South Korea drops bombs near border with North | Finland denies Trump’s F/A-18 sale |’Hero’ policemen carries unexploded bomb

Americas

• The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and US Navy have successfully conducted a scheduled test of a Standard Missile-6 guided missile (SM-6) off the coast of Hawaii. Launched from the deck of the USS John Paul Jones, the missile intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target, and comes just one day after North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan. The MDA said the test gives the naval component of the missile defense system higher ability to intercept ballistic missiles in their terminal phase.

• AM General has won a $2.2 billion US Army contract for the production of High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV). Used as a standard utility and combat vehicle by the US military and allied nations, the contract calls for the production of 11,569 vehicles and includes spares parts packages. The deal covers exports to international customers, listing Afghanistan as the first nation due to receive the vehicles. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2023.

Middle East & Africa

• Rival firms Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) are to come together to offer an upgrade package for ageing F-16A fighters. The pairing comes as the Israeli Air Force looks for potential buyers for its recently retired fleet of “Netz” fighters, and the upgrade package is likely to be a sweetener to governments looking to upgrade on a budget. While no details of the offered upgrades have been revealed, the IAF have previous experience from its “Barak 2020” initiative, which saw its F-16C/D models get an avionics and mission system enhancement, as well as structural strengthening. Modifications to the A variants will begin only when a customer has signed for the aircraft.

Europe

• Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto has rolled back on claims made by US President Donald Trump that Helsinki was buying the F/A-18 Super Hornet from Boeing. “One of the things that is happening is you’re purchasing large amounts of our great F-18 aircraft from Boeing and it’s one of the great planes, the great fighter jets,” Trump said during a White House press conference, while the visiting Niinisto looked on with a slightly confused expression. While it is true Finland is planning a $7-10 billion multi-role fighter procurement to replace its ageing fleet of 62 F/A-18 Hornet jets, a request for information (RFI) to European and US aerospace firms is expected to be sent in 2018, with a final decision due in the early 2020s. A government working group has listed possible candidates as Saab’s Jas-39 Gripen, Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, Boeing’s Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and the Eurofighter consortium’s Typhoon.

• Romania has selected Leonardo’s Vixen 500E active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for use in its new trainer technology demonstrator program. Recently supplied to the US Naval Test Pilot School and in use on the Saab Jas-39 Gripen, the National Institute for Aerospace Research “Elie Carafoli” (INCAS)—Romain’s leading aerospace research and development centre—will integrate the radar on the IAR-99 TD jet it is developing. The trainer is based on a Romanian Air Force IAR-99 Soim (prototype no. 7003) which will be modified by INCAS together with aircraft manufacturer Avioane Craiova. Leonardo has previously worked with INCAS, supplying its Seaspray 5000E AESA surveillance radar for INCAS’s special mission BN-2 Islander aircraft.

Asia Pacific

• Four South Korean F-15K fighter-bombers dropped heavy ordinance near its border with the North, a show of “overwhelming force” in response to Pyongyang’s recent ballistic missile tests. Seoul said that eight 2,000lb MK-84 multi-purpose bombs all hit their targets at a South Korean testing ground near the border. North Korea’s test of an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Tuesday flew over Japan’s northern Hokkaido island and was condemned by Tokyo as an “unprecedented, serious and grave threat” to the region. The test is believed to be the first launch from Sunan, home to Pyongyang’s international airport, prompting speculation that the Kim regime had fired a road-mobile missile from an airport runway.

• Japan is seeking powerful new radar from the US to boost the operational range of its planned procurement of a land-based version of the Aegis ballistic missile defense (BMD) system, due in 2023. So far, previous efforts by Tokyo to acquire the AN/SPY-6 AESA radar have not come to fruition, leaving them to rely on existing radar technology that has less range than a new generation of BMD interceptor missiles available. While the US Navy is seemingly behind Japan receiving the technology, there may be a reluctance from the MDA, which is responsible for developing BMD technology, to release such advanced technology before it is fully fielded by the US. Developed by Raytheon and integrated into the Aegis system by Lockheed Martin, SPY-6 radars will also form part of the Pentagon’s new Aegis-equipped Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, due to be operational in 2022. In order for Japan to receive the Spy-6 in time for the planned deployment of its Aegis Ashore system in 2023, it will need to be cleared long before that 2022 date, in order to give the manufacturers time to build the system.

