Arab states strongly condemned Israel for the escalating hostilities with Hezbollah, which have intensified to levels unseen in nearly a year.

The war erupted after Hamas and other Palestinian militants launched the unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, drawing in Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups.

Israel said it killed a “large number” of Hezbollah militants when it hit about 1,600 sites in southern and eastern Lebanon, including a “targeted strike” in Beirut in what the Israeli military called “Operation Northern Arrows.”

Hezbollah said Ali Karake, its third-in-command, was alive and had moved to safety after a source said the strike on the capital targeted him.

The group said early Tuesday it had launched “volleys” of missiles at Israeli military sites, after state media reported new raids in eastern Lebanon.

People in Israel’s coastal city of Haifa were seen running for cover on Monday when air raid sirens sounded.

Lebanon’s health ministry said the strikes killed 492 people, including 35 children and 58 women, and wounded 1,645 others. Health Minister Firass Abiad said “thousands of families” had been displaced.

Explosions near the ancient city of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon sent smoke billowing into the sky.

“We sleep and wake up to bombardment… that’s what our life has become,” said Wafaa Ismail, 60, a housewife from the southern village of Zawtar.

‘Most Difficult Week for Hezbollah’

Global powers urged Israel and Hezbollah to step back from the brink of all-out war, as the violence shifted from Israel’s southern border with Gaza to its northern frontier with Lebanon.

France and Egypt called on the United Nations Security Council to intervene, while Iraq requested an urgent meeting of Arab states on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi said the strikes hit combat infrastructure Hezbollah had been building for two decades.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant called Monday “a significant peak” in the operation.

“This is the most difficult week for Hezbollah since its establishment – the results speak for themselves,” he said.

“Entire units were taken out of battle as a result of the activities conducted at the beginning of the week in which numerous terrorists were injured.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was acting to change the “security balance” in the north.

Hezbollah Wave of Rockets

Hezbollah, which has been trading near-daily fire with Israel in support of Hamas, said it was in a “new phase” of confrontation.

The group said it launched rockets at Israeli military sites near Haifa and two bases in retaliation for Israeli strikes on the south and the Bekaa.

The attack came after an Israeli strike on southern Beirut on Friday killed its elite Radwan Force commander, Ibrahim Aqil, and coordinated communications device blasts that Hezbollah blamed on Israel killed 39 people and wounded almost 3,000 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Since the cross-border exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah began in October, tens of thousands of people on both sides have fled their homes.

An Israeli military official, who cannot be further identified under military rules, said the operation seeks to “degrade threats” from Hezbollah, push them back from the border, and then to destroy infrastructure.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged the United Nations and world powers to deter what he called Israel’s “plan that aims to destroy Lebanese villages and towns.”

‘Full-Fledged War’ Nearing

US President Joe Biden, whose country is Israel’s main ally and weapons supplier, said Washington was “working to de-escalate in a way that allows people to return home safely.”

The Pentagon said it was sending a small number of additional US military personnel to the Middle East after thousands were deployed earlier alongside warships, fighter jets, and air defense systems.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity at the UN General Assembly, said that Washington opposed an Israeli ground invasion targeting Hezbollah and had “concrete ideas” on how to de-escalate the crisis.

G7 foreign ministers said in a joint statement that “no country stands to gain” from escalating conflict, warning of “unimaginable consequences” if a regional war broke out.

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell warned that Israel and Hezbollah were “almost in full-fledged war,” ahead of a gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

UN chief Antonio Guterres was “gravely alarmed” by civilian casualties in Lebanon, his spokesman said.

The United Nations peacekeeping force in south Lebanon warned “any further escalation of this dangerous situation could have far-reaching and devastating consequences.”

Qatar, a mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks, said Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon “puts the region on the brink of the abyss,” while Turkey said the strikes threatened “chaos” and Jordan urged an immediate end to the escalation “before it is too late.”

The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the strikes and ordered Palestinian medical staff in Lebanon to provide support for the wounded.

Iran’s newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, accused Israel of seeking “to create this wider conflict.”

Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures that include hostages killed in captivity.

Of the 251 hostages also seized by militants, 97 are still held in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,455 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The UN has described the figures as reliable.

The post Nearly 500 Dead in Israeli Strikes on Hezbollah Strongholds in Lebanon appeared first on The Defense Post.

The delivery comes just five months after the country received its penultimate GlobalEye aircraft at the Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi.

According to Saab business area head for surveillance Carl-Johan Bergholm, completing the delivery in under 10 years underscores the company’s position as a “leading provider” of AEW&C platforms.

Deliveries of the GlobalEye to the UAE began in 2020 after five years of production and flight testing.

‘Multi-Domain Platform’

Saab is pitching its GlobalEye as an “advanced, multi-domain solution” capable of long-range threat detection and identification.

It features active and passive sensors that provide real-time information to units on the ground, at sea, or in the air.

The aircraft can operate for up to 11 hours at 35,000 feet (10,668 meters) while detecting threats as low as 200 feet (61 meters).

Its primary goal is to enhance the situational awareness of military units in high-threat environments.

Currently, the UAE Air Force is the only confirmed operator of the AEW&C aircraft.

Sweden has placed an order for three aircraft, with deliveries expected between 2024 and 2029.

The post Saab Concludes GlobalEye Early Warning Aircraft Deliveries to UAE appeared first on The Defense Post.

The military said that “approximately 20 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon” shortly before 5:00 am (0200 GMT), followed by a barrage of “approximately 85 projectiles” launched from Lebanon after 6:00 am (0300 GMT).

“Hundreds of thousands of people had to take refuge in bomb shelters at that time across northern Israel,” military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told AFP.

The military in an earlier statement said the rocket fire sparked fires, while Israel’s medical emergency service said at least four people suffered “shrapnel injuries,” three of whom in the area of the northern Israeli city of Haifa.

Israel’s civil defense agency has ordered all schools in the country’s north closed following the rocket fire, the latest escalation in nearly a year of cross-border exchanges throughout the Gaza war.

When you see sirens sounding alerts, picture this.

This is the result of one of Hezbollah’s indiscriminate missile and rocket launches at Israel. This time, they hit a children’s playground. pic.twitter.com/DJJwAhnORA

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 20, 2024

Educational activities would not be permitted across northern Israel until at least Monday at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT), the military’s Home Front Command said, affecting “hundreds of thousands of children” according to Shoshani.

“In Haifa, a lot of school are closed… and offices are empty,” said resident Patrice Wolff, who works in the medical industry.

He told AFP there was “more and more pressure” coming from Hezbollah as well as from Israeli forces on the Lebanese group.

The military said it launched strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in response to the rocket fire.

Shoshani said the military had hit a range of targets over the past day, mostly “rockets launchers and rocket launcher barrels.”

The Israeli strikes were meant “to prevent a larger-scale attack,” the military spokesman told an online press briefing.

A steady escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah has stoked fears of all-out war.

Israeli officials this week have signaled their intention to turn the focus of military operations from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip to the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

The post Israel Army Says Hundreds of Thousands Take Cover After New Hezbollah Barrage appeared first on The Defense Post.

Some of the Australian Army’s obsolete patrol vehicles, troop carriers, and Land Rovers are on eBay-style auction websites, inviting “off-road enthusiasts” to place their bids, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

The phrase “there’s a vehicle to suit every adventure” can be seen in the postings to promote the military-grade products.

According to local reports, a long-range patrol vehicle used by the Special Air Services in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars was sold for 113,000 Australian dollars ($77,246).

These vehicles are now reportedly being used for camping, off-road driving, and commercial purposes.

“The Australian government would rather auction off military equipment than offer it to Ukraine,” retired army major-general Mick Ryan wrote on X. “A story of parsimony and mean spiritedness towards a country in need… Shameful!”

‘A Default Position’

Australia’s Senate’s foreign affairs and defense committee has urged the government to establish a “default position” for handling its decommissioned military assets.

The committee suggests that defense materiel being retired or disposed of should be automatically gifted to Ukraine unless there is a “compelling case.”

As the Senate Inquiry I chaired said in our report this week, Australia should as a default position be providing retiring or surplus defence equipment to Ukraine. https://t.co/codclw9r4X

— Senator Claire Chandler (@SenatorClaire) September 19, 2024

Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organizations co-chair Kateryna Argyrou said it was a “short-sighted and baffling” move to see retired military equipment being sold online when they could be useful for Ukraine on the battlefield.

“Ukrainian soldiers are outnumbered, exhausted and working with whatever they are given, so it’s upsetting that this equipment hasn’t been considered for Ukraine,” she lamented. “Our community is in touch with frontline troops every day, who tell us these ex-ADF platforms are exactly what they need.”

In addition to adopting a “default position,” the committee is calling for the re-opening of an Australian embassy in Kyiv to oversee military aid.

Support for Ukraine

Despite the controversy, the Australian government maintains its “unwavering support” for Ukraine, having donated over $1.1 billion in military aid since the invasion began in February 2022.

In July, it announced its “largest military aid” package to Ukraine, totaling 250 million Australian dollars ($168.5 million), which included air defense missiles, anti-tank weapons, and guided weapons.

The Australian defense industry has also committed to helping the war-torn nation with EOS Defence Systems, expressing its interest in launching arms production in Kyiv.

The post Australia Puts Obsolete Military Vehicles for Sale Despite Ukraine’s Interest appeared first on The Defense Post.

Wellington Koo, a strong advocate for building a multi-level deterrence capability, acknowledged on Wednesday that the country may not have enough time to respond to a “potential sudden contingency.”

He noted that the scale of Beijing’s military activities around Taiwan is getting larger, making it difficult to detect signs of an impending attack.

To address this, Koo said that Taipei needs to quickly “differentiate between peacetime and wartime” and develop the ability to respond to sudden attacks.

The Taiwanese military has already simulated a scenario in which China suddenly escalates one of its regular military drills into a full-scale invasion.

In the first three quarters of 2024, the Ministry of National Defense reported a record 2,076 “illegal” incursions by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Observe PLA Behavior

The largest PLA incursion occurred on July 9 when 66 Chinese military aircraft were detected inside Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.

Earlier this month, Beijing also conducted one of its largest amphibious landing drills on a coast opposite Taiwan, a move widely seen as a rehearsal for an invasion.

The Asian military superpower previously stated that its drills around Taiwan were meant to test its ability to seize power over the self-ruled island.

Koo suggested that the Taiwanese military needs to enhance its monitoring of PLA behavior to detect potential attacks and develop scenarios for its own exercises.

In July, the defense ministry pledged to conduct “unscripted” drills to develop capabilities for a swift response in real combat situations.

The post China’s Growing Military Activities Hinder Taiwan From Spotting Invasion: Minister appeared first on The Defense Post.

Unveiled at Land Forces 2024 in Australia, the 6×6 military vehicle is designed to bridge the gap between the company’s Jackal 3 and the All-Terrain Mobile Platform (ATMP).

It reportedly offers exceptional mobility and flexibility to support off-road and littoral operations.

In addition, the MUV integrates commercial-off-the-shelf automotive components to keep costs down for future military customers.

The vehicle, which also comes in a 4×4 variant, has a gross weight of 6.5 tons, including the 3.5-ton payload capacity.

Future-Proof

While specifics were not disclosed, Supacat stated that its MUV is equipped with advanced defense technology solutions to ensure adaptability and versatility.

It can be easily upgraded to incorporate emerging technologies and modern mission systems.

“The MUV continues the inheritance of Supacat products by combining high mobility and high payload with liberating modularity,” company official Matt Grech said.

Although originally intended for regional markets in the Asia-Pacific region, Supacat noted that the utility vehicle could also find applications in Europe.

“We believe the MUV will find favor with regional forces seeking to maximize capability while being able to support the product locally from existing resources and infrastructure,” Grech concluded.

The post Supacat Unveils Low-Cost Medium Utility Vehicle With 3.5T Capacity appeared first on The Defense Post.

Satellite images show several bombers and fighters operated by Moscow’s forces with car tires placed on their wings and the top of their fuselage while stationed at Engels Air Base in Russia’s Saratov Oblast.

According to Schuyler Moore, Chief Technology Officer of US Central Command, the tactic likely aims to disrupt incoming attacks by confusing image-matching weapons searching for hostile aircraft.

“If you put tires on top of the wings, all of a sudden, a lot of computer vision models [will] have difficulty identifying that that’s a plane,” she said during a recent discussion about artificial intelligence (AI) and technology.

Previous analyses suggest that the tires were meant to break up the aircraft’s infrared signatures so incoming missiles would miss their targets. Others speculated that they may be for added protection.

Brace yourselves, because russians have once again showcased unparalleled innovation. What you are looking at is a satellite image featuring a TU-95 strategic bomber covered with car tires. According to them, this should protect strategic bombers from drones pic.twitter.com/ZjDDzRPOWf

— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) September 3, 2023

A Problem With AI-Driven Targeting

Moore’s analysis of Russia’s deception attempt is reportedly part of a broader discussion about AI-driven targeting.

She noted that some weapons rely on pre-set data and image matching to find targets.

Without effective adaptations, an adversary could simply swap or modify their assets to confuse existing targeting systems.

“We’re not saying that we need to have our own internal AI development team. What we need is for our users to better be able to engage with the models that exist out there,” she explained.

“So that means they need to be able to label new data sets that they think are relevant to them. They need to be able to push those labeled data sets to then retrain a model to look for something different.”

The rooftop tyre infection appears to be spreading around the Russian Air Force, now seen here on an Su-34. pic.twitter.com/ysXW96hINL

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) September 8, 2023

War Deception Tactics

This is not the first time Moscow has employed unusual deceptive strategies during its invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this year, the Russian military painted images of fighter aircraft on the tarmac of its airfields to mislead Ukrainian forces.

According to a UK Ministry of Defence intelligence report, at least 12 Russian air bases employ the same tactic, demonstrating the country’s large-scale use of deception.

Ukraine has also employed decoys of high-value assets to dupe Moscow into believing it had successfully destroyed them.

The post Russia Covering Warplanes With Tires to Confuse Ukraine Missiles: US Official appeared first on The Defense Post.

Named the AGM-158 XR, the weapon appears to be substantially larger than its predecessors, enabling it to carry more fuel and a potential 1,000-pound (453-kilogram) armor-piercing warhead.

It also reportedly incorporates “smart” internal modifications to increase modularity and facilitate future upgrades.

While its exact strike range has not been disclosed, a Lockheed spokesperson indicated that the AGM-158 XR could exceed other JASSM and Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) variants.

It also maintains compatibility with F/A-18 and F-35 fighter jets.

Once operational, the weapon is expected to bolster the lethality of military units and increase pilot survivability by enabling strikes further away from the threat.

‘A Great Option to Consider’

Lockheed General Manager John Hill emphasized that the new weapon builds on proven production lines, established supply chains, and existing mission planning structures.

He also said the AGM-158 XR anticipates the needs of warfighters, making it “a great option” for the US Air Force to consider in the future.

The company clarified that the weapon is still in development and “several years out” from being ready for fielding.

However, it stated that initial flight testing could begin in one or two years.

“Lockheed Martin has developed the AGM-158 XR concept to offer significantly increased standoff attack range and be rapidly produced and delivered to the US military,” the firm noted.

Currently, the US Department of Defense has not yet committed to purchasing the new variant.

The post Lockheed Unveils ‘Extreme Range’ Variant of JASSM Cruise Missile appeared first on The Defense Post.

Known as AUKUS, the alliance aims to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific and enhance defense capabilities through technology sharing. The initial phase of the partnership involves working on nuclear submarines for Canberra.

According to Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair, Ottawa wants to join a second pillar of the alliance, which involves collaboration on emerging military technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing.

“There have been important discussions about processes and platforms on a project-specific basis on where other nations, including Japan and ourselves, might participate,” he said during his first visit to Tokyo as defense minister.

“I would respectfully wait until they’ve come to their determination, but I’m very optimistic.”

Expanded Alliance?

Talks about potentially expanding the AUKUS alliance began when Japan signified its intent to become a fourth member.

The founding nations have confirmed they were considering Tokyo’s involvement in “specific Pillar 2 defense projects,” given its substantial investments in cutting-edge military technologies.

South Korea and New Zealand have also shown interest in contributing to the second pillar, offering their expertise in areas such as AI, autonomy, undersea capabilities, electronic warfare, and cyber operations.

The US previously said it was open to allowing more countries to participate in AUKUS’ technological activities, noting its appreciation for the interest from various allies.

“I think all three countries have made clear that under the appropriate circumstances we would be prepared to work collaboratively with other partners who bring capacity to the challenge,” US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said.

Increasing Threats

China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific has led many countries to view it as the biggest threat in the region.

Its aggressive stance in the South China Sea, marked by multiple maritime confrontations with Philippine Navy vessels and its mounting pressure on Taiwan, has heightened regional tensions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping previously warned against a resurgence of Cold War-era tensions in the Asia-Pacific due to increasing military cooperation among its adversaries.

The post After Japan, Canada Wants In on AUKUS Alliance to Counter China appeared first on The Defense Post.

Moscow appears to be mounting a counter-offensive in the region, claiming to have retaken at least a dozen villages from Ukraine’s control since last week.

Authorities have decided to order the “obligatory evacuation of settlements in the Rylsky and Khomutovsky districts that are within a 15-kilometer (9-mile) zone adjacent to the border with Ukraine,” Governor Alexei Smirnov said on Telegram.

He did not say which villages would be evacuated or the number of evacuees. There are dozens of villages and towns within this 15-kilometer radius.

More than 150,000 people in the region have had to flee their homes since Kyiv’s offensive began on August 6, state media reported Smirnov as saying last week.

Ukraine says its forces have advanced across tens of kilometers of Russian territory and seized dozens of settlements, including the border town of Sudzha.

Ukraine’s incursion – which began more than two years after Russia launched a full-scale military assault on its neighbor – caught Moscow off-guard.

It is the biggest incursion by a foreign army on Russian territory since World War II.

The post Russia Evacuates Border Villages in Kursk Region appeared first on The Defense Post.