While broadly touted as the future of shipboard point and missile defense, laser weapons have been glaringly absent in the US-led coalition strikes against Iranian-supplied drones and missiles used by Houthi forces in Yemen to attack commercial vessels and warships in the Red Sea. This month, Breaking Defense reported that Rear Admiral Fred Pyle, the […]

The post US laser weapon program hits a glaring blind spot appeared first on Asia Times.

In a striking display of advanced military capabilities, North Korea and Iran have made significant strides in their ballistic missile programs, posing new challenges to global security dynamics. This month, Military Watch Magazine reported that North Korea had launched a new intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) to replace the Hwasong-12, which entered service in 2017 and […]

The post Triple threat: N Korea, Iran flaunt new missile tech to Russia appeared first on Asia Times.

The US Navy is developing a Hypersonic Air Launched Offensive Anti-Surface (HALO) missile to enhance its long-range anti-ship capabilities and transform its carrier warfare strategies. This month, Raytheon reported completing a technical review and prototype fit-check for the US Navy’s HALO missile prototype. Raytheon describes the HALO as a carrier-based high-speed missile enabling the Navy […]

The post US Navy aims for a hypersonic ship-killing edge appeared first on Asia Times.

The US Defense Research Advanced Projects Agency (DARPA) is pioneering a project to extend drone flight times significantly by using wireless energy transfer, which has significant implications for drone technology and base logistics.  This month, Defense One reported that DARPA  is funding Raytheon with US$10 million to develop energy “webs” that could keep drones in […]

The post US aims to power up drones with lasers appeared first on Asia Times.

India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully tested this month its Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator, an indigenous high-speed flying-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) from the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga, Karnataka. An Indian Ministry of Defense statement on the flight notes that the UAV is designed and developed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment […]

The post India driving a drone race with China in the Himalayas appeared first on Asia Times.

The US Army has recently received the first batch of long-range Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), marking a milestone for the service’s missile program and a significant upgrade in its tactical long-range strike capabilities and conventional deterrence. The new missiles will provide Joint Force commanders with a 24/7, all-weather capability to counter adversaries’ ability to conduct […]

The post US next-gen tactical missile ready to point at China appeared first on Asia Times.

South Korea aims to crank up its weaponry shipments with a new type of submarine with the potential to give small and mid-sized navies in the Pacific an asymmetric edge in underwater warfare. This month, Naval News reported that South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) is developing an indigenous mid-size submarine for export […]

The post South Korea plunging deeper into sub export markets appeared first on Asia Times.

China’s Type 039C Yuan-class submarine appears to mark a new era in underwater stealth technology, posing significant challenges to traditional detection tools as speculation mounts about a possible submarine-led Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Naval News reported that the Type 039C Yuan-class submarine features an angled sail design to reduce its active sonar detectability, making it […]

The post China’s new stealth sub built for a Taiwan blockade appeared first on Asia Times.

US defense contractor Lockheed Martin has revealed a new tailless manned tactical jet concept, signaling a potential significant shift in design and strategy for the US Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) sixth-generation fighter program. Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, known for its cutting-edge aerospace designs, revealed the concept while acknowledging it was not a […]

The post Lockheed Martin teases tailless next-gen fighter concept appeared first on Asia Times.

South Korea and Boeing are joining forces to develop high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in response to North Korea’s recent drone infiltrations into South Korean air space. Yonhap reported this month that South Korea’s arms procurement agency, known as DAPA, plans to collaborate with the US defense contractor on the new drone research […]

The post S Korea and Boeing to counter N Korea’s drone threat appeared first on Asia Times.

The US Navy hopes 3D printing will keep its ramped-up nuclear submarine production schedule afloat amid a budding military ship-building race with China. Defense News reported this month that the US Navy aims to build the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) and Virginia-class attack submarines (SSN) on time by 3D printing various metal parts as […]

The post US Navy taps 3D printers to rescue its sub-making plan appeared first on Asia Times.

The Biden administration has announced plans to develop a next-generation air-dropped nuclear gravity bomb, known as B61-13, an upgrade of existing bomb variants and a pointed response to fast-evolving security threats from near-peer adversaries China and Russia. The decision to develop a higher-yield bomb derives at least in part from the US Department of Defense’s […]

The post New US nuke built for China’s large hardened targets appeared first on Asia Times.

For years I have complained that vulnerable American bases in Iraq and Syria lacked adequate air defenses. Bottom line: they still do. It is reported that the Biden administration asked for a “pause” in the upcoming Israeli land attack on Gaza so the Pentagon could rush air defenses to the Middle East. In the past week 21 […]

The post US Iraq and Syria bases lack effective air defenses appeared first on Asia Times.

Chinese researchers have made a material science breakthrough that could change the trajectory, pace and stakes of China’s hypersonic weapons race with the United States. This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese researchers from the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics in Beijing have successfully tested a new surface material for hypersonic […]

The post China in a searing hypersonic materials science lead appeared first on Asia Times.

China is making new quiet nuclear submarines with Russia’s expert assistance, an answer to the AUKUS alliance and the latest sign of the two powers’ converging strategic  interests against the United States and its Pacific allies The project could make it harder for the US and its allies to track China’s submarines in crucial theaters […]

The post China-Russia in a nuclear sub counter to AUKUS appeared first on Asia Times.

Japan has successfully tested a medium-caliber maritime electromagnetic railgun via an offshore platform, signaling the potential for a high-tech transformation of Tokyo’s defensive posture, according to a Warzone report. Japan’s Acquisition Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), part of the country’s Ministry of Defense (MOD), teamed up with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for the […]

The post Japan’s railgun ready to fire at China’s hypersonic threat appeared first on Asia Times.

A 12-tonne fishing boat weighs anchor three kilometers off the port of Adelaide. A small crew huddles over a miniature submarine, activates the controls, primes the explosives, and releases it into the water. The underwater drone uses sensors and sonar to navigate towards its pre-programmed target: the single, narrow port channel responsible for the state’s […]

The post Drone subs turning seabeds into future battlefields appeared first on Asia Times.

Along with the much-discussed intelligence failure in Israel, there is growing awareness that many of America’s and Israel’s high-tech weapons fail to perform as advertised. The same goes for many European systems. We were told, for example, that both the Abrams tanks and the German Leopards were vastly superior to Russian tanks and would change the […]

The post When war tech doesn’t work as advertised appeared first on Asia Times.

France and Germany’s joint Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) project aims to redefine the future of tank warfare while serving as a test case for European defense collaboration. Last month, multiple media sources reported that France and Germany are developing the MGCS project to replace France’s Leclerc and Germany’s Leopard 2 tanks by 2040-2045. Despite […]

The post France-Germany venture aims to redefine tank warfare appeared first on Asia Times.

Russia has just tested a new nuclear-powered cruise missile, officially known as Burvestnik and referred to in reports as “Flying Chernobyl”, a doomsday superweapon spurred by Moscow’s concern of losing nuclear parity vis-a-vis the US and whose launch potentially heralds the start of a new nuclear arms race. This month, The Warzone reported that Russian […]

The post Russia’s ‘Flying Chernobyl’ missile heralds new nuke arms race appeared first on Asia Times.