M28 Skytruck to Sky Tour Caribbean & Latin America | Germany’s Jenoptik to Supply $13.8M Components for Patriots | Lotte Moves Ahead with Land Swap for THAAD

Americas

• Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky and their Polish affiliate PZL Mielec are in the final stages of planning a tour of the M28 Skytruck short takeoff and landing aircraft. The tour will involve a transatlantic flight from Poland to the Caribbean and Latin America, with key stops in Trinidad & Tobago and 12 other cities in Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico and Panama. Built for transporting passengers and cargo, the M28 is being marketed for both civilian and military applications as a platform that can operate in extreme weather conditions and fly very different mission profiles.

• The USAF is expected to green light a study into a potential low-cost, light-attack fighter fleet to augment the A-10 Warthog and other close-air support (CAS) platforms in Iraq and Syria. The service will abandon plans for a more long-term replacement of the Warthog, which is expected to keep flying well into the 2020s. $100 million has already been earmarked for the study, scheduled to start in the Spring, and will look at the capabilities of the existing commercial designs such as Textron’s Scorpion light-attack fighter before calling out to industry.

• Leonardo and its Team Spartan partners have mounted a legal challenge with the Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) over the decision to award Airbus the Fixed-Wing Search-and-Rescue (FWSAR) program. Leonardo’s C-27J Spartan lost out to the C295W, however Team Spartan stated that “the C295W is a slower aircraft and will have difficulty covering the required search-and-rescue regions in a way that is compliant with the request for proposal [RfP]. The inclusion of a 5th Main Operating Base in the Airbus proposal would be the only way to be compliant, and that was not submitted. As it stands, this will significantly increase operating times in the north of Canada.” The team also criticised the C295W’s ability “to safely perform all missions without the presence of an auxiliary power unit [APU]” because it would not have the necessary Extended Range Twin Engine Operations rating.

Africa

• The UN has been notified that the German military’s Heron I UAV has achieved Full Operational Capability in Mali. Deployment of the UAV in Mali is planned to initially last until February 2018 when German operators will undergo intelligence gathering and surveillance missions after taking over from the Netherlands last July. The aircraft has been leased from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and has undergone maintenance and overhaul work by Airbus Defence and Space Airborne Solutions GmbH (ADAS).

Europe

• Germany’s Jenoptik has been contracted $13.8 million to provide components supporting the Patriot air and missile defense system. The manufacturer has been a long-term supplier for the Patriot program, offering power-supply units and sub-systems for the platform. The latest deal follows on earlier contracts in 2016 and will see the company deliver electrical generators, spare parts packages and testing equipment.

Asia Pacific

• Lotte Group has signed an agreement with the South Korean government to move ahead with a land swap that will see the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system on a golf course owned by the firm. Seoul said that the system will be in place by the end of the year with a South Korean military official indicating that the system could be in place as early as August. While the reasoning for the system making its way to the Korean peninsula comes amid North Korean ballistic missile testing, the deployment has received protests from China, concerned over THAADs powerful radar penetrating Chinese territory.

• India’s Ministry of Defense has rejected a plan to procure British Advanced Hawk trainer aircraft. The decision was made after revelations that British engine-maker Rolls-Royce bribed officials of India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited between 2005 and 2009 to secure orders for engines to power the Hawk 132 advanced jet trainers destined for the Indian Air Force. An IAF official stated, “this is because the MoD does not want [to] give additional orders for engines to tainted Rolls-Royce for the Advanced Hawk program.” New Delhi had initially contracted BAE for 123 Hawk Mk-132 advanced jet trainers for the IAF and the Navy.

• It’s been reported that a North Korean spy agency has been illegally selling defense equipment through a front company out of offices in Malaysia. Glocom sells battlefield radio equipment in violation of United Nations sanctions and advertises over 30 radio systems for “military and paramilitary” organizations. Last July, an air shipment of North Korean military communications equipment, sent from China and bound for Eritrea, was intercepted in an unnamed country. The seized equipment included 45 boxes of battlefield radios and accessories labeled “Glocom”, short for Global Communications Co. Malaysia is one of few in the international community with strong ties with Pyongyang, but these have been put under strain in recent weeks following the assassination of the older half-brother of dictator Kim Jong-un by North Korean agents in Kuala Lumpur Airport.

