DoD Blocks Move of JSTARS to Milestone A | LM’s Space Fence System Passes AF Review | Pentagon Report Details Decade Defense $$ Decline

Americas

• The Defense Department has blocked approval of a move to advance the JSTARS recapitalization program into its demonstration phase, known as Milestone A. The program, intended to field a replacement for the Air Force’s fleet of E-8 Joint Surveillance Targeting and Attack Radar System aircraft, kicked off in August, with the Air Force handing out three contracts to fund pre-engineering and manufacturing development work. The hold-up could be down to the Air Force’s funding strategy for the program, or potentially a changing requirement set.

• Lockheed Martin’s Space Fence system has passed an Air Force Critical Design Review, according to a company press release. Passing the CDR now means that the full-scale Space Fence System radar and facilities can be constructed on Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands. Designed to serve as a second-generation space surveillance radar system, the Space Fence will allow the Air Force to track satellites and space debris.

• The Pentagon has released a report detailing a decline in defense spending over the next decade. Forecast figures predict a cut of $454 billion over the FY2013-2021 period, a result of the sequestration which went into effect in March 2013. As lawmakers work to establish a budget agreement for FY2016, officials have warned that personnel may be forced to work without pay.

• L-3 Communications is settling with the government in an over-billing dispute. Centered on charging for independent contractor personnel on an L-3 contract with the Air Force over the 2006 to 2011 period, the contractor is alleged to have knowingly exaggerated labor hours for time these independent contractors spent at pre-deployment bases in the US before travelling overseas. The $4.63 million settlement was announced by the Justice Department, with the case stemming from whistleblower and former contractor Robert Martin.

Middle East North Africa

• Jordan will receive four intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft through a $9.8 million contract awarded to L-3 Communications, along with training and support. Thought to be the four remaining MC-12W aircraft currently operated by the US Air Force, the contract will run until next September while the aircraft are likely to be used by Jordan in operations against ISIS.

• General Dynamics is to reconfigure 150 Moroccan M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks to the situational awareness configuration, following a $358 million Foreign Military Sales contract announced on Monday evening. The Moroccan government has been upgrading its fleet of M1A1s in recent years, requesting a list of upgrades in June 2012 valued at over a billion dollars. The Situational Awareness package includes improved display systems and sensors to provide a clearer picture of the battlespace.

• British sniper rifles have appeared in the hands of Syrian Army special forces, with a Russian news crew capturing its use on video. Armament Research Services confirmed the identity of the rifle – the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare – on Tuesday, with the rifle also previously spotted in service with Russian special forces. The rifle spotted in the YouTube video appears to be a modern version of rifle in service with the British Army, incorporating an “updated chassis”, manufactured by the Portsmouth-based company.

• Algeria has received the second of two upgraded amphibious support ships, with Spanish shipyard Navantia undertaking the work through a contract awarded in July 2012. The first vessel was delivered in November 2014, with the contract thought to value approximately $84.3 million.

Asia & Pacific

• Following Cabinet Committee of Security approval earlier this month, India’s Defence Ministry has signed a $3.1 billion contract with Boeing for Apache and Chinook helicopters. The 22 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and 15 CH-47F Chinook transport helicopters are slated for delivery between 2018 and 2019, with Boeing agreeing to a 30% offset clause in a contract split into a Direct Commercial Sale (DCS) for the airframes and a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract for weapons, training and sensors. The deal’s signature comes two days before the expiration of a price agreed in 2013, with Boeing granting an extension to this price in July.

• A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) has refuelled a Lockheed Martin F-35A for the first time, the country’s Defence Ministry announced on Tuesday. The refuelling marks an important step for the RAAF’s five KC-30As as they heads towards Full Operating Capability, with an additional pair ordered from Airbus Defence & Space in July. A RAAF E-7A Wedgetail also refuelled from the aircraft for the first time earlier this year.

Today’s Video

• Flight simulation at the F-35 Academic Training Center:

Don’t Touch Their Junk: USAF’s SSA Tracking Space Debris

Space Fence concept

Space is big. Objects in space are very dangerous to each other. Countries that intend to launch objects into space need to know what’s out there, in order to avoid disasters like the 2009 collision of 2 orbital satellites. All they need to do is track many thousands of man-made space objects, traveling at about 9 times the speed of a bullet, and residing in a search area that’s 220,000 times the volume of Earth’s oceans.

The US Air Force Materiel Command’s Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts leads the USA’s Space Fence project. It’s intended to improve space situational awareness by tracking more and smaller objects, while replacing legacy systems in the Space Surveillance Network (SSN) as they retire. With a total anticipated value of around $6.1 billion over its lifetime, Space Fence will deliver a system of 2-3 geographically dispersed ground-based radars to provide timely assessment of space objects, events, and debris. International cooperation will supplement it, as part of overall Space Situational Awareness efforts. Failure is not an option. Or is it?

Army Launches T700 Competition | Elbit Gets $70M Contract for Hermes 900 UAV | GSL Looking for Partner to Share $5B Contract

Americas

• The Army has launched its T700 engine replacement competition, with the program set to deliver 3,000 new helicopter engines after production begins in 2019. Two companies will be awarded development contracts for the new engine design, with GE Aviation and a Honeywell/Pratt & Whitney team appearing as the most likely candidates, although Turbomeca could also participate in the competition.

• Israel’s Elbit Systems has been awarded a $70 million contract by an undisclosed Latin American buyer for the Hermes 900 UAV system. The company was awarded a similar contract in June 2011, also to an undisclosed customer in the region, with the Swiss parliament approving the $250 million acquisition of six Hermes 900 UAVs earlier this month.

Europe

• BAE Systems delivered the first serial production Archer artillery systems to the Swedish Armed Forces on Monday, following delivery of pre-serial systems in September 2013 and an initial batch of 24 Archers in 2007.

• Latvia will receive air defense radar systems through a $22.7 million contract awarded to ThalesRaytheonSystems. The Foreign Military Sales contract will see the company deliver its AN/MPQ-64F1 Improved Sentinel X-band, 3D radar systems, likely insurance against Russian attack helicopters recently based just across the border in Pskov. The country is also considering the procurement of man-portable Stinger MANPADS.

• A European Eurofighter operator has reportedly trialled the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Reccelite XR reconnaissance pod, unveiled in June. Airbus Defence & Space has also been marketing the Israeli company’s Litening 5 targeting pod, which is reported to have already been purchased by a European customer.

Asia & Pacific

• China could be constructing its first indigenous aircraft carrier, according to analysis released by Janes. The PLAN currently operates the Liaoning carrier, an ex-Ukrainian Navy Kuznetsov-class design. Satellite imagery appears to show a previously unknown hull under construction at the Dalian shipyard, where the Liaoning has previously undergone refits and maintenance work.

• US defense giants Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Textron have called on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to simplify the Indian Defense Ministry’s acquisition process. The notoriously slow and unreliable nature of Indian defense procurement isn’t limited to US contractors, with negotiations over the sale of 36 Rafale fighters still underway despite a significant amount of political pressure to get a deal signed since the intergovernmental agreement in April. The Indian government’s offset and taxation policies are also proving a headache for foreign firms despite an increase last year to Foreign Direct Investment limits.

• Meanwhile, state-owned Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) is reportedly searching for an international company to partner with for the manufacture of a dozen mine countermeasures vessels for the Indian Navy. An Expression of Interest has been sent to several companies, including two Russian shipyards, Lockheed Martin, Thyssenkrupp Marine and Navantia. GSL was awarded the $5 billion contract by the country’s Defence Ministry in March, following the scrapping of a contract for eight vessels with South Korea’s Kangnam Corp. in December 2014. The company has also been sent an Expression of Interest, with the selected company slated to receive a contract valued at approximately $1 billion for the transfer of technology.

• French and US firms have also reportedly begun discussions with the Indian Defence Ministry over possible collaboration for the Indian Navy’s future fleet of six nuclear attack submarines, known as Project-75(I). The discussions are reported to have taken place in July, with the Indian Defence Ministry now in a position to select a NATO partner over Russian assistance in the project. The country’s government is also considering whether to lease another Akula-class boat from Russia, with the Indian Defence Acquisition Council approving the acquisition of six new submarines in October 2014.

