Rolls Picks up Contracts to Tune of $153M | LM Outlook Positive with 1.2% 2015 Sales Increase | NATO Data: Cuts to Defense Spending Lowest in Four Years

Americas

• Rolls-Royce Corp has been awarded two contracts by the DoD for a combined total of $153 million. The first will see the company supply twenty-four engines for Saudi Arabia’s C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in a foreign military sale worth $77 million. The engines will be delivered by the end of this year. Rolls will also supply C-130J propulsion system sustainment to the USAF in a deal worth $76 million. Due to be completed by this time next year, they will provide logistics support, program management support, engineering services, spares, and technical data for the system.

• Lockheed Martin has reported a positive financial outlook with a net increase of 1.2% in sales for 2015. $15.5 billion of the company’s $46.1 billion profits came from its aeronautical division, thanks to its development of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Despite lower F-16 orders and reduction in F-22 sustainment work, 21 C-130Js, 11 F-16s and nine C-5Ms were delivered alongside forty-five orders of the F-35. It is expected that they will deliver fifty-three jets this year, sixty in 2017 and up to one hundred in 2018. Furthermore, the company’s acquisition of Sikorsky saw an additional $99.6 billion in backlog orders added to their coffers.

Middle East North Africa

• Armenia’s defense minister has indicated that they many acquire more Russian weaponry, but declined to elaborate on specific details of any potential deal. The news comes after last week’s meeting of the two counties as part of a Russian-Armenian intergovernmental commission on bilateral military-technical cooperation. Negotiations follow a June 2015 loan of $200 million made to Armenia for the purpose of buying more Russian-made defense equipment. The shopping list includes the latest Iskander-M missiles and potentially a small number of MiG-30 fighters. The procurements may stoke tensions with neighbour Azerbaijan, who fought a war with Armenia over the territory of Nagorno-Karabach in the late 1980s to early 1990s. With a range of up to 500 kilometres, Iskander missiles could easily reach oil and gas fields in Azerbaijan if the conflict were to arise again.

Europe

• Standards found in the German Armed Forces have been criticized after comments that it is overstretched and underfunded. Defense Commissioner Hans-Peter Bartels demanded a significant increase in funding as systemic budget shortages now endanger training, military exercises and missions. With Germany taking part in overseas missions in Syria, Afghanistan and Mali, as well as overseeing an influx of refugees domestically, the importance of having a combat effective force and working equipment is seen as being more important than ever. At present, the plan is to increase spending to over $140.6 billion until 2030, in order to purchase new equipment and to go into research and development. Shortages in aircraft has hampered efforts in overseas missions, while the force recently resigned the G36 assault rifle after it failed to shoot straight in hot climates.

• France may accelerate its light helicopter acquisition process due to begin in 2020. Aging aircraft across a broad range of helicopters and multiple weight classes could see as many as 442 new helicopters required. While the eventual number may be much lower than that, it highlights the rather large scale of replacement that is to occur. Key debates over the procurement involve whether they want to purchase single or multiple platforms for the wide-ranging requirements of the various branches of the armed forces. Selection will also count on the resources available, but could see newer rotorcraft coming into service by the early 2020s.

• Data released by NATO saw defense cuts of European members slow sharply in 2015. Fears over Russian expansion and the threat of jihadist attacks in Europe has seen a recalibration towards defending nations’ own borders after a decade of operations in Afghanistan. Cuts to spending are the lowest in four years at 0.3% but also highlighted a divide among member states. Eastern European nations, wary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the current quagmire in Ukraine has seen sharp defense increases; while Italy, still reeling from years of austerity measures post 2008 cut their spending by 12%. In all, only Britain, Poland, Greece and Estonia meet a NATO goal of spending at least 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense.

Asia Pacific

• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has unveiled to the press their latest ATD-X stealth fighter prototype at their plant in Komaki. The fifth generation stealth fighter was developed alongside Defense Ministry’s Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI) with the aim of seeing if an indigenously produced stealth fighter could be developed in Japan along with researching the technologies required. With its first test flight due this year, full scale production could be under way as early as 2018. The new jet will replace the aging Mitsubishi F-2 and F-15, while complementing its F-35 acquisition as Japan looks to take more responsibility over defending it’s territory and population.

• India’s Rafale deal with France is expected to be complete within four months according to French ambassador to India, Francois Richier. Speaking to Indian television, it is the first time a senior official has given a time scale for the completion of the deal. President Francois Hollande had indicated earlier in the week that the process would take some time, but that there would be gradual progress on agreeing to a final sale price. Dassault had previously stated that a deal may be signed within a month after a signing of an inter-governmental agreement on Monday, but officials from both governments have admitted that the price may become somewhat of a sticking point. Richier also stated that he hoped that India would in time purchase more Rafale’s from Dassault after their initial order of 126 fighters was slashed to just thirty-six.

Today’s Video

• The unveiling of Mitsubishi’s ATD-X stealth fighter :

Budget Cuts Under Fire for Helo Crashes | Kuwait Tires of Waiting for F-18s; Moving to Eurofighter Typhoons | Polish Govt May Cancel Airbus Caracel Order

Americas

• Northrop Grumman and Raytheon look set to be awarded sole-source contracts by the USAF for further development of their competing active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars as part of the Northrop Grumman E-8C JSTARS recapitalization effort. Foreign proposals for the radar development were ruled out by the government, but they are accepting foreign airframes for the plane’s replacement. Once the program is completed, the radars will form the centerpiece of the E-8C’s replacement aircraft, which will be based on commercial business jets.

