I - On Defense Podcast - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

309: Gaza Post-War Plan Discussions in Abu Dhabi + Sudan Ceasefire Talks in Switzerland + Ukraine's Foreign Minister Visits China + Canadian Army Procures Tactical Vehicles for Light Forces + More Jul 25, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. Gaza Post-War Plan Discussions in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Officials from Israel, the United States and the United Arab Emirates reportedly held a secret meeting in Abu Dhabi last week to discuss plans for a postwar Gaza.
2. From Farnborough Air Show: Israel Aerospace Industries announces air-to-surface missile named Wind Demon. The missile can be launched from various aerial platforms such as helicopters or warplanes. The missile's warhead weighs over 20 kilograms and has a range of 200 kilometers.
3. US to Broker Sudan Ceasefire Talks in Switzerland.
The war in Sudan has continued for more than a year and is between the regular forces under Army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by al-Burhan's former Deputy Mohammed Dagalo.
4. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Visits China.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Guangzhou, China on Wednesday.
5. German-firm Rheinmetall received formal order to build an ammunition plant in Ukraine. Rheinmetall did not reveal the value of the contract beyond saying it was “in a low three-digit million euro range."
6. Canadian Army Procures Tactical Vehicles for Light Forces.
Canada awarded GM Defense a contract to deliver 90 Light Tactical Vehicles- 54 personnel variant & 36 cargo variant.
7. From Farnborough Air Show: Boeing will compete for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Increment 2 effort in support the USAF Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Fighter program- unless it is a "Fixed-Price Contract."
Under a fixed-price contract, a company agrees to create a system for the military at a set price tag. If the program busts its budget, the company is on the hook for cost overruns.

308: Israel Prime Minister in Washington D.C - Will Address Joint Session of Congress + Royal Australian Navy Destroyer Employs Naval Strike Missile at RIMPAC 2024 + US Army Reports 6 Month Schedule Delay in JLTV Production + More Jul 23, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. Royal Australian Navy Destroyer Employs Naval Strike Missile at RIMPAC 2024.
Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS Sydney (DDG-42) successfully fired a Naval Strike Missile and sank former amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA-1) in the waters off Hawaii during the biennial Rim of the Pacific 2024 exercise.
2. China & Philippines open a direct line of communication between respective presidential offices to prevent escalation of events during territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
3. Israel Prime Minister in Washington D.C. (Monday).
PM Netanyahu will address a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday and will meet with President Joe Biden in the White House on Thursday.
4. At Farnborough Air Show, Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) partners (Italy, Japan, & UK), unveil a concept of the future crewed fighter. The concept design is a delta wing shape, with increased wingspan ,compared to previous iterations.
5. At Farnborough, USAF Secretary comments on the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter program.
6. US releases Arctic Strategy document: 2024 National Strategy for the Arctic Region.
7. US Army Reports 6 Month Schedule Delay in JLTV Production.
According to PEO Combat Support & Combat Systems Support Spokesperson: AM General’s initial delivery of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs), has been delayed by six months- due to challenges starting up a new production line.

307: Israeli Response: IAF F-35s and F-15s Strike Houthi Port Facilities in Yemen + Estonia Sends Mistral Air Defense Systems to Ukraine + USAF to Restructure Acquisition Plan for Sentinel ICBM Program + More Jul 20, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. Israeli Response: IAF F-35s and F-15s Strike Houthi Port Facilities in Yemen.
At least a dozen IAF aircraft, including F-35 stealth fighter jets, F-15 fighters, reconnaissance aircraft and refueling planes were involved in the attack — the latter of which was due to the target being some 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) from Israel.
2. Estonia Sends Mistral Air Defense Systems to Ukraine.
Estonia's Ministry of Defense confirmed on 06 July 2024, a shipment of French-made Mistral short-range anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine. Mistral (missile) has a speed of 900–950 meters per second (around Mach 2.7), allowing it to effectively target helicopters, UAVs, attack aircraft, and cruise missiles.
3. Denmark to procure Wisent 2 armored support vehicles for the Royal Danish Army's 1st Brigade. The Wisent 2 has a lifting capacity of up to 32 tons and is designed for recovery operations for Leopard Tanks and CV90 infantry fighting vehicles.
4. USAF to Restructure Acquisition Plan for Sentinel ICBM Program.
Due to severe program cost overruns, the Air Force is required by law to formulate a new acquisition strategy that could contain an alternate approach for developing Sentinel’s infrastructure.
5. USAF comes to terms with Boeing over E-7 Wedgetail Program.
Andrew Hunter, (USAF top acquisition official), said Boeing and the Air Force were eventually able to hammer out a deal due to the service’s investment in upgrading mission systems aboard the Wedgetail that will ultimately make it more attractive to potential international customers.
6. Department of Defense (DoD) resumes receiving F-35 deliveries after one-year pause.
The DoD halted deliveries due to software problems with an upgrade known as Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3). Consisting of features like a more powerful processor and greater memory, TR-3 essentially serves as the backbone for a suite of forthcoming upgrades known as Block 4.

