Last updated: Friday Jul 09, 2021 - 05:00 UTC ()
Missile Envy: Modernizing the US ICBM Force
The C-130J: New Hercules & Old Bottlenecks
Rapid Fire | Friday, July 9, 2021, 05:00 UTC ()
Northrop Grumman Won A $3B Deal For Minuteman III Subsystems | Israel’s Navy Buys 4 New Patrol Ships | Philippines Grounded C-130 Fleet
Americas
Northrop Grumman won a $3.9 billion deal for Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile ground subsystems support. This contract provides for sustaining engineering, maintenance engineering, test and assessment, modification of systems and equipment, software maintenance, developmental engineering, production engineering, repair and procurement. The LGM-30G Minuteman III is a three-stage, solid-fueled, intercontinental-range ballistic missile. The Minuteman III is the sole land-based component of the US nuclear triad. Estimated completion date is July 6, 2039.
The US Air Force detonated a warhead for its hypersonic weapon, Lockheed Martin AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), for the first time. The Air Force said in a statement that the 780th Test Squadron, based at Eglin Air Force base in Florida, detonated an AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon warhead for the first time recently.
Middle East & Africa
The Israel Ministry of Defense announced that it has signed a $ 30.5 million agreement with Israel Shipyards. Under the agreement, four ‘Sheldag’ type 5 security vessels will be supplied to the country’s Navy. The ‘Sheldag’ Mark 5 is a fast cruise ship, with the ability to maneuver and operate the world’s most advanced weapon systems. The propulsion ships will provide the Navy with a broad response to the threats developing on the naval battlefield in the coming years. The length of the vessel will be 32.5 meters, it weighs 95 tons and its speed is 40 knots.
Europe
The UK’s Defense and Security Accelerator launched a Market Exploration called Zero Emissions Air System, on behalf of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The RAF is searching for its next generation of light flying training aircraft that must be more environmentally friendly and produces a zero carbon emission at the point of use. The light aircraft must have an endurance of around 90 minutes with a turnaround time of not more than 20 minutes. This will include replenishment of the powertrain energy source, which can be electric or hydrogen based.
France’s Thales successfully completed the first flight of a half-scale prototype of its UAS 100 long-range unmanned air system on June 22. Developed in partnership with Issoire Aviation and Hionos, and with the support of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces via the Defense Innovation Agency (AID), UAS100 will help meet demand for more cost-effective drone missions with a lower environmental impact.
Asia-Pacific
The Philippine Air Force has grounded its fleet of C-130 medium transport aircraft after a fatal crash on 4 July in the southern Philippine province of Sulu. The decision to ground the fleet was announced the following day by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Major General Edgard Arevalo, who noted that this is a standard procedure following such incidents.
Today’s Video
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More In-depth Contract News & Updates
DDG Type 45: Britain’s Shrinking Air Defense Fleet
| MBDA announced it will for the first time pair a CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile) missile with an upgraded Sea Viper command and control (C2) system on board the Royal Nay’s Type 45 destroyers. CAMM offers both close-in and local-area air defence, and will complement Aster 30, strengthening the anti-air defence capability of the Royal Navy. More »
Sons of Sa’ar? Israel’s Next Generation Frigates
| Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is integrating offensive and defensive systems including MF-STAR (Magen Adir) radar onto the Navy’s Sa'ar 6 corvettes. The company, together with the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure (part of IMoD) and the Israeli Navy, completed the first phase of installing the MF-STAR (Magen Adir) radars on the Israeli Navy’s Sa’ar 6 corvettes and will continue to integrate the BARAK MX Air Defense System (Ra’am Adir) on the vessels. The radars will serve to locate and classify air and surface targets and help to build an advanced and detailed maritime picture of the surveillance area. More »
E-2D Hawkeye: The Navy’s New AWACS
| Northrop Grumman won a $12.9 million contract modification, which exercises an option to provide continued support for integrated test team operations in executing advanced development experimentation flights and development testing in support of future delta system software builds for the Navy E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) is the newest variant of the E-2 aircraft platform. It features a state-of-the-art radar with a two-generation leap in capability and upgraded aircraft systems that will improve supportability and increase readiness. Work will take place in Patuxent River, Maryland. Estimated completion will be in July 2022. More »
F-35 Lightning: The Joint Strike Fighter Program
| The US Marine Corps announced last week that its 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314) declared full operational capability (FOC) for the F-35C Lightning II. FOC is significant in its confirmation that VMFA-314 is fully prepared and equipped successfully deploy aboard United States Navy aircraft carriers, marking the first FOC declaration for Marine Corps. This inaugural event is met after VMFA-314 received their first F-35C on January 21, 2020 when their first jet arrived at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar from Naval Air Station Lemoore. More »
Australia’s MH-60R Maritime Helicopters
| Lockheed Martin won a $28.2 million contract modification, which exercises an option to procure mission computers (MC) and flight management computers (FMC) retrofit kits to upgrade the MH-60R/S aircraft. The quantities are as follows: 205 Generation 3i/5i MCs to upgrade from Generation III/V/VI, to include 187 for the Navy, nine for the government of Australia, five for the government of Saudi Arabia and four for the government of Denmark; 200 Generation 3i/5i FMCs to upgrade from Generation III/V FMCs, to include 182 for the Navy, nine for the government of Australia, five for the government of Saudi Arabia and four for the government of Denmark. Additionally, this modification procures 153 wiring kits to include 136 for the Navy, nine for the government of Australia, four for the government of Denmark, and four for the government of Saudi Arabia. Work will take place in New York and Florida. Estimated completion will be in March 2024. More »
