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May 26, 2020 05:00 UTC
Americas
The Commemorative Air Force Inland Empire Wing planned a massive 17-aircraft flyover of Los Angeles on May 25 to mark Memorial Day and salute COVID-19 essential workers. The Air Force honors both veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice and healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis with the flyover Monday.
The US Navy completed its investigation into the fatal crash of a VFA-151 F/A-18E which killed the pilot on July 31, 2019. Lt. Cmdr. Charles Z. Walker was navigating through the Star Wars canyon in California’s Death Valley National Park when his jet slammed into a wall not far from seven French tourists. The report stated that the “flight profile created conditions where the processing time and subsequent reaction time required of the pilot made it difficult for the aircraft to exit the canyon safely.” Walker was not current in low altitude training and he was required to fly at least 500 feet above ground level. Investigators also did not find evidence that Walker was flying at a low altitude for thrills. All seven French tourists suffered burns from the fire started by the crash.
Middle East & Africa
South African state defense firm Denel recently said it could not pay salaries for May and wages for June and July were at risk, highlighting the gravity of its financial position. Despite a slight easing of South Africa’s lockdown restrictions this month, Denel is running a reduced operation. The company is one of a number of struggling state enterprises the government has been keeping afloat with bailouts but are now being battered by the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Denel Chief Executive Danie du Toit said in a separate statement the company was in ongoing conversations with the government “to find solutions to the current crisis.”
Europe
The Royal Air Force’s 617 Squadron, the Dambusters, are preparing to deploy aboard aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth next time. Squadron personnel as well as Lightning Team UK members are getting ready to go into isolation so that they will not pass COVID-19 to sailors aboard the warship. The preparation to deploy has seen a number of added challenges as different processes and measures have been put in place to ensure that members of 617 Squadron and supporting personnel do not pass the coronavirus to the crew of the carrier, which has already had a period of isolation at sea. The squadron and personnel will all be tested for the virus and on confirmation of a negative result will be allowed to enter the quarantine area.
Starting May 25, the Austrian army is conducting a large-scale flight exercise. Eurofighter jets will complete daily supersonic test flights for almost two weeks. From May 25th to June 5th, the Eurofighter pilots of the Austrian Armed Forces will train supersonic intercept maneuvers. Two supersonic flights per day are scheduled between 8am and 4pm, Monday through Friday. According to the army, the purpose of the training is „the close and time-critical coordination between military pilots, radar control officers and military and civil air traffic control. Furthermore, the pilots train under real physical stress, which cannot be simulated. The training is indispensable for a working Austrian airspace surveillance. It serves to continue to ensure safe flight operations in all cases.”
Asia-Pacific
According to Defense News, the Indian Air Force is overhauling its plan to induct 114 medium-weight multirole fighters. Reportedly, a senior service official said the aircraft will be built in India with significant foreign technology transfer and no foreign procurement. The effort will cost about $17 billion under the Make in India economic policy. The multirole fighters will be manufactured by domestic private defense companies with one of the original equipment manufacturers approved by the government. The process for selecting contractors is yet to begin, but a Ministry of Defense official said the businesses will be selected within three years.
Today’s Video
Watch: Super Hornet vs Eurofighter | Best of Aviation
May 22, 2020 05:00 UTC
Americas
Boeing again won a $13.2 million modification to exercise options in support of the AN/USQ-82(V) program for DDG-51 class new construction, DDG-51 Class modernization, operations and maintenance, research and development and Foreign Military Sales (FMS). AN/USQ-82(V) program is a control system network. Its purpose is to transfer mission critical data to and from users associated with combat, navigation, aviation, power, propulsion, steering, damage control systems and alarms and indicating. DDG 51 Arleigh Burke destroyers are warships that provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. Destroyers can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups, and underway replenishment groups. Work will take place in Huntington Beach, California. Estimated completion will by May 2021.
Austal USA won an $8.2 million contract modification for Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) industrial post-delivery support for LCS 26. Austal USA will provide shipboard support to implement approved engineering change proposals, approved government-responsible deficiencies identified during test and trials, crew-related activities and preventative maintenance. Austal will also provide program management support and logistics support for technical documentation affected by the work performed. LCS 26 will be an Independence Class LCS. Work will take place in Mobile, Alabama and Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Estimated completion will be by March 2021.
Middle East & Africa
Morocco will acquire missiles and missile defense systems from the defense industry consortium MBDA France, the Moroccan defense ministry said on Wednesday. Government approval of the contract came after Morocco received a $211 million loan in February from the French banking group BNP Paribas. France supplies about 44 percent of Morocco’s weapons needs, the United States supplies most of the rest, and relations between France and Morocco, a French colony until 1956, have long been cordial. The missiles, to be manufactured by Boeing will be used on Morocco’s F-16 fighter planes to enhance its capabilities in effective defense of critical sea lanes.
Europe
For the first time, the B-1B has flown over Sweden. The milestone occurred on May 20 when a pair from the 28th Bomb Wing flew to the Nordic Region. Aerial refueling support from a KC-135 from the 100th Air Refueling Wing and a Dutch KC-10 allowed the bombers to make the trip without stopping. The B-1s were also escorted by Typhoon fighters from the Royal Air Force as they flew over the United Kingdom. And they flew tactical sorties with Norwegian F-35s, and flew a low approach over Ørland Air Station, the home of Norway’s F-35 fleet.
According to Flight Global, Boeing named STS Aviation Services as its conversion partner for the Royal Air Force’s future fleet of five 737NG-based E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft, after Marshall Aerospace and Defense Group withdrew from the project. Marshall had signed a contract for preparatory work with Boeing in July 2019 to support risk-reduction activities, ahead of modification work converting 737 Next Generation commercial airframes to the E-7 military standard. This was initially set to take place at Marshall’s Cambridge facilities in early 2021. However, it will now play no further part in those planned developments. Boeing said the narrowbodies will be prepared for military service using a hangar at Birmingham airport which was previously occupied by Monarch Aircraft Engineering (MAEL). Following the first aircraft’s arrival at the STS conversion site next January, Boeing expects to be able to start deliveries to the RAF in 2023. Extensive updates will include adding a Northrop Grumman Mesa radar atop the single-aisle’s fuselage, integrating work stations for 10 onboard mission system operators, and installing self-protection equipment.
Asia-Pacific
The State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States TECRO of 18 MK-48 Mod6 Advanced Technology (AT) Heavy Weight Torpedoes (HWT) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $180 million. TECRO had requested to buy eighteen MK-48 Mod6 Advanced Technology (AT) Heavy Weight Torpedoes (HWT). Also included are spare parts, support and test equipment, shipping and shipping containers, operator manuals, technical documentation, training, US Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics support. According to the DSCA, the proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region.
Today’s Video
Watch: Defense security news TV weekly navy army air forces industry military equipment May 2020 Episode 2
May 21, 2020 05:00 UTC
Americas
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.
The Air Force announced that its Nuclear Weapons Center is breaking up the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Systems Directorate into two new directorate teams: the Minuteman III Systems Directorate and the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, or GBSD, Systems Directorate. “This restructuring is a natural progression of the Air Force’s increasing focus on the modernization of the ICBM, the third leg of our strategic nuclear triad,” said Maj. Gen. Shaun Morris, AFNWC commander and Air Force program executive officer for strategic systems. The NWC synchronizes all aspects of nuclear materiel management on behalf of Air Force Materiel Command in support of Air Force Global Strike Command, with more than 1,300 personnel assigned to 18 locations around the world. The Minuteman III Systems Directorate will be led by Col. Luke Cropsey, currently the ICBM Systems director. The GBSD Systems Directorate will be led by Col. Jason Bartolomei, who is currently the system program manager for GBSD and will continue to serve in that role.
Middle East & Africa
Elbit Subsidiary Cyberbit won a $70 Million Investment from US firm Charlesbank Capital. The investment is seen as recognition of Cyberbit’s leading market position and the growth potential of the company’s platform that provides training on how to effectively mitigate cyberattacks and improve team performance. As a result of the investment and sale of equity holdings, Elbit Systems became a minority shareholder in Cyberbit. Claridge Israel L.P., an existing shareholder of Cuberbit, which invested $30 million in Cyberbit in June 2018, also participated in this round of investment. The Cyberbit Range product is said to deliver a hyper-realistic experience that replicates a real-world cyberattack by immersing trainees in a virtual security operations center, where they use commercial security tools to respond to live, simulated attacks. The platform delivers over 100,000 training sessions annually on 5 continents.
Europe
France’s Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly disclosed that the replacement for aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will start sea trials in 2036 and enter service in 2038. The ship will be built at Saint-Nazaire. Parly was there for the steel cutting ceremony for new replenishment ships for the French Navy. The characteristics of the future successor to the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier have not yet been defined. “Let’s not limit our horizon or our imagination. We must not re-do the identical but seek the most ingenious, the most useful and the most effective capacities. Let us make this aircraft carrier a real forward base for our navy”, asked Minister Florence Parly at the last Euronaval exhibition. It however seems accepted that this future aircraft carrier could be more imposing than the current Charles-de-Gaulle.
Lithuanian, German and Norwegian Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) carried out training with Royal Air Force Eurofighters and Spanish F/A-18s at Kazl? R?da training ground on May 11. The German and Norwegian JTACs are part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup in Lithuania. The British and Spanish air force contingents operate from Šiauliai Air Base and help guard the skies over the Baltic region as part of NATO’s Air Policing mission. NATO’s battlegroup in Lithuania is composed of around 1,200 personnel from Germany, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Iceland, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Norway. The battlegroup is part of the biggest reinforcement of the Alliance’s collective defense in a generation.
Asia-Pacific
India announced Saturday that global companies can now invest up to 74 percent in the country’s defense manufacturing units, up from 49 percent, without requiring any government approval. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expressed hope that the new policy will attract foreign companies with high-end technologies to set up their manufacturing bases in India in collaboration with Indian companies. Sitharaman’s announcement came as part of reforms Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is implementing to revive India’s economy, which has been shattered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Today’s Video
Watch: Indian Defence Updates : 114 Rafale Confirmed,BrahMos To Indonesia,1st Dhruv-MK3 Test,150 Micro RPAS
May 20, 2020 05:00 UTC
Americas
BAE Systems announced a $26.7 million Navy contract to fit its infrared countermeasures system onto KC-130J cargo and refueling planes. The contract calls for the installation of the Navy’s Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system, or LAIRCM, the aircraft. The system is a defensive warning package combining a missile warning system and infrared laser jammer countermeasure system to protect the aircraft from guided missiles. Up to 19 KC-130J planes of the Navy will receive the system, which will be installed in Crestview, Florida., in conjunction with Vertex Aerospace LLC. The KC-130 series, built by Lockheed Martin, is capable of aircraft carrier landings despite its size, and is in use by the militaries of 17 countries. France received its second, a refueling plane, in February.
More than 2900 sailors assigned to USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) have returned on board the ship and they have started simulating being at sea while moored at Naval Base Guam. The simulation, also known as fast cruise, allows the crew to test critical systems required to sustain the ship under normal underway conditions. The next important step is to go out to sea to commence carrier qualification flights for Carrier Air Wing 11. The exercise was announced as the branch also said over the weekend that 13 sailors aboard the carrier tested positive for COVID-19 after recovering from illness and one was diagnosed with tuberculosis. The ship has been in Guam since late March, after an outbreak of the virus forced the crew to be placed in isolation or quarantine at US Naval Base Guam. Personnel slowly returned to the ship until early May, when some displayed cough and fever, symptoms of the illness. Some also displayed body aches and headaches, which are expanded COVID-19 symptoms, slowing the crew’s return to the ship.
Middle East & Africa
Alexandria Shipyard launched the fourth and final Gowind 2500 Class corvette for the Egyptian Navy at its facilities. The 102 m ship, named Luxor (986), is the third corvette of the class to be built by the yard under a contract for four Gowind 2500 corvettes signed with French shipbuilder Naval Group in 2014. Under the terms of the agreement, the first of class was built by Naval Group at its yard in Lorient, northwest France, with the follow-on ships to be built at ASY under a transfer of technology arrangement. Gowind 2500 corvettes have a single mast offering 360° surveillance capability. They can accommodate an 11t helicopter and UAS on a helicopter deck. Each vessel has a displacement of 2,600t and is 102m in length. It can operate with a crew of 65 and can also simultaneously accommodate 15 passengers.
Europe
British Chinook helicopters have now completed 2000 hours of flying in support of the French military counter insurgency operation in Mali, West Africa. Chinooks began operating in Mali with the French military during July 2018 and since then have moved over one-thousand tonnes of freight and over twelve-thousand passengers. The Chinook helicopters bring a unique logistical capability to the operation, allowing French ground forces to operate more effectively across the region. Currently the helicopters are being flown by aircrew drain from 18(B) Squadron.
Asia-Pacific
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems won a $22.3 million Aegis Combat Weapon System development contract, which covers multiple Aegis Weapon System baselines and platforms. Under this modification, the contractor will continue performing engineering design support services necessary for continuation of planning efforts and risk reduction efforts required to maintain initial operational capability schedule to support the Aegis Ashore Japan Foreign Military Sales main case. The work will take place in Moorestown, New Jersey, with an expected completion date of July 31, 2020. Funds from the government of Japan in the amount of $22,300,000 are being obligated at the time of award.
South Korea says it has decided to postpone a tri-service maritime live-fire exercise this week due to unfavorable weather conditions. The biannual drill was suppose to take place off the southeastern coast of Uljin starting from today. Local media outlets however speculate that the decision was done so to appease North Korea which had reacted angrily to a Navy-Air Force joint drill in the Yellow Sea earlier this month.
Today’s Video
Watch: Fincantieri’s FREMM Wins US Navy FFG(X) Frigate Competition – Part 3: FMM Shipyard Expansion Plan
May 19, 2020 05:00 UTC
Americas
S&K Aerospace won a $30.9 million deal for the repair, overhaul and upgrade of 361 commercial common items used on the P-8A Poseidon. The Poseidon is a maritime aircraft, which has an active multi-static and passive acoustic sensor system, inverse synthetic aperture radar, new electronic support measures system, new electro-optical/infrared sensor and a digital magnetic anomaly detector. Boeing delivered its 100th P-8A to the US Navy in mid may. The P-8 is a proven long-range multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and coastal operations. A military derivative of the Boeing 737 Next-Generation airplane, the P-8 combines superior performance and reliability with an advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability in the battle space. S&K Aerospace will perform work in various contractor supplier locations and Byron, Georgia. Estimated completion will be by May 2025.
Boeing won a $13.2 million deal for the AN/USQ-82(V) Program in support of DDG-51 Class new construction, DDG-51 Class modernization and Foreign Military Sales cases. The AN/USQ-82(V) delivers data networking to enable critical and real-time control system communications throughout the Arleigh Burke Class destroyer. The AN/USQ-82(V) family of shipboard networking systems consists of the Data Multiplex System (DMS), the Fiber Optic Data Multiplex System (FODMS), and Gigabit Ethernet Data Multiplex System (GEDMS). It transfers inputs and outputs for the Burke-class destroyer’s machinery control systems, damage-control system, steering control system, Aegis combat system, navigation displays, and interior communications alarms and indicators. The contract combines purchased for the Navy and the governments of Japan and Australia. Work will take place in Smithfield, Pennsylvania and is expected to be finished by August 2021.
Middle East & Africa
NATO’s Multinational MRTT Fleet will take delivery of its first two A330 MRTT aircraft next month. The handover is at the Main Operating Base in Eindhoven. The third and fourth aircraft are currently under conversion at the Airbus Defense facilities in Getafe, Madrid. The fifth A330 was flown from Toulouse to Getafe earlier this month. Six countries have signed up for the program to operate 8 aircraft. The contract includes options for 3 more tankers.
Europe
An undisclosed customer contracted Saab to deliver an unspecified number of Erieye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C). The systems, which will be hosted aboard a Saab 2000 twin-turboprop aircraft, are valued at $160 million and will be delivered between 2020 and 2023. While Saab declined to provide further details, the nature of the system, the contract value, and the delivery timelines all indicate that the order is likely to be for between two and three systems. Given that Saab’s primary AEW&C offering is the Bombardier 6000/6500-based GlobalEye, utilizing the Erieye Extended-Range (ER) radar, it is likely that the Saab 2000-based platforms are for a follow-on customer looking to augment their existing fleet, rather than a new customer looking to acquire the latest solution.
Asia-Pacific
Raytheon Missiles and Defense won a $17.4 million modification for the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile program. This modification provides for procurement of two new final assembly test sets and upgrade of two existing final assembly test sets. The AMRAAM system is designed to function as a baseline weapon for the NASAMS missile launcher and engage in air-to-air as well as surface-launch combat. Thirty-seven countries have adopted the weapon to date. Work will take place in Tucson, Arizona. Expected completion date is May 21, 2023.
The Philippine Navy’s future BRP José Rizal multirole frigate left the facilities of South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in the southeastern coastal city of Ulsan en route for the Philippines, according to a statement by the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN). The 107.5 m long frigate, which was launched on May 23, 2019 and is the first of two warships of the class built by HHI, is expected to arrive in the Philippine province of Zambales five days later on the first anniversary of the ship’s launch, after which an official acceptance ceremony is set to be held.
Today’s Video
Watch: RAYTHEON TO DEVELOP RAMJET POWERED LONG RANGE SHELL FOR US MILITARY’s 155 MM CANNONS !
May 18, 2020 05:00 UTC
Americas
Lockheed Martin won a $904.8 million modification, which provides for the production and delivery of three MH-60R Seahawk maritime aircraft for the Navy and 21 MH-60Rs for the government of India. The US Navy operates 289 MH-60Rs on its aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers and littoral combat ships. The Royal Australian Navy operates 24 MH-60Rs from its warships, having received its first MH-60R in 2013. The Royal Danish Air Force flies nine MH-60Rs, having acquired its first in 2016. The Royal Saudi Navy has begun to receive a total of 10 MH-60Rs, which will be flown from its forthcoming multimission surface combatant ship, also built by Lockheed. India will become the fourth nation to receive MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from Lockheed Martin. Work will take place in New York, Connecticut and Alabama. Estimated completion will baby September 2024.
IDSC Holdings won an $11.1 million contract. which procures up to 2,064 toolboxes containing 1.423 different types of commercial tools in support of initial outfitting associated with F-35 low rate initial production and maintenance. Meanwhile, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II’s modernization is two years behind schedule and its cost has risen by $1.5 billion. The Block 4 upgrade, a modernization of the relatively new stealth fighter’s software and hardware, was initially to be delivered by 2024, but now will not be handed over until 2026, according to a report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). IDSC Holdings will perform work in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Expected completion will be by September 2021.
Middle East & Africa
US vehicle manufacturer Oshkosh announced the formation of a joint venture (JV) with Saudi Arabia’s Al Tadrea Manufacturing Company. The new JV, which will be majority-owned by Al Tadrea, will be known as Oshkosh Al Tadrea Manufacturing (OTM). The company will, according to a press release, develop manufacturing expertise by becoming a prime contractor for tactical wheeled vehicles, provision of lifecycle sustainment services to the country’s military and security service customers, and will develop a broader and more efficient supply chain in the country. The venture will also work to develop intellectual property for use by customers in Saudi Arabia. An initial project will be to create a truck based on the Oshkosh 4×4 FMTV, with Saudi engineers developing, manufacturing, and integrating an armored cab, body, and other components to create a new vehicle.
Europe
Sputnik reports that Russia is testing the Su-57 in an unmanned mode with the pilot just monitoring the overall system in the cockpit. The Sukhoi Su-57 is a fighter jet that performs the functions of a strike aircraft and a fighter and is capable of destroying all types of air, ground and naval surface targets. The Russian Defense Ministry placed an order for 76 Su-57 jets during the Army-2019 International Military and Technical Forum.
Asia-Pacific
Gen. Bipin Rawat, India’s Chief of Defense Staff, said in an interview that the country will buy another 83 Tejas fighters instead of 114 foreign-made aircraft. “The IAF is saying, I would rather take the indigenous fighter, it is good,” Rawat was quoted as saying. India started a global search for new fighters in 2018, the proposed tender attracted companies such as Boeing, Dassault and Saab.The country’s air force is finalizing plans to induct indigenously made Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas to boost the capability of its aging combat aircraft fleet.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense announced that plans to go ahead with the deployment of a land-based ballistic missile defense installation in Akita prefecture would be canceled. Akita prefecture had been identified as a site for the deployment of one of two Aegis Ashore installations that Japan is procuring to better defend against ballistic missile threats from North Korea. The decision to revisit the plan to deploy the system in Akita comes after months of sustained opposition from local politicians and constituents. The envisaged site was the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force training area in Akita’s Araya district. Initial reports that the Japanese government had started reconsidering Akita as a deployment area came in December 2019.
Today’s Video
Watch: Mirage 2000 versus F16. May 3rd Dogfight analysed by a fighter pilot.
May 15, 2020 05:00 UTC
Americas
Sikorsky Aircraft won an $9 million contract modification, which provides support for the integration and transition of Windows 10 and Server 16 into various VH-92A training devices. The Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin VH-92 will replace the US Marine Corps VH-3D and VH-60N helicopters that transport the US president, while operating under the name of Marine One. The VH-92 presidential helicopter has an executive interior and military mission support avionics, including triple electrical power and redundant cockpit flight controls. The Navy awarded a $542 million order to Sikorsky last June for six Lot I VH-92A presidential helicopters. Sikorsky will begin deliveries of the first six VH-92A helicopters in 2021. Work will take place Quantico, Virginia and its expected to be finished by October 2022.
According to a statement by the navy, aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford completed readiness projects to board 1,000 personnel for an upcoming assignment, which will include integrating with a carrier air wing and carrier strike group. The ship underwent required maintenance and new construction tasks in its “window of opportunity” in Norfolk, Virginia, to prepare it for an at-sea period, Independent Steaming Event, or ISE, 10. The action will involve personnel and aircraft of Carrier Air Wing 8 and Carrier Strike Group 12, meaning that more fixed-wing and rotary aircraft will be aboard the ship than usual.
Middle East & Africa
Boeing received two contracts worth $2.6 billion combined from the US Navy to produce and deliver Harpoon and Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response weapon systems to foreign military sales customers. The company will supply 650 units of SLAM ER missiles and provide nonrecurring engineering support related to the weapon system to the government of Saudi Arabia under a potential $1.9 billion contract. Work will occur in Missouri, Indiana, Michigan, Florida, Connecticut and North Carolina through December 2028. Naval Air Systems Command will obligate the full contract amount using FMS funds at the time of award. The company also won a $657 million modification, which covers the production of 467 Block II lot 91 full-rate production Harpoon missiles and delivery of support equipment to Brazil, Thailand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Japan, India and South Korea and the Netherlands. Work under the modification will be performed across several sites within the continental US and the UK through December 2026. NAVAIR will use FMS funds to obligate the full contract amount.
The core of China’s Long March 5B rocket came back to Earth on May 11 but instead of landing in the Atlantic Ocean, parts of the rocket could have ended up in Mahounou, Ivory Coast, local media reports. The rocket went into orbit on May 5 while carrying China’s new space capsule. It then went into an unstable low earth orbit before tumbling back to ground. It was the largest man-made object to reenter the atmosphere uncontrolled since 1991. Photos posted on social media shows a long metallic pipe with burn marks in the village of Mahounou. The village lies on the reentry track of the rocket.
Europe
The Israeli Air Force has decided to deactivate 117th Squadron, which operates the F-16C, in October. The move is part of the Momentum Plan initiated by the Israel Defense Forces to improve efficiencies and acquire new systems. “Under the multi-year ‘Momentum’ Plan, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi made a series of decisions geared toward internal efficiencies and cutting back old systems, alongside the acquiring and development of new systems. As part of these decisions, the chief of staff decided to close a fighter jet squadron,” the IDF said in a statement Wednesday.
Asia-Pacific
Philippine’s Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana said the two Foreign Military Sales package for attack helicopters offered by the United States is too expensive for the country. Lorenzana says Manila has only budgeted $256 million for the purchase of six attack helicopters. Last year, the country selected the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) T129 attack helicopter but the sale has been held up as Turkey needs export approval from Washington for certain parts.
Today’s Video
Watch: Fincantieri’s FREMM Wins US Navy FFG(X) Frigate Competition – Part 1: FFG(X) in details
May 14, 2020 05:00 UTC
Americas
Sikorsky won a $29.9 million modification, which provides for rate tooling, physical configuration audits, associated systems engineering and program management in support of CH-53K aircraft production. The CH-53K King Stallion is a large heavy-lift cargo helicopter designed to replace the Marine Corps CH-53E to move Marines from ships to attack beaches. Back in April, it was reported that the aircraft successfully plugged into a funnel-shaped drogue towed behind a KC-130J during aerial refueling wake testing over the Chesapeake Bay. The CH-53K sea-based, long range, helicopter is designed to provide three times the lift capability of its predecessor. The CH-53K will conduct expeditionary heavy-lift transport of armored vehicles, equipment, and personnel to support distributed operations deep inland from a sea-based center of operations, Sikorsky officials say. It can lift more than 18 tons. Work will take place in Connecticut, Utah, Michigan, Kansas, Washington, New York and Nebraska. Estimated completion will be by December 2023.
United Technologies won a $10.6 million modification, which procures one low rate initial production Lot 11 afloat spares package kit for the Marine Corps in support of the F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft program. In the meantime a congressional watchdog group is concerned that as Lockheed Martin ramps up F-35 production, its suppliers are falling behind. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the number of F-35 parts delivered late skyrocketed from less than 2,000 in August 2017 to upward of 10,000 in July 2019. The number of parts shortages per month also climbed from 875 in July 2018 to more than 8,000 in July 2019. More than 60 percent of that sum was concentrated among 20 suppliers, it said. Work under the current modification will take place in Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Georgia, Illinois, Arizona, the UK and Israel. Estimated completion date is in September 2021.
Middle East & Africa
The Idaho Air National Guard’s 190th Fighter Squadron deployed to the Middle East on May 11. The personnel left on that day and the A-10s departed one day later. More than 400 members of the 124th Fighter Wing, based at Gowen Field, will continue to deploy throughout the spring and summer in support of Operations FREEDOM’S SENTINEL, INHERENT RESOLVE and NEW NORMAL. The deployment is the wing’s second largest deployment and includes multiple aircraft, pilots, security forces, maintenance and medical personnel, and various other support staff.
The US Africa Command announced on May 12 that Logistics Advisor Team 1610, 6th Battalion, 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade earlier this year delivered a three-week long vehicle maintenance and recovery course in Dakar, Senegal. According to AFRICOM the course is to prepare the Senegalese Armed Forces as they support United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. The 1st SFAB’s operations in Africa have been interrupted by the coronavirus, but the unit will continue working with US Army Africa and the US State Department once conditions allow advisors to return, AFRICOM officials said.
Europe
The Royal Air Force is in talks with British Airways, British Airline Pilots’ Association and other aerospace companies for civilian pilots made redundant due to COVID-19 to be seconded to the military for 18 to 48 months. Pilots who had switched from military to civilian careers are likely to be sought after to fill vacancies. The BALPA said the talks are still “exploratory” while a spokesperson from the RAF said the service has “always interested in recruiting high quality people and are currently in initial discussions with the UK aviation industry on the possibility of employing suitable available personnel.”
Asia-Pacific
The South Korean military conducted the first test-firing of its new Hyunmoo-4 ballistic missile in the middle of march, some two-and-a-half years after Washington and Seoul had agreed to scrap the warhead weight limit for South Korean missiles stipulated in US-South Korean guidelines. The Hyunmoo-4 is thought to be a solid-propellant rocket. has been reported to carry a payload as large as 2 tons to ranges of up to 800 kilometers. Testing was overseen by the Agency for Defense Development, South Korea’s indigenous defense research and development organization.
Today’s Video
Watch: AMAZING MILITARY INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGIES
May 13, 2020 05:00 UTC
Americas
ApiJECT won a $138 million contract action for COVID-19 response “Project Jumpstart” and “Project Rapid,” which will dramatically expand production capability for domestically manufactured blow-fill-seal injection devices. ApiJect also recently partnered with the Department of Health and Human Services to establish the RAPID Consortium to supply prefilled syringes to the US Strategic National Stockpile for public health emergency use. Work will take place throughout the US. Estimated completion date will be by may 8, 2022.
BAE Systems Land $42.8 million for MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) canister production and ancillary hardware. The company will make Mk 41 Vertical Launching System canisters, renew Mk 13 Mod 0 canisters and produce Mk 13 Mod 0, Mk 21 Mods 1 through 3 and Mk 29 Mod 0 canisters under the modification. The Navy initially awarded a potential $954.5M contract to update and repair Mk 41 VLS canisters for the service branch and FMS customers from Denmark, Japan and South Korea. Work will take place in Minnesota and South Dakota. Estimated completion will be by July 2023.
Middle East & Africa
Two US Marine Corps AV-8Bs both encountered emergencies during a mission in Bahrain last year. One of the aircraft caught fire on a taxiway and the jet was armed. The other Harrier had taken off and encountered technical issues as well. Because of the other mishap aircraft on the ground, it had to circle while waiting for the clearance to land. It ended up landing with just five minutes of fuel remaining. Both pilots had to thank Air Traffic Controller 2nd Class Drey Aynes who was on duty in the tower and help direct the emergency crew to handle the situation. Although the article did not state which Harrier unit was involved, VMA-311 was assigned to Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command 19.2 in Bahrain last year.
Europe
TASS reports that Russian Air Forces have tested a new hypersonic missile on the Tu-22M3 bomber recently. The new missile is expected to be mounted on the upgraded Tu-22M3M. The anonymous source said the new missile is different from the Kh-32 missile that is part of the armament of the Tu-22M3. Earlier, the Russian defense industry developed two types of aircraft hypersonic missiles. The Kinzhal is the latest Russian airborne system that consists of a MiG-31K aircraft as a delivery vehicle and a hypersonic missile. Tu-22M3M supersonic bomber is a modification of Tu-22M3 with expanded combat potential.
The Hellenic Ministry of National Defense signed an agreement with the Israeli Ministry of Defense to lease an unspecified number of Israel Aerospace Industries Maritime Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), primarily for border defense missions. Under the agreement, the Israeli MoD will lease the Heron system in its maritime configuration to Greece over three years starting within a year, with an option to purchase it when the leasing period is completed, IAI said. The Heron system consists of platforms that can operate both day and night, and is equipped with maritime patrol radars and satellite communications, according to the Israeli company, which added that it offers extended operational endurance for missions including maritime patrol, marine and land border protection, search and rescue, and disaster management.
Asia-Pacific
Australian defense scientists are working with industry and academia on ways of integrating both laser-based optical and radio frequency communications technologies into a single satellite communications (satcom) user terminal, local media reports. Project CHORUS, which stands for Compact Hybrid Optical RF User Segment, is the first collaborative project to be launched by the DoD through the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC). Based at the University of South Australia, the SmartSat CRC is Australia’s biggest space industry research-and-development collaboration, and formally opened for business in February.
Today’s Video
Watch: French Navy’s Next Gen SSN Suffren Begins Sea Trials
May 12, 2020 05:00 UTC
Americas
The Wisconsin Army National Guard has created a instrument flight rules (IFR) training visor that uses a smartphone to turn it opaque for training purposes. Traditionally, the student undergoing training will have to put on a hood or the instructor would put his hand in front of the student’s face so that the trainee will only fly the aircraft using the instruments on board.The inventor of the visor, 1st Lt. Nick Sinopoli, felt that the traditional method disrupts training realism and value. He sold his car to pay for the patent for the device and has spent many long nights developing prototypes. His design come in the top 16 of the National Guard Innovation Competition.
AAI Corp. won a $20.7 million modification for engineering and technical services for the Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) and Unmanned Surface Vehicle program. The deal modifies a contract originally awarded in September 2014 for work on the UISS, which consists of a mine countermeasure unmanned surface vessel and is designed to operate as part of the littoral combat ship (LCS) mine countermeasure (MCM) package. Unmanned surface vehicles, or Naval drones, are boats that operate on the surface of the water without a crew. According to the Pentagon, the UISS program is intended to satisfy the Navy’s need for a rapid, wide-area coverage mine clearance capability which are required to neutralize magnetic/acoustic influence mines, while also providing a high-area coverage rate in a small, lightweight package with minimal impact on the host platform. Work will take place in Maryland and Louisiana. Estimated completion will be by September 2021.
Middle East & Africa
The US State Department has approved a possible sale of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored vehicles to the United Arab Emirates. The sale includes up to 4,569 MRAP vehicles under the Excess Defense Articles program. Together they have an estimated value of $556 million. The vehicles include the MaxxPro Long Wheel Base vehicle, the MaxxPro Recovery vehicle, the MaxxPro LWB chassis, the MaxxPro Dash, the MaxxPro Bases Capsule, the MaxxPro MEAP Capsule, and the MaxxPro Plus. They also include Caiman Multi-Terrain Vehicles without armor, and Caiman Base, Caiman Plus, Caiman Capsule, and MRAP All-Terrain vehicles. The Emirati military seeks to use the vehicles “to increase force protection, to conduct humanitarian assistance operations, and to protect critical infrastructure,” according to the statement.
The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of a refurbishment package for 43 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters owned by Egypt. The deal is estimated at $2.3 billion. “Egypt intends to use these refurbished AH-64 helicopters to modernise its armed forces to address the shared US-Egyptian interest in countering terrorist activities emanating from the Sinai Peninsula, which threaten Egyptian and Israeli security and undermine regional stability,” says the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. “This sale will contribute to Egypt’s military goal to update its capability while further enhancing greater interoperability between Egypt, the US, and other allies.” Over the last couple of decades, the USA has helped Egypt put down a Bedouin insurgency, which has used attacks on civilians and kidnappings of tourists to further its cause.
Europe
The Irish Air Corps has added a PC-12 to its fleet recently. The purchase was worth $5.6 million. Minister of State for Defense Paul Kehoe told parliament that the aircraft “is providing the Air Corps with a further agile resource to service urgent requests from agencies of the State.” The service said on its social media pages that the first operational mission told place on April 25.
Asia-Pacific
Tokyo will procure seven more Type-19 155 mm/52 calibre wheeled self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) and an additional 33 Type-16 Mobile Combat Vehicles (MCVs) this fiscal year as part on ongoing efforts to enhance the capabilities of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). The new long-range Type-19 SPH, which is integrated into an 8×8 MAN tactical military truck and has a crew of five, is being gradually rolled out to the JGSDF to replace the service’s aging fleet of FH-70 towed artillery systems, said the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo in its latest ‘Defense Programs and Budget of Japan’ report, the English-language version of which was released in late March.
Today’s Video
Watch: DEFENSE UPDATES WEEKLY NEWS ROUND-UP 10th MAY- U.S SPACE FORCE AD, NORTH KOREA CRITICIZES SOUTH !
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