306: Houthi Launched Drone Hits Tel Aviv + France to Train New Ukraine Combat Brigade + US Pairs Navy SM-6 with Army Radar in Indo-Pacific Test + Manned Attack Helicopters Dead? + More Jul 19, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. Last Story on US-built Gaza Pier (I think).
2. Houthi-launched explosive drone hits Tel Aviv.
The drone, identified by the IDF as an Iranian-made Samad-3, had been modified to have an extended range, had flown to the country for several hours at a low altitude.
3. Lebanon files complaint with the UN over GPS jammed Southern Lebanon. GPS jamming has taken a toll on Lebanese civil aviation.
4. Manned Attack Helicopters Dead? Great article from Defense News (Elisabeth Gosselin Malo) on Drone Operations in Ukraine and their effects on future manned aviation- particularly rotary-wing aircraft.
5. UK all in on US-made Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) for AH-64E Apache fleet. In 2023, the UK was cleared by the US State Department to buy 3,000 x JAGM munitions under US Foreign Military Sale (FMS) valued at $957 million- in support of the British Army’s 50 x AH-64s.
6. France to Train New Ukraine Combat Brigade. Brigade will be manned with 2,100 Soldiers and equipped with 128 x VAB armored personnel carriers, 24 x light tanks, and 18 x Caesar 155mm truck-mounted howitzers.
7. US Pairs Navy SM-6 with Army Radar in Indo-Pacific Test.
A US Navy Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) guided by the US Army's Lower-Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTMADS), intercepted a target in a recent test during Valiant Shield 24 in the Indo-Pacific, Raytheon announced in a July 18 statement.
8. US Army 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF), Long-Range Fires Battalion (1 x Battery) participates in Navy Exercise- Resolute Hunter.
The Battery practiced the deployment of a Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) transport erector launcher, including reloading and preparing to fire.
A LRHW battery includes four launchers with two missiles each, a battery operations command vehicle and a battery operations command support vehicle.

305: Israel is Real-Time Proving Ground for Layered Air Defense + US & Armenia Conduct Eagle Partner 24 Military Exercise + India Developing New Light Tank + Boeing Working to Launch Hypersonic Missiles from C-17 + More Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. IDF monitored Hamas' Khan Yunis Brigade Commander's residence for weeks before airstrike. Senior Hamas Commander was reported to have been at the compound for significant periods in recent months,
2. Israel is a Real-Time Proving Ground for Layered Air Defense- Short, Medium, & Long-range systems.
3. US & Armenia Conduct Eagle Partner 24 Military Exercise (in Armenia).
The Eagle Partner 24 Exercise is aimed at increasing the interoperability of units participating in international peacekeeping missions, according to Armenia’s Defense Minister Suren Papikyan.
4. India Developing New Light Tank for use in mountainous terrain. The "Zorawar" combat vehicle runs on composite rubber tracks, and side-mounted sponsons indicate it is amphibious. It will apparently integrate drones and loitering munitions. The 105mm main gun features an autoloader, meaning only three crewmen are required.
5. US & Australia collaborate on integration of hypersonic missiles on F/A 18F Super Hornets. Testing will occur at Woomera Test Range (WTR) in South Australia
WTR is the world's largest land-based weapons testing facility, covering 127,000 square kilometers (49,000 sq mi).
6. Boeing Working to Launch Hypersonic Missiles from C-17.
The innovative system features an advanced electromagnetic catapult mechanism that enables the rapid launch of up to twelve (12) X-51A Waverider hypersonic cruise missiles.

