Americas
Bell Textron won a $27.6 million modification, which provides engineering and logistics services as well as associated equipment and material. The deal is in support of the AH-1Z aircraft production, and AH-1W, UH-1Y and AH-1Z modifications and sustainment. The Marine Corps’ first attack helicopter was the AH-1W Super Cobra. The Super Cobra is used in close air support for Marines under fire and sometimes for coordinating artillery strikes, with pilots ordering the strikes from the air. But the Super Cobra is being replaced with the AH-1Z Viper and is expected to completely phased out by 2020. The AH-1Z attack helicopter, also known as Viper, provides rotary wing close air support, anti-armor, armed escort, armed/visual reconnaissance and fire support coordination capabilities under day/night and adverse weather conditions. The UH-1Y or Venom is a utility helicopter provides command & control and assault support under day/night and adverse weather conditions. The UH-1Y is the most significant upgrade ever made to the venerable and battle-proven H-1 helicopter. At the heart of the upgrade is a new four-bladed, all-composite and ballistically tolerant rotor system. Bell Textron will perform work under the modification in Texas, North Carolina, California and Maryland. Estimated completion date is in March 2021.
Sikorsky won a $556.2 million contract modification for Black Hawk production, associated services for program system management, engineering, technical data and publications. The Black Hawk, introduced in 1974 and used by the US since 1979, provides combat air assault, general support, aeromedical evacuation, command and control and special operations support. It’s used by military forces in Japan, Colombia and South Korea as well as the US. In June Sikorsky received $91.2 million for work on all versions of the Black Hawk and $15 million for Black Hawks in Saudi Arabia. Work will take place in Stratford, Connecticut and estimated completion date is June 30, 2021.
Middle East & Africa
Boeing Aerospace Operations won a $92.3 million contract action, which provides engineering technical services in support of Naval Aviation weapon systems and all associated systems and equipment throughout their sustainment life-cycle, to include contractor field services in support of the AV-8B Harrier II, EA-18G Growler, F/A-18 Super Hornet, C-40 Clipper, and P-8A Poseidon aircraft for the US Navy and the government of Kuwait. In March Boeing was awarded $87.5 million to maintain the AV-B8 Harrier trainers for Kuwait. In 2017 the contractor received $41 million for upgrades of the AV-B8 and the F/A-18. Work on the contract will be performed at various locations in the United States as well as Kuwait and Iwakuni, Japan and is expected to complete by December 2024.
Europe
Boeing won a $564.5 million Foreign Military Sale to the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates and the UK for the remanufacture of Apache AH-64E aircraft. Boeing’s AH-64 Apache is used by the US Army and a growing number of international defense forces. In July, the US Army revealed its plans of granting the company a multiyear contract to remanufacture up to 600 Apache AH-64E helicopters, although no value was disclosed with the news. Boeing’s AH-64 Apache has widely been accepted by several militaries across the world. This company secured major orders for this product from the Netherlands, the UAE and the UK, earlier this year. Boeing will perform work in Mesa, Arizona. Estimated completion is March 1, 2025.
Asia-Pacific
The US Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $15.7 million contract modification for program management office and engineering services supporting the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 Surface Ship Undersea Warfare Systems. The deal combines purchases for the Navy and the Commonwealth of Australia under the Foreign Military Sales program. The AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 is an undersea combat system designed to search, detect, classify, localize, and track underwater contacts, and to attack or avoid enemy submarines, floating, tethered, or bottom-attacked mines, and torpedoes. Lockheed will perform work in Syracuse, New York and Manassas, Virginia. Expected completion is in December 2020.
An online auction to sell retired aircraft carrier INS Viraat as scrap on December 17 has failed to find any buyer for the ship. The e-auction followed the Navy’s decision to sell the oldest aircraft carrier as scrap as plans to convert the iconic ship into maritime museum-cum-marine adventure centre didn’t find any takers. Last November, the Maharashtra government cleared a proposal to convert the longest-serving aircraft carrier into a commercial business complex. According to the proposal submitted by the state government to the Union Defence Ministry, the planned Viraat museum would be constructed by laying a concrete foundation in the sea and the location is around seven nautical miles from the shore at Nivti rocks in Sindhudurg district. INS Viraat used to be the flagship of the Indian Army. A new auction will be held again at a later time.
Today’s Video
Watch: Indian Defence Updates : US Offers 172 F/A-18 Block-3,Super-30 Upgrade On Tejas,BrahMos-A Complete
