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In 2023, SIPRI noted a 6.8% rise in global military spending. Credit: T. Schneider / Shutterstock

Wars, ongoing conflicts and rising tensions have driven sales of arms and military services by the world’s 100 largest companies to $632bn in 2023, according to a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

This represents a 4.2% real-terms increase compared to 2022. Arms revenues rose across all regions, with significant growth observed among companies in Russia and the Middle East. Smaller producers were quicker to meet the increased demand driven by the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, escalating tensions in East Asia, and rearmament efforts in various regions.

In the report, SIPRI military expenditure and arms production programme researcher Lorenzo Scarazzato said: “There was a marked rise in arms revenues in 2023, and this is likely to continue in 2024. The arms revenues of the Top 100 arms producers still did not fully reflect the scale of demand, and many companies have launched recruitment drives, suggesting they are optimistic about future sales.”

In the US, 41 companies recorded arms revenues of $317bn, accounting for half of the total arms revenues. 

Türkiye has scaled back its planned $23bn acquisition of F-16 fighter jets from the US, cancelling the purchase of 79 modernisation kits for its existing fleet, according to Defence Minister Yasar Guler.

Earlier in 2024, the US State Department approved Türkiye’s request to acquire 40 F-16s and 79 modernisation kits for its current F-16s, after a lengthy negotiation process. The total cost for the new Lockheed Martin-made F-16s and associated munitions is approximately $7bn.

Türkiye placed its F-16 order in October 2021, two years after the US removed Türkiye from the F-35 fighter jet programme. This expulsion was due to Türkiye’s purchase of Russian-made S-400 air defence systems, which led to sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.

Türkiye remains one of the largest operators of F-16s globally, with a fleet of over 200 older Block 30, 40, and 50 models, reported Reuters.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon, a compact and multi-role fighter aircraft, can locate targets in various weather conditions and detect low-flying aircraft amidst radar ground clutter.   

The US Army has awarded Dynetics an undefinitised indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at $4.1bn for Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) Increment (Inc) 2.

This contract includes low-rate initial production, full-rate production, and support services, with the initial procurement involving 18 IFPC Inc 2 launchers. The contract order has a total not-to-exceed value of $204m, with $99m obligated upon the IDIQ award.

By leveraging an IDIQ contract, the Army is expected to benefit from streamlined procurement processes and increased flexibility. The IFPC programme, known as Increment 1, was initiated in 2004.

In 2021, the Army announced a three-year prototype Other Transaction Authority Agreement (OTA) with Dynetics.

The Army is developing three IFPC variants: the Increment 2 Interceptor, High Energy Laser (HEL), and High-Power Microwave (HPM) variants.

Increment 2 features an open architecture design for future missile integration, capable of employing the AIM-9X Sidewinder and AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles. It is designed to defend fixed and semi-fixed sites from aerial threats.   

The interim report from New Zealand’s Court of Inquiry has revealed human error led to the grounding and sinking of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s specialist dive and hydrographic vessel HMNZS Manawanui off the coast of Samoa in October 2024.

A Court of Inquiry was established to ascertain the facts surrounding the incident, with the interim report identifying human error as the primary cause, necessitating a separate disciplinary process after the inquiry concludes.

Several contributing factors will be examined in detail during the second phase of the inquiry. During the survey, the ship’s crew attempted a starboard turn within the survey area, setting a course of 340 degrees.

However, the vessel failed to respond as intended when turning towards an easterly heading. As a result, Manawanui left the approved survey area, accelerating towards the reef.

The ship travelled approximately 635 metres before becoming stranded, grounding multiple times. The final report is expected in the first quarter of 2025.

The capability gap between the UK Royal Navy’s scrapping of its amphibious assault fleet and any prospective Multi-Role Strike Ship (MRSS) replacement has been revealed, with the MRSS vessels not due to enter service until 2033 at the earliest.

Until then, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s three Bay-class landing ship docks will fulfill the role, although they are mainly civilian crewed and less capable than HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, which were axed as part of wide-ranging cuts to defence.

Maria Eagle, Minister for Defence Procurement, incorrectly stating the Bay class were Royal Navy vessels, revealed the MRSS was “in the concept phase” and “aims to deliver the first of class by 2033”.

Eagle added that the Bay-class vessels, as well as aviation support vessel RFA Argus, are planned to have left service by 2034. Introduced in the mid-2000s, the Bay class will have served more than 25 years by their now expected out-of-service date, while RFA Argus will have operated for more than 50 years.