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Boeing tapped for Clipper Support | DoS approved several FMS to UAE and Saudi Arabia | RAF tests BriteCloud on Typhoon Fighters

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Americas BAE Systems won $8.9 million in support of the MK45 gun mount. The deal provides engineering, technical, logistics services and technical data to support the MK 45 5 inch Gun system design, development, fabrication, production, operation and integration. The MK45 is designed to engage surface and air targets and to provide naval surface fire […]
Americas

BAE Systems won $8.9 million in support of the MK45 gun mount. The deal provides engineering, technical, logistics services and technical data to support the MK 45 5 inch Gun system design, development, fabrication, production, operation and integration. The MK45 is designed to engage surface and air targets and to provide naval surface fire support for expeditionary operations. The gun mount includes a 20 round automatic loader drum. The gun’s maximum firing rate is 16-20 rounds from the loader drum per minute. Work for the engineering services and waterfront services contract will take place in Minnesota and Kentucky and is scheduled to be finished by May next year.

The Navy awarded Boeing a $51.5 million contract in support of the C-40A Clipper aircraft. The contract provides sustainment engineering services in support of up to 17 Clippers and also includes engineering data, technical publication, access to and distribution of technical data and publications, and other technical support services. The C-40A is a variant of the Boeing next-generation 737-700C civil aircraft. The first of the C-40A aircraft entered service with the United States Naval Reserve Fleet Support Squadron in April 2001. The aircraft are certified to operate in three different configurations: all-passenger, all-cargo or in combination configuration. The aircraft has an aluminium alloy fail-safe fuselage and wing structure and incorporates the strengthened wing design like the one on the 737-800 and Boeing Business Jet. Work will take place in Seattle, Washington and is scheduled to be finished in May 2024.

Middle East & Africa

The US State Department approved several Foreign Military Sales to the United Arab Emirates on May 24. For an estimated cost of $900 million, the DoS gave the OK for a sale of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) II All-Up-Rounds. Included in the deal is weapon support and test equipment, spares, technical publications, personnel training, other training equipment, transportation, US Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support. Prime contractor will be BAE Systems. A sale of Javelin Guided Missiles worth $102 million includes System Integration & Checkout (SICO) service, Field Service Representative, US Government and contractor technical, engineering and logistics support services’ tools and test equipment, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, spare and repair parts, and other related elements. Raytheon will be Prime contractor for this FMS. A possible FMS of follow-on blanket order US Marine Corps training and support to the United Emirates Presidential Guard Command is estimated at $100 million. The DoS also approved a possible FMS of RQ-21A Blackjack Unmanned Air Vehicles for an approximate cost of $80 million, which also includes 40 Global Positioning Systems (GPS) with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) Type II (MPE-S), air vehicle support equipment including eight eight Ground Control Stations, four launchers, and four retrievers, spare and repair parts, publications, training, and technical support services. Members of Congress had actually been blocking sales of offensive military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for months because of the huge civilian toll from their air campaign in Yemen, as well as human rights abuses such as the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey. However, President Trump, declared a national emergency because of tensions with Iran in order to go through with the sale.

The State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia of aircraft follow-on support and services for an estimated cost of $1.8 billion. Saudi Arabia had requested to buy aircraft, engines, and weapons, publications and technical documentation, support equipment, spare and repair parts, repair and return, calibration support and test equipment, personnel equipment, US Government and contractor technical and logistics support, and other related elements of program support. The DoS also approved a FMS for continued Tactical Air Surveillance System Aircraft support worth $136 million. The prime contractor will be L3 Technologies, Greenville, Texas.

Raytheon won a $355.5 million contract for refurbishment of the AGM-88B missiles for Qatar, Bahrain and Taiwan by the US Air Force. The contract is for Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM) Replacement Exchange, the refurbishment of AGM-88B missiles and the conversion of AGM-88B into Captive Air Training Missiles. The HARM is a tactical, air-to-surface anti-radiation missile, capable of speeds up to twice the speed of sound. It is designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air radar systems. The AGM-88 can detect, attack and destroy a radar antenna or transmitter with minimal aircrew input. Raytheon will perform work in Tucson, Arizona, and expects completion by 2027.

Europe

The British Royal Air Force started testing the latest version of the BriteCloud missile decoy on its Typhoon fighter aircraft. Leonardo will support a series of trials in which the ‘BriteCloud 55’ Expendable Active Decoy is being trialled for operations with the Royal Air Force (RAF)’s fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon Aircraft. Designed and built by Leonardo Aerospace in Luton, Bedfordshire, BriteCloud is a line of expendable anti-missile decoys. With mission programmable electronics packages, the small canisters come in a number of variants to fit different aircraft. Each canister has spring-loaded airfoils and contains a miniaturized radio-frequency jamming module. In recent tests, the RAF dispensed 33 BriteCloud rounds from Typhoon fighters against a series of simulated battlefield threats. The trials were not only to demonstrate the effectiveness of the decoy, but also that the canisters can be launched safely from the Typhoon.

Asia-Pacific

The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $16.4 million contract modification to support the Taiwan F-16 Peace Phoenix Rising program. Taiwan kicked off its modernization program at the beginning of the year and called for 144 Lockheed Martin F-16 A/B Fighting Falcon’s to be upgraded under the Taiwan F-16 Peace Phoenix Rising program. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine, multi-role fighter jet that is primarily used for air-to-air and air-to-surface missions. The modification provides for miscellaneous support work identified during performance of the in-country aircraft modification program, use and maintenance of product support aircraft, and additional support necessary for the successful completion of modification installs. Lockheed will perform work in Fort Worth, Texas and Taiwan and expects completion by the end of May, 2023.

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