Boeing E-3 Sees First Deployment | Denmark Expected to Confirm F-35 Order Shortly | Japan to Get RQ-4 UAVs Through FMS

Americas

• US Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work has suggested that Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter will take part in Canada’s latest jet selection competition. The announcement comes after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he would not be purchasing the jet as part of Canada’s replacement of older CF-18s. Work’s comments appear contrary to the Canadian administration but seems to be coming across as part of US efforts to rescue Canadian participation in the program.
  
• Raytheon has announced the completion of the First Program Planning Review for the Multi-Object Kill Vehicle (MOKV) program. The news comes ahead of the concept review in December and when completed will allow for defense from long range ballistic threats and penetration aids. The MOKV contact was awarded in Raytheon in August at a cost of $9.7 million.
  
• The latest upgrade of the Boeing E-3 Sentry has seen its first deployment in south-west Asia. The E-3G model reached Initial Operation Capacity (IOC) in July and was the product of developments costing $2.7 billion dollars. Improvements included updates to the aircraft software and hardware, some of which dated back to the 1970s. The upgrades have been hailed as a game-changer in airborne surveillance and air battle management. The E-3G is said to begin combat missions immediately.

Middle East North Africa

• The development of Turkey’s indigenous long range missile defense program may involve helpfrom either France or China. President Recip Erdogan made the announcement a week after the cancellation of a $3.4 billion development deal with China prior to hosting G-20 leaders. The news was a relief to NATO members but renewed cooperation with the Chinese in the development of the system may raise fresh concerns. Further details have yet to be announced but the new deal may either be opening a tender process or by inter-governmental agreement. The news comes among claims by Erdogan that Turkey will shortly be able to export rather than import armaments.

Europe

• While rumours continue over the fate of Canada and the F-35 program, Denmark is expected to confirm an order for the aircraft this December. It was reported last year that the order would be for 30 of the aircraft and would be replace the F-16s that are currently in service in the Royal Danish Air Force. Other European countries expected to make purchases include Norway and the Netherlands.
  
• The Swiss Air Force have banned the use of their jets by civilians in the wake of a crash last month. The crash of the F-18 Hornet during training exercises in eastern France had no civilians on board and the pilot safely ejected from the aircraft. According to Swiss television station SRF, a number of civilians have ridden in military jets over the last number of years. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Asia Pacific

• Japan is to receive three RQ-4 Block 30 (I) UAVs after the sale was cleared by the US State Department on Friday. The deal will also include associated parts, equipment and training costing $1.2 billion in total. The purchase comes at a time when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been beefing up his country’s defense spending to counter Chinese influence. It was announced earlier this year that Japan is planning its largest ever defence budget which, if approved, will be in the region of $41 billion.
  
• The long awaited death of India’s indigenous Nishat UAV program has come to pass. The final of four UAVs in use by the Army has crashed less than a week after the program was officially cancelled. The final nail in the program’s coffin occurred earlier this month after a third UAV crashed amid technical problems cited by the Indian Army. However, these claims have been refuted by the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO), who claim army incompetence and poor handling by the army. While the blame game continues, we do know that we won’t be seeing any more Nishats in the Indian sky.

Today’s Video

• George Lucas meets the Navy. The crew of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower try their hand at Star Wars.

Swiss F-18s Grounded

Swiss F/A-18Cs

Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St. Louis, MO received a $6 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price delivery order issued under basic ordering agreement N00019-00-G-0148. This modification provides for support for the Phase II C/D fleet retrofit effort to upgrade a variety of systems for 24 F/A-18C and 6 F/A-18D Hornet aircraft for the Government of Switzerland under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO and is expected to be complete in March 2009. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD is the contracting activity.