Americas
Bath Iron Works was tapped for shipbuilder engineering and design analysis in order to produce design products in support of the Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG(X)) preliminary design and contract design. The modification to the contracts will be awarded without full and open competition pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(3), Industrial mobilization; engineering, development, or research capability; or expert services. The specific contract award amounts for these requirements is considered source-selection sensitive information and will not be made public at this time. BIW work will be performed in Bath/Brunswick, Maine; Washington, DC, and is expected to be completed by July 2024. Ingalls work will be performed in Pascagoula, Mississippi (89%); Avondale, Louisiana; and Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by July 2024.
The US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC) achieved a significant milestone with the successful test of its Visual Based Navigation (VBN) system. Drawing inspiration from the Transcontinental Airway System, which revolutionized flight a century ago, VBN takes on a more dynamic role in today’s era. The recent test involved attaching a camera to an experimental Black Hawk helicopter, capturing terrain imagery during flight. This imagery was then cross-referenced with a map database, providing accurate location information to the pilot when GPS signals are unavailable.
Middle East
L3Harris and Israel Aerospace Industries segment ELTA Systems have expanded a teaming agreement to provide US and NATO-interoperable Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) solutions for military customers. The team offers a missionized Bombardier Global 6500 business jet integrated with ELTA’s latest AEW systems and Battle Management Command and Control Suite, as well as L3Harris’ proprietary communications suite.
Europe
The European Union is drawing up plans to set up a $22 billion fund to be spent over four years to help Ukraine defeat the Russian invasion, diplomats said Thursday. Arriving at a Brussels minister of EU foreign ministers, Brussels’ foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he could not give a figure for the fund before member states had discussed it.
The US Department of Defense on Wednesday, July 19, reported that the State Department approved the purchase by Germany of AIM-120C-8 missiles of the AMRAAM type for $2.9 billion. The German authorities intend to buy up to 969 missiles, as well as related equipment, TASS reports. The key contractor will be the American defense company Raytheon.
Asia-Pacific
South Korea has announced the successful development of the Hyunmoo-V ballistic missile to be fitted on the country’s future arsenal ship. Local media references sources that say that the weapon system underwent trial launches earlier this year, marking the culmination of the development and testing phase.
Today’s Video
WATCH: Is The AMRAAM The Best Air To Air Missile In The World?