• Finally, an Indian police officer has been hailed a hero after sprinting 1km while carrying a 10kg bomb in order to protect 400 schoolchildren. Abhishek Patel took it upon himself to carry the ordinance after learning that no bomb squad was immediately available to dispose of it after it was found near a school in the state of Madhya Pradesh. An investigation is under way to find the original source of the bomb, but it is believed that it may have come from a nearby army range. For his bravery, Officer Patel received a $775 reward for his bravery, as well as a guaranteed viral video.

Today’s Video

• South Korean drills near the North’s border:

Boeing offer F/A-18 facility in India | Japan condemns NK ICBM test over Hokkaido | Iran building missiles in Syria, Lebanon, claims Netanyahu

Americas

• The US Army has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems a $310 million contract for engineering changes to the M1A2 Abrams tank System Enhancement Package Version 3. Work to be undertaken include the design, development and integration for the upgrades to the M1A2, with a projected completion date scheduled for Feb. 28, 2024. The M1A2 SEP 3 are upgraded versions of the M1A2 Abrams tank, and feature improved power generation, networking capabilities and have a lower-profile Common Remotely Operated Weapons Station (CROWS) system for its top-mounted .50mm machine gun.

• Raytheon has been awarded a $614 million modification for a contract previously valued at $630 million by the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA). The modification calls for the production of 17 Standard Missile-3 Block IIA missiles, perform production support and engineering efforts, perform obsolescence monitoring, perform technical baseline engineering support, perform quality assurance and audit efforts, and provide containers. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is estimated for completion in March 2020.

Middle East & Africa

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Iran is building production sites for precision-guided missiles in Syria and Lebanon, adding that their intention is to use them on Israel. “This is something Israel cannot accept. This is something the UN should not accept,” he said at the beginning of a meeting in Jerusalem with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Netanyahu’s comments come as Hamas’ new leader in the Gaza Strip, Yehiyeh Sinwar, said the Palestinian group has repaired relations with Iran after a five-year rift and is using its newfound financial and military aid to gear up for new hostilities with Israel. Iran was once Hamas’ lead backer, however, Hamas broke with Tehran in 2012 after it failed to support Iran’s close ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad, in the Syrian civil war. Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah have provided much personnel and support to aid Assad’s campaign against jihadist and other rebel groups fighting the regime, often bringing them close to Syria’s border with Israel.

Europe

• Britain’s leading shipbuilding bosses are scheduled to meet with the ruling Conservative party in September to be briefed on the broad outline for a new class of light frigates for the Royal Navy. Babcock International, BAE Systems, BMT Defence Services and a small design consultancy known as Stellar Systems are expected to submit designs for the Type 31 light frigate program, and it is believed that London wants the first of the vessels to be operational in time to replace the Type 23 frigate HMS Argyll which is scheduled for decommissioning in 2023. However, some analysts in the UK said the timeline, if confirmed, was daunting. The Type 31 program is a centerpiece of the Conservative governments yet-to-be-published national shipbuilding strategy, which aims to lay the foundation of a modern and efficient naval shipbuilding sector.

Asia Pacific

• North Korea has launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) over Japan, its most provocative move to date. The early morning test on Tuesday flew over the northern island of Hokkaido island before crashing into the sea, sparking the Japanese government to send out a “J-alert” on its nationwide warning system, telling residents of the island of the threat. The test follows a series of short-range missiles launches into the sea off its east coast early on Saturday, as South Korea and the US militaries conducted defense drills on the Korean peninsula.

• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has commenced production of its Light Combat Helicopter (LCH). The event was marked by a ceremony on August 26, with senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, Indian Air Force and HAL all present at the occasion. Fifteen basic models will be made during the production run, which features a narrow fuselage and tandem configuration for pilot and co-pilot/weapon system operator and capable of conducting operations under extreme weather conditions at different altitudes from sea level, hot weather desert, cold weather and Himalayan altitudes. It is armed with a 20-millimeter Turret gun, 70-millimeter Rocket, air-to-air missile, EO-Pod and helmet pointing system.

• Israeli firm Elbit Systems (ESLT.TA) said on Tuesday it won a contract worth about $93 million from an unnammed Asia-Pacific country to upgrade its F-5 aircraft fleet. Under the terms of a deal, the defense electronics firm will supply the F-5 with systems including head-up displays, an advanced cockpit, radars, weapon delivery and navigation systems. The deal will run for three years. Asian operators of the F-5 include Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, and South Korea.

• Boeing has offered to construct a manufacturing facility in India for the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter planes as it chases New Delhi’s planned acquisition of 57 carrier-based multi-role fighter aircraft. The offer follows a similar agreement between India and Lockheed Martin, made earlier this year, for an India production line of the F-16 Block 70 Fighting Falcon. If selected, the F/A-18 procurement will replace the Indian Navy’s current fleet of MiG-29K aircraft, which have been plagued by maintenance problems. They will be based on the modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, and its two planned indigenously-built Vikrant-class carriers.

Today’s Video

• M1A2 System Enhancement Package (SEP) V2 Abrams main battle tank on manoeuvres:

LCS Coronado uses UAV to launch OTH missile | KAI FA-50 offered to Botswana | Northrop announce upgrades for Global Hawk

Americas

• In a littoral combat ship (LCS) first, the US Navy successfully used a UAV to provide over-the-horizon targeting information and damage assessment for a missile that was launched from an LCS vessel. The ship in question, the Independence-class LCS USS Coronado, was participating in exercises off the coast of Guam when it fired a RGM-84D Harpoon Block 1C missile that successfully struck a surface target at significant distance beyond the ship’s visual range. During the exercise, a Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout drone and a Lockheed Martin MH-60S Seahawk helicopter, both part of Coronado’s rotary-wing air detachment, provided targeting support for the Harpoon missile. The aircraft used radar, electro-optical systems and other sensors to locate the target, pass targeting information back to the ship via data link to refine the firing solution, monitor and assess the missile, and then carry out damage assessment on the target.

• Northrop Grumman said it will upgrade its RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV to meet the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) requirement for a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAV, equipped with a high-energy laser that could destroy an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the boost phase. While the MDA’s HALE program requires a minimum altitude of 63,000ft and a payload capacity between 5,000-12,500lb (2,270-5,670kg), the RQ-4 currently can reach 60,000ft and can carry a 3,000lb payload, according to US Air Force specifications. Northrop officials acknowledge the 3,000lb limit but have also said the current configuration could reach a maximum payload of 4,000lb. The company is also looking to reduce the weight of the aircraft by removing some heavy equipment that has remained on the platform since its development in the late 1990s, rather than looking to redesign it.

Middle East & Africa

• Israel’s Defense Ministry has signed contracts for a follow-on order of 17 Lockheed Martin F-35i Adir fighters. This will be the third tranche of F-35 orders made by Israel, who expect delivery of the latest batch by December 2024. In the first deal, Israel paid $125 million per plane for 19 F-35s in total. In the second deal, the price went down to $112 million per plane for 14 jets. Israel expects the price to drop below $90 million per plane when it approaches the US again for planes for a third flight squadron.

• It’s been reported that the UAE is in discussions with the Japanese government for the sale of an unknown number of Kawasaki Heavy Industries C-2 transport planes. Specifications and details on the aircraft have already been provided to Abu Dhabi, and all that remains is the finishing of a bilateral treaty regarding the transfer of defense equipment and technology, a necessary step for Tokyo to sell defense platforms due to its pacifist constitution. At present, Japan prohibits exports of defense equipment and technology to countries engaged in conflict, a potential issue for the UAE who are currently involved in the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen. However, sources inside the Japanese Defense Ministry feel the deal may squeeze through as the UAE are “not the one who is leading the intervention.”

• Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is looking to sell its FA-50 Golden Eagle to the Botswana Defence Force. Billing it as a cheaper alternative to Saab’s JAS-39 Gripen, which is also being looked at Botswana, KAI claims that the FA-50 has a cheaper acquisition and maintenance cos than its competitor— the Gripen’s life-cycle cost is “three times” that of the FA-50. The Korean firm is also offering a comprehensive support package which includes an “instructional systems development” (ISD) for the FA-50 as well as its trainer variant the T-50 and the Pilatus PC-7 turboprop-powered basic trainer. Last year, it was reported that Botswana was in talks with Sweden for eight to twelve JAS-39C/D Gripen fighters, believed to cost in the region of $1.7 billion.

Europe

• Airbus has signed an agreement with Romanian firm IAR Brasov for the latter to act as main contractor for any Romanian military orders for Airbus Helicopters’ H215M multirole aircraft. The deal extends a previous arrangement, signed in April, by ten years and was announced during French President Emmanuel Macron’s official visit to Bucharest and in presence of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. IAR Brasov, a company whose majority of shares are held by the Romanian government, has already built over 360 helicopters under license.

Asia Pacific

• Malaysia has launched the first its littoral combat ships (LCS) ordered from France in a near $2 billion deal signed in 2011. Based on the Gowind 2500 corvette, the Maharaja Lela is the first of six vessels on order and is expected to enter service in 2019, with all vessels ordered to be operational by 2023. Malaysia is in the midst of a naval modernization plan that aims to reduce the number of ship types in service from 15 to five under its aptly—albeit unoriginally—named 15-to-5 plan. The five classes of ships are planned to consist of 12 LCS vessels, 18 Kedah-class offshore patrol vessels, 18 Chinese-designed littoral mission ships, three multi-role support ships of an as-yet undetermined design and four submarines. At present, this plan has Kuala Lumpor’s naval inventory at six Kedah-class offshore patrol vessels, which are based on the German Blohm+Voss MEKO 100 design, along with two French Scorpene diesel-electric submarines.

• A letter of understanding (LoU) has been signed between the Kalashnikov Concern and Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF) that will see both firms collaborate on the marketing and sale of small arms to the Pakistan civilian market. The document includes the desire to establish “brand-zones … in Pakistan for the implementation of [Kalashnikov] civilian small arms,” and the deal is being viewed as the Russian firm’s gateway into the Pakistani market. Earlier this year, the POF signed a similar LoU with Italian firearms maker, Beretta. That deal called on both parties to jointly promote the sale of Beretta pistols, shotgun and apparel in Pakistan.

Today’s Video

• The USAF’s light attack experiment:

Steel cut on third Ford-class carrier | Nigeria eyes Yak-130 | KAI could loose out on USAF T-X comp, warns union

Americas

• Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $547.9 million US Army contract for the production and delivery of Hellfire II air-to-ground attack missiles. As many as 7,359 Hellfire II missiles, in a number of air-to-ground variants, and including their containers will be produced by September 20, 2020 at the firm’s facility in Orlando, Florida. The Hellfire is the primary air-to-ground short-range precision guided missile for US helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and is in service with many other nations. It also comes in ground and ship-launched models.

• Advanced construction has commenced on the US Navy’s third Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier by Huntington Ingalls. The firm’s Newport News Shipbuilding division started the process last Thursday with a ceremonial cutting of a 35-ton steel plate of the Enterprise (CVN 80) under an advance-fabrication contract awarded earlier in the year. The Navy expects to make an award for the ship’s detail design and construction next year.

