Archives by category >
Daily Rapid Fire (
RSS)
Oct 18, 2019 05:00 UTC
Americas
Lockheed Martin won a $108,3 million deal for the Mk21A Reentry Vehicle program. The contract is to conduct technology maturation and risk reduction to provide a low technical risk and affordable RV capable of delivering the W87-1 warhead from the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent Weapon System. The Air Force Nuclear Weapon Center has determined it necessary to develop a Reentry Vehicle for the W87-1 warhead that will be deployed on the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent Weapon System. The W87 is a thermonuclear missile warhead. Work will take place in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania and is expected to be finished by October 2022.
The first Dream Chaser cargo spacecraft to go into space has been delivered to Sierra Nevada Corporation for final assembly and testing. It was built by Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft’s two wings and cargo module are to be delivered later. The schedule calls for the Dream Chaser to launch into orbit as early as September 2021. At a media event at a company facility, SNC took possession of the primary structure of the first orbital Dream Chaser vehicle. That structure was recently shipped from a Lockheed facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to SNC. Lockheed Martin contributed to the construction using both its space and aeronautics expertise, the latter coming from a facility that makes composite structures for the F-35 fighter aircraft.
Middle East & Africa
US F-15s and Apache attack helicopters carried out a ‘show of force’ near Ayn Issa, Syria after Turkish militia came close to a US base, threatening troops there. The incident underscores the complex battlefield in Syria as 1,000 American troops are withdrawing from the country in the middle of fighting between Turkish forces and Syrian Kurds. The Turkish-backed fighters had violated an agreement with the US to not get too close to US forces and threaten them, officials said. The US military also formally contacted the Turkish military to protest the risk posed to the American forces by the nearby presence of Turkish-backed fighters.
India delivered the final two of four refurbished Russian-built Mil Mi-24 ‘Hind’ attack helicopters it had promised the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in early 2018 to boost their counter-insurgency capabilities. The two Mi-24Vs, which were purchased from Belarus, were officially handed over by Vinay Kumar, India’s ambassador to Afghanistan, during a ceremony held on October 15 at the Afghan Air Force (AAF) base in Kabul, according to the Indian Embassy in Kabul. These helicopters are a replacement for the four attack helicopters previously gifted by India to Afghanistan in 2015 and 2016. In March 2018 Afghanistan’s then-ambassador to India, Shaida Mohammad Abdali, told the Hindustan Times newspaper that the Mi-24s were being acquired under a trilateral agreement signed between Afghanistan, Belarus, and India.
Europe
News reports say Bulgaria’s deputy prime minister and defense minister has floated the idea of buying the KAI T-50 and set up an assembly line for the aircraft locally. KAI developed the T-50 Trainer with US Lockheed Martin from 1997-2006. This helped the Bulgarian government select the trainer. The T-50 is 13.14 meters long, 9.45 meters wide and 4.94 meters tall and weighs 6.3 ton, which is 77 percent of the F-16 weight. It runs on the F404-GE-102 engine, which is used for the US FA-18 model. The T-50 features a high speed of Mach 1.5, a rare speed for a trainer and the latest digital flight system. The F-50 is evaluated suitable for so-called fifth-generation fighters such as the F-35 and the F-22. It has a maximum flying range of 2,592 kilometers and a maximum flight altitude of 16 kilometers.
Asia-Pacific
Boeing, StandardAero and AAR Aircraft Services each won a contract modification in support of the P-8A Poseidon. Boeing and StandardAero will provide CFM56-7B27A/3 and CFM56-7B27AE engine depot maintenance and repair, field assessment, maintenance repair and overhaul engine repair, and technical assistance for removal and replacement of engines for the P-8A Poseidon aircraft in support of the Navy, the government of Australia and Foreign Military Sales customers. AAr Aircraft Services will provide P-8A Poseidon aircraft depot scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, fulfillment of depot in-service repair/planner and estimator requirements, technical directive incorporation, airframe modifications, aircraft on ground support, and removal and replacement of engines in support of the Navy, the government of Australia and Foreign Military Sales customers. Boeing won $193.3 million, StandardAero was awarded $174.7 million and AAR won $44.9 million. Work is expected to be complete by October next year.
Today’s Video
Watch: AUSA 2019 News Show Daily Association of United States Army Defense Exhibition Washington DC Day1
Oct 17, 2019 05:00 UTC
Americas
Sikorsky won a $7.9 million firm-fixed-price delivery order that procures 36 improved nacelles production kits in support of the CH-53E in-service aircraft. The CH-53E Super Stallion is a heavy-lift helicopter. It was developed from the CH-53 Sea Stallion mainly by adding a third engine, adding a seventh blade to the main rotor and canting the tail rotor 20 degrees. A total of 172 Super Stallions have been delivered and 165 are in service with marine corps squadrons in the Pacific Fleet and in the Atlantic Fleet. King Stallion is currently being developed from the Super Stallion. It will be the largest and heaviest helicopter in the US Army. Work under the delivery order in support of the CH-53E will take place in Stratford, Connecticut and estimated completion will be in May 2022.
