Americas
* Guggenheim Securities Group has indicated strong Foreign Military Sales (FMS) for the first six months of 2016, with $29 billion in FMS cases announced by the end of April. This could be further strengthened with pending US fighter sales, which includes the long awaited approval of F/A-18s and F-15s to Kuwait and Qatar respectively. The largest contractor so far is Lockheed Martin with $16.2 billion in announced sales.
* Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control and Raytheon Missile Systems have been awarded a combined not-to-exceed $649.7 million modification contract for Paveway II production. The modification provides a five year extension for Paveway II missile production with work completion expected for July 27, 2023. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of the munition in 2015 included a $1.29 billion sale of muntions to Saudi Arabia, which included 1,000 GBU-12 Paveway II laser guided bombs.
* Raytheon Missile Systems has been awarded a $104.5 million USAF contract for the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) program. The company will provide form, fit, function, and refresh of the AMRAAM Guidance Section with work expected to be completed by February 27, 2017. Under the contract, work involved will include foreign military sales to Korea, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Romania.
Middle East North Africa
* Jordan is playing host to its biennial Middle East Special Operations Commanders Conference (MESOC) and Special Operations Forces Exhibition (SOFEX) this week with commanders from Pakistan and Lebanon recounting operations against Islamic militants to MESOC on Monday. The conference and exhibition comes as Middle East nations expand their battle against the Islamic State with this year’s theme “Networking & Global Security.” SOFEX will play host to a delegation of 60, with exhibitors from 36 countries showcasing their latest systems and technologies for SOF, homeland security, and peacekeeping missions.
Europe
* Swedish aerospace manufacturer CybAero has completed an advanced test program on its ship-based extreme climate APID One helicopter system for the Swedish Navy. The system is capable of landing autonomously on a corvette at a speed of 25 knots, and in wind conditions up to 15 miles per second. Sweden’s Navy is seeking to deploy multi-role UAVs to bolster ships’ operational capabilities to carry out a broad range of missions and tasks.
Asia Pacific
* Funding for Indian Air Force aircraft procurement for the year will see a number of big ticket items shelved until next year, such as new engines for the Jaguar, and much needed Ka-226 helicopters. Meanwhile, the IAF will have enough money to buy just two Phalcon AEW&C aircraft plus a C-130J to replace one which crashed. Other items approved by lawmakers include 14 Akash anti-aircraft missile units, upgrades for medium helicopters, precision-guided munitions, and reconnaissance pods for Su-30 fighters.
* South Korea is about to induct four modified C-130s into service. The program to upgrade the aircraft so that they can deploy special operation troops behind enemy lines has been delayed since 2007. Issues causing delays involved malfunctions including the land detection capabilities in multi-purpose radars on the aircraft. The planes will allow South Korean special forces to fly at low altitudes and drop special forces troops and supplies deep behind enemy lines such as North Korean nuclear and missile facilities.
* Airbus Helicopters remains confident in the improvements to its Tiger attack rotorcraft while Australia remains adamant that its fleet will be retired early. 22 Tigers are currently operated by Australia; however, a defensive white paper released in February plans to retire the helicopters by the mid-2020s amid criticism of its operational performance. Despite this, the company believes the platform can be offered as a replacement for the current fleet.
Today’s Video
* CybAero’s APID One Rescue:
