of four 250-pound-class GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB). The SDB is just under 71 inches long and has a body that is 7.5 inches in diameter. The CTOL has half the internal payload capacity, both in terms of weight and physical space, per Kratos factsheet. RATO and CTOL types can both also carry additional payloads weighing up to 600 pounds on two external hardpoints, one under each wing. A US Air Force XQ-58 releases a smaller ALTIUS-600 uncrewed aerial system from its internal bay during a test. USAF As TWZ has noted in the past, the ability to operate from traditional runways and conduct static RATO launches both offer certain advantages in different contexts. As Fendley reiterated yesterday, RATO types offer valuable runway independence for forward-deployed operations, and dramatically expand the total number of potential launch and recovery points. Previously, Kratos has shown a concept for an entirely containerized static launch system, which would offer further operational flexibility. Very cool to see the Kratos XQ-58A containerized launching system @AUSAorg #AUSA2019. First test vehicle flew three times for USAF before bad landing. Developed in partnership with @AFResearchLab. pic.twitter.com/rpPwNr9PnT— James Drew (@StrikeWriter) October 16, 2019 All of this, in turn, could help enable distributed concepts of operations that are also intended to reduce vulnerability and otherwise complicate an opponents decision-making cycles. The U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force, in particular, see distributed deployment concepts as critical to success in future conflicts, especially a potential high-end fight, such as one against China in the Pacific. The Air Forces particular set of operational concepts, which it currently calls Aegis Combat Employment (ACE), were baked into the requirements for its CCA drone program from the start. In general, static RATO launch does impose constraints on maximum takeoff weight and, by extension, on range and payload capacity. Kratos has previously told TWZ that just using the trolley launch method offers an increase “in the 10s of % for both fuel and payload capacity. How exactly the CTOLs payload and performance compare to the RATO version in either of these different launch modes is unclear. As already noted, the CTOL version does have less capacity available in its internal bay because of the landing gear. Still, as we have previously written: The CTOL version offers a single platform with the flexibility to take off from conventional runways, which could allow for heavier overall weights, or to use the existing rocket-boosted method from a much wider array of potential operating locations. In a real-world operational scenario, the drones could fly a rocket-boosted mission to start, recover on a runway at a tertiary site, and then continue to fly sorties from there, or be deployed elsewhere. This would combine the benefits of runway independence, including the difficulties imposed on enemies trying to target what could be widely distributed launch points, during an initial wave, and the advantages offered by normal runway-centric tactical air operations for follow-on sorties. An XQ-58 that can land like any other fixed-wing aircraft on a runway offers advantages for resetting the drones and getting them back into the fight. It takes far more time and effort to get runway-independent types ready for relaunch after they touch down via parachute. That method of landing also relies on airbags to cushion the impact, and a failure of that element of the system can lead to significant damage. There is, of course, always the potential for accidents while operating from traditional runways. Regardless, a Valkyrie that uses a runway should be able to achieve significantly higher sortie rates. The CTOL variant’s flexibility could also have benefits outside of a tactical scenario. TWZ has previously noted that a landing gear-equipped version would be easier to integrate, overall, with other tactical air assets that rely on traditional runways, which would also be relevant for training and other day-to-day peacetime activities. That being said, a significant portion of the Marine Corps’ future CCA fleets, as well as those that the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy plan to acquire and field, may not ever be daily fliers. As noted earlier, Fendley spoke directly to these latter points as important benefits of the CTOL configuration during his interview with us yesterday. There are still tradeoffs with the landing gear-equipped Valkyries, especially since they have to find a runway to touch down on even after a rocket-assisted launch. All of this, in turn, speaks to Fendleys other comments about interest from customers in operating mixed fleets of RATO and CTOL types. Beyond the core RATO and CTOL configurations, we have many different configurations of Valkyrie for many different mission profiles and scenarios that our customers want to resolve, handle, address with unmanned, uncrewed systems, Fendley also told us. The ability for that system to couple with either a fourth-gen or a fifth-gen system and increase the survivability, increase the lethality of either of those systems is fantastic. This has really served us with respect to our customers who want to be able to have a defensive capability like that without expending their entire annual budget, he continued. The current price point for Valkyries in either the RATO or CTOL configurations is unclear. Kratos has told TWZ in the past that RATO versions are in roughly the $4 and $6 million unit cost range. Years ago, the company also said it was hoping to eventually drive the purchase price down to around $2 million. Economy of scale benefits could be on the horizon as Kratos works to ramp up Valkyrie production. The company is hoping to see the annual production rate rise to 40 airframes by 2028. We have increased our full year 2026 organic revenue growth forecast up to approximately 18 percent to 23 percent as compared to full year 2025, which now also includes an expectation of approximately 10 percent organic growth for our Unmanned Systems business based upon recent contract awards, including Valkyrie, Kratos’ President and CEO Eric DeMarco said just earlier this week around the comapnys release of its second quarters earnings report. Kratos is also seeing a surge in interest across its tactical portfolio more broadly, driven by demand both for reusable platforms and long-range one-way attack drones. In speaking to us yesterday, Fendley specifically highlighted the companys Tactical Firejet design, also known as Airwolf, which has now been adapted into a kamikaze drone. That work has been done in partnership with Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST). You can read more about this variant, which is also called the Chien Feng IV (Mighty Hornet IV), here. A model of the Chien Feng IV (Mighty Hornet IV) on display at the 2025 Taipei Aerospace Defense Technology Exhibition. Military News Agency (Taiwan) And then, of course, our Mako system, which was our original tactical system, that we have a couple of customers who have become very interested in that, Fendley also noted. This is interesting because we developed that system in about the 2015-2016 timeframe, and all was quiet for a long time, and its really heated up in the, I would just say, in this calendar year. And I think some of that is based on world events, and some of it is based on the increase in budgets, particularly. Mako, also known as the UTAP-22, is a tactical combat drone derived from the BQM-167A Skeeter target drone, which Kratos also produces. Mako was at the center of a number of important experimental U.S. military drone programs in the late 2010s and early 2020s, but had appeared to be overtaken by the XQ-58, as well as more advanced designs from other companies. The design does still offer a tier of loyal wingman-type capability that could also come at lower cost compared to other options on the open market now. Mako might be adaptable to the one-way-attack role like the Tactical Firejet/Airwolf, as well. A UTAP-22 fitted with an advanced autonomy package launches from Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, during a test as part of the US Air Forces Skyborg program. USAF In addition, Fendley offered positive assessments of ongoing development of the secretive Apollo, Athena, and Thanatos drones, but said he could not offer additional details given the level of classification surrounding those programs. This also just represents work the company is doing in the classified realm that we know about. The Valkyrie family does remain front and center in Kratos tactical drone portfolio. This only looks set to continue with CTOL versions now being built and production ramping up overall for a growing number of customers globally. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The post XQ-58 Valkyrie Drones With Built-In Landing Gear Are Now In Production appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: Air, Drones, Loyal Wingman, News & Features, Unmanned, XQ-58] [Link to media]

— Australia To Become First Foreign Operator Of AIM-260 Air-To-Air Missile

 

at 8/6/26 10:19am

Australia will become the first nation outside the United States to field the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), following the announcement of a nearly A$736 million (approximately $480 million) procurement that will significantly expand the Royal Australian Air Force’s air combat capabilities. The acquisition comes as Australia, like the United States, is increasingly focused on maintaining an edge in beyond-visual-range air combat against China’s rapidly advancing airpower, including long-reaching air-to-air missiles. The acquisition was announced by Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles during Exercise Pitch Black in Darwin, the country’s premier multinational air combat exercise. The missiles will be acquired through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. A Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornet, piloted by Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, lands at RAAF Base Darwin, during Exercise Pitch Black 2026. The F/A-18F will be the first RAAF type to receive JATM. Australian Department of Defense LACW Nell Bradbury “This announcement is the latest milestone in the delivery of long-range, high‑tech capabilities for our Defense Force,” Marles said. “The Albanese government continues to deliver critical capabilities that will allow the ADF to strike at a longer range, deter any adversary and protect our national interests. It is fitting to make this announcement at Exercise Pitch Black, which is an important demonstration of Australia’s commitment to the peace, stability and security of our region.” According to the Australian government, the Lockheed Martin AIM-260 will first be integrated onto the RAAF’s F/A-18F Super Hornet fleet before being fielded on the F-35A and the EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft. Looking further ahead, the RAAF’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) is a likely candidate to be armed with JATM. It has already fired an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) from an external pylon, and the forthcoming Block 3 version of the drone will offer internal weapons carriage, too. The integration of the AIM-260 on the EA-18G appears to be a new announcement; previously, the priority U.S. platforms to receive the missile were the F/A-18E/F and the F-22. However, considering the commonality between the Super Hornet and the Growler, integration should be straight forward. A rendering released in the past depicting an F-22 firing a JATM. U.S. Air Force via Gen. Mark Kelly “JATM missiles are some of the most sophisticated air-to-air weapons in the world, and Australia will be the first country to operate them outside the United States, added Australian Minister for Defense Industry, Pat Conroy. “This investment will deliver the most advanced capability for our ADF to detect and counter threats, and keep Australians safe. This is made possible thanks to the Albanese government’s record investment in Defense, including up to A$36 billion [approximately US$23.4 billion] over the next decade for Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance.” The AIM-260 has been under development for years, but its capabilities remain highly classified. It is intended to succeed the AMRAAM, offering substantially greater range and improved performance against advanced threats while remaining compatible with existing fighter aircraft launchers and weapons bays restrictions. The AMRAAM is currently the primary beyond-visual-range air combat weapon currently used by the RAAF’s F/A-18Fs and F-35As. As you can read about here, the first picture of the AIM-260 emerged in May of this year, involving an F/A-18F from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31 (VX-31) carrying the weapon on the fuselage station outboard of its right engine intake. Flight testing of the JATM is known to have started years earlier, however. A close-up look at the AIM-260. Jonathan Tweedy/@flightline_visuals Although official specifications have never been released, the AIM-260 is reportedly designed to hit targets out to at least 120 miles, if not substantially further. It was designed in response to China’s long-range PL-15 air-to-air missile, restoring the U.S. and allied advantage in beyond-visual-range aerial combat. Being developed by the U.S. Navy in cooperation with the Air Force, the missile is expected to combine a compact form factor similar to the AIM-120 with significantly greater engagement range, allowing aircraft to carry the same number of weapons without sacrificing performance. It is also designed for internal carriage. As TWZ has previously written: “An advanced rocket motor with highly loaded propellant has long been seen as a likely route to give the AIM-260A significantly greater range, as well as speed, over the AIM-120 without making the new missile larger. A core known requirement for the JATM is that it has to have the same general form factor as the AMRAAM, in large part to ensure that it can fit inside the internal bays on stealth fighters like the F-22 and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. In addition to crewed aircraft, AIM-260As are expected to arm future stealthy drones like the ones under development under the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.” … “The AIM-260A’s rocket motor is also likely to be a dual-pulse design that retains energy across the flight envelope to further extend range and help dramatically with endgame maneuverability. Thrust vectoring capability would also be a requisite to give the missile sufficient agility in the absence of additional control surfaces.” … “An active electronically scanned array radar (AESA) seeker is likely. Multi-mode seeker capability, potentially with imaging infrared and passive radiofrequency (RF) guidance capabilities, could be extremely valuable in the face of an ever-expanding countermeasure ecosystem, although we have no idea if this is a feature now or not. It’s also possible it could be introduced in later variants. Advanced networking capabilities would be a key feature, allowing the missile to get additional targeting information from an array of third-party sources. This is especially important for engaging targets beyond the reach of the launch platform’s own sensors, and it can allow the aircraft firing the missile, especially a stealthy one, to avoid having to switch on its radar and increase its vulnerability to detection as a result. Multiple networked JATMs might even be able to prosecute engagements cooperatively.” U.S. Air Force officials have publicly acknowledged that the PL-15 was a key driver behind the AIM-260 program. According to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the Chinese missile “out-ranges the U.S.-made AIM-120C/D AMRAAM series and has a comparable maximum range to the Meteor.” Close-up of a J-20 fighter carrying four inert examples of the original PL-15 in its main ventral bays. via Chinese internet The PL-15 is already widely fielded, while China has also developed even longer-range air-to-air missiles, including the much larger PL-17. This weapon is widely believed to be optimized for engaging high-value support aircraft, such as aerial refueling tankers and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platforms, at extreme distances. We have previously taken a closer look at the still largely mysterious PL-17 here. A 2016 image where the PL-17 first appeared. via Chinese internet Those two Chinese missiles are also expected to be joined by a new weapon currently referred to as the PL-16. The missile appears to have been developed to allow the J-20 to carry six long-range air-to-air missiles internally, rather than the four PL-15s it currently accommodates. While expected to retain a broadly similar overall design to the PL-15, the PL-16 is believed to use a compressed-carriage configuration, reducing its size to maximize the J-20’s internal missile load. In that respect, the PL-16 appears conceptually similar to the AIM-260, in its emphasis on internal carriage capacity. The air-to-air threat in the Indo-Pacific is only set to increase, with the potential for the carriage of larger numbers of even bigger and further-reaching air-to-air missiles in the capacious weapons bays of new-generation Chinese combat aircraft. As TWZ has reported in the past, the U.S. Air Force envisions a future in which counter-air missiles could engage targets at ranges of up to 1,000 miles by 2050. While such capabilities remain decades away and far exceed the reach of today’s longest-range air defense missiles, the projection underscores the trajectory of long-range aerial warfare and the growing emphasis on extending engagement distances. Another U.S. response to China’s growing long-range air-to-air missile capability is the AIM-174B, currently carried by U.S. Navy F/A-18E/Fs. Derived from the SM-6 surface-to-air missile family, it is substantially larger and heavier than the AIM-260, trading compact size for dramatically greater engagement range. RAAF officials have previously indicated that Australia has no plans to acquire the AIM-174B, according to FlightGlobal. Australia’s decision to procure the missile aligns with its broader effort to modernize the Australian Defence Force’s long-range strike and air defense capabilities amid an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific security environment, in which the threat posed by China’s rapidly expanding military capabilities is paramount. Canberra’s recently released 2026 National Defence Strategy emphasizes the importance of a layered air and missile defense architecture capable of countering advanced regional threats. The government says the AIM-260 will provide the RAAF with a more credible deterrent against hostile aircraft while complementing existing air-to-air missiles and the Australian Defence Force’s expanding inventory of ground-based air defense systems. The acquisition will also improve interoperability with U.S. forces, particularly as both countries increasingly operate together in the Indo-Pacific. While the government has not disclosed delivery schedules or the number of missiles to be acquired, Australia is now set to become the AIM-260’s first export customer, giving the RAAF access to one of the world’s most advanced beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles once it enters operational service. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The post Australia To Become First Foreign Operator Of AIM-260 Air-To-Air Missile appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: Air, AIM-260, Air Force Munitions, Air Forces, Air-To-Air, Around The Globe, Australia, Indo-Pacific, News & Features, Royal Australian Air Force] [Link to media]

