Trudeau’s Vow to Ditch the F-35 Could be Tough | Denel & Poly Tech Join to Produce Naval Vessels for SA | Airbus to Introduce Digital Methods into Operations

Americas

• BAE Systems has been awarded a US Army contract for the upgrade and repair of 32 155mm self-propelled Howitzers for Brazil. Valued at $53.8 million, the deal is expected to be completed by March 2019. This follows the 2014 approval by the US State Department for the sale of up to 40 Howitzer upgrade kits to Brazil, along with the associated equipment parts, training, and logistics as part of a deal estimated to be worth $110 million at the time.

• With nearly a year in office under his belt, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet will have to make some tough choices over the next year with analysts warning they could effect popularity and political capital. The biggest question in relation to the defense industry is of course the decision over the replacement of CF-18 fighters following the valiant vow to drop of the F-35 during the election campaign. It’s expected that the Liberals will soon announce whether they intend to break this pledge to launch a new competition for fighter jets, with talk inside military circles believing that Ottawa could announce a sole-source contract.

Middle East & North Africa

• Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were accidentally bombed by Western warplanes in attacks supposedly aimed at militants of the Islamic State. The US-led coalition halted Saturday’s sorties once Russian officials notified the US of the mistake. 62 Syrian government soldiers were killed in the strike which involved US, Australian, Danish and British aircraft.

Africa

• A memorandum of understanding has been signed between South Africa’s Denel and Chinese Poly Technologies in a deal aimed at “SA’s maritime rejuvenation.” The deal will see Poly Technologies, a division of the larger Poly Defense Group, take a stake in the Simons Town shipyard and join Denel in constructing three naval vessels. It’s believed that Poly is likely to make an investment in the recapitalization of the Simons Town dockyard as part of its management takeover by Denel Integrated Systems and Maritime (Denel ISM). Denel aims to have Poly help develop the naval vessels presuming Poly wins the SA Navy’s Projects Biro and Hotel for hydrographic, inshore and offshore patrol vessels.

Europe

• The UK MoD has announced that they will purchase Leonardo-Finmeccanica’s BriteCloud decoy system in a deal worth $3.25 million. Speaking on the deal, defense official Tony Douglas said “flight trials planned for later this year will test the system’s effectiveness against a wide range of current and potential threats, helping to ensure that UK pilots have the tools they need to successfully complete their missions wherever they are in the world.” If trials are successful, the system will be operational aboard RAF Tornado fighter-bombers by mid-2017.

• Airbus admits to planned cost-cutting measures as the European defense giant embarks on a project to introduce more digital methods into its operations. The company stated that “the envisaged cost-cutting aims at being a contribution to value creation and in particular to the digital transformation at Airbus Group,” but denied reports that they are working on new cuts as a result of cost overruns on their largest planes. Aircraft such as the A400M military transporter have undergone severe delays, cost overruns, and fines during its development, causing much ire from customer nations.

Asia Pacific

• Dassault Rafale fighters purchased by the Indian government are believed to operate as the platform to take over the nuclear strike role from the Indian Air Force’s current fleet of Mirage 2000 fighters. It’s expected that a long awaited Inter-Government Agreement for the purchase of 36 of the French fighter will be announced over the next few days after New Delhi dropped its initial plan to procure 126 Rafales. While there is a follow up clause for an additional 12 Rafales, the IAF’s capability gap will be filled by either the indigenous Tejas fighters, or another foreign fighter such as the Gripen or F-16, both of which have been offered in conjunction with the “Make in India” initiative.

• Chinese media sources have reported that Thailand is looking to replace its fleet of C-130H transport aircraft. Quoting outgoing Air Force chief, Trithod Sonchaeng, likely candidates for the aircraft’s replacement include the Chinese Shaanxi Y-9 and Lockheed Martin’s updated C-130J. However, a procurement plan has yet to be finalized giving time for a third contender to potentially emerge.

Today’s Video

North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launch:

B-21 Gets its Official Name Today | Qatar-Kuwait Fighter Deal Back on Agenda | Israeli Ofek-11 Recon Satellite Transmits Malfunction After Successful Launch

Americas

• 13 USAF and 2 Norwegian F-35As have been grounded due to “peeling and crumbling” insulation on cooling lines inside their fuel tanks. The discoveries were made during routine maintenance checks on the aircraft in order to have the fighter’s status upgraded to initial operational capability. While Lockheed Martin works with several suppliers that are responsible for manufacturing the coolant lines, the issue has been traced back to the insulated coolant tubes manufactured by one particular unnamed provider that have only been installed in the wing fuel tanks of the 15 aircraft in question.

• Deborah Lee James will unveil the name of the new B-21 stealth bomber today. The USAF Secretary will make the announcement during her State of the Force address at the Air Force Association’s Annual Air, Space and Cyber conference. It’s believed that the winning name harks back to the aircraft’s roots and is inspired by World War II bombers.

Middle East & North Africa

• Following the completion of negotiations over the US-Israeli defense aid package last week, the long awaited multi-billion fighter sale to Qatar and Kuwait may be nearing completion. Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Corker, was happy with the “consummation” of the aid deal and that the Gulf fighter sales are finally to be allowed to progress. Much speculation has surrounded the Gulf fighter deals’ delay, now in their third year, with many believing that it has been held up to maintain Israel’s legally mandated qualitative military edge.

• A recently released White House fact sheet on US military aid has revealed that Israel is to get ten F-15Ds under the excess defense articles program. Eight F-15s have been delivered so far, and are primarily used as a training aircraft but can also take part in air-to-air combat. Other excess articles given by the Obama administration to Israel include several Lockheed Martin C-130 cargo aircraft, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and joint direct attack munitions.

• Israel sent its newest reconnaissance satellite, Ofek-11, into orbit on September 13, but it is already running into difficulties. Within hours of the launch, the satellite transmitted back home that it had developed some sort of malfunction. Since then, the satellite has continued to transmit back messages on the state of its health, with the Israeli media reporting that the spacecraft is not totally lost, and work continues to troubleshoot the on board issue.

Africa

• Angola, Mali, Nigeria and Sudan are to receive refurbished Russian Mi-8/17 and Mi-24/35 helicopters in 2017 according to Russian media sources. Yury Demchenko, the head of Rosoboronexport’s delegation to the Africa Aerospace & Defense (AAD) Expo stated that the sales were part of a trend for African governments to seek inexpensive equipment, particularly used equipment. While Africa accounts for a small percentage of Russian weapons sales, Rosboronexport’s export statistics point to a growth in African markets over the last several years, not only in sub-Saharan Africa, but in northern Africa as well.

• The Pakistani-Chinese JF-17 fighter will be making its way to Nigeria after a memorandum of understanding was signed at this year’s AAD. While the exact amount of the fighters has yet to be revealed, further details on the deal are expected to be announced in November during the IDEAS show in Karachi, Pakistan. Nigerian budget allocations released in January, however, earmarked $25 million for three JF-17s, with approximately half that amount made available for the acquisition of ten PAC Super Mushshak basic trainers.

Europe

• Britain’s armed forces have been slammed by the recently retired head of the country’s Joint Forces Command, General Sir Richard Barrons. Describing what he saw as “a withered force,” Barrons warned the the fighting branches have lost much of their ability to fight conventional wars. Taking aim at the ruling Conservative Party’s defense policies he pointing to a series of “profoundly difficult” strategic challenges that are being sidestepped as Whitehall (UK center of government) focuses on “skinning” budgets and delivering costly but increasingly redundant big-ticket military projects.

Today’s Video

Launch of Israel’s Ofek-11 reconnaissance satellite:

Boeing/Saab T-X Trainer Unveiled | B-52s to Get New Ejector Seats – Contract to AMI Industries | US Extends Landmark $38B Mil Aid Package to Israel

Americas

• Cost reductions at Boeing have resulted in the curbing of paid overtime by 80,000 salaried workers based in the US from October 14. The move is part of company-wide attempts to slash costs amid intense market competition. A company memo stated “By curbing exempt overtime pay, Boeing is challenging leaders and employees to come up with work solutions that curb the need to work overtime.”

• Boeing and Saab have officially unveiled their new production trainer aircraft for the USAF T-X trainer competition. The Boeing/Saab T-X aircraft is a twin-tailed, single-engine jet with an advanced cockpit with embedded training, taking advantage of the latest technologies, tools and manufacturing techniques. While the offering faces off with several other designs from rival manufacturers and consortiums, the company stated that their “T-X is real, ready and the right choice for training pilots for generations to come.”

• B-52s are set to be fitted with new ejector seats following a USAF contract award to AMI Industries. The $14 million deal will see the company install the Advanced Conception Ejection Seat (ACES) II ejection seat. Due for completion in December 2018, the ejection seat will be composed of a detachable seatback and bucket structure that does not require removal of the B-2 escape hatches for any maintenance task.

• Elbit subsidiary EFW has won a $102 million US Army contract to provide the service with mortar weapon systems. Under the deal, EFW will deliver 60mm, 81mm and 120mm mortar systems to the Army with completion expected for September 2021.

Middle East & North Africa

• Israel is to receive $38 billion in military aid from the US over the next ten years in what is a landmark military assistance package. The deal, which has been in the works for more than ten months, includes the promise by Israel not to seek additional funds from Congress beyond what will be guaranteed annually. Having the new pact signed prior to the upcoming US Presidential elections allows Tel Aviv to avoid uncertainties surrounding the next president, whether Democrat Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump, and to give Israel’s defense establishment the ability to plan ahead.

Europe

• A legal challenge has been launched by Boeing against the Danish Ministry of Defense for selecting the Lockheed Martin F-35A over the F/A-18E/F as the air force’s next generation fighter. Citing a “flawed” evaluation process, Boeing submitted a request for insight to the Ministry of Defence to obtain all materials related to the selection. Denmark’s parliament approved a recommendation by the MoD to buy 27 F-35As in June after the fighter beat out the F/A-18 in the military, strategic, economic and industrial judging categories.

Asia Pacific

• It’s been revealed that China will be taking delivery of four Su-35 fighters by the end of 2016. The disclosure was made by the Governor of Khabarovsk Territory Vyacheslav Shport during the opening of a production plant. Some experts mark the Su-35 as a potential rival for the F-15, Eurofighter, and Rafale fighters.

• India’s government has launched its investigation into corruption allegations against Brazil’s Embraer regarding the purchase of three EMB-145 aircraft from the company in 2008. The $210 million procurement was destined for the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) as part of its indigenous airborne early warning and control systems (AEW&C) program. Embraer has been under investigation by the US Justice Department since 2010 after a defense contract with the Dominican Republic raised suspicions of kickbacks. The US investigation has extended to examine Embraer’s business dealings with eight more countries, including Saudi Arabia and India.

Today’s Video

Boeing’s T-X offering Part II:

SpaceX Plans Resumption of Rocket Flights for November | Saudi-led Forces Bomb Yemeni Industrial Site | Aermacchi M-346 Heading to Poland Soon

Americas

• SpaceX aims to resume rocket flights in November following a launch pad fire that destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket and an Israeli communications satellite it was due to lift into orbit earlier this month. The company stated that it has suspended Falcon 9 flights until it completes its investigation into why the rocket burst into flames during fueling for a routine prelaunch test at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. SpaceX had previously stated that a nearly-completed second launch site in Florida, located at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC), would be finished in November. The pad was last used to launch NASA’s space shuttles five years ago.

• Boeing has landed a $700 million US defense contract for Small Diameter Bomb Increment 1 weapons. The USAF deal will see the company deliver the munitions by December 12, 2021 and includes foreign military sales.

• Documents endorsed by retired top US military officers and former national security officials warn of the potential danger posed to US military operations by climate change. A statement in support of the findings was released yesterday and signed by more than a dozen former senior military and national security officials, including retired General Anthony Zinni, former commander of the US Central Command, and retired Admiral Samuel Locklear, head of the Pacific Command until last year. They called on the next US president to create a cabinet level position to deal with climate change and its impact on national security.

• The first units of the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Alternative Warhead rocket has rolled off Lockheed Martin’s production line. A company statement said the warhead was designed to engage the same target set and achieve the same area-effects requirement as the old MLRS submunition warhead, but without the lingering danger of unexploded ordnance. Lockheed received a US Army initial production contract for the warheads in June 2015.

Middle East & North Africa

• A Yemeni industrial site, supposedly a rebel missile manufacturing site, has been bombed by Saudi-led coalition forces. The bombing, which occurred on Tuesday in the capital of Sanaa, caused a fire that destroyed half the premises and resulted in several million dollars worth of damage. Local businessmen claim that plants located on the site were only used for the manufacture of piping and building supplies.

Africa

• South Africa’s Defense Minister announced plans to update the country’s indigenous Rooivalk attack helicopter. Speaking at this year’s African Aerospace & Defence Show, Nosiviwe Masipa-Nqakula said the helicopter has “blooded” itself having carried out a series of successful operations as part of the United Nations’ peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Manufacturer Denel is also working on marketing the helicopter to other African governments who are fighting insurgencies, namely Nigeria and Egypt, and further afield governments like India and Brazil.

Europe

• Deliveries of the Leonardo Aermacchi M-346 advanced jet trainer destined for Poland will soon be underway following the successful conclusion of electromagnetic testing in an anechoic chamber. The next phase of experimental and certification flights will see two Polish aircraft have their communications and avionics systems tested, before moving on to trials of their embedded tactical training simulation (ETTS) equipment. The first of eight aircraft will touch down in Poland in November.

Asia Pacific

• Weapons Experts have warned of the ramping up of uranium enrichment by North Korea. The new uranium, when combined with current plutonium stocks, will give the regime enough material for 20 nuclear warheads. Pyongyang’s ability to evade a decade of UN sanctions has allowed it to develop the uranium enrichment process, enabling it to run an effectively self-sufficient nuclear program that is capable of producing around six nuclear bombs a year.

Today’s Video

Boeing’s T-X offering:

South Africa’s Denel Forced Into Strategic Shift – Now Paying Off

Base, Bleeding Out?

Back in July 2005 it was apparent India’s sanctions against Denel and possible disqualification from a $2 billion artillery contract could have a major effect on the South African defense firm as a whole. In August 2005, those sanctions came to pass, barring Denel from a contract it was likely to win and accelerating efforts already underway to radically restructure the firm.

CEO Shaun Liebenberg launched that shift in late 2005 with some frank discussion of the global defense market, and the position of small-medium players like Denel in it. At DSEI 2005 in London, UK, the outline of this new strategy was already apparent. Many of the products Denel is known for will no longer define the firm. But could it find a way to stanch the bleeding and survive in a globalized market?

And how has it done since?

• Denel’s Position
  
• Denel’s New Strategy
  
• Updates and Key Events [updated]
  

LCS to be Turned into Test Vessels | LM Announces Successful Aegis Live-fire Testing on F-35 | FMS to Kuwait & Qatar on Hold Pending Mil Funding Agreement with Israel

Americas

• A US Navy announcement for an overhaul of the troubled Littoral Combat Ship program will include turning the first four ships into test vessels. The change comes after the naval branch announced an engineering stand-down for LCS crews following an August 29 engineering casualty on the USS Coronado. Under Thursday’s plan, the Freedom, Independence, Fort Worth and Coronado will become single-crewed testing ships that could be deployed as fleet assets on a limited basis, the Navy said.

• Lockheed Martin has announced that the Aegis weapon system has been successfully live-fire tested on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. During the test, an unmodified Marine Corps F-35B acted as an elevated sensor and detected an over-the-horizon threat. The jet sent data through the aircraft’s Multi-Function Advanced Data Link to a ground station connected to Aegis on the USS Desert Ship, a land-based ship.

Middle East & North Africa

• Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has voiced his opposition to a proposed ban on $1.5 billion worth of arms sales to Saudi Arabia. While acknowledging the cause of the proposed ban, Saudi Arabia’s conduct in the ongoing Yemen Civil war, Cardin dismissed the claims saying “They’re trying to make a point with an arms sale that’s not relevant to those concerns.” Saudi Arabia has been carrying out airstrikes in their war with the Iranian-allied Houthi movement in Yemen since March 2015.

• Despite last week’s tantalizing claims that the US State Department would clear a three year backlog of jets destined for Kuwait and Qatar, the sales will continue to be delayed. It is believed that the sales of the new tranche fighter have been frozen until after the US completes a new military funding agreement with Israel, a process which has dragged on longer than either nation expected. Qatar is seeking 72 F-15E Strike Eagles, while Kuwait wants 28 F/A-18E/F fighter jets in deals totalling over $7 billion.

• Israel’s Defense Ministry plans to ease restrictions on their export policy. Under the new changes, proposals include: Expanding exemptions for marketing permits for unclassified products to the US; Updating Israel’s controllable munitions list; waiving temporary export licenses now required for marketing participation in trade shows; waiving marketing licenses for most counter-terrorism products and services; expanding marketing license exemptions for international brokers from exempted countries; instituting a single generic marketing license that will apply to some 98 preferred countries; instituting online export licensing applications; and extending marketing licensing from three to four years.

Africa

• Saab has revealed that they have sent their Giraffe AMB radar to South Africa for the last six months for testing. During this time, the radar has been paired with Denel’s Umkhonto surface-to-air missile, with the pairing due to be on display at the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition this week. Saab’s presence at AAD will see the company be part of a situational awareness/command and control demonstration with other companies such as Reutech and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Europe

• Russian media reported that the upcoming T-50 PAK-FA is having a new cluster bomb developed specially for carriage on the fighter. Dubbed “Drill,” the munition relies on satellite navigation for guidance and has an effective range of 30km. Russia is one of only 16 nations left that still produces cluster munitions.

Asia Pacific

• With tensions rising on the Korean peninsula, South Korea may look to purchase 20 additional F-35A fighters. Military officials say the move comes as North Korea’s growing nuclear capabilities have resulted in a reassessment of the South’s existing wartime strike programs against the North. In 2013, South Korea paid $7.06 billion for 40 F-35A fighters for delivery between 2018 and 2021. At that time, it had the option of buying 20 additional warplanes depending on the security situation.

Today’s Video

UkrOboronProm’s Mi-24PU1 attack helicopter. :

Navy Awards NG $108M For MQ-8C Fire Scouts | Turkish Katmerciler Ekipman Moves into Armored Vehicle Mkt | Israel’s Elbit Wins $90M for Electro-Optics

Americas

• Northrop Grumman has landed a $108 million Navy contract to provide 10 MQ-8C Fire Scout drones. The unmanned system provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, target acquisition, laser designation, and battle management and can operate from any air-capable ship or land base. Delivery of the new systems will be completed by August 2019.

• The USAF has established a set of weapon system baselines to accelerate export approvals for select countries in an effort to help trim their bureaucratic foreign military sales process. Each baseline establishes which countries are approved for certain technologies or weapons, as well as a list of technologies the US refuses to export. The reform comes as a proactive approach on FMS, especially as the US develops new radar technology that could be useful to allies.

Middle East & North Africa

• Katmerciler Ekipman, a Turkish firm which holds sway in the country’s provision of water cannons and anti-riot vehicles, is moving into the armored-vehicles market. The company said that images broadcast worldwide of Turkish protesters fleeing the company’s anti-riot water cannon trucks helped generate business for the Izmir-based company in nations from Brazil to Libya that face social unrest. Now the company plans to produce 1,500 armored personnel carriers and 500 armored weapon carriers annually at its production unit in Izmir and has just started another production unit in Ankara that will produce 1,000 armored vehicles annually.

Europe

• Russia’s Army 2016 International Military and Technical Forum saw the debut of Concern Kalashnikov’s new VSV-338 high-precision sniper rifle. The company claims that the modular long-range sniper rifle is all-weather and is accurate to a range of about 4,900 feet. Also unveiled was a prototype of their SVK semi-automatic sniper rifle, which contains two modifications: one uses the standard Russian 7.62x54R cartridges, while the other uses the world’s most common cartridges, the NATO standard 7.62×51.

Asia Pacific

• Russian Helicopters have won contracts to provide support services for the Thai and Indonesian air forces. The Indonesian contract involves the supply rotor blade sets for their fleets of Mi-35P helicopters while the Thai contract will see the company supply aviation inventory for the Mi-17V-5 helicopters operated by that force, including lifting rotor and anti-torque rotor sets. As a result of the deals, both air forces will now receive a steady flow of Russian parts.

• BAE Systems is to provide the Royal Australian Navy an improved anti-ship missile test capability in a deal worth $25.5 million. The deal will see the provision of a Future Advanced Threat Simulator (FATS) system suite, an airborne radar that closely emulates the in-flight behavior of a range of anti-ship missiles. FATS is capable of simulating the flight profile of a sea-skimming anti-ship missile while also closely emulating the behavior of the missile’s seeker.

• Elbit Systems has won a $90 million contract from an Asia-Pacific country for the supply of advanced electro-optic systems. The Israeli firm said the systems will be delivered over the next four years. Spectro XR is an ultra-long-range, day/night electro-optical system. Its fully digital sensors and lasers can be installed on a variety of platforms including rotary and fixed-wing airborne platforms, aerostats, naval vessels and land applications.

• South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye has warned of the imminent threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear capabilities. Tensions have been escalating since the North’s fifth nuclear test last week and promises of more to come. Whether or not it will come any time soon, any attempts to deescalate the situation have been ineffective.

Today’s Video

Turkey’s first female squadron commander:

US Defense Arsenal Plane Not Yet Off the Ground | India & Russia to Jointly Produce FGFA | NK Conducts 5th Nuke Test; Largest Yet

Americas

• Officials from Argentina’s air force are evaluating Korean Aerospace Industries’ (KAI) FA-50 Fighting Eagle. An Argentine delegation visited the Republic of Korea Air Force’s (RoKAF’s) 16th Fighter Wing at Yecheon on 7 September with a pilot also spotted in the aircraft. The service is looking to acquire a new fighter type following the retirement of the Dassault Mirage III and Mirage 5 fleets in late 2015, and the subsequent grounding of the Douglas A-4R Fightinghawk fleet.

• The US Defense Department’s Strategic Capabilities Office is still weighing platform options for its Arsenal Plane concept, a standoff system with a large weapons carriage that would support forward aircraft. While the USAF gave an artist’s rendering of the arsenal plane last year, which depicted an aircraft with an eight-engined Boeing B-52 bomber wing and a Lockheed Martin C-130 turboprop fuselage, no further decisions regarding the aircraft have been given. The aircraft is being described as “something that’s large, long-range, not very maneuverable, [with] very long weapons; and because it has very long weapons it either needs very exquisite sensors feeding it on that particular platform so that it can cue those weapons to where they need to go.”

Middle East & North Africa

• Leonardo and Algeria’s Ministry of Defense have signed a deal that will see the establishment of a joint company for production of three AgustaWestland light and medium helicopter types in the North African country. The joint company will also provide after-sales services, including repair, overhaul, and training for the MOD and other customers, as well as the development of high tech capabilities in fields of aeronautical material production. Mission capabilities of the helicopters include transport, medical evacuation, and surveillance.

Europe

• Latvia has decided to exercise an option to buy more RBS 70 air defense missiles from manufacturer Saab. The company made the announcement and aims to conduct deliveries between 2016 and 2017. In June, the Latvian Air Force test-fired the RBS 70 and the latest generation RBS 70 NG during the air defense exercise “Baltic Zenith 2016”.

• The air-launched variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is being looked at for integration on Russia’s Su-30SM fighter. Moscow has expressed interest in the Indian-made missile with negotiations expected to start in 2017 after India completes the flight test program. At present, the Indian military currently has the missile’s ground and sea-launched versions in service.

• MEADS International has teamed with Poland’s Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) to bid on the country’s Wisla air defense program and related opportunities. PGZ stands to take a partnership role with MI alongside Lockheed Martin and MBDA. Benefits would ensure PGZ’s long-term participation in future expansion and sales of the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS). Before production specifications are finalized, Poland will be able to tailor elements of the system to national needs through the Wisla program.

Asia Pacific

• India and Russia have reached an agreement on the joint production of a new fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA). A detailed work-share agreement on the fighter has been released which includes production of over 100 fighters in India and will see New Delhi committing to invest $4 billion over the coming years to develop a tailor-made version of the fighter. The two nations are also expected to incorporate a new company by October for the production of Kamov Ka 226 light choppers, which would involve significant private sector participation.

• Saturday saw North Korea conduct its fifth, and biggest, nuclear test. The incident has received the usual condemnation from the international community with President Barack Obama calling for increased UN sanctions on the hermit kingdom. South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said that North Korea’s nuclear capability had grown to a “considerable level” and tougher sanctions and greater pressure were needed. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General (and fellow Korean) Ban Ki-moon called for the breaking of what is becoming an “accelerating spiral of escalation.”

Today’s Video

The USAF’s Arsenal Plane Concept:

DoD Estimates New ICBM Dev at $85B+ | Israel’s Spacecom Deal with Xinwei Tech Given 30 Days | BAE Showing Off CV90 IFV at Land Forces 2016

Americas

• Boeing has been awarded a $10 million contract to integrate the 2,000 lb GBU-56(V)4/B dual-mode Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) on the F/A-18 Super Hornet. The deal covers the systems engineering and logistic support planning required for production acceptance testing and evaluation of the DSU-42/B precision laser guidance set and the KMU-558 series guidance set of the GBU-56(V)4/B PGM as well as integration for Navy and USMC F/A-18. GBU-56s are cleared for carriage on the Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16, F/A-18, McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier, Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, Rockwell B-1B Lancer, Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, Panavia Tornado, and Eurofighter Typhoon.

• The DoD’s chief weapons buyer has estimated that a new intercontinental ballistic missile to replace the Minuteman III will cost at least $85 billion to develop and field. In a memo to USAF Secretary Deborah James, Frank Kendall cited figures generated by the Pentagon’s Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office, which are about 36% more than a preliminary estimate by the service. The figure will be reassessed in “March 2018 once missile designs are more advanced, technical risks are reduced and the service has a better understanding of overall costs.”

• Raytheon has received an $8.8 million DoD contract to upgrade the Center Display Unit (CDU) on 130 F-16 fighters. The retrofit is expected to be completed by September 2017. Raytheon’s CDU won the favor of the USAF in late 2012, when it was endorsed as the F-16’s primary flight reference (PFR) system.

Middle East & North Africa

• Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training has received a $39 million contract modification in connection to two Jordanian F-16 training centers. Under the deal, the company will provide at least two Fighting Falcon air combat training centers and logistical support with completion of contract due for September 2020.

• Israel’s Space Communications (Spacecom) Ltd and Beijing Xinwei Technology Group have given themselves 30 days to salvage a deal that was contingent on the launch of a satellite destroyed in an explosion last week. The Chinese group had agreed last month to purchase Spacecom for $285 million, pending the successful launch and operation of Spacecom’s $200 million Amos-6 communications satellite. Instead, the failure of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket last week has caused stock market turmoil and a reexamination of the future deal.

Europe

• Russia’s Deputy Minister for Defense Yuri Borisov has said that the Sukhoi PAK-FA is ready for mass production with Moscow planning to acquire a squadron of aircraft in 2017. Equipped with advanced avionics and all-digital flight systems, the PAK-FA is set to become the first operational stealth aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces. An export version is expected to be available by 2025.

• Germany’s defense minister has called for a European “defense union” in the face of a more aggressive Russia and worsening conflicts in the Middle East. Ursula von der Leyen’s comments were made during a visit to Lithuania, where Berlin is preparing to lead a battle group of about 1,000 troops as a deterrence against neighboring Russia. Calling the union a “Schengen of defense,” von der Leyen added that such a union “is what the Americans expect us to do.”

Asia Pacific

• BAE Systems is debuting its CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicle at this week’s Land Forces 2016 Exhibition in Australia. The company is working in conjunction with Patria to offer the IFV to Canberra as part of the government’s request for information on the LAND 400 Phase 3 program. Nine CV90 variants are currently in service, and more than 1,280 vehicles have been sold to seven European nations.

Today’s Video

Raytheon’s Center Display unit:

“Minuteman Propulsion Replacement Program”

LGM-30G Minuteman III

Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems of Clearfield, UT received a contract modification for $176.2 million, exercising the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Propulsion Replacement Program’s (PRP) final full rate production (year 7) option. NGC tends to sub-contract large portions of this work to ATK Thiokol; the Minuteman III PRP began in 1998 as a Joint Venture between ATK and Pratt & Whitney, but all work content was transitioned to ATK in the 2003-2004 timeframe following a contract restructure. DID has covered related contracts in November 2006 ($222.5 million), March 2006 ($541 million) and January 2006 ($225.2 million). Presumably, the ICBMs’ Environmental Protection Agency certification has been taken care of by now.

The purpose of PRP is to ensure MM Flight Reliability and supportability of the USA’s LGM-30G Minuteman III nuclear ICBMs through 2020 by correcting identified mission threatening degradations, sustaining existing reliability, and supporting Minuteman Life Extension Efforts. America chose to retire its larger, newer, and more capable MX Peacekeeper missiles in 2005, in compliance with arms control treaties it has signed. This contract action will purchase the remaining 56 Minuteman III booster sets, making a total of 601 sets acquired during the PRP. At this time, $51.6 million has been obligated. The 526th ICBM Systems Wing at Hill Air Force Base, UT holds the contract (F42310-98-C-0001). See also Northrop Grumman release.

Updates

September 9/16: The DoD’s chief weapons buyer has estimated that a new intercontinental ballistic missile to replace the Minuteman III will cost at least $85 billion to develop and field. In a memo to USAF Secretary Deborah James, Frank Kendall cited figures generated by the Pentagon’s Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office, which are about 36% more than a preliminary estimate by the service. The figure will be reassessed in “March 2018 once missile designs are more advanced, technical risks are reduced and the service has a better understanding of overall costs.”

August 18/16: The Pentagon and the USAF have run into issues over the latter’s plan to replace the LGM-30G intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Concern over cost estimates given the USAF have been expressed by Washington, who found that the flying branch’s figure differs greatly from that of the office of independent cost assessment. The disparity stems from the fact that the US hasn’t built new ICBMs in decades, and nuclear spending over the next 30 years could exceed $1 trillion.

January 26/16: 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.