US expands Patriot upgrade program.

Military news update, January 17th: The US is expanding the Patriot upgrade program as options for developing new air defense systems are too expensive and uncertain in terms of effectiveness.

The US Congress is doubling funding for Patriot missile system upgrades; the B-52 "Flying Fortress" will continue to serve for decades to come… these are some of the highlights of today's world military news.

The US Congress is doubling funding allocated to upgrade the Patriot system.

According to Army Recognition magazine, the U.S. Congress has approved more than $505 million in federal funds to purchase and modernize Patriot surface-to-air missile systems (SAMs) and Stinger man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) in fiscal year 2025.

The U.S. military initially requested $250 million in funding to modernize its air defense systems. The allocation of double that amount demonstrates the strategic importance of these systems in the modern era.

The US will upgrade the Patriot system to integrate with THAAD and other battlefield air defense weapons. Photo: Defense News

Army Recognition, citing information from the U.S. Army, published: “Additional resources will significantly enhance the capabilities of the Patriot and Stinger systems, accelerating their acquisition and modernization to meet the demands of the modern battlefield.”

In October 2024, U.S. Army Major General Frank Lozano announced that the Pentagon had decided to abandon plans to develop a new generation of anti-aircraft missiles for the Patriot system. Due to high development costs, the military intended to focus on integrating Patriot with the THAAD missile defense system and upgrading the existing PAC-3 MSE missiles.

Patriot is a Cold War-era product developed by the American corporation Raytheon with the goal of creating a multi-purpose air defense weapon and a counterweight to the Soviet and Russian S-300 family of air defense missiles.

Patriot is a versatile long-range air defense missile system (with a maximum range of 70 to 160 km), capable of operating in all weather conditions with a target altitude of up to 24 km.

With the growth and expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Patriot missile system quickly became one of the most popular air defense weapons of this military bloc and its allies. It has undergone several major upgrades with popular variants such as PAC-2 and PAC-3, the PAC-3 of which is renowned for its ability to intercept short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Patriot is currently a component of the US Battlefield Missile Defense (BMD) system.

The US is modernizing its B-52 "flying fortress" bomber.

The new F130 engines will power the upgraded B-52J strategic bomber of the US Air Force, which has undergone testing. According to The National Interest, the upgrade process is now complete.

“The U.S. Air Force’s newest B-52 variant has just reached another significant milestone. The F130 engine for the bomber has passed a critical design test,” writes The National Interest.

The B-52J bomber will serve the U.S. Air Force for decades to come. Photo: Getty

The new jet engine will be the main difference between the B-52J and previous modified versions of the aircraft. The B-52 modernization program has been delayed by about three years for various reasons.

In addition to new engines, the B-52J variant will receive upgraded radar and advanced cockpit displays. It is believed that this aircraft could become a carrier for hypersonic attack cruise missiles (HACMs).

In October 2024, The National Interest reported that the only issue with the updated B-52J is the time it will take to be delivered and enter service. The B-52J aircraft will not enter service any earlier than 2033.

Slovakia is considering replacing all of its aging Soviet-era tanks.

Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Robert Kaliniak said they are considering replacing Soviet-made tanks with Swedish-made combat vehicles.

According to the military news site Defense News, one of the alternatives to the T-72M1 tank could be the CV90120 infantry fighting vehicle manufactured by Hägglunds. Mr. Kalinyak is confident that buying the fighting vehicle from Sweden would be much cheaper than buying Leopard-2 tanks from the German manufacturer KNDS.

In February 2024, Defense News reported that Leonardo planned to add new equipment and gun barrels manufactured by them to the German Leopard-2 tank design ordered by the Italian Army.

Slovakia is considering phasing out its old Soviet-era tanks and replacing them with modern infantry fighting vehicles. Photo: Getty

The CV90120 infantry fighting vehicle will compete with other tracked vehicles currently under consideration by the Slovak Ministry of Defence, including the new Leopard-2A8 tank from German manufacturer KNDS or the 2A4 models that Slovakia will later modernize.

Kalinyak stated that purchasing the CV90120 would be significantly cheaper than buying the Leopard-2A8. Slovakia has not purchased new tanks since the collapse of Czechoslovakia in 1993 and needs to replace its aging Soviet-made T-72M1 tanks. After the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, Slovakia received 15 Leopard-2A4 tanks from Berlin in exchange for BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles that it supplied to Kyiv.

“The CV90120 is an interesting proposal because it uses the same platform as the CV90 that Slovakia will use, but is equipped with more powerful weaponry. However, it is a lightweight vehicle, unlike the heavy Leopard tank which weighs twice as much,” said former Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nagy, assessing the choice of an infantry fighting vehicle as a replacement for tanks as a misguided move.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/ban-tin-quan-su-171-my-mo-rong-nang-cap-patriot-370048.html