— Explosive Drone Found Next To Ukrainian An-124 In Germany Signals A New Threat Reality

 

at 8/5/26 6:12pm

Two drone-related incidents at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany represent the most serious threats yet in the wave of small drone incursions that have plagued Europe for the past few years. German police say an explosive-laden drone was located on the ground near a Ukrainian cargo jet and that there was a midair collision between an object and another cargo aircraft.  This marks the first time that a drone with explosives has been found in Europe far from the Ukrainian border, The Guardian noted. The incidents, which spurred the opening of a counter-terror investigation and temporary closure of the airport, have raised the level of concern about these incursions and the threats to parked aircraft, issues TWZ has frequently covered for years. That the drone was carrying explosives is a new quality of danger, German Interior Minister Armin Schuster told reporters. Statement von Innenminister Armin Schuster zum Sicherheitsvorfall am Flughafen Leipzig/Halle im Anschluss an die Pressekonferenz mit Bundesinnenminister Alexander Dobrindt pic.twitter.com/jIiGz4TrX0— Innenministerium Sachsen (@SMIsachsen) August 5, 2026 German officials have not said who was operating the drones, but Ukrainian officials are blaming Russia. “During the night of August 4 to 5, 2026, an airport employee discovered a drone carrying an unknown explosive device in the security area of the cargo flight operations, near the ‘South Runway takeoff/landing strip,’” the Saxony State Criminal Police said in a release. “The object was examined with the support of the Federal Police and a bomb-disposal robot. The Federal Polices IEDD (improvised explosive device disposal) unit removed the detonator from the explosive device.” The explosive-laden drone was found near a massive An-124-100 Ruslan (NATO reporting name Condor) cargo jet. As we have previously reported, Antonov, which operates the aircraft, is now using Leipzig as its headquarters after its facilities at Hostomel Airport in Ukraine were destroyed in the opening days of the Russian all-out invasion. The airport is also used by NATO and the German military for transport. In the context of a Russian threat, the Condor, in particular, represents an unsurprising target. Ukraines An-124s are a source of national pride and a big flying symbol of the countrys defiance and survival. They also provide much-needed revenue to Ukraine and strategic airlift to support the conflict. Ukraines An-124s have long provided charter cargo services for western militaries, companies and NGOs. Since the war began, Antonov Airlines An-124s have been used to deliver war materiel bound for Ukraine. So, these giant aircraft really check a lot of boxes if Russia was looking to drastically escalate to executing such brazen attacks in European countries. While they are clearly the logical suspect in this case, we still have no proof who was behind these incidents. A police drone takes off next to a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 5, 2026 near Leipzig, Germany. Airport workers reportedly discovered a drone yesterday on the tarmac near an Antonov An-124 Condor at the airport that was equipped with an explosives detonator and an unidentified substance. (Photo by Jens Schlueter/Getty Images) Jens SCHLUETER In addition to the drone on the ground, “a presumed second, unknown flying object collided with a cargo aircraft after it aborted its landing and went around again due to the previously imposed runway closure,” the Saxony State Criminal Police added. “After landing in Hanover, the aircraft was found to have sustained minor damage.” The cargo jet in the midair incident reportedly belonged to DHL. It should be noted that in 2024, Western security officials said they believed “that two incendiary devices, shipped via DHL, were part of a covert Russian operation that ultimately aimed to start fires aboard cargo or passenger aircraft flying to the U.S. and Canada, as Moscow steps up a sabotage campaign against Washington and its allies,” according to The Wall Street Journal at the time. However, there is no clear connection between these situations at this time. Leipzig Airport is part of our critical infrastructure,” stated State Minister of Justice Prof. Constanze Geiert. “Attacks on these structures must be pursued by the law enforcement authorities with full force and severity. It is therefore welcome that the investigation has been taken over by the Central Office for Extremism Saxony (ZESA), the Dresden General Prosecutors Office, and the Saxony State Criminal Police Office, and is now being conducted under high pressure and in close coordination with the federal security authorities. A police investigator works on the tarmac near to Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 5, 2026 near Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Jens Schlueter/Getty Images) Jens Schlueter As noted earlier in this story, German officials have yet to point the finger at anyone, but Ukraine’s officials say Moscow is behind it. Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, blamed Moscow. “Who else could it be but Russia?” he told German media, without offering any proof. Ukraine’s strategic communications center took a similar stance. “New footage of yet another act of Russian terrorism on EU soil, showing the drone loaded with explosives on the tarmac at Leipzig/Halle Airport, just meters from a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft,” Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications posited on X. “According to German authorities, the drone was carrying an improvised explosive device. Bomb disposal specialists rendered it safe after determining the detonator had malfunctioned, preventing the device from exploding. In a separate incident the same night, a DHL cargo aircraft reportedly struck an unidentified object shortly after departure—possibly another drone—before diverting safely. The aircraft landed without injuries, though inspectors found minor damage.” New footage of yet another act of Russian terrorism on EU soil, showing the drone loaded with explosives on the tarmac at Leipzig/Halle Airport, just meters from a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft.According to German authorities, the drone was carrying an improvised… https://t.co/eCZaLfz9yx pic.twitter.com/DbRz87wgIv— SPRAVDI — Stratcom Centre (@StratcomCentre) August 5, 2026 While it is unknown how the UAS came to be found near the Condor, or what countermeasures are in place at the airport, if any, when taken at face value, it has all the hallmarks of an attempted near-field attack via short-range drone. This is the same kind of strike Ukraine famously pulled off last year during its Operation Spiderweb campaign against Russian strategic aviation. In that operation, Ukraine remotely launched drones, hidden in trucks parked near airfields across Russia, to hit parked bombers and other critical aircraft. Spiderweb hammered home a threat TWZ had raised for years — even the most important aircraft on earth largely sit vulnerable on the ground to large scale attacks by low-end drones launched nearby. You can see a video of one of the Operation Spiderweb attacks below: Ukrainian drones struck Russian strategic aviation at the Belaya air base in Irkutsk – 4,800 km from Kyiv. pic.twitter.com/UBAi7znioR— Michael MacKay (@mhmck) June 1, 2025 Europe, as we pointed out earlier, has seen many waves of suspected drone incursions over military installations and civilian airports. They have shut down airports, forced the deployment of a German frigate to provide air defense coverage for the European Union meetings in Copenhagen last year and spurred changes to increase the ability to counter these aircraft.  Drone sightings over European military bases and critical infrastructure have occurred sporadically over the years, some raising serious concerns. We broke the news on several over U.S. bases in England late last year, for instance. The origin of these drones has sparked debate across Europe. While many officials have stopped short of saying definitively who is responsible, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen last year suggested it could be Moscow, calling Russia the primary “country that poses a threat to European security.” The Kremlin has denied any involvement. You can hear Frederiksens comments at the time in the following video: Denmark has in recent days been subjected to ‘hybrid’ attacks involving drones over critical military and civilian sites, prime minister Mette Frederiksen said in a video statement https://t.co/OUi565hG6f pic.twitter.com/OFiUxv3pdz— Reuters (@Reuters) September 26, 2025 However, the incidents at Leipzig are the most serious yet as they prove weaponization. The issue of drone incursions is not unique to Europe, as we have highlighted for years. There have been numerous incursions at military installations across the U.S., including some near the water, like Langley Air Force Base in December 2023 that The War Zone was the first to report. More recently, Barksdale AFB in Louisiana, home of B-52 strategic bombers and nuclear weapons, experienced a similar series of very troubling incursions. Off the coast of California, American warships were swarmed sporadically for days in the summer of 2019. There are many other examples, as well, and as is the case in Europe, it remains publicly unknown who operated those drones in all those instances. The weaponization of small, even off-the-shelf drones, is only proliferating, especially after half a decade of fighting in Ukraine where these types of drones are considered among the most important weapons on the battlefield today. The know-how to assemble and employ these democratized smart munitions is only spreading and the threat of them showing up far beyond war zones will only grow. For years already, criminal organizations like drug cartels have been using drones as assassination tools, for instance. This and so many other factors have made the need for better means of detecting and defeating them all that more dire. But even in the hands of the lowest of non-state actors, or even nefarious individuals, small drones will be increasingly used to do big damage. Contact the author: howard@twz.com The post Explosive Drone Found Next To Ukrainian An-124 In Germany Signals A New Threat Reality appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: News & Features, Air, Around The Globe, Drones, Europe, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Unmanned] [Link to media]

— North Korea Upping Ballistic Missile Supplies To Russia Would Be Bad News For Ukraine At The Worst Time

 

at 8/5/26 3:31pm

Ukraine’s military intelligence says North Korea is preparing to deploy a missile unit to western Russia, which would mark another major expansion of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. The report comes as Kyiv warns its dwindling ballistic missile defenses are costing civilian lives. Andrii Cherniak of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) told Reuters that the deployment will involve approximately 90 North Korean personnel stationed in Russia’s Voronezh region — which borders Ukraine — alongside the Russian military’s 112th Guards Missile Brigade. Ukrainian intelligence assesses the unit could ultimately field six launchers and as many as 120 KN-23 and KN-24 short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), although the final composition is expected to be determined during senior-level talks next month. A North Korean KN-24 short-range ballistic missile. North Korean State Media The Ukrainian intelligence assessment has not been independently verified. If confirmed, the deployment would represent a further deepening of North Korean support for Russia, after supplying Russia with ammunition, smaller numbers of ballistic missiles, and troops. The Ukrainian Air Force today said Russia launched another major overnight strike combining drones with ballistic missiles. Preliminary figures showed Ukrainian air defenses shot down 98 of the 115 drones launched, but failed to intercept a single ballistic missile. As well as the inherent difficulty of intercepting these threats, this statistic also points to the exhaustion of its Patriot interceptor stockpiles. Overnight, Russia attacked Kyiv and the surrounding region with more than two dozen ballistic missiles, killing at least 17 people and injuring more than four dozens.Russian strikes take no summer vacation; support for Ukraine and pressure on the aggressor must not pause… pic.twitter.com/GLc0YUgUgG— Andrii Sybiha (@andrii_sybiha) August 5, 2026 The attack killed at least 17 people and injured dozens more after strikes hit multiple locations across Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelensky directly linked the casualties to continued shortages of advanced air-defense systems. “Ballistic missile interceptors could have saved the lives of those killed today,” Zelensky wrote on social media. “It is very important that our partners understand that delays in supplying them, or an unwillingness to provide anti-ballistic systems, lead directly to such horrific casualties and destruction.” As of now, 44 people have been reported injured in the massive Russian strike on Kyiv and the Kyiv region. Another 17 people, tragically, were killed. My condolences to their families and loved ones. It was a heavy strike – 24 ballistic missiles, 4 Zircon/Oniks missiles, and… pic.twitter.com/4LoHXXkt8R— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 5, 2026 Ukraine has spent months urging Western partners to provide additional Patriot batteries and interceptor missiles, which remain among the few systems capable of defeating ballistic missile threats such as Russia’s Iskander and North Korea’s KN-23 and KN-24. While Ukrainian forces routinely claim to intercept the majority of incoming drones and many cruise missiles, ballistic missiles continue to present one of the most difficult threats to defend against. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Washington might grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot interceptors domestically before later appearing to back away from the proposal, saying the technology was “a hard thing to give away.” Trump on Ukraine and Patriots:We have to be very careful about letting somebody build our advanced weapons.Its a hard thing to give away that kind of technology.Those people whom you give technology can also turn on you. Thats possible.We have to be very careful. pic.twitter.com/5QaUnkDsrN— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 31, 2026 According to Ukraine’s military administration, seven sites across Kyiv were struck during the latest attack, which began shortly after midnight. Zelensky said the primary targets included civilian industrial facilities, among them a brewing company and warehouses storing construction materials. “Partners who are not yet ready to play a more active role in supplying interceptors can help by implementing new sanctions. A significant share of Russia’s ballistic missile production is still not under sanctions,” Zelensky wrote on X. “Even now. New steps are needed — from the G7, the European Union, and everyone who supports the protection of life. Thank you to those who are willing to help in this way.” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said rescue operations continued throughout the day. “There may still be people under the rubble,” he said. Apocalyptic scenes in Kyiv following Russian missiles strikes on Tuesday night. https://t.co/AoChQIPqCQ pic.twitter.com/Ew8LyaECae— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) August 4, 2026 Emergency crews rescued two survivors from a destroyed warehouse near the city center. Klitschko said 24 people were injured, including an ambulance driver, while four remained in critical condition. The strikes also ignited multiple fires at warehouses and industrial sites, while Ukrainian authorities reported an ammonia leak triggered by one of the impacts. The latest attack coincides with what Ukrainian intelligence says was Russia’s first use of North Korean ballistic missiles since August 2025. Cherniak told Reuters that Pyongyang recently delivered another batch of 40 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles to Russia, along with additional personnel. He said Russia ultimately expects to receive 120 North Korean ballistic missiles and six launchers. A North Korean KN-23 short-range ballistic missile. North Korean State Media According to Ukrainian authorities, one of the newly delivered North Korean missiles struck the central Ukrainian village of Radushne last week, flattening a residential home and killing at least five members of the same family. In the strike on Radushne, for the first time in a while, the Russians used a North Korean missile, according to preliminary data. Of course, more examinations will follow, and everything will be verified, but as of now – it is a North Korean ballistic missile. The alliance… pic.twitter.com/UtTTNGwBUb— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 30, 2026 Clearly, any increase in Russia’s ballistic missile inventory poses a serious challenge for Ukraine’s already strained air defenses. The situation is likely to become more difficult heading into the coming winter, when Russia normally steps up its strikes against Ukraine’s electrical grid. The KN-23, known in North Korea as the Hwasong-11A, is a traditional SRBM that can reach out to around 800 kilometers (497 miles) and has a 500-kilogram (1,102-pound) class unitary high-explosive warhead. It offers greater range than Russia’s 9M723 Iskander SRBM, which carries a similarly sized warhead but has a range of 500 kilometers (311 miles). This weapon has also been fired from adapted railcars, a concept you can read more about here. A North Korean KN-23 test. North Korean State Media As for the KN-24, or Hwasong-11B, this has a range of approximately 410 kilometers (255 miles), making it more of a battlefield support SRBM, but still sufficient for Russia to strike many targets within Ukraine. It is often considered a North Korean analog of the U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). KN-24 being test-launched. North Korean State Media However, the North Korean SRBMs are considered less accurate than their Russian-made counterparts and have been associated with strikes causing significant civilian casualties. According to a report from Ukrainian state prosecutors, around half of the KN-23s that had been launched by Russia between late December 2023 and late February 2024 not only deviated from their trajectory but also exploded in midair. Interesting Ukrainian MoD assessment of North Koreas KN-23 and KN-24 missiles. https://t.co/PxgyjMCog9— Fabian Hinz (@fab_hinz) April 18, 2026 An investigation by Conflict Armament Research (CAR) into the wreckage of a KN-23/KN-24 missile used by Russia in Ukraine found that the missile contained more than 290 foreign-made electronic components, with approximately 75 percent linked to U.S. companies, 16 percent to European firms, and the remainder to Asian manufacturers. This suggests that North Korea continues to obtain critical Western technology despite longstanding international sanctions and points to continued limitations in Pyongyang’s high-technology production capabilities. Analysis of the debris from one of the North Korean ballistic missiles fired by Russia at Ukraine found it was constructed with more than 290 non-domestic electronic components. Many of them were produced by US companies in the last 3 years.This analysis was conducted… pic.twitter.com/YHwwAZG0Wo— Colby Badhwar (@ColbyBadhwar) February 20, 2024 North Korea first began supplying KN-23 and KN-24 missiles to Russia in late 2023. Cherniak said Pyongyang delivered approximately 150 ballistic missiles between late 2023 and August 2025. Ukraine also says North Korea has supplied millions of much-needed artillery projectiles and deployed around 14,000 troops to Russia’s Kursk region under the countries’ 2024 mutual defense agreement. A graphic shown at a White House press conference in January 2024 provides details about Russian use of North Korean ballistic missiles. NSC/White House Cherniak said roughly 9,500 North Korean troops remain in Kursk but are not currently engaged in combat operations against Ukraine. Zelensky said last month that Russia is seeking an additional 30,000 North Korean troops and is preparing facilities in the Voronezh region to receive them. Overall, North Korean-supplied missiles make up only a very small fraction of the weapons used in Russian strikes on Ukraine, but there has long been concern about the direction the burgeoning military relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang could take. There have been particular concerns that Russian expertise in the development of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons — as well as other weapons and technologies — could be provided to North Korea. The reported new deployment comes as Russia appears to be increasing its reliance on ballistic missiles to exploit one of Ukraine’s most significant military vulnerabilities. With few signs that Russia has been able to further ramp up production of its own Iskander missiles, an increased supply of North Korean ballistic missiles would take advantage of a gap in Ukrainian air defenses and further threaten its cities, energy infrastructure, and other targets. The bigger concern is not simply another shipment of missiles, but the prospect of Russia tapping into an expanding North Korean production base financed by Moscow, allowing it to sustain high-volume ballistic missile attacks for far longer than it otherwise could. Ukraine’s ability to defeat ballistic missiles of any origin has become increasingly constrained by the availability of interceptor missiles. Patriot remains the primary system capable of reliably engaging Iskander, KN-23, and KN-24 ballistic missiles, but the U.S.-made interceptors are expensive, produced in relatively modest numbers, and are also needed to meet U.S. and allied needs around the world. European-supplied SAMP/T batteries also provide a limited anti-ballistic capability, but have been provided in only limited numbers so far. Ukrainian personnel remove camouflage netting from a Patriot launcher. Ukrainian Air Force Global demand for Patriot interceptors has surged amid conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, straining U.S. and allied inventories and production capacity. Those constraints have become significant enough that Congress has questioned whether the Pentagon can sustain higher transfer rates to Ukraine even as Kyiv presses for more interceptors. Meanwhile, although the United States continues discussing licensed Patriot production with Ukraine, any domestic manufacturing effort would take many months—if not years—to produce missiles in meaningful numbers, leaving Kyiv dependent on allied deliveries for the foreseeable future. Whether or not the reported North Korean missile unit deployment materializes, the operational trend is becoming increasingly clear. Russia is continuing to expand the scale and complexity of its long-range strike campaigns, pairing mass drone attacks with growing numbers of ballistic missiles specifically intended to exploit one of Ukraine’s most difficult defensive challenges. As Kyiv’s leadership continues to press for additional Patriot batteries and interceptor missiles, the consequences of those shortages are becoming increasingly evident with every large-scale strike. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The post North Korea Upping Ballistic Missile Supplies To Russia Would Be Bad News For Ukraine At The Worst Time appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: Land, Armies, Around The Globe, Europe, Indo-Pacific, News & Features, North Korea, Russian Army, Tactical Ballistic Missiles, Ukraine] [Link to media]

