Brazil seeks sale of Javelin missiles and CLUs from US The FMS will boost Brazilian Army’s capabilities to meet future threats by increasing anti-armour capacity. The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of a potential foreign military sale (FMS) of Javelin missiles and associated equipment to Brazil. The sale has also been approved by the US State Department. It has an estimated value of approximately $74m. As part of this sale, the Brazilian Government has requested to purchase up to 222 FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles and 33 Javelin command launch units (CLU). The FMS also includes missile simulation rounds, enhanced producibility basic skills trainers, related equipment and services, as well as other associated components of the logistical and programme support. In addition, the sale includes technical assistance from the Security Assistance Management Directorate and Tactical Aviation and Ground Munitions Project Office. The prime contractor for this proposed sale is the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

Bushmaster Goes Green Army is looking to the future, unveiling an ‘electric Bushmaster’; the electric Protected Military Vehicle (ePMV). Assistant Minister for Defence the Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP said the ePMV was a key part of Army’s efforts to become Future Ready. “We have seen great success “This ePMV brings the benefits of electric vehicles to the battlefield, particularly being quieter than its combustion counterparts, and I look forward to seeing it perform in field trials.” The ePMV is being showcased at the Chief of Army Symposium, a three day event bringing together Australian-led technology, industry partnerships and innovation. Assistant Minister Thistlethwaite said the symposium would give Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and industry partners the chance to get hands-on with the latest technology to support the ‘Future Ready’ Army. “As we are seeing around the world today, modern military personnel are joined on their missions by machines. This symposium enables Army to work with industry to explore new and emerging technologies,” Assistant Minister Thistlethwaite said.

 Local STM continues its activities under the leadership of the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), and has delivered yet another mini UAV that will support Turkish soldiers in the field. As one of the leading companies in Turkey's tactical mini-UAV sector, STM has successfully completed the acceptance tests of BOYGA, a Rotary-Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with mortar ammunition. Having passed all test stages, BOYGA has now entered the inventory of the security forces. BOYGA, the newest member of STM's tactical mini UAV product family, launches its customised 81 mm mortar ammunition with full accuracy thanks to its advanced ballistic estimation algorithm. BOYGA can be used effectively in counter-terrorism and asymmetric warfare settings, and has a 30-minute airtime while laden with mortar ammunition. The BOYGA platform has a flight altitude of 1,500 meters, a 5 km mission range and a weight of 15 kg, allowing transportation by a single operator.

The Spanish Ministry of Defence (MoD) has received its first THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) from Estonia based Milrem Robotics. The Spanish MoD's Directorate General of Armament and Material awarded the contract to Madrid-based firm Paukner Group – Milrem Robotics' representative in Spain. The vehicle was acquired under the aegis of the Spanish MoD's Scorpion programme, launched in 2021 to evaluate the capabilities of UGVs. The THeMIS is a medium tracked UGV capable of integrating a wide variety of mission systems. It has been acquired by the US, and it is the lead vehicle in the European Defence Fund's continuing Integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System (iMUGS) programme for a common European UGV.

Brazil to donate 10 M108 self-propelled howitzers and 11 armoured vehicles to Uruguay The donation of the means of combat is part of the policy of international cooperation with the Mercosur countries The Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies of the National Congress of Brazil approved, last Thursday, August 4, a project that authorizes the Brazilian government to donate to Uruguay 21 combat means that are no longer used by the Brazilian Army. Proposal PL 3212/21, authored by the Executive Branch, is being examined by the Senate. Specifically, 10 M108 105 mm self-propelled howitzers and 11 Engesa EE-11 Urutu 6x6 armoured personnel carriers will be donated. The federal deputies approved the text of the parliamentarian Vinícius Carvalho (Republicans-SP)," which increases the number of armored vehicles donated.

According to information published by Tactical Report on August 9, 2022, the Egyptian Naval Forces are reportedly in talks with the company ThyssenKrupp to acquire SeaSpider Anti-Torpedo-Torpedo (ATT). “Hardkill” in this sense means a defense system that actively targets the incoming threat torpedo independent of its type or homing functionality with the aim of destroying or disabling it by explosive and/or kinetic force before it completes its mission. Only the Anti-Torpedo-Torpedo can provide this capability against any and all threat torpedo types in all relevant environments. Underwater Environment The underwater environment is challenging in its variability, never more so than in the shallow waters of the world’s “Littorals”. But it is here that navies increasingly need to operate. SeaSpider is deliberately designed to provide reliable defensive capability even in the worst “sonar weather”. Benchmarking the effectiveness of torpedo defense in the most challenging environment navies need to operate in is the only way to fully ensure the safety of ships and sailors.

