On April 23, Russia launched its first nuclear-powered Project 09852 submarine in the northwestern city of Severodvinsk. Dubbed the K-139 Belgorod, the 184 m submarine is the longest submarine ever built and the first launch platform for Russia’s nuclear-armed Poseidon underwater unmanned vehicles (UUVs). It reportedly has enough space for six Poseidon UUVs. The state-run...
In late April, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced that his country has neared developmental completion of its Neptun antiship missile. The Neptun is a subsonic, land-based cruise missile based on the Soviet Kh-35 and designed for coastal defense. It was successfully tested earlier this month on April 5. It has a range of 280 km...
On April 23, Pakistan’s Navy successfully test fired an indigenously developed antiship/land-attack cruise missile. The unidentified missile was launched from a fast attack craft in the North Arabian Sea, and according to a military press release, “accurately hit its target on land signifying the impressive capabilities of the indigenous missile system.” Defense analyst Franz-Stefan Gady...
On April 13, Israel’s Air Force used the Rampage air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) in combat for the first time, according to defense analyst Babak Taghvaee. The IAF fired Rampage missiles from F-16 aircraft to target a rocket production and storage facility in Masyaf, Syria. Imagery released by the geospatial intelligence firm ImageSat International shows the...
On April 18, North Korean state-run media announced the country had test fired “a new-type tactical guided weapon.” The unidentified projectile traveled a short range, and at low enough altitudes to avoid detection by U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) radar. The weapon type is unclear, although analysts suspect it may be a short-range missile, rocket artillery...
On April 15, India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) conducted its sixth flight test of the Nirbhay cruise missile. The launch took place on a test range off the Odisha Coast, and according to India’s Ministry of Defence, “All the mission objectives were met.” The nuclear-capable, solid-fueled Nirbhay is India’s first indigenously produced cruise...
In April, the U.S. Army confirmed it was fielding prototype Army Long-Range Persistent Surveillance (ALPS) systems to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Central Command. The deployments come to address a Joint Urgent Operational Needs Statements (JUONS) from these COCOMs. The Army’s FY2020 budget proposal, released on March 18, laid out plans to...
On April 11, U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) announced plans to deploy an Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in Romania this summer. The deployment comes in support of NATO Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) while Romania’s land-based Aegis Ashore site undergoes scheduled maintenance and updates. THAAD is a transportable system that intercepts ballistic missiles...
On April 9, the U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of 56 SM-3 Block IB interceptor missiles to Japan. As the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) news release further explains, “Also included are missile canisters, U.S. Government and contractor representatives’ technical assistance, engineering and logistical support services, and other related elements of logistics and...
On April 5, Russia’s Zvezda TV reported that two corvettes in the country’s Black Sea Fleet conducted a successful test launch of the P-270 Moskit (NATO: SS-N-22 “Sunburn”). The antiship missile hit a target approximately 55 km away. The P-270 Moskit (“Mosquito”) is a ramjet-equipped supersonic missile, with a combat range of 120 km while...