— XQ-58 Valkyrie Crashes At Dugway Proving Ground In Utah (Updated)

 

at 8/5/26 3:28pm

Details are still limited, but a Kratos Valkyrie drone in a test configuration has crashed at the U.S. Armys Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. A Kratos test configuration of Valkyrie experienced a mishap following takeoff from a test-range runway on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. This was a Kratos internally funded R&D event, part of continually adding configurations and capabilities, according to a statement Kratos provided to TWZ. No one was injured in the incident. As safety is our top priority, flight test operations for this system have been paused temporarily in an abundance of caution while we investigate the cause of the incident. Kratos has additional test systems ready once the investigation is complete. In response to our follow-up questions, Kratos declined to provide more information about the configuration of the drone. The statements mention of takeoff from a test-range runway would point to one of two versions of the Valkyrie the company has been developing capable of getting airborne from traditional runways, which we will come back to in a moment. An aerial view of Michael Army Airfield at Dugway Proving Ground, which is regularly used for testing uncrewed aircraft. US Army An installation spokesperson at Dugway separately confirmed to TWZ that an unspecified drone had crashed yesterday at around 8:00 AM local time. The uncrewed aircraft, which was not owned or operated by the U.S. military, went down shortly after takeoff for reasons that are still unknown. There were no casualties or damage to buildings as a result. When asked specifically, base officials had declined to say whether or not the drone was a Valkyrie. Dugways Michael Army Airfield is a major hub for uncrewed aircraft testing, both by the U.S. military and private companies. Dugway also supports a wide range of other research and development and test and evaluation activities, with a heavy focus on defense against chemical and biological warfare threats. Versions of the Valkyrie have been flying since 2019, with the U.S. Air Force being the first known operator of the type. The drone, also known as the XQ-58, was originally designed for rocket-assisted takeoffs via static launchers, and then recovery via parachute. Kratos subsequently developed a special launch trolley enabling takeoffs from traditional runways. In August 2024, the company announced plans for a new variant with built-in landing gear, also known as the Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL) type, and said they hoped to see a first flight soon. The CTOL drones will still be capable of being launched via rocket. A rendering of the CTOL version of the Valkyrie. Kratos Back in January, Kratos told TWZ that the target timeframe for a first flight of the CTOL Valkyrie had moved to early 2026. At that time, the company also confirmed that this version of Valkyrie, sometimes referred to as the MQ-58B, was being developed in part for the U.S. Marine Corps. The Marines are acquiring these drones under the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. The service is hoping to take delivery of its first MQ-58s in 2029. The service has already been laying the groundwork for its future CCA fleets with XQ-58 variants of the Valkyrie. One of the Marine Corps XQ-58 drones seen during a previous test flight. USAF Kratos has seen growing interest in the Valkyrie family globally in recent years. This includes a partnership with Airbus on a version of the stealthy XQ-58 Valkyrie drone for the German Luftwaffe. More remains to be learned about the crash at Dugway and how it might affect ongoing work on the Valkyrie family. Update: 6:25 PM ET – TWZ has now had a chance to talk to Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, in light of yesterday’s crash. “I cant go into detail on the exact configuration because, of course, thats related to the investigation and what we will dig into,” Fendley told us. “So that basically would be potentially affecting the investigation. The investigation goes through everything that occurs leading up to doing any kind of a test.” “We push the envelope across all of our system types,” he added. “The other thing I can say is we are constantly increasing the capability of the system, both for what we think it needs to be, and in other cases to satisfy what a particular customer may want to do to satisfy a certain mission. “So were doing all of those things, and the kind of Silicon Valley approach, the more modern test approach for things is you accelerate quickly, you reduce risk where you can, you experience failures here and there, you learn from those failures and you move forward,” he continued. “Ideally, with that process, over time, what you do is – what you ultimately develop, achieve, and can move forward with is much faster than the Im going to call it the legacy traditional approach, which has you know little or no tolerance for any missteps.” Contact the author: joe@twz.com The post XQ-58 Valkyrie Crashes At Dugway Proving Ground In Utah (Updated) appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: News & Features, Air, Drones, Loyal Wingman, Unmanned, XQ-58] [Link to media]

— Houthis To Expand Shipping Attacks To Northern Red Sea

 

at 8/5/26 12:19pm

The Houthi rebels of Yemen say they are widening the scope of their attacks on Saudi shipping to the northern Red Sea to prevent transits through the Suez Canal. The expansion of Houthi kinetic activities there comes amid mixed messages about efforts to open up the Strait of Hormuz, largely closed by Iran after it was hit by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28. The Iranian-backed Houthis already struck Saudi ships in the southern part of that body of water and refineries along the northern portion after imposing a blockade on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, leading several oil tankers in the Red Sea to avoid that route in favor of the Suez Canal. The expansion of the Houthi campaign against Saudi shipping began with an attack off the port of Yanbu on the NCC Wafa, a Saudi oil tanker, the rebel group claimed today. “By Gods grace, the Yemeni Armed Forces succeeded in striking the Saudi oil vessel Wafa in the northern Red Sea off the area of Yanbu, using a number of ballistic missiles — and the hit was precise, by Gods grace,” Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed on X. “In tightening the naval blockade on the Saudi enemy at Bab al-Mandeb in the southern Red Sea, the Saudi enemy has moved to reroute its oil vessels toward the northern Red Sea. The Yemeni Armed Forces therefore affirm that their operations will continue and escalate in targeting Saudi oil vessels in the northern Red Sea, to close off every route and prevent passage, in order to cement the ‘blockade for blockade’ equation.” بيان القوات المسلحة اليمنية بشأن تنفيذ عملية عسكرية استهدفت سفينة "وفاء" النفطية السعودية شمالي البحر الأحمر أمام منطقة "ينبع" وذلك بعدد من الصواريخ الباليستية محققة إصابة دقيقة بفضل الله، وذلك في إطار معادلة "الحصار بالحصار". pic.twitter.com/BGw1NHqBpZ— العميد يحيى سريع (@Yahya_Saree) August 5, 2026 There was no immediate statement issued by the Saudis and TWZ cannot independently verify the Houthis claims. As we have frequently detailed, a Houthi blockade of the BAM threatens to add far greater pressure on oil exports from the Middle East, already drastically affected by the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the resumption of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports. The kingdom has diverted millions of barrels of oil per day through pipelines to its Yanbu port on the Red Sea in an effort to minimize the energy shortages due to the hostilities in the Persian Gulf. As we have noted, the Suez Canal is an important artery in addition to the BAM for ships carrying Saudi energy supplies, though this route drastically increases the cost of exports to Asia given the need to travel around Africa. While tankers carrying Saudi oil through the BAM have been greatly reduced, they are still making their way through the Suez Canal. But that could change if the Houthis start making that route perilous too, which would put a tighter energy squeeze on the west, including Europe, as well as the rest of the globe. They could also continue to attack Saudi oil terminals on the Red Sea, making shipping a moot point if the transfer stations are not operational. The closing of the BAM to Saudi oil traffic, and now threats to the transit route north to the canal, also raise the specter of the U.S. having to get as involved as it did during the previous Houthi campaign against shipping that ended last September, which could pull resources away from Iranian-focused operations. Its possible Egypt would have a major problem with such actions too, as it would impact the Canals revenue and freedom of movement. This could widen the conflict. Bab al-Mandeb Strait. (Google Earth) Meanwhile, there are mixed signals about whether the Strait of Hormuz will be fully reopened to traffic and under what conditions. The U.S., Iran and Oman are closing in on an interim agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with the U.S. aiming for a Wednesday announcement, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing two regional sources and a U.S. official. According to two regional sources, the deal under discussion sets up a 60-day temporary arrangement between Oman and Iran in the Hormuz strait, which could be extended. All inbound traffic of ships through the strait and into the Gulf would go in a northern lane through Iranian waters, the publication noted. All outbound traffic through the strait and into the Arabian Sea would go in a southern lane through Omani waters, in coordination with Iran. In addition, there would be no tolls or fees charged during this interim two-month period and the parties would work to clear the median lane of the Strait of mines within 30 days. After the median lane is cleared, it would be used for inbound and outbound traffic under the terms of a permanent arrangement to be negotiated between Oman and Iran, the outlet added. The U.S., Iran and Oman are closing in on an interim agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with the U.S. aiming for a Wednesday announcement. My report on @axioshttps://t.co/JolewIGqKs— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) August 5, 2026 The deal described by Axios largely mirrors the Iran-Oman negotiations we reported on yesterday, with the main differences being the involvement of the U.S. and no imposition of fees. As we noted, both Iran and the U.S. are currently following a bifurcated traffic pattern, with the U.S. Navy recommending transits close to the Omani coastline and Iran pushing shipping toward its shores. The middle of the Strait has been deemed too hazardous because of the threat primarily from mines. Speaking to Fox News Tuesday night, President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran have been ongoing but that Tehran faces severe consequences if it fails to open up the Strait. If they back out again, they are going to get hit really hard, Trump proclaimed. The president has insisted that Iran must fully open the vital chokepoint or face new and more intense attacks that would include power plants, other civilian infrastructure and even strikes on leadership. President Trump says a deal with Iran could happen as early as today after talks continued Tuesday, warning Iran would face severe consequences if it backs out and again saying it cannot have a nuclear weapon.CENTCOM said the Strait of Hormuz remains open, with U.S. forces… pic.twitter.com/U0fTSALAMz— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 5, 2026 There are indications from Iran, however, that any deal to open the Strait is between Iran and Oman and that it might not result in a quick resolution. The official Iranian Press TV stated on X that any potential bilateral agreement between Tehran and Muscat regarding maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will not automatically lead to the immediate re-opening of the strategic waterway. An informed source told Press TV that any potential bilateral agreement between Tehran and Muscat regarding maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will not automatically lead to the immediate re-opening of the strategic waterway.Follow: https://t.co/mtgZgtmxsz pic.twitter.com/j2eVtj6CMR— Highlights (@highlightsnews1) August 5, 2026 Reuters on Wednesday concurred that any deal to open the Strait may not be as imminent as Trump has claimed. A proposed deal between Iran and Oman would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, the outlet wrote, citing a senior Iranian source and two regional officials. Despite the apparent step towards yielding to Iranian demands, the sources pushed back against assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump that ‌a deal reopening the strait was imminent, saying important details still had to be agreed. (Reuters) A proposed deal between Iran and Oman would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source and two regional officials told Reuters ​on Wednesday, in one of the biggest concessions yet to Iran.— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) August 5, 2026 Regardless of negotiations, U.S. Central Command stated on X that the Strait of Hormuz southern route along the coast of Oman remains open and that over the past three months, U.S. forces have assisted more than 1,000 vessels in successfully transiting the strait despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, and these transits continue today. The southern route through the Strait of Hormuz remains free and open for all commercial vessels seeking to transit the international waterway. Over the past three months, U.S. forces have assisted more than 1,000 vessels in successfully transiting the strait despite unwarranted… pic.twitter.com/TcszH0GimG— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 4, 2026 Between Houthi actions in the Red Sea region and the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, commercial traffic in both areas continues to be greatly reduced, though transits through the BAM are spiking upwards, according to MarineTraffic. The latest data highlights how headline volumes can obscure underlying maritime risk. Strait of Hormuz crossings fell from 10 to eight on 4 August, with seven vessels exiting the Middle East Gulf and only one entering, MarineTraffic stated on X. Five of the eight movements used the Iranian Unilateral Scheme, while no Hormuz Traffic Separation Scheme crossings were recorded. Meanwhile, Bab el-Mandeb traffic rose from 25 to 34, including 18 vessels entering the Red Sea and 16 exiting, MarineTraffic added. Yet four dark transits, two sanctioned crossings and six shadow fleet movements indicate that visibility, routing concentration and compliance exposure remain central concerns. Traffic data reveals fragile flows#MarineTraffic data highlights how headline volumes can obscure underlying maritime risk. Strait of Hormuz crossings fell from 10 to eight on 4 August, with seven vessels exiting the Middle East Gulf and only one entering. Five of the eight… pic.twitter.com/Kgf3ePX1C5— MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) August 5, 2026 Amid all this, oil prices have actually fallen, with Brent Crude now trading at slightly over $79 a barrel, down from nearly $85 per barrel yesterday. Still, there are many reasons Trump is pushing a rekindled effort to find a diplomatic off-ramp to a conflict that has killed 18 American troops, wounded hundreds more, drained U.S. weapons stocks and roiled international relations and global financial markets. In addition to the global economic pressures this conflict has created, it is unpopular among the American electorate and crucial mid-term elections will take place in November. Even Fox News, generally supportive of Trump, has released polling data that shows a majority of voters oppose U.S. military action, and nearly two thirds think the conflict will last at least a year. The latest Fox News survey finds 56% oppose U.S. military action against Iran, including 40% who strongly oppose. How much these factors will play a role in Trumps decision-making should become clearer over the next hours and days. Contact the author: howard@twz.com The post Houthis To Expand Shipping Attacks To Northern Red Sea appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: News & Features, Around The Globe, Iran, Middle East, Yemen] [Link to media]