• As a falling oil and gas sector has reduced demand for its wares, Bell Helicopter is looking to sell its 525 Relentless medium helicopter to the military sector as a 20-passenger troop transport or search and rescue (SAR) platform. In a market that already faces stiff competition from Sikorsky, NH Industries, Airbus, and Leonardo, Larry Thimmesch, vice-president of 525 sales and business development, is confident that the advanced technologies on the Relentless, such as fly-by-wire controls, will appeal to military operators, adding that some governments have already reached out about the helicopter. However, the firm has yet to set a baseline configuration for the military variant of the 525.

Middle East & Africa

• The Nigerian Ministry of Defense is looking at further procurements of Russian weaponry to help it tackle the insurgency of the jihadist militant group, Boko Haram. Items being viewed include new rifles, armored vehicles, MiG fighters and the Yak-130. Speaking on the sidelines of the International Army Games-2017, Nigerian Defence Minister Mansur Dan-Ali said that after having a look at potential new equipment, they will “look at some of its specifications before we sit down for negotiations” upon the delegation’s return to Nigeria. Abuja already has ordered 12 Mi-35 helicopters from Russian helicopters, with two models already delivered.

Europe

• Elbit Systems has won a $14.9 million contract to arm 126 Patria eight-wheel drive armored modular vehicles operated by the Croatian military. Under the terms of the deal, Elbit Systems will supply its UT30MK2 unmanned turrets fitted with a 30mm cannon and a 7.62x51mm gun, as well as Spike-LR missile systems made by fellow Israeli firm, Rafael. Government sources said that while both firms had initially presented separate offers, the final tender submitted was a joint bid which aimed to offer both company’s systems at the lowest possible price. The Israeli firms won out against an offer from Croatian manufacturer, Duro Dakovic, who had previously worked with Finland’s Patria to help produce the vehicles for Zagreb, however, its offer is believed to be twice that of the Israeli one. Delivery of the weapons systems is scheduled for early 2018.

• Helicopter manufacturer Russian Helicopters has been awarded a contract by the Russian Ministry of Defense for the “formation of the concept of a high-speed combat helicopter.” The two-year agreement will see both sides work on determining the “technical appearance of the perspective high-speed combat helicopter.” Andrey Boginsk, Russian Helicopter’s CEO, hailed the contract as “a serious step towards the new generation of helicopter construction, with higher speeds and flight and technical characteristics.”

Asia Pacific

• The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Leidos Innovation Group a $727.7 million Army contract for support of the Afghan Air Force (AAF) and Special Mission Wing (SMW) helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft fleets. The agreement will run until May 31, 2020, and will be carried out by Leidos in Kabul, Afghanistan. Despite receiving heavy investment from the US since the ousting of the Taliban in 2001, the Afghan government still relies heavily on US air support. The AAF’s inventory is a mixture of Russian–Soviet-era platforms like the Mi-17 transport and Mi-24 attack helicopters— as well as American and other nation’s helicopters and light aircraft—planes like the A-29 Super Tucano turboprop attack planesand MD-530 utility helicopters.

• A labor union for workers at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has warned that an ongoing probe into corruption at the company could damage its chances of participating in the US Air Force T-X trainer competition. The union demanded that there be a swift normalization of business irrespective of the probe’s findings. It also wants a new KAI chief to be named as soon as possible to resolve liquidity issues and put business back in order. KAI has teamed with Lockheed Martin to enter an upgraded version of the T-50A as a solution for the USAF’s Advanced Pilot Training (APT) program, which aims to replace the service’s existing fleet of trainer aircraft.

Today’s Video

• Gymnasts help cut steel for the future USS Enterprise:

Lockheed, Raytheon selected for nuclear cruise missile work | Hermes 900 UAV declared operational | More Chinooks for Saudi Arabia

Americas

• The US Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin and Raytheon separate $900 million contracts for the development of the Long Range Stand Off (LRSO) nuclear cruise missile. Work will primarily be conducted in Orlando, Fla., and Tucson, Ariz until 2020, after which the service will select one of the firms to finish development of the missile. Expected to be deployed by the late 2020s, the LRSO will be mounted on the B-52H Stratofortress , B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and the future B-21 Raider bomber currently under development. It will replace the AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missile currently used on the B-52.