Robert Strider, deputy director of Army hypersonic programs told the Association of the United States Army on Monday that deployment of a long-range hypersonic weapon system by the US Army is expected by 2023. “We’re going to field an experimental prototype with residual combat capability by 2023“, he said. Hypersonic missiles will be capable of reaching the top of the Earth’s atmosphere, remaining beyond the range of air and missile defense systems, until they are ready to strike. They will be designed for accuracy, speed, survivability and maneuverability, according to the Army, and are supposed to strike anywhere in the world within minutes. Design of the missiles and the launching platforms is overseen by the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, whose focus has been on hypersonic devices since 2018.
Middle East & Africa
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed closer defense equipment co-operation with Saudi Arabia on his first visit to the country since 2007, BBC reports. In talks with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in Riyadh on October 14, Putin discussed the possibility of cooperating in the area of military technology. Defense discussions in the past have included the possible purchase and future deployment of Russia’s S-400 air defense missile system, which would be something of a diplomatic blow to the USA. It is not known, if the recent talks included the missile system. The Saudis have also invited Russia to participate in the ongoing international investigation into the September 14 drone and missile attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
Europe
The Czech Republic is in discussions to export more Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros basic trainer/light attack jet aircraft to Cambodia, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on October 14. Speaking in Prague during a visit by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Babis noted “the possibility of co-operation in the defense industry, for example Cambodia has Czech L-39 aircraft, which I see as a good point of contact for further co-operation in this area”. The Royal Cambodian Air Force currently operates a fleet of five L-39s. The first was delivered in 1996, so upgrades or replacements are needed. Hun Sen said he discussed the potential procurement of “three or four” new L-39s, “and we continue to discuss this”.
Asia-Pacific
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force is sending a C-130H to Panagarh, India for exercise Shinyuu Maitri with the Indian Air Force. The exercise will commence on October 17. It ends on the 23rd. At the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School at Vairengte, 25 soldiers from each side will train together on counter-terrorism measures whereas, in the Shinyuu Maitri air exercise at Panagarh, the focus would be on tactical operations with botth sides using aircraft — C-130J by the IAF and C-130H by Japan — used in special operations. The C-130H aircraft is the military’s primary combat delivery aircraft and has provided humanitarian assistance, precision airdrop and tactical airlift across the globe for more than 40 years. The C-130 has been around since the Vietnam War, forming the backbone of the US Air Force’s tactical airlift fleet. It is especially well-suited to austere conditions like those found throughout Afghanistan. The H models performed fantastic work in the area of responsibility. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the C-130 Hercules.
Raytheon will be partnering with Korean Air to pursue the Republic of Korea’s Air Force’s Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance program. Based on the Global 6500 business jet, Raytheon will be the prime contractor and provide sensors for the aircraft. Korean Air will deliver design, logistics and life cycle support services. Under the agreement, Raytheon will provide multiple-intelligence, or Multi-INT, technologies for the aircraft. Through the partnership, Raytheon intends to meet ROKAF’s need for an ISTAR aircraft solution to improve intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Today’s Video
Watch: HNLMS Karel Doorman – Incredibly, This Warship Has Dual Nationalities: Netherlands and Germany
Oct 16, 2019 05:00 UTC
Americas
BAE Systems has unveiled the RAVEN Countermeasure System that will protect combat vehicles from missile threats. Ryan Edwards, business development manager for Soldier and Vehicle Electronics at BAE System, says the RAVEN, which is a directable infrared countermeasure, can be “easily tailored to any vehicle, mission, or budget.” The RAVEN Countermeasure system, is a rugged, reliable laser-based countermeasure capable of defeating a variety of guided missile threats. The system is lightweight, modular, and scalable, and provides armed forces with efficient vehicle protection in a small, cost-efficient package. It is specifically designed for capability growth to address future threats as they emerge.
Bell, part of American conglomerate Textron, displayed mock-up of its new rotorcraft, 360 Invictus, during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) National Conference, Defence Blog reports. The Bell 360, say company officials, combines high cruise speeds and long-range functionality mixed with maneuverability. Personnel in the new helicopter will be able to collect and develop data to keep troops on the ground informed regarding conditions, which enables better decision-making. The 360 Invictus is Bell’s answer to the US Army’s requirements for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft.
Middle East & Africa
Turkey’s indigenous Hisar-A low-altitude air defense missile system will soon enter mass production. The system recently completed testing. Hisar-A System has a modular design comprising Search Radar & Identification friend or foe (IFF), Infrared Sensors & Laser Range Finder, Data Link, Vertically Launcher & Bi-Pulsed Air Defense Missile with IIR seeker. Hisar missiles are defense weapons developed to protect military bases, ports, facilities, and troops against aerial threats as well as to meet the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces for a low- and medium-altitude air defense security system. While the Hisar’s radar, command and control, and fire control systems are developed by Aselsan, Roketsan developed the missile system. The Hisar-A and Hisar-O are expected to be in service by 2020 and 2021, respectively. Defense Industry President Ismail Demir announced that the mass production of the project will start soon. “Hisar-A low-altitude air defense missile system domestically developed by ASELSAN and ROKETSAN has successfully destroyed the target with 100% accuracy in the final tests,” Demir said on Twitter.
