Boeing Provides GXi Helos To Argentina | France And Australia To Supply Ukraine With Shells | Boeing Tapped For Australian Poseidon
Americas
The US Air Force (USAF) has chosen Electra Aero for a Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) award, securing up to $85 million in investment funding. This award will go towards the rapid development of a full-scale pre-production prototype of Electra’s electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft. The eSTOL aircraft represents a new class of aircraft, characterized by helicopter-like operational flexibility and better performance and operating costs than comparable fixed-wing aircraft. The eSTOL aircraft is designed for operations from small spaces and can fly missions ranging from urban air mobility to cargo logistics and disaster response. The STRATFI award funds the rapid development, test, and evaluation of the eSTOL aircraft, which can be used by the Air Force to validate requirements and operational use cases. The award will also accelerate the transition path for Electra’s commercial nine-passenger eSTOL product aircraft.
The Argentian government will pay Bell approximately $32 million for six 407 GXi helicopters for search-and-rescue duties in mountainous regions. The contract covers training services, manuals, tooling, and ground support equipment.
Middle East & Africa
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview aired Tuesday he was considering military aid to Ukraine and was willing to serve as a mediator, following US calls for more active involvement. Netanyahu made no firm commitments to Ukraine and Israel has preserved a relationship with Russia, which controls the skies in neighboring Syria and has turned a blind eye to Israeli strikes on targets of arch-nemesis Iran.
Europe
A leading US maker of advanced military surveillance drones announced Wednesday that it was willing to sell two to Ukraine for just $1, and called on the US government to approve the deal. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems said it had been urging Washington for months to provide Ukraine its powerful Grey Eagle and Reaper drones, which US forces have used to great effect in surveillance and targeted attacks over Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and other conflict zones.
France and Australia will supply Ukraine with 155mm shells needed for artillery pieces by the West sind Russia’s invasion, defense ministers Sebastien Lecornu and Richard Marles said Monday. “Several thousand 155 mm shells will be manufactured jointly” by French arms supplier Nexter, France’s Lecornu said, while Marles said the plan would come with a “multi-million-dollar” price tag.
Asia-Pacific
Boeing won a $36.6 million modification, which adds scope to procure three P-8A increment 3 retrofit A-kits, to include associated special tooling, in support of anti-submarine warfare capabilities upgrades for the Navy. Additionally, this modification procures 12 P-8A Nose Radome retrofit kits for the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida (79.6%); St. Louis, Missouri (10.9%); and Mesa, Arizona (9.5%), and is expected to be completed in August 2025.
Today’s Video
WATCH: U.S. Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon Sqn. VP-4 169542 at Tampere-Pirkkala