— P-8 Poseidon Crews Controlling MQ-4C Triton Drones Becoming A Reality

 

at 8/5/26 12:03pm

Boeing and Northrop Grumman are laying the groundwork to take teaming between the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane and the MQ-4C Triton long-endurance maritime surveillance drone to a new level. A first-of-its-kind test has demonstrated common command and control architectures that will enable P-8A crews to issue orders to MQ-4Cs. The drones would then perform their assigned missions autonomously and report back. The Poseidon and Triton were designed to operate as a team from the start, but the ability to task the uncrewed aircraft directly in flight would offer new flexibility, especially to respond to sudden changes in the battlespace. Press releases today from Boeing and Northrop Grumman shared details of the recent P-8/MQ-4 teaming test. The testing was conducted in a laboratory environment and no real aircraft were involved. A P-8A operator issued machine readable, machine actionable mission tasking to a simulated MQ-4C Triton using UCI [Universal Command & Control Interface] formatted messages, according to Boeings release. The P-8A cued the Triton transit to a specific area. After receiving the request, the Triton autonomously planned and executed a transit to the area, employed sensors per the tasking, processed findings onboard, and reported results back to the P-8A Poseidon. A graphic offering a very general overview of a concept of operations involving teaming of the P-8A and MQ-4C. Boeing In the exchange, Triton’s system used AI [artificial intelligence] algorithms to collect, process and share intelligence data with P-8A Poseidon in response to a request sent by the P-8A Poseidon system, Northrop Grumman also said in its release. Data routes included satellite relay to reflect realistic operational communications. Mission management and autonomy layers communicated via OMS/UCI [Open Mission Systems/Universal Command & Control Interface] rather than custom point to point interfaces, Boeings release adds. Using UCI, the platforms can collaborate with any U.S. or allied asset sharing the same interface – reducing operator workload by distributing the mission tasks and accelerating commander decisions, making integration across platforms quicker and more cost effective. The P-8A was designed primarily as a maritime patrol platform, but has substantial additional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities baked in. This includes a surface search radar that also has a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mode, allowing it to capture still radar images, even through cloud cover, smoke, and dust, and at night. It also has a sensor turret with electro-optical and infrared full-motion video cameras, as well as a robust signals intelligence suite, as you can read more about here. Its communications capabilities are also critical to making use of all the intelligence it gathers, as well as leveraging data gathered by other platforms. The U.S. Navy also operates more specialized versions of the Poseidon with very advanced add-on sensor systems. A stock picture of a US Navy P-8A. USN The MQ-4C, which was derived from the RQ-4 Global Hawk drone, has a radar with a SAR mode, as well as electro-optical and infrared cameras, as well. In addition, the drones have electronic support measures systems that allow for the collection of electronic intelligence passively. Unlike Global Hawk, Triton also notably has the ability to descend to lower altitudes to more closely investigate targets of interest. So far, the United States and Australia are the only countries to operate the MQ-4C, and both of them also have fleets of P-8s. Canada, Denmark, Germany, India, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, and the United Kingdom all fly P-8s or are in the process of acquiring them, as well. Last month, Denmark, Finland, Germany, and Norway announced a new joint plan to acquire and operate a fleet of Triton drones under the umbrella of the NATO alliance. A depiction of an MQ-4C Triton in NATO markings. Northrop Grumman As already noted, the intention has always been for the P-8A and MQ-4C to work closely together, and the U.S. Navy actively teams the two platforms up today. Currently, the MQ-4C is being used as a long endurance, maritime ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] asset, that often times feeds us updated posits [positions] on contacts of interest, a P-8A pilot assigned to the Navys Patrol Squadron Five (VP-5), the Mad Foxes, explained to TWZ in an interview years ago. They can fly significantly higher and longer than us and are able to provide a more constant feed of ISR. The Triton will be flown and monitored out of NAS Jacksonville [Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida], and we have already seen some pilots and NFOs [naval flight officers] being selected to operate the aircraft, the Navy P-8A pilot also noted at that time, and this is the crux of the matter. What Boeing and Northrop Grumman have now demonstrated, at least in a test lab, is the ability of P-8A crews to dynamically task and retask MQ-4Cs without having to go through a command center on the ground that could be thousands of miles away. This, in turn, can only speed up the process of responding to sudden developments, which could include potential threats that pop up unexpectedly or targets of interest that appear to be fleeting. A look inside the main cabin of a P-8A during a mission. USN Petty Officer 2nd Class Andy Anderson As the pilot from VP-5 previously explained, the MQ-4C already offers a valuable broad-area maritime surveillance asset that can cover vastly more area, and do so more persistently, than a P-8A can by itself. This, in turn, can also help keep Poseidons further away from potential dangers. Though treated as something of an aside in the press releases today, work to enable the MQ-4C to do at least some level of immediate autonomous processing of the data it collects using AI-driven systems is also an important development. The amount of data that drones like the Triton can collect can easily be overwhelming for sensor operators and intelligence analysts. A new electronic and signals intelligence (ELINT/SIGINT) suite is in development now for the MQ-4C that will only expand the breadth and volume of data the drones can collect. The U.S. Navy is also in the process of upgrading its P-8As with the explicit aim of improving their already substantial ISR, targeting, and networking capabilities. With all this in mind, the ability to detect and classify potential items of interest and then highlight them for human personnel offers immense benefits for shrinking down the time it takes to go from data collection to appropriate action. Having a collection platform, crewed or uncrewed, do at least some of that work in an automated fashion upfront can only help further speed up the process. Not having to send as much data can help reduce bandwidth demands and, by extension, latency in the transfer, too. A stock picture of a US Navy MQ-4C drone. Northrop Grumman A Multi-Int MQ-4C Triton drone. Northrop Grumman The OMS/UCI architecture used to support the new P-8/MQ-4C teaming testing could further open the door to pairing the Poseidon with other uncrewed teammates, as well. General Atomics has already been pitching the SeaGuardian version of its MQ-9B drone as a new partner for the P-8A. In its standard configuration, the SeaGuardian is also primarily intended for maritime surveillance and reconnaissance. However, there has also been work to give the drone new capabilities to support anti-submarine warfare missions, including with underwing dispensers for sonobuoys and the ability to pass data they collect along to other nodes. An MQ-9 drone with a sonobuoy dispenser under its left wing seen during a test. General Atomics We could see more teaming opportunities emerge for the P-8A in the future on the smaller tactical side if the aircraft gain the ability to launch drones of their own. TWZ has laid out a detailed case for adding this capability to the Poseidon in the past. More broadly speaking, the U.S. military is investing heavily in crewed-uncrewed teaming capabilities in the air and in other domains, and this is also a growing trend globally. Especially with the P-8 user base already large and continuing to expand, a new level of interoperability between the Poseidon and the Triton, specifically, could be valuable for the U.S. military and its allies and partners during future coalition operations. This could also create new interest in the MQ-4C among existing and future P-8 operators. “MQ-4C Triton and P-8A are the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s maritime patrol and reconnaissance force, delivering complementary capabilities unmatched by any other platforms, Jane Bishop, Vice President and General Manager of the Global Surveillance Division at Northrop Grumman, said in a statement today. This demonstration underscores the flexibility of our systems, our unwavering industry investment and the strength of our industry relationships. Our commitment to pushing the boundaries of advanced technology ensures that the U.S. and allied nations operators maintain an unparalleled edge against evolving maritime threats.” “This Poseidon-Triton teaming demonstration unlocks real-world capability and interoperability for the U.S. and allies, Tory Peterson, Vice President of the P-8 program at Boeing, also said in a statement. We’re investing so that current and future global P-8A operators can expand the scope and effectiveness of their missions with low risk, evolutionary enhancements on the most advanced maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft already in service.” Another look at a US Navy P-8A Poseidon. USAF It remains to be seen when Boeing and Northrop Grumman might demonstrate the new P-8/MQ-4C teaming capabilities in a real-world flight test. Next steps and timing will depend on customer requirements and would follow established acquisition, testing and fielding paths, a Boeing spokesperson told TWZ when asked about any potential flight testing plans. This was a jointly funded technology collaboration between Boeing and Northrop Grumman, demonstrating a practical, low-risk approach for integrating standards-based capabilities into existing platforms. The recent laboratory test is still an important step toward a future in which P-8A crews are able to issue direct commands to their uncrewed MQ-4C partners. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The post P-8 Poseidon Crews Controlling MQ-4C Triton Drones Becoming A Reality appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: Air, Drones, Maritime Patrol, MQ-4C, News & Features, P-8, Q-4, Unmanned] [Link to media]

