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The Polish air defense force has gotten a new radar. It is a fully automated air-defense command and control system by CNPEP Radwar. It is an advanced three-dimennsional air-surveillance system.

Lockheed Martin has just announced that the F-35B, which is the short take off and vertical landing version of the Joint Strike Fighter, has made it's first successful flight. New drones have found their way to Iraq. The drones known as the Sky Warrior Block 0 are armed reconnaissance drones. The first mission was flown on April 18, 2008 and lasted 10 1/2 hours. The drone was built by General Atomics. The US is expecting to put the GMLRS system into full production in 2009. This is a rocket type weapon that uses fewer rocket motors and has a unitary warhead designed to reduce collateral damage. The system was designed by Lockheed Martin, who has found a home designing very big ticket items for the US armed forces. Lockheed Martin states that it's AN/AAQ-33 Sniper advanced targeting pod could be ready for the B-1B Lancer bomber by early summer, 2009. Honeywell has developed a system that is designed to supply accurate navigation data, even when GPS signals are unavailable. Boeing and Raytheon have joined forces on the Joint Air To Ground (JATG ) proposal, hoping to win the contract. The US has activated it's first Lockheed Martin Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery, known as THAAD. The system contains fire control, radar, three launchers and 24 THAAD interceptor missiles.

The US Army had completed testing the First Unit Equipped (FUE) with the IT Corporation's Enhanced Night Vision Goggle. It is the first sensor fused, helmet mounted monocular. Remember the tilt rotor Osprey Plane that we had so many failures with? The US Marines are going to replace the 1st Marine Air Wing Transport helicopter squadrons, based on the west coast, with the Osprey. A new concept for conventional weapons is being worked on, it is known as dial-a-yeild. It would allow the yield of a weapon to be tailored to the need. The US is starting to get worried that as new and more advanced equipment comes on line, the bandwidth of our communications systems may not be sufficient. The Sikorsky Corp is trying to find a way to stop erosion of rotor blades that is caused by sand. The sand is causing blades with only 200-300 hours flight time to have to be replaced. The US Army has successfully fired the PAC-3 MSE, an enhanced version of the Patriot air defense missile. The US is upgrading it's MRAP, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. They claim that this has been requested by those in the field. The US is taking possession of new EA-18G Growler, electronic warfare planes. They are built on the successful F/A-18F Super Hornet chassis and engine.

Austria is having budget problems and these problems are affecting their military purchases. They just had to cancel sensors that would have been used on their new purchase of upgraded Typhoon fighter planes.

Britain's BMT has developed a new design that will allow them to create a new type of conventional submarine that will be ultra quiet and have the capacity for long range, high endurance and be able to operate in any ocean or sea. You will remember how shocked the U.S. was a few years back when a conventional submarine was invented that was almost completely silent and undetectable. They ended up leasing it for a couple of years to study it. British forces have deployed a new version of the Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire missile in Afghanistan and used it against insurgents there. The British navy may be in trouble in the future. An admiral has announced that it may not be able to get enough people with the required skill sets to man advanced ships and boats that have smaller crews. Britain has used Reaper UAVs from UK General Atomics to launch the first strike mission ever, by unmanned aerial vehicles by the RAF. The strike took place in Afghanistan.

The unthinkable has happened in Canada. Canada has no operational submarines, because the two they purchased from the UK ten years ago are undergoing extensive repairs. I guess that they are not too worried, because of the extensive US submarine network surrounding them. General Dynamics has withdrawn from bidding on the Canadian frigate project. This leaves only one company, I bet that company is happy.

The Indonesian Army is about to receive six Mi-35 Russian helicopters.

Israel Aerospace Industries has announced a new concept. It is a network that gathers info from multiple laser designators and sends the info to the appropriate weapon available for attack.

A new robotic vehicle has been shown in Europe. It was developed by iRobot and Boeing. It is called the SUGV It is smaller than the previously introduced PackBot and is said to be able to go where personnel can not.

Ruag in collaboration with Saab has developed a self protection system for helicopters. It is comprised of a multi-sensor system that can supply warnings and countermeasures and is capable of deploying the latest counter measures.

India has test fired an Agni and Prithvi ballistic missiles. The tests of the Agni 3 and Prihvi 2 ballistic missiles were successful. Pakistan has expressed regret in the past over India testing ballistic missiles. The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft known as the LCAs has had it's ability temporarily scaled back. It seems that the engine doesn't have enough thrust for maximum performance. It currently is using a General Electric F404-GE-IN20 after burning turbofan. It is almost 20% shy of the maximum power requirement. India has confirmed that it's construction of six French designed Scorpene submarines will probably face delays.

Pakistan has decided to increase it's defense budget. The increase amounts to 7.6 percent. Could all those Indian missile tests have anything to do with that decision?

South Africa has decided that it just doesn't need as many fighter planes as it has and has offered up 21 Cheetah C aircraft for sale. It just can not afford to keep all it's planes and does not perceive any great threat. The country also would like to sell thirty of it's cannons, along with ammunition and some bombs. The Cheetah C aircraft are upgrades to the Dassault Mirage III and can fly at over Mach 2.2.

It seems that every company is coming out with armored personnel vehicles and they range from the heaviest armored to the lightest. I think that attacks on armored vehicles in Iraq have shown their vulnerabilities to different types of munitions and this has prompted a need for better protected vehicles.

Russia has appeared in a big way at the recent arms show. They are presenting over 300 products that range from small arms to helicopters and tanks. They have fourteen defense companies represented.

Romania is preparing to receive a second batch of LAROM MRL launchers. Aerostar LAROM multiple rocket launching devices are a top priority for them.

The United Arab Emirates and Raytheon have signed a cooperative development contract for laser guided rocket development. The weapon will be a 70 mm laser guided rocket.

Spain has decided to become a customer for the Tomahawk missile. The US Congress was notified of the sale.

China is upgrading it's coastal defenses with the YJ-62C missile. The missile is an anti-ship weapon. The export version of the missile has a range of about 168 miles.

Germany has successfully launched a missile from a submarine that is part of an interactive defense and attack system for submarines.

The Polish Navy has announced that it may have to abandon national and international commitments. The reason for this is that the budget is too small to even replace it's aging ships. Poland is taking bids for coastal defense batteries.

Syria has received it's first batch of Pantsyr short range gun and missile systems. The system comes with simulators to train troops in the use of the system. The system carries four launchers that have surface to air missiles and two 30 mm cannons that are armed with 750 rounds.

France is sending some planes and pilots to be posted on the US Carrier Theodore Roosevelt. The idea is for the French pilots to keep their carrier skills honed, while the French Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle is being retrofitted.