On July 27, the U.S. Navy commissioned USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, at Port Everglades, Florida. The Paul Ignatius is the 67th of its class and one of 21 currently planned for construction. Built in the Flight IIA configuration, the destroyer is equipped with an upgraded radar and Aegis combat system. Related...
On July 25, the U.S. Navy announced a successful test of the Longbow Hellfire surface-to-surface missile from an unnamed Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Conducted at Point Mugu Sea Range, California, the launch marks the first test of the Longbow Hellfire for the Independence-class LCS. The missile was successfully tested with the Freedom-class LCS earlier...
On July 28, the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) and U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) successfully tested the Arrow 3 missile defense system in Alaska. In a statement, MDA said that the missile struck three targets outside of the atmosphere. The test was the first to demonstrate Arrow 3’s integration with the U.S.-made AN/TPY-2 radar...
On July 25, Boeing announced it would withdraw its bid to produce the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), a system intended to replace the Air Force’s Minuteman III ICBMs. In a statement, Boeing said “the current acquisition approach does not provide a level playing field for fair competition,” leaving Northrop Grumman as the sole bidder for...
On July 25, North Korea tested two ballistic missiles from a site near Wonsan, along the country’s east coast. According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missiles flew 430 and 690 kilometers respectively, landing in the Sea of Japan. Officials further stated that both missiles reached a 50 km altitude, but the weapons’...
On July 17, Japan’s Ministry of Defense issued a request for proposals to integrate the Mitsubishi Electric AAM-4B air-to-air missiles on its F-15J fighter fleet. Currently in service with Japan’s Mitsubishi F-2 multirole fighters, the AAM-4B medium-range missile is the first of its kind equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) seeker. The weapon...
On July 17, Russia tested the Tor-M2DT, a short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed for arctic use. First revealed in 2017, the M2DT is a winterized variant of the Tor missile system built on a DT-30PM tracked chassis. The Russian armed forces first tested the missile at Kasputin Yar in June 2019. The weapon is...
On July 13, the Royal Netherlands Army received its first shipment of recapitalized Patriot fire units from the United States. Under the $105 million sale, the U.S. Army is replacing the radars, launch systems, and fire control units for four Patriot systems. The rebuilt Patriot elements were also installed with a Netherlands-specific dehumidifier system to...
On July 15, the Royal Malaysian Navy conducted missile tests as part of a naval exercise in the South China Sea. In the drill, Malaysian corvette KD Katsuri (F25) and a Super Lynx naval helicopter fired an Exocet MM40 Block II and two Sea Skua antiship missiles, respectively. The Exocet MM40 is a French subsonic...
On July 18, the Russian Ministry of Defence released video footage of naval drills in the Sea of Japan. Two vessels of Russia’s Pacific Fleet—a missile boat and a destroyer—participated in the exercise. Each ship launched one or more SS-N-22 Sunburn (Moskit) antiship missiles, striking a floating target located 60 km from the warships. The...