— China’s Growing Regional Ballistic Missile Arsenal: A Guide

 

at 8/5/26 10:50am

China’s ballistic missile arsenal has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past two decades. Once centered on a relatively small force of nuclear missiles designed primarily for deterrence, which we discussed in the first part of this series, the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) now fields the world’s largest — and one of the most diverse — conventional and nuclear-armed ballistic missile forces. Among its increasingly advanced regional ballistic missiles are several types that are capable of carrying either conventional or nuclear warheads, further complicating crisis stability. Ranging from short-range systems optimized for a Taiwan contingency to intermediate-range weapons capable of striking Guam and threatening U.S. naval forces deep into the Western Pacific, these regional missiles have become the backbone of Beijing’s anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) strategy. The land-based examples are road-mobile, solid-fueled, and increasingly precise. Some are fitted with hypersonic or maneuvering warheads to further complicate the work of an adversary’s air defenses. As of last year, the Pentagon assessed that China fielded 600 missiles in the ‘boosted hypersonic’ category, which includes systems carrying hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) as well as air-launched ballistic missiles, also covered in this article. DF-21 missiles on parade on October 1, 2009, in Beijing, China. Since then, Chinese ballistic missile development has moved swiftly. Getty Images This guide examines China’s principal short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missile systems, how they evolved, and the roles they are expected to play in any future conflict in the Indo-Pacific. In this context, a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) refers to a ballistic missile with a range of up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), typically intended for battlefield or nearby regional targets; a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) covers ranges of 1,000-3,000 kilometers (621-1,864 miles) and is designed to strike targets across a broader region; and an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) has a range of 3,000-5,500 kilometers (1,864-3,418 miles), enabling it to reach distant regional targets. This article also discusses multiple missiles that carry either a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) or a maneuverable reentry vehicle (MaRV). These weapon types can potentially be adapted to hit moving vessels. A MaRV follows a roughly ballistic path to its impact point, maneuvering to improve terminal accuracy and defeat missile defenses. If paired with a seeker, among other alterations, they can potentially be used to strike ships. Meanwhile, unlike a traditional ballistic reentry vehicle, an HGV is designed to be boosted to high speed and released before proceeding along a relatively shallow, atmospheric flight path to its target. It remains maneuverable throughout much of its flight, allowing it to change course and vary its altitude. That combination of sustained hypersonic speed and unpredictable flight profile makes it far more difficult to successfully engage, while also reducing the time air defenses have to defend against it — provided they even have weapons that can successfully do so. Short-range ballistic missiles The PLARF fields multiple variants of the DF-11, DF-15, and DF-16 SRBM families. Among their most important roles is to hold Taiwan and the southern reaches of the Japanese archipelago at risk. Ongoing modernization efforts to improve accuracy, survivability, and operational flexibility underscore the continued importance of these systems, particularly for a cross-Strait campaign. Just as significant is their sheer quantity, which would enable sustained strikes against the many military and infrastructure targets that would need to be engaged in a major conflict. DF-11A (CSS-7 Mod 2) The origins of the DF-11 can be traced back to 1985, and work on a new single-stage solid-fuel ballistic missile. The initial requirement called for a 300-kilometer (186-mile) range, matching that of the widely used Soviet Scud-B, using a similar road-mobile transporter-erector-launcher (TEL). However, development trailed the DF-15, culminating in a successful flight test in mid-1990. The DF-11 entered PLARF service in 1992, but work on an improved version reportedly began almost immediately. Development of the DF-11A started as early as 1993 and focused primarily on extending the missile’s reach to approximately 600 kilometers (373 miles), effectively doubling the range of the original design. Following its maiden flight in 1997, the program was publicly acknowledged the following year, and the DF-11A formally entered Chinese service in 1999. China also developed a specialized bunker-busting variant known as the DF-11AZT, reportedly entering service in 2013. Believed to use the DF-11A airframe, the missile replaces the standard high-explosive payload with a penetrator warhead optimized for attacking hardened and fortified targets. Images of the system surfaced in Chinese media in 2016, followed by the release of footage showing a 2013 test launch the following year. A lineup of DF-11 variants, with a DF-11AZT reportedly on the far right. via Chinese internet Although rumors have periodically claimed the DF-11 family can carry a nuclear warhead, the available evidence does not support that assessment. Today, it appears that only one brigade still operates the system. A PLARF DF-11A combat launch drill from a highway in the Eastern Theater Command. via Chinese internet DF-15 (CSS-6) China began developing a new generation of conventionally armed, mobile SRBMs during the 1980s, mainly with export customers in mind. The DF-15 has evolved through several iterations, although publicly available information on the missile family remains fragmented and, in some cases, contradictory. The first major upgrade, the DF-15A, reportedly entered service in 1996 and has occasionally been described as being capable of carrying a nuclear payload. However, the only PLARF brigade still believed to operate the variant is consistently identified in open-source assessments as a conventional missile unit. Estimates of its maximum range are equally inconsistent, with figures ranging from the original 600 kilometers (373 miles) to as much as 900 kilometers (559 miles). A more substantial redesign followed with the DF-15B (CSS-6 Mod 3), which reportedly entered operational service around 2006 before making its public debut during China’s military parade in 2009. The most obvious external change is its triconic reentry vehicle fitted with control fins, a configuration widely interpreted as incorporating a MaRV warhead. CCTV Militarys Weibo account posted footage of what looks like a DF-15 short-range ballistic missile. pic.twitter.com/mG7NqhqIM9— Duan Dang (@duandang) August 4, 2022 Around 2013, another variant, the DF-15C (CSS-6 Mod 2), reportedly entered service. Based on the shape of its warhead, the missile is widely believed to be optimized for attacks against hardened and deeply buried targets, much like the previous DF-11AZT. The DF-15 remains in service with only a small number of PLARF brigades and appears to be steadily giving way to the newer, longer-ranged, and more capable DF-16. A screencap from an official PLA video showing the launch of a DF-15 missile, purportedly from the Taiwan-focused exercise in August 2022. PLA In 2022, the PLARF fired multiple DF-15s into the waters around Taiwan during live-fire drills following then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. This reflects the fact that missiles in this category remain central to any contingency involving the island. DF-16 (CSS-11) Another conventionally armed mobile SRBM, the DF-16 has steadily replaced the DF-15. Although it made its public debut during China’s 2015 military parade, the missile is widely believed to have entered PLARF service several years earlier, around 2011 or 2012. Nevertheless, much about the DF-16 remains unclear. The DF-16 closely resembles the older DF-15, but lacks the prominent aerodynamic fins found on its predecessor. This suggests the missile relies on a more advanced guidance and flight-control system capable of maintaining stability without the need for large external control surfaces. There is also some uncertainty about its range: this could potentially surpass 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), a threshold that would place it in the MRBM category. Stills from a video showing a test of a DF-16 with a submunitions warhead: DF-16 from mid 2010s, with a submunition warhead.Employment of submunition warheads against land based targets is well established, but for the PLA, their use for large and medium naval targets from AShBMs are more interesting especially from a mission kill pov. pic.twitter.com/m6S4QFAgDS— Rick Joe (@RickJoe_PLA) March 8, 2026 A version equipped with what appears to be a MaRV, commonly identified as the DF-16A (CSS-11 Mod 2), was spotted in footage of a Chinese military exercise released in early 2017, indicating it was already operational by that point. Chinese state media later revealed another DF-16 warhead configuration in 2018, widely interpreted as evidence of a further variant, the DF-16B (CSS-11 Mod 3?). Despite the emergence of multiple versions, open-source reporting consistently indicates that the DF-16 family is intended exclusively for conventional strike missions. PLARF crews training with the DF-16. via Chinese internet Medium-range ballistic missiles Over the past decade, Beijing has invested heavily in modernizing both the quality and quantity of its medium-range ballistic missile forces. Today, it fields a diverse mix of MRBMs, backed up by long-range land-attack cruise missiles, capable of executing both conventional and nuclear missions across the Indo-Pacific. All of these MRBMs are road-mobile, carried on wheeled TELs, and powered by solid-fuel rocket motors, allowing them to disperse rapidly, launch with minimal preparation, and complicate efforts to destroy them either before or after firing. DF-17 (CSS-22) One of the PLARF’s most significant recent additions is the DF-17, the world’s first operational ballistic missile designed from the outset to deliver an HGV. Publicly unveiled during China’s 70th anniversary military parade in 2019, the system is estimated to have entered service shortly beforehand. With an estimated range of 1,800-2,200 kilometers (1,118-1,367 miles), the DF-17 can reach targets across Taiwan, South Korea, and most of Japan, as well as U.S. military facilities throughout the First Island Chain. Traveling at speeds reportedly approaching Mach 10, the DF-17 could cover its maximum range in roughly a dozen minutes, representing a far more difficult target for existing air and missile defense systems. A closer look at the (here mocked-up) hypersonic glide vehicle that sits on the top of the DF-17. CCTV capture The PLARF would likely employ the DF-17 during the opening stages of a conflict to neutralize high-value assets, including integrated air and missile defense sites, long-range radars, command-and-control nodes, and other time-sensitive targets, thereby improving the effectiveness of follow-on strikes by less advanced missile systems. Although Beijing maintains that the DF-17 is conventionally armed, Chinese media and senior U.S. military officials have suggested the missile may also possess a nuclear capability. If confirmed, it would join several other PLARF missile systems believed to be dual-capable, further complicating an adversary’s ability to distinguish between conventional and nuclear strikes during a crisis, and potentially increasing the risk of miscalculation. Reports have also periodically pointed to the development of an anti-ship variant, which would further expand the DF-17’s role within China’s growing long-range precision strike arsenal. DF-17 missiles are reviewed during the V-Day military parade on September 3, 2025, in Beijing, China. Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images DF-21 The origins of the DF-21 can be traced back to the late 1970s, when China began working in earnest on solid-fuel ballistic missiles. Following successful tests of a large-diameter solid rocket motor in 1978, development of the road-mobile DF-21 accelerated (as did work on a larger solid-fueled missile that would eventually evolve into the DF-31 intercontinental ballistic missile and its submarine-launched counterpart, the JL-2, both described in the first part of this feature). The DF-21 completed its maiden successful test in 1985 and rapidly entered operational service with the PLA. The original DF-21 carried a single nuclear warhead and formed the backbone of China’s first generation of solid-fuel strategic missile forces. Its range is estimated at more than 1,750 kilometers (1,087 miles). Even before the original DF-21 entered widespread service, work had begun on an improved version. Approved in 1986, the DF-21A (CSS-5 Mod 2) focused on reducing structural weight while increasing propellant capacity, extending the missile’s range and improving overall performance. Flight testing began in 1991, and by the mid-1990s the PLA had begun replacing the original DF-21 with the upgraded variant. A rare view of a DF-21A with its missile canister cap removed for launch. via Chinese internet The DF-21 subsequently evolved from a purely nuclear deterrent into a remarkably versatile missile family. Around 2004, the PLA fielded the DF-21C (CSS-5 Mod 4), widely believed to be the first conventionally armed member of the series. Designed for precision land attack, the missile introduced an entirely new mission for the DF-21 but also highlighted a growing escalation risk. The DF-21C appears to have been retired, with surviving units reportedly having transitioned to newer missile systems. Public information on a supposed DF-21B remains sparse. The designation may have referred to an intermediate development fitted with a MaRV before that technology matured into the much better-known DF-21D. It was the DF-21D (CSS-5 Mod 5) that really brought the missile family into the spotlight, as one of China’s most closely watched strategic weapons. Public attention surged in 2010 after a senior U.S. Navy officer stated that the missile had reached initial operational capability. Equipped with a MaRV and designed specifically to attack moving warships, the conventionally armed DF-21D became the world’s first operational anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) and quickly earned the nickname “carrier killer” (since applied to several other weapon systems). Western sources attribute the DF-21D with a range of more than 1,500 kilometers (932 miles). The concept reflected Beijing’s broader A2/AD strategy, which seeks to hold U.S. carrier strike groups at risk and complicate U.S. military intervention inside the First Island Chain. U.S. defense reports had been tracking the program since the mid-2000s, and subsequent reports indicate the DF-21D has been tested against both land-based carrier mockups and actual targets at sea, underscoring China’s continued investment in long-range precision strike capabilities. DF-21D missile TELs drive past the Tiananmen Gate during a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two on September 3, 2015 in Beijing, China. Photo by Andy Wong – Pool /Getty Images While both the DF-21C and DF-21D are conventionally armed, there is also a more modern nuclear-armed addition to the family. First reported in 2016, information about this missile is scarce. Some sources refer to this variant as the DF-21E, though this designation has not been seen in an authoritative context in China, and the Western reporting name CSS-5 Mod 6 has meanwhile been applied. Intermediate-range ballistic missiles For years, the medium-range DF-21 formed the backbone of China’s regional ballistic missile force, with different variants providing conventional land-attack, anti-ship, and nuclear strike capabilities. That role is increasingly being assumed by the longer-ranged DF-26 IRBM, which significantly expands the PLARF’s reach by bringing Guam, and its concentration of critical U.S. military facilities, within range. The in-development DF-27 looks set to push that range even further, blurring the boundary between an IRBM and an ICBM. DF-26 (CSS-18) Increasingly the centerpiece of the PLARF’s regional strike force is the DF-26, which appears to be a substantially enlarged and a more capable evolution of the DF-21. Development is believed to have begun before 2010, with the first images emerging from Chinese sources around 2012 before U.S. intelligence publicly acknowledged the missile’s existence in 2014. Mounted on a highly mobile six-axle TEL, the two-stage, solid-fueled DF-26 made its public debut during China’s 2015 military parade and entered operational service the following year. The DF-26 combines significantly greater range with exceptional mission flexibility. Unlike many earlier PLARF missiles, it is believed to be genuinely dual-capable, able to carry either conventional or nuclear warheads that can reportedly be exchanged relatively quickly depending on operational requirements. A DF-26 prepared for launch. via Chinese internet In addition to land-attack missions, China has also fielded an anti-ship variant, equipped with a MaRV, and effectively extending the DF-21D’s “carrier killer” concept many hundreds of miles farther out to sea. The DF-26 is thought to have a range of more than 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles). Just as significant as the DF-26’s capabilities is the pace at which it has been fielded. The missile has become one of the fastest-growing elements of the PLARF’s inventory, reflecting Beijing’s increasing emphasis on longer-range conventional strike options. The U.S. Department of Defense estimated that China possessed more than 200 DF-26 launchers by 2020, a figure that had grown to around 250 just two years later. Combined with its ability to strike targets as far away as Guam while performing both conventional and nuclear missions, the DF-26 is poised to remain one of the PLARF’s most important regional strike weapons for the foreseeable future. DF-26D missiles attend the military parade in Beijing, capital of China, September 3, 2015. Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images DF-27 (CSS-X-24) A next-generation system, the DF-27, represents the PLARF’s continued modernization. The Pentagon’s 2023 assessment described the DF-27 as still being under development, but a tranche of leaked U.S. intelligence documents earlier that year suggested at least a limited number had already entered service. If accurate, the DF-27 would represent another significant leap in China’s long-range precision strike capabilities. The Pentagon has stated that the missile could have a range of 5,000-8,000 kilometers (3,107-4,971 miles), pushing it into the intercontinental-range category. Even at the lower end of this assessment, it could strike targets far beyond the Second Island Chain, including parts of Alaska and Australia, depending on launch location. At the higher end, it would be sufficient to reach Hawaii and potentially parts of the U.S. West Coast from some launch locations. One missile I was hoping to see in yesterdays PLA parade was the DF-27—a new long-range hypersonic missile thats been discussed in the annual DoD China Military Power Report for the last few years.However, it was missing from the paradeor was it??? pic.twitter.com/GPIGwkMgUG— Tom Shugart (@tshugart3) September 3, 2025 Available reports indicate the missile is designed to carry an HGV and will likely be fielded in both land-attack and anti-ship variants. That combination could substantially expand the PLARF’s ability to threaten high-value targets across the Western Pacific, extending the reach of China’s A2/AD network farther into areas where U.S. carrier strike groups have traditionally operated under reduced threat. The missile’s payload remains undisclosed, but given the PLARF’s growing inventory of dual-capable ballistic missiles, it would not be surprising if the DF-27 were ultimately able to carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. Air-launched ballistic missiles Falling into an interesting category is the air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM). The ALBM concept is far from new, with designs dating back to the Cold War, although they are currently seeing something of a comeback, with multiple nations around the globe now pursuing their capabilities. China is among them, and the best-known of these weapons, the JL-1, is today considered to constitute the airborne arm of the Chinese nuclear triad. JL-1 The JL-1 ALBM can be launched by the modernized H-6N missile carrier aircraft of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). These aircraft feature a modified fuselage that allows for the external carriage of these large weapons, as well as an in-flight refueling probe, extending their range. One of the past images showing an H-6N carrying a missile that looks very similar to the JL-1. via Chinese internet The JL-1 ALBM is assumed to be the same missile that has been referred to in the past in the West as the CH-AS-X-13, and which is understood to have been in development since at least the mid-2010s. This missile is reported to be an adapted, air-launched version of the DF-21 MRBM and similarly equipped with a MaRV. The possible relationship with the DF-21, and the DF-21D specifically, has prompted previous speculation about the H-6N having an anti-ship role, particularly against U.S. carrier strike groups, as well as being able to hit land targets. China released first in-flight footage of an H-6N bomber carrying the JL-1 nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile, escorted by two J-20 stealth fighters.JL-1: Nuclear-capable ALBM, ~8,000 km range, hypersonic reentry, also usable for anti-ship/land-attack. pic.twitter.com/e9uokWFnvz— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 4, 2026 China has said the JL-1 (presumably coupled with the H-6N) has a range of approximately 8,000 kilometers (4,971 miles), although this is very much unconfirmed. JL-1 missiles during the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on September 3, 2025. Photo by Pedro Pardo / AFP PEDRO PARDO The latest Pentagon report on Chinese military capabilities refers to the H-6N as a “nuclear weapons-capable bomber,” and that its JL-1 ALBM is a “highly precise theater weapon that would be well suited for delivering a low-yield nuclear weapon.” However, it may also have the option of a conventional warhead. Imagery has also emerged in the past, as seen below, which has contributed to discussions about the possibility of a second variation on the Chinese ALBM concept, with what may be a wedge-shaped unpowered HGV on top. As with the JL-1, this weapon could also be anti-ship capable. The possible second variation on the CH-AS-X-13, or another different missile, with an apparent HGV on top. via Chinese internet KD-21 Finally, the H-6K variant can carry the smaller KD-21 ALBM on its center-wing pylons. This designation indicates an anti-ship missile, but it may well have the capability to strike ground targets, too. An inert KD-21 missile under the right wing of an H-6K at Zhuhai in 2022. via Chinese internet In terms of its appearance, the weapon is very similar to the Russian Kinzhal (known in the West as the AS-24 Killjoy), a missile that is launched from adapted MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors and which has been employed in the war in Ukraine, apparently with only mixed success. Like the Kinzhal, which is an air-launched development of the Iskander SRBM, the KD-21 may be derived from a land-based weapon. In particular, the Chinese missile bears a close resemblance to the CM-401 land-based anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM), a weapon offered for export. The truck- or ship-launched CM-401 is also capable of hitting static land targets and is said to have a terminal speed of between Mach 4 and 6 and a range of up to 290 kilometers (180 miles). A mockup of a CM-401 on display at the Zhuhai Airshow in 2018. In the background is the truck-based launcher. via Chinese internet Missile numbers Estimating the size of the PLARF’s missile arsenal remains challenging, and, understandably, publicly available figures differ depending on whether they refer to launchers or missiles. Recent Pentagon assessments estimate the PLARF operates roughly 200 SRBM launchers backed by around 1,000 missiles, approximately 300 MRBM launchers with some 1,300 missiles, and another 300 IRBM launchers fielding roughly 550 DF-26-class missiles. While the number of Chinese SRBM launchers used for the DF-15 and DF-16 missiles, both of which are conventionally armed, has remained static in recent years according to Western estimates, Beijing has prioritized the development and deployment of land-based MRBMs and IRBMs, such as the dual-capable DF-21 and DF-26. From 2018 to 2019, for example, the Pentagon noted that the number of Chinese IRBM launchers and missiles had at least roughly tripled from roughly 30 to 80. In its 2020 report, the Pentagon noted that the PLARF had further increased this number to approximately 200 launchers. Models of the DF-17 and DF-21C medium-range ballistic missiles, DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile, DF-41 intercontinental ballistic nuclear missile, and other missiles exhibited at Beihang University in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images CFOTO These figures are informed estimates, and they vary noticeably across successive Pentagon reports as intelligence assessments evolve. Even so, they underscore the extraordinary scale of China’s regional strike force and, perhaps more importantly, its substantial magazine depth. This would allow the PLARF to conduct repeated waves of missile strikes in a high-intensity campaign. Current conflicts, especially between Iran and the United States/Israel, as well as in Ukraine, have shown just how critical these weapons are, and underscore that they can be a deterrent just by existing in huge numbers. The cost of air defense is also very high for the one being targeted. These lessons learned will likely accelerate China’s acquisition of more missiles and improved designs. Taken together, the missile families detailed here illustrate how dramatically the PLARF has evolved from a relatively small strategic force into one of the world’s most capable missile services. Older systems such as the DF-11, DF-15, and DF-21 continue to provide valuable magazine depth, while newer designs including the DF-16, DF-17, DF-26, and emerging DF-27 emphasize greater range, improved accuracy, enhanced survivability, and increased operational flexibility. Just as importantly, Beijing has increasingly blurred the line between conventional and nuclear deterrence by fielding a growing number of dual-capable missile systems, complicating an adversary’s ability to determine China’s intentions during a crisis. Coupled with expanding production, continued technological refinement, and the proliferation of hypersonic and anti-ship capabilities, the PLARF’s regional missile arsenal has become a central pillar of China’s military modernization and one of the most consequential strike forces in the Indo-Pacific. Any future conflict involving Taiwan, the First Island Chain, or U.S. forces in the Western Pacific is certain to feature these missiles prominently from its opening hours. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The post China’s Growing Regional Ballistic Missile Arsenal: A Guide appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: Land, Armies, Nuclear, Nuclear Ballistic Missiles, People's Liberation Army (China), Tactical Ballistic Missiles] [Link to media]

