South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced January 13 completion of all development flight tests for the KF-21 Boramae fighter after 1,600 sorties across 42 months without a single accident, finishing two months ahead of schedule. The 4.5-generation multirole fighter—South Korea's first domestically developed combat aircraft beyond trainer variants—demonstrated flight stability and performance through approximately 13,000 test conditions including air-to-air weapon launches, supersonic flight, aerial refueling, and extreme flight attitude recovery. System development concludes first half 2026 with initial deliveries to Republic of Korea Air Force beginning second half 2026, replacing aging F-4 Phantom and F-5 Tiger fleets.

Platform powered by twin General Electric F414 engines reaches Mach 1.8, operates to 50,000 feet, carries weapons on ten external hardpoints with indigenous Hanwha Systems AESA radar detecting targets 150-200 kilometers. Procurement roadmap targets 40 Block I air-superiority aircraft by 2028 and 120 total fighters by 2032 including Block II variants with enhanced air-to-ground capabilities. Zero-accident test campaign validates Seoul's aerospace industrial maturity amid Indo-Pacific airpower competition, with Indonesia, UAE, and Malaysia expressing interest in platform positioned between upgraded fourth-generation fighters and fifth-generation aircraft like F-35 at reported $83 million unit cost for Block I variant.

AZAK's S26 wheel system demonstrates chassis-free UGV architecture where each wheel contains complete propulsion system (motor, controller, gearbox, battery) below centerpoint, selected for Army integration through July 2027. Four-wheel configuration validated: 1,500-pound payload capacity, 588 lb-ft torque, climbs obstacles twice vehicle height, handles 137% gradients. Platform demonstrated operating "in terrain where other vehicles simply cannot go" during premier training exercise, with wheels attaching directly to mission structures rather than requiring dedicated chassis. This system enables rapid reconfiguration for resupply, counter-UAS, CASEVAC, or drone-launch roles without redesigning vehicle frame.

Ungoverned demonstrated Vendetta electric tracked system applies less ground pressure than human footstep based on September 2025 controlled testing, with platform's 1058 cm² track contact area documented against 315.5 cm² human foot imprint in sand, snow, and compacted surfaces. System designed for mine-risk and soft-terrain operations where conventional vehicles trigger explosive hazards or create excessive ground disturbance, operating below 60 dB acoustic signature at 5 meters while carrying 200 kg payload. Platform addresses capability gap in route assessment and equipment movement across areas containing concealed explosives or requiring minimal terrain impact, with low acoustic and thermal signatures enabling reconnaissance and patrol missions where noise constraints or environmental protection rules restrict combustion-powered equipment.

Hermione hydrogen-powered UGV entered French Army field trials, addressing the endurance constraint limiting battery-dependent UGVs: hydrogen fuel cell architecture delivers 20-hour runtime with 3-minute field refueling via swappable high-pressure cylinders. Jointly developed by Poland's Lechmar and France's H2X-Defense, system carries 300kg payload at 39 km/h with all-wheel hub motors rated 8kW each. Trials include integration with Elistair's Khronos tethered drone system providing persistent aerial surveillance to 60m, testing how distributed energy, autonomous mobility, and elevated ISR combine into deployable tactical networks without traditional fuel logistics chains.

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