Europe
French Armed Forces (Defence) Minister Florence Parly tweeted on October 10 that she had signed a letter of intent with her Greek counterpart, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, for the acquisition of two Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention (FDI) defense and intervention frigates to equip the Hellenic Navy starting in 2023. However, Panagiotopoulos declared to the press that there was “a long way to go” before an agreement is reached regarding the final (technical) configuration of the frigates. France is procuring five FDIs of its own under the „Loi de Programmation Militaire“ 2019-2025 military funding program in a program conducted by the „Direction Générale de l’Armement“, the French armament procurement agency, in co-operation with the French Navy, Naval Group, Thales, and MBDA. The Armed Forces Ministry expects the FDI to account for one-third of French frigates by 2030, with the first two to be delivered in 2025.
Asia-Pacific
Singapore’s F-15 fighter jet training program in USA’s Idaho turns 10 years old, Defense News reports. In May 2009, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) took delivery of its first F-15SG and, shortly after, inaugurated a detachment based in Idaho, United States. Its aim was to build a critical mass of pilots and engineers capable of flying and maintaining the fourth-generation fighter jet. A decade later, the Peace Carvin Five detachment at Mountain Home Air Force Base has come a long way, validating the capabilities of a fully-fledged fleet and winning awards at high-level multilateral exercises. Singapore commemorated 10 years of its Boeing F-15 training program in the US during an October 11 ceremony, at which officials unveiled new artwork painted on one of the jets. The ceremony was held at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho where the Republic of Singapore Air Force, or RSAF, maintains the Peace Carvin V F-15SG detachment.
Chinese media have released more details about the Z-20 helicopter operated by the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF). Reports by the Global Times newspaper highlighted that the engines installed in the Z-20 provide sufficient power for the aircraft to perform well at high altitudes, and stated that the Z-20 design incorporates “many technologies that should be considered advanced in the world, including active vibration control, fly-by-wire, low-noise design for rotor and the high-performance aerodynamic design of the rotor”. The reports, which were published in the context of the fifth biennial China Helicopter Exposition held in Tianjin, where the Z-20 was a key exhibit, followed the first public appearance of the Z-20 at China’s National Day Parade on October 1. A 1,600 kW turboshaft engine displayed at the Tianjin exhibition is believed to be the type that powers the twin-engined Z-20. A display board accompanying the exhibited engine noted that it is suitable for medium and large helicopters. No designation was given to this engine, although it is thought to be the WZ-10.
Today’s Video
Watch: First British-owned jets landed on HMS Queen Elizabeth
Oct 15, 2019 05:00 UTC
Americas
Sikorsky showcased its next generation Combat Rescue Helicopter during a ceremony at its Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Florida last week. The HH-60W is manufactured by Sikorsky, a unit of Lockheed Martin, and is designed to replace Air Force’s aging fleet of HH-60G Pave Hawks. During the event, United States Air Force General James M. Holmes, Commander, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia described the HH-60W helicopter as a critical tool for the warfighter. The US Air Force program of record calls for 113 helicopters to replace the HH-60G Pave Hawk, which perform critical combat search and rescue and personnel recovery operations for all US military services.
A new UNIPAC III Search and Rescue (SAR) kit for the US Navy’s P-8A is now undergoing testing. The kit can provide 100 people with food, water and communications for an extended time. The testing, which is performed at PAX, but funded by the Royal Australian Air Force ensures those rescued are found and sustained with food, water and communications for an extended time. “The test program is a perfect example of the benefits reaped when two international partners join as part of a cooperative partnership“, said Squadron Leader Nathan Mula, an Australian P-8A Flight Test Tactical officer stationed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River (PAX) in Maryland. Operated by US Navy, Australia and India, the P-8 is performing maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations around the globe. Additionally, the United Kingdom, Norway, New Zealand and South Korea have ordered the aircraft with deliveries expected through the middle of the next decade.
Middle East & Africa
The Turkish military and allied Syrian rebels launched their long-threatened offensive into northeastern Syria on October 9 with the stated objective of establishing a safe zone that has been cleared of Kurdish forces and can be used to resettle Syrian refugees. “A 30 km safe zone is okay for us. We do not have a plan to go beyond that,” said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavu?o?lu. “First we have to enter 120 km deep to clean the terrorists completely from this area. It will continue gradually until the safe zone is completed.” The offensive began with howitzers shelling suspected YPG positions across the border and airstrikes. Airstrikes were also carried out against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq under Operation ‘Claw’.
Europe
Thales and Nexter Systems teamed up to develop a new multi-role weapon system, called RAPIDFireNaval, to meet potential French Navy requirements, Jane’s reports They are eyeing DGA funding in the first half of 2020, according to Sylvain Richy, managing director of CTAI,a joint venture between Nexter and BAE Systems. RAPIDFireNaval consists of a remote-controlled turret armed with the stabilized CTAI 40 mm Cased Telescoped Armament System (CTAS) that has been qualified by France and the UK for land-based applications and has been in production since early 2016.
Asia-Pacific
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) will take delivery of six A-29 light attack aircraft by February 2020. The aircraft will supplement and not replace the existing OV-10 fleet. The Super Tucanos are expected to beef up the remaining North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco attack aircraft being used by the PAF in strike missions. The turboprop aircraft is designed for light attack, counter-insurgency, close air support, aerial reconnaissance missions in low threat environments, as well as providing pilot training.
The Republic of Korea Army (RoKA) confirmed in a report presented to South Korea’s National Assembly on October 11 that it plans to reduce the number of active military personnel by about 100,000 to 365,000 by 2022 as part of defense reforms aimed at creating a smaller and more technologically advanced military. Seoul, a key Washington ally, conscripts men for two years of service to defend the country from the nuclear-armed North and its much larger army, which invaded the South in 1950 backed by communist allies China and the Soviet Union. The war ended three years later in an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the South and North technically at war and the peninsula divided along the Demilitarized Zone. Citing forecast data from Statistics Korea, the Yonhap News Agency reported on the same day that one of the reasons behind the move is that South Korea’s low birth-rate is likely to lead to a decrease in the number of male citizens in their 20s to less than 250,000 after 2022, compared with about 350,000 in 2018.
Today’s Video
Watch: Latest military equipment Special Forces Operations units unveiled during SOF Symposium in Belgium
Oct 14, 2019 05:00 UTC
Americas
Electric Boat Corp. won a 434.4 million deal for lead yard support and development studies and design efforts regarding the Virginia Class submarines. The Virginia Class replaces Los Angeles Class submarines as they retire. The Virginia Class has several innovations that significantly enhance its warfighting capabilities, including in littoral operations. Virginia Class SSNs have a fly-by-wire ship control system that provides improved shallow-water ship handling. The class has special features to support SOF, including a reconfigurable torpedo room which can accommodate a large number of SOF and all their equipment for prolonged deployments and future off-board payloads. The class also has a large lock-in/lock-out chamber for divers. In Virginia Class SSNs, traditional periscopes have been supplanted by two photonics masts that host visible and infrared digital cameras atop telescoping arms. Work under the contract will take place in Connecticut, Virginia and Rhode Island. Estimated completion will be by September 2020. The contract provides lead yard support for Virginia class submarines that will maintain, update and support the Virginia class design and related drawings and data for each Virginia class submarine, including technology insertion, throughout its construction and post-shakedown availability period. The contractor will also provide all engineering and related lead yard support necessary for direct maintenance and support of Virginia class ship specifications.
Northrop Grumman Systems won a maximum $24.3 million firm-fixed-priced delivery order for rudders in support of the F/A-18 aircraft platform. The F/A-18 Hornet is a single- and two-seat, twin engine, multi-mission fighter/attack aircraft that can operate from either aircraft carriers or land bases. The F/A-18 fills a variety of roles: air superiority, fighter escort, suppression of enemy air defenses, reconnaissance, forward air control, close and deep air support, and day and night strike missions. The F/A-18 Hornet replaced the F-4 Phantom II fighter and A-7 Corsair II light attack jet, and also replaced the A-6 Intruder as these aircraft were retired during the 1990s. The multi-mission F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter is an upgrade of the combat-proven night strike F/A-18C/D. The Super Hornet will provide the battle group commander with a platform that has range, endurance, and ordnance carriage capabilities comparable to the A-6 which have been retired. The F/A-18E/F aircraft are 4.2 feet longer than earlier Hornets, have a 25% larger wing area, and carry 33% more internal fuel which will effectively increase mission range by 41% and endurance by 50%. The Super Hornet also incorporates two additional weapon stations. This allows for increased payload flexibility by mixing and matching air-to-air and/or air-to-ground ordnance. The aircraft can also carry the complete complement of “smart” weapons, including the newest joint weapons such as JDAM and JSOW. Work for the rudders will take place in California with an August 31, 2026 expected completion date.
Middle East & Africa
The US State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Kuwait for 19 M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lifting Extraction System (HERCULES) recovery vehicles and related equipment and support for an estimated cost of $281 million. The Hercules is a full tracked armored vehicle used to perform battlefield rescue and recovery missions. The M88A2 is essential to the long-term sustainability of Kuwait’s new M1A2 tank fleet for national Defense. Hercules was the primary 70-ton recovery system during Operation Iraqi Freedom. And, US troops found other capabilities when they used it to pull down the Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad on April 9, 2003. Hercules utilizes a hull designed for the recovery mission and thoroughly proven by US Army testing.
Tunisia has been cleared by the US government to buy 12 T-6C trainers worth an estimated cost of $234 million. The Government of Tunisia has requested a possible sale of twelve T-6C Texan trainer aircraft, spare engines, cartridge actuated devices/propellant actuated devices operational flight trainer, spare parts, ground handling equipment, support equipment, software delivery and support, publications and technical documentation, clothing, textiles and individual equipment, aircraft ferry support, technical and logistical support services, site surveys, minor modifications/class IV support, personnel training and training equipment. The proposed sale will replace Tunisia’s aging trainer fleet and allow the country to continue training pilots to support Tunisia’s counter-terrorism and border security missions.
Europe
Royal Norwegian Air Force chief Brig. Gen. Tonje Skinnarland said in an exclusive interview with Defense News that his F-35 fleet has an issue with its unique drag chute. Peculiar to RNoAF F-35A, the drag chute is mounted on a pod on top of the aircraft to help slow down the jet on icy runways. It was supposed to fail one per 10,000 uses. Nevertheless, the service is encountering a lower figure for the failure rate. F-35 JPO and Lockheed Martin say the first compliant parachute will be delivered to Norway next year.
