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Raytheon to Mod AOC WS with $375M Order from USAF | Saab to Supply RBS-15 Anti-ship Missiles to Sweden | China’s AG600 Completes Maiden Flight

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Americas * Raytheon has received a $375 million order from the USAF to modernize the service’s Air and Space Operations Center Weapon System (AOC WS) over the next six years. Under the terms of the agreement, the firm will update the existing AOC WS baseline software, as well as developing and deploying new software upgrades […]
Americas

* Raytheon has received a $375 million order from the USAF to modernize the service’s Air and Space Operations Center Weapon System (AOC WS) over the next six years. Under the terms of the agreement, the firm will update the existing AOC WS baseline software, as well as developing and deploying new software upgrades to enhance air and space command and control operations, while using a sustainment approach to improve systems incrementally without interruption of critical missions. Operating at 22 locations worldwide, Air and Space Operations Centers use the AOC WS for strategic command-and-control of aircraft. The firm added that they will be hiring a new team, to be based out of Hampton, Virginia, including system architects, software developers, cyber engineers, as well as an IT help desk.

* The US Navy has awarded the International Marine & Industrial Applicators and QED Systems a $260.1 million joint contract for coating work on US Navy vessel surfaces. The work includes a variety of applications, including multiple-coating, ultra-high solids, epoxy and solvent based. It is also crucial to anti-fouling surfaces and structural repair for aircraft carriers, submarines, and assorted surface vessels. Initial funding of $2,000 dollars has been allocated for Fiscal 2017 to start the process, which is expected to be completed by May 2022.

Middle East & North Africa

* Turkey’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Undersecretariat of Defence Industries (SSM) have announced that Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has successfully integrated the Roketsan MAM-L air-to-surface munition on the Anka UAV. The medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV is also fitted with a firing pod for Roketsan CiRiT laser-guided air-to-surface rockets, as well as an electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensor pod. Currently serving as Ankara’s main intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) drone, ten Anka-A variants were ordered in 2010, with the armed variant expected to be delivered later this year.

Europe

* Britain’s Labour Party has said that if they win next month’s Parliamentary elections, they will impose stricter export measures on the sale of weapons systems to repressive governments. The announcement was made by Barry Gardiner, the shadow International Trade Secretary, during a discussion on how the party is preparing a broader strategy aimed at exploiting trade opportunities abroad to boost industries at home, and comes just days after Sir Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, praised MBDA, as a “role model” for post-Brexit trade, despite having sold missiles to Colonel Gaddafi in 2007. Last year, it was revealed by the Independent that the UK has sold weapons to 22 of the 30 countries on their own human rights watch list since 2010.

* Saab has received orders to supply additional RBS-15 anti-ship missiles to Sweden. The missiles will be integrated on Sweden’s fleet of Gripen E fighters as well as the naval fleet of Visby-class corvettes. Saab initially received the order for the missiles last month, with the additional order bringing the total value of the contract to $56.7 million. Deliveries of the missiles will commence in the mid-2020s.

* GKN Aerospace’s Fokker business unit has opened a production line in the Netherland’s for the manufacture of landing gear systems for Predator B UAVs. The British-based firm’s Dutch Fokker business is the in-country partner of the Predator’s main manufacturer, General Atomics, and have worked together to sell the drone to the Dutch military. A statement released by Fokker added that they are also exploring possible collaboration with GA in using advanced composite materials in the Predator B landing gear to reduce weight and improve production lead times.

Asia Pacific

* The world’s largest amphibious aircraft, the AG600, successfully completed its maiden flight on Saturday after it was initially reported that the seaplane was scheduled to first fly at the end of the month. News of the flight comes as China looks to increase their assertiveness to territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea, where they have been building airfields and islands on reefs disputed by several neighboring governments. Beijing is in the midst of a massive military modernization program, ranging from testing anti-satellite missiles to building stealth fighters and the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, to add to an existing one bought from Ukraine.

* Vietnam has started to take delivery of some components needed for the assembly of three RV-02 medium-range radars. The system is an improvement on the Vostok-E VHF radar made by Belarus, of which Hanoi bought 20 of the radars as an asymmetric warfare strategy against stealth fighters from China including the J-20 and J-31 over the disputed South China Sea. Acceptance and commission checks were conducted by engineers from Vietnam’s Examination Council of the PK-KQ Technical Institute.

Today’s Video

* Russian Su-30SMs fly in formation with MiG-29s:

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