• Budget cuts made by Congress and the White House are being questioned as a reason for the growing increase in US military helicopter crashes. The year 2015 saw a threefold increase in helicopter deaths over 2014, with twelve crashes resulting in thirty fatalities of service personnel. Already in 2016, twelve were killed in an accident on January 16. Cuts to all the services have resulted in the number of flying hours and training missions reduced for non-deployed units resulting in less pilot proficiency. Former pilots have expressed concern over the rise pointing out that unlike cutting a weapon system, readiness doesn’t have specific members of Congress or lobbyists protecting it.

Middle East North Africa

• Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter have announced an interest from Bahrain in their products, after using the Bahrain International Airshow to compete for the kingdom’s business. Talks are currently ongoing to have upgrades carried out on their F-16 fleet to the newer V configuration with purchasing up to eighteen additional fresh F-16Vs. Bahrain is also beginning the process of “acquiring” AH-1Z helicopters from Bell to replace its older fleet of thirty AH-1 models. Talks for the helicopters are at an early stage, with it still remaining unclear how many would be purchased in the replacement procurement.

• After delays in gaining approval from the US to buy new F-18 Super Hornets, Kuwait instead looks set to sign contracts for twenty-eight Eurofighter Typhoon jets to replace their older F-18s. An official in the Italian Ministry of Defense said minister Roberta Pinotti would visit Kuwait on Sunday to sign papers finalizing the deal estimated to be worth $8.7 billion. Talks had been ongoing since November with issues over pilot training delaying the deal, but should be completed within eighteen months. The switch in allegiance will no doubt annoy manufacturer Boeing, and may see renewed frustrations over the lengthy congressional approval process for foreign military sales.

Europe

• Threats have been made by the Polish government to cancel its order of fifty Airbus H225M Caracels. Negotiations surrounding industrial offsets have caused deputy defense minister Bartosz Kownaki to give until February 10 for both parties to come to an agreement or risk cancelling the deal altogether. Since a change in government last October, the deal has been put under increased scrutiny by the Polish defence ministry over the lack of production that would take place in the country. Airbus has promised to create 1,200 jobs in Poland by setting up local design, production and maintenance facilities, but the problems over offsets remain. Restarting the tender would most likely see renewed offers from from PZL Mielec and PZL Swidnik, local subsidiaries of Sikorsky and AgustaWestland, but also a legal challenge from Airbus for damages.

Africa

• The Nigerian Air Force announced that they have successfully weaponized two unarmed Alpha Jets previously used for the training purposes. The jets are two of four bought from the US in 2015, adding to eight that were currently in service. After failing to find foreign assistance to help with the reconfiguration of the jets, the air force undertook the research and weaponization themselves with substantial savings. The jets will contribute to fighting in counter-insurgency operations in the country’s north east against Boko Haram militants.

Asia Pacific

• South Korea’s planned acquisition of German made Taurus missiles for their F-15K has run into problems, as the US has stalled in approving export licenses of a key GPS component needed. The GPS component is an integral part of the missile integration project for the jet’s trace and key-target hitting functions which can automatically detect, trace and hit targets and penetrate a concrete wall as thick as six meters. Plans had been made to have 170 of the air-to-surface cruise missile delivered by the first half of next year, but any decision on the matter won’t be made until August. As a result, the project has stalled in the middle of missile installation; frustrating plans to have the missile deployed on time.

• The Indian government has released a new policy paper outlining a revision to its current procurement structures. The Defence Procurement Policy 2016 (DPP-2016) aims to make the country’s defence industry more lucrative and reduce delays by eliminating repetitive procedures to the process. A new category that has been given the highest priority in how India gains its weapons has also been created named the Indigenous Design, Development and Manufacturing (IDDM). At present, the categories designated from highest to lowest priority are Make India, Buy and Make (India), Buy and Make Global, and Buy Global. However some commentators have said that the new category may confuse matters further as it seems to be a hybrid category of the Make and Buy categories, resulting in different interpretations of under which category a prototype will be developed.

Today’s Video

• Following Kuwait’s switch in allegiance, The Eurofighter Typhoon Vs the F-18 :

Canadian Procurement System Criticized | Chairman of IAI Under Fire | EU to Lead Green Energy Initiative

Americas

• Despite recent successful testing of missiles on the F-35, a DoD weapons expert has expressed concerns over the fighter’s software development. A recently reported December memo from Michael Gilmore, the Defense Department’s director of operational test and evaluation, expresses worry that plans to finish work on the F-35’s Block 3F software by July 2017 are unrealistic. Rushing the testing schedule for the software could result in a failure for the crucial IOC testing before the decison is made to put the jet into full production. The Joint Program Office, however, has dismissed the concerns, maintaining that the program is on track and that IOC dates for the Navy and Army will be met.

• Canada’s procurement system has come under further criticism. Oshkosh Defense has initiated a challenge against a recent awarding of a major truck contract to Mack. Oshkosh is requesting the contract, worth $83 million, be overturned and for a new competiton to be restarted. The contract would see the winning company supply 1,500 trucks to the Canadian Army. Canada’s procurement process has seen a number of disputes as of late as competition for contracts grows. US firm Raytheon recently appealed a decision made to award a $250 million contract to Rheinmetall Canada to provide communications to the Canadian Army. On the flip side, Oshkosh was the winner in a $6.5 billion contract to supply trucks to the USMC and Army, which was the subject of a challenge by Lockheed Martin in 2015.