 On  August 5, at the Aeroparque Military Air Station, the Ministry of Defense together with the Argentine Air Force made the official presentation of the third Beechcraft TC-12B Hurón aircraft and the first modernized Embraer EMB-312 Tucano in the Río Material Area IV. The ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Defense, Jorge Taiana, who was accompanied by the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Juan Martín Paleo, and by the head of the Argentine Air Force (FAA), Brigadier General Xavier Julián Isaac, along with prominent authorities from the Defense portfolio.  

According to a video published on the Telegram account of "Реальная Война | Украина" on August 9, 2022, Turkey may have delivered 4x4 armored vehicles called Kirpi to Ukraine. If the information is true, this delivery could compromise the good relations between Turkey and Russia. For the moment, there is no official information from the Turkish government. Indeed, Turkey has been actively involved in mediation efforts in the 2022 Russian-Ukrainian War due to its important relations with both countries. Ukraine has asked both Israel and Turkey to set up talks with Russia for negotiations. By the way, Turkey has provided Ukraine with Bayraktar drones since 2019, which played a significant role in deterring Russian advances in the early stages of the 2022 Russian-Ukrainian War, but has not imposed sanctions on Russia for the conflict. According to the SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) arms trade database, Turkey had already delivered military equipment including 12 Bayraktar TB-2 drones in 2018, and Ukraine ordered another batch of 48 Bayraktar TB-2 drones in 2020, with a delivery planned for 2022.

The Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces of Czech Republic will soon begin negotiations with the Israeli government for the acquisition of three HERON 1 unmanned aerial vehicles, including all accessories consisting of ground control stations, data terminals, transport containers and other material. The procurement of these machines is based on the ACR Capability Building Concept, which identifies these machines as key in conducting aerial reconnaissance and performing other tasks for direct combat support and protection of ACR units.   "Similar to other large acquisitions, we decided on the G2G route, i.e. direct negotiations between governments. It will enable us to set up long-term cooperation and ensure the operation, repairs and supply of spare parts for the supplied military equipment throughout its lifetime," says Minister of Defense Jana Černochová, adding that the agreement between the governments also creates conditions for gaining experience in the use of military equipment by the relevant armed forces country, including verification of technical and military parameters, training experience and combat deployment. This reduces the costs of operation and maintenance in the next period. The Department of Defense has conducted preliminary market consultations in recent months to determine which drone best meets the military's needs. From these consultations, the HERON 1 type from Israel's state-owned company Israel Aerospace Industries emerged as the best. "Based on an assessment of the individual required parameters, provided by the approached suppliers of unmanned systems to the designated project team of the Ministry of Defence, the selected means most closely corresponds to the expected use within the Czech Army and meets future requirements for full-scale use, both in the Czech Republic as part of training and for possible use as part of supporting units in foreign operations," says Colonel Pavel Nakládal, who evaluated this area for the army. The next step will now be to start negotiations with the aim of achieving the lowest possible price and at the same time the shortest possible delivery date. "I believe that the contract will be concluded this year," said Defense Minister Jana Černochová.

According to information published on the Twitter account of Ismail Demir, on August 7, 2022, the President of the Turkish Defense Industry announced the delivery of the first mini UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) called Togan, to the Turkish army. The Togan is a quadcopter design UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) fully developed and manufactured by the Turkish company STM. It is designed to conduct reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence missions. Citing information from the Turkish company STM, the development of mini-UAVs is a priority for the company with the goal to offer the latest innovations and technologies of unmanned systems to the Turkish armed forces. The TOGAN can be used effectively in tactical reconnaissance and surveillance missions, with its abilities to track fixed and moving targets and to automatically switch missions supported by indigenous and real-time image processing and deep learning algorithms. The Togan is a quadcopter UAV that is electrically powered and can reach a maximum speed of 72 km with a flight endurance of around 45 min. It incorporates a payload using a 30x zoom lens, enabling imaging of distant targets and threats. It can be operated by a single man using a portable ground station at a maximum range of 10 km and for two hours.