• Are you a US Army soldier? Do you like video games? Well if you are and do, the US Army is looking for personnel to provide input through online gameplay to help develop the Operation Overmatch crowd-sourced innovation platform. The game involves an eight-on-eight scenario with players fighting advanced enemies equipped with realistic capabilities in a variety of real-world scenarios, and is part of the Early Synthetic Prototyping program designed to connect scientists, soldiers and engineers with their ideas on prototype weapons, equipment and tactics. While still in its early development stages, it will allow soldiers to test weapons and tactics and provide instant feedback and data through game analytics. The program will allow the Army to test thousands of variants of weapons and equipment still on the drawing board without the need for spending on prototypes. The game currently features models of planned future armored and unmanned vehicles and is set in an urban environment.

Middle East & Africa

• Elbit Systems’ Hermes 900 UAV has been declared fully operational by the Israel Air Force following the successful completion of evaluations by the service. The inspection carried out included assessments of the aircraft’s operation and maintenance, and the squadron’s flight department’s capability to receive a mission from HQ and complete it successfully, among others. Nicknamed Kochav, it is the most advance UAV in the Israeli Air Force UAV division.

• Boeing has been awarded a $222.5 million contract modification for the production and delivery of eight CH-47F Chinook helicopters to the Royal Saudi Land Forces. Production of the new builds will be conducted at Ridley Township, Penn., with an estimated completion time of July 31, 2021. Last year, the US State Department approved the sale of 48 CH-47F Chinooks and associated equipment to Saudi Arabia in a deal worth an estimated $3.5 billion. The Royal Saudi Land Forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia deploy a variety of US-made helicopters, including UH-60 Black Hawk medium-lift transport aircraft, AH-64 Apache gunships and the CH-47, among others.

Europe

• Norway’s Kongsberg Defense Systems has announced that is will maintain gear boxes on Norway’s Sea King helicopters. The framework agreement, signed with the Norwegian Defense Logistics organization, will run until 2020 at an estimated cost of $37.9 million. Kongsberg also announced it will deliver its Integrated Combat Solution for Finland’s new K9 Thunder 155mm self-propelled artillery, after signing a deal with the howitzer’s manufacturer, South Korea’s Hanwha Land Systems. Finnish modifications to the K9s aim at accommodating the country’s existing digital radios and Patria-made battlefield management system (BMS).

• The Danish government will supply Stinger air-defense missiles and launch systems to the Latvian armed forces with deliveries scheduled to take place next year. While the exact cost and number of systems to be supplied in the acquisition has yet to be revealed, a Latvian government statement said that all units will receive the systems, including the National Guard. Its Ministry of Defense (MoD) added that it is in the process of obtaining support, maintenance and training equipment for the Stinger, as NATO allies help Riga with training for use of the missiles.

Asia Pacific

• India has issued a global request for information (RFI) for a $10 billion acquisition involving 123 naval multi-role helicopters and 111 naval multi-utility helicopters for its Navy. An MoD spokesperson said that Lockheed Martin (which has acquired Sikorsky) and Bell Helicopter of US, Airbus Helicopters of France, and Russian Helicopters of Russia have all been contacted for information, one of which will then pair with one of India’s domestic private sector companies, who in turn will produce the helicopters. Domestic private companies, which will compete to be the strategic partner for both helicopters programs are Bharat Forge Limited, Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited, Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra Aerospace, and Tata Advanced Systems Limited. The latest RFI will be replaced by a formal RFP likely next year, and thereafter the formal selection of the overseas original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The selection process for a strategic partner and an overseas OEM is likely to take two to three years, according to an MoD defense production official.

