Americas
Sikorsky won an $18,4 million modification, which definitizes a previously awarded change order modification (P00009) and adds scope to provide logistics and airworthiness support for CH-53K Heavy Lift aircraft configuration changes for the government of Israel. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed in February 2026. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
L3Harris has been awarded a $479 million contract to supply the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) with next-generation tactical radios. The equipment is expected to provide the country’s special forces with enhanced battlefield communication for modern military operations. Apart from the undisclosed number of tactical radios, the company will also deliver associated sustainment and support services within seven one-year periods.
Middle East & Africa
According to Military Africa, he Nigerian navy has recently acquired two SwiftSea Stalker unmanned surface vessels (USVs) from Swiftship, a US-based shipbuilder. The USVs are expected to enhance the navy’s maritime security and surveillance capabilities.The two USVs were formally handed over to President Bola Tinubu by the Minister of State for Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The minister said that the USVs would help in the fight against insecurity on the waterways and the nation in general.
Europe
A UK mobile air defense system that uses an ASRAAM air-to-air missile on a Supacat High Mobility Transporter (HMT) has achieved a strike rate of 90 percent in Ukraine. A joint team of the UK Ministry of Defense and MBDA speedily readied the system in four months in 2022, including development, trials, and training of Ukrainian crews. It is particularly effective against low-flying, short-range targets such as helicopters.
Finnish Minister of Defense Antti Häkkänen has authorized the Finnish Defense Forces (FDF) to order 13 more Sisu GTP 4×4 off-road vehicles worth $10.6 million. This is in addition to the 31 Sisu GTPs sold to the FDF in 2020 and 2022. The FDF signed a contract with Sisu Auto in June 2020 for six GTP 4×4 vehicles for trials to assess mobility requirements, for which Sisu Auto supplied three vehicles in the five-seat general purpose vehicle (GPV) configuration and three 10-seat GTP armoured personnel vehicles (APCs).
Asia-Pacific
Taiwan has completed the preliminary design phase for its indigenous military trainer aircraft, marking a crucial advancement in the program. The country’s main domestic aircraft developer, Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC), announced the development Monday, saying a prototype aircraft can be expected by 2028.
