The Royal Australian Navy has received its first upgraded Standard Missile-2 for the Hobart-class air warfare destroyers the country is building.

The Raytheon-made missile is used for defense against aircraft and anti-ship missiles out to 90 nautical miles and up to a maximum altitude of 65,000 feet.

Australia's first air warfare destroyer, the Hobart, is scheduled for delivery to the Royal Australian Navy next year by an alliance comprised of the government, shipbuilder ASC and Raytheon Australia. A total of three destroyers are being built to replace aging Adelaide-class frigates.

"This [delivery of the missile] is a milestone event … as it ensures that the new destroyers have the most advanced area air defense weapon available in the world," said Commodore Simon Ottaviano, director general of the Defense Department's Explosive Materiel organization.

"The DDGs will use the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System where each missile is stored in its own canister until launched. The existing stock of SM 2 missiles will be converted from rail launch to vertical launch configuration to be used in the destroyers."

QinetiQ North America and Milrem debuted their Titan unmanned ground vehicle this week at the 2016 Association of the United States Army event.

The first-of-its-kind, modular, hybrid vehicle was co-developed by the two companies, QinetiQ said in a statement.

The Titan unites Milrem's Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System, or THeMIS, a vehicle made for military applications, with QinetiQ's Tactical Robot Controller and Robotic Applique Kit robotic control technology.

As a multimission vehicle platform, Titan can perform complex and hazardous tasks on the battlefield that are currently undertaken by troops.

The Titan improves troop safety while providing high load-carrying capability and off-road mobility and can operate in a manned or unmanned modes.

AM General to provide Humvees to Afghanistan, Ukraine and U.S. forces
South Bend, Ind. (UPI) Oct 4, 2016 –

AM General has been awarded $151 million in new contracts and modifications to provide High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, or Humvees, to Afghanistan, Ukraine and the U.S. National Guard and Reserves, the company announced Monday.

The deals cover new vehicles, automotive kits, spare parts and training, AM General said in a statement.

The company will supply 360 M1152A1B2 and 73 M1151A1B1 variants to Afghanistan.

It will provide 40 M1152 ambulances to the Ukraine and 237 M997A3 ambluance vehicles to U.S. forces.

AM General said Humvees are used in more than 60 partner nations, with about 230,000 of the vehicles fielded worldwide.