Americas
Boeing won a $12.8 million order, which provides for the rework, repair, and overhaul of 16 Harpoon capsules and six all-up round encapsulated Harpoon missiles for the Navy. Work will be performed in St. Charles, Missouri; and Burnley, Lancashire, England, and is expected to be completed in September 2024.
The Florida-based 125th Fighter Wing is gearing up for a significant transformation. After three decades of flying the F-15C Eagle, the 125th Fighter Wing is embarking on a journey into the future with the arrival of the F-35A Lightning II, marking a new chapter in the unit’s storied history. The momentum towards this transition gained significant traction on August 14, 2023, when Maj. Brannon Ferguson, a seasoned pilot at the 159th Fighter Squadron, flew an F-15C Eagle to its final resting place at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The symbolic departure signified the divestiture of the F-15C Eagle airframe for the 125th Fighter Wing, setting the stage for a remarkable evolution.
Middle East and Africa
Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in joining the next-generation fighter jet program involving the UK, Italy, and Japan. Known as the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), the initiative aims to produce an exportable sixth-generation combat aircraft by 2035. According to officials in London and Tokyo, the kingdom’s efforts to join the project began in July when it sent a direct request to the government of Japan to make the GCAP a four-nation program.
According to Defense News, Israeli manufacturer UVision tested its Hero-120 loitering munition for the first time in the Arctic, as company officials say they are looking to expand their footprint in the region. Earlier this year, in a location the company did not disclose, where temperatures reached below -20 degrees Celsius, UVision conducted a series of flight missions to assess the capabilities of the Hero-120 loitering munition under extreme weather conditions.
Europe
The Ukrainian military will receive a new type of counter-drone air defense system from Norway amid Russia’s increasing use of powerful loitering munitions. The system, known as the CORTEX Typhon, will reportedly provide crucial protection against enemy combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as Moscow’s Shahed-136 attack drones.
Asia-Pacific
The Australian government will build a coating facility for the F-35A fighter jets in the country. The over $64 million facility will be constructed at the Royal Australian Air Force base in Williamtown, New South Wales. The facility will include the application of a “specialized paint” to the aircraft, rendering it “virtually invisible” to enemy radar, the Australian government stated.
Australia fired its first army tactical missile system (ATACMS) on a red-dirt airfield in Delamere, Northern Territory, to demonstrate the capability for the country’s northern borders. The ATACMS is an all-weather, inertially-guided surface-to-surface missile first used in the 1990s that can intercept high-value targets up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) away.
Today’s Video
WATCH: AIM-120 AMRAAM: The Guardian Angel of American Fighter Jets
