MBDA’s Post

#BSEditorial | India's DRDO has test-flown a hypersonic missile, joining an elite group of nations with this cutting-edge technology. With speeds of Mach 6 and a 1,500 km range, it promises strategic advantages in defense. However, mastering scramjet engine efficiency and heat management remains a challenge as India progresses toward longer flight durations. After 30 years of effort, this marks a key milestone in hypersonic missile development. https://mybs.in/2daW8AM

📢 My new Substack post went live this morning. German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius is looking at acquiring a new cruise missile—the Taurus Neo, as reported by Der Spiegel. While expanding missile capabilities makes sense, challenges remain: €2.1 billion for 600 missiles is no small ask, and existing stock upgrades are still pending. What could a Taurus Neo bring to the table? Check out my latest analysis where I outline my wishlist for the missile, should it come to fruition. Link: https://lnkd.in/egZ2PWqP

Growth and solid profitability in the quarter KONGSBERG delivered revenue growth of 19 per cent compared with Q3 2023. The solid profitability this quarter demonstrates our ability to scale effectively with growing operating revenues. At the end of Q3 2024, the Group had an order backlog of NOK 96.9 billion, of which NOK 11.7 billion will be delivered during Q4 2024. This sets the stage for a strong finish to the year. Market activity was high across all divisions of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace during Q3. New orders worth a total of NOK 4.75 billion included the Joint Strike Missile to Australia, upgrading Norway's Ula-class submarines, and the recently signed 3SM development contract for a new supersonic missile. The order backlog was NOK 72 billion at the end of the quarter. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has taken significant steps to meet future demand. In a short period, we have opened a new facility in Adelaide, announced missile production facilities in both Australia and the United States. Combined with the opening of our new missile factory, Nexus in Kongsberg, we are well-positioned to meet future requirements for production and delivery. In addition, we welcomed a high number of new colleagues. Our efforts to expand production capacity underscore our commitment to address global demand in a time of geopolitical uncertainty. 🔗 Click here to read our Q3 2024 report: https://lnkd.in/dTMZF_sE #KONGSBERG #DefenceIndustry #ProtectingPeopleandPlanet

India successfully launched its first hypersonic interceptor missile (IBM), named "Advanced Hypersonic Test Vehicle" (AHTV), as part of its effort to develop cutting-edge defense technology. The missile, launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is designed to travel at speeds greater than Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound), which can enable it to evade most existing missile defense systems. This test represents a significant milestone in India's missile development program, placing the country among the select group of nations capable of developing and testing hypersonic weapons technology. Hypersonic missiles are considered a key strategic asset because of their high speed, maneuverability, and ability to evade interception, making them difficult to defend against. The successful launch is seen as a major achievement for India's defense capabilities, and it aligns with the country's broader efforts to enhance its technological and strategic deterrence capacity. Jai Hind !!!!

Leading Swedish defence company Saab and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for industrial cooperation and technology transfer as part of the Republic of Korea’s ongoing Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) II programme. Through the MoU, Saab and KAI will enhance South Korea’s capabilities in airborne surveillance by transferring advanced radar and critical technologies, allowing KAI to manage future modifications, maintenance, and repairs of the GlobalEye system independently. “This MoU between Saab and KAI will increase critical radar technology competence, and create domestic capability and self-sustainability for the Republic of Korea in the airborne surveillance segment,” said Markus Borgljung, Vice President and Deputy Head of Saab’s Business Area Surveillance. Saab’s GlobalEye, considered one of the most advanced AEW&C systems available, is currently in production, under contract, and operational in other regions. It offers enhanced performance, longer mission duration, higher availability, and lower operational costs compared to existing platforms. Saab’s proposal includes the modification of the Bombardier Global 6500 business jet into a GlobalEye AEW&C special mission aircraft, covering airframe modifications, system integration, and extensive testing. Find out more 👉 https://lnkd.in/dheVrHqP #Saab #GlobalEye #KAI #SouthKorea #defence #aerospace #military #technology #armedforces #industry #Europe

