Last updated: Friday May 14, 2021 - 05:00 UTC ()
Airfields Afloat: The USA’s New Gerald Ford Class Super-Carriers
Eurofighter’s Future: Tranche 3, and Beyond
Rapid Fire | Friday, May 14, 2021, 05:00 UTC ()
MDA Wants To Get Next Generation Interceptor By 2028 | Israel Shipyards To Supply Shaldag To East Asian Country | UK Purchased 14 New Chinooks
Americas
Huntington-Ingalls Industries won a $115 million contract modification for engineering and technical support for USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79). The USS John F. Kennedy is the second Gerald R. Ford Class aircraft carrier. The ship was launched on October 29, 2019. Work will take place in Newport News, Virginia. Expected completion will be by June 2024. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
According to Defense News, the Missile Defense Agency aims to get the first one Next Generation Interceptor by 2028. It will replace the current ground-based interceptors that make up the ballistic missile defense system of the United States’ homeland, but the director of the agency expects to be able to move faster. “If you look at the timeline to get to the first emplacement in 2028,” which is the government’s schedule, “through competition, we know that date is going to come to the left,” Vice Adm. Jon Hill, said at the McAleese and Associates conference May 12.
Middle East & Africa
Israel Shipyards announced that it has won a tender to supply Shaldag Mk V fast patrol boats to the navy of an East Asian country. The agreement was signed between Israel Shipyards, the Israeli Ministry of Defense, and the customer. According to Israel Shipyards, the deal includes a knowledge transfer and training regarding the construction and maintenance of the 32.65 m-long vessels, as well as an upgrade of the customer’s shipyard for this purpose.
Europe
A Litening III targeting pod on a Royal Air Force Eurofighter was damaged beyond repair after it dropped from the jet during testing. The Telegraph reported on the news, but did not mention if the accident happened in the air or on the ground. The damage was worth $847,260.
The UK signed a contract worth $1.9 billion for the purchase of 14 new Chinook aircraft over the next 10 years. According to a press release by the Royal Air Force, the helicopter can operate in a diverse range of environments, from the desert to the arctic, and transport up to 55 personnel or ten tonnes of cargo.
Asia-Pacific
Exercise Arnhem Thunder 21 is taking place at RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal with the F-35A deploying to Darwin for the first time. Approximately 40 aircraft, and over 500 personnel from the Royal Australian Air Force will be participating in the largest air exercise in Australia for 2021.
Today’s Video
Watch: Shaldag MK V FAIC with a high firepower-to-displacement ratio | Philippine Navy
More In-depth Contract News & Updates
The New Chinooks: Boeing’s Modern H-47 Heavy-Lift Helicopters
| The UK signed a contract worth $1.9 billion for the purchase of 14 new Chinook aircraft over the next 10 years. According to a press release by the Royal Air Force, the helicopter can operate in a diverse range of environments, from the desert to the arctic, and transport up to 55 personnel or ten tonnes of cargo. More »
CH-53K: The U.S. Marines’ HLR Helicopter Program
| Sikorsky won a $17.3 million contract modification, that adds scope to provide production system engineering and program management support in support of CH-53K aircraft low-rate initial production. The CH-53K is the United States Marine Corps’ (USMC) heavy lift replacement for the CH-53E. The CH-53K is a new-build helicopter that will expand the fleet’s ability to move more material, more rapidly throughout the area of responsibility using proven and mature technologies. Work will take place in Stratford, Connecticut and is expected to be finished in June 2022. More »
The MQ-4C Triton: Poseidon’s Unmanned Herald
| The US Navy issued Northrop Grumman with a prototype and risk reduction contract for the development of a sense-and-avoid (SAA) capability for the MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAV. SAA is geared at enabling the Triton to operate in controlled airspace and is a focus of the next developmental increment of the co-operative development programme for the USN and RAAF. More »
F-35 Lightning: The Joint Strike Fighter Program
| US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. told the House Appropriations defense subcommittee on May 7 that his service now has more F-35As compared to the A-10, F-15C/D and F-15E fleet. With 283 jets delivered, the fleet of stealth fighters is second only to the F-16. More »
Timely Defenders: Keeping Patriots in Shape
| Sweden has taken delivery of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors in April, Lockheed Martin said. Sweden selected the PAC-3 MSE in August 2018. Building on the combat-proven PAC-3 Cost Reduction Initiative (CRI), the PAC-3 MSE expands the lethal battlespace with a two-pulse solid rocket motor, providing increased performance in altitude and range, according to Lockheed. More »
