NG Stays Coy on USAF T-X Trainer Competition | Russian Mil Selects MiG-35 For Multi-purpose Fighter | Rafael Permitted to Discuss David’s Sling with Poland

Americas

• Northrop Grumman has remained coy on their participation in the USAF T-X trainer competition, with CEO Wes Bush remaining non-committal to the program despite having designed and developed a prototype. Bush’s tone shocked some analysts and has led some to speculate that the company would rather lose out on the $16 billion competition than have a price war eat away at its bottom line. Northrop recently won the development contract for the USAF’s next long-range bomber, the B-21 Raider, a greater priority.

• In other T-X news, Raytheon’s withdrawal from collaboration with Leonardo boiled down to pricing disagreements. The team was set to offer a variant of the Italian firm’s M-346 trainer, however Raytheon wanted to drop the cost of the trainer by a third. Disagreements within the camp initially surfaced last October in a row over control of the program, but the final straw seems to have come over the ultimate cost of the procurement.

• A US Navy contract has tasked Charles Stark Draper Laboratory with Trident D5 MK 6 guidance system production. Valued at $53 million, work carried out under the deal will include the performance of several services for the submarine-launched ballistic missile including failure verification, testing, repairs, recertification of inertial measurement units electronic assemblies, and electronic modules. The Trident II D5 program will replace the current Polaris and Poseidon systems currently used by the US and UK armed forces.

Middle East & North Africa

• In what has been a rather hectic week for the White House (and those reporting on it), US Senator John McCain has spoken out against President Trump’s recent travel ban. The measure, according to McCain, will prevent Iraqi F-16 pilots from training with Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing. McCain stated that he has expressed his concerns with director of the Central Intelligence Agency, David Petraeus, saying, “I talked with Gen. Petraeus last night, he is very concerned about the special visas for those interpreters whose lives are literally in danger as we speak.”

Europe

• The MiG-35 has been selected by the Russian military to act as their new light multi-purpose fighter. Flight tests on the 4++ generation jet commenced last Thursday and it is expected that serial production of the fighter will commence in 2019. Developed on the basis of the serial-produced MiG-29K/KUB and MiG-29M/M2 aircraft, the MiG-35 will have eight weapons bay points (up from six), and the potential for the integration of new weapon technologies such as lasers.

• Israel and the US government have granted Israeli manufacturer Rafael permission to discuss the David’s Sling air-defense system with Poland as part of a wider export push for co-developed interceptor systems. The announcement comes as the anti-ballistic system was recently cleared during a fifth round of trials. Tel Aviv has been developing multi-tiered missile defense system with US and local industry for some years now, with their Iron Dome, Arrow and David’s Sling systems all being offered to foreign customers.

Asia Pacific

• North Korea has expressed concern over “mad-cap drills” conducted by US and South Korean marines during recent military drills. Pictures of shirtless marines on the ski slopes of Pyeongchang, site of next year’s Winter Olympics, seemingly worried and/or confused Pyongyang, where up to over 300 marines from the USMC and RoKMC practiced hand-to-hand combat drills. The annual drills will run between Jan. 15 and Feb. 3.

• Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has completed their first swap out of foreign-made equipment on their Hawk MK132 advanced trainer aircraft. Designated as Hawk-i, the jet had imported mission computer and data transfer units upgraded with Indian-made components and includes additional capabilities such as digital map generation. Other additions include a secured voice communication and data link capability by integration of Softnet Radio.

Today’s Video

South Korea completes deployment of upgraded AH-64E helicopters:

Boeing Wins $2.1B for KC-46 Provision | UK’s May Talks TF-X Fighter with Turkey | Israel & US Complete 5th Test Series on David’s Sling

Americas

• US Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work has been tasked by new boss Jim Mattis to do a comparison analysis of the F-35C and F/A-18 Super Hornet. The investigation’s spec tasks Work to do a review “that compares F-35C and F/A-18 E/F operational capabilities and assesses the extent that F/A-18 E/F improvements (an advanced Super Hornet) can be made in order to provide a competitive, cost effective, fighter aircraft alternative.” In his war on costs, the Trump Administration has suggested the development of an advanced Super Hornet in order to get a better deal on defense procurements.

