Americas
Bath Iron Works (BIW) won a $132 million deal to fund capital expenditure projects for shipbuilder and supplier industrial base efforts in support of the USS Arleigh Burke DDG-51 class destroyer program. The deal will fund shipbuilder and supplier base efforts to address supply chain fragility and to ensure future readiness for the fleet. The Arleigh Burkes are the primary type of ship produced by BIW, a subsidiary of global aerospace and defense company General Dynamics. BIW provides planning yard services for all Arleigh Burke Class and Zumwalt Class destroyers including engineering, design, material kitting, logistics, planning and execution. The shipyard announced the contract modification as the company’s largest union, Local S6, continues to strike over disagreements about the proposed contract between BIW and the union. The union has decried to the company’s plans to continue hiring subcontractors and make changes to seniority privileges. Work will take place in Bath, Maine. Estimated completion will be by June 2028.
Huntington Ingalls won a $22.8 million contract modification for the USS Boise (SSN 764) Smart Start that encompasses continued advance planning, execution services, production and availability preparations for fiscal 2020 USS Boise engineered overhaul. The contracted requirements also include continued advance planning, execution services, production and availability preparations necessary to repair and maintain unrestricted operation of the submarine. It also includes upgrades and modernization efforts required to ensure the submarine is operating at full technical capacity as defined in the availability work package during the chief of naval operation’s scheduled availability. The USS Boise is a Los Angeles Class submarine, The Los Angeles Class is a nuclear-powered fast attack submarines (SSN) in service with the United States Navy. It is armed with both the land-attack and anti-ship version of the Tomahawk missile from Raytheon that can be fitted with a nuclear warhead. Work will take place in Newport News, Virginia. Expected completion will be by September 2020.
Middle East & Africa
Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems won a sole-source contract in the amount of $2.3 billion under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Under this production contract, the contractor will provide seven Army/Navy Transportable Surveillance and Control Model 2 radars, radar spares, obsolescence design, sustainment services and initial contractor logistics support for KSA. Army/Navy Transportable Surveillance and Control Model 2 radar is a missile defense radar that can detect, track and discriminate ballistic missiles. It operates in the X-band of the electromagnetic spectrum. This enables it to see targets more clearly and distinguish between an actual menace and non-threats, like launch debris. Work will take place in Massachusetts. Performance period is June 26, 2020 to August 31, 2027.
Raytheon Won a $9.2 million deal for the Qatar Early Warning Radar (QEWR). This modification is for the construction of the communications infrastructure at the QEWR site. The company won a $1.06 billion deal to provide an early warning radar (EWR) to Doha in February 2017. The Qatari radar is expected to add long-range detection to the country’s layered Integrated Air and Missile Defense architecture, which includes Patriot systems and an Air Defense Operation Center. A layered defense takes fuller advantage of the specialized abilities of different radars and interceptors. The EWR will provide extra warning time to alert command centers and cue fire control systems. Work will take place in Woburn, Massachusetts and Qatar. Expected completion will be by December 2020.
Europe
Sweden’s ground-launched short-range air defense missile, the RBS 98, was successfully tested this week, the Swedish armed forces announced on Friday. The surface-to-air missile is a variant of the German-made IRIS-T air-to-air missile, in use by 11 countries, including several NATO countries, according to Swedish officials. During the test, the missiles were launched from a trailer pulled by a BvS 10 all-terrain amphibious armored vehicle, known as a Bandvagn 410. The vehicle consists of two tracked units, one carrying a crew of four, and the other carrying four missiles. The RBS 98, officially the Robotsystem 98, was designed to replace the US-made AIM-9 Sidewinder missile, and can engage a target at altitudes up to 12.5 miles.
Asia-Pacific
Taiwan has admitted that US troops have been training on the island after a video made by the US Army’s 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) last year showed the soldiers boarding a Black Hawk helicopter with Republic of China markings. The code name of the exercise is Balance Tamper and it involved Taiwan special forces personnel from the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion.
Today’s Video
Watch: DEFENSE UPDATES WEEKLY NEWS ROUND-UP 28th JUNE – U.S TO UPDATE MILITARY POSTURE TO COUNTER CHINA !
