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LM’s PAC-3 MSE Aces Trials | Germans Accuse Iran of Seeking Nuke Tech from German Firms | US to Deploy THAAD in SK to Counter NK Threats

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Americas * Raytheon has delivered its AN/SPY-6(V) Air and Missile Defense Radar array to the US Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii ahead of the first radar light-off in early July. According to Tad Dickenson, AMDR program director, the array was the last component to ship and all other components, including the back-end processing […]
Americas

* Raytheon has delivered its AN/SPY-6(V) Air and Missile Defense Radar array to the US Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii ahead of the first radar light-off in early July. According to Tad Dickenson, AMDR program director, the array was the last component to ship and all other components, including the back-end processing equipment, were delivered earlier and already integrated at the range.

* Following the USAF’s desire to seek an alternative ejector seat for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Lockheed Martin has said it has not been approached for discussion over alternatives. Company officials said that they would be willing to assess any alternatives such as the favored ACES 5 seat if the government deemed necessary, although potential costs or integration issues were not mentioned. Last year, the Air Force found that pilots weighing less than 136 pounds were at risk of severe neck injury when ejected from the chosen F-35 using the selected Martin-Baker seat.

* Lockheed Martin’s latest PAC-3 missile -the Patriot Advanced Capability Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missile- successfully intercepted a target in the last of a series of trials. Fired as part of the Post Deployment Build Eight (PDB-8) test program, this is the first time the MSE interceptor was launched by the US Army. Compared to previous versions, the MSE has a larger, dual-pulse solid rocket motor and larger control fins which “nearly double the missile’s reach and dramatically improve performance against evolving ballistic- and cruise-missile threats,” according to LM.

* Textron has rebranded Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) as Textron Airborne Solutions. The new company will use its private fleet of older fighter jets and experienced former military pilots to provide combat training for US military forces. Russ Bartlett, president and chief executive officer of the new unit said that “Textron would help ATAC expand the existing market and look for new opportunities in areas such as basic pilot training, and training for ground-based troops that call in air strikes.”

Europe

* Iran has been accused by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, of still attempting to acquire nuclear technology from German firms contrary to last year’s nuclear deal. The agency’s annual report made the revelations and also highlighted an increase in Iranian efforts to buy components to be assembled into nuclear-tipped missiles. Opponents to Iranian and Western rapprochement, namely Israel and Saudi Arabia, will none the less be delighted with the revelations.

* Airbus has had an interim fix to the cracking issue found on the power gearbox of the A400M certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency. Officials at the company stated that production of the new component will start immediately but it is not clear how fast can the retrofit kits be delivered to the end user. The issue has affected two of the three aircraft already delivered to the German Air Force.

Asia Pacific

* The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is to install the Phalanx close-in weapon systems (CIWS) on its three two Canberra-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) ships. Each vessel will potentially have up to three systems on board pending final design and radar cross-section analysis. Installation is unlikely to begin until 2018 at the earliest.

* The US is to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in South Korea resulting in ire and protest from China. Deployment of the system, to counter the threat from a nuclear-armed North Korea, comes the same week as sanctions were finally placed on the hermit kingdom’s glorious leader Kim Jong Un for human rights abuses. Pyongyang has hit back calling the decision “an act of war” while China has lodged complaints with US and South Korean ambassadors.

Today’s Video

* Israeli Navy Harpoon anti-ship missiles sinking the decommissioned Sa’ar 4 missile boat INA Atmaut:

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