This is how the US is trying to solve the problem of the expected shortage of interceptors

The US military will take responsibility for the THAAD program

The American decision to deploy the THAAD batteries in the Middle East in general and in Israel in particular did indeed bring them critical operational experience, but also difficult challenges when it comes to supply chains. The campaign with Iran in June last year has already led to concerns in Washington about a shortage, because interceptors ordered in 2021 are expected to be received only in 2027. Therefore, the Pentagon internalized that the management of the program needed to change.

The solution found, according to reports abroad, is to transfer the management of the program from the American Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to the US Army. Until now, the army’s authority over the program has been in the operational deployment, while now it will also receive the development and procurement lead. The army is the operator of the means and therefore the lessons learned from the field at the operational and strategic level are expected to be more effective. Compared to the situation today, where in practice two entities carried out parallel processes that led to the awkwardness of the production process.

As with any procurement of systems, the costs of THAAD are a consideration in planning, since each interceptor of this model costs about 12.7 million dollars. A much higher amount than the 3rd (about 2 million dollars) or the 2nd (about 1.5 million dollars) Israelis. A comparison between other similar Israeli and American systems leads to the same result: while the David Slingshot interceptor is estimated at about $700,000, the interception cost of Patriot PAC-3 systems is about $6 million. This is one of the main systems that are operated in the Gulf, whether on the basis of American forces or on the basis of local forces.

India is interested in a sixth generation fighter jet

India is one of the most prominent defense customers in the world and is also the main buyer of the Israeli defense industries. The goal of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in all aspects is to create Indian independence, including in the defense industry – and therefore requires them to establish production lines in his country. In a new step, the Indians are considering joining the fifth-generation fighter jet development program of Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, called GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme).

Some prominent features will characterize the sixth generation aircraft: compatibility with unmanned aircraft, improved propulsion systems, advanced helmets, open architecture and advanced communication capabilities. One of the intriguing aspects of the sixth generation is the expected speed, of about Mach 2.5-2.2. For the sake of comparison, F-35 planes, the most advanced that Israel has, reach a speed of Mach 1.6.

In the Indian Parliament, they express great interest in joining the global race in which all the powers are involved, for “increasing India’s capabilities in modern warfare”. However, to the dismay of New Delhi officials, expert assessments suggest that the actresses involved in the GCAP program may refuse the Indian bid to join. One of them is Japan, which aims to have sixth-generation aircraft enter operational service at the beginning of the next decade, a goal that may prove too ambitious.

Ukraine is improving the guidance capabilities of the drones

The war in Iran has many broad effects in the world, one of which is the suppression of international attention to the conflicts that are happening at the same time. The Russia-Ukraine war, for example, entered its fifth year about a month ago – and its end is not yet in sight in the near future. Following this, Ukraine continues to improve its drone capabilities, with the new focus being on diversifying guidance capabilities.

One of the main challenges in using such means is electronic warfare, which includes the disruption of communication between the operator and the tool, and includes jamming or spoofing. In jamming, the operator’s communication with the drone is disrupted, with the goal that it will land or fly until the battery runs out and it falls. Spoofing is giving a false signal to damage the GPS navigation capabilities.

However, optical fibers also have significant challenges. The Russians use parallel drones against them with scissors or other means, designed to cut the fiber – and cause the drones to fall. For this reason, in Kiev they are starting to test drones whose guidance capabilities will include two options for the operator: guidance based on remote communication and optical fibers. In this way, one will be able to back up the other.