Two Tu-95MS strategic missile carrier bombers were joined by Su-35 and Su-30SM fighter jets in more than 10 hours of flight exercises, which involved executing strikes with air-launched cruise missiles against simulated enemy targets.

The Ocean-2024 military exercises, which ran from September 10 to 16, are the largest since the Soviet era, comprising more than 400 warships, submarines, and auxiliary fleet support vessels.

Furthermore, it involved over 120 aircraft and helicopters from the Navy and Aerospace Forces, around 7,000 military and special equipment units, and more than 90,000 personnel, taking place in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans and the Mediterranean, Caspian, and Baltic Seas. 

The post Russian Bombers Train Over Chukchi and East Siberia appeared first on The Defense Post.

Simulations involved a tactical vehicle triggering a landmine to cause fire and multiple injuries while in an active standoff situation against “enemies.”

Soldiers returned fire to secure the perimeter as the medics moved affected personnel to safety for immediate care.

For the injuries, the army and navy health experts completed blood sweeps and related patient examination, localization of wounds, and monitoring of respiratory and circulatory conditions while administering care.

Tasks included intravenous catheter insertion, tourniquet applications, chest tube placements, documentation, and retrieving of tools with clear and professional communication.

The specialists then coordinated with a medevac team for the patients’ aerial transport.

​”This was an excellent opportunity for our different branches to come together, learn from one another, and advance our medical expertise,” Navy Lt. Cmdr. Meghann Wilson said.

“We gained valuable insights from our Army counterparts and look forward to continuing our joint practice and working seamlessly as a unified force.”

Evaluations, Feedback Provided

The US Indo-Pacific Command noted that participants of the training involved members of the US Army 4th Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, and the US Navy 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group.

The squad’s performance was assessed in partnership with primary care physicians, emergency room doctors, and other assistants.

Throughout the training, the trainees gained feedback to further enhance their capabilities.

“We thoroughly reviewed all treatments administered by the line medics,” Army Combat Medic Spc. Joshua McAlister stated.

“We rechecked every intervention, continued any incomplete procedures or medications and ensured all documentation was current, providing the patient with the best possible care.”

The post US Army, Navy Medics Facilitate Cross-Training in South Korea appeared first on The Defense Post.

The MQ-20s will be modified with advanced sensors, data links, and mission systems, enabling them to act as advanced air-to-air threats to current fourth and fifth generation US fighters.

The $98-million prototyping effort is contracted by the Test Resource Management Center (TRMC), an arm of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. 

“GA-ASI (General Atomics) has continued to invest and deploy our open architecture autonomy ecosystem integrated with best-of-breed mission systems,” GA-ASI VP for Agile Mission Systems Jeff Hettick said.

“We are thrilled to partner with TRMC to bring these capabilities that create operationally relevant Red Air surrogates and significantly improve Blue Force mission success in realistic air-to-air training scenarios.”

Revives Canceled AFRL Program

Project Red 5 revives a US Air Force adversary air training program that was canceled in 2023 and has its funds diverted to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, according to Aviation Week.

American firm Blue Force Technologies was contracted to supply four drones for the Bandit program to act as adversaries for US fighter pilot training.

Blue Force was later acquired by Andrunil and the Bandit drone was offered for one of the two Increment 1 CCA development contracts.

The post MQ-20 to Play Adversary Aircraft in Pentagon Training Program  appeared first on The Defense Post.

The two-month training will be held at French military training centers and will include tank instruction, the outlet added, citing documents.

A Ukrainian Armed Forces brigade is intended to be raised through the training by December, armed with 128 VAB armored personnel carriers, 24 light tanks, and 18 Caesar 155mm truck-mounted howitzers.

Additional equipment planned for transfer to Ukraine this year includes anti-tank missiles, trucks, and radars.

French Military Assistance

Since 2022, France has provided 3.8 billion euros ($4.14 billion) worth of military assistance to Ukraine, including 1.2 billion euros ($1.31 billion) for the European Peace Facility.

The French have delivered weapons, including 30 Caesars, 38 AMX10 RC light tanks, a SAMP/T air defense system, and an undisclosed number of long-range SCALP air-launched cruise missiles.

In addition, around 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained by the French Army in 2024.

“This collaboration between France and Ukraine has made it possible to train 7,000 soldiers this year,” France 3 Champagne-Ardenne wrote, citing a source.

“A la carte training, depending on the terrain. Here, for example, future fighters must recognize a crossroads. The technique seems to be mastered.”

The post France Plans to Raise Ukraine Brigade Armed With Caesars appeared first on The Defense Post.

In a press release, the service said the battery demonstrated its ability to successfully integrate with higher joint echelons and sustain operations over an extended period.

It also helped the LRHW provide real-time situational awareness to joint command posts and showcase its digital kill chain.

According to 1st Multi-Domain Task Force commander Col. Charles Kean, the drills provided invaluable insights that reinforced the steadfast deployment of the army’s multi-domain capabilities.

Though the battery was already demonstrated in other exercises, this was the first time it has been integrated into the bi-annual military drills.

About the LRHW

The LRHW is designed to introduce a new class of ultrafast, maneuverable long-range missiles that can be launched from ground mobile platforms.

It fires the common hypersonic All Up Round from the US Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike program.

One unit consists of transporter erector launchers, a canister, and a battery operations center.

According to the service, the weapon will be used to engage high-value and time-sensitive targets, given that it can travel well over 3,800 miles (6,115 kilometers) per hour.

It can also reach the top of the Earth’s atmosphere to evade enemy air and missile defense systems.

Earlier this year, the army awarded Lockheed Martin a $756-million contract to deliver additional batteries for its LRHW.

The post US Army Debuts Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon Battery at Resolute Hunter appeared first on The Defense Post.

China and Russia have greatly reinforced ties since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine that began in February 2022.

Their common goal is also to reduce the role of the United States and the West on the international stage.

“A detachment of vessels from the Pacific fleet will take part in the joint naval exercise – Interaction Maritime 2024,” the ministry announced on Telegram, posting a video of their arrival.

The first phase will take place from Monday-Wednesday and involve anti-air and anti-submarine attacks along with Chinese planes specialized in anti-submarine maneuvers, it said.

The two countries hold joint military exercises regularly but their level of interoperability is greatly inferior to that of Western military alliance NATO, the European Union Institute for Security Studies said in a report in early July.

Last year, a similar naval exercise took place off Alaska.

The post Two Russian Warships in China for Joint Naval Exercises appeared first on The Defense Post.

The joint “antiterrorist” exercises on Russian ally Belarus’ soil near the Polish border come as NATO leaders gather for a summit in Washington, with the war in nearby Ukraine high on their agenda.

With relations between NATO on the one hand and China and Russia on the other at a low ebb, analysts believe that Beijing wanted to send the alliance a warning message with the timing of the drills.

Sino-Belarusian exercises have taken place before, but this is the first time since Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine, a NATO ally, in February 2022.

The exercises began July 8 in Brest, a city right on the border with Poland, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Chinese defense ministry.

The statement said the maneuvers would last until mid-July but did not give the exact number of Chinese soldiers involved.

Both sides are working to “improve combat techniques and deepen cooperation and communication between the two armies,” the statement added.

Chinese diplomatic officials insisted the exercises were “not aimed at any country in particular.”

But Poland’s defense ministry slammed the timing of the exercises.

It warned of “the risk of the operations in question being used for disinformation and propaganda purposes… to coincide with the NATO summit.”

However small in scale, the exercises still involve China deploying troops on NATO’s doorstep, and to a country Russia used as a launchpad for its invasion of Ukraine.

And the exercises come as Beijing, one of Moscow’s key partners, is also experiencing increasingly tense relations with NATO.

Strategic Signal

Analysts believe that the date and location of the exercises were not chosen by chance, arguing that China wanted to send NATO a message.

“Multilateral exercises are often used to send political signals,” Kelly Grieco of the Stimson Center foreign policy and defense think tank told AFP.

Indeed, she argues that when it comes to military drills, “it’s much more about political signal more than for the exercise itself.”

She points out that China had already carried out anti-terrorism exercises in Belarus four times between 2011 and 2018, but had not done so since.

That they are taking place “that close to the border is part of the signalling” too, she added.

Countries often organise their joint exercises to coincide with developments abroad — not least of them China, added Alice Ekman, senior analyst for Asia at the European Union Institute for Security Studies.

“In April 2023, the Chinese held exercises with Russia in the East China Sea, close to Japanese islands, on the eve of a trilateral US-Japan-South Korea summit to signal their opposition to such a summit being held,” Ekman told AFP.

Similarly, China staged military manoeuvres in the South China Sea in May 2024 as the US-Japan-Philippines-Australia meeting was in full swing, she added.

As well as moving closer to Russia, China is becoming increasingly hostile to NATO.

It accuses NATO of working to contain China at Washington’s instigation, with Beijing worried about the alliance’s expanding role in the Asia-Pacific region.

Moreover, China has never forgiven the bombing of its embassy in Belgrade by a NATO plane in 1999.

It also believes that the alliance has already overstepped its geographical sphere of influence in Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan.

NATO is perceived by China as “clearly hostile for historical reasons,” Ekman said.

But those reasons were becoming “increasingly strategic as the threat from China becomes an integral part of the organisation’s strategic thinking,” she added.

The post China Warns NATO With Army Drills on Alliance’s Doorstep appeared first on The Defense Post.

Partnering with the US Army’s 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, the company conducted the trials in a ground vehicle, swiftly reconfiguring and deploying various capabilities based on evolving mission needs.

The mission command concept uses commercial and military communications networks fluidly, providing access to various intelligence sources simultaneously.

The data from these sources is collated using AI/ML battle management software, creating holistic situational awareness, which can then be shared with joint force partners.

“Mobile command and control capabilities give battle management operators and commanders the ability to replicate fixed site capabilities at the very edge of the fight,” VP of Connected Battlespace & Emerging Capabilities at Collins Aerospace Elaine Bitonti said. 

“Our agile, distributed demonstration concept provides the Army with the ability to maintain Mission Command On-the-Move.” 

Exercise Valiant Shield

Valiant Shield is a biennial training held by US forces to develop proficiency in “detecting, locating, tracking, and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land, and in cyberspace.” 

This year’s event, its 10th iteration, ran from June 7-18 and took place on Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, and at sea around the Mariana Island Range Complex.

The exercise integrates all branches of service, including the US Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force, and partner nations within the Joint and Combined Force.

“Valiant Shield provides us a unique opportunity to operate and engage with our allies and partners and to demonstrate our shared commitment to global security and stability,” said US Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Stephen T. Koehler.

“It takes all of us to maintain a safe, stable, and secure Indo-Pacific, as we flex our joint and combined capabilities to advance multi-domain operations.”

The post RTX Tests New Battle Management Concepts During Exercise appeared first on The Defense Post.

A two-week course commenced earlier this month with an initial group of 10 soldiers, according to Lithuanian National Radio and Television.

Once trained, the soldiers will return to their units and train other soldiers.

“The training of people and the adaptation of the system itself are equally important. This is basically a new thing not only for people but also for the Armed Forces,” the outlet quoted Lithuanian Armed Forces Major Sarunas Savukaitis as saying.

“This is an ongoing process that can take up to a couple of years before you can work with certain drones in large units.”

First-Person View Drone

An FPV drone is equipped with a video camera that wirelessly transmits video feed to operators.

It is generally armed with explosives and is remotely controlled or programmed to fly autonomously.

The drones being used for training can carry an explosive of up to 4 kilograms (9 pounds) and can be operated from a distance of 10 kilometers (6 miles).

The training is based on the experience of Ukrainian soldiers fighting against the Russian military.

Drone Ecosystem

The development follows the Lithuanian ministry of defense launching a plan to develop a drone ecosystem in the country, including the establishment of a drone competence center and the promotion of domestic drone manufacturing.

The initiative is in response to the heightened threat perception in the region in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The post Lithuanian Military Launches FPV Drone Training Course appeared first on The Defense Post.

The simulation is part of a revamped Han Kuang Exercise beginning next month to focus on testing effective operational plans instead of traditional drills.

According to the island’s defense ministry, troops will rehearse operating under a decentralized command structure wherein they have to make their own judgment calls.

This would allow the Taiwanese military to evaluate how ready its soldiers are to launch counter-attacks without orders from the top.

During the drill, troops are expected to follow Taipei’s updated rules of engagement outlining in which situations they are authorized to use weapons and ammunition.

“For instance, if communication with higher levels is interrupted and attacks by (Chinese) aircraft, ships or missiles occur, grass-roots missile companies can decide whether to launch missiles based on the rules of engagement,” a military source told South China Morning Post.

Revamped Exercise

The Taiwanese military will attempt to make the upcoming Han Kuang Exercise as close as possible to actual combat.

This is to “familiarize all units with real combat environments and simulations” in the face of increasing enemy threats, said Admiral Mei Chia-shu, chief of the general staff.

To do this, Taiwanese soldiers will no longer be given a “script” to follow and special forces will not need to simulate the role of an attacking force anymore.

Additionally, some drills will be conducted at night, “as the enemy could strike any time of the day.”

The defense ministry has also made it clear that fewer live-fire exercises will be shown to the media, just enough to keep the public informed about Taiwan’s latest military capabilities.

Preparing for China

The significant shift in focus comes as Taiwan braces for a potential full-scale invasion by China “in 2027.”

Beijing, which split with Taipei at the end of a civil war in 1949, views the small island nation as its breakaway province with which it must eventually be reunified.

Last month, the People’s Liberation Army released an unsettling video that shows how it could potentially attack Taiwan.

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun also said his military is ready to “forcefully” stop Taiwan independence.

The post Taiwan Troops to Simulate Losing Contact With Central Command in War appeared first on The Defense Post.