MQ-9 Reaper UAV: Leonardo announced that it is working with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to install the former’s Seaspray 7500E V2 radar on the MQ-9B SeaGuardian. To be mounted into the centerline radar pod, this radar will be made available to international customers. It replaces the GA-ASI Lynx Multi-mode Radar. According to Leonardo, the Seaspray 7500E V2 is well-suited to the SeaGuardian mission set, using Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology to detect, track and classify hundreds of maritime contacts. More »
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD): Lockheed Martin Space won a $254.7 million contract under a Foreign Military Sales case to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Under this follow-on contract, the contractor will provide maintenance and sustainment for two Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries for UAE. The maintenance and sustainment scope of work includes providing logistics management, logistics product database, training, missile and ground repair and return, hardware/software development and sustainment, hardware in the loop, engineering services, missile field surveillance program and country unique specialty engineering for FMS client. Lockheed Martin’s THAAD is an integrated defensive missile system designed to protect against high-altitude ballistic missile threats. Notably, apart from this product line’s well-established market in the United States, THAAD batteries have been deployed in other countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea and Israel. The latest contract win is an example of the solid demand enjoyed by this missile in the global space. Work will take place in California, Texas, Arkansas and Alabama. The performance period is from January 15, 2021, through January 14, 2026. More »
F/A-18 Super Hornet family fighters: Kay and Associates won a $69.5 million modification, which exercises an option to procure maintenance and support services for F/A-18 aircraft and associated equipment in support of the government of Kuwait. A $2.7 billion deal for Kuwait involves Super Hornets built largely to the USN’s latest Block 3 standard. Work will be performed in Kuwait, and is expected to be completed in January 2022. More »
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Rapid Fire | Wednesday, January 20, 2021, 05:00 UTC ()
Leonardo announced that it is working with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to install the former’s Seaspray 7500E V2 radar on the MQ-9B SeaGuardian. To be mounted into the centerline radar pod, this radar will be made available to international customers. It replaces the GA-ASI Lynx Multi-mode Radar. According to Leonardo, the Seaspray 7500E V2 is well-suited to the SeaGuardian mission set, using Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology to detect, track and classify hundreds of maritime contacts.
Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said the thousands of National Guard troops who will provide security in Washington, DC, for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden will be vetted for insider threats following the arrests of former and active duty military personnel who participated in the Capitol siege earlier this month. In a statement Miller said the Pentagon with the FBI will vet the approximately 25,000 troops who will be deployed to the nation’s capital for Wednesday’s inauguration event.
Middle East & Africa
Israel’s Elbit Systems announced that it recently completed a series of demonstrations of its HattoriX innovative fire support system for eight Western European countries. Operational with the IDF since 2019, HattoriX is a passive/active target acquisition system that uses artificial intelligence to enable forward observers and similarly tasked tactical teams to close sensor-to-shooter loops with three intuitive touches on a screen: one to acquire the target, one to issue the precise coordinates, and one to send all of the target information to the firing systems.
Europe
Russia’s Nevskoe design bureau has unveiled a new aircraft carrier concept dubbed Varan. The ship has a displacement of 45,000 tons and can go up to 26 knots. It can carry up to 24 fixed-wing aircraft, six helicopters and up to 20 unmanned aerial vehicles. The company says that its primary mission is to create a universal floating airfield for combat aircraft. As noted, floating airfields can be used to support the actions of transport, rescue and military aviation in the Arctic, develop new gas fields in the northern seas, ensure the safety of navigation of the Northern Sea Route and perform the functions of the Ministry of Defense in the Arctic zone.
Thanks to a $34 million contract, three world-class autonomous minesweeping systems will detect and destroy sea mines on dangerous naval operations for the Royal Navy. The system will allow personnel to neutralize mines from a remote and safe distance. “This next-generation autonomous technology will be instrumental to our goal of protecting the safety and security of our personnel, while also reaffirming the UK’s unwavering commitment to improve the safety of international waters“, Defense Minister Jeremy Quin said. The first system will be delivered in late 2022 and will enter operational evaluation before service at a later date.