— Trump Orders White House Helipad Construction Redo: Report

 

at 8/4/26 4:53pm

President Donald Trump has reportedly ordered contractors to rip up work on his planned White House South Lawn helipad and start over again. Nearly a month ago, Trump announced with great fanfare that he was building a granite helipad to protect the South Lawn from the intense exhaust heat and rotor wash generated by the new VH-92A Patriot helicopter that will shuttle him, the vice president, their families, and their closest advisors around, both at home and abroad. As we noted at the time, based on satellite imagery of the White House and from far closer to the ground, the helipad was already deep into construction.  The $5 million to $6 million construction cost, Trump proclaimed in June, is being paid for by Sikorsky, the Lockheed Martin subsidiary that makes the VH-92A. It is unclear whether the company will be charged any additional costs or if the timeline for completion will change. We reached out to Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky, and Clark Construction, which is performing the work, for details. Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky referred us to the White House. Clark Construction did not immediately respond. Photographs obtained by The Washington Post on Tuesday “show how contractors have taken apart their work, including a 100-foot-wide granite presidential seal that was beginning to take shape last week,” the paper pointed out.  Scoop: Trump has ordered workers to redo weeks of work on his planned White House helipadnew WaPo photos show how past work was removed over weekendTrump is contemplating changes to White House lawns slope, raising bigger Qs about project and costhttps://t.co/tGrkmg6Go3— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) August 4, 2026 Trump ordered the helipad redo because he was “frustrated with its appearance and questioning whether the slope of the White House lawn needs to be changed,” the newspaper reported, citing two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss his private comments. Construction crews have been working around-the-clock on the project in order to complete it before Chinese President Xi Jinping visits in late September, The Washington Post reported last month.   Lettering spelling out “Seal of the President of the United States” is seen on the helipad being built on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 30, 2026. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP) KENT NISHIMURA A major issue is that the White House’s South Lawn, where the helipad is being built, “slants downward,” the newspaper explained. “Trump has expressed a desire for a landing pad that sits level with the horizon, prompting contractors to disassemble their work and consider whether to start by changing the lawn itself, the people said.” Federal recommendations state that helipads should be flat for safety but do not need to be perfectly horizontal, to ensure water runoff.  “The South Lawn, used for decades by helicopters that transport the president, slopes downward about 20 degrees in some places, the White House has previously said,” according to the Post. “That exceeds the recommended slant for helipads. The area chosen for the new helipad is flatter than other places.” Construction continues on a new helipad on the South Lawn of the White House to accommodate new Sikorsky VH-92A Patriot helicopters that will be used as Marine One on July 2, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images) Kevin Carter “For years, the White House has desperately needed a proper helipad on White House grounds that will allow the President to land safely and also protect the beautiful South Lawn grass from the fierce exhaust fumes of the incredible Marine One,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle told us. “Thanks to President Trump, the White House has never looked better, and it will only continue to get better under his leadership.”  “We continue to make improvements and adjust accordingly as part of the ongoing project to best match the needs of the White House,” a White House official added, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. The new White House helipad will apparently be a heated helipad, reducing the need to shovel snow and ice from the landing zone. pic.twitter.com/Qvs0KqB4wV— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) July 16, 2026 As we noted earlier in this story, the whole project now being fixed was in itself a fix for a long-standing problem. “For 50 years we’ve been landing helicopters on grass,” Trump told reporters at the White House in June while announcing the helipad construction. “The grass is wet, soggy, and our other Marine Ones are about 40 years old.” Aging VH-3Ds currently used for the mission are set to be retired completely sometime this year. However, the Marines expect to keep flying their VH-60Ns through at least 2030 because of their particular ability to operate in hot and/or high-altitude environments.  The U.S. Marine Corps VH-3D helicopter, known as Marine One when the president is aboard. (NAVAIR photo) The VH-92As “are about two and a half times more powerful than the old ones,” the American leader explained. “And when you land on the grass, it’s not that the grass gets discolored, it gets ripped out.” The problems of downforce and heat generation, as we reported on for years, led to delays in the operational deployment of the VH-92A. “This was a little bit of a planning mistake,” Trump explained. “So they landed the helicopter, and half of the grass was sitting in front of the Oval Office front door. The rest, it was scattered all over.” The grass was also singed, Trump added. “Everybody said, ‘well, we’ll keep using the old helicopters when we have to land at the White House, and for everything else we use the new helicopters.’ That’s a pretty expensive deal, you wouldn’t do that for your company.”  Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) runs test flights of the new VH-92A over the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 22, 2018. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Hunter Helis) Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) runs test flights of the new VH-92A over the south lawn of the White House in 2018. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Hunter Helis) Upon learning that Sikorsky was footing the bill, Trump said he decided to go for granite. “Let’s do a beauty, let’s not just do a piece of concrete and paint it white,” he proclaimed. “This one is a beauty. It’s got the seal of the White House, it’s beautiful, the eagle, and it’s carved out of granite stone by some of the most talented people you’ll ever meet. And you’re landing on granite, which is the strongest stone that we can like.” Trump suggested that when the helipad isn’t being used for Marine One, it can be used for events or even press conferences. The president also stated that once the helipad is finished, “we’ll be able to finally retire 45-year-old helicopters.” The helipad work isnt the only construction project taking place on the White House grounds. Trump has also ordered the construction of a new fortress-like ballroom, which you can read more about here, among many other smaller projects. Construction continues on a new helipad on the South Lawn of the White House and the East Wing ballroom on July 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images) Kevin Carter In the meantime, Trump is using the Ellipse — a park south of the White House — as a temporary landing zone for Marine One. He did so again today as he flew to Joint Base Andrews, before departing for the West Coast, first for a fundraising event for the RNC in Los Angeles, and then to Nevada for an event to be held tomorrow, where he is expected to deliver remarks on the economy.  In-Town Pool #4 POTUS departsThe president’s motorcade pulled up to the Ellipse at 2:27pm, and he stepped out of his SUV shortly after at 2:28pm.As he walked up to the helicopter, he stopped and waved to the restricted pool before walking up the stairs.M1 was at lift…— White House Press Pool Reports (@WHPressPool) August 4, 2026 How much longer this workaround will be needed isnt clear. However, having to redo work on the White House helipad could mean that the first White Top helicopter to land there will be pushed farther to the right of whatever timeline the White House had in mind. Contact the author: howard@twz.com The post Trump Orders White House Helipad Construction Redo: Report appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: Air, Helicopters, Marine One, News & Features, POTUS, VH-3, VH-92] [Link to media]