I heard the J-10 is also 40% off on Temu this weekend too 🤓✈️🏷️✅ Another factor that plays into this development is that the USA has repeatedly refused to supply the EAF with BVR capacity in the form of the AIM-120 missile despite Egypt being the 4th largest F-16 user. Overall the J-10C offers a clear cost advantage. The price per unit of the J-10C is estimated at around $40-50 million. Compare this to the F-16's cost of approximately $65-70 million for the latest variants (F-16V). And capabilities are similar, if not better in some areas...... Power and Engine: The J-10C, powered by the WS-10 engine, generates more thrust (14.5 tons with afterburner) than the F-16’s Pratt & Whitney F100 engine (13.2 tons). This gives the J-10C an edge in raw power, although the F-16 is lighter and more maneuverable Detection and Radar Systems: The J-10C comes equipped with advanced AESA radar, improving its ability to detect targets earlier and operate in electronic warfare scenarios. It also has superior electronic warfare capabilities, employing technologies like a distributed optoelectronic system. Weapons Systems: The J-10C's missile arsenal includes the PL-15, a long-range air-to-air missile with a range between 200-300 km, surpassing the F-16’s AIM-120 AMRAAM missile (160 km range). Additionally, the J-10C can carry a variety of precision-guided bombs and anti-ship missiles, which compare favorably with the F-16's payload. So... while the F-16 remains a highly capable fighter jet... the J-10C presents a more cost-effective solution for Egypt *and* with more advanced capabilities in terms of detection, power, and electronic warfare. Still... no match for F-22's which are superior in every category... but ideally I think it is preferred that our so-called "allies" not purchase communist military hardware. I do not like where this is going. #egypt #china #aerospace #defense #airforce #military

Could MBDA's Land Cruise Missile System be the solution for adversities faced in the defence sectors? MBDA has recently unveiled its Land Cruise Missile (LCM) system, a new ground-launched Deep Precision Strike capability created to meet the needs of the new strategic environment on the battlefield. So, what does the LCM bring? It offers the same unique capabilities as the NCM, with feature sets such as: - Metric precision at a very long range - Highly accurate synchronised time-on-target capability - High survivability when penetrating through enemy-integrated air defence systems Learn more: https://bit.ly/4ckYqSd #LCM #LandCruiseMissileSystem

🚀 How will indigenous ramjet engine make BrahMos more affordable? 🇮🇳🇷🇺 Reports suggest that a single unit of the BrahMos currently costs around INR 400 million. The DRDO plans to bring this down considerably by installing an indigenous ramjet engine and therefore luring more international buyers by offering the missile for much cheaper price. DRDO is developing a liquid fuel ramjet (LFRJ) engine of 350 mm diameter for potential applications in missiles and aerial targets, said Vijendra Kumar Thakur, a military expert, What's special about BrahMos's LFRJ engine? Thakur explained that the LFRJ is based on the liquid ramjet propulsion technology India acquired from Russia as part of the joint development of the BrahMos missile. ◾️ BrahMos is the only supersonic cruise missile in the world that employs liquid Ramjet technology; ◾️ Other variant of the LFRJ will likely power the BrahMos NG/BrahMos-M missiles. 🗣"As a result of the indigenization, the cost of the missile is likely to drop dramatically making it more competitive in the export market," Thakur asserted.

India has successfully conducted a flight trial of a long-range hypersonic missile, marking a significant boost to the country's military readiness, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday. This missile is designed to carry various payloads for ranges greater than 1500km for the armed forces. With this achievement, India has joined a select group of nations possessing such critical and advanced military technology, the minister added. "This marks a historic milestone, placing our country among a select group of nations with advanced and critical military technology capabilities," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh shared on Twitter. The missile's performance was monitored using a range of tracking systems deployed across multiple domains. Data collected from downrange ship stations confirmed the success of its terminal maneuvers and precise impact, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announced, following the trials conducted on Saturday night. This missile was entirely developed in India, with the laboratories at the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad taking the lead. The project involved collaboration with other DRDO labs and industry partners. Senior DRDO scientists and Armed Forces representatives were present during the flight trials. Hypersonic missiles, capable of traveling at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound, typically operate at velocities between 6,125 km/h (Mach 5) and 24,140 km/h (Mach 20). These extraordinary speeds make detection and interception exceedingly difficult. India's advancements in hypersonic missile technology signify a major leap forward, addressing complex challenges such as managing extreme heat, achieving precise guidance, overcoming detection and tracking hurdles, and developing effective interception systems. ISRO #IndianArmy #Hypersonic

Maybe it is time for Ukraine to see the restrictions of the EU & NATO in the same light as the Russian "Red Lines"? It's quite simple, the EU & NATO are supporting Ukraine only in hardware and training of the software. The real sacrificing is done by the Ukrainians, the people in the cities that are bombed every day, the Fire Fighters and Healthcare workers/specialists racing to every "ground zero" and last but certainly not least the military conscripts and volunteers fighting relentlessly in an attempt to hold the Russians where they are and try to push them back. Most recent Ukraine also has her military invading Russia in Kursk Oblast to take down facilities Russia uses to launch their attacks on Ukraine. Ukraine is not in Russia to occupy the land and claim it as Ukrainian land, Ukraine is there to defend itself from Russian attacks! I'm deeply ashamed that our politicians still are in a sort of Scared modus or Appeasement modus .... both of which we all know, do not work on RuZZia (nor did it on Nazi-Germany)! #EndMafiaTerroristStateRuZZia #SlavaUkraini