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Americas
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) demonstrated the first at-sea refueling of the No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program. A pair of unmanned surface vessels (USV) — the Ranger and the Mariner — demonstrated the task originally designed for the program’s Defiant USV. A long-endurance NOMARS USV is intended to be designed from the ground up without the necessity for humans on board.
Bollinger Shipyards has started the construction of the US Coast Guard’s initial vessel planned under the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) program. The PSC effort will replace the service’s aging ships deployed for national, maritime, commercial, and economic security support across the Arctic and Antarctic regions by the 2030s. The assembly is now taking place at the company’s facility in Pascagoula, Mississippi, marking the first local heavy polar icebreaker development in the US in over 50 years.
Middle East & Afria
Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) has secured its first export order for the KUH-1 Surion utility helicopter. The deal, valued at approximately $93.4million, involves the sale of the domestically developed helicopter to the Iraqi government. This contract not only represents a major win for KAI but also signals the growing international interest in South Korean defence technology. The agreement, finalized on December 23, will see KAI supply the helicopters to Iraq by March 2029. The project itself is slated to run from March 31, 2025 to March 31, 2029. This timeline provides KAI with a clear schedule for production and delivery of the KUH-1 Surion.
Europe
Slovakia has inked its largest-ever defense agreement with Israel, acquiring the Barak MX air and missile defense system from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for $582 million. The deal was officially concluded in Tel Aviv by Ministry of Defense director general Major General (res.) Eyal Zamir. At the heart of the deal is IAI’s Barak MX, a cutting-edge system engineered to counter an extensive spectrum of aerial threats across varying ranges. Its adaptability and efficacy against threats, including combat aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, make it a crucial asset in today’s dynamic security landscape.
Asia-Pacific
The Royal Australian Air Force has taken delivery of its last nine of 72 F-35A Lightning II combat jets procured as part of a program launched in 2010. The planes touched down at RAAF Base Williamtown in New South Wales where they will operate side-by-side with the military’s existing EA-18G Growler and F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft as outlined in Canberra’s national defense strategy. The air force employs the F-35A system in three operational squadrons, including a training group, in New South Wales and the Northern Territory.
