Americas
Austal USA has teamed with Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. and Pearlson Shiplift to design and construct a new part of its manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama. The “major expansion” will see the development of a hub at the southern portion of Austal’s existing waterfront yard.
Three branches of the US military have joined forces for a mass casualty combat exercise near the Gowen Field Air National Guard Base in Idaho. During the drill, soldiers, airmen, and sailors were given different tasks on how to properly and effectively treat or move their wounded comrades while taking heavy fire. Several UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the Idaho Army National Guard also participated in the drill, responding to medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) requests from the simulated combat zone.
Middle East & Africa
Conflict between M23 rebels and government forces is intensifying in eastern DR Congo’s Masisi territory, residents said Wednesday, after days of unrest that have left dozens injured. Tensions in Masisi have displaced residents of many villages and overwhelmed health centers, according to humanitarian sources. Residents pointed to Sake, a strategic point on the road to provincial capital Goma as a flashpoint in the latest fighting in North Kivu province in the east of the country.
Europe
Poland has been cleared to procure reconnaissance aerostat and radar systems from the US in a potential $1.2 billion deal. The US State Department said Wednesday that Warsaw had requested an undisclosed number of Airspace and Surface Radar Reconnaissance (ASRR) aerostat systems, which are essentially balloon-type surveillance assets.
Three of the Hellenic Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk helicopters under order have completed key tests ahead of scheduled delivery this year. The maritime rotary-wing aircraft successfully passed integrated mission and sensor systems tests, verifying their effectiveness and efficiency, Sikorsky announced Wednesday. The tests also reportedly confirmed that the Seahawks are capable of performing anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare missions, either from ships or on the ground.
Asia-Pacific
According to Janes, India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) has carried out a series of flight tests on a subscale model of its high-altitude pseudo satellite (HAPS) platform. The tests were conducted at the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO’s) Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) at Challakere, Karnataka, from 23 January to 2 February. During the tests, the subscale model, which has a wingspan of 12 m and a maximum take-off weight of 22 kg, conducted about 22 sorties and accumulated close to 37 flight hours.