304: IDF Strikes Senior Hamas Commander in Rafah - Fate Unknown + US Carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN- 71) in CENTCOM AOR + Five Countries to to Purchase US ATACMS + US to Close Down Gaza Pier + More Jul 14, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. US President and Secretary of Defense Statements on Former President Donald Trump assassination attempt.
2. Israeli Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) press conference at IDF Headquarters in Tel Aviv. Prime Minister discusses strike on Senior Hamas Commander and reasons for the Rafah operation.
3. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. General Herzi Halevi has no plans to resign.
Lt. General Herzi Halevi says he will make a decision once “the tasks are completed.”
4. US Navy Carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN- 71) arrived in CENTCOM Area of Responsibility on 12 July 2024- "to deter aggression, promote regional stability, and protect the free flow of commerce in the region.”
5. Five Countries to Purchase US ATACMS.
Morocco was among the five nations covered by a new $227-million contract for the missiles. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland were also included in this order.
6. Jordan and Croatia to purchase UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters (Sikorsky) in a deal worth $251.4 million.
7. Slovenia announces modernization plans during the 2024 NATO Summit. Plans include new artillery systems, air defense systems and armored vehicles.
8. Italy considers new aircraft tanker competition. Two potential contenders are Boeing's KC-46 and Airbus A330 MRTT.
9. Retired CJCS General Mark Milley comments on future US Military organizational structure: “Ten to fifteen years from now, my guess is a third, maybe 25% to a third of the U.S. military will be robotic.”
10. US to Close Down Gaza Pier.
US Central Command tried to reattach the temporary pier to the beach in Gaza on Wednesday (10 July 2024), but were unsuccessful due to bad weather and technical problems.

303: Israel PM Denies IDF Withdrawal from Philadelphi Corridor + NATO to Open Liaison Office in Jordan + Northrup Grumman Med-Caliber Ammo Co-production in Ukraine + Sino-Belarusian Exercise Timed with NATO Summit + More Jul 12, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. Israel PM (Benjamin Netanyahu) Denies IDF Withdrawal from Philadelphi Corridor as part of Hostage Negotiations.
Israeli PM statement: “The prime minister insists that Israel remain in the Philadelphi Corridor.”
2. NATO to Open Liasson Office in Jordan.
3. Northrup Grumman Ammo Co-Production in Ukraine.
Northrup Grumman Spokesperson: “As part of the co-production agreement Northrop Grumman will provide the equipment and training to install an assembly line so that [Ukranian firm Ukroboronservice] can produce and test advanced medium caliber ammunition in Ukraine.”
4. Switzerland moves to formalize admission into the European Sky Shield Initiative (air defense). The ESSI project has grown from 15 to 21 participating states, with Greece and Turkey announcing their intention to join in February. Member nations now have two months to decide on Switzerland’s membership bid.
5. Slovakia's purchase of 4 x additional F-16 warplanes from US continues controversy between current and former government administrations over shuttered Bell AH-Z Viper deal and previous military aid to Ukraine.
6. Long-presence of Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy vessels at the Ream Naval Base in Cambodia sparks worry in the US.
7. Sino-Belarusian Exercise Timed with NATO Summit.
China Defense Ministry Statement: Exercise in Belarus with Chinese Army will work “improve combat techniques and deepen cooperation and communication between the two armies."

302: Hezbollah to Stop Attacks with Israel-Hamas Ceasefire + NATO: Ukraine Irreversible Path to Membership + Romania to Procure K9 155mm SP Howitzers + US & Germany Agree to Long-Range Fires Basing + More Jul 10, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. Hezbollah to cross-border Stop Attacks with Israel-Hamas Ceasefire.
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said Wednesday his Lebanese terror group would accept Palestinian ally Hamas’s decision on Gaza hostage negotiations and would stop cross-border attacks on Israel if a ceasefire were reached.
2. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the NATO Summit in Washington D.C:
The long-awaited first tranche of F-16 fighter jets are in the process of being transferred to Ukraine from their European owners. Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway have all agreed to supply around 80 F-16s under an air force capability coalition for Ukraine.
3. NATO: Ukraine Irreversible Path to Membership.
NATO alliance statement: “We fully support Ukraine’s right to choose its own security arrangements and decide its own future, free from outside interference. Ukraine’s future is in NATO.”
4. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban travels to China- meets with President Xi Jinping. During his meeting with Xi, Orban described China as a stabilizing force amid global turbulence and praised its “constructive and important” peace initiatives. China has been promoting its own six-point peace plan, which it issued with Brazil in May (2024).
5. Romania to Procure 54 x K9 155mm SP Howitzers & 36 x K10 Ammunition Resupply Vehicles from Hanwha Aerospace (South Korea).
6. Canada working toward procurement of 12 x conventionally powered, under-ice capable submarines- in deal worth $44 billion.
Canadian Government Press Release: “Canada’s key submarine capability requirements will be stealth, lethality, persistence and Arctic deployability — meaning that the submarine must have extended range and endurance.”
7. US & Germany Agree to American Long-Range Fires Basing.
These systems will be assigned to the 2d Multi-Domain Task Force in Germany- and will include:
- HIMARS Battery: Precision Strike Missile (PrSM)- 500-kilometer range.

