Is Egypt switching from buying stealth aircraft to China?
Kazakhstan previously purchased 24 Su-30SM aircraft from Russia, with delivery completed in 2020. After losing one Su-30SM aircraft in 2021 due to an accident, a new procurement plan was announced by Astana in the fall of 2023.
To date, the Kazakhstan Air Force has 29 Su-30SMs. Photo: Kazakhstan Ministry of Defense
Late last year, there were reports that Kazakhstan might be the latest customer for the French-made Rafale. However, shortly after, the Kazakh Air Force leadership confirmed that it was pursuing plans to purchase more Su-30SMs.
Bulgarian Military stressed that it was natural for Kazakhstan to decide to buy the Russian Su-30SM instead of the Rafale at the invitation of France. The news site emphasized that the Su-30SM can not only fly further and carry more weapons, but also has significantly better situational awareness, with a radar approximately twice the size of the Rafale’s RBE2 series. Another major drawback of the Rafale is said to be related to the fact that Western arms suppliers impose an embargo on spare parts to limit the use of their equipment abroad.
* US JLTV tactical vehicles delivered to Lithuania
Military Leak According to the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, 150 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV) have been delivered to the country by the US manufacturer Oshkosh Defense. They are part of a 500-vehicle contract that Lithuania signed with the US.
It is known that the Lithuanian army’s JLTVs will be integrated with the RBS 70 mobile short-range air defense missile system that the country purchased from Swedish defense contractor Saab in the middle of last year.
Therefore, after arriving in Lithuania, the JLTVs will be equipped with the RBS 70 system by Saab before being handed over to the Lithuanian army.
JLTV vehicle equipped with RBS 70 mobile short-range air defense missile system. Photo: Saab
JLTV is a joint program launched in 2006 by the US Army and Marine Corps, consisting of two types: the 4-seat Combat Tactical Vehicle (CTV) and the 2-seat Combat Support Vehicle (CSV). This program is intended to replace the Humvee and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle (MRAP). In the modern combat environment, the US military needs a new line of vehicles with better protection, higher payload, and faster speed than the Humvee and MRAP.
The JLTV is a hybrid of the Humvee and the MRAP. With a maximum payload of 7 tons, it is larger than the Humvee (3.5 tons), smaller than the MRAP (14-18 tons), and can be easily transported by military helicopters. The JLTV can reach speeds of 160 km/h, while the Humvee and MRAP only reach 120 km/h and 104 km/h, respectively.
Unlike the Humvee, the JLTV’s armored exterior is designed to flake off when hit by a mine, so the blast is dispersed away from the cockpit, reducing casualties. The JLTV’s firepower comes from a crew-controlled or remotely controlled weapon turret. It also has electronic warfare equipment and situational awareness technology. The JLTV has many variants for different purposes such as troop transport, anti-tank, light transport, air defense, reconnaissance, ambulance, and command.
MINH ANH (synthetic)