Asia-Pacific
Rolls-Royce won a $9.1 million contract modification, which exercises an option to procure three spare AE1107C engines in support of the V-22 Osprey program for Japan. The AE 1107C is mission-ready with improved ‘hot and high’ performance for enhanced capability. The Osprey is a multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft. In 2012, former Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto ordered an investigation of the costs of V-22 operations. The V-22 exceeds current Japan Self-Defense Forces helicopters in terms of range, speed, and payload. The ministry anticipated deployments to the Nansei Islands and the Senkaku Islands, as well as in multinational cooperation with the US. The first V-22 for Japan was delivered in August 2017.
Today’s Video
Watch: PCG OPV DELIVERY AND THE UPCOMING ASSETS
Oct 11, 2019 05:00 UTC
Americas
Raytheon won an $11.9 million delivery order for the procurement of 101 spare part units across nine assemblies used in support of the F-18 APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar system. The AN/APG-79 AESA radar is an airborne radar made for F/A-18 E/F aircrafts. It is comprised of numerous solid-state transmit and receive modules to practically eliminate the possibility of mechanical breakdown. With a range of 150 km, the AN/APG-79 provides instantaneous track updates and multi-target tracking capabilities. Its X-band radar allows for higher resolution imaging, helping with target identification and discrimination. The AN/APG-79 is the replacement radar for the AN/APG-73. Work will take place in Forest, Mississippi. Estimated completion date will be by December 2022.
The US Air Force reactivated the 420th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base for flight and ground testing of the next-generation bomber, the B-21 Raider. The squadron was organized under the 412th Test Wing at the base, and a ceremony marking the occasion was held on October 4, the Air Force announced on Wednesday. The first B-21 Raider bomber, the next-generation replacement for the B-1 and B-2 aircraft, is under development at Lockheed Martin facilities in nearby Palmdale, California. The B-21 is expected to enter service by 2025, and will replace the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit over time.
Middle East & Africa
Spartan Air Academy Iraq won a $24.8 million contract for contractor logistics support services. The deal provides for CLS services and material support for 15 T-6A aircraft. The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engine turboprop aircraft. In 1996, the US Navy and Air Force awarded Raytheon Aircraft Company, now Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC), the contract for the joint primary aircraft training system (JPATS). The aircraft was subsequently named the T-6A Texan II. The aircraft uses a Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turboprop engine which provides a flat rated 1,100hp. The range of the aircraft is more than 1,667km. Work under the new contract will take place at Balad Air Base, Iraq and has an estimated completion date of June 30, 2020.
Europe
Finland has received Torpedo System 45 lightweight torpedo assets on loan from Sweden for installation on board the Hamina Class strike craft FNS Tornio, Jane’s reports. The Hamina Class fast attack craft were built by Aker Finnyards in Rauma, Finland for the Finnish Navy. Previously known as Rauma 2000, fast attack craft regularly patrol the Finnish coastline. Four vessels home-ported at Upinniemi are operated under Squadron 2000. A loan arrangement forms part of a wider bilateral co-operation, formalized by Sweden’s Defense Materiel Administration and the Finnish Defense Forces Logistic Command in early 2018, that also covers the new Torpedo System 47. As well as co-operative development and procurement of the Torpedo System 47, the bilateral arrangement also includes the loan of existing Torpedo System 45 assets to establish an interim capability.
Asia-Pacific
Pakistan’s Ministry of Defense Production (MoDP) revealed that it procured 60 CM-400AKG missiles in its 2017-2018 annual year book. According to MoDP’s latest yearbook, which was released in September, Pakistan ordered 60 additional Chinese-made CM-400AKG air-launched anti-ship missiles for the Air Force for $100 million. The document also states that the country ordered 52 9K129 Kornet-E anti-tank guided missile weapon systems and 295 FN-16 man-portable air defense systems (MANPADSs) during that period.
38 North has done a technical evaluation of North Korea’s new short-range missiles that were tested recently. It concluded that the KN-23, -24, and -25 missiles are likely to be more accurate than the Scud-variants that North Korea had been using earlier. The KN-23 is a North Korean short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) first tested in May 2019. The missile flies on a quasi-ballistic trajectory and has a maximum range of 690 km. North Korea first flight tested the missile on May 4, 2019. Due to its visual similarity to Russia’s Iskander-M SRBM, analysts dispute whether the missile was constructed with foreign assistance.
Today’s Video
Watch: PACIFIC 2019 Day 2 – Royal Australian Navy Programs
Oct 10, 2019 05:00 UTC
Americas
The US Army awarded BAE Systems a contract modification worth up to $269 million for continued production of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the company announced in a press release. The deal for additional 168 Bradley A4 Infantry Fighting Vehicles is part of the Army’s combat vehicle modernization strategy and will help ensure force readiness of the Armored Brigade Combat Teams. The Bradley Fighting Vehicle or BFV is an armored personnel carrier. The development of the Bradley dates back to the pre-Vietnam era. The early plans of an advanced armor personnel vehicle were being discussed in the early 1960s, even as the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier was just entering service. The Bradley Fighting Vehicle entered production in 1981 and became a replacement for the M113. The Bradley is considered to be a more powerful and faster vehicle than the M113, and its better suspension increases speed on off-road terrain. The Bradley A4 is equipped with an enhanced powertrain that maximizes mobility and increases engine horsepower, providing rapid movement in reaction to combat or other adverse situations. Wide angle Driver’s Vision Enhancer, improved Force XXI Battle Command Bridge and Below (FBCB2) software integration improves friendly and enemy vehicle identification, enhancing situational awareness.