Today’s Video

• The 155mm Archer in action:

Armor for Latvia: CVRs, Transferred

CVR(T) Scimitar

If the Baltic States are serious about retaining their post-Soviet independence, they need to field more than just light infantry formations. Light formations with air defense and anti-tank missiles are certainly a very useful first step, but all of these states have significant Russian minorities, and the kind of hybrid war on display in Ukraine demands armored urban firepower and artillery.

Latvia has 3 ex-Polish T-55 tanks for training, but that isn’t going to cut it. A recent purchase of used tracked vehicles from Britain will finally get them into the game….

Sweden’s Archer Self-Propelled Artillery Project

Bofors Archer system

BAE Systems Bofors’ Archer is a light, air-portable, and highly automated 155/52 light mobile artillery system. Archer began as a Swedish project, administered by their FMV procurement agency. Funding was provided for system development and some initial production, but the project’s future had been shadowed by anemic Swedish defense budgets.

In May 2007, however, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Norway’s FLO procurement agency, which evolved into a joint production venture. Just as initial production moved the Archer system from concept to imminent reality, however, Norway left the program. Why?

Raytheon Wins $490M+ in Two Contracts | General Dynamics Piranha 5 Selected by Spain’s MoD | Aerojet May Up Their Unsolicited Bid for ULA

Americas

• Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings is reportedly considering raising its unsolicited bid price for the United Launch Alliance joint venture, despite a very public rejection of its first $2 billion bid, made earlier this month, by both Lockheed Martin and Boeing. A further setback for the company occurred last week when ULA signed an agreement with Orbital ATK as the company’s exclusive provider of solid fuel boosters, side-lining Aerojet Rocketdyne in the process.

• An LA Times report has found serious short-comings in the JLENS cruise missile defense system, with the Army reportedly trying to kill off the program in 2010. The report details how lobbying kept the $2.7 billion program alive despite operational deficiencies, including software issues preventing integration with the NORAD air defense network; it is unclear whether the two aerostats operating on the East Coast as part of a three-year evaluation – launched in December 2014 and August respectively – are currently linked to this network.

• A fully-configured KC-46A tanker completed its first flight on Friday, a month later than scheduled owing to the chemical mix-up in early August. The program is a year behind schedule, the first flight is a rare positive sign for a program hit by cost spikes and schedule delays, with Boeing scheduled to deliver 18 aircraft in August 2017.

• Raytheon has been awarded a $264.8 million contract for improvement works to the AIM-9X air-to-air missile, with these destined for the Air Force, Navy and six Foreign Military Sales customers. The Block II missile recently entered full rate production, with Friday’s contract announcement intended to assist in bringing up some Block I stockpiles up to the Block II standard, including new components and software upgrades.

• Also on Friday the company received a $227.1 million contract for the production of 447 AIM-9X missiles, with these headed for the Navy, Air Force and four Foreign Military Sales customers. The contract also covers the delivery of 129 training missiles, with these scheduled for delivery to multiple governments, including Switzerland, Morocco, Israel and Oman.

• Northrop Grumman has been selected by the Army to develop the Airborne Reconnaissance Low-Enhanced (ARL-E) long-range radar system, an Active Elecontrically-Scanned Array (AESA) system intended to form part of an Army modernization program to improve their manned intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft. The Army is planning to replace nine de Havilland Canada Dash 7 aircraft with nine Bombardier Dash-8s, in addition to new sensor payloads such as wide-area surveillance and hyperspectral imaging sensors to provide a new low-profile airborne ISR capability.

Europe

• Spain has selected the General Dynamics Piranha 5 8×8 armored vehicle as a base platform for the Ministry of Defense’s infantry fighting vehicle design. With an initial order covering 300 vehicles, valued at $1.7 billion, the design beat four others in a MoD competition. A branch of General Dynamics was awarded a $99 million research and development contract by the MoD in August to develop the vehicle design.

• Russia has pushed back the PAK FA/T-50 fifth-generation fighter’s operating schedule, with the aircraft now slated to enter service in 2017, a year later than previously announced. TASS recently reported that the fighter will come equipped with the mach 3.5 X-58USHK missile, mounted internally to reduce the aircraft’s radar cross-section.

• General Atomics has unveiled a new capability for its MQ-9B Guardian maritime UAV, presenting a sonobuoy capability along with other modifications to the Royal Navy in a bid to market the Guardian as an unmanned maritime patrol aircraft to supplement the likely procurement of a manned maritime patrol aircraft. Calls from industry for the UK’s Defence Ministry to run a competition for its future maritime patrol aircraft are growing louder, with Northrop Grumman thought to be considering an offer of their RQ-4C Triton as another unmanned option in addition to the Guardian.

Asia & Pacific

• South Korea’s $6.9 billion KF-X program has hit a major speed bump with refusal by the US government to approve the transfer of four core technologies from F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin to the country’s defense procurement agency, with the South Korean government now confirming that Washington refused the transfer back in April. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) will now have to look elsewhere to acquire these technologies, which include an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, EO targeting pod, RF jammer and IR search and track system. Lockheed Martin promised to transfer 25 technologies to the country when it signed a Foreign Military Sales contract for 40 F-35s in September, with the homegrown fighter project seemingly now in jeopardy.

• Afghan pilots flying the country’s recently-operational MD-530 helicopters have expressed criticism of the Cayuse Warrior aircraft, citing a lack of range and jamming of the twin .50 cal machine guns installed through a contract last October. The mountains bordering the helicopters’ Kabul operating base are posing a challenge for the small helicopters, with the thin air reducing lift, limiting effective range and placing Taliban operating areas out of reach.

• Textron Marine & Land Systems will supply the Afghan government with 55 Mobile Strike Force vehicles, a 4×4 protected vehicle supplied to the country since November 2011. The company was awarded a $56.2 million Foreign Military Sales contract on Friday to supply the vehicles, coming soon after the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction penned a letter to the commanding general of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Gen. John F. Campbell, earlier this month.

Today’s Video

• The KC-46A Pegasus‘ first flight:

US Joins Japan & SK in Approving LM’s Takeover of Sikorsky | Egypt to Acquire 50 Russian Attack Heli’s | Modi Gvmt to Share UAV Designs

Americas

• The government has approved the $9 billion takeover of Sikorsky by Lockheed Martin announced in July, joining approvals from the Japanese and South Korean governments. The Justice Department reportedly led the takeover review, with officials from the Defense Department and other agencies also involved. Lockheed Martin still requires approval from other states where it operates – including China and the European Union – before the takeover can be finalized. The review has come through quickly, despite a DoJ probe into alleged overcharging by Sikorsky in 2006.

• The Navy and Orbital ATK successfully conducted a test-firing of the Block 1 AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) in August, the company announced on Thursday. A Super Hornet was used to launch the missile, which struck a moving ship target. Further tests are planned before the upgrade is rolled out. The US Marine Corps and Navy currently operate the missile, with the Italian Air Force scheduled to employ the weapon on its Tornado ECR attack aircraft from 2017.

• The next set of testing on the F-35C will include new pilot helmets, integration with the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) and operations involving a full internal weapons bay, with these scheduled to take place during the first half of October. The Navy will build on tests conducted at sea in November, which saw the carrier version of the Joint Strike Fighter achieve 100% of its threshold requirements.

Europe

• Poland’s Armaments Inspectorate has released a tender to acquire over a hundred battlefield reconnaissance radar systems. Five bids will be down-selected after a deadline of 21 October. The country plans to procure 104 of the mobile surveillance systems, which are intended to be operated by two soldiers. Deliveries are expected by 2023. Potential bids include the Thales SQUIRE system, Telefunken Racoms PRS 2020 and the IAI ELI-3370.

• Russia and Serbia signed a preliminary agreement for two Mi-17 transport helicopters, with Belgrade putting down an advance payment. A final contract is expected in October, with reports from August indicating that the Balkan state is looking to acquire a mixture of Russian and European designs (the latter thought to be the Airbus AS532 Cougar) to replace its aging Mi-8 helicopters.

• Polish and Ukrainian companies are collaborating to co-develop unmanned aerial vehicles. Ukraine’s Antonov and Poland’s WB Electronics have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop and market tactical UAVs for Ukrainian forces, building on the experience possessed by the Polish firm, which is currently working with Thales on a bid for Poland’s Griffon tactical UAV competition.

Middle East North Africa

• Egypt has signed an agreement for fifty Russian attack helicopters, seemingly confirming reports from August which indicated that the country would receive around fifty helicopters by 2019. The Egyptians are thought to be buying the navalized Ka-52K version of the Alligator scout/attack helicopter, most likely those intended to equip the Russian Mistral LHDs now also destined for Egypt following a contract earlier this week.

• Egypt’s state-owned AOI-Aircraft Factory has also signed a co-operation agreement with French firm Sagem, indicating an upcoming Egyptian contract for Patroller unmanned aircraft. The Egyptian company will establish a training facility in the country specifically for the UAV, as well as have responsibility for systems support and the capacity to assemble the UAVs in-country.

• The government of Lebanon will receive 50 Humvees through an $11.6 million Foreign Military Sales contract modification awarded to AM General. The Lebanese government has been the recipient of military equipment from a number of countries in recent months, including weapons from France and China and requesting A-29 Super Tucano close air support aircraft from the US. The government has received over a billion dollars in US military assistance over the last eight years.

Asia & Pacific

• In a bid to spur development in the country’s private defense industry, the Modi government has decided to share designs of indigenously-developed unmanned aerial vehicles with private firms. Developed by the Indian state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation, details of the Rustom family of UAVs were until now kept secret from the private sector. As the Indian government looks to develop its defense industrial base domestically, it has also recently relaxed joint venture restrictions on foreign companies in a bid to build expertise through collaborative working. However, foreign companies still face stringent offset policies and investment restrictions, despite slow progress.

Today’s Video

• A Super Tucano flying low. The Afghan Air Force will have to wait until early next year to get theirs.

Spirit AeroSystems Shows Off Bell Heli Fuselage | Gen Atomics to Open Training Facility for UAVs | Egyptians Broker Deal to Buy French Mistrals

Americas

• The fuselage of the Bell Helicopters V-280 tiltrotor demonstrator aircraft was unveiled by manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems on Tuesday. Assembled by the company’s rapid prototyping facility, the fuselage will be combined with the V-280 wing, engines and tails. The V-280 Valor design will compete with Sikorsky/Boeing’s SB-1 Defiant design from September 2017 in a two-year evaluation period for the Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program. Both are part-funded through the Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMRTD) program, part of FVL, with contracts awarded last year.

• Delivery of the first Ford-class carrier to the Navy will be delayed owing to the need for additional testing before sea trials can begin. The Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) will now be delivered in May 2016, six to eight weeks after the scheduled March 2016 delivery date. With the carrier currently 93% complete, the cost of the test will be absorbed below the $12.9 billion cost cap mandated by Congress. The ship’s schedule took a hit in August when Pentagon procurement chief Frank Kendall ordered the Navy to conduct full-scale shock tests on the Ford, rather than the second carrier in class, the Kennedy. That decision will likely push back the carrier’s Initial Operating Capability by several months.

• General Atomics – manufacturer of Predator and Reaper UAVs – will open a training facility for international customers of its unmanned aircraft, according to a company press release. The new ‘RPA Training Academy’ facility on Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota will ultimately aim to train up to 60 flight crews a year, using a US government-approved training scheme.

Europe

• Egyptian and French leaders have negotiated a deal for the two Mistral LHDs owned by the French state following a deal with Moscow in August. The Egyptians are also reported to be in talks over acquiring two more Gowind corvettes, to supplement the four ordered in 2014. However, reports [French] indicated that there was a brief sticking point over the price of the two Mistrals. Reports from August indicated that Saudi Arabia [French] may be financing the Egyptians, with Malaysia also previously indicating interest in the Mistrals.

• As France celebrates offloading the two vessels, French personnel began on Wednesday to remove sensitive Russian equipment [Russian] installed on the LHDs, joined by Russian experts to assist in the removal/prevent any unwanted prying into the systems. The systems are thought to collectively value around EUR50 million and include combat information systems, missile fire controls, helicopter landing modules and artillery systems.

• An Italian Eurofighter test aircraft has conducted live-fire testing of the MBDA Storm Shadow cruise missile in the UK as part of the Phase 2 Enhancements (P2E) upgrade package planned for the multinational fighter. With the Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) tested successfully earlier this month, the Storm Shadow’s integration with the Eurofighter began last year, with the first Storm Shadow drop from a Eurofighter aircraft in November. Full integration of the missile is expected by the end of this year, with the P2E package slated for completion by the end of 2017.

Middle East North Africa

• Oshkosh Defense has been handed a $47 million modification to add an additional 184 medium tactical vehicles to a $4.7 billion Foreign Military Sales order in 2009, with the new vehicles headed for Iraq. The vehicles are scheduled for delivery by February 2017.

Africa

• An undisclosed African state has signed a contract for two Alenia Aermacchi C-27J Spartan transport aircraft, joining Chad and Morocco as operators on the continent. The C-27J has seen significant export success, with sales to countries as diverse as Peru, Bulgaria and Australia. A gunship version of the Spartan is also in development, known as the C-27J Praetorian.

Asia & Pacific

• South Korea is planning to equip its fleet of KF-16 fighters with SPICE-2000 guided bombs, manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Industries. The country has been looking to modernize its fleet, including radar and armament upgrades, with the new bomb kits allowing the country’s air force to modify unguided 2000lb bombs with a dual CCD-IIR sensor and tail fins, creating a guided stand-off weapon.

• The Republic of Korea Air Force is also reportedly planning a request to the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff for an additional two E-737 AWACS aircraft to help police the country’s Air Defense Identification Zone. The RoKAF previously requested an additional two aircraft in October 2014, following China’s establishment of a similar ADIZ, which included some Korean territory. South Korea operates four E-737 Peace Eye aircraft, with these ordered in November 2006 through a $1.59 billion deal with Boeing.

Today’s Video

• New equipment unveiled earlier this month as part of the UK Ministry of Defence’s Future Soldier Vision:

Venezuela Spending $$ with Russia and China | Russia’s Escalation Niggles Norway to Acquire More F-35s | Russia Establishing FOBs in Syria

Americas

• Lockheed Martin unveiled its bid for the Marines’ Amphibious Combat Vehicle 1.1 program on Tuesday. The USMC released an engineering & manufacturing development (EMD) Request for Proposals in April, with the program intended to supply the next generation of armored ‘connector’ vehicles for the Marine Corps. Two designs are to be down-selected later this year, with five companies (ADVS, BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and SAIC) currently offering up designs.

• Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is reported to be planning a purchase of a dozen Su-30 fighters, along with equipment from China. The Venezuelan Air Force operates 23 Su-30MK2 multirole fighters, following a crash of one of these last week. Speaking at a ceremony to mark the loss, Maduro stated that he would talk with Vladimir Putin to acquire a replacement for the lost Su-30 as well as the twelve new fighters. The aircraft in service were procured from Russia as part of a $3 billion arms sale, following a refusal by then-President George Bush to sell replacement parts for the country’s fleet of F-16s.

Europe

• The Dutch Defense Ministry has penned an agreement with engine-manufacturer Pratt & Whitney for a Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul & Upgrade workshop in the south of the country to support future F-35 operations. The company’s F-135 engine powers the F-35, with the new workshop at the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s Woensdrecht Logistics Centre set to become a dedicated engine support facility from 2019. The country was selected by the DoD in December to support F-35 heavy engine maintenance, along with Norway and Turkey, and placed its first order for eight F-35A fighters in March.

• The Norwegian government announced on Monday that the country has partnered with Australia to finance the development a new RF seeker for the Kongsberg Joint Strike Missile (JSM), with the long-range air-to-ground missile scheduled for integration with the F-35. BAE Australia will design and integrate the new seeker, which will provide the JSM with a dual-seeker capability alongside its current imaging target seeker. The agreement plans for the cost of this integration to be split if Australia decides to purchase the Joint Strike Fighter. The two countries have been developing the JSM for a while, announcing in February their intention to adapt the JSM to fit into the F-35A’s slim internal weapons bay.

• Meanwhile, Norwegian defense officials reiterated their commitment to the procurement of up to 52 F-35s, citing Russian power projection in Northern Europe as a reason to press ahead with the acquisition. The first F-35 deliveries to Norway are expected in 2017, with Initial Operating Capability expected two years later. The Norwegians opted to buy the F-35A in 2013, after the Lockheed Martin jet beat off competition from an upgraded version of Saab’s JAS-39NG Gripen. The first F-35 manufactured for the Norwegian Armed Forces was rolled out by Lockheed Martin on Tuesday.

• The UK’s Ministry of Defence is reportedly set to launch a tender for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) robots, with this estimated to value up to $124 million. The tender, covering a base of 56 unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and an option for a further 30, will see an Invitation to Tender (ITT) released by the end of 2015.

• MBDA and BAE Systems have agreed to a marketing partnership for the latter’s advanced precision kill weapon system (APKWS) in an aim to flag the system to European customers. MBDA will lead the marketing charge for the APKWS in Europe, with the system developed by BAE Systems’ US subsidiary. The system bolts onto unguided 70mm rockets to transform them into a low-cost laser-guided weapon, which has been integrated with several platforms in the US inventory, including the Cobra and Huey helicopters, Apache AH-64D and A-10.

Middle East North Africa

• With the number of Russian fixed-wing aircraft thought to have been deployed to Latakia, Syria now reaching 28, (including Su-24s, Su-25s and Su-30s), reports emerged on Tuesday that Russia has also supplied the Assad regime with at least five new aircraft. It is also thought that Russian forces have begun to operate from other areas, establishing two new forward operating bases according to the WSJ. Reports from last week indicated that the Syrian air force has also begun using more precise weapons, also the likely result of an arms transfer from Russia. Syria has operated Russian platforms for years; in August Turkish media reported that six MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors had been delivered to the Syrian regime, as part of a 2007 contract.

Asia & Pacific

• India’s Cabinet Committee of Security has cleared the procurement of 22 AH-64E Apache and 15 CH-47F Chinook helicopters in a deal estimated to value $2.5 billion. Headed by Prime Minister Modi, the CCS’ clearance paves the way for a contract within months, following years of delays to the deal owing to disputes over offset arrangements. The price quoted for the helicopters by manufacturer Boeing was extended for a tenth time in July, with this price guaranteed to the end of September. The Apache and Chinook helicopters beat out the Russian Mi-28N and Mi-26 respectively, with India currently operating an aging fleet of Hind helicopters.

• Indonesian officials will meet their Russian counterparts later this month to discuss a possible acquisition of Su-35 multi-role fighters. The country has been looking to buy the Russian fighter for a while, with the Indonesian Air Force already operating earlier Su-27 models. Reports in the Indonesian press indicate that the government is planning to acquire half a squadron of Su-35s initially, with further orders planned to phase-out ageing F-5 Tiger fighters.

Today’s Video

• Fast-roping with a GoPro:

Stratofortresses to Lose Nuke Capability under New START | Challenger 2 or Aramata; UK’s MoD Looks for Improved MBT | Rep Calls for Sale of UAVs to Jordan for Fighting ISIS

Americas

• The US Air Force has begun removing nuclear weapons capability from 42 B-52H Stratofortresses, in line with regulations set out under the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), signed in April 2010. Thirty operational and a dozen mothballed Stratofortresses will be converted to solely conventional bombers, with work having already begun to this effect and due for completion by 2017. Both Russia and the US have until February 2018 to comply with the treaty’s terms. Despite the conversion, planned work to upgrade the fleet of B-52H bombers will form part of a modernization effort to keep nuclear-capable B-2 and B-52s flying into the 2030s and 2040s respectively, with this forecast by the GAO [p. 11] back in July to value $24.4 billion over the FY2015-2024 period.

• Canadian Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau has announced that his party would not sign a contract for F-35 Joint Strike Fighters if it were to win next month’s federal election, instead opting for a competition to replace the Canadian fleet of CF-18 Hornet fighters. The acquisition of the F-35 has become a highly politicized issue in recent years, with the ruling Conservative party signing a contract for 65 F-35s in 2010 before abandoning the deal in 2012 following a probe into the decision. Last week news broke that a contract to acquire the F-35 would rise above previous cost estimates owing to a low Canadian dollar.

Europe

• The UK’s Defence Ministry is reportedly looking into options for an improved Main Battle Tank (MBT), including assessing an option to procure new vehicles to replace the 227 Challenger 2 MBTs in service. A response to the Russian T-14 Aramata MBT unveiled in May, the Challenger 2 is now coming under scrutiny as officials examine whether the tank is capable of matching the new Russian design. Despite some scepticism over Russian descriptions of the vehicle’s capabilities, the T-14 has shaken up the British Army sufficiently to speed up a possible Life Extension Program (LEP) for the Challenger 2 or the procurement of a completely new fleet.

• Airbus Defence & Space is marketing the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Litening 5 targeting pod as an option for future Eurofighter Typhoon customers. The pod will be installed on a company aircraft to demonstrate the improved capability. The system is reported to have already been purchased by a European Eurofighter operator. The Litening 5 was unveiled at the Paris Air Show earlier this year and uses two FLIR systems and a CCD HD-TV camera to improve target acquisition at long ranges. The pod is expected to becoming operational by the end of next year.

• The British Ministry of Defence will help the country’s defense industry sell its wares abroad, according to the Conservative government’s Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. The Eurofighter will be one of two strategic export campaigns set to receive MoD assistance, with the other being complex weapon systems; likely a nod to arms behemoth BAE Systems and missile house MBDA . The UK government usually assists industry through an organization known as the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO), working closely with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, with the MoD usually fire-walled from export campaigns.

Middle East North Africa

• Tunisia is upgrading its fleet of F-5E/F Tiger II fighters with new avionics, with a $32.5 million Foreign Military Sales contract awarded to Northrop Grumman by the US Air Force. Tunisia requested avionics upgrades for a dozen F-5 aircraft in September 2013, including Northrop Grumman’s LN-260 navigation system. The estimated cost detailed in the DSCA request was valued at $60 million, including logistics support and training. The contract awarded to Northrop Grumman does not detail the inclusion of logistics support or training, potentially accounting for the discrepancy between the contract value and DSCA estimate.

• Egypt is reportedly in talks with Russia over a possible sale of 46 MiG-35 fighters, with the potential deal estimated to value $2.2 billion. The manufacturer has been struggling in recent years, suffering from slack demand; the MiG-35 has yet to secure an order from either the Russian Defense Ministry or a foreign customer. However, a flurry of interest in the MiG-35 from a diverse range of nations, including Vietnam and India, as well as Russia, could see contracts in coming months.

• A Republican Congressman is calling on the Obama administration to sell armed unmanned aerial vehicles to Jordan, following the decision in October to deny a Jordanian request for unarmed MQ-1 Predator UAVs. China reportedly stepped into the breach in May to offer an alternative to the spurned Jordanians, now thought to be the Caihong-5, unveiled at the end of August. Rep. Duncan Hunter is calling on the President to sell the Gulf state Predator and Reaper UAVs to help in the country’s fight against ISIS, using an exception clause in the Missile Technology Control Regime agreement to enable the sale.

Asia & Pacific

• China and Pakistan have reportedly signed an agreement to prevent technology from the co-developed JF-17 fighter making its way into US and Indian hands. Chinese engineers are also said to be reducing the aircraft’s radar signature through using a divergent supersonic air intake with the JF-17’s Klimov RD-93 engine, with the majority of high-end technology equipping the jet coming from China, including radar, avionics and weapons.

• China may have tested a hypersonic aircraft, with this thought to be a different design to the WU-14 hypersonic glide vehicle tested for for the fifth time in August. Reports indicate that this mysterious new aircraft may have been manned, with state-owned AVIC seemingly leaking news of the test on its company website before the page was swiftly removed.

Today’s Video

• The Caihong-5: