Paddle Your Own Kanoo
• Mateusz Maszczynski
A missile reportedly struck a fuel storage tank at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, generating a large plume of black smoke over the Saudi capital. The projectile is believed to have been fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen as hostilities between the sides intensify.
Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons
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A missile reportedly struck a fuel storage tank at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, generating a large plume of black smoke over the Saudi capital. The projectile is believed to have been fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen as hostilities between the sides intensify.
A Center for Strategic and International Studies report recommends that the U.S. Navy develop an offensive approach against Chinese aircraft carriers, mirroring Beijing’s planned use of submarines, ballistic missiles and other advanced systems to threaten American carrier strike groups.
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The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin are moving to accelerate production and testing of the classified AIM-260 air-to-air missile, intended to replace the AIM-120 AMRAAM and strengthen U.S. and allied air-combat capabilities. Separately, Lockheed is pitching new-build F-16s as the Air Force considers how to expand its aging fighter fleet, while Patriot interceptor production receives new component support.
Ukraine says it has successfully tested a domestically developed interceptor designed to counter jet-powered Shahed attack drones. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the system remains under development, with additional technical work required as testing continues.
L3Harris Technologies is moving its Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor satellites into production for the Missile Defense Agency’s Golden Dome initiative, with few design changes from the existing HBTSS design. The decision signals a transition from satellite development toward scaled production for missile-warning and tracking missions.
Lockheed Martin’s FLEX concept would give the AGM-158 JASSM family a common modular architecture supporting longer-range variants, anti-ship missions and additional launch configurations. The proposal is intended to broaden the missile’s operational flexibility while building on the existing JASSM family design.
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Lockheed Martin have begun integrating the 1,000-pound SPICE 1000 air-to-surface munition on Israel’s F-35I Adir. The electro-optically guided weapon has a range exceeding 120 kilometers and is designed to operate in jammed and GPS-denied environments, with potential implications for other F-35 operators.
Thales is pursuing additional international sales of its UK-produced Lightweight Modular Missile (LMM), citing export demand as important to sustaining production in Belfast. The company has sharply increased output since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in early 2022 and outlined a new UK technology strategy.
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