General Dynamics Mission Systems announced in a news release that the National Security Agency (NSA) has certified its new TACLANE-Nano (KG-175N) network encryptor to secure voice, video and data information classified Top Secret/SCI and below traversing public and private IP networks. The NSA certification validates the TACLANE-Nano’s capability to protect the most critical data communications through government networks and national security systems worldwide at any time, it says in the release. The TACLANE-Nano provides end-to-end encryption in the smallest, lightest and lowest power configuration of any HAIPE device available today. It operates faster than 100 megabits per second aggregate throughout in a Size, Weight, Power and Cost (SWaP-C) optimized form factor, ruggedized to withstand the rigors of a mobile environment.
Middle East & Africa
Soldiers from the US Army’s 1st Battalion 178th Infantry Regiment were taught how to counter commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) drones ahead of their deployment to Afghanistan in a course conducted by the 5th Armored Brigade, First Army Division West. This is the first time that a unit had received deliberate training on Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Fort Bliss, the largest FORSCOM installation, is the first in the Army to persistently permit military personal to fly commercial-off-the-shelf UAS in the training area. This capability was created to train soldiers and joint partners to combat the emerging small Unmanned Aircraft Systems threat around the world.
Europe
The Netherlands want to buy nine more F-35s. The Dutch government announced plans to purchase nine more of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jets, a move that would bring the country’s inventory to 46. The acquisition will be worth approximately $1.1 billion. It will lay the foundation for a third F-35 squadron in the Dutch Air Force, a plan that government officials first had in late 2018. The additional aircraft are expected to contribute to the Air Force’s objective of having four jets available for NATO missions while also performing homeland defense operations and accounting for training requirements and maintenance downtime.
Asia-Pacific
Thales Australia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian Maritime College to establish a presence at the Tasmanian Defense Innovation and Design Precinct. This makes it the first defense industry prime to commit to a presence at the Defense Innovation and Design Precinct. “The Federal Government’s $30 million funding to establish the Defence Innovation and Design Precinct in Tasmania reflects the range of smart innovations under development at the Australian Maritime College and from SMEs in Tasmania,” Thales Australia CEO Chris Jenkins said. The announcement builds on Thales’s initiative to establish a sonar testing capability in Tasmania’s deep, cold and acoustically quiet lakes.
The Royal Australian Air Force will equip its Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets with the same AN/ASG-34 podded infrared search-and-track (IRST) system as carried by the US Navy, Jane’s reports. A sources-sought notification issued by the US Naval Air Systems Command on October 2 calls for 12 IRST systems to cover the RAAF’s fleet of 24 Super Hornets. Developed by Lockheed Martin, with Boeing and General Electric, the AN/ASG-34 IRST is a passive system geared at giving the Super Hornet the capability to locate and engage airborne and ground targets when use of the Raytheon AN/APG-79 AESA radar would give away the aircraft’s position.
Today’s Video
Watch: Testing of the Air Force’s Super-Secret B-21 Raider Long-range Strike Bomber
Oct 09, 2019 05:00 UTC
Americas
The US Army Special Operations Aviation Command (ARSOAC), together with the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), has performed a series of complex launch trials with the Dynetics baseline and Block I variant GBU-69/B Small Glide Munitions (SGMs) from an MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aircraft System. According to Jane’s, the services conducted the trials in late August at the US Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. The tests mark the first time the GBU-69/B weapon system has been released from a UAS and represent an expanded platform set from which the munition can be employed. The baseline GBU-69/B SGM is a 60 lbs Class precision glide munition, 11.4 cm in diameter, and has a wingspan of 71.1 cm. The Gray Eagle is a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS. The aircraft offers extended endurance, increased payload capacity, and high-reliability. Its mission capabilities include surveillance, reconnaissance and target acquisition, communications relay, and weapons delivery.
The US Air Force issued its new uniforms to recruits after a three year wait, entering basic military training, utility uniforms identical to those of the US Army. The first Operational Camouflage Pattern uniforms were distributed at the 37th Training Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, last week. They will be rolled out to all Air Force personnel over the next three years. The new OCP has six colors, allowing its camouflage to better blend in with various environments, compared to the four pixelated colors of the ABU, and will cost $20 per set more. Insignia indicating rank will no longer be on airman’s sleeves or officer’s collars, but will be displayed in the center of their chests. Organizational patches and a US flag will appear on the new uniforms as well. By April 1, 2021, all airmen will be required to wear the OCP.
Middle East & Africa
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a significant increase in the country’s defense budget, citing a growing threat from Iran. His announcement came after an Iranian attack using drones and cruise missiles, on two oil refineries in Saudi Arabia on September 14, and a recent Israeli attack on Albukamal at the Iraq-Syria border, where Iran is building a military base. Netanyahu, in the process of forming a new government said last week that Israel must raise its defense spending by “many billions immediately and then many billions every year” since a threat from Iran „has intensified in recent weeks.”
Europe
Babcock International won a deal for for the Gun System Automation (GSA) 9 in-service support contract with the Ministry of Defense supporting the UK Royal Navy. The contract will provide support for all aspects of GSA9 support including Electro Optical Gunfire Control System (EOGCS), the Electro Optical Sensor Platforms (EOSPs), the Quick Pointing Devices (QPD) and below decks equipment of six Control Consoles, Gun Allocation Subsystem, Gunnery Check Fire System and two Maintenance and Analysis Facilities (MAF). The deal includes an option to be extended by two years and will be carried out from the company’s Devonport and Portsmouth facilities in the UK, delivering support for the Navy’s Type 45 Daring Class destroyers and management of the supply chain for the work.
Asia-Pacific
South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a report presented to the National Assembly for a parliamentary audit that the country will launch the second phase of the F-X project in 2021. $3.3 billion will be allocated for this phase of the project. Codenamed the F-X, or Fighter eXperimental, South Korea has been pushing to replace its aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 fighter jets since 2012. Under the first phase of the project, the country has decided to buy 40 F-35A stealth fighters by 2021.
The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) has confirmed that the country is buying a C295 and G280 for command and control missions. The C295 will be delivered this year while the G280 will reach home in August 2020. The Airbus C295 is a new generation tactical airlifter in the light and medium segment. The C295 conducts multi-role operations worldwide under all weather conditions. It is fully certified and routinely operates day and night in combat missions in all weather extremes, from desert to maritime environments, from extremely hot to extremely cold temperatures. The Gulfstream G280 is a twin-engine business jet. It began delivery to users in 2012.
Today’s Video
Watch: LCA-TEJAS 90% availability | Super Sukhoi With PESA radar?
Oct 08, 2019 05:00 UTC
Americas
The US Navy has retired its fleet of Boeing F/A-18A-D Hornet combat aircraft from active service. The USN announced on October 2 that the final flight took place out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. The retirement of the ‘classic’ Hornets brings 35 years of frontline service with the USN to an end and comes just over a year since the service performed its final carrier deployment of the type earlier in 2018. While the Hornet has been retired from the USN’s active unit inventory, it will remain operational with the Navy Reserve, the Blue Angels display team, and the US Marine Corps (USMC).
Raytheon announced the final stage for development of the Electronic Warfare Planning and Management Tool for the US Army. The EWPMT is a suite of software tools and applications which deliver capability enhancements to plan, coordinate and synchronize battlefield electronic warfare, spectrum management, and cyber operations. The service refers to the development stages as “capability drops,” and Raytheon’s CD4 is the final stage of fully operational capability. The tool features a software interface overlaid onto a physical map, allowing soldiers to visually manage their signal output in the electromagnetic spectrum, and then use the tool against threats in a tactical environment. “EWPMT gives the Army the freedom to add new capabilities and algorithms so they can manage an increasingly complex electromagnetic spectrum,” said Niraj Srivastava, product line manager for Raytheon Electronic Warfare Systems. “And because it uses open architecture, the tool can be shared with other military services.”
Middle East & Africa
The Iranian Army unveiled what appeared to be a new guidance upgrade called the Labeik that converts existing artillery rockets into surface-to-surface missiles on October 3, Jane’s reports. Several Labeik units were displayed in an event attended by General Mohammad Hossein Dadras, the deputy commander of the regular military, and Brigadier General Kioumars Heidar, the commander of its ground forces. The system looked similar to the guidance units used with the Fateh-110 family of solid-propellent missiles. However, its four triangular control surfaces were inverted. As with the Fateh-110 family, these would be attached between the rocket motor and warhead to steer the projectile. They appeared to be compatible with the 610 mm diameter of the Zelzal heavy artillery rocket.
Europe
Airmen from the Lithuanian Air Force have started testing the NASAMS medium-range air defense system at the Kongsberg factory in Norway. The tests will run until February 2020. The system will then be delivered to Lithuania by the end of 2020. The trials will assess technical and tactical conformity of NASAMS components to the determined weaponry specification. The tests will run until February 2020 and test all the NASAMS components – missile launchers, radars, electro-optical sensors, components of integration with the RBS70 short-range air defense systems, communication, and control components, and vehicles. The contract for procuring the NASAMS mid-range air defense system for the Lithuanian Air Force was signed by the Ministry of National Defense and Norway’s Kongsberg NASAMS manufacturer on October 26, 2017.
Asia-Pacific
Elbit Systems won a $153 million contract to supply an Army of a country in Southeast Asia with a comprehensive, multi-layered array of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The contract will be performed over a 22-month period. Under the deal, Elbit Systems will supply a networked multi-layered UAS solution, including more than a thousand THOR Multi-Rotor Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) mini-UAS, scores of Skylark LEX, Skylark 3 and Hermes 450 tactical UAS as well as Universal Ground Control Stations. The THOR vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) Mini – Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) is a low altitude multi-rotor platform, designed for a wide range of surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Built from the ground up, THOR features a real-time HD data link and unique control software.
The Royal Thai Air Force intends to replace its F-16A/B fleet at Wing 1 and a committee will soon be formed to draft the Concept of Project Requirements (COPR). Air Force chief ACM Maanat Wongwat has indicated that the successful bidder will have to allow Thailand to access the software code of the fighter in order to develop it for its own needs. Air Force commander ACM Maanat Wongwat said the Air Force has a policy of not purchasing “ready-made” aircraft, and the F-35 manufacturer has yet to sell its jet to a buyer who wants to participate in the development of the fighter jets’ software programs. “We are implementing a ‘purchase-and-develop’ policy in our procurement plans, which we intend to begin enforcing in the next 3-5 years,” said the air force chief, who took up the post this month.
Today’s Video
Watch: Mack Defense AUSA 2019 teaser heavy trucks for military forces including US Army M917A3 HDT
Oct 07, 2019 05:00 UTC
Americas
United Technologies won a $325.2 million fixed-price-incentive-firm contract to provide material and support equipment for depot maintenance facilities, non-recurring sustainment activities, supplies, services and planning for depot activations as well as two F135 full-scale high fidelity mockup engines and four modules for test cells in support of the F-35 Lightning II Program. The Pratt & Whitney’s F135 is an afterburning turbofan developed for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, a single-engine strike fighter. Pratt & Whitney’s F135 propulsion system powers all three variants of the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft – the F-35A CTOL (Conventional Takeoff and Landing), F-35B STOVL (Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing) and F-35C CV (Carrier Variant). The F135 has evolved from the proven F119 engine, which exclusively powers the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, and features best-in-class single-engine reliability, fifth generation stealth capabilities as well as advanced prognostics and health management systems. Work under the contract will take place in various places within as well as outside of the US. Estimated completion will be in January 2023.
The US Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $75.7 million cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to exercise options for the accomplishment of class services for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program. The option exercise is for class services for the LCS program. The company will provide expert design, planning and material support services for LCS-class ship construction. Lockheed Martin is in full-rate production and has delivered eight Freedom-variant ships to the US Navy. There are eight ships in various stages of production and test. This year, Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine will begin construction on two ships, deliver two ships, complete sea trials for two ships and see three ships commissioned. The company will perform work in Virginia, New Jersey, Washington DC, Wisconsin, and estimated completion will be in October 2020.
Middle East & Africa
A new Turkish laser weapon passed its acceptance tests. The Vehicle-Mounted Laser System (ARMOL) designed and developed by the Informatics and Information Security Research Centre (B?LGEM) of Turkey’s Scientific and Technological Research Council (TÜB?TAK) has successfully completed all acceptance tests. According to local media, the 400-kilogram (881 lbs) laser system was mounted on a Cobra armored vehicle, along with target acquisition hardware and a control terminal. BILGEM has developed other laser weapon systems, including the 20-kw High Power Laser System (YGLS).
Europe
German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung has reported that the Super Hornet has an advantage over the Eurofighter in the country’s fighter competition to replace the Tornado. According to the newspaper, getting the Eurofighter certified to drop nuclear bombs will take between three and five years longer than the Boeing fighter. From 2025 on, the Bundeswehr will phase out almost 90 Tornados. US certification plays a crucial role in the decision process. Part of the fleet guarantees Germany’s nuclear participation. In case of emergency, these jets should be able to carry the US nuclear bombs to their destination. Whatever aircraft will take on this task in the future has to go through a complex certification process with the US. Germany’s former defense minister Ursula Von der Leyen had asked the US to provide information on the cost and time for the procedure with regard to the various models. The results should now be available to the Ministry and turn out in favor of the American model. The certification of the Eurofighter could take three to five years longer than the Super Hornets.
The State Department approved a Foreign Military Sale to the Ukraine for Javelin missiles and related equipment and support for an estimated cost not to exceed $39.2 million. The Government of Ukraine had requested to buy one hundred fifty Javelin missiles and ten Javelin Command Launch Units (CLUs). Also included are training devices, transportation, support equipment, technical data and publications, personnel training and training equipment, US government, engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support tools and test equipment; support equipment; publications and technical documentation; spare and repair parts; equipment training and training devices; US Government and contractor technical, engineering and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical, sustainment, and program support. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky brought up the missiles in the July 25 phone call with President Donald Trump that led Democrats to kick off an impeachment inquiry last week. In a five-page memorandum of the call released last week, Zelensky noted that Ukraine was “almost ready to buy more Javelins from the United States for defense purposes.”
Asia-Pacific
The new head of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal (ACM) R.K.S. Bhadauria, has disclosed that four Rafales will be home by May next year. Bhadauria was being interviewed at his first press conference after taking out the post this month. The first four of 36 Rafale jets will come to India by May next year and the aircraft will significantly enhance the IAF’s combat prowess, Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria said on Friday. The first four Rafale jets would “hit the Indian skies by the end of May next” after the training of pilots in France. As the deputy Air Chief, ACM Bhadauria played a key role in the negotiations for 36 Rafale jets.
Today’s Video
Watch: Celtic Uprise 2019 first Belgian French military exercise Scorpion Program in Motorized Capacity
1
2
3
…
237
Next » 
