On July 6, Singapore first publicly displayed its Aster 30 surface-to-air missile (SAM) system at parade rehearsals. The Republic of Singapore Air Force first took delivery of over 100 missiles from MBDA in 2017. The Aster 30 was co-developed by France and Italy in the 1990s and can intercept airborne targets higher than 3 km...
On July 8, the U.S. State Department approved a $223 million sale of Stinger surface-to-air missiles to Taiwan. The Stinger is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) capable of engaging low-altitude airborne threats at short range. In response, the People’s Republic of China expressed “resolute opposition” to the sale at a press conference. Related Links: Taipei...
On July 7, Libya’s Mitiga Airport resumed service after an unspecified missile attack. The strike injured three airport employees and damaged one aircraft. Mitiga Airport is the only operational airport in Tripoli, the nation’s capital. Related Links: Libya’s Mitiga airport resumes air traffic following a missile strike, Reuters
In late June 2019, the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force destroyer Maya (DDG-179) completed its second round of sea trials. The Maya-class is an improved variant of the Atago-class destroyer equipped with the Aegis Baseline J7 (Baseline 9) ballistic missile defense system. Optimized for missile defense, Maya will be equipped with the U.S.-Japanese-developed SM-3 Block...
On July 1, two U.S. officials told NBC that China is testing antiship ballistic missiles in the South China Sea. From June 30 to July 1, China issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) regarding a “temporary danger area” over waters off Hainan and the Spratly Islands and fired one or more missiles into the sea....
Russia has conducted the eighth test of its new anti-ballistic missile, according to a Ministry of Defense release on July 1. The test took place at the Sary Shagan test site in Kazakhstan. While the Ministry of Defense declined to name the missile, the weapon appeared to be a 53T6M, a replacement for the 53T6...
On June 27, armed forces under the UN-backed Libyan National Army discovered four American-made Javelin antitank missiles at a rebel weapons cache near Tripoli. According to markings on the weapons, the United States originally supplied the missiles to the United Arab Emirates in a 2008 arms sale. The missiles were later found to be of...
On June 27, the Indian Army successfully test fired a Prithvi-II short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) off the country’s Odisha Coast. Officials described the flight as a routine test. The liquid-fueled missile can carry a 500 to 750 kg payload to a 250 km range. Related Links: Nuclear-capable missile Prithvi II successfully test-fired, The Economic Times...
On June 26, Russian defense industry insiders confirmed that construction for an early warning radar in Crimea would begin this year. The new radar, the Voronezh, would replace the older Dnepr system built in Sevastopol. After finalizing a contract in 2019, the unnamed sources stated that the radar would enter service in December 2020, contradicting...
In a June 24 release, the U.S. Department of Defense announced a $562 million sale of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to Bahrain, Poland, and Romania. First fielded in 1986, the ATACMS surface-to-surface missile can deliver a 160-560 kg warhead at ranges up to 300 km. The contract is scheduled for completion in June...