Today’s Video

• PZL M28 demo:

Sikorsky Sets Up European Foothold with PZL Buy, Enters Fixed-Wing Business

UH-60 Blackhawk

Helicopter-maker Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has agreed to acquire aircraft and helicopter maker PZL Mielec from the Polish government. Under the agreement Sikorsky will acquire a 100% stake in the 1,500-employee Mielec, Poland firm; a Reuters report placed the deal at 250 million zlotys (currently about $84.3 million). Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze (Polish Aviation Factory) Mielec is a government holding company and manufacturer of fixed-wing aircraft under the Ministry of Treasury’s ARP (Industrial Development Agency); the transaction is subject to regulatory approval and pre-closing conditions. Sikorsky’s parent company UTC and its subsidiaries currently employ more than 7,000 people in Poland in the aerospace and building systems industries.

Janes Defense Industry observes that:

Germany Leases IAI’s Herons for Afghanistan

IAI Heron

Germany has just added itself to the list of countries leasing UAV services for the Afghan conflict, by signing a contract with Rheinmetall Defense and their partners at Israel Aerospace Industries to provide an unspecified number of Heron UAVs as the SAATEG (System zur Abbildenden Aufklarung in der Tiefe des Einsatzgebietes). Rheinmetall’s KZO tactical UAV began operating in Afghanistan in 2009, but the Heron is a larger UAV with much better endurance and payload.

Raytheon Snags $45.5M for Silent Knight Radar Sys | MSPV to Provide Egypt with 2-3K Panthera T6’s | MBDA to Upgrade Storm Shadows for Britain & France

Americas

• Raytheon has won a $45.5 million contract modification from the US Special Operations Command for the delivery of the Silent Knight Radar system. The modification is a follow-up to an initial 2006 agreement — that tasked Raytheon with building, testing and integrating the new Silent Knight radar into a variety of special forces aircraft — and supports low-rate initial production in addition to full-rate production for the radar systems. Aircraft currently using Silent Knight include the MH-47 Chinook, the MH-60 Seahawk, the MC-130 Combat Talon, as well as several fixed-wing aircraft. The system provides operators with a color weather display, a ground map, high-resolution imagery, and threat detection and identification capabilities.

• After 21 years of service, the MQ-1 Predator UAV will be retired in 2018. The USAF will instead opt for a full MQ-9 Reaper fleet citing better equipment and overall operational capabilities such as bigger payloads, higher flight ceilings, and top speeds. As a result, the USAF will no longer have to maintain a training pipeline or equipment on two separate aircraft, which eliminates the cost of operating two different airframes. Speaking on the Reaper, 432nd Operations Group commander Col. Joseph said in a statement “I think when we look at the legacy of the MQ-1 we’re going to be scratching our heads wondering how we did so much with so little.”

Middle East & North Africa

• Egypt is to receive between 2,000 and 3,000 Panthera T6 light armoured vehicles for military and police from Dubai-based Minerva Special Purpose Vehicles (MSPV). Speaking at IDEX 2017, MSPV’s Emad el-Kabbany stated that the Egyptian company Eagles Defence International Systems (EDIS) is the company’s Egyptian agent – in 2014 it was reported that EDIS was producing the Panthera T6, as well as the larger S10 and K10CMD — and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) lists 50 Panthera T6s being ordered from the UAE in 2013, with deliveries from 2014-2015. Other operators of the T6 include the current Libyan government, and they have been recently used by the Indian security forces during operations in Jammu & Kashmir.

Europe

• British and French defense ministers have contracted MBDA Missile Systems to upgrade their Storm Shadow (known as SCALP in France) air-launched, long-range missiles. Valued at $183 million, work scheduled includes a midlife refurbishment of current missile parts such as the turbo-jet engine, an upgrade of the navigational system, and a like for like replacement of items such as the cabling, seals and gaskets. The collaborative contract is believed to generate a savings of $62.3 million for both governments. Storm Shadow is currently used on French Mirage 2000, Rafale, and RAF Tornado jets, and is currently being trialed on the Eurofighter Typhoon as part of efforts to improve the jet’s long-range attack capabilities under the Phase 2 Enhancement (P2E) program. The missile will not be integrated on RAF F-35Bs.

• Austrian prosecutors have initiated a formal criminal investigation against Airbus and the Eurofighter consortium over alleged fraud relating to a 2003 fighter jet order. The defense ministry has alleged Airbus and the Eurofighter consortium charged nearly 10 percent of the purchase price of 1.96 billion euros for so-called offset deals. Such deals were part of the agreement, but their cost should have been reported separately, the ministry has said. Under the legal system used in Austria and several European countries, opening an investigation is a potentially significant step that falls short of filing charges but which indicates that sufficient evidence is available to warrant a formal probe.

• Airbus has announced that there have been no signs of further cracks or damage in the combustion chambers of A400M transport aircraft. Safety regulators from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had to conduct investigations and safety checks into all aircraft after unexplained cracks were discovered in the combustion chamber of an A400M engine owned by Malaysia last year. The EASA airworthiness directive called for inspections of all engines similar to the Malaysian one, and follow-on checks after 500 hours, and then every 250 hours after that. Airbus has also called for fresh talks with European defense ministers in order to discuss the latest issues concerning the transporter and to agree on future steps to ensure the best interests of the program.

Asia Pacific

• L-3 Technologies has won a $17.3 million contract to provide South Korea with 800-horsepower transmission kits. The kits will power Seoul’s next-generation K21 infantry fighting vehicles as well as their fleet of light recovery vehicles. Designed by Hanwha Defense Systems to replace the current fleet of K200 armored transport vehicles, the K21 weighs 20% lighter than its predecessor and is armed with a 105mm turret weapon.

• The Philippines are scheduled to receive their first two leased TC-90 reconnaissance aircraft from the Japanese Maritime Defense Force on March 27, according to Vice Admiral Ronaldo Joseph Mercado. Manilla will eventually operate five TC-90s in a deal said to be valued $28,200 over the next four years, which will bolster capabilities to monitor their 36,289 kms of coastline, supplementing the existing Norman-Britten BN-2 Islander fleet in its maritime missions. TC-90s have a speed and range twice that of the BN-2.

Today’s Video

• MSVP’s Panthera T6:

Korea’s K21 KNIFV

Doosan K21 concept

South Korea is steadily becoming a force to be reckoned with in the global defense market. Its world-leading shipyards are successfully building and and delivering vessels that include KDX-III AEGIS destroyers and Dokdo Class LHD amphibious assault ships. Its aerospace firms are beginning to see orders from the ROKAF and beyond for trainer (KT-1, T-50) aircraft, are partnering with Eurocopter to create a new medium helicopter (KHP), and will soon offer a compelling lightweight fighter (F/A-50). On land, the indigenous K1A1 tank was followed by the XK-2 “Black Panther,” which was exported to Turkey as the Altay. The K9/K10 mobile howitzer offering is expected to grab a significant chunk of that global market over the next decade. Now, a modern Infantry Fighting Vehicle looks set to round out those offerings.

Doosan is a large Korean conglomerate, whose best known brand is probably Bobcat construction equipment. Other offerings range the gamut, including South Korea’s Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets, Doosan Feed agricultural supplies, franchised “Donga” private schools; and the new Doosan DST subsidiary, which manufactures the K21 KNIFV(Korea Next-generation Infantry Fighting Vehicle). October 2008 saw the first major order placed, and now the first deliveries have taken place…

• K21 KNIFV: Characteristics
  
• K21 KNIFV: Contracts and Key Events
  
• Additional Readings
  

Boeing Sues Chem Suppliers for Damages in KC-46 Delay | Milrem Wows ME with THeMIS at IDEX | Airbus Asking European Govs for Penalty Ease

Americas

• Boeing is taking some suppliers to court after they sold mislabeled chemicals that caused the maiden flight of the KC-46 tanker to be delayed by a month. Able Aerospace Adhesives and AlfaKleen Chemical Labs, both from California, are being sued in the sum of $10 million or more for the mix up, whose incorrect chemical damaged components in the jet’s refueling system, and time was lost by Boeing in order to to replace those damaged parts. The liquid provided was certified to meet MIL-PRF-680 Type III certification; it was, however, actually more acidic than required.

• Huntington Ingalls Industries has marked a production milestone for the USS Frank E. Petersen during a keel authentication ceremony. The company was contracted by the Navy in March 2016 to produce the Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA guided missile destroyer which is named after Frank Emmanuel Petersen Jr., who served as the USMC’s first African-American pilot and general officer. During the ceremony, Petersen’s window, Dr. Alicia Petersen said, “He wasn’t a man who wanted a lot of praise or recognition; however, if he could see this great ship being built for other young men and young women to see and look up to, he would be very proud.”

Middle East & North Africa

• Turkey is moving closer to finalizing its purchase of the S-400 air-defense system from Russia. Negotiations between the two governments have been ongoing since last August and are in line with Ankara’s goals to import a system to cover their current missile defense needs while their own contractors work to produce a domestic platform. Turkey has had an eye on the S-400 as far back as 2013 and had intended to make a deal with China for the system before US-led pressure tried to reorient Turkey toward a NATO-compatible system. Frustration between Turkey and its Western allies and the ongoing warming in relations with Russia has, however, led Ankara back toward Russian defense purchases.

• While probably best known for tech start-ups, Estonia’s Milrem is looking to take the Middle East and North Africa defense market by storm with their modular unmanned ground vehicle, THeMIS. Boasting three different configurations, the vehicle is capable of acting as a remote weapons station, a transport vehicle for soldier cargo, and a counter IED system. THeMIS uses technologies from Raytheon UK, Advanced Electronics Company and IGG Aselsan Systems, who have all been helping in the marketing effort, and has been on display at this week’s IDEX 2017 expo in the UAE.

Africa

• Germany’s UN operations in Mali are looking at requesting a number of surveillance airships like the ones used by US forces in Afghanistan. Fitted with threat-detecting sensors, the tethered aerostats can be used to provide radar surveillance to detect threats such as drones or surface targets. Potential procurement options for Berlin include buying used aerostats built by Lockheed Martin for the US Army, purchasing new lighter-than-air surveillance aerostats built by Lockheed or other suppliers, or opting to lease the equipment. Germany’s move to beef up security in Mali comes following January’s Al-Qaeda-affiliated suicide bombing that killed 77 people at a military base housing government soldiers in the northern town of Gao.

• The protest against Kenya’s purchase of 12 armed Air Tractor AT-802s from the US continues, after five US lawmakers wrote to Nairobi’s ambassador to Washington urging them to rethink the deal. Four Republicans and one Democrat signed the joint letter saying that they “have a reason to question the propriety of the acquisition.” They also said that the winning contractor, L-3 Technologies, “has no experience converting agricultural aircraft into intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft with precision-strike capability.” The issue came to light after contractor IOMAX, who developed the border patrol variant of the AT-802, protested against the award to L-3, claiming they had not been notified of any competition to supply such aircraft. It may have been the case that Kenya requested the AT-802L from Air Tractor and its systems-integration partner (and prime) L3 Technologies, confusing it with IOMAX’s AT-802-based Archangel Border Patrol Aircraft (BPA) which has been sold to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and regional allies.

Europe

• Airbus has asked European governments to ease punitive penalties against the company in relation to delays in its delivery of the A400M transporter, after the company received a fresh hit of $1.3 billion. Partner governments have been growing weary with Airbus after recent problems in regards to the plane’s delivery, gearbox issues, and delays in supplying defensive aids, and the project has been hit further by bureaucratic arguments and the withholding of cash from governments. “We cannot go on like that. This is unacceptable and puts a huge burden on Airbus and we need to do something about it,” Chief Executive Tom Enders said.

Asia Pacific

• China and Russia have completed contracts for the delivery of the of S-400 air defense system, Su-35 fighters, and anti-ship missiles. The announcement was made by Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu at the opening of the second national youth forum International Military-Political and Military-Economic Cooperation: Modern Trends at the MIGIMO University. Speaking on the matter, Shoigu said “Russian-Chinese military-technical cooperation has been developing positively.”

Today’s Video

• Milrem’s THeMIS vehicle:

Embraer KC-390 Dry Refueling First in Rio | SAIC Previews ACV 1.1 to USMC; Deliveries Begin in March | Germany’s Stemme AG & SA’s S-Plane Plan for OPV

Americas

• Embraer has announced that their KC-390 tanker transport aircraft has completed its first dry refueling contact. The milestone test was conducted by a Brazilian Air Force F-5 Tiger which successfully plugged into both refueling hoses on one of the KC-390 prototypes during a sortie near Santa Cruz airbase, Rio de Janeiro, on Feb. 19. Embraer is currently assembling the first product model of the aircraft and believes the aircraft could be a good fit for air arms in the Middle East because of its multi-role capability. The company plans to bring the aircraft back to the Middle East next summer after it has been displayed at the Paris Airshow.

• Orbital ATK has received international orders worth $600 million in the past three months for their medium-caliber cannons and related munitions, the company has revealed. The orders from multiple customers were primarily for MK44 and M230 link-fed Bushmaster Chain Guns. Speaking on the orders, Dan Olson, vice president and general manager for the company’s Armament Systems Division lauded the cannon’s easy integration for land, air, and sea applications and added that the strong sales “reflects our core mission to work together with our integrator partners as well as our allies to create and deliver superior armaments and services for those who defend their nation’s security.”

• The Amphibious Combat Vehicle 1.1 by Science Applications International Corporation and BAE Systems for the USMC has been unveiled for the first time. Developed to replace an aging fleet of amphibious assault vehicles, the Marines will receive a total of 16 vehicles with deliveries to commence in March. The earlier stages of the ACV 1.1 production effort were stalled by a contract protest by General Dynamics after the company was defeated in the Marine Corps’ bidding process.

Middle East & North Africa

• The UAE is looking to have its Pantsyr-S mobile air defense system upgraded. Speaking at IDEX 2017, Russia’s Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturo said talks will be held “on modernizing this type of combat hardware and I hope that colleagues will increase the volume of orders for new modifications. So far, we’re talking about modernization with an option of deliveries.” Officials from Russia and the UAE signed contracts back in 2000 for the delivery of 50 Pantsyr-S1 systems.

• Its been reported that investors are betting heavily on Israeli defense and cyber-security firms benefitting from US defense spending plans under President Donald Trump. Companies such as Elbit Systems, Magal Security Systems and Check Point Software Technologies have all seen their share prices soar since Trump’s election in November 2016, and could benefit further from having their American subsidiaries incorporated in the US. One contentious project- the border wall along the Mexican border- could see firms like Magal, whose sensors and command and control systems help to secure airports, borders, power plants, seaports and prisons, provide its technology for the wall.

Africa

• Germany’s Stemme AG has reached an agreement with South Africa’s S-Plane Automation to integrate S-Plane subsystems into the Ecarys ES15 aircraft to create an Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV). Ecarys, a Stemme subsidiary that specialises in providing platforms for aerial surveillance, reconnaissance and scientific research missions, will be powered by S-Plane avionics and ground control station, and will combine the benefits of a manned aircraft with those of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), allowing for a greater variety of mission requirements.

Europe

• Poland’s Defense Ministry has begun negotiations with three bidders for various helicopter mission requirements. Eight are being sought to fill an urgent need for special forces missions, while eight more are required to fill a 2019 naval requirement for anti-submarine warfare and maritime search and rescue operations. The urgent nature of the acquisitions will allow Warsaw to bypass certain lengthy procurement procedures and they are believed to be talking to Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo Helicopters and Sikorsky. Despite the apparent urgency, however, the government is still insisting on offset requirements, which must be an “integral part of the contract.”

• Often reserved exclusively for border surveillance and protection, conceptual documentary photographer Richard Mosse has used advanced new thermographic weapons and border imaging technology in order to document the ongoing refugee crisis unfolding in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Libya, in Syria, the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, and other locations. Capable of capturing images beyond 30km, registering a heat signature of relative temperature difference, the camera identified only temperature resulting in bodies being whiter where they’re hotter. The installation is now on show in London’s Barbican Centre until April 23.

Asia Pacific

• Pakistan has contracted Leonardo to provide an undisclosed number of additional AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters. Deliveries of the utility and transport helicopters will begin in the middle of this year. Leonardo said that the purchase will expand Pakistan’s existing AW139 fleet, adding the rotorcraft’s high performance capabilities under extreme weather conditions make it a good fit for the country’s operational environment.

Today’s Video

• The ACV 1.1:

Second LM T-50A Takes Maiden Flight | UAE First in ME to Operate RIM-116 RAM | Russia’s T-90MS Ready for Export and in Talks at IDEX

Americas

• Lockheed Martin’s second T-50A jet trainer has made its maiden flight. The trainer, based on the T-50, has been designed to bridge the gap between 4th- and 5th-generation fighter jet technology, and is being entered into the USAF’s T-X trainer competition to replace the service’s fleet of aging Northrop Grumman T-38 Talon aircraft. Lockheed is also offering the T-50A Ground-Based Training System, a simulator designed to provide immersive instruction for pilots prior to taking flight. If selected, pilots will use the trainer to be able to fly F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

• Lockheed Martin has announced two successful rounds of testing of the modernized Tactical Missile System for the US Army’s TACMS Service Life Extension program. The missiles were launched using a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico last December and earlier this month. Updates to the missile include an improved guidance and control system, new software, and an upgraded fuze.

Middle East & North Africa

• The UAE will become the first Middle East operator of Raytheon’s RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Block 2 close-in weapon system. While the number of systems ordered remains unknown, the systems will be installed on the Emirate’s Baynunah-class corvettes, of which six vessels will be manufactured. Improvements made on the system’s predecessor include kinematic and sensor upgrades to expand the missile’s engagement envelope in order to defeat more maneuverable and higher speed anti-ship cruise missiles. Furthermore, the Block 2 upgrade significantly expands the missile’s effective engagement envelope by introducing a larger dual-thrust rocket motor and independent four-canard control actuator system to increase effective range by about 50% and deliver a three-fold improvement in maneuverability.

• Russian firm Rostec has revealed that they have signed an initial agreement with the UAE to develop a fifth-generation joint light fighter. The announcement was made at this week’s IDEX 2017 defense expo as Russian industry seeks to expand defense exports in the region. Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov said that development work on the new fighter could begin as early as next year , and it is believed that will be a variation of the MiG-29 fighter jet. The UAE is also potentially looking at purchasing the Sukhoi Su-35.

Europe

• Russia’s latest variant of the T-90 main battle tank, the T-90MS, is now ready for export. Speaking at IDEX 2017, General of the Army Alexei Maslov said that low-rate production of the vehicle had been established, serial production processes has been fine-tuned, and they are now ready to begin taking orders. Maslov added that the tank features a high degree of process automation. It can conduct self-testing and self-diagnostics and can be integrated with foreign components, such as communication systems and air-cooling units. A number of Middle East nations are in discussions.

• Finland has concluded negotiations with South Korea to purchase 48 used K-9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers. Valued at $155 million, deliveries are scheduled to begin next year and will continue through to 2024. The 155mm howitzer was tested by the Finnish Army in the Lapland region and is part of a partnership with Estonia to bulk buy the system as both government’s phase out their older Soviet artillery pieces.

Asia Pacific

• China’s state-run Xinhua news agency has warned South Korea’s Lotte Group of grave consequences if the conglomerate allows the South Korean government to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system on part of a golf course it owns. The words of warning come shortly after Lotte reported that Chinese authorities halted work at a multi-billion-dollar real estate project following a fire inspection, indicating that Beijing was finding ways to retaliate at Seoul for going ahead with THAAD’s deployment, and includes reports of discriminating against some of their companies and cancelling performances by K-Pop artists without explanation. Over the weekend, a meeting between both nation’s foreign ministers saw China’s Wang Yi say that China understands South Korea’s need to protect their security but Seoul still needs to respect Beijing’s concerns about the deployment of THAAD.

• Nextar has inked contracts with the Indonesian government for the provision of 18 CAESAR wheeled self-propelled howitzer systems. The undisclosed value sale adds to 36 CAESAR systems ordered by Jakarta in 2012 and will include Nextar’s FINDART firing control system and CAESAR simulators. More than 50 artillery battalion auxiliary vehicles will be assembled in Indonesia by Nexter partner PT Pindad. Indonesia has become the first customer for the V-200 UAV, developed by the joint venture of Saab and UMS Aero.

Today’s Video

• The V-200 maritime UAV:

Mwari AHRLAC to Begin Production in April | Rheinmetall & Raytheon Sign Collaboration Memo | Russian Helicopters to Commence KA-226T Deliveries to India in 2018

Americas

• US President Donald Trump took the opportunity to suggest a further F/A-18 Super Hornet order while attending a ceremony for Boeing’s inaugural 787-10 Dreamliner in South Carolina. While Trump has made no clear indication or commitment to the numbers that would be ordered, he said “we are looking seriously at a big order. The problem is that [Boeing CEO] Dennis [Muilenberg] is a very tough negotiator, but I think we may get there.” Trump also had kind words for the aging, Boeing-made, Air Force One. “That plane, as beautiful as it looks is 30 years old. What can look so beautiful at 30? An aeroplane,” he said.

Africa

• The Paramount Group is to begin production of the Mwari reconnaissance and strike aircraft this April. Based on the firm’s Advanced, High Performance, Reconnaissance, Light Aircraft (AHRLAC), up to 24 base aircraft will be made per year at their new facility at Wonderboom Airport, with the Mwari military aircraft and customized mission systems being integrated in a separate facility. The Mwari has been developed as part of a partnership with Boeing, which is developing their own integrated mission system that supports intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and light strike capabilities. Mwari will also be showcased at this week’s IDEX defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Middle East & North Africa

• The Israeli Air Force is to change their procedures related to asymmetric flight toward landing, following the crash of an F-16I fighter last October. One pilot was killed and the second crew member injured following a crash during landing after a mission against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. The new procedure will require pilots to drop unused weapons into the sea in order to stabilize their aircraft before landing.

• A Houthi rebel boat which attacked a Saudi Arabian frigate off the coast of Yemen in January was unmanned. Initially believed to have been a suicide mission, a US Navy official has revealed that the attack was instead carried out by an unmanned, remote-controlled craft filled with explosives. Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan, commander of the Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet and head of US Naval Forces Central Command said that the boat was likely to have been either supplied by Iran, or at least have had Iranian production help. In the last year, US and coalition partners have intercepted four weapons shipments destined for the Houthis.

Europe

• Representatives from Rheinmetall and Raytheon have signed an agreement to cooperate on future defense projects. The memorandum of understanding signed outlines that the pact will facilitate deepened ties on missile defense systems and rocket-based solutions and the firms will also work closely on combat vehicles, weapons, ammunition, cyber defense and simulations. Popular products made by the German firm include several types of armored vehicles, various caliber gun systems, and air-defense gun systems.

• Northrop Grumman and the British RAF have successfully demonstrated communication system interoperability between an F-35 and Eurofighter Typhoon jets. The test was carried out during an MoD-funded two week trial, called Babel Fish III, and saw a Lockheed Martin F-35B communicate with a Typhoon fighter by translating its Multifunction Advanced Data Link messages into a Link 16 format. It was the first time a non-U.S. 5th- and 4th-generation aircraft shared MADL-delivered data. Northrop claimed that the test integrated its Freedom 550 technology into the F-35’s Airborne Gateway, which translates information from various sources to enhance situational awareness and interoperability.

Asia Pacific

• The state-owned manufacturer Russian Helicopters has said that they will commence deliveries of the KA-226T helicopter to the Indian military next year. 60 units will be delivered in Russia while a further 140 will be manufactured and assembled in India under an agreement signed last October. Russia expects sales of the advanced medium multirole Mi-171A2 to increase by at least 15% in 2017 with interest received from China, as well as from the Iranian oil and gas sector.

• Sri Lankan media reports that Pakistan has offered an F-7 fighter for free in return for each JF-17 that Sri Lanka purchases from Islamabad. The report claims that in its efforts to push a deal for the fighter, Pakistan has hired a Singapore-based consultancy group to assist with the lobbying, and that attempts have been made to pay kickbacks to Sri Lankan defense ministry officials as well as high-ranking military personnel.

Today’s Video

• More on the upcoming production of the Ahrlac/Mwari:

India’s Light Helicopter Contract Hits Turbulence, Stalls. Again. Starts.

Austrian Alouette-III

How safe are the Indian Army’s aging fleets of Chetaks (Aerospatiale SA316 Alouette III) and Cheetahs (SA315B Alouette II/III mix)? These old designs have consistently proven themselves in high altitude operations, and remain useful as long as their airframes remain safe. The problem is that at their age, the safety margin is pretty slim. Or worse.

In 2003, India issued an RFP for 197 light helicopters estimating a deal worth between $500-$600 million to buy 60 helicopters outright, with the remaining 137 being built under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Eurocopter’s AS550 C3 Fennec and Bell Textron’s 407 competed in the second and final round of summer trials, and as 2007 ticked toward a close, it looked like we had a winner. As often happens in India, however, the process ended up completely derailed. A new RFP out for a successor “Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter program” (RSH) went out in 2008, and testing was done in 2010. Has the RSH competition gone the way of the 1st aborted contract, even as India’s high altitude border posts struggle for adequate support?