Americas
Brazilian Defense Minister Jose Mucio has announced plans to travel to Sweden next month to negotiate a potential sale of Embraer’s C-390 Millennium military cargo aircraft to the Nordic nation. The move comes as Brazil explores the possibility of selling three to four C-390 aircraft to Sweden, while Sweden expresses interest in increasing its sale of Saab Gripen E fighter jets to Brazil. This development follows Austria’s recent decision to select Embraer’s C-390 to replace its aging fleet of Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130s, reinforcing the aircraft’s global appeal. Brazil, Portugal, and Hungary have previously placed orders for the C-390, also known as the KC-390 for the tanker variant. Additionally, the Netherlands has announced its intention to acquire this versatile freighter.
American Systems won a $19 million modification, which exercises options and adds scope to provide developmental testing, integration, delivery, and installation of the P -8A Increment 3 Block 2 mission software into existing P-8A training systems, to include Weapons Tactics Trainers, the new Combat Systems Part Task Trainer, and the New Combat System Electronic Classroom to support P-8A aircrew training and readiness for the Navy. This contract is in support of Small Business Innovation Research Phase III topic, “N00-123 Automated Readiness Measurement System (ARMS)”. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (85%); Jacksonville, Florida (10%); and St. Louis, Missouri (5%), and is expected to be completed in October 2026.
Middle East and Africa
Booz Allen Hamilton won a $59.8 million deal by the US Army to support the Royal Saudi Land Forces. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with an estimated completion date of September 20, 2028.
Europe
NATO is deploying surveillance planes in Lithuania to keep an eye on Russian military activity near the alliance’s borders. The first of two Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft will arrive in the Baltic nation on Thursday, NATO said in a press release. It will be a temporary mission commencing in the coming days and lasting for several weeks.
Russia is set to hike defense spending by almost 70 percent in 2024, a finance ministry document published Thursday showed, as Moscow pours resources into its full-scale offensive in Ukraine. Since the conflict began last year, Russia has ramped up arms manufacturing and pumped massive funds into its military machine, despite persistently high inflation and a weaker ruble. The document said defence spending was set to jump by over 68 percent year-on-year to almost $111.15 billion, totalling around 6 percent of GDP — more than spending allocated for social policy.
Asia-Pacific
The US Space Force is considering establishing a Space Force command post in Japan, according to a press statement by US Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman. The initiative marks the newly-formed US Space Force Indo-Pacific’s next step in extending its space operations in the region, pushing for collaboration with allied nations and competing with other growing forces in the space domain.
Today’s Video
WATCH:C-390 Millennium. Right for the world ahead right now.
