Americas
* The US Navy has delivered the first fixed-wing aircraft variant of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS), to be attached to AV-8B Harriers and operated by the Marine Attack Squadron (VMA). Initially integrated onto MH-60S, MH-60R, and AH-1Z helicopters, the new design just took seven months to be incorporated onto the Harrier. The new capability will quickly provide the AV-8B with a low-cost, low-collateral damage, high-precision weapon in support of combat operations.
* Sales of the Yak-130 jet trainer are expected to make their way to a number of Latin American countries according to Anatoly Punchuk, the deputy director of the Russian Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation. It is hoped that the combat training aircraft is selected as a number of air forces plan to renew their current fleets of flight equipment. Punchuk’s comments were made as he participated in the FIDAE-2016 arms exhibition in Chile, where foreign experts were allowed to test the aircraft for themselves.
* Embraer has announced that their KC-390 cargo aircraft is now back on schedule, after delays last year ran the risk of affecting potential customers. A direct challenge to Lockheed Martin’s Hercules, the KC-390 promises capabilities to fly higher, fuller, and faster, at a lower price than its competitor. Customers for the Brazillian airlifter include 28 contracts to deliver the KC-390 to Brazil, and 32 “letters of intention” with other countries, including South American neighbors Chile, Argentina and Portugal.
Middle East North Africa
* A request has been made by Algeria to test the Su-35 as a number of countries have expressed interest in the fighter. This adds a new dimension to the negotiations surrounding the purchase of Su-32 bombers which started last November, expected to cost between $500-600 million. After the Algerian Air Force’s testing of the Su-35, it’s expected they would purchase at least ten of the fighters, which would come with a price tag of around $900 million.
Europe
* The Bulgarian government has approved the purchase of up to 19 fighter aircraft for its air force. $1.4 billion has been allocated in an investment plan to go toward keeping its current MiG-29 planes operating while investing in new warplanes and naval patrol ships. The aircraft procurement will come in two stages with eight planes acquired between 2018-2021 with a further eight coming between 2022-2023. Meanwhile, its naval procurement plan will see the Navy acquire two multi-purpose patrol ships with a modular design to be implemented over the next five years.
* The Royal Air Force (RAF) has tested the BriteCloud decoy during a Tornado GR4 jet strike. Successful trials of the new radar-jamming anti-missile countermeasure may see the RAF become the first buyer of the system with negotiations under way between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the British arm of manufacturer Finmeccanica. BriteCloud is a self-contained unit with a battery-powered digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) jammer, that can be ejected from fighter aircraft, in a straight swap for the existing 55mm flare, to counter the threat from the latest air-to-air and surface-to-air radio frequency guided missiles.
Asia Pacific
* Contracts have been signed between India and the US Department of Defense for the purchase of Raytheon’s FIM-29 Stinger missiles. 245 of the air-to-air munitions will be fitted on the 22 AH-64 Apache helicopters currently on order by the Indian government. The Apache purchase was part of a $2.5 billion deal which included not only Apaches, but also 15 CH-47F Chinook helicopters.
* Guidance systems initially used for air-to-air missiles may soon find themselves adapted for civilian uses according to the Mitsubishi Electric Corp. The manufacturer of the Japanese military’s missile needs have been working to use components such as millimeter-wave radars, sonars, sensors and cameras for automated cars and vehicles due to hit the road in 2020. Their experience in military guidance systems has allowed the company to catch up with competitors Continental AG, Denso Corp. and Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd. in providing assistance technologies with components for lane-keeping and automatic braking systems due for manufacture next year.
Today’s Video
* A look at the Russia’s new T-14 main battle tank:
