Latest updates[?]: Australia will receive delivery of its first Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAV in 2023, and of the second and third aircraft by early 2025, Northrop Grumman Australia Chief Executive Chris Deeble has disclosed according to Jane’s. IFC-4 functionality will add a signals intelligence capability to the UAV’s baseline IFC-3 configuration. The production pause proposed in draft US budget papers for USN Triton UAVs in fiscal year 2021 (FY 2021) and FY 2022 provides Australia with an unprecedented opportunity to fill the LRIP-5 production gap with the remainder of its own Triton requirement, said Deeble.

Latest updates[?]: System Dynamics International won a $28.7 million contract for MQ-9 unmanned aerial system aircrew and support services. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and five offers were received. The MQ-9 Reaper is an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft that is employed primarily against dynamic execution targets and secondarily as an intelligence collection asset. Work will take place in California and Arizona. Estimated completion date is June 30, 2025.

Latest updates[?]: South Korea will start operating its three RQ-4 unmanned air vehicles from as early as next month, Yonhap reports. “We are going to field Global Hawk for actual operations within the second half of this year. They will be put into service after the one remaining unit arrives here, which will take place soon,” an anonymous source was quoted as saying. South Korea was cleared to buy 4 RQ-4s in 2013. The first aircraft was delivered in December 2019. So far, it has been making local training flights.

Latest updates[?]: Scientific Systems won a $9.6 million order, which provides for continuing improvement of the software development processes to enhance cybersecurity and software safety for the Image Based Navigation for Vertical Take-off and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Shipboard Landing program in support of the MQ-8 Fire Scout Unmanned Air Vehicle. This is a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III for research and development performed under the SBIR topic numbers N112-127, N03-025 and AF06-149. The MQ-8 Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle system is comprised of ground control stations, up to three MQ-8B Fire Scout air vehicles, and associated control handling and support equipment. The VTUAV system is designed to operate from air-capable ships with initial deployment on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and will provide a significant improvement to organic surveillance capability. Work will take place in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Estimated completion date is June 2023.

Latest updates[?]: Viasat and Data Link Solutions each won a $998.8 million deal for the production, retrofits, development and sustainment of the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Joint Tactical Radio Systems (JTRS) terminals. Currently, there are three variants of MIDS JTRS terminals: the Concurrent Multi-Netting-4, the Tactical Targeting Network Technology and the F-22 variant. The MIDS JTRS terminal is a line-of-sight radio system for collecting and transmitting broadband, jam-resistant, secure data and voice across a variety of air, sea and ground platforms. These terminals will continue to be procured, sustained and updated for future growth, including JTRS advanced networking waveforms such as: multifunction advanced data link, intra-flight data link and other advanced networking waveforms. The MIDS JTRS terminals make use of high-speed jam-resistant Link-16 tactical data exchange network. The Link 16 allows for real-time transfer of combat data, voice communications, imagery, and relative navigation information between dispersed battle elements, using data encryption and frequency hopping to maintain secure communications. The system facilitates the exchange of data over a common communication link, allowing participants to obtain and share situational awareness information and interoperate within the battlespace. Viasat will perform work in Carlsbad, California. Data Link Solution will perform work in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Expected completion is by May 2025.

Latest updates[?]: Colonna Shipyards won an $8.9 million deal for an 80-day shipyard availability for the emergency dry-docking of Navy Ship Spearhead (T-EPF 1). The Spearhead Class Expeditionary Fast Transport shipbuilding program to provide "a platform intended to support users in the Department of the Navy and Department of the Army. The Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) program is a cooperative effort for a high-speed, shallow draft vessel intended for rapid intratheater transport of medium-sized cargo payloads. The Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) is a shallow draft, all aluminum, commercial-based catamaran capable of intra-theater personnel and cargo lift, providing combatant commanders high-speed sealift mobility with inherent cargo handling capability and agility to achieve positional advantage over operational distances. Work will take place in Norfolk, Virginia and is expected to be finished 2020.

Latest updates[?]: The Indonesian House of Representatives’ committee on defense and foreign affairs has cleared the acceptance of 14 ScanEagle Unmanned Air Vehicles and three Bell 412 helicopters from the United States. Under the country’s law, every grant provided to the Indonesian government needs to first be approved by the House of Representatives. Indonesia, has a defense cooperation with several countries, including the US. In the framework of the cooperation, giving primary weapons defense system as a grant is reasonable.

Latest updates[?]: France’s Intelligence Online has reported that three EADS Harfang Unmanned Air Vehicles previously operated by the French Air Force have been transferred to Morocco. The transfer reportedly took place on January 26. The sale was worth around $48 million. The Israeli drones, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, were transferred to Morocco via French defense company Dassault, The report said that an agreement on the deal was made between Israel and Morocco as far back as 2013, with the drones delivered in recent weeks. The drones are to be used to monitor terror groups in the southern part of the country and the Western Sahara area.The report said Morocco bought the drones after they were decommissioned from the French military, which used them for surveillance operations in Afghanistan.

Latest updates[?]: Israel Aerospace Industries announced on that it will unveil the Heron MK II at the Singapore Airshow next month. The company said in a press release that the Heron MK II has long-range observation sensors and radars, allowing it to perform Standoff Capability, gathering intelligence from tens of kilometers away without crossing borders. Fitted with a Rotax 915 iS engine, the Heron MK II can reach an altitude of 35,000 feet, a maximum speed of 140 knots and can remain in the air for 45 consecutive hours. The Heron MK II is a strategic and versatile aircraft capable of carrying diverse payloads.

Latest updates[?]: Northrop Grumman won a $217.2 million modification, which provides for Battlefield Airborne Communications Node payload operation and support for payload equipment and services. Under the contract, Northrup Grumman will support payload equipment and services for the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, a US Air Force relay and gateway system carried by the EQ-48 and Bombardier E-11A aircraft. The node enables real-time information flow across the battlespace in line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight operations. Work will take place in San Diego and at undisclosed overseas locations, with an expected completion date of January 23, 2021.