Last updated: Tuesday Mar 21, 2023 - 05:00 UTC ()
The USA’s E-6 Fleet: Take Charge, And Move Out!
The C-130J: New Hercules & Old Bottlenecks
Rapid Fire | Tuesday, March 21, 2023, 05:00 UTC ()
NG Submitted Mercury Bid | EU Agrees On Ammo Procurement For Ukraine | US Sells 220 Tomahawks To Australia
Americas
Northrop Grumman has submitted a bid for the US Navy’s E-6B Mercury command, control, and communications aircraft replacement program. The US defense giant is offering its “weapons system integration and battle management leadership” for the E-6 recapitalization aircraft (E-XX) Take Charge And Move Out (TACAMO) program. The aircraft will be based on the C-130J platform. “Our extensive experience integrating aircraft and mission systems, combined with our expertise in creating operationally-ready solutions in support of the nuclear enterprise, makes Northrop Grumman the optimal partner to deliver the Navy’s E-XX TACAMO weapon system,” Northrop vice president Janice Zilch said.
On March 15, 2023, during exercise Guerrier Nordique 23, a joint effort between the United States and Canada resulted in the first-ever platoon movement of its kind. Thirty-seven US and Canadian soldiers were tactically inserted on Arctic Ocean ice east of Little Cornwallis Island in Nunavut, Canada, via an LC-130 Hercules. The New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing, flying with a ski-equipped C-130, played a significant role in this operation with their expertise in snow and ice landings. They were able to land on specially built skiways and ski landing areas thanks to airmen who build and maintain those runways. The LC-130H that was used in this operation was equipped with 4 by 20-foot skis.
Middle East & Africa
Aviation Training won a $28.6 million modification, which increases the ceiling to provide continued KC130J pilot, enlisted aircrew, and maintenance training support services as well as program management and administrative support services for the government of Kuwait. Work will be performed in Altus, Oklahoma; and Kuwait. It is expected to be completed in March 2025.
Europe
European Union member states reached an agreement that aims to provide Ukraine with 1 million rounds of artillery ammunition over the next year. The EU members agreed to a plan Monday to back spending $1.1 billion from its European Peace Facility for the bloc’s countries to jointly buy ammunition, according to people familiar with the matter. They also backed spending another €1 billion from the same fund to reimburse what member states send from their own existing stockpiles of both modern and Soviet-era ammunition to Ukraine.
Asia-Pacific
Valiant Global Defense Services won a $14 million modification for personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform Korea Battle Simulation Center Operation Center operations services. Work will be performed at Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2024.
Australia said a deal to buy 220 US Tomahawk cruise missiles was essential for keeping “adversaries at bay” Friday, as Canberra ratchets up defense spending to counter growing Chinese military clout. Defense industry minister Pat Conroy said the potent long-range weapons would be deployed first to existing surface ships and later to a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.
Today’s Video
WATCH: Lockheed LC-130H Hercules – Takeoffs
More In-depth Contract News & Updates
AH-64E Apache Block III: Evolving Battlefield Roles
| Boeing won a $1 billion modification for the Apache AH-64E full-rate production. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of December 31, 2027. The Apache attack helicopter is a combat proven aircraft manufactured by American aerospace and defence company Boeing for the US Armed Forces. More »
Airfields Afloat: The USA’s New Gerald Ford Class Super-Carriers
| Huntington-Ingalls Industries won a $16 million modification for the procurement of material and labor associated with contractor furnished On-Board Repair Parts (OBRP) for the outfitting of CVN 79. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by June 2024. More »
LPD-17 San Antonio Class: The USA’s New Amphibious Ships
| General Dynamics won a $9 million modification to exercise options on previously awarded contract N00024-23-C-4413 for the USS Arlington (LPD 24) fiscal 2023 docking selected restricted availability. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2024. Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC), Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. The USS Arlington is a a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock. More »
Eurofighter’s Future: Tranche 3, and Beyond
| The British Ministry of Defense is reportedly investigating the supply of Royal Air Force (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 1 fighter jets to European MiG-29 operators. The ultimate aim is to replace the Soviet-era MiG 29 planes gifted by these operators to Ukraine, with these advanced Eurofighter aircraft. In parallel, Poland is considering gifting its Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine within the next four to six weeks, a move that would bolster Ukrainian forces’ firepower. These planes are already familiar to the country’s air force and can be utilized immediately. However, both the UK and Poland have stated that this supply would be part of a larger international coalition. Other countries, including Slovakia, have also declared their readiness to provide their MiG-29 planes to Ukraine, and NATO nations have urged others to come forward. More »
The MQ-4C Triton: Poseidon’s Unmanned Herald
| Northrop Grumman won a $57.5 million modification, which exercises options to provide continued sustainment, engineering, logistics, and test support for MQ-4C Triton air vehicles, mission control and operator training systems; continued field service representative’s technical support to ensure that the MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) aircraft are mission-capable for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions supporting aircraft early operational capability and initial operating capability; and continued reach-back engineering support for both the Navy and the government of Australia MQ-4C Triton UAS assets. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (36.5%); San Diego, California, California; Jacksonville, Florida; Mayport, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland; various location within the continental US (CONUS); and various location outside CONUS (12.7%), and is expected to be completed in March 2024. More »