• Cobham Mission Systems has been selected to provide launchers for South Korea’s next-generation KF-X fighter program. The company will provide an unspecified number of the launchers by 2020 at a cost of $9 million. Ken Kota, general manager of Cobham Mission Systems, called its launcher system “a highly robust, long stroke ejection system that allows the interchangeable carriage and release of either Meteor or AMRAAM air-to-air missiles without role change.” South Korea plans to produce 120 KF-X fighters while Indonesia, a program partner, looks to operate 80 IF-X aircraft.

Today’s Video

• The now fully operational Hermes 900 UAV:

ATD USS Portland completes sea trials | MANTIS to get Mali deployment with German Army | Indonesian government announces Su-35 purchase

Americas

• A Huntington Ingalls-built Amphibious Transport Dock vessel has completed sea trails in the Gulf of Mexico. The future USS Portland will be the US Navy’s 11th San Antonio-class when it is commissioned into service next spring. During the trails, conducted by the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey and completed last Friday, the vessel underwent dockside checks and demonstrations of major systems while at sea. Included in the testing was the ship’s main propulsion engineering and ship control systems, combat and communications systems, damage control, food service and crew support. The crew also underwent a full power run, steering, boat handling and anchoring on the ship, before returning to to Huntington Ingalls’ shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The Navy will take possession of the ship this fall.

• The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded contracts to three companies to develop scalable, modular, and affordable approaches for the Mobile Force Protection program. Dynetics Inc., Saab Defense and Security USA, and SRC Inc were the firms selected for the Phase One contract, which aims to develop new technology to better protect US ground and maritime convoys from fixed-wing and rotary drones, and could see fielding with forces within the next three to four years. The MFP program is aiming for three phases punctuated by open-air demonstrations involving increasingly sophisticated threats and scenarios. The goal is for the technology demonstration system to show initial functionality at the end of Phase 1 and progressively improve, culminating in a full-capability demonstration on a moving vehicle or vessel by the end of Phase 3.

• General Atomics has flown its MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft through unrestricted US airspace for the first time. The August 16 flight saw the aircraft fly for one hour and 45 minutes from Laguna Airfield at Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz., through National Airspace, to the company’s Gray Butte Flight Operations facility near Palmdale, Calif. A GA statement hailed the SkyGuardian as the first “RPA system of its kind with a design-assurance level compliant with international type-certification standards, and can therefore be integrated more easily than legacy RPAs into civil airspace operations around the world.”

Middle East & Africa

• The German military is preparing to deploy the Modular, Automatic and Network capable Targeting and Interception System (MANTIS) counter-rocket, artillery and mortar defence (C-RAM) system to its ongoing peacekeeping mission in Mali, marking the first time the system has been deployed operationally. Jane’s reports that the system will be deployed in November, without its 35mm guns and in its “sense and warn” configuration. A Luftwaffe statement said that the MANTIS system will help defend its troops in Mali from an increase in the threat from rockets, artillery and mortars. MANTIS was originally developed by Rheinmetall Air Defence for protecting the forward-operating bases of the German Army in Afghanistan. Its sensor system comprises of radar, effectors and electro-optical sensors installed on the base perimeter, while a radar sensor in the control system recognises missiles fired onto a base from about 3km.

Europe

• Naval Group (formerly DCNS) of France is to pitch its Gowind corvette in response to a Bulgarian tender for two new warships. Valued at $471 million, the French vessels would come equipped with missiles from MBDA, and it is expected that French President Emmanuel Macron will promote the possible deal during a planned visit to the Bularian capital Sofia this week. In 2016, Bulgaria had planned to buy four Gowind corvettes at a cost of $827 million, paid for with debt financing arranged with a pool of banks led by French bank Societé Générale and payment guaranteed by the Coface export credit agency. However, the deal was cancelled due to budgetary constraints.

• MiG Corporation has announced that it is in talks to bring its MiG-35 multi-role fighter jet to Peru, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. CEO of the aerospace giant, Ilya Tarasenko, said that discussions on the export of the 4++ generation jet will be held with representatives from those countries at this year’s Army-2017 military technical forum, adding that he believes the talks will be successful. Flight tests for the MiG-35 started on January 26, and an international presentation of the plane was held on January 27 in Moscow.

Asia Pacific

• In a joint press conference led by its Defense and Trade Ministers, Indonesia has announced the $1.14 billion purchase of eleven Su-35 fighters from Russia. Under the terms of the agreement, Jakarta will transfer $570 million worth of commodities, such as coffee and palm oil, in addition to cash to pay for the aircraft. The deal is expected to be finalised soon between Indonesian state trading company PT Perusahaan Perdangangan Indonesia and Russian state conglomerate Rostec. Delivery is expected to take place in two batches commencing in 2019.

• Indonesia’s Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) has announced that it plans to introduce a domestically produced UAV by 2022. The agency plans to join up with local companies, ITB, PT Dirgantara Indonesia and PT LEN Persero to develop the medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV for use by the Indonesian Air Force and Ministry of Defense. ITB will act as research partner, PT Dirgantara Indonesia will supply the aircraft, while PT LEN Persero will develop the drone’s control system. It will have a range of 5,000km and can remain airborne for 24 hours. Jakarta plans to procure 33 aircraft in order to keep 11 UAV units operating throughout the country.

Today’s Video

• MANTIS:

Bulgaria Cancels Gowind-200 Corvettes from DCNS, Again

DCNS’ 103m, 1,950t (338 ft., 2,150 ton) Gowind corvettes are directly derived from the design and technological lead advances of the new Franco-Italian FREMM multi-mission frigates.

Following his October 2006 meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev initially gave the go-ahead for negotiations to buy 4 Gowind corvettes. A French-Bulgarian working group was then set up to finalize the estimated EUR 900 million (then about $1.25 billion) contract before the end of 2007, but Bulgaria subsequently backed out, saying that it could not afford the contract. Instead, in December 2007 the Bulgarian navy spent EUR 54 million on a pair of used frigates and a minesweeping vessel from Belgium.

Still, one should never underestimate the power of diplomacy. A July 2008 trip by President Sarkozy appeared to have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. On the other hand, one should never underestimate the power of economics.

• The Gowind Class Corvette
  
• Contracts & Key Events
  
• Additional Readings
  

Chile looks at LORA acquisition for navy | LCS Little Rock completes builder’s trials | Japan awards MHI new destroyer contract

Americas

• Chile is assessing the procurement of a ship-borne long-range attack capability, which if comes to fruition, will make Lima the first South American government to have vessels with a capability to reach targets deep in land. IAI/Malam’s Long Range Attack (LORA) hybrid missile and ballistic weapon is currently been eyed by Chilean military officials as the system of choice, with sources suggesting that initial deployment could take place during the first half of the 2020s. In June, Israel Aerospace Industries successfully test-fired the LORA from a cargo ship.

• The US Air Force has granted contracts to both Boeing and Northrop Grumman for the Ground-based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) phase one program. Valued at $349.1 million and $328.5 million respectively, the firms will conduct technology maturation and risk reduction, to be completed work by Aug. 20, 2020. The GBSD will replace the aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.

• An industry team led by Lockheed Martin has successfully completed builder’s trials of the future Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Little Rock. Conducted on Lake Michigan, LCS 9 Little Rock went through a series of tests and evaluations of its primary systems and propulsion, including reaching flank speeds of over 40 knots. Four Freedom-class LCS vessels have been delivered to the Navy by Lockheed, with the Little Rock and eight others in various stages of production. They will serve alongside the larger Independence-class LCS produced by Austal USA.

Middle East & Africa

• Turkey’s main supplier of command and control suites, combat management systems (CMS) training centers and training simulators, Havelsan, has been contracted to provide a ‘Joint Warfare Center’ to the government of Qatar. While details on the contract remain scarce, it is believed that the sale will include Havelsan’s command, control, communication and intelligence (C4I) products and services