Americas
Boeing won a $30.8 million contract to establish organic depot and intermediate level maintenance repair capability of the Consolidated Automated Support System Operational Test Program Sets for Stores Management System components in support of the P-8A Poseidon Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft. The Navy’s Consolidated Automated Support System (CASS) Family of Testers, managed by the Naval Air Systems Command is the Navy’s standard ATE for support of electronic systems and is also a Department of Defense designated ATS Family. The P-8A Poseidon is the US Navy’s multi-mission maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. It efficiently conducts anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and humanitarian response. The P-8A Poseidon incorporates the 737-800 air frame, -900 wings, a weapons bay and pylons, and operates with a smaller crew. Boeing will perform work in St. Louis, Missouri, and Cedar Rapids, Michigan. Estimated completion will be in September 2024.
The US Navy awarded Raytheon a $25.5 million contract for critical design review of the Tomahawk Weapons System Military Code to include studies, analysis, design, development, integration and test of hardware and software solutions. Additionally, the contract provides for the identification of the kit bill of materials, fabrication, assembly, integration, test and documentation of an AGR5 kit. The Tomahawk is a mature missile weapons system with Block II and III, C and D versions in fleet use. These two variants of Tomahawk cruise missile are distinguished by their warhead; TLAM-C has a conventional unitary warhead, and TLAM-D has a conventional submunitions (dispense bomblets) warhead. Raytheon will perform work in California and Arizona and expected completion will be in March 2021.
Middle East & Africa
Saudi Arabia’s government on Wednesday presented what it called “material evidence” it says proves Iran was responsible for coordinated attacks at two Saudi oil-producing areas last weekend, putting on display the burned remains of mechanical drones and cruise missiles. Saudi Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki said 25 drones and missiles were used to hit the Khurais oil field and an oil processing plant in Abqaiq on Saturday. They included delta wing drones and Ya Ali cruise missiles, which he said are both built in Iran and used by its Revolutionary Guard Corps. The spokesman, however said it is still unknown precisely where the actual strikes originated. The Saudi ambassador to Britain said earlier Wednesday he was nearly certain Tehran was responsible.
Europe
The UK Chief of Defense Intelligence is looking to open-source intelligence (OSINT) to transform how his organization operates, Jane’s reports. Publicly available data will be the backbone of the UK military’s situational awareness in future conflicts and crises, according to the country’s Chief of Defense Intelligence (CDI), Lieutenant-General James Hockenhull. The civilian Deputy Chief of Defense Intelligence is responsible for Defense Intelligence analysis and production. “Publicly available data is the future backbone of situational awareness,” said Hockenhull at the DSEI conference on September 11, describing data as crucial to understanding what is happening in an increasingly confused and fast-moving world.
Asia-Pacific
Dassault will hand over to India its first Rafale fighter on October 8. The new chief of the Indian Air Force is expected to be at the hand-over ceremony in Merignac. Rajnath Singh will travel to Merignac in France along with senior Air Force officials for the induction ceremony. The ceremony was supposed to take place on September 19 but it was deferred due to last-minute changes in the program. India ordered 36 Rafale jets from France in a deal worth $8.2 billion in September 2016. While the formal induction will happen on October 8, the first batch of four Rafale jets will fly to their home base in India only next April-May. All 36 fighter planes will arrive by September 2022.
An Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI multirole air superiority fighter has test fired the country’s first domestically designed and developed beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM), designated Astra, as part of ongoing user trials off the coast of Odisha in eastern India on September 16. According to the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD), the missile successfully destroyed its test target. “The live aerial target was engaged accurately demonstrating the capability of first indigenous air-to-air missile,” the MoD said in a press release. The Astra BVRAAM is expected to be officially inducted by the end of 2019. Limited serial production of the Astra BVRAAM began already in 2017.
Today’s Video
Watch: DSEI 2019 Naval Coverage Day 3: Type 31e, Babcock, Thales, SEA, GDMS, Nexter
