Americas
Northrop Grumman won a $23.3 million modification, which exercises an option to provide continued manufacturing and installation efforts in support of aerial refueling capability retrofit on 25 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye fleet aircraft for the Navy. Work will be performed in St Augustine, Florida (34.7%); Ronkonkoma, New York (28.9%); Melbourne, Florida (5.5%); Plainview, New York (3.1%); Irvine, California (3%); Columbia, Maryland (1.9%); North Hollywood, California (1.5%); East Aurora, New York (1.2%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (20.2%), and is expected to be completed in August 2025.
The US Space Command (SPACECOM) is now at full operational capability, the service announced during a town hall meeting at its headquarters in Colorado. The achievement comes four years after the command’s second incarnation, reestablished after closing in 2002 to promote peache in the growing space sector.
Middle East & Africa
Several nations have announced their contributions to Operation Prosperity Guardian, a new multinational security initiative in the Middle East to help protect merchant ships in the Red Sea area from drones and missiles. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin formally announced the effort December 18, after previously hinting that collective action is required to protect civilian ships in the region.
Europe
Czech firearms and ammunition producer Colt CZ plans to buy competitor Sellier & Bellot for $350 million, the former announced Monday. Pending “regulatory approval in various countries,” Colt CZ is expected to finalize the deal in the first half of 2024, according to the news release. The Brazil-based holding company CBC Global Ammunition owns Sellier & Bellot, which was founded in 1825 and employs approximately 1,600 people. Sellier & Bellot’s main production facility is located in in Vlašim, Czech Republic.
The two Nordic countries have signed a joint declaration to send additional combat vehicles to Ukraine in their latest show of support for the embattled country, as another year of repelling Russian forces will soon draw to a close.“The CV90 has been, and is, a significant addition to Ukraine’s defense since Sweden donated 50 earlier this year,” Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson stated. It follows the signature of an earlier agreement between Stockholm and Kyiv in August, which vowed to increase cooperation between the two allies around the production and servicing of the infantry fighting vehicles.
