Americas
BAE Systems won a $58.7 million contract, which provides for the manufacture, test and delivery of 239 Mode 5 capable RT-1763C/D AN/APX-111(V) combined interrogator transponders and 397 spare shop replaceable assemblies for the F/A-18 Super Hornet series and Boeing EA-18G Growler warfare aircraft for the Navy and the government of Canada. The US Navy F/A-18 E and F Super Hornet maritime strike attack aircraft, manufactured by Boeing, flew for the first time on November 29 1995. The Super Hornet is about 25% larger than its predecessor, the F/A-18C/D, but contains 42% fewer structural parts. EA-18G Growler is an airborne electronic attack aircraft, which operates from either an aircraft carrier or from land-bases. The Growler was developed as a replacement for the United States Navy EA-6B Prowler aircraft that entered service in 1971 and is approaching the end of operational life. Work will take place in New York and Texas. Estimated completion date will be by December 2025.
The 400th V-22 Osprey was delivered to the Department of Defense, manufacturer Bell Textron Inc. announced on Wednesday. The newest tiltrotor VTOL, or vertical takeoff and landing, CV-22 variant for Special Operations Forces was received by the US Air Force at Hurlbut Field, Florida., home of the 1st Special Operations Group, on June 2. The first V-22 Osprey flight occurred in 1989. The Army, Marines, Navy and the Japan Self-Defense Forces use the aircraft, and Israel, India, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates are considering purchase.
Middle East & Africa
Lockheed Martin won a $1 billion contract modification for incidental services, hardware, facilities, equipment, and all technical, planning, management, manufacturing, and testing efforts to produce Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target Advanced Capability-3 missiles. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. The modification includes foreign military sales to Bahrain, Germany, Poland, Qatar, Romania, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. Lockheed received a $6 billion deal in late April to deliver PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptors and related equipment across fiscal years 2021, 2022 and 2023. Work will take place in Alabama, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Texas. Estimated completion date is October 31, 2024.
Europe
General Dynamics Mission Systems won a $104.2 million deal for fiscal 2020-2023 Columbia (US01) and Dreadnought ballistic missile submarine class development, production and installation requirement. The Columbia Class program is meant to design and build 12 new ballistic missile submarines to replace the Navy’s current force of 14 aging Ohio Class boats. Dreadnought Class nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines are being constructed by BAE Systems at its Barrow-in-Furness shipyard in Cumbria, UK, for the UK Royal Navy.The Dreadnought class will replace the Vanguard class submarines from 2028 onwards and will host the United Kingdom’s nuclear deterrent. Work will take place in Massachusetts, the UK, Rhode Island and Connecticut. Work is expected to be complete by November 2024.
Six Italian Air Force F-35 fighter aircraft have landed at Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, for a six-week NATO deployment. “Air Policing is a very important duty for the Alliance. In that regard, even in these difficult times, Italy is deploying F-35 fighters to Iceland to fulfil its task,” said Colonel Michele Cesario, Commander of the Italian F-35 detachment in Iceland after the arrival of the fighter aircraft at Keflavik Air Base. This is the second time after the spring of 2019, that Italy has deployed its fifth generation fighter aircraft to the Allied mission providing interceptor capabilities to safeguard Icelandic airspace.
Asia-Pacific
Taiwan has flown the T-5 Yung Yin or Brave Eagle advanced jet trainer and light fighter aircraft that it has indigenously developed to equip the Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF). The milestone saw the supersonic twin-seat Taiwan Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC) aircraft depart Ching Chuan Kang Air Base and fly for approximately 20 minutes. The first flight came about nine months after the new aircraft was rolled out in September 2019. At that time, it was referred to as Blue Magpie rather than Brave Eagle.
Today’s Video
Watch: Defense security news TV weekly navy army air forces industry military equipment June 2020 Ep. 1
