Americas
Austal USA has conducted a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a final assembly station in Alabama. The project supports the ongoing expansion of the company’s existing waterfront center in Mobile, which will also receive design improvements and a new ship lift system. Austal wrote that the upcoming station will include three bays for managing large steel components used to develop US Navy and Coast Guard vessels such as the Offshore Patrol Cutters and TAGOS-25 ocean surveillance systems.
The US Army has turned to industry partners for a new, lightweight radar to be fitted on its high-altitude surveillance balloons. A request for information (RFI) was recently issued for the desired airborne sensor that should address the service’s deep sensing requirements. It stated that the payload must weigh less than 6.8 kilograms and use power and communication equipment already on spy balloons.
Middle East & Defense
Northrop Grumman won an $11 million modification for contractor logistics support of Iraq’s C-172 and C-208 fleets. Work will be performed at Martyr BG Ali Flaih Air Base (formerly Balad Air Base), Iraq, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2025. This contract involves foreign military sales to Iraq. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Legacy Training Aircraft Division, Rapid Acquisition and Sustainment Management Branch, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
Europe
Sikorsky has received a $251.4-million contract to produce UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for Jordan and Croatia. The choppers are expected to boost the ability of both countries to conduct cargo and personnel transport, border security, counterterrorism, and search and rescue missions. Work for the contract is scheduled for completion by June 2027.
Asia-Pacific
South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on July 11 on plans for mass production and deployment of Hanwa’s laser air defense weapon system Block-I variant. The Block-I system represents the first official deployment of a laser weapon by the South Korean military. This novel system utilizes high-powered lasers generated through fiber optics to neutralize targets. Video footage shows the system destroying quad copter drones and fixed-wing unmanned aircraft.