— Army Revives Giant Cannon to Advance Hypersonic Testing

 

at 8/4/26 3:15pm

The U.S. Army says it has successfully completed a live-fire test of a hypersonic warhead using a cannon-based launch system at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, a demonstration that could provide a cheaper and faster way to evaluate the terminal performance of future hypersonic weapons. The gun in question is the Heavy Artillery Test System (HATS), or a modification of it, from the canceled Strategic Long Range Cannon (SLRC), a huge artillery piece intended to be able to hit targets out to a range of 1,000 miles or more. This suggests that the program could still provide value, this time in the test world. Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) has successfully supported a full-scale, live-fire hypersonic warhead test fired from a cannon-based test https://t.co/aPueeqhM7M appears the test leveraged the Heavy Artillery Test System (HATS) from the canceled Strategic Long-Range Cannon (SLRC)… https://t.co/niKK7fZxZD pic.twitter.com/OboY13kD0a— 笑脸男人 (@lfx160219) August 4, 2026 According to the latest issue of The Outpost, the in-house news organ of the Army’s Yuma Proving Ground, the test marks the first successful live-fire demonstration of a full-scale hypersonic warhead launched from what it describes as a “cannon base test system.” Rather than relying on an expensive flight test of an operational hypersonic missile, the approach uses a gun to accelerate the warhead to high speed before impact, allowing engineers to study its lethality under controlled conditions. Hypersonic velocity means speeds of Mach 5 and above. The concept has been under development for roughly two years as a way to create what the Army calls “a high throughput, alternative method for assessing terminal effects at velocity and scale.” While the release does not disclose the velocity achieved during the test, or exactly when it occurred, the underlying idea is straightforward. Hypersonic weapons derive some of their destructive effect from the enormous kinetic energy they carry into a target, as well as, at least in some cases, a relatively small warhead. A large-caliber gun offers a comparatively inexpensive way to reproduce at least part of a hypersonic weapons terminal conditions without expending an entire missile or firing from an airborne launch platform, costing millions of dollars. A full view of the live-fire test of a hypersonic warhead using the Heavy Artillery Test System (HATS) at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. U.S. Army The effort brought together researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center (DEVCOM-AC), which developed a specialized launch package capable of surviving the extreme acceleration generated inside the gun barrel. Engineers also incorporated a DEVCOM-AC electronic safe-and-arm fuze while analyzing the internal ballistic forces the warhead would experience during launch. The extreme acceleration of being fired out a cannon is one major difference a warhead or test article would have to endure compared to being mounted on an actual missile and that must be accounted for. Before the live-fire event, the team conducted an inert proof-of-concept firing that validated the overall approach. Army officials said those results led to a series of design refinements before progressing to a live warhead. A model of a Strategic Long Range Cannon concept, in black, situated between models of more traditional tracked self-propelled howitzers. The SLRC, or a modification of it, was used for hypersonic warhead testing at Yuma. U.S. Army The service offered a detailed description of the final firing sequence. After instrumentation checks and target preparation were completed, crews positioned the launch package, armed the fuze, and loaded the warhead and propelling charge. Personnel then withdrew to protective bunkers while test officials monitored telemetry. As the article describes it, the test director issued the command to fire, followed by “a massive boom” that echoed across Yuma Proving Ground. Once the dust settled, engineers reviewed high-speed camera footage before confirming the shot had achieved all of its objectives. According to the Army, the silence was “quickly broken by loud cheers confirming a complete success.” Beyond the immediate test, the Army reckons the capability could significantly increase the pace of hypersonic weapons development. Instead of relying exclusively on limited and expensive missile flight tests, engineers could use cannon-launched surrogates to generate impact data earlier and more frequently during development. The release says the demonstration has already attracted interest from multiple hypersonic programs that are considering incorporating the methodology into future test campaigns. Although not mentioned in the article, the “cannon base test system” seen in the accompanying photo is the Heavy Artillery Test System (HATS) that was developed under the Strategic Long Range Cannon (SLRC) program before that was axed, when Congress directed the Army to stop funding the weapon in its fiscal 2022 appropriations act. The section on the Strategic Long Range Cannon in the Army’s 2022 Fiscal Year budget proposal. U.S. Army At the time, the service said it wanted to move funds into a more general account that it could use to help mature various advanced technologies. The Army also said that it planned to complete various research and development and testing of SLRC components in the 2021 fiscal year. This included work on the very large rocket-assisted projectile that was supposed to give the cannon its 1,000-mile-plus range, as well as “system integration and technology maturation for SLRC to include designs for long lead prototypes to be used in upcoming major system level demonstrations.” A graphic showing a notional SLRC design that emerged in 2021, with the gun on a “platform” style mount attached at the front to an 8×8 Oshkosh M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter System (HETS) tractor and at the rear to a three-axle trailing section. The Yuma test involved a static gun mounting. U.S. Army Returning to hypersonic testing, other alternatives to end-to-end missile flights include rocket sleds, which have long been used to replicate high speeds to test different technologies. Back in 2022, as you can read about here, the U.S. Air Force successfully recovered a reusable rocket sled after traveling at a recorded speed of 6,400 feet per second, or just about Mach 5.8, beyond the hypersonic threshold, at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. This was the first time the Air Force successfully recovered a reusable rocket sled after traveling at such a speed. Being able to recover reusable sleds after traveling at hypersonic speeds allows for the collection of critical post-testing data, which is particularly important for hypersonic weapons testing. Roughly 10 miles long, the Holloman High-Speed Test Track (HHSTT) is the only track capable of recovering sleds that hit hypersonic velocity via high-speed braking. The Air Force also began the Hypersonic Readiness program (HSR) in 2020, which focused principally on fielding a hypersonic nine-inch monorail sled test with high-speed braking capability. A reusable rocket sled travels at 6,400 feet per second on a monorail before being recovered as part of the Hypersonic Sled Recovery effort at the High-Speed Test Track at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, in 2022. U.S. Air Force In general, hypersonic testing, a major priority across the U.S. military, is intended to push weapons and their components to the limits of what they can withstand. Test articles are subjected to the extreme heat, pressure, and mechanical loads associated with sustained flight at speeds above Mach 5 to determine whether materials, structures, and subsystems can survive the operational environment. If the new gun-based approach proves broadly applicable, it could offer one answer to a persistent challenge in hypersonic development: generating meaningful terminal-effects data without consuming scarce and costly prototype missiles. Exactly how closely the cannon-launched tests replicate the conditions experienced during an actual hypersonic weapon’s flight, and what velocity envelope the Army has achieved, remain unclear. Those details may ultimately determine how valuable the new test capability becomes across the Pentagon’s growing portfolio of hypersonic weapons. At the same time, any help in accelerating hypersonic weapons development would likely be of high value as China, in particular, has gained a clear lead in this critical new capability set. Special thanks to X user @lfx160219 for alerting us to this story. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com The post Army Revives Giant Cannon to Advance Hypersonic Testing appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: Land, Armies, Artillery, U.S. Army] [Link to media]

— Iran And Oman Working To Control Strait Of Hormuz, Shaky Ceasefire Still Holding

 

at 8/4/26 12:12pm

Iran and Oman are reportedly closing in on a deal that would give the Islamic Republic full control over ships entering the Strait of Hormuz. This comes as a tenuous pause in fighting between the U.S. and Iran enters a sixth day and a day after U.S. President Donald Trump insisted that Iran would fully open the vital chokepoint today or face new and more intense attacks that would include powerplants, other civilian infrastructure and even strikes on leadership. Iran largely closed the Strait after it was hit by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28. The American leader is pushing a rekindled effort to find a diplomatic off-ramp to a conflict that has killed 18 American troops, wounded hundreds more, drained U.S. weapons stocks and roiled international relations and global financial markets. Highlighting the precarious nature of vessel transits through this narrow passage between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), another ship was struck by Iran overnight as it was leaving the Strait, a maritime security official told TWZ. The Gulf of Oman, which is the eastern approach to the Strait and the Persian Gulf, is largely controlled by Iran to the north and Oman to the south. Under the emerging agreement between those countries, “vessels heading into the Persian Gulf will transit a channel controlled by Iran, and close to its coast. Ships leaving the Gulf will travel on a channel near Oman,” The New York Times reported. Both Iran and the U.S. are already following this general traffic pattern, with the U.S. Navy recommending transits close to the Omani coastline and Iran pushing shipping toward its shores. The middle of the Strait has been deemed too hazardous because of the threat primarily from mines. The new plan being pushed by Iran and Oman would expand the use of these traffic patterns. Unless there is some special cutout made in the deal, it could require the U.S. Navy to seek permission to enter the Persian Gulf and then have to make the transit deep in Iranian waters, giving American warships degraded defensive options and putting them in the heart of Irans weapons engagement envelope. Strait of Hormuz (Google Earth) While Iranian officials say that they won’t impose tolls, the accord does include a charge for service fees to cover the environmental impact of the shipping, security for the cargo ships and tankers, and staffing, the publication added. Revenues would be divided equally between Iran and Oman, two Iranian officials told the Times. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Tehran ​is unlikely to change its position, because it has already shown flexibility by moving from its initial position of seeking full control over ​traffic in both directions in the strait. But a U.S. official familiar with the negotiations told the Times on Monday that the Iranian account was “not accurate,” and said that any “temporary” routes established through the strait would not involve approvals or permissions by Iran, and would involve no tolls. Iran demands Hormuz inbound control, outbound oversight, source says https://t.co/oItj8sJO8z— Reuters Iran (@ReutersIran) August 4, 2026 If this sounds familiar, there is good reason. We wrote about a similar scheme that was floated by Iran and Oman back in May. And, just like now, it came during a lull in fighting and as Trump insisted the Strait be open for all with no fees for transit. Regardless of the plans for the Strait being discussed by Iran and Oman, the Trump administration on Tuesday said it could soon work out a deal with Iran on the matter. “We are in talks with the Iranians,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “There is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the Strait and move towards a more normalized position in this conflict.” “It would be freedom of movement,” the Treasury Secretary said when asked whether Iran would be allowed to charge a toll. مزاعم وزير الخزانة الأميركي سكوت بيسنت: قد نتوصل إلى اتفاق بشأن مضيق هرمز اليوم أو غداً pic.twitter.com/fltYWqy2w3— إيران بالعربية (@iraninarabic_ir) August 4, 2026 All this follows Trumps claims on Monday that talks with Iran were ongoing and that he is giving Tehran a “last chance” before ordering new strikes. Iranian officials, however, vociferously denied Trump’s claim and said they are prepared to fight. “Were talking, and were talking at the request of Iran, backed by Saudi Arabia, backed by UAE and backed by Qatar in particular, but others also,” Trump told reporters Monday at the White House. “They all wanted to give this a last chance. This is a last chance. This is not something that if it doesnt happen. This is the last chance for them.” Q: "Are the talks with Iran now off?"President Trump: "No, theyre going on. Theyre going on right nowthis is the last chance for them to sign a good document." pic.twitter.com/H9RxAHmjCP— CSPAN (@cspan) August 3, 2026 On Sunday, Trump stated that he called off a major attack on Iran to give diplomacy another chance to work. Asked Monday what his message to the American people is now that he has called off strikes at least five times, Trump replied: Well, you dont know, I dont know, I think were going to maybe get something. But I want to give them every last chance before decapitation. Very tough to do what we have planned, still planned. Well see what happens. Reporter: Mr. President, this is at least the fifth time you’ve called off airstrikes against Iran since April to negotiate. What is your message to the American people who are wondering what has changed this time? Why should it be any different?Trump: Well, you don’t know. I… pic.twitter.com/pzTIJcxRbe— Acyn (@Acyn) August 3, 2026 Hours before Trump spoke at the White House, Iranians dismissed both the notion of ongoing talks and U.S. control of the Strait. “We currently have no negotiations with the United States, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baqaei told reporters, according to the official Iranian Fars news agency. “Instead, we are working, in consultation with Oman, to determine a route for vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz at the earliest opportunity. This arrangement is naturally temporary and is intended to ensure the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.” Responding to claims that Pakistani and Qatari representatives were involved in negotiations with the United States, Baqaei said, “I am not aware of any such matter. We are neither expecting to host a delegation in the coming days nor planning to send one abroad.” Iran Rejects Trumps Claim of Negotiations with Tehranhttps://t.co/sAMpGCOXTo pic.twitter.com/k5VHUtFgwh— Fars News Agency (@EnglishFars) August 3, 2026 The Iranians appear to be coalescing around hardliners from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. One Israeli journalist suggested that Supreme Leader “Mojtaba Khamenei has given IRGC Commander Ahmad Vahidi the final say on all key decisions regarding the United States.” This is an outcome we predicted before Epic Fury was launched. BREAKING | Mojtaba Khamenei Backs IRGC Commander Ahmad Vahidi’s Hardline Strategy• According to my sources, Tehran has concluded that the United States can no longer be trusted, and IRGC Commander Ahmad Vahidi’s approach has effectively become the regime’s official policy.…— דרור בלאזאדה | Dror Balazada (@DBalazada) August 3, 2026 As we noted earlier in this piece, amid debate over control of the Strait, Iran struck the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Minoan Pioneer with an unknown projectile near the Oman coast, a maritime security official told us. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center (UKMTO) stated on X that it received a military-source report of a mayday from a vessel. A second vessel relayed that the first vessel was struck by an unknown projectile in its engine room and crew accommodations. One crew member was reported missing and the remaining crew evacuated safely, UKMTO added. A fire was reported, the vessel lost power and required assistance. The vessel was last reported at anchor. UKMTO has been unable to contact the vessel. UKMTO WARNING 104-26 Click here to view the full product https://t.co/YeKyizmufu#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/oeaeGR2ENg— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) August 3, 2026 Meanwhile, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) still enforces a blockade of Iranian ports, an operation that remains a sticking point in the negotiation process. “As of Aug. 3, CENTCOM has redirected 44 commercial vessels, disabled 2, and boarded 2,” the command stated on X Monday afternoon. U.S. forces continue to strictly enforce the U.S. blockade against Iran. As of Aug. 3, CENTCOM has redirected 44 commercial vessels, disabled 2, and boarded 2. pic.twitter.com/dTu90UVAcH— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 3, 2026 As the U.S. continues to maintain a large presence in the region, another report emerged highlighting the immense expenditure of munitions during this conflict. The U.S. Army has used up much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles since Epic Fury was launched on Feb. 28, Reuters reported, citing three people familiar with the data. The missiles are principally the Armys surface-to-surface weapons, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). The U.S. has used virtually all of these weapons, according to two of the sources. The sources all declined to say how many of each munition the U.S. ​had left. Supply figures on ATACMS and PrSMs circulated inside the federal government over the last week during tense conversations inside the Trump administration about how much longer the U.S. can continue striking Iran without drawing down the stockpile to levels that would ⁠limit the militarys ability to respond to crises elsewhere, Reuters added. That PrSM is low is no surprise because the production just began. But no one should pretend that the combined depletion of ATACMS/PrSM is not a huge problem. https://t.co/BuSJNFZ8JH— Tom Karako (@tomkarako) August 4, 2026 Several days earlier, the top U.S. general in Europe privately warned the Pentagonthat he lacks sufficient naval forces to continue protecting Israel from incoming ballistic missiles, The Washington Post reported. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the head of U.S. European Command, sent written notification to senior Pentagon officials saying that without another Navy destroyer he will be forced to choose defense of the United States homeland over that of Israel, said the officials, the Post stated. A U.S. defense official said Grynkewich’s notification appears consistent with past outreach to the Pentagon from the military’s top generals when they see certain risks that require Washington’s consideration. This can occur, the official said, as commanders compete for finite resources and weapons. EXCLUSIVE: The top U.S. general in Europe has privately warned the Pentagon that he needs more naval forces if he is to continue protecting Israel from incoming ballistic missiles. Destroyer deployments and maintenance are at issue after months of war with Iran, officials say.— Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) August 1, 2026 The depletion of ATACMS and PrSMs and Grynkewichs notification come amid growing concerns over the supply of munitions, especially air defense interceptors. The lack of sufficient magazine depth is an issue that TWZ has raised frequently for years, and especially in regard to America’s air and missile defenses, in particular. In fact, we laid out in detail these exact concerns and how they would be a major issue in war with Iran just prior to the conflict starting in a feature you can read in full here. New estimates of American Patriot PAC-3 and THAAD anti-ballistic missile interceptor stockpiles in American inventory from CSIS. Roughly a third of pre-war Patriot interceptors are estimated to remain. pic.twitter.com/fa986PkBQM— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) July 29, 2026 Meanwhile, fighting between the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen and Saudi Arabia continues. The Houthis, who have already struck Saudi ships and refineries after imposing a blockade on the Bab al-Mandab Strait (BAM), on Tuesday said they struck Najran Airport using a drone. This targeting comes in response to the Saudi enemys violation of the airspace in the provinces of Saada and Hajjah using its drones, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed on X. We affirm to the Saudi enemy that any violation of our airspace will not go unpunished or without retaliation. There was no immediate confirmation about the attack from the Saudis. The Houthis often exaggerate or make up claims and TWZ cannot independently verify this one. تمكنت القوات المسلحة اليمنية بفضل الله من استهداف هدف حساس للعدو السعودي في مطار نجران وذلك بطائرة مسيرة وكانت الإصابةدقيقة.يأتي هذا الاستهداف رداً على خرق العدو السعودي للأجواء في محافظتي صعدة وحجة بطيرانه المسير.نؤكد للعدو السعودي أن أي خرق لأجوائنا لن يمر دون رد وعقاب.— العميد يحيى سريع (@Yahya_Saree) August 4, 2026 However, Saudi ship transits through the BAM are now almost non-existent since the Houthis imposed their blockade, according to the Windward maritime intelligence firm. Crossings fell to a lower baseline after the July 20 Houthi threat announcement, driven almost entirely by the collapse in Saudi-linked traffic, Windward noted on X. Non-Saudi vessels have held steady for two weeks at an average of 37 crossings per day — roughly 22% below pre-announcement levels. Saudi-linked crossings dropped to just 0.86 per day last week, the lowest recorded so far, with zero crossings on three of the seven days. The threat is functioning as a selective pressure on Riyadh’s Red Sea export route rather than a blanket corridor shutdown, Windward added. This matters because Saudi Arabia had already shifted significant volumes to Yanbu and the Red Sea to bypass Hormuz. That alternative is now under direct commercial strain. Saudi traffic through Bab el-Mandeb has almost vanished.Crossings fell to a lower baseline after the July 20 Houthi threat announcement, driven almost entirely by the collapse in Saudi-linked traffic. Non-Saudi vessels have held steady for two weeks at an average of 37… https://t.co/sCZaS7P9ma— The Red Sea Monitor (@redseamonitor) August 4, 2026 As we have frequently detailed, a Houthi blockade of the BAM threatens to add far greater pressure on oil exports from the Middle East, already drastically affected by the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the resumption of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports. Asia in particular relies on these shipments. The Yemeni rebel group has expanded its target set, hitting oil terminals and infrastructure Saudi Arabia is using to pump supplies to tankers in the Red Sea. The kingdom has diverted millions of barrels of oil per day through pipelines to its Yanbu port on the Red Sea in an effort to minimize the energy shortages due to the hostilities in the Persian Gulf. Even with the BAM closed, oil exports could still head to the West, via the Suez Canal. But if the infrastructure used to convey these energy products is put out of action, the consequences could be even more severe, with far less or even no energy supplies from Saudi Arabia moving out of the Red Sea. The closing of the BAM also raised the specter of the U.S. having to get as involved as it did during the previous Houthi campaign against shipping that ended last September, which could pull resources away from Iranian-focused operations. Though there is conflict in two regions of the Middle East, an expansion to Ukraine appears to have been avoided. Major General Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, claimed on Monday that Tehran was prepared to launch a strike against Ukraine in retaliation for a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea last month. However, that was called off after Ukraine apologized, Rezaei reportedly claimed. The situation dates back to July 26, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported a successful long-range strike on a ship in the Caspian Sea that, according to him, was being used to transport military cargo to Russia. Iran accused Ukraine of attacking a civilian vessel in the Caspian Sea, claiming that one sailor was killed and another wounded. Military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Major General Mohsen Rezaei: “We had prepared to strike three different locations in Ukraine, but after they publicly apologized for striking our vessel, we decided not to escalate.” pic.twitter.com/GR8z64G2pW— OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) August 3, 2026 Thats it for now. Well update this story when new details emerge. Contact the author: howard@twz.com The post Iran And Oman Working To Control Strait Of Hormuz, Shaky Ceasefire Still Holding appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: News & Features, Around The Globe, Iran, Middle East, POTUS] [Link to media]

— X-62A Toting Infrared Search And Track Pod Used Its AI ‘Brain’ To Autonomously Intercept An ‘Enemy’ T-38

 

at 8/4/26 11:48am

The U.S. Air Forces X-62A test jet was able to use its artificial intelligence (AI) driven brain to autonomously spot and track other aircraft in flight, and then move to intercept them, in recent testing. On top of this, the AI agent on the X-62A performed these tasks by leveraging data from an infrared sensor pod slung underneath the aircraft. The tests demonstrate exactly the kind of autonomous air-to-air combat capabilities the Air Force is hoping to gain from its first batch of operational Collaborative Combat Air (CCA) drones. The Air Force and Lockheed Martin shared details about the new testing involving the X-62A, which is a uniquely modified F-16, today. The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS), Lockheed Martins famed Skunk Works advanced projects division, and other unmanned industry partners supported what is described variously as a closed‑loop AI combat test and a demonstration of autonomous AI sensor-to-vehicle control. The X-62A, which started life as a two-seat F-16D Viper and is also known as the Variable Stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA), is assigned to the USAF TPS. The Air Force also nicknamed this particular test effort Have Heat. The X-62A seen at Edwards Air Force Base in California during the Have Heat testing. USAF Leveraging Lockheed Martin’s Infrared Search and Track Legion Pod, during the HAVE HEAT program, the X-62 VISTA platform demonstrated the ability of AI agents to ingest live infrared sensor data, directing the X-62 to autonomously intercept an airborne target in real time, according to a release from the Air Forces 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. An artificial intelligence (AI) agent used targeting information from an operational sensor to execute successful air intercepts against a live target, a separate release from Lockheed Martin also explained. Across eight flights, the X-62 Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft (VISTA) executed 27 AI-controlled intercepts. A T‑38 jet trainer was used as the live target during the tests, per Lockheed Martin. The Air Force has clearly been building up to tests like Have Heat for years now. The service, together with General Atomics, has notably used the latter companys MQ-20 Avenger drone equipped with this same pod to demonstrate autonomous target detection and tracking capabilities in the past. As an aside, it is also worth noting here that Legion Pod has been in active operational use on crewed Air Force fighters for some time now. This reflects a separate renaissance that infrared search and track (IRST) capabilities have been seeing across the U.S. military. IRSTs are especially valuable for helping spot stealthy targets with features designed to reduce their radar cross-sections since they detect and track infrared emissions. By extension, IRSTs are also immune to radio frequency electronic warfare jamming. As passive sensors, they do not emit their own signals that could alert a target to the fact they are being tracked, either. IRSTs can still be used to cue or otherwise be linked to other sensors, including active electronically-scanned array radars. Fusing data from multiple sources can provide higher fidelity tracks of multiple targets, as well as improved situational awareness overall. The Air Force, together with various industry partners, including Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, Shield AI, Anduril, and others, have also made other important strides in autonomous air combat capabilities in recent years. This includes a ground-breaking mock dogfight between the X-62A and a crewed F-16 back in 2024. What Have Heat has now demonstrated is the ability of an autonomous platform to use its own closed data loop to directly prosecute an aerial intercept of a physical aircraft. It also showed that the parties involved could move AI testing from simulated target data to real-time, on‑board sensor streams, mirroring the data environment pilots will face in future high-stakes engagements, Lockheed Martins press release notes. This all speaks to a core challenge in the development of advanced autonomous aircraft: situational awareness limitations. While the aforementioned simulated dogfight in 2024 was a breakthrough event, the Air Force subsequently disclosed that the X-62A and the F-16 had been directly exchanging data the entire time. This, in turn, underscored the difficulties of ensuring an autonomous platform can safely operate closely together with friendly aircraft, let alone engage a non-cooperative hostile threat, as TWZ explored in detail at the time. The Air Force, as well as other branches of the U.S. military, have been open about the need to overcome these hurdles and the difficulties of doing so. Another picture of the X-62A at Edwards during Have Heat. USAF It is also important to note that the commercial and military aviation sectors have been developing and fielding ever-more advanced automated ‘sense and avoid’ systems for crewed aircraft for decades now. This technology has already been working its way into the uncrewed aviation realm. However, at least so far, the main focus has been on flight safety in controlled airspace rather than dynamic air combat operations over hostile territory where threats and other hazards could emerge unexpectedly. Our autonomous agents consumed classified infrared search and track feeds and executed combat‑critical maneuvers in real time. This achievement marks a decisive advance toward delivering AI‑augmented air dominance for the United States, Ron Fehlen, Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, stressed in a statement today about Have Heat. Our ability to provide reliable sensor data is critical, but the real advantage comes when that data can connect seamlessly with AI to take action, Stacy Kubicek, Vice President and General Manager at Lockheed Martin Sensors and Global Sustainment, also said in a statement. This project demonstrates how sensing and autonomous AI can come together as a force multiplier to make faster, more informed action in complex environments. “HAVE HEAT represents a meaningful expansion of avionics capability towards integrated, AI-driven control of multiple sensors and air vehicles for mission autonomy,” Air Force Lt. Col. Joshua Strafaccia, Dean of Faculty for Research at the USAF TPS, said in his own statement. This bridges a capability gap and positions us to test advanced autonomy faster. As mentioned at the start, for the Air Force more specifically, Have Heat is another important stepping stone toward the air combat capabilities the service wants at least from its initial tranche of CCA drones. Using CCAs as forward IRST nodes is clearly a top priority. Putting the passive sensors out ahead of manned platforms, especially in groups, will generate high-quality target data independent of radars that even stealth aircraft cannot hide from. It will also help with survivability of the drones compared to equipping them with radars, but some will likely be equipped that way, as well. With all this in mind, IRST has already been emerging as a key capability for CCA-type programs more broadly, and not just in the United States. The services initial CCA fleet is set to be made up of a mix of General Atomics FQ-42 Dark Merlin and Anduril FQ-44 Fury types. The Air Force is already using pre-production versions of those drones to help develop new concepts of operations and tactics, techniques, and procedures to go with them. This includes an operational test at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada just last month, which TWZ was first to report. A pre-production YFQ-44A Fury at Creech Air Force Base during an operational test last month. USAF A pre-production YFQ-42A Dark Merlin comes in to land at Creech Air Force Base during the operational testing in July. USAF The Air Force does still see human operators at least being on the loop for the foreseeable future, especially to authorize lethal attacks. The services F-22 Raptors are in line to be the first airborne controllers for operational CCA drones. At the same time, the exact command and control schema can be expected to evolve as autonomous capabilities continue to advance, and human operators gain more trust in those platforms to perform their assigned tasks. All of this is directly intertwined with tests like Have Heat to expand what the autonomous packages for those uncrewed aircraft are capable of doing. The X-62A has been especially deeply involved in this work for years now. The aircraft itself has been receiving new upgrades specifically to expand its own autonomous and other capabilities. The Air Forces press release on Have Heat today also touched on another recent effort called Have Holidays, which focused on rapid testing of new software and hardware. Have Heat and Have Holidays were conducted in parallel. HAVE HOLIDAYS saw simultaneous integration and evaluation of a wide suite of modular technologies into the X-62’s Enterprise Open Mission System Architecture computer, according to the Air Forces release. This included the integration of a non-prime, third-party autonomous agent onto the X-62, testing of enhanced safety rules to prevent autonomous vehicles from violating user-established operational limits, and further chip integration for advanced sensor exploitation. Another stock picture of the X-62A USAF The unique X-62A Variable-stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA) seen here flew in a fully autonomous mode against a crewed F-16 fighter in a milestone mock dogfight in September 2023. USAF TWZ has previously explored in detail the importance of rapid, iterative testing in the development of new AI-driven autonomous capabilities, including in the virtual realm. Lockheed Martin says that it was able to complete full integration and ground test of the agents used in Have Heat in just three months using its Supermassive AI agent generation capability. This system-of-systems test served as critical technical risk mitigation on the design and development of logistics and integration frameworks required to maximize flight opportunities post-MSU, paving the way for broader government, academic, and industry partnerships, the Air Forces release today also added. MSU here is the larger Mission Systems Upgrades plan for the X-62A. The MSU effort is currently working toward the integration of Raytheons PhantomStrike radar onto the aircraft, as well as other new sensor and computing capacity and modern network data communications capabilities, per the Air Force. The addition of PhantomStrike, a lower-cost lightweight active electronically-scanned array radar, is particularly significant and will give the test jet another important boost in situational awareness, as you can read more about here. “X-62 is continued proof that an agile, dedicated team can rapidly advance Department of War initiatives through intentional collaboration,” Air Force Col. Maryann Karlen, Commandant of the USAF TPS, said in a statement today. Accomplishing these significant milestones is a direct reflection of the adaptability and warfighter focus personified by all members of the school. Beyond the unique VISTA aircraft, the Air Force has also been modifying six other F-16s to help support advanced autonomy work as part of Project Viper Experimentation and Next-Gen Operations Mode (VENOM). The service announced the start of actual flight testing involving Project VENOM jets last month. One of the Project VENOM F-16s. USAF The Air Force has also been making use of a variety of other crewed and uncrewed aircraft, including the aforementioned MQ-20 Avenger, to support autonomy testing and otherwise help lay the groundwork for its future CCA fleets, as well. The service has been closely coordinating with the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy on this work, and all three services have a formal agreement to develop a common command and control architecture for future CCA-type drones. The Air Force has also been working to bring in foreign allies and partners into its CCA program, starting with the Netherlands. Members of the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force stand next to a pre-production YFQ-44A drone during the CCA testing at Creech Air Force Base in July 2026. USAF The Air Force is now hoping to begin fielding its first operational CCAs by 2030. In the meantime, tests like Have Heat utilizing the X-62A and other platforms will only become more important to help build the foundation for the air combat capabilities those drones will provide on day one. Contact the author: joe@twz.com The post X-62A Toting Infrared Search And Track Pod Used Its AI Brain To Autonomously Intercept An Enemy T-38 appeared first on TWZ.

[Category: Air, Air Forces, Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Drones, News & Features, Testbeds, U.S. Air Force, Unmanned] [Link to media]

As of 8/9/26 1:09pm. Last new 8/8/26 1:04pm.