On November 12, Chairman of the Belarusian State Military Industrial Committee Roman Golovchenko announced the country’s plans to develop its missile capabilities and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), amid rising international tensions. In a letter to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Golovchenko expressed the need to accelerate R&D for defensive weapons and radio warfare systems. President Lukashenko...
On November 13, IHS Jane’s reported that the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has completed development of its AR-1B precision missile. During Airshow China 2018, a CASC spokesperson told Jane’s the missile will be used for armed reconnaissance and UAV missions. The new missile has a maximum speed of Mach 1 (343 m/s)...
On November 12, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Beyond Parallel released a report showing satellite imagery of one of 13 identified but undeclared North Korean missile operating bases. According to the report, there are an estimated total of 20 such undeclared bases throughout North Korea, which contain short-range to intercontinental ballistic missiles. The...
On November 6, the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) fired new surface-to-air missiles from the indigenously-developed Mersad missile system on the second day of large-scale joint military exercises. The Mersad system is normally paired with the Shalamcheh surface-to-air missile, but the new missiles and carrier vehicle enhance Mersad’s mobility and range....
On November 6, the U.S. Air Force successfully test fired an unarmed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). Fired out of Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the missile traveled approximately 6,800 km across the Pacific before striking a target area at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. According to Global Strike Command spokesman Joe...
On November 6, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Limited (CASIC) unveiled its new short-range hypersonic antiship ballistic missile, called CM-401, at the Zhuhai Air Show. The weapon system was displayed at the Air Show in both ground- and ship-launched platforms. According to the description of the displayed missile system, the CM-401 has a maximum...
On November 2, U.S. Air Force Colonel Mike Andrews confirmed U.S. approval of Patriot PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) integration into Germany’s air and missile defense system, TLVS. The PAC-3 is an extended range interceptor and uses hit-to-kill technology, making it more accurate than previous Patriot interceptors. As a part of a multimillion dollar arms...
On November 5, the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) fired three Sayyad-2 missiles from the indigenously-developed Talash missile system during large-scale joint military exercises in northern, central, and western Iran. The Talash system can reportedly intercept medium- to high-altitude targets within 150 km and is equipped with the Ofoq fire control...
On October 30, the U.S. Department of Defense announced a $244 million firm-fixed-price contract awarded to Boeing to procure long lead materials for the Harpoon cruise missile. The missiles will be supplied to multiple Foreign Military Sales customers, with the contract expected to be completed in March 2023. The Harpoon is a subsonic, over-the-horizon antiship...
On October 31, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the creation of the National Long Range Regional Air Defense System (SIPER) at the opening ceremony of National Technology Development and Infrastructure. According to President Erdogan, Turkey has made significant advancements in high-resolution observation, satellite technology, and information support systems. Also unveiled at the ceremony were...
