Americas
BAE Systems won a $23.5 million deal for logistics engineering and integration support services for Trident II Strategic Weapon System and the Submarine Submersible Guided Missile Attack Weapon System. This contract award also benefits a foreign military sale to the United Kingdom. Work will be performed in Kings Bay, Georgia; Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania; Rockville, Maryland; Bremerton, Washington; and various other locations. Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2024. Fiscal 2023 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,244,147; and United Kingdom funding in the amount of $3,051,000 will be obligated upon award.
Raytheon won a $11.4 million delivery order for the repair of 11 APY-10 radar system weapon repairable assemblies (WRAs), for a total quantity on 259 WRAs, in support of the P-8A aircraft. The delivery order does not include an option period. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida; and McKinney, Texas. Work is expected to be completed by January 2026.
Middle East and Africa
Specialist Brazilian jungle warfare operators recently joined forces with Kenyan soldiers for an intensive three-week jungle warfare training course in the rugged terrain of Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This joint endeavor represents a significant milestone in international peacekeeping efforts and underscores the commitment of both nations to enhancing their capabilities and contributing to regional stability. The Kenyan Ministry of Defence (MoD) lauded this collaborative effort as a historic achievement in the realm of international peacekeeping. The training involved the Kenyan quick reaction force (QRF), assigned to the UN’s MONUSCO Force Intervention Brigade (FIB), and the Brazilian Jungle Warfare Mobile Training Team (JWMTT), which is also a component of MONUSCO.
Europe
Bulgaria has opened a new defense facility in Sofia to improve the country’s cybersecurity capabilities. The Cyber Defense Center will facilitate cyber-related education and hands-on training for Bulgarian military personnel, equipping them with the skills required for identification, deterrence, and defense operations against cyber attacks. The $12-million project was funded through the US State Department’s Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program and delivered through the US Department of Defense.
Asia-Pacific
Taiwanese company GEOSAT Aerospace and Technology has inked an agreement with British firm Flyby Technology that paves the way for the purchase, technology transfer and production of 160 Turkish-made Jackal drones. The memorandum of understanding, signed during the Taipei Aerospace Defense Technology Exhibition this month, involves the transfer of technology to the Asia-Pacific region and other geographic areas, according to a GEOSAT news release.
The Malaysian government has expressed its intent to procure defense equipment from Turkey to upgrade its air defense capabilities. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his country is considering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and helicopters, which are Ankara’s “area of specialization.” However, he clarified that the final choice would be decided by the Malaysian Armed Forces Council.
Today’s Video
WATCH: Jackal.. meet Türkiye’s new armed unmanned aerial vehicle