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CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Australia successfully tested a “Frankenstein” medium-range air defense system last month, harnessing existing and new capabilities in a way nobody has tried before.After dawdling over the need to improve its ground-based air defense (GBAD) capabilities, Australia — with American assistance — is prioritizing a hybrid solution that takes sensors, software and weapons already in the Australian inventory.This first-of-type integration, which successfully fired an SM-2 interceptor missile, offers an alternative to buying expensive Patriot-type air defense systems, for example.A Department of Defence press statement said the SM-2 test “followed a period of close collaboration, innovation and engineering…

As the Russian army struggles to advance in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin is increasingly relying on ballistic missiles to maintain the momentum of his faltering invasion. While Ukraine’s air defenses have dramatically improved since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, the only platform in Kyiv’s arsenal that is capable of consistently intercepting ballistic missiles is the US-made Patriot system. However, due to limited US production and growing demand for interceptors in the Middle East, there is simply not enough ammunition available to protect Ukraine’s cities and civilian infrastructure. Putin is now taking full advantage of this shortage. On…

A Russian MMA media outlet has confirmed the UFC 331 main event.UFC 331 is slated to take place on September 19 at the Crypto.com Arena in LA. So far, there have been no official announcements about the UFC 311 headliner and co-headliner. UFC 331 main event features a BMF title bout, As Per Sources As per Russian MMA outlet RedFuryMMA, BMF titleholder Charles Oliveira will run it back with No. 2 UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 331. Check out the report below: 🚨RedFuryMMA a reputable Russian MMA media outlet is reporting that Charles Oliveira vs Arman Tsarukyan 2…

Fincantieri has signed a contract amendment with OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation) under the U212 NFS (Near Future Submarine) program, related to the construction of four next-generation submarines currently being built by the Group for the Italian Navy at the Integrated Shipyard of Muggiano. Fincantieri press release The agreement, signed by Joachim Sucker, Director of OCCAR-EA and by Fulvio Palermo, Head of Project Management of Fincantieri’s Naval Vessels Division, is worth approximately 317 million euros and extends the scope of activities assigned to Fincantieri under the program. The amendment includes the introduction of new technological capabilities through the integration of countermeasure systems developed by WASS – the Group company specialized in…

Persistent aerial surveillance delivered by a tethered drone launched from an unmanned surface vessel, for coastal security, port protection, and wide-area maritime monitoring. Elistair and Exail have partnered to integrate the Khronos automated tethered DroneBox on Exail’s DriX unmanned surface vessel (USV), giving maritime operators a persistent “eye in the sky” launched directly from the vessel. The combination extends surveillance well beyond the range of the platform’s surface sensors, while keeping personnel safe on shore. Launched directly from the deck of the DriX, Khronos provides persistent, continuous aerial surveillance. Its autonomous deployment and “follow-me” capability keep the drone stationed above…

On the night of January 17, 1991, television viewers around the world watched something they had never seen before. Against the backdrop of a black sky illuminated by antiaircraft fire, American precision-guided bombs slammed into windows, air shafts, and command bunkers in Baghdad. CNN broadcast the Gulf War live. For millions of people, the images seemed to herald the arrival of a new age.To understand why those images mattered, it is necessary to remember how threatening Iraq seemed before the war began. Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein commanded nearly one million armed men. His army had survived eight years of brutal…

Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) is a key future concept developed  by Airbus, in which crewed and uncrewed aircraft (unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs) operate seamlessly within a network. The aim is to increase the safety, range and effectiveness of operational missions.  Airbus defines Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T), also referred to as Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming (CUC-T), as the seamless cooperation between crewed and uncrewed systems to achieve shared mission objectives. Drones act as force multipliers, performing a wide range of tasks, while crews and drone operators retain full control from their aircraft at a safe distance. The cooperative interaction of crewed platforms (helicopters or combat…

One more statement win could put a rising Japanese grappler directly in line for gold. Standing in his way is a hungry debutant with nothing to lose. Keito Yamakita headlines a pivotal strawweight MMA clash against promotional newcomer Koyuru Tanoue as part of the newly completed card for ONE SAMURAI 2 on August 8. The event broadcasts live from Tokyo’s Ebara Wave Arena Ota, following seven newly added bouts that round out the lineup. Yamakita has built a 5-1 ONE record on a suffocating and relentless grappling style. He has statement wins over former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champions Alex…

On July 10, 1943, the Allied invasion of Sicily — codenamed Operation Husky — put more assault troops ashore on its first day than the Normandy landings would 11 months later. Despite the scale of these amphibious and vertical assaults on the Mediterranean’s largest island, the images most carry of this campaign come from a movie: Patton. In the 1970 film, U.S. Lt. Gen. George S. Patton wins the race to Messina and waits, smirking, as British Lt. Gen. Bernard Montgomery’s column rolls in late. The scene is an invention that reduces the campaign to a duel between two generals’…

Paulo Costa seems keen to align with the burgeoning Matchroom MMA stable, with Ariel Helwani reportedly playing a certain role in matters, according to Matchroom figurehead Eddie Hearn. The former UFC middleweight title challenger has expressed some frustrations in recent times with the promotion, and Costa is on the precipice of the final contracted fight on his present agreement following his UFC 327 win over Azamat Murzakanov. During a conversation on The Ariel Helwani Show, Paulo Costa intimated that he felt the UFC was delaying negotiations with him deliberately as a means to get the Brazilian combatant to re-sign with…