On October 17, the U.S. Department of State approved the sale of 120 AIM-120 C-7 and D Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) to South Korea. According to a State Department news release, the sale is intended to equip South Korea’s F-15K, KF-16, and F-35 fleets and has an estimated value of $253 million. Developed...
On October 17, the U.S. Army awarded a contract for its new Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS), a competition to develop a new radar for the Patriot and future air and missile defense systems. The winning radar, designed by Raytheon, has a longer detection range than the legacy AN/MPQ-53 system. It also...
On October 1, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) celebrated the 70th anniversary of its founding. Among the pageantry was a military parade in which the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) performed a highly orchestrated show of strength, exhibiting many of its strategic weapon systems. While China has regularly held such displays in the past, this...
On October 3, the U.S. Department of State approved the possible sale of 150 Javelin missiles to Ukraine for an estimated cost of $39.2 million. In a news release, the State Department said the sale would include 150 Javelin missiles, 10 Command Launch Units (CLUs), and related training systems, logistical equipment, and support. Ukraine previously...
On October 2, the U.S. Air Force tested an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. In a news release, the USAF stated that the ICBM flew over 6,700 km, landing in waters near Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The launch was not scheduled in response to recent...
On September 26, the Pentagon announced the deployment of one Patriot battery, four Sentinel surveillance radars, and 200 support personnel to Saudi Arabia, following Iranian attacks on Saudi oil facilities last week. In a statement, the Department of Defense also announced it would maintain two Patriot batteries and one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)...
On September 12, the U.S. Department of State approved the sale of TOW-2A missiles to Morocco at an estimated cost of $776 million. According to a State Department news release, the proposed sale includes 2429 TOW-2A Radio Frequency (RF) missiles and over 400 launchers. In a statement, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the “proposed...
On September 18, the Saudi Ministry of Defense presented wreckage of cruise missiles and delta-winged drones involved in attacks on its oil infrastructure. While Saudi officials claimed the weapons were Iranian-produced, they refrained from explicitly accusing Iran as responsible for the strikes. After meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, U.S. Secretary of State...
On September 14, the military spokesperson for Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the Khurais oil field and the Abqaiq refinery in eastern Saudi Arabia. While Houthi media stated that ten “normal and jet engine”-powered drones were used in the operation, others suggest that cruise missiles may have been involved. Following...
Between September 4-6, the U.S. Navy test fired four Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) off the coast of California. The tests validated the performance of the life-extended Trident II missile, which was originally designed with a lifespan to 2024. The life-extended missile is expected to be operational through the late 2040s. Entering service...