Middle East North Africa

• A rather public and ugly dispute is unveiling in Israel, as moves are being made to sack the chairman of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Rafi Maor. Government Companies Director Ori Yogev, the overseer of state-owned companies, is citing “improper stewardship unworthy of the company” as reasons behind the move. In response, Maor has accused Yogev of abusing his position for a personal vendetta, and putting Israeli security in danger in the process. The beef goes back to the Maor ascention to the role in December 2013, and has mostly been based around IAI’s powerful labor union and its longtime, former union boss Haim Katz, (now a cabinet minister) and Maor’s role in readying the state-owned firm for initial privatization. Union boss Katz was deemed to have played an integral part in bringing Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party into power for a fourth term.

• Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) hopes to have a contract to design Turkey’s first indigenous fighter by mid-2016. The TF-X program will see one of three design options chosen by the Turkish Air Force after discussions conclude between TAI and the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), Turkey’s procurement agency. Turkey hopes to have its national fighter operational by 2023, as it gradually expands its indigenous production of weapons and machinery. However the TF-X fighter will have some outside help with Rolls Royce offering its EJ200 engine to the jet, with talks ongoing over production, training and export licenses. Turkey is keen to turn any of its domestically produced arms into exportable goods and any agreement with Rolls Royce will depend on the ability to export the license without opposition.

• As much as fifteen companies have responded to Turkey’s Request for Information (RFI) issued for new coast guard aircraft. The contract concerns the integration of subsystems into a coast guard aircraft for maritime surveillance operations. The successful company will be tasked with the maintenance, operational services and integration of required subsystems for the one Beechcraft King Air 350ER the government will purchase for the coast guard program. The new aircraft will be involved in maritime border security missions, search-and-rescue support and maritime surveillance operations.

Europe

• Bulgaria will acquire new fighters to replace its older Soviet-era MiG-25s by 2019. The procurement will see Sofia purchase retired F-16s, the Gripen or the Eurofighter Typhoon as it moves away from its reliance on older Russian technology. The country’s 2004 joining with NATO saw them vow to have their MiGs retired and purchase eight new fighters by 2016. The last three of their MiG-25s were retired last December and an announcement on their replacement is expected by March of this year.

• The European Union is to lead a green energy initiative to encourage energy efficiency and promote green energy in militaries. The “go green” drive will be will be coordinated by the European Defence Agency (EDA) on behalf of the European Commission, and aimed at promoting green energy solutions on both sides of the Atlantic. Launched in Brussels at a meeting of the consultation forum for sustainable energy in the defense and security sector, the drive will see academics, national administration experts and military officials discuss how to improve energy efficiency and how to better employ renewable energy technology to reduce fuel bills for the defense industry.

Asia Pacific

• Dassault expects to have a contracts signed with India over their sale of Rafale fighters within a month. The company announced on Monday that both the French and Indian governments signed a tentative inter-governmental agreement on Monday during President Hollande’s recent state visit to India. The agreement will pave the way for Dassault to conclude the deal for thirty-six fighters once some final financial issues are sorted out over the next couple of days. The expected early delivery date for the jets were initially stated for between 2016-2017, but pre-existing contracts with Egypt, Quatar and the French Air Force may see these deliveries delayed.

Today’s Video

• Maiden flight of the medivac variant of KAI’s Surion helicopter:

Raytheon Awarded $14M for Next Gen Air-Launched Tactical Missiles | KC-46 Successful in F-16 Mid-air Refuel | China’s Growing Hypersonic Glider Capabilities

Americas

• Raytheon has been awarded a $14 million DoD contract to carry out research on two concepts for next-generation, air-launched, tactical missiles. The Small Advanced Capability Missile (SACM) concept will support affordable, lethal, small size and weight ordnance with advanced air frame design, and is similar to the CUDA program currently under way by Lockheed Martin which will double the number air-to-air missiles carried by the company’s two stealth fighters using a shorter missile. Both companies are part of the Miniature Self-Defense Munition (MSDM) program which aims to give fighters a self-defense capability against incoming missiles by destroying it with a direct hit using the munition.

• An investigation into a “mishap” involving a Minuteman III ICBM causing $1.8 million worth of damage has been released. The heavily redacted report cited crew inexperience as the main factor, after they were sent to fix an error that arose during a routine diagnostic test, causing damage to the missile after failure to follow procedures. While investigators said they found four contributing factors to the cause of the incident, only two could be found in the report itself. The majority of the blame seems to rest with the crew leader in charge of the troubleshooting, who failed to first follow technical guidance, and then lacked the the adequate proficiency level to anticipate the consequences of his actions during the incident. The report follows the recent debates over the spending of billions of dollars on upgrading and maintaining these strategic missiles which are coming to be seen as an antiquated defense mechanism.

• The USAF and Boeing have reached an important milestone in the development of the KC-46 tanker after it successfully carried out a mid-air refueling of an F-16 jet. Prior to the refueling, both had checked a number of test points during the flight, with a successful demonstration necessary before Boeing can enter the plane into low rate production. The USAF has ordered 176 of the tankers to replace their KC-135 Stratotankers with the first eighteen of the tankers needed to be operational and ready to go by August 2017.

Middle East North Africa

• The UAE is looking to sell some of their fleet of Dassault Mirage 2000-9 fighters to Iraq as a precursor to their own acquisition of Dassault Rafale fighters. Awaiting final assurances from France and Iraq before any of the deals are finalized, the UAE has been trying to sell ten of its Mirage fleet to Iraq since 2011 but has met with opposition from France. If all goes according to plan, the money earned from the sale of the Mirage jets would go directly to Dassault to offset their purchase of Rafales. However, there are disagreements in regards to the planes’ eventual deployment. UAE ideally would see the fighters deployed to Iraqi Kurdistan to defend strategic interests such as oil and gas reserves, while Baghdad wants them under centralized government control.

