Navantia Wins $150M Contract for Spanish Frigates | Germany Buys ATGMs From Israel’s Rafael | Russia Delivers MiG-31 Interceptors to Syria

Americas

• The Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado (LCS-4) has successfully conducted live-fire testing using the ship’s surface warfare mission module, firing the ship’s Mark 46 30mm cannon and Mark 110 57 mm gun, hitting surface targets off the West Coast. The BAE Systems Mk 110 gun equips the Navy’s LCS fleet as standard, with the Mark 46 forming part of the surface warfare (SuW) module.

Europe

• Spain has awarded a $150.3 million contract to develop its future fleet of F-110 frigates. Intended to replace the Spanish Navy’s six Santa Maria-class vessels, the Spanish Navy/Navantia-developed design will benefit from this latest R&D contract, looking into the integration of sensors, missile and combat systems. The new frigates are scheduled to enter service between 2022 and 2030, with the five new vessels forming part of a EUR10 billion investment program announced in October 2014.

• Turkish Aerospace Industries has completed delivery of a batch of nine TAI T129 attack helicopters, with 59 of the helicopters ultimately scheduled for delivery. First deliveries to the Turkish Army began in April 2014, with a further 51 scheduled for delivery, under a contract signed in September 2007. The company is looking to tender the T129 for Poland’s Kruk competition, as part of a broader export push for the helicopter; however the T129 lost out in South Korea to the AH-64E Apache in April 2013.

• The German Army is reportedly buying Spike-LR Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) from Israel’s Rafael Defense Systems. The missile family has found export success with India, with the Bundeswehr planning to equip some Puma IFVs with the weapon. The German Defense Ministry has reportedly already purchased a number of the missiles, with the integration with Puma vehicles scheduled for completion by 2018.

• Photos have emerged of new components equipping a Rheinmetall developmental Leopard main battle tank. These are grouped into a modular upgrade package known as the MBT Revolution, including new sensors, a remote weapon station and an Active Defense System.

Middle East North Africa

• Russia has reportedly delivered six MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors to the Assad regime in Syria, with Turkish media first reporting the delivery. The two states are thought to have signed a contract for the aircraft in June 2007, with Russia previously supplying Syria with significant quantities of military hardware, including deals for Yak-130 light attack jets and MiG-29 fighters.

• Egypt has taken delivery [Arabic] of a Molnya missile corvette, donated from Russia under the two countries’ bilateral military cooperation agreement. The Egyptian Navy will reportedly send personnel to Russia to train on Russian Molnya vessels, as they are currently thought to be incapable of operating the new vessel. Egypt has been investing significantly in its naval capability, receiving a FREMM frigate from France in June, with Gowind corvettes also on order. The new Russian corvette is thought to come equipped with SS-N-22 Sunburn anti-ship missiles.

Africa

• South African firm Denel Dynamics will reportedly conduct flight testing of the company’s Marlin beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile later this year, as the firm looks to test technologies to integrate with the A-Darter missile, forming an advanced multi-role aerial weapon. With a guided flight test slated for next November, the missile is also intended to operate in a surface-to-air missile capability. The active radar missile has been ten years in the making, with the missile’s developmental seeker capable of tracking multiple airborne targets simultaneously.

Asia

• With Qatar bagging four of five remaining C-17 transport aircraft in June, Indian plans to procure three of the strategic airlifters appear to be scuppered. The Indian Air Force has finally cleared the acquisition of three of the aircraft, far too late given that Boeing has only one ‘white-tailed’ C-17 available for sale following the decision to close down production in September 2013, recently auctioning off equipment not required to sustain aircraft in service. With the IAF’s proposal to buy the three aircraft first announced in April, the Qatari order will now likely force India to look elsewhere for more strategic transports to supplement its existing C-17 fleet.

• US and Indian officials have begun discussions regarding potential collaboration on aircraft carrier technology. A joint working group was established in January, after the Pentagon stated that the US would be willing to sell technology such as the EMALS catapult to the Indian Navy in April, through the Defense Technology Transfer Initiative. India is eyeing US technology for its future INS Vishal, the second indigenous Vikrant-class carrier cleared for construction by the Indian government in May.

Today’s Video

• A MiG-31 GoPro:

New Options: Denel & Tawazun’s Precision Weapons Partnership

Al-Tariq

In September 2012, Denel Dynamics signed an important deal with the UAE’s Tawazun Holding. By creating a joint firm near Abu Dhabi to manufacture and develop guided weapons, the new Tawazun Dynamics partnership will be able to offer GPS-guided glide bombs and more to customers throughout the Middle East, and around the world. It’s another significant crack in a set of barriers that have given western countries a great deal of leverage with countries who buy their fighters.

Those cracks are appearing all around the world. New entrants like Brazil, Turkey, South Korea, and South Africa are introducing advanced systems for the global market. As alternatives proliferate, the environment that allowed America and European countries to use the continued supply of advanced weapons as a political bargaining chip is eroding quickly. Tawazun Dynamics has one barrier left to conquer, but their partnership has already chalked up 1 success in that area. Now, the question is how far they can take any export opportunities…

Syria’s Russian Weapon Buys

MiG-29SMT

In June 2007, Russian newspapers claimed that Russia had begun delivering 5 MiG-31E Foxhound aircraft to Syria, under a deal that was reportedly negotiated in autumn 2006. The Russian newspaper Kommersant added that part of the deal was being financed by Iran as a back-door purchase. A series of other deals have been announced since, for items that include advanced anti-ship missiles and air defense systems.

To call these deals opaque would be an understatement, and the lack of transparency exists in several layers. Russia has been Syria’s main arms supplier for decades, and both regimes are very secretive about their activities. Russia’s growing relationship with Israel, especially in the oil and gas fields, adds another layer of opacity to decisions, and appears to have delayed or canceled some sales. The third layer was created by Syria’s civil war, which has been raging since April 2011. This article covers public reports of new arms sales to Syria, though we also welcome any conclusive public IMINT or inside information readers wish to refer our way.

4th MUOS Set for Late August Launch via Atlas V | AF Awards $42.5M to Beef Up ISR | DTRA Inks Contract for CBRN Prep

Americas

• The Marines are exploring possible upgrades to their fleet of V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. This plan would involve bringing 131 A and B model Ospreys up to the C spec in order to access the higher availability rates offered by the C variant. The C model boasts a variety of improvements on earlier models, including a redesigned Environmental Control System (ECS) to keep devices and troops from overheating. The Marines are now reportedly in talks with manufacturer Boeing to establish the likely costs of these upgrades.

• A fourth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite is being prepared for launch aboard an Atlas V rocket at the end of August. The Lockheed Martin-manufactured satellite will be joined by a fifth satellite, intended to serve as an on-orbit spare for the constellation. Designed to provide next-generation communications capability, the Navy project has been valued at $6.2 billion over its entire lifespan. Last week the Navy ordered MUOS-compatible Digital Modular Radio sets from Northrop Grumman to equip vessels.

• On Friday the Air Force awarded a $42.5 million contract for research into “human-machine teaming” for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations. Encompassing development, experimentation and demonstration of a “cognitive systems engineering design cycle”, the contract is scheduled to run until 2022. Also on Friday, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency handed Computer Sciences Corp a one-year, $10.3 million contract to assist with developing US preparedness for CBRN threats, including the development of a counter-proliferation strategy.

• The Air Force is planning to retire its fleet of MQ-1 Predator UAVs by 2018, with the majority of the drone’s supporting infrastructure re-purposed to support the larger and more capable MQ-9 Reaper. A previous retirement date of 2017 for the 145 UAVs was pushed back after the Air Force upped operations as a result of the invasion of Iraq by ISIS. As suggested elsewhere, instead of permanent mothballing, the retired MQ-1 Predators could be re-roled to perform naval intelligence missions, or sold to allied nations – something the Air Force has ruled out.

• The Navy has signed a 25-year deal of undisclosed value with San Diego-based Sempra Energy for the supply of solar energy, with facilities currently under construction set to supply around a third of the power supply to fourteen USMC and Navy facilities. The Mesquite 3 facility is being built 60 mile west of Phoenix and is scheduled to come online next year. In other energy news, the Air Force awarded a $19.2 million contract modification on Friday for Phase III of the energy conservation measure and energy conservation program, with work scheduled to take place at Tinker Aerospace Complex.

Europe

• The Czech Republic has boosted the number of helicopters it plans to procure as a replacement for its fleet of Mil Mi-8, Mi-17 and Mi-24 transport and attack helicopters. The country announced its intention to increase defense procurement spending in June, with bids for the helicopter procurement program expected in mid-September; delivery of the new helicopters is anticipated to take place in 2017 and 2018.

• Russia is reportedly scheduled to begin development work on a new interceptor before 2020, with the new aircraft set to replace the Soviet-era MiG-31 Foxhound. The new aircraft, designated the PAK-DP, is set to begin in 2019, with the Russian Air Force currently working to upgrade the majority of its Foxhound fleet through two contracts covering 60 and 50 aircraft in 2011 and 2014 respectively. The new aircraft will therefore likely operate alongside these newer models when it enters service around 2028. The Foxhound’s upgrades will reportedly include an inertial navigation system for Arctic flights.

Middle East

• Israel has reportedly sold IAI Heron UAVs to Jordan, in a first-of-its-kind deal. Having recently demonstrated NATO compatibility, the twelve Heron UAVs will assist in Jordan’s fights against ISIS. The two former enemies have become increasingly close in recent months, with Israeli refuelling tankers escorting Jordanian fighters in a transatlantic journey last week and the gifting of AH-1E/F Cobra attack helicopters from Israel to Jordan in late July.

Asia

• One sticking point in the ongoing government-to-government negotiations between India and France over the procurement of 36 Rafales has reportedly been identified. The Indian Air Force wants to modify the fighters to carry the indigenous Astra air-to-air missile, with the French refusing to do so; citing the associated cost increases with the required recertification such a move would entail. These contract negotiations have been playing out since the Indian Prime Minister announced the acquisition in April. The French government has lowered the per-unit cost of the deal, dropping this by 25% in May. They are offering French missiles instead of the Astra, likely manufactured by European missile house MBDA. The Indian Air Force also wants to integrate an Israeli-manufactured helmet display system, something which the French are unlikely to allow.

• Additionally, French negotiators have reportedly rejected Indian proposals for a 50% offset arrangement in the Rafale contract negotiations. The French government has responded by offering to manufacture aircraft in India through future contracts, under the ‘Make in India’ procurement framework. Indian insistence on an offset will drive up the price of the 36 Rafales, which are currently on offer for the same price being paid by the French Air Force, following the aforementioned price drop in May.

• Taiwan has signed a contract with Lockheed Martin for a pair of Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods for the country’s F-16s. Japan also recently acquired a pod for integration onto the F-2 aircraft, with Jordan signing for ten of the pods in June.

Today’s Video

• The Boeing KC-46A flies, completes flutter tests on Friday:

MDA Adds Boeing to Kill Vehicle Competition | Navy Awards Contracts for C4ISR; JHMCS | Portugal F-16s Get NG LITENING Upgrade

Americas

• The Navy is reportedly considering reducing the number of F-35C fighters it plans to procure, alluding to budgetary concerns. The Navy is also less enthused by the Joint Strike Fighter compared to the Marines and Air Force because of the Service operating more modern aircraft, including new and upgraded Super Hornets

• The Air Force has alluded to future development of a replacement for the A-10 as the Service’s primary Close Air Support platform, according to the Air Combat Strategy 2015 report released earlier this week, citing a requirement to ‘explore opportunities for a future CAS platform’. With the Air Force pushing the line that the A-10 has no place in future combat, as well as making a dubious financial case for the aircraft’s retirement, the report’s call for a new CAS platform appears to run counter to the Air Force’s plan to use the F-35 for tactical CAS operations, despite embarrassing setbacks.

• On Thursday the Navy handed M. C. Dean Inc and Honeywell Technology Solutions two multiple-award contracts totalling $1.66 billion for the installation and certification of C4ISR systems, while Rockwell Collins-ESA Vision Systems was handed a $20.9 million contract for 120 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) Night Vision Cueing and Display (NVCD) systems.

• Meanwhile Boeing was awarded a $9.8 million contract by the Missile Defense Agency for the development of the Multi-Object Kill Vehicle, following similar contracts awarded to Raytheon and Lockheed Martin earlier this week totalling $9.8 million and $9.6 million respectively. The MDA is reportedly planning a move to proof-of-concept prototype development by the end of the decade.

Europe

• Belarus is buying four more Yak-130 combat jet trainers, according to local press reports [Russian]. The country ordered the first four aircraft in December 2012, with deliveries beginning this April.

• Portugal is planning to upgrade the targeting and navigation pods equipping its fleet of F-16s. The Northrop Grumman-manufactured Litening Advanced Targeting pods will be upgraded to the G4 standard, with this $22.7 million contract reportedly scheduled for completion by 2022. Denmark ordered this variant in June 2012, with India also a major operator of the G4 variant.

• The Polish Defense Ministry has responded to claims that its selection of the Airbus H225M Caracal helicopter in April broke procurement law. Accusations in the Polish media that the selection of the Airbus bid over AgustaWestland’s AW149 and Sikorsky’s S-70i Black Hawk/S-70B Seahawk saw a legal challenge from AgustaWestland subsidiary PZL Swidnik in June, with negotiations over the final contract between the defense ministry and Airbus ongoing. The Polish opposition Law and Justice Party has also criticized the incumbent Civic Platform administration for selecting a foreign bid over a domestic supplier.

• US and British military trainers in Ukraine are learning lessons from their students, with their experience of the highly kinetic fighting in Eastern Ukraine providing a useful insight into the type of ‘hybrid’ war for which the Pentagon is now practising.

• The Royal Navy’s third Astute-class submarine has begun sea trials. HMS Artful is the third of seven Astute-class boats, with HMS Astute and HMS Ambush, the first two subs in class already in service with the Royal Navy. Artful is slated to join the fleet toward the end of this year.

Asia

• India is planning to dry-dock its INS Vikramaditya carrier next year, with the ship’s maintenance and repair operation set to be the largest of its type to have taken place in India. The vessel reportedly requires dry-docking every eighteen months, recently departing from Karwar in July after being fitted with new ship defense equipment, including the Barak-1 missile system.

• The Indian Defense Ministry is considering excluding private firms undergoing corporate debt restructuring from tendering for defense contracts. The proposal would bar these companies from competing for projects under the “Make in India” procurement category, which sees the Indian government fund the majority of prototype development (80%) and the company filling the remaining 20%, with some of the country’s most expensive projects falling into this category.

• Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) has completed testing of scramjet engines in Norway as part of the joint Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE) program, in collaboration with the US Air Force Research Laboratory, Boeing and the University of Queensland. Dating back to 2009, the project is seeking to develop understanding of hypersonic flight, with the Air Force recently restarting development of a hypersonic test vehicle, with a view to field the new vehicle for testing by 2023.

Today’s Video

• HMS Artful’s first dive in October:

Portugal Selects LITENING AT Pods for Its F-16s

FAP’s F-16AMs

Portugal currently owns 45 F-16s as the backbone of its air force: 20-25 fly with 201 Sqn as F-16A/B Block 15s, while another 20 were upgraded via the Mid-Life Upgrade program to F-16AM status for 301 Sqn. The F-16AMs add considerable air-ground capabilities via improved radars, and compatibility with modern laser and GPS-guided precision weapons. In order to use any of those weapons, however, targets must still be found and marked.

These days, many countries are buying small surveillance and targeting pods, as a bolt-on addition that gives their fighters full surveillance, designation, and precision strike capabilities. At present, the 2 main competitors in the global market are Lockheed Martin’s Sniper ATP, and Northrop Grumman/RAFAEL’s LITENING.

On July 31/08, the Portuguese Air Force announced a program to buy 12 LITENING AT pods from Northrop Grumman Corporation, as the winning candidate in their F-16 Advanced Targeting Pod upgrade program. Deliveries will begin in 2008, and finish in 2009. Note that the LITENING has been integrated on F-16 Block 15 aircraft, widening the number of Portuguese aircraft that might be given access to its surveillance and strike-enhancing capabilities. NGC release.

Update

August 13/15 Portugal is planning to upgrade the targeting and navigation pods equipping its fleet of F-16s. The Northrop Grumman-manufactured Litening Advanced Targeting pods will be upgraded to the G4 standard, with this $22.7 million contract reportedly scheduled for completion by 2022. Denmark ordered this variant in June 2012, with India also a major operator of the G4 variant.

JHMCS: Fighter Pilots’ “Look & Shoot” Helmets Changing Aerial Warfare

(click to view larger)

In the 1970s, fighter aircraft began to appear with Head-Up Displays (HUD) that projected key information, targeting crosshairs etc. onto a seemingly clear piece of glass. HUDs allowed pilots to keep their eyes in the sky, instead of looking down at their instruments. In the 1990s, another innovation appeared: helmet-mounted displays (HMDs) put the HUD inside the pilot’s helmet, providing this information even when the pilot wasn’t looking straight ahead. The Israelis were already pioneering a system called DASH (Display And Sight Helmet) when a set of former East German MiG-29s, equipped with Soviet HMDs, slaughtered USAF F-16s in NATO exercises. Suddenly, helmet-mounted displays became must-haves for modern fighters – and a key partnership positioned Elbit to take DASH to the next level.

This DID Spotlight article offers insights into the rocky past, successful present, and competitive future of a program that has experienced its share of snags and controversy – but went on to become the #1 helmet-mounted sight in the world. It also details the game-changing effects of Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems on air combat, its production sets and known customers, and all contracts since full-rate production began.

Shock to Delay New Naval Carrier | Czechs Pay $70M to Kit Leased Gripens | Afghani Cayuse Warriors See First Combat

Americas

• The Navy’s new Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) carrier will undergo shock testing, despite this likely causing schedule delays of up to six months. Previously, Navy officials planned to carry out the tests – designed to replicate extreme combat stress – on the second carrier in class, the John F. Kennedy, due to enter service in the early 2020s, in order to accelerate the Gerald R. Ford’s entry into service. Pentagon procurement chief Frank Kendall reportedly ordered the Navy to conduct the tests, despite the inevitable delay such testing would produce.

• Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS) successfully shot-down a UAV during the Army’s Black Dart exercise earlier this month. The 2kW laser engaged the UAV by focusing energy on the aircraft’s tail, inducing a loss of control. The system, capable of being transported by a squad of eight to twelve men, is thought to weight approximately 650lbs.

• Rockwell Collins has delivered the first Generation III helmet-mounted display system to the F-35 Joint Program Office. Use of a Distributed Aperture System (DAS) will allow pilots using the HMDS to see through the aircraft’s airframe, with the helmet system scheduled to enter the F-35 fleet during low rate initial production lot 7, timetabled for next year.

• The Brazilian Air Force has outlined what weapons it plans to procure to equip its new fleet of 36 Gripen E/F fighters, following the approval of a Swedish loan earlier this month for both the aircraft and weapons. The $4.6 billion deal will see the first Gripens delivered in 2019, with weapons including the A-Darter short-range air-to-air missile, the IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missile, SPICE bomb kits and targeting pods built by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.

Europe

• The Czech Republic has decided to equip its fourteen leased Gripen C/D fighters with air-to-ground weapons, according to local press reports. The country signed a renewed leasing agreement with Saab last year, with this extending a ten-year deal in 2004 to 2027, with a two-year option period. The Czechs are scheduled to pay approximately $70 million a year for the fourteen aircraft, with the new, unspecific ground-attack equipment timetabled to enter service by 2018. The Czech defense ministry announced its intention to release a tender for the new weapons in late July.

Asia

• The Indian Air Force has reportedly cut the its required number of PAK-FA/T-50 fighters by half to approximately 65 aircraft. The joint Russo-Indian project has had its fair share of problems, not least lack of cooperation between the two co-developer nations. India is now looking to sign a research and development contract worth approximately $11 billion, with this having been kept on ice since 2013. The IAF is pressing for an off-the-shelf procurement, which would allow for speedier delivery than under the proposed R&D contract route, which would see delivery take place in around eight years’ time. The defense ministry is now reportedly looking to undertake both options simultaneously, with a reduced number of aircraft procured to fulfil IAF demand whilst eyeing future manufacturing opportunities through the parallel R&D contract.

• Afghanistan’s armed MD-530 helicopters have been used in combat for the first time, reports indicated on Wednesday. The Afghan Security Forces announced in July that the helicopters would be equipped with rocket pods to complement .50 cal machine guns. MD Helicopters was awarded a contract in March 2011 for the first six helicopters, with an additional order for a further twelve announced in September 2014.

• Taiwan’s Chung-shan Institute of Science and Technology has unveiled [Chinese] new air defense systems and unmanned aircraft at the country’s 2015 Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition. These include the Sea Oryx, a short-range air defense missile system, the Tan An rocket system and a Reaper-lookalike MALE unmanned aircraft.

• The South Korean Navy has launched its sixth Incheon-class guided missile frigate. The Gwangju is the sixth vessel in a program of twenty new vessels scheduled to enter service by 2020. The new ship will undergo testing before deployment in 2016.

Today’s Video

• An example of a ship shock test:

Kill Vehicle Revived; Raytheon & Lockheed Tapped for Concept | Royal Navy to Upgrade Propulsion on Type 23 Frigates | $29M Signal Boost Headed for Navy’s Ships

Americas

• Navy surface ships and submarines are to be equipped with General Dynamics-developed Digital Modular Radios (DMR), with a $29 million contract modification covering the delivery of 56 sets. The company received a similar contract for DMRs in 2005, however this latest order covers radio sets capable of plugging into the Mobile User Objective satellite system (MUOS), as well as the Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio Systems (SINCGARS).

• A group of hackers have developed a small unmanned aerial vehicle capable of scanning nearby networks and computers in order to identify vulnerabilities. These UAVs can then report back to distance handlers as well as inject malware from above. The company – Aerial Assault – markets itself as a group of penetration-testers, using the drone to highlight weak spots for friendly networks. The F-35, with it’s secretive ‘cyber-attack pod‘, could operate in a similar way, albeit with a greater range. Facebook has also been developing a UAV capable of distributing wifi connectivity using lasers. The new hacking drone will reportedly go on sale – for $2,500.

• The Air Force is planning an industry day to explore options for replacing the UH-1N Huey utility helicopter, a forty year-old platform. Seventy-two aircraft will be procured, with the Air Force planning to open a Huey replacement program office in 2016 and award a contract in 2017. The Japanese Self Defense Force awarded a $3.02 billion contract in July to replace the country’s fleet of Hueys.

• The Missile Defense Agency has awarded two contracts to Raytheon and Lockheed Martin – $9.8 million and $9.6 million respectively – for the conceptual development of the Multi-Object Kill Vehicle, an initiative revived in June, after previously being shelved in 2009. The initiative seeks to develop a multi-shot capacity to target ballistic missiles, increasing the probability of a hit and destruction of the incoming missile. The House Armed Services Committee has allocated the program $80 million in its 2016 National Defense Authorization Act.

Europe

• Turkey is planning to upgrade 25 of its fleet of F-16C/D Block 30 fighters. The upgrade work is principally an interim measure to ensure operational capability until the arrival of the country’s indigenous fighter through the ambitious TF-X program, scheduled for introduction in the 2020s, as well as the phasing-in of Turkey’s future F-35 fleet. Turkey also undertook a $1.1 billion upgrade program for 117 F-16s in 2011, also ordering more modern Block 50 aircraft in 2012. The 25 aircraft set to receive upgrades are thought to be some of the oldest F-16s in the Turkish inventory.

• The Russian defense ministry will reportedly soon sign a contract with United Aircraft Corporation thought to be worth approximately $1.6 billion for 48 Su-35 fighters, with 24 of the aircraft also heading for China following a contract signed in June. The Russian Air Force is also reported to be receiving fourteen Su-35 fighters this year.

• The Polish Air Force has begun using 3D printing to upgrade MiG-29 and Su-22 fighters to NATO standards. The Wojskowe Zaklady Lotnicze Nr 2 company is using the techniques to rapidly prototype upgraded components for the aircraft, which can print items within a matter of hours. The printers – manufactured by Polish company Zortrax – print plastic components which are then used to test integration onto the aircraft before series production with metal components begins.

• The Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates are to receive new propulsion systems through two contracts worth a total of $124.7 million. Running to 2024, the first, $106 million contract with Rolls-Royce subsidiary MTU is for the production of diesel generators, with Hitzinger UK producing voltage converters under a second, $18.7 million contract. The new equipment will be manufactured in Austria and Germany, with the contracts announced days after the signing of a number of long-lead production contracts for the Royal Navy’s Type 26 future frigates, which include the Rolls-Royce designed gas turbines.

Asia

• The Eurofighter consortium has received formal support for plans to sell the multi-role fighter to Indonesia. Government officials from Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom have delivered a Letter of Support to Indonesia, with the letter reportedly highlighting the potential collaboration between Airbus – one of the Eurofighter’s manufacturers – and Indonesian firm PT Dirgantara Indonesia. Eurofighter announced plans in April to relocate final assembly facilities from Spain to Indonesia, if the latter chose to procure the fighter to replace the country’s aging F-5 fighters. Indonesia released a Request for Information for the replacement program in January 2014, which also attracted attention from Saab with the Gripen. However, the Indonesian Air Force appears keen to procure the Sukhoi Su-35 over European or US designs.

• Japan acquired one Lockheed Martin Sniper targeting pod last year for trials on a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) F-2 fighter. The Japanese defense ministry reportedly allocated $49.1 million to test the targeting pod as part of a potential upgrade package for the JASDF’s F-2 fleet. Jordan signed a contract for more Sniper pods in June, with the pod’s integration on the F-2 marking the eighth aircraft platform that the pod has operated from.

Today’s Video

• The Energy Harvesting Assault Pack:

$29M from USN for 56 MUOS-Capable Digital Modular Radios

General Dynamics C4 Systems in Scottsdale, AZ received a $53.9 million firm-fixed-price contract for 81 AN/USC-61C digital modular radios (DMR), DMR 100 and 200 watt power amplifiers, and other ancillary hardware. Currently approximately 300 software-defined radios, each with four channels, have been shipped to the Navy to be installed on ships, submarines, shore sites, and test facilities. Based on DID’s research, the U.S. Navy has now spent approximately $175 million all told on DMR radios and software, including this contract.

This software-controlled and re-configurable digital radio system currently features some JTRS capabilities such as expanded frequency range, multiple software-defined waveforms, multiple independent level security, advanced software, etc. The system can be used to replace multiple existing radios with a single, easy-to-use system which communicates seamlessly with different armed services as well as the U.S. Coast Guard and NATO allies. More specifically…