Canada Considers Poseidon Purchase | Elbit Awarded To Supply EW Suites For NATO Member | US, UK, Australia Agree On Nuclear Sub Project
Americas
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems won a $48.5 million modification for AEGIS fielding and sustainment engineering support, software development, in-service maintenance, integration, and logistics and fielding support for AEGIS combat system configurations already delivered, or in the process of being delivered, to the Navy fleet. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (96%); and Dahlgren, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by December 2023.
The Canadian government is considering purchasing 14 P-8A Poseidon aircraft from Boeing under a $6-billion deal. The information surfaced after Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand traveled to the US to meet with representatives from Boeing and discuss future military programs and collaborations. In 2022, Ottawa issued a request for information for a new multi-mission aircraft to replace its fleet of 14 CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft.
Middle East & Africa
Elbit Systems was awarded a contract to supply Electronic Warfare (EW) self-protection suites for a fighter aircraft that is being supplied to a NATO member country in Europe. As part of the contract, Elbit Systems will equip the aircraft with its EW self-protection suite, including Radar Warning Receivers (RWR) and Countermeasure Dispensing Systems (CMDS). The operational and combat-proven RWR rapidly detects and accurately locates a wide range of enemy threats, even in a dense EW environment, enabling reliable and timely warnings to the aircrew, and an automated or manual response by the CMDS.
Europe
In a move to bolster Belgium’s military capabilities, the Council of Ministers has given the green light to the acquisition of 20 light helicopters, 15 of which will be utilized by the army while the remaining five will be allocated for the police force. The purchase will be facilitated through NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). The NSPA serves as a centralized purchasing and support agency for NATO, working to enhance the alliance’s military capabilities and effectiveness. It provides a wide range of services, including acquisition and procurement, logistics and supply chain management, operational and systems support, and scientific and technical services.
Madrid’s unresolved orders for the Airbus A400M airlifter, the biggest defense project in Europe, are in turmoil and may have a significant impact on aviation investment in one of Airbus’s co-founding nations. Sources in the defense sector have disclosed that Spain is becoming increasingly hesitant about delivering the remaining 13 planes from their initial order of 27, indicating that the Spanish Air Force may not require them. This implies that only 14 A400M cargo planes will be in service with the Spanish Air Force. Designed to boost the strategic autonomy of seven European NATO nations, the A400M project has been hit by cost overruns and delays. As a result, any decision over the future of the A400M is expected to trigger intense negotiations over alternative defense orders and Airbus’s ongoing investment in Spain.
Asia-Pacific
The US is preparing to sell three to five nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, an unprecedented step that’s expected to pave the way for Canberra to co-develop and then eventually build its own attack boats in the decades ahead, President Joe Biden announced Monday alongside his allied counterparts. Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese detailed a three-phrase approach in the Australia-UK-US deal known as AUKUS, which ultimately ends with London and Canberra creating advanced versions of the highly sensitive vessel for their navies.
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