Europe

• France and India will not conclude the highly talked about Rafale jet deal during Francois Hollande’s visit to New Delhi this week. President Hollande said in an interview with Indian media that modest progress will be made in the drawn-out negotiations of the deal and that “agreeing on the technicalities of this arrangement obviously takes time”. The $9 billion deal for thirty-six fighters was substantially less than what manufacturer Dassault had initially hoped to sell to India. The company, however, is currently hoping to woo India into a potential sale of up to fifty navalized variants of the Rafale for their latest aircraft carrier.

Asia Pacific

• The head of the United States Strategic Command, Adm. Cecil D. Haney has warned of China’s growing hypersonic glider capabilities. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Haney stated that China has conducted six tests of the codenamed DF-ZF glider with the latest occurring in November 2015 and clearly displaying their modernization and capability advancement. The glider is regarded by US intelligence agencies as a nuclear delivery system designed to defeat missile defenses, and could pose a real threat to US strategic deterrence.

• Delays in the approval of six Airbus MRTT tankers has given to a rise in tensions between Indian Air Force brass and the Defense Ministry. The former has grown frustrated with the ministry’s lack of decision regarding the acquisition which is said to be worth $2 billion. The IAF, citing the urgency to quickly induct any new tankers into the air force, want either the purchase to be confirmed or a new competition to be announced and quickly processed. With the manufacturer’s headquarters stationed in Toulouse, the visit of French President Hollande may be cause for the renewed sense of urgency. But with the Dassault’s sale of Rafale fighters going nowhere fast, the tanker procurement might not go as quickly as the air force wants.

• Japan and France are the front runners in providing Australia with its next submarine fleet. Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems had also been considered, however recent worries over technical concerns may have them out of the running for the $34.55 billion contract. Japan has offered a variant of its 4,000-ton Soryu boats made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, where as France’s state-controlled naval contractor DCNS has proposed a diesel-electric version of its 5,000-ton Barracuda nuclear-powered submarine. The final decision will be made within the next six months ahead of Australian elections, with a slowing economy to be the main issue among voters. All competitors have agreed to build the new fleet in South Australian shipyards.

Today’s Video

• Meet the Thai pilot who can roll his F-16 with its landing gear down:

USAF Conducts Successful AIM-9X Tests | Kuwait & Qatar Await FMS Approvals | SK’s KF-X Fighter Program Moves Ahead

Americas

• The USAF has successfully tested the AIM-9X missile on the F-35 fighter for the first time. The test of the heat-seeking missile took place on January 12 at the Pacific Sea Test range. The F-35 will eventually carry two AIM-9X missiles on its wings, and four of the the radar-guided AIM-120 missiles internally. The success of the test moves integration of the AIM-9X forward, with introduction across the F-35 fleet expected in Block 3F in 2017.

• The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) hopes to fit and trial a laser weapon on a high flying Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, to counter ballistic missiles at the boost phase. The announcement comes four years after the USAF’s laser equipped Boeing 747 test plane was abandoned, after sixteen years and $5 billion of development. While the Boeing 747 system was ultimately flawed, the concept was proven effective. It is believed that laser technology development over the next three years will be able to have UAVs capable of using the technology and operating at 65,000 feet for several days.

Middle East North Africa

• Kuwait will stick to its $3 billion order of twenty-eight F-18 Super Hornet fighters despite delays in the approval process from Washington. The two years of delays in the deal’s approval has worried both US industry executives, and military officials concerned over rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the region. Kuwait, a member of the Saudi-led coalition participating in military action in Yemen have been supporting efforts primarily with its air force and F/A-18s.

• Qatar’s desire to obtain seventy-three F-15Es has received the backing from US senators John McCain and Bob Corker. Both men have criticized the Obama administration over the delays to the order approval process. Qatar, along with Kuwait, have been waiting for approval for sales for fighters for over two years. The delivery would come in two batches, the first would see thirty-six jets delivered, and the remaining thirty-seven following over a course of forty-two months.

Europe

• Falling oil prices and a weakening currency may effect Norway’s participation in the F-35 program. The increase in economic worries has seen Norway look to re-evaluate its defense spending commitments as the Krone falls against the US dollar, making the already expensive F-35 acquisition seem even more pricey. Alternatives to covering the costs of the fifty-two plane commitment may see the order reduced, or spending cut from elsewhere. The slash in other areas would force Norway to rethink its military strategy, and perhaps rely much more heavily on NATO.

• Hungary may flaunt trade sanctions imposed on Russia and look to purchase thirty attack helicopters in the region of $490 million. The deal may expand to further military sales between the two countries, with Russia looking explore new markets with neighbouring countries. Many Eastern European nations are looking to replace antiquated Soviet-era weaponry with that of Western manufacturers such as Poland, Bulgaria and Czech Republic, all looking away from Russia. On the other hand, Hungary may join Serbia in being patrons of Russian hardware, to counter expansion of NATO member air defense systems and deployment along their borders.

Asia Pacific

• South Korea’s KF-X fighter program has kicked off as officials from KAI, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), Lockheed Martin, the Indonesian Defense Ministry and PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) met in Sacheon, South Korea for the first time. Six prototypes of the fighter will be produced by 2021 with completion of the development due for 2026. 120 fighters will be produced by 2032 to replace the F-4 and F-5 jets in service. Collaboration in the program sees Lockheed Martin provide twenty-one key technologies used in the US F-35 fighter and the government of Indonesia is to provide $1.4 billion toward research and development in the project. Seoul will spend $7.1 billion in the project’s development.

• India’s upcoming fighter acquisition for the INS Vishal aircraft carrier is heating up. Following Dassault’s announcement that it is to pitch the Rafale to New Delhi, RAC MiG may enter the competition offering the MiG-29K. The carrier will be capable of carrying fifty jets. While India has recently sealed a deal to purchase Rafale fighters for the Air Force, their current aircraft carrier, the INS Vikramaditya uses a navalized version of the MiG-29. This may lead to some real competition as both companies will look to increase their foothold in the Indian market, while the Indian government will be looking to increase its indigenous production of military hardware under the “Make in India” initiative.

Today’s Video

• The arrival of four A-29 Super Tucanos in Afghanistan:

Blackjack UAV Achieves IOC | Iraqi Gov Submits Request for $1.95B in FMS | France & Australia Considering Collaboration on NH90 Variant

Americas

• The USMC has declared that the RQ-21A Blackjack UAV has achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) with deployment of the system to commence this summer. Formerly known as the Integrator, the Blackjack has been developed by Boeing as part of a low rate production of a small tactical unmanned air system (STUAS) for the US Navy, and uses the same same launcher and recovery system as the Scan Eagle system. One hundred systems of five vehicles each are planned for the USMC by 2017.

• US Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James has dismissed ideas that production of F-22 Raptor would restart after a cap of 187 was made in 2011. Citing the spiraling costs of the development and length of time to produce the aircraft, factors which caused the program’s termination, James called a potential reboot “a non-starter”. The current fleet, which is currently seeing missions in Syria, will be joined by the F-35, and while very much a different beast, James stated they would compliment the Raptors in use.

• The Air Force Times has compiled a chart of the mission-capable rates of all the aircraft currently in service in the USAF with the C-21A coming out on top with the only 100% rate. Bottom of the pile was the B-1B bomber with a rate of 46.98%. Factors taken into account to calculate an aircraft’s score include the mission of the aircraft, its age, and the sophistication (or simplicity) of its design. While all these aircraft cater to a wide variety of mission types, with some relied upon more often than others, it’s interesting to see where each aircraft fares. No figure was given for the B-2 stealth bomber.

Middle East North Africa

• Armenia is to be supplied with refurbished Il-76 and Su-30SM aircraft alongside armored vehicles, artillery and missiles from Russia. The news follows this week’s Armenian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation which discussed further bilateral trade and military-technical cooperation. The series of meetings will also see Armenia develop engineering and development capabilities, allowing them to repair and supply spare parts for Russian made air defense systems and equipment. The Russian military has had bases in Armenia since 1995, and while controversial for some Armenians, their presence is regarded by authorities to be integral to the Caucasus nation’s security.

• The Iraqi government has issued a request for an extensive list of F-16 weapons, munitions, equipment, and logistics support from the US, amounting to $1.95 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress on Wednesday of the potential sale which includes twenty Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS), twenty-four AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles, one hundred and fifty AGM-65D/G/H/K Maverick missiles, fourteen thousand one hundred and twenty 500-lb General Purpose (GP) bomb body/warheads for use either as unguided or guided bombs, two thousand four hundred 2,000-lb GP bomb body/warheads for use either as unguided or guided bombs, eight thousand Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) Paveway II tail kits, two hundred and fifty LGB Paveway II tail kits, and one hundred and fifty LGB Paveway III tail kits. The request follows one made earlier in the month by Baghdad for Hellfire missiles. To facilitate the sale, over four hundred US military and contractor personnel will remain in Iraq until 2020.

Europe

• France and Australia may look to collaborate on investing in a special forces variant of the NH90 attack helicopter. A common version and shared financial expenditure for the limited amounts of the helicopter required would help slash development costs for both countries. Both France and Australia have made substantial orders of the NH90 with seventy-four and forty-seven to be delivered respectively. A small portion of these orders will be developed to carry out special missions with requirements likely to encompass a central trapdoor for fast roping, a rear door gun, and changes to the communications suite.

• The successor to Russia’s primary interceptor, the MiG-31 will begin development in 2020. The MiG-41 will be based on its predecessor which is expected to be in service until 2030. The announcement was made by Duma Committee on Defense Alexander Tarnaev, as he spoke of the current modernization process of the MiG-31 fleet with the MiG-31BM. The latest incarnation’s avionics and weapons systems have increased the effectiveness of the MiG-31BM compared with the MiG-31 by 2.6 times, according to Tarnaev.

Asia Pacific

• Officials from Dassault are to fly to New Delhi to pitch a navalized version of the Rafale. With the sale of thirty-six of the fighters almost over the line, the French manufacturer looks to be capitalizing on the sale and arrangements to have parts of the aircraft produced in India. India is looking for potential suppliers for over fifty fighters for their second indigenous aircraft carrier vessel, the Vishal. Their first indigenous aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant is already under construction and will operate the MiG 29K, but no plans have been made to include it in the design for the Vishal. Sources said that India has written to four countries, including France, seeking proposals for the design of the aircraft carrier. Dassault’s visit will follow shortly after that of French President Francois Hollande’s visit this weekend.

Today’s Video

• 419th Fighter Wing’s Maj. Jayson Rickard, talks about his transition from the F-16 to the F-35A:

Canadian Gov Stands by LAV Sale to Saudis | UK Upgrading Challenger 2 Tank | France to get 2nd MQ-9 Reaper UAV in 2017

Americas

• Despite recent protests arising from recent Saudi Arabian executions, the Canadian government will stand by a multi-billion dollar vehicle deal. The executions, alongside a variety of other human rights issues including alleged war crimes committed in Yemen, have sparked renewed calls for governments to cease their arms sales to the Saudis. For Canada, this involves a $10.4 billion sale of an undisclosed number of light armored vehicles (LAVs), the largest export contract in Canadian history. The sale was approved in February by the previous government of Stephen Harper, and became a thorny issue during last fall’s election. The new Liberal Party government has defended the deal, citing its importance to the economy, and that all other allied nations are continuing their own exports to the Gulf nation.

Middle East North Africa

• Despite their commitment to the F-35 acquisition program, Israel plans to conduct a deep upgrade of their Boeing F-15I Ra’am fleet, with plans to keep it as the backbone of their strike capabilities. The modifications, including structural changes, the addition of an active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar, updated avionics and new, unspecified weapon systems, will allow for the aircraft’s continued use as a strategic aircraft even after the F-35I comes into operation. While it’s been said that some missions will be switched over to the F-35I, the F-15 will continue to be used as the air force integrates weapons systems on the newer fighter.

• Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) has announced that a number of parties have expressed interest in purchasing their indigenous new generation main battle tank, the Altay. Those that may look to make purchases are regional allies, including a number of Gulf countries and Pakistan. Saudi Arabia in particular has been expressing keen interest after officials from these countries were invited to observe firing tests of the tank. While still in development, and a manufacturer for serial production is yet to be announced, the interest seemingly generated may lead to some big business for Ankara in the coming years.

Europe

• The UK is to upgrade their Challenger 2 tank, with three contractors bidding to carry out the work. The tank’s builder, BAE Systems, will be joined by rivals General Dynamics UK and Lockheed Martin UK to have applied to take part in the $1 billion Challenger 2 Life Extension Program (LEP). The contract may also be extended to conduct upgrades on Challenger’s operated by the government of Oman according to the Ministry of Defence. The upgrades will extend the life of the Challenger for another ten years, bringing the tank’s life expectancy to 2035.

• France is in talks with Australia, Germany and Spain over the latest upgrades to the Tiger Mk 3 attack helicopter. One of the key specifications to be agreed on involves deciding on a common anti-tank missile to be used by all countries. At present, France and Australia use the Hellfire on their Tigers, Germany uses the Parsys Trigat and Spain uses the Rafael Spike. To allow for all governments to reach a decision on a common armament, the Mk 3 upgrade program has been pushed back to 2023. Other parts of the upgrade program include enhancements to the helicopter’s communications suite, including a Link 16 datalink and Blue Force Tracking system.

• A second MQ-9 Reaper UAV system will be delivered to France by October 2017 after the US DoD announced contracts on Tuesday. Work and delivery of the system is set to cost $47.7 million and will be carried out by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. The awarding of the contract follows the December order of a third batch of Reaper systems by France set for delivery in 2019. France has been operating the UAVs on missions on the African continent, primarily in the Sahel-Saharan region. The MQ-9s will most likely continue to be operated until a pan-European UAV development project is completed which will see a drone developed jointly by France, Germany and Italy.

Asia Pacific

• Pakistan’s C-130 fleet is set to get a series of upgrades with Rockwell Collins selected to carry out the work. The Pentagon awarded the company a $30 million contract to carry out the work including the design, manufacture, integration, training, provision of technical support during installation, and delivery of 11 C-130E model kits and five C-130B integrated avionics suites and kits to Pakistan. Furthermore, they are to develop, validate, and deliver consolidated B/E flight manual and associated checklists, and maintenance supplements required to operate, maintain, and sustain the PAF C-130 fleet. All work will be carried out in Islamabad, and will be completed by the end of 2020.

• Successful testing of the Ra’ad air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) has been announced by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations. The indigenously developed missile had undergone seven separate test flights assessing its guidance and navigation system’s ability to accurately hit pin point targets. With a range of 350km, the Ra’ad has been developed to achieve air delivered strategic stand off capability on land and at sea and contribute to the country’s deterrence capabilities. The testing comes as both Pakistan and regional rival India promised to resume high level peace talks at a regional summit in Afghanistan last week.

Today’s Video

• A look at some development tests of Turkey’s Altay tank:

Gen Dyn gets $75.3M to Design 30mm Cannon | F-35A to Begin Laser-Guided Bomb Tests | Saudi Arabia Considering Big Spend with Russia

Americas

• General Dynamic Land Systems will design and develop a 30mm cannon to be mounted on an unmanned, stabilized turret onto the Stryker infantry carrier vehicle along with eight prototypes. The $75.3 million contract was awarded last week, and completion of the process is expected for January 2021. The development of the new unmanned cannon is part of efforts to increase the fire power capabilities of the vehicle and give infantrymen greater fire superiority in fire fights.

• Testing of a new blade for the V-22 Osprey is to take place after the current rotor blades fitted to the aircraft were deemed too labor intensive to manufacture. The new prop rotor blade has been designed as part of the manufacturer Bell’s Advanced Technology Tiltrotor (ATTR) program, which aims to reduce production costs for the aircraft. The test has been derived from ongoing development work on the next-generation V-280 with flight testing of the new modified components due to last between 2017-2018.

• The F-35 program will face one of its first live test challenges when a combat-coded F-35A will release an inert, laser-guided bomb at the Utah Test and Training Range between February and March. The releasing of the GBU-12 Paveway II will be the first one conducted outside of development or operational testing, and will mark a milestone in the development of a program plagued by delays, redesigns and spiraling costs. The full compliment of weapons will not arrive until late 2017. Until then, the Air Force will first operate with basic laser and GPS-guided weapons, as well as beyond-visual-range AIM-120 air-to-air missiles. It will also have advanced targeting, surveillance and radar-jamming equipment.

• Canada’s hunt for a new fleet of search and rescue aircraft will not consider Lockheed’s C-130J. Proposals for the procurement were due mid-January and do include the Airbus C-295, Alenia’s C-27J Spartan and Embraer’s latest offering, the KC-390. Part of the competition involved the potential providers suggesting how many of their aircraft would be required by the Royal Canadian Air Force to conduct their operations, rather than a specified number being supplied by the government. Lockheed Martin’s lack of participation in the competition is said to have been in reaction to the saga revolving around Canada’s recent backing out of the F-35 program to launch a new procurement competition.

Middle East North Africa

• Kommersant has reported that Saudi Arabia may be turning to Russia to make purchases amounting to $10 billion. Usually seen as one of the best customers of arms from NATO countries, the newspaper claimed that the Saudis were looking at a wide range of Russian products including a variety of navel vessels, the Iskander-E missile system, and the S-400 missile defense system. Reports that the kingdom is interested in Russian hardware started last summer sparking speculation as to what their motives were. A likely theory was that the purchases may be to help sway Russian foreign policy away from supporting regional rival Iran, or at the very least, take stock of weapons that may be destined for Tehran.

Europe

• Germany’s acquisition program for replacing their Sikorsky CH-53 heavy-lift helicopters has been narrowed down to two choices. Rather than launching a clean-sheet development program, the Luftwaffe are looking at rotorcraft already in production, namely Boeing’s CH-47F Chinook and Sikorsky’s CH-53K King Stallion, as their preferred replacement. Both helicopters meet the needs to support special forces operations and combat search and rescue tasks. One difficulty that has arisen is Germany’s lack of aircraft that have the capability to perform in-flight refuelling; however, Berlin believes that the Airbus A400M will be able to cater to that need by the helicopter’s introduction in 2022.

Asia Pacific

• Inquiries into the purchase of refurbished AV-8Bs from the USAF (denied by Taiwan) were actually made by the newly elected Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Talks with US officials took place prior to the election, with the intention that the aircraft would be procured in order to develop an indigenous short take-off and vertical landing fighter (STOVL). Development of such a fighter by Taiwan was said to take over two decades with thirteen years required to master the thrust vector nozzle technology and another thirteen years to develop a prototype. Further obstacles would have included negotiating with the UK, as the Pegasus engine technology found in the aircraft belongs to Rolls Royce. Taiwan’s interest in STOVL fighters stems from the fear that any potential attack from China would instantly knock out any capabilities to launch fighters from traditional runways.

• The “Make in India” initiative is causing problems for the Ka-226t helicopter. Both manufacturer Kamov and India are finding it difficult to meet the program’s requirement to have 50% of the helicopter produced in India. The difficulty arises as third party vendors of components for the helicopter have not been included in a deal which will only see Russian made components indigenized in India. New Delhi will be required to negotiate separate contracts with third party nations to produce their weapons and components at home. Further difficulty added to the 50% target includes Russia delivering the first sixty to India in flyaway condition.

Today’s Video

• A look at Embraer’s KC-390:

Pratt & Whitney to Produce Engines for F-35 | Dev Program Seeks to Increase Tomahawks Payload | Afghanistan Gets 4 Super Tucanos

Americas

• The upgrade program of the Chinook CH-47F looks to be shortly approved after a successful meeting at the Army Systems Acquisition Review Council. All that is required for the project to be green lit, is a signed decision memorandum that will allow the service to release a request for proposals for its “Block II” upgrade program. While little is known of the exact upgrades that will be part of the program, it is believed that changes will be made to the electrical system, transmission and rotor system, as well as increasing the helicopter payload by 4,000 pounds to 54,000.

• Engine makers Pratt & Whitney will make engines for the F-35 program. Details of the agreement have yet to be finalized, but two contracts will be issued to produce 167 engines to power Lockheed Martin’s latest jet within the next month. Further details of the deals have yet to be realized, but sources close to the deal revealed that the production of the engines alongside engineering support, spare parts and program management, would be worth more than $3 billion to Pratt, a unit of United Technologies Corporation. The USAF said that the latest contracts will help drive down costs of the program which makes it affordable for customers.

• Tomahawk cruise missiles could get a lot more destructive if a new development program is successful. Researchers from Energetic Materials Research and Engineering have been successfully utilizing residual fuel left inside a missile during impact and turning it into a fuel-air explosive that can contribute to the blast created by the missile’s warhead. At present the team are looking to find the best way to implode the fuel tank to generate a cloud of fuel that will mix with surrounding air to ignite into an intense, high-temperature explosion. If successful, the add on to the missile could increase the Tomahawks payload without any need to change the dynamics of the warhead.

Middle East North Africa

• Britain’s largest warships may have problems docking at some Royal Navy bases according to a question answered in parliament. It’s been revealed that the HMS Jufair in Bahrain would be unable to support Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers when they come into operational capability in 2020. Armed Forces Minister Penny Mordaunt stated that while the aircraft carriers would be able to access facilities while at anchor in the vicinity of the Mina Salman port, it would not be able to berth directly alongside the support facility itself due to draught constraints.

Europe

• Increased Swedish-Finn defense ties may see the latter purchase Gripen fighters replacing the Air Force’s F/A-18 C/D Hornet aircraft, which are scheduled to be retired between 2025 and 2030. While both governments have remained tight lipped about any particular deal, the increase in bilateral ties may see Sweden’s Gripen gain an advantage as a potential choice for the Finish HX-program. Both nations follow neutrality clauses which prevent them from joining NATO, but they are looking build the basis for a stronger regional military-security alliance with NATO-neighbors Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.

Asia Pacific

• After some delays, Afghanistan has finally received delivery of four A-19 Super Tucanos. The light attack aircraft are equipped with the capacity to fire guided and unguided rockets. The Brazilian manufactured jet will be used to carry out advanced training, border surveillance and internal security missions. Pilots and maintenance crew for the aircraft underwent training at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia in late 2015. On December 7, two of the students went missing from the base prompting a search. One of the airmen was recently located while the other remains unaccounted for.

• The visit of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Sri Lanka did not result in a purchase of JF-17 fighters. A Sri Lankan Air Force spokesperson said that while the fighter is still being considered, among others, a deal was never going to be signed alongside Sharif’s visit to Colombo. The JF-17 still seems to be the top choice for Sri Lanka which is looking to replace the Israeli Kfri jet currently in use.

• An earlier Defense News report that Taiwan may procure refurbished AV-8 Harrier Jump Jets from the USMC has been refuted by Taipei. A potential sale would have been facilitated through the Excess Defense Articles program as the USMC replaced the jets with the F-35B stealth fighters. Despite this, the Taiwan defense ministry denied that they would be looking to buy the aircraft, stating that the fighter is outdated and that performance is inconsistent with future needs.

Today’s Video

• A SpaceX Falcon 9 crashing after a mishap landing on a sea platform.:

Raytheon to Supply Griffin A&B Block II/III Missiles to USAF | FMS Approval Process Comes Under Scrutiny | China to Get First Su-35s by 4Q 2016

Americas

• Raytheon has been given an $85 million contract to supply Griffin A & B Block II/III missiles to the USAF. Delivery of the missiles is expected to be January 31, 2017. The missiles are the two variants of the AGM-176 Griffin mini-missile. The Griffin A is an unpowered precision munition that can be dropped from a rear cargo door, or a door-mounted launcher of an aircraft, while the rocket-powered Griffin B can be employed as an air-to-surface or surface-to-surface missile. Both are currently being used on a variety of weapons platforms including LCS vessels, C-130 aircraft and UAVs.

• The foreign military sales approval process has been described as “tortuous” by the US Navy Secretary, Ray Mabus. Mabus made calls for continual streamlining of the approval process which he claimed frustrated all parties involved. The announcement comes amid frustrations felt by companies such as Boeing over large purchase orders by the governments of Kuwait and Qatar. Kuwait and Boeing are currently awaiting approval of a $3 billion deal for twenty-eight F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jets which Mabus viewed as symptomatic of a larger problem in place.

• All variants of the F-35 fighter jet are to get design overhauls since the discovery that the fuel tanks could over-pressurize in certain flight profiles; 154 F-35s have been delivered to date. Lockheed Martin has already received contracts to implement fixes on F-35A and F-35B, and are currently putting together a proposal for engineering works on the F-35C. Fuel tank ruptures have potentially devastating consequences, especially for fast moving aircraft such as the F-35s, with the potential to cost millions of dollars worth of damage.

Europe

• Belgium’s government is looking to buy the Patriot air defense system as part of its new strategic defense plan. The plan, if approved by the parliamentary defense select committee, could potentially see over $600 million used to purchase a battery of the system. Defence minister Steven Vandeput said the system would be used not only as part of Belgium’s defense from ballistic missile threats, but could be utilized by other NATO allies in places where such a system is most needed such as on the Turkish-Syrian border. The announcement comes alongside the news that Poland may also install the system in their country in a procurement that could reach $5 billion.

• Running contrary to earlier reports, Serbia’s up and coming defense shopping list will not include the S-300 system. With limitations to its current budgets, the system was not part of discussions with Russian officials who visited Belgrade for a defense and trade summit last week. Instead, requests to buy MiG-29 fighters, the short-range Tor missile system and medium-range Pantsir-S1 systems have been made. Keeping their budget in mind, it’s been reported that these will be supplied from refurbished existing stocks rather than fresh off the production line. News that they were looking to buy the long-range S-300 system was seen as a counter-measure to recent plans for NATO to establish its own missile defense shield in Croatia.

Asia Pacific

• The suspense surrounding India’s Rafale jet acquisition continues. With plans seemingly already in place for the deal to be finalized, India is looking to negotiate a new option to the existing deal to buy thirty-six fighters from Dassault. A visit to New Delhi by French defense minister Jean-Yves Le Drian last week was initially seen as a final dotting of i’s and crossing of t’s on negotiations ahead of President Hollande’s visit next week. The Indian government seems to be more confident that the $9.1 million deal will be ready for the visit, claiming the contract to be “politically ready”.

• China will receive its first batch of Su-35 fighters by the fourth quarter of this year with completion due in the next three years. It’s unknown how many will be delivered in 2016, but twenty-four fighters have been ordered in total at a cost of $2 billion. Beijing is the first foreign customer of the latest multi-role jet, although there have been fears that the purchase is only being made in order to reverse engineer key technologies for China’s own indigenous fighters.

• Japanese Air Self-Defense Force aircraft has failed to detect nuclear material over North Korea. Since the apparent hydrogen bomb test by the DPRK earlier this month, the Japanese have been conducting environmental tests to monitor radiation levels near where the testing took place. Earlier monitoring posts had also failed to detect any such material which prompted Tokyo to send four T-4 training aircraft and one C-130 to collect further air samples.

Today’s Video

• Japanese sniffer aircraft sent to DPRK: