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Boeing Offers Deal Sweetener to Canada | T-6B Trainer Deliveries Complete to US Navy | Israeli Air Force Looks to Acquire More F-35s

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Americas * The US Navy has announced the operational testing of an MQ-4C, which successfully transmitted full motion video to a P-8A via the Common Data Link (CDL). During the flight, the UAV had to use its electro-optical/infrared camera to build situational awareness of its environment before the P-8A arrived at the scene. The MQ-4C […]
Americas

* The US Navy has announced the operational testing of an MQ-4C, which successfully transmitted full motion video to a P-8A via the Common Data Link (CDL). During the flight, the UAV had to use its electro-optical/infrared camera to build situational awareness of its environment before the P-8A arrived at the scene. The MQ-4C Triton’s ability to perform persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance within a range of 2,000 nautical miles will allow the P-8A aircraft to focus on their core missions.

* Boeing has thrown in a sweetener for Canada if it were to select the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters as the replacement for its CF-18 fleet by including civil aviation work opportunities for Canadian firms. Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government promised during last year’s election that it would launch an open CF-18 replacement competition, and pledged not to buy Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jets as the previous Conservative government had planned to do. In response to the F-35 slight, Lockheed Martin warned that they may shift work on the F-35 away from Canadian firms amid the uncertainty.

* Delivery of the the final T-6B has been completed with the Navy now in possession of 148 of the trainer. The final model was delivered to the Training Air Wing 5 at Naval Air Station Whiting Field on June 21. Replacing the aging T-34 Turbomentor fleet, the T-6B has twice the performance power compared to T-34 and came equipped with a digital (glass) cockpit display, heads-up display, and ejection seat.

* The Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) C-1 has been delivered to the US Navy for operational use after the munition cleared the Initial Operational Capability (IOC) stage earlier this month. This newest iteration of JSOW is integrated with a Link 16 network radio, enabling the weapon to engage moving targets at sea. The radio allows the launch aircraft or another designated controller to provide real-time target updates to the weapon, reassign it to another target, or to abort the mission.

Middle East North Africa

* Israeli Air Force chief, Brig. Gen. Tal Kelman, says his service needs 75 Lockheed Martin F-35s. At present, 35 F-35A models have been ordered with new Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman committing to a further 17 of the Joint Strike Fighter. Kelman however is in favor of acquiring a further 25 F-35s with the possibility of adding a number of the fighter’s B variant to assist in other operational tasks despite it not being capable of carrying as many munitions.

Europe

* Ukraine is looking to increase its defensive capabilities with plans to purchase radars and anti-drone weaponry from the US. This will add to Humvees, unarmed Raven UAVs and other equipment already supplied by the Pentagon. However, Kiev has yet to be supplied with more advanced technologies and lethal weaponry such as the anti-tank Javelin missile due to fears expressed by former secretary of defense Chuck Hagel that Ukraine’s military is not sophisticated enough to operate them. To counter this, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, vice prime minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic integration recently visited Washington to discuss increased military support and arms transfers which included a meeting with under secretary of state for arms control and international security Rose Gottemoeller.

Asia Pacific

* North Korean hard man Kim Jong Un has claimed the hermit kingdom is capable of attacking US targets in the Pacific following its latest round of launches of its intermediate-range Musudan missile. The missile, which is fired from mobile launchers, has a design range of more than 3,000 km, meaning all of Japan and the US territory of Guam are potentially within reach. Meanwhile, Japanese authorities have begun examining the suspected nose cone of a rocket that washed up on a Japanese beach hoping to glean information on the reclusive North’s missile program.

* A series of shipbuilding and force modernization programs has been announced by the Taiwanese Navy which will see $14.7 billion spent on indigenous development over the next 24 years. The purpose of the program is to wean Taiwan off expensive and politically troublesome US defense acquisitions which often sparks trouble with neighboring China. Big ticket items include a Taiwan Aegis destroyer and frigate, submarine, high-speed minelayer, landing platform dock (LPD), 11 additional stealthy Tuo Jiang-class missile corvette catamarans, and multi-purpose transport. Other programs include more AAV7s, a type of assault amphibious vehicle, for the Taiwanese Marine Corps, underwater swimmer delivery vehicles for special forces, and assorted weapons for special forces.

Today’s Video

* US AH-64 and South Korean AH-1S attack helicopters in joint exercise:

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