- Long Range Hypersonic Weapon Battery: Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon - 2,776-kilometers range.

- Mid-Range Capability Battery: Mid-Range Capability system with ground-based launcher for SM-6 & Tomahawk Missiles- between 500k & 2,776 k range.

301: Israel PM Nonnegotiable Demands for Hostage Talks + Pitch Black Exercise in Australia + NATO Summit Starts in Washington D.C + USAF Sentinel ICBM Program Reset + More Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

1. Pitch Black Exercise in Australia will see 20 nations participating. Of these, 16 are contributing combat jets to the exercise, with more than 140 aircraft and over 4,000 personnel. The three-week exercise will run 12 July - 02 August 2024.
2. US Navy vessel rundown in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
3. IDF Hamas tunnel assessment in Gaza Strip.
After nine months of war, much of Hamas’s tunnel network is still in a “good functional state” in many parts of Gaza. It could take years to dismantle the tunnels, noting that underground passages must be mapped and checked for booby traps and hostages before the IDF can destroy them.
4. Israel PM Nonnegotiable Demands for Hostage Talks.
- “Any deal will allow Israel to return to fighting until its war aims are achieved.”
- “Weapons smuggling to Hamas from the Gaza-Egypt border will not be possible.”
- “The return of thousands of armed terrorists to the northern Gaza Strip will not be possible.”
- “Israel will maximize the number of living hostages who will be returned from Hamas captivity.”
5. NATO Command to be created up to coordinate training and equipment for Ukraine. The command will have about 700 personnel from NATO countries and partner nations assigned.
6. NATO Summit Starts in Washington D.C. Summit will take place from 09-11 July 2024.
7. US provides $2 billion loan to Poland. The money is allocated through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program, which stipulates the dollars have to be spent on American-made weapons.
8. USAF Sentinel ICBM Program is reset due to severe cost overruns.
Restructuring the program will delay it by several years.

300: IDF Strikes Key Figure in Hezbollah Air Defense Unit + Latest on F-16 Fighters to Ukraine + Switzerland Considers IRIS-T SLM Air Defense System + USMC Reactivates Light Helicopter Squadron in North Carolina + More Jul 07, 2024

Show notes

For review:
1. Reformist candidate (Masoud Pezeshkian) wins Iranian Presidential election. President-elect Pezeshkian advocates for improved ties with the West, "except for Israel."
2. IDF Strikes Key Figure in Hezbollah Air Defense Unit. Prominent Hezbollah member was killed by an IDF drone strike in Northeastern Lebanon, about 100 kilometers from the Israeli border.
3. Latest on F-16 Fighters to Ukraine from the Kyiv Post. According to open sources, between ten and fifteen Ukrainian pilots completed training in Romania. The Netherlands formally approved the export of 24 jets to Ukraine, and Copenhagen announced a core cadre of 50 F-16 maintainers had completed training in Denmark.
4. Switzerland to procure air defense systems in support of their participation in the European Sky Shield initiative. Switzerland’s system criteria is that it must already be successfully in use and that the inclusion of Swiss industry in the contract is “of particular importance.” Diehl Defense's IRIS-T SLM system is the sole candidate for selection.
5. NATO eyeing a goal for all member states to achieve 2.5% GDP in defense spending. This goal will not be discussed at the upcoming NATO Summit in Washington D.C this month but at the 2025 Summit in Netherlands. 23/32 member states meet or are expected to mee the 2.0% GDP target this year.
6. Pentagon announces USAF Fighter modernization moves in Japan at two air bases- Kadena & Misawa. Kadena Air Base will replace 48 x 15C/Ds with 36 x F-15EXs. At Misawa, the USAF will upgrade 36 x F-16s with 48 x F-35As.
7. USMC re-activates Light Helicopter Squadron (HMLA 269), under the 2d Marine Air Wing (Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina). The Squadron operates AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopters & UH-1Y Venom Utility Helicopters. Reactivation brings the number of USMC Light Helicopter Squadrons to six.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

I – On Defense Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected