US approves possible sale of air-launched munitions for RoKAF F-35s – Jane’s Feedzy

A file photo of the Shadow ISTAR aircraft taken at its home base in the UK. The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the Shadow ISTAR aircraft is flying in the Gaza region in support of efforts to locate hostages taken by Hamas. (Crown Copyright)

The United Kingdom has deployed surveillance aircraft to the Gaza region to help in the search for British nationals taken hostage by Hamas, the UK defence minister announced on 3 December.

Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps said, “Unarmed UK aircraft will begin carrying out surveillance flights over Gaza to help locate hostages.”

The secretary’s comments were added to by a fellow government minister who told national TV, “The Ministry of Defence [MoD] has announced that it has sent some unmanned, and importantly, unarmed surveillance drones into the region to help look for hostages.”

However, the MoD confirmed to Janes

The Republic of China Navy and Marine Corps deployed AAV7 amphibious vehicles (an example pictured above) in the drills to boost operational preparedness to counter Chinese amphibious landings on Taiwan beaches in the event of a conflict. (BAE Systems)

The Republic of China (RoC) Armed Forces have initiated conducting drills to boost operational preparedness to counter Chinese amphibious landings on Taiwan beaches in the event of a conflict.

According to Taiwan’s state-owned Central News Agency (CNA), the RoC Navy’s 151st Fleet and the RoC Marine Corps performed an amphibious landing drill near Kaohsiung’s Sizihwan beach, which Taiwan identified as a potential landing point for Chinese forces in the event of a conflict.

The exercise – which was a simulation of a Chinese military beach landing – started with the deployment of three AAV7 amphibious landing vehicles from a Chung Ho-class tank landing vessel off the coast of Kaohsiung and protected by special forces-operated attack boats, the CNA said.

The Royal Canadian Air Force will operate 14 P-8A Poseidon multimission maritime aircraft, with the option to acquire a further two at a later date. (Boeing)

Canada has selected the Boeing P-8A Poseidon multimission maritime aircraft (MMA) to fulfil its Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) requirement.

The decision was announced on 30 November, with the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) saying that up to 16 Poseidons (14, plus an option for an additional two) will be acquired. These will replace the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF’s) fleet of 14 ageing Lockheed CP-140 Auroras that are to be retired in 2030.

“The P-8A will replace Canada’s current maritime patrol aircraft, the CP-140 Aurora, which has been in service for more than 40 years. As it ages, the CP-140 aircraft is becoming increasingly difficult to support, expensive to sustain, and less operationally relevant in comparison to the threats against which it must defend. This procurement will allow Canada to seamlessly transition to a replacement capability, thereby ensuring that Canada can continue to meet its domestic needs and international obligations,” the DND said.