Americas
Boeing won a $20.7 million deal, which provides for logistics management, product support analysis and integration, maintenance planning, technical data, support equipment maintenance, and engineering services in support of the P-8A aircraft for the Navy and the governments of Australia, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Work will take place in Florida, Washington, Maryland, Iceland and Japan. Estimated completion will be in September 2023.
Bell Boeing won a $13.4 million contract by the Navy. The deal provides engineering, management, technical, and acquisition support for the implementation and sustainment of V-22 capability defect packages for V-22 avionics and flight controls systems. Work will take place in Pennsylvania, Texas and Missouri. Estimated completion will be by September 2026.
Middle East & Africa
The Israeli Navy has received the 76/62 Super Rapid Multi-Feeding naval gun for two Sa’ar 6-class corvettes at its Haifa Naval base. The 76/62 enables air, anti-surface, and anti-missile defense for INS Oz and INS Magen ships. The Israel Navy is one of the first international forces to procure the gunnery, according to Leonardo. Since 1973, the navy’s Sa’ar 4.5 fast attack craft have operated with six integrated 76/62 systems.
Europe
Poland’s Ministry of National Defence has signed two contracts to buy 48 FA-50 light attack aircraft from South Korea, with the first 12 jets to be delivered next year and a further 36 aircraft in the years 2025 to 2028. Polish President Andrzej Duda, who was present at the official signing ceremony on September 16, said “the implementation of the program to introduce the FA-50 aircraft to the Polish military will allow us to fully resign from using the [Soviet-designed] MiG-29 and Su-22 aircraft,” as quoted in a statement released by his office.
Asia-Pacific
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will decide whether to buy a total of seven MQ-4C unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from Northrop Grumman after a defense review is completed next year. Australia has placed a order for three MQ-4Cs to complement the Boeing P-8A maritime aircraft acquired under AIR 7000 Phase 2B as a family of systems to replace the P-3 Orion. “That defence review will take into consideration the decision not to proceed on SkyGuardian,” Air Vice-Marshal Robert Denney was quoted as saying. Australia’s 2016 Defence White Paper had recommended the purchase of seven MQ-4Cs.
The Sri Lanka Air Force is set to receive aircraft loading and refueling equipment from the Department of Defense in 2023 under the Building Partner Capacity Program. To prepare the Sri Lanka Air Force on how to handle the equipment, a Mobile Training Team event was organized by the 36th Contingency Response Squadron at Montana Air National Guard Base last week. A 15-member team from the Sri Lanka Air Force spent four days learning to operate the gear from airmen assigned to 120th Logistics Readiness Squadron and 120th Maintenance Squadron. Procedures such as pallet buildup, refuel/defuel, and forklift operations were imparted to the Sri Lankans.
Today’s Video
WATCH: MQ-9 Reapers land at Iowa Air Guard base for first time