Asia-Pacific
The Indian Air Force will deploy its Rafale, Sukhoi and Mirage 2000 combat jets besides other key assets in a five-day mega air exercise with French air and space force that begins near Jodhpur on Wednesday. The Indian Air Force said its deployment at the ‘Ex-Desert Knight 21’ will also include IL-78 flight refueling aircraft as well as airborne warning and control system (AWACS). The drill is taking place at a time the IAF has been keeping all its frontline bases across the country in a high state of operational readiness in view of the Sino-India border row in eastern Ladakh.
| Canberra selected the Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter to replace the Australian Army’s fleet of 22 Airbus Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters (ARHs), Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds said. The first of 29 Apaches equipped with improved sensors, communications suites, attack capabilities, and improved survivability is expected to be delivered in 2025, said the minister. While formal approval by the US State Department for the acquisition has yet to be announced by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the cost of the 29 Apaches together with spares, sensors, communications, training, and facilities is expected to be around $3.1 billion, sources said. More »
| General Electric won a $101.5 million contract modification, which procures 21 T408-GE-400 turboshaft engines and associated engine, programmatic and logistics services in support of CH-53K King Stallion Lot Five low rate initial production aircraft. The King Stallion is the premier heavy-lift helicopter ever built by the United States government. It is an all-new heavy-lift helicopter that will expand the fleet’s ability to move more material more rapidly. That power comes from three new General Electric T-408 engines, which are more powerful and more fuel efficient than the T-64 engines currently outfitted on the CH-53E. The T408 gives the CH-53K helicopter the power to carry a 27,000-pound external load over a mission radius of 110 nautical miles in hot weather conditions, nearly triple the external load carrying capacity of current aircraft. Work will take place in Massachusetts. Estimated completion is in December 2024.
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| The US Navy has moved one step closer towards integrating the High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) laser weapon system on an Arleigh Burke destroyer by taking delivery of the first system. A recent demonstration by Lockheed Martin and the Navy showed that the laser power achieved was in excess of the 60 kW requirement. Lockheed Martin completed the Critical Design Review and Navy Factory Qualification Test milestones in 2020, demonstrating the value of system engineering rigor and proven Aegis system integration and test processes on the way to delivering operationally effective and suitable laser weapon system that meets the Navy’s mission requirements. More »
| India’s Cabinet Committee on Security approved the procurement of 83 indigenously designed Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF), including 73 Mk 1A fighters and 10 Mk 1 dual-seat trainers. The Indian government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) announced that same day that the CCS, which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the acquisition of the aircraft for $6.2 billion along with work on the design and construction of related infrastructure for $164.3 million. The LCA Mk 1A, which was designed by the government-run Aeronautical Development Agency and will be built by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bangalore, is still under development. More »
| Boeing won a $1.7 billion contract modification for Lot Six production of KC-46 aircraft, subscriptions and licenses, and G081 flat file. The contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional quantity of 12 KC-46 aircraft, data, subscriptions and licenses, and G081 flat file being produced under the basic contract. According to Boeing, this is the sixth production lot of the tankers and is designed to bring new capabilities and operational flexibility to the Air Force and other customers. The KC-46 is a multirole tanker, designed to refuel allied and coalition military aircraft compatible with international aerial refueling procedures. It is also equipped to carry passengers, cargo and patients. Work will take place in Seattle, Washington. Estimated completion is in April 30, 2023. More »
| Container Research Corp. won an $11.5 million deal, which provides for the procurement of up to a maximum quantity of 275 V-22 Mission Auxiliary Tank System storage containers for the Navy, Marines, Air Force and Foreign Military Sales customers. The V-22's fuel system is integrated into the wings and fuselage. The basic configuration consists of five tanks, the two feed tanks, two forward sponson tanks and the right aft sponson tank. This is the standard MV-22 configuration. The CV-22 adds four additional tanks in each wing. Both variants can carry additional auxiliary tanks in the cabin for self-deployment or ferry missions. The following table lists the number and capacity of each tank. Work will take place in Aston, Pennsylvania. Estimated completion is in January 2026. More »