• Boeing has won a $2.1 billion contract for the provision of 15 KC-46 aerial refueling aircraft to the US Air Force. The contract, awarded on Friday, is in addition to the initial $4.2 billion contract awarded by the USAF to develop and test the aircraft, and an earlier $2.8 billion award for 19 planes. So far, the fixed-price contract has incurred cost-over runs of $2.4 billion, including a recent $201 million after-tax charge that Boeing announced on Wednesday.

Middle East & North Africa

• After meeting President Trump on Friday, UK PM Theresa May was in Turkey for trade and defense talks with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Among the discussions was the inking of a deal for the $125 million to help Turkey build its new TF-X fighter jet. BAE Systems will collaborate with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) on the program and it is hoped by London that it will be the first of many defense deals with Ankara. The deal has been criticized by human rights organizations, citing Erdogan’s recent crackdown and alleged human rights abuses.

• Israel and the US have completed a fifth series of tests on the David’s Sling missile defense system. The Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) and US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) collaboration was tested at the Yanat Sea Range in Israel, with the system’s Stunner interceptors successfully engaging its targets. The David’s Sling project is for defense against large-caliber rockets and short-range ballistic missiles.

Europe

• The Serbian government is being gifted eight MiG-29 fighters as well as two Buk air-defense systems from Belarus. While the delivery of the systems are on a no-pay basis, Belgrade will have to pay overhaul and modernization costs for the aging machinery. Bi-lateral talks between both governments are also underway for the purchase of the P and V variants of the S-300 long-range missile defense system, currently owned by Belarus.

• Airbus has signed a $37.5 million one-year lease extension with the German military for its Heron 1 UAV. Used by the German military as a reconnaissance drone in Afghanistan, the Heron 1 has been active in combating Taliban insurgents since 2010, which will now be extended until February next year. Airbus DS Airborne Solutions operates the Heron 1 aircraft system in a consortium with the manufacturer, Israel Aerospace Industries.

Asia Pacific

• India’s quest for new carrier-borne fighter jets has kicked off, with a Request for proposals (RFP) released for 57 aircraft. The 57-page RFP outlines significant parameters such as air defense, surface strike, reconnaissance and electronic warfare capabilities, as well as the ability to to fly further via buddy refueling. Indigenous offerings have been ruled out with likely contenders to be Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault’s Rafale M and the MiG-29K.

• New Delhi is also looking at boosting air-defense capabilities and is currently soliciting for vendors to supply approximately 200 missiles for their 2K12 self propelled air defense system. India is working closely with Russian industry to extend the range of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. Based on Russia’s P-800 Oniks (Yakhont) cruise missile, the BrahMos can be launched via vessels, submarines, aircraft, and on land.

Today’s Video

Inside Russia’s Don-2N early warning radar site:

Raytheon Leaves Leonardo in the Lurch on T-X Competition | Stryker Dragoon Gets a Spin with a 30mm Cannon | Croatia Boosts Defense Spending by $57M for 2017

Americas

• The USAF’s T-X Trainer competition has taken a sudden turn, with Raytheon and Leonardo announcing that they will no longer be collaborating on the program. As a result, Leonardo now has to decide whether to go it alone with the T-100 variant of its Aermacchi M-346 advanced trainer without a US partner, find another US collaborator, or pull out of the $16.3 billion competition altogether. Whatever will happen next?

• A US Army Stryker armored vehicle fitted with a 30mm cannon has been tested for the first time. Testing of the cannon, part of a series of upgrades designed to increase the mission capabilities of US Stryker vehicles, was undertaken in order to verify its combat abilities and make future determinations on the vehicle’s armament. The Pentagon’s decision to upgun a number of its Stryker’s – nicknamed the Dragoon – was taken in response to Russia’s 2015 invasion of Ukraine to close a ground vehicle capability gap, according to service leaders. The Army plans to field first of 83 Dragoons by the end of Fiscal 2018.

• Missile giant Raytheon has revealed a 1.4 percent fall in quarterly revenue, sparked by a drop in sales by its units in charge of missile systems and tracking and navigation sensors. Speaking on the slump, CEO Tom Kennedy said that a renewed campaign against militants of the Islamic State by the Trump administration could boost sales of its precision guided munitions. Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman has forecast lower 2017 earnings per share below Wall Street estimates due to lower segment operating margins, which some analysts attributed to costs related to some of its new programs.

Middle East & North Africa

• Textron Systems has been contracted by the USAF to provide maintenance training for the Afghan Air Force. The $9.3 million deal orders the provision of maintenance training to Afghan crew and includes logistics support for 24 aircraft operated by Kabul. Work will be performed in Afghanistan and is expected to be completed by the end of January, 2018.

Europe

• Romania has made an additional order with General Dynamics European Land Systems for its Piranha III wheeled armored vehicles. This is the country’s fifth order with GDEL for the vehicle, which has been in service with its armed forces since 2006. Announcing the order, GDEL did not give any further information on the procurement in relation to unit numbers or cost.

• The Croatian government has laid out their defense spending plans for 2017, with a focus on coastal patrol vessels, new howitzers, as well as continuing procurement of second-hand OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed reconnaissance helicopters from the US. An additional $57 million has been added over last year’s figures, representing a 7% increase on funds in 2016. Other defense projects for this year include medium-lift helicopter overhauls, ordnance procurement, and M-84 main battle tank upgrades.

Asia Pacific

• Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense has announced his government’s ambition to pursue an indigenous stealth fighter once Taipei completes work on its advanced jet trainer. Feng Shih-kua, a former Air Force pilot, said that the Rep. China Air Force’s new aerospace research center will play an important role in the development of the fighter. Military officials later added that the jet will rely on its TFE-1042-70 afterburning turbofan as its power plant.

• A state-run Chinese newspaper has reported that Beijing is testing a new long-range air-to-air missile capable of downing early warning aircraft and aerial refueling aircraft. The munition’s development runs alongside what is described as an “ambitious modernization program” led by President Xi Jinping, including stealth fighters, aircraft carriers and the testing of anti-satellite missiles. While the air force has yet to comment on this new missile, pictures posted on the service’s website, showed a J-11B fighter carrying a large, unidentified missile during drills last year.

Today’s Video

What could have been for the USAF: The M-346:

KC-46A May Not Meet Delivery Schedule | Navy Greenlights Advanced Arresting Gear Development | Germany Pushes for Short Range Missile Defense System

Americas

• It seems likely that the KC-46A aerial tanker will not meet its aggressive delivery schedule, with manufacturer Boeing stalling deliveries to the USAF until late 2017. Boeing had already moved its delivery schedule from March to August. The revelations were found in an annual report by the DoD’s Director of Operational Test & Evaluation, which stated “execution of the current schedule assumes historically unrealistic test aircraft fly and re-fly rates.”

• Developments on the new Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) have been given the thumbs up from the US Navy and will be installed on board the next USS John F. Kennedy. Designed to stop carrier-borne aircraft, the decision was made following a thorough review by an AAG Resource Requirements Review Board (R3B) last November. The 350th trap of an F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter was completed in December and the AAG team continues multisite test operations with the next type/model/series and the E-2/C-2 platform.

• Raytheon has been selected to provide SM-6 missiles and spares, to be deployed on AEGIS-equipped cruisers and destroyers. Valued at $235 million, the award comes following several testing and milestone events for the weapon that verified the weapon’s capability to intercept incoming medium-range ballistic missile attacks. This contract represents funding for the fourth year of full-rate production for the multi-mission missile and deliveries are expected to begin in 2018.

• Lockheed Martin has announced that it is close to signing a deal with the F-35 Joint Program Office on the next batch of the Joint Strike Fighter. The announcement was made by CEO Marilyn Hewson to investors on Tuesday, where the company also disclosed that it beat revenue estimates for fourth-quarter 2016/17. Hewson added that the defense giant plans to “drive affordability” in 2017, a reference to ongoing discussions between President Trump and the defense industry to get a “better deal” on government contracts.

Middle East & North Africa

• A rift between the Austrian and Turkish governments has resulted in the scrapping of a collaboration deal on the Altay Main Battle Tank. AVL List, an Austrian engine firm, had previously signed a deal with Turkish counterpart TUMOSAN in 2015 to provide technical support for the engine that the Turkish company had been commissioned to develop for the Altay. However, Ankara insisted that it should finally have the intellectual property rights and export licenses for each part of the engine, something Vienna refused. Matters were made worse following criticisms from the Austrian government (and many others in Europe), in regards to Turkey’s democratic values, following the purge of some 100,000 government employees as a result of the government’s dragnet of conspirators and sympathizers behind last summer’s failed coup. The deal was effectively killed last November, when the Austrian Parliament decided to impose an arms embargo on Turkey. It remains unknown if the decision will affect the time schedule for the Altay’s production.

Europe

• Germany is pushing ahead with a plan to procure a new short-range missile defense system, with a decision on the plan due to be made soon. Contenders for the program include the Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS) and a surface-launch variant of the IRIS-T missile made by German manufacturer Diehl Defense. Berlin’s new program is a result of efforts by NATO members to increase defense spending amid pressure from US President Donald Trump for NATO allies to up their contributions to the alliance. Almost $500 million has been earmarked for the initial stages of the sale, but could see extras, such as lasers and radars, added at a later date.

Asia Pacific

• Pakistani authorities have announced the successful first test of their second nuclear-capable Ababeel ballistic missile in a month. The missile has a maximum range of 1,367 miles, and is capable of carrying multiple warheads using the Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicle technology. Pakistan’s latest demonstration follows that of their Babur-III launch on January 9, and a number of test-firings conducted by neighboring India, which have contributed to escalating tensions between the historically hostile nations.

• The competition to replace Indonesia’s aging fleet of F-5E Tiger fighters is still open, according to the country’s new Air Force head. Contenders for selection include the Russian Sukhoi Su-35, the US F-16 Block 60 Viper, and Saab’s JAS-39 Gripen, with the eventual winner expected to supply 16 fighters in a deal costing in the region of $1.5 billion. All 16 of Indonesia’s F-5E/F fighter jets have been retired since late 2005, and under reserve for future use.

Today’s Video

Pakistan claims successful Ababeel ballistic missile test:

Strategy Change May See Super Hornet Compete with F-35 | Russia’s Buk-M3 Being Prepped for Export | India’s K-4 SLBM Testing Slated for January 31

Americas

• A change in defense strategy by the Trump Administration could see the F/A-18 compete with the F-35, according to one analyst. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Monday, defense acquisition analyst Andrew Hunter stated that an “advanced Super Hornet” still can’t compete with the stealthy F-35 in airspace monitored by radar surveillance, but a semi-low-observable F/A-18E/F with more carriage capacity could emerge as an attractive option against less sophisticated threats. However, if US strategy “requires to operate continuously in denied access air environments, there is no such thing as a comparable Super Hornet…It simply doesn’t exist.”

Middle East & North Africa

• The first US State Department Foreign Military Sale (FMS) approvals of 2017 came thick and fast on Monday, with total sales to partner nations amounting to $1.8 billion. One of the first buyers to be cleared was the government of Kuwait, who are seeking air-to-air missiles as well as Apache logistics support. The first deal involves the provision of 60 AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), for use by the kingdom’s F/A-18 fighters, and is costed at an estimated $110 million, while the second covers a $400 million support contract, which includes sustainment and contractor logistics support for AH-64D Apache Helicopters. As with all FMS deals, Congress has 30 days to oppose the sale.

• Another FMS cleared by the State Department is the provision of ten 74K Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS) Aerostats and related equipment, support, and training to the government of Saudi Arabia. Estimated in the region of $525 million, the sale also includes: 14 Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) Radars; 26 MX-20 Electro-Optic Infrared (EO/IR) Cameras; and 10 Communications Intelligence (COMINT) Sensors. PTDS is a large helium-filled lighter than air system designed by Lockheed Martin to provide soldiers long range intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communication assistance.

Africa

• Kenya has been OK’ed by the US State Department to proceed with the possible $418 million sale of military aircraft. Included in the deal are up to 12 Air Tractor AT-802L planes and two AT-504 trainer aircraft, a weapons package, technical support and program management. The prime contractor on the deal is L3 Technologies Inc (formally L3 Communications), and once delivered, the aircraft will go toward augmenting the Kenyan Armed Force’s ability to conduct close air support missions against al-Shabaab militants from neighboring Somalia.

Europe

• US media has confirmed that a British Trident submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) fired from HMS Vengeance off the coast of Florida last year did veer off course. Citing a US defense official, CNN also reported that the inert missile triggered its automatic self-destruct sequence once the test was in jeopardy. Since the story broke on Sunday, the UK government has come under increased pressure to release details on the test, which occurred weeks before last June’s Parliament vote on the program’s $49.5 billion renewal. PM Teresa May initially refused to comment on whether she knew about the test before the vote, before confirming that she had been briefed on a range of nuclear issues, including Trident, on taking office from David Cameron in June, 2016.

• Besides Trident, the UK has been unsurprisingly cleared to receive continued C-17 logistics support services, and equipment from the US. Valued at an estimated cost of $400 million, provisions in the contract include continued support for eight RAF C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft once the previous deal expires in September.

• Russia’s Buk-M3 medium-range anti-aircraft missile system is being prepared for export by state-owned firm Almaz-Antey. The company expressed confidence in the new system’s ability to sell abroad, citing its continuous “developments in the niche of medium-range antiaircraft missile systems” over the last half century. First units of the Buk-M3 were delivered to the Russian Armed Forces last October and are already on active duty.

Asia Pacific

• Preparations are underway for a late-January test of India’s K-4 SLBM. Slated for January 31, the missile will be launched from a submerged pontoon 20-30 meters below the surface in the Bay of Bengal. An earlier test in 2016 saw the missile successfully fired from 20 meters under water, traveling 700km range before striking its target. At its maximum, the K-4 can be fired from 50 meters below the surface and has a range of 3,500 km.

Today’s Video

Aerial Refueling of the PAK FA/T-50:

Sig Sauer to be Face of New US Modular Handgun Program | Comp Air Works with Nigerian AF on NAFSA Eagle | SK Urges US to Press Forward with THAAD

Americas

• Sig Sauer has won out against eight other bidders to provide new Modular Handgun Systems for the US Air Force and Army’s Modular Handgun Program. Valued at $580 million, the contract includes the provision of versions of the P320 handgun, accessories and ammunition to replace the M9 handgun currently used by the service. Baretta’s M9 has been the standard sidearm of the Navy, Army, and Air Force since 1985.

• With the trial of US Navy Lt. Cmdr. Edward Lin due in March, its been reported that prosecutors are finding it difficult to find any concrete evidence that he is guilty of espionage. The revelations come from a redacted NCIS report obtained by the Navy Times, who cites it as appearing “to reveal a wide gap between the most damning crimes Lin was originally accused of and the evidence prosecutors have in hand now.” Lin was arrested in 2015 on charges that he had sold sensitive information on US weapons programs to Chinese and Taiwanese military officials.

Africa

• The Namibian Armed Forces have ordered a number of new armored patrol vehicles and lightweight remote weapon systems from South African firm Denel. Windheok’s order includes eight mine-resistant 4 x 4 RG32M vehicles in addition to four Self Defense Remotely Operated Weapon (SDROW) weapon stations, which are fitted with a light machine gun and are capable of hitting enemy targets at range of over 1,968 feet away. Delivery of the systems will be completed by this March.

• Florida-based firm Comp Air Aviation will collaborate with the Nigerian Air Force to develop a light utility air platform known as the NAFSA Eagle aircraft. The program will see shared research and development work carried out to produce an aircraft that can be fitted for various purposes, such as transport, search-and-rescue, or light attack roles. Nigeria hopes the contract will help the country become more technologically independent and better equipped to face domestic threats as it modernizes its armed forces. Current domestic threats include the notorious jihadist group Boko Haram in the north and a renewed militancy in the oil-producing Niger Delta region in the south.

Europe

• Saudi news outlet Al Arabiya has reported that Ukrainian authorities have seized a plane allegedly transporting Russian-made anti-tank guided missiles to Iran. A search of the plane’s hold at Kiev’s Zhulyany Airport was conducted when 17 containers onboard were not registered in the flight’s cargo manifesto. Three containers were filled with 9K111 Fagot ATGMs.

• Lockheed Martin has delivered its first shipment of cruise missiles to the Polish Air Force. The AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) were ordered back in 2015 in a $225 million deal to deliver and integrate the munitions on Polish F-16 fighters. Warsaw also plans to have the Extended Range (ER) version of the JASSM delivered as well as an unspecific number of Raytheon’s AIM-9X Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles.

• French weapons sales in 2016 hit a new record with contracts inked last year in excess of $21.33 billion. While the total tally has yet to be completed, big ticket deals such as the completion of the arduous Rafale fighter negotiations with India and December’s agreement with ship-builder DCNS to build 12 new submarines for Australia, all helped push sales comfortably passed 2015’s record of $18.2 billion.

Asia Pacific

• The acting South Korean President Hwang Kyo-ahn has urged the US to move forward with the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system on the peninsula. Hwang, who was speaking on behalf of impeached President Park Guen-hye, warned that North Korea “has been expanding its nuclear capabilities and developing the technology to create nuclear weapons. They are also miniaturizing nuclear weapons,” and that “right now is not the time to talk to try to resolve North Korea’s nuclear issues.” In return, China has called for the cancellation of THAAD, citing that the system’s radar could penetrate its own territory.

Today’s Video

The Army’s new handgun: P320:

US Army Solicits Proposals for Quadcopter Swarm Dispenser | Boeing to Develop Parachute Kit for SHARC | Safran Elec Acquiring Zodiac Aerospace for $9B

Americas

• The USAF is looking into testing a new low-cost light attack aircraft as soon as this spring. While Pentagon plans to acquire a new light attack platform are not new, the funding and scope of an earlier effort, the OA-X program, has never materialized into contracts being signed. However, if the experiment is approved and funded fully, the new platform will compliment the A-10 in close air support and reconnaissance missions.

• Industry has been asked by the US Army to submit proposals for a missile that can dispense a swarm of quadcopters. Once released, the drones will decelerate and seek out their target and terminate them by landing on them, detonating explosively formed penetrators. Possible targets named in the solicitation are tanks and large caliber gun barrels, vehicle roofs, fuel storage barrels, and ammunition storage sites. The call out comes shortly after the launching of a swarm of 103 Perdix micro-drones from three separate F/A-18 Super Hornets as part of Pentagon efforts to integrate micro-drones for use on surveillance missions.

• Boeing is developing a parachute kit to fit on the Sensor-Hosting Remote Autonomous Craft (SHARC) unmanned surface vehicle. The company purchased SHARC’s developer, Liquid Robotics, last month and sees great potential in SHARC as a persistent sensor platform for long-dwell surveillance needs, such as anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. SHARC is capable of towing underwater sensors and sensor arrays and is being promoted as an ideal solution for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare missions.

Middle East North Africa

• Rolls Royce will provide MTU diesel engines to the Turkish Coast Guard for use in their six new search and rescue vessels currently under construction at Damen Shipyards. Ankara is expecting all of the boats to be delivered by the end of 2017 with the EU providing financial support for the effort. Since 2015, the UK has sold $405 million-worth of arms to Turkey, representing a growing market for UK defense exports. However, human rights and anti-arms trade campaigners have criticized the deals, saying London is putting arms deals ahead of human rights, a reference to the ongoing political crackdown by Turkish authorities in the wake of a failed coup against the Erdogan regime.

Europe

• Safran Electronics will acquire fellow French aerospace firm Zodiac Aerospace in a $9 billion deal, creating the world’s third-largest aircraft equipment provider. Following the acquisition of Zodiac, Safran will gain access to the companies assets, which include seats, cabin interiors, power distribution, and fuel equipment. Safran says it will use its new capabilities to push for the development of “more electrical aircraft.” The pending merger will now be subject to approval from regulatory agencies and is expected to be finalized by early 2018.

• UK PM Teresa May has come under fire following news that ministers covered up a failed test of the Trident nuclear deterrent weeks before a crucial Commons vote on the future of the £40 billion program. Previous tests have been publicized by the Government. Details of the test, which happened last July, still remain undisclosed to the public, and opposition MPs are calling for an inquiry into the incident.

Asia Pacific

• Stocks of certain munitions in the Indian armed forces are so low, they are at half the reserves necessary to conduct 40 days of intense fighting. Urgent requirements for the Indian Air Force call for 50,000 rounds of 30mm ammunition for the GSh-30-1 gun and more than 60,000 rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition to be fired from the Yak-B Gatling gun. The munitions are used on IAF Su-30MKI and Mi-35 platforms. Efforts in the last three months have seen New Delhi rush to buy $1 billion worth of arms and ammunition from Russia and Israel for the Indian Army and Navy under a fast track procedure instead of relying on the notoriously slow bureaucratic channels.

• Confusion is rife in Indonesia as military and government fail to collaborate over the purchase of AW101 helicopters. Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacud told reporters that he needs to “coordinate” with the new Air Force chief over the procurement. Initially planned to be used as Presidential VIP transport before being scrapped by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, the deal was then pursued by the air force for use in combat and rescue operations.

Today’s Video

Boeing’s SHARC:

F-35 Costs Expected to Drop | Boeing-IAI Deliver First Arrow-3 to IAF | Turkey & Russia Conduct First Joint Air-Strike | Airbus Wins $2B A400M Buy from Indonesia

Americas

• Investors and traders looking to avoid/gain from the stock market turmoil caused by US President Donald Trump have a new best friend: an app that will generate trading alerts for shares based on comments made by the man on social media. Tweets sent by Trump in December, criticizing big ticket defense programs such the F-35 and the new Air Force One, sent stock prices of Lockheed Martin and Boeing tumbling, and the CEOs of the US’ biggest defense companies scrambling to find ways to trim the fat on program costs. Behind the creation, London-based FinTech firm Trading.co.uk said the Trump signal generator used artificial intelligence technology to differentiate between tweets or other messages that, for example, just mention Boeing and those liable to move markets. Happy Inauguration Day!

• Speaking of costs, the price of the F-35 looks set to take a tumble, as the US DoD and Lockheed Martin come close to an agreement on a new contract for the Joint Strike Fighter. While talks on the warplane’s tenth batch are still ongoing, sources close to discussions say the fighter will drop below its current $100 million per-plane price tag for the first time. Believed to be in the range of $9 billion, an official announcement on the 90-plane deal is expected to come at the end of the month.

Middle East North Africa

• The Israeli Air Force has received delivery of their first Arrow-3 missile defense battery. A joint-development effort by Boeing and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the Arrow-3 interceptor will form the upper-tier layer of Israel’s multi-tiered Arrow Weapons System (AWS), and is designed to fly nearly twice as high at half the weight of the Arrow-2 interceptor, which covers the lower-tier segment of the network. Arrow-3 missiles will allow the IAF to shoot twice against a single ballistic target, assess for battle damage and, if needed, divert to other approaching threats, with the Arrow-2 operating as a back-up.

• Warplanes from Turkey and Russia have conducted their first joint air-strike. In what is a strange development for a NATO member to coordinate so closely with Russia, the raid comes just fourteen months after Ankara downed a Russian Su-24 for allegedly crossing into Turkish airspace. Focusing on the town of al-Bab in Aleppo province, the strike included four Russian Su-24s, four Su-25s and an Su-34, joined by four F-4s and four F-16s from Turkey. Al-Bab, located just 12 miles from the Turkish border, has been the focus of a five-month Turkish-backed Syrian rebel campaign aimed at pushing back both IS and Kurdish forces.

Europe

• Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz has said that his government is considering a 2017 splurge on new military hardware. Macierewicz name-dropped Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky subsidiary, Leonardo, and somewhat surprisingly Airbus, as potential suppliers of 14 helicopters to the Polish army. While both Sikorsky and Leonardo have plants located in Poland, relations between Airbus and the ruling Law & Justice Party soured last year following the cancellation of a $3.2 billion deal to provide 50 H225M Caracals. The ministry has also proposed a plan to buy between 50-100 F-16s as well as three new submarines with contracts to be signed by either the end of the year or in early 2018.

• Thales will update the master radars for the Swiss Air Force in a deal worth $78.90 million. The five-year upgrade is part of a life extension project to keep the former’s FLORAKO system running until the 2030s. Thales said the project will involve development of a new radar signal and upgrading the radar’s data processing and antenna system.

Asia Pacific

• Indonesia’s government has approved a $2 billion plan to purchase five A400M transport aircraft from Airbus. News of the deal marks a significant leap in the country’s modernization plans and provisions included in the deal will allow Indonesian engineers to study and observe the assembly of various major aircraft components, including wings and fuselage shells, for the first two airframes in Seville, Spain. State-owned firm PT Dirgantara will then conduct the final fit-out of the last three airframes at its plant in Bandung.

• A Royal Thai Air Force plan to purchase Mil Mi-17V-5 helicopters has paved the way for the potential setting up a production and maintenance facility in the kingdom. The facility will help support the new helicopters as well as five models previously purchased by Bangkok; once established, the facility would look to provide maintenance support to other Mi-17V-5 operators in Southeast Asia. Once a strong US ally, relations between the two have gone south in recent years following a 2014 coup, resulting in a reorientation toward Russia for defense and industrial ties.

Today’s Video

Unveiling of the Arrow-3 to the IAF:

Swiss Spend $$ on Updating Master Radars to keep FLORAKO Running

ThalesRaytheonSystems (TRS) received $120 million in contracts from the Swiss defense procurement agency, ARMASUISSE, to provide the Swiss Air Force with advanced Link-16 connectivity for their fighter aircraft.

The funding represents a continuation of work by TRS on the FLORAKO command and control program. Phase VII will add voice and data transmission over an encrypted link, nation-wide Link-16 coverage, allow aircraft to acquire Link-16 information before take-off, and incorporate multifunctional information distribution system (MIDS) technology. DID has covered the significance of MIDS and Link 16 technology before; in Switzerland, MIDS technology will be especially useful for overcoming the challenges of maintaining full situational awareness at all times, even when flying aircraft within the mountainous Swiss terrain. With respect to the FLORAKO program generally…

Progress on F-35 Ejection Seat Safety Issue | IAF Testing Self-Protection on LM C-130Js | Airbus Successfully Refuels H225M Caracel with C295W

Americas

• Tuesday saw Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg sit down with soon-to-be-President Donald Trump, to discuss matters including Air Force One and the F-18 Super Hornet. In relation to AF1, Muilenburg cited “great progress” on the simplifying of requirements, process, and certification for the new presidential aircraft. Talk surrounding the Super Hornet stemmed from suggestions made by Trump that extra procurements of an upgraded version of the fighter could compete with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

• A 62-page report by the Pentagon’s chief weapons tester has released sort of good news in relation to the F-35: that there has been progress toward fixing a safety issue with the aircraft’s ejection seat. The Martin-Baker manufactured US16E seat and escape system was found to pose a significant risk of neck damage or death during ejection of pilots in the lowest weight range, resulting in pilots weighing under 136 lb being barred from flying the aircraft. But a three-part solution posed by the company to protect a lightweight pilot’s head and neck during ejection is currently being tested with light-weight pilots. This includes a lighter helmet to ease strain on the neck during the first phase of an ejection, a lightweight switch on the seat to delay deployment of the main parachute, and a fabric panel sewn between the parachute risers that will protect the pilot’s head from moving backward during the parachute opening, called a “head support panel” or HSP.

Middle East North Africa

• C-130 aircraft operated by Egypt will be fitted with electronic intelligence (ELINT) systems. Sierra Nevada Corp. won a Pentagon contract to provide the capability on one of the Egyptian Air Force’s 22 C-130H or three C-130H-30 Hercules aircraft, and could do so by either fitting integrated mission equipment or with a roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) mission compartment. It is possible that some C-130 aircraft have already been fitted with similar ELINT equipment following a US DSCA notification to Congress in 2003, however it remains unknown whether the plan was officially implemented.

• The Israeli Air Force has tested a new self-protection system on its Lockheed Martin C-130Js to protect from surface-to-air missiles. Once equipped with the updated self-protection package, the air force’s new transporters will be able to operate in areas where terrorist groups have ready access to shoulder-launched heat-seeking missiles. At present, Israel operates four C-130Js, with plans to purchase three more.

Europe

• Airbus announced the successful refueling of an H225M Caracel helicopter with the help of two C295W medium transports. Contacts during the test were executed at speeds of 105 to 115 knots, with the company reporting that all crews reported a smooth operation. Air-to-air refueling of the multi-role combat helicopter can be performed during forward flight or while hovering.

• Russia has test-fired a Topol-M ICBM, one of the first ballistic missiles to be developed after the fall of the Soviet Union. Capable of being deployed from missile silos or APU launchers mounted on the 16-wheeled MZKT-79221 universal transporter-erector-launcher, the test was carried out to confirm the weapon’s stability. The weapon’s developers claim their product is able to bypass any current or planned US missile defense system, and can make evasive maneuvers to avoid missile interceptors during flight.

• Leonardo has been contracted to provide new jet trainer aircraft to the Italian Air Force as well as develop a new helicopter for the Italian Army. The company stated that the two contracts with the Italian National Armaments Directorate of the Italian Defense Ministry have a combined value of more than $530 million. Under the first award, Leonardo is to deliver five M-345A trainers to the air force and will work alongside the fleet of 18 twin-engine M-346s already ordered and currently used by the Italian air force for the advanced phase of pilot training. The second contract is for the development, production and testing of three reconnaissance and escort helicopter prototypes, of which 48 units will be eventually produced to replace the current fleet of AW129s.

Asia Pacific

• South Korea is shopping for 12 new naval helicopters as its Defense Acquisition Program Administration earmarks $768 million for the acquisition. A decision will be made by the end of 2018 with AgustaWestland’s AW-159, the Sikorsky MH-60R, and NHIndustries’ NH-90 are all in the running. Deliveries will take place between 2020-2022 and the choppers will be deployed on next-generation frigates to counter North Korean submarines and surface vessels.

Today’s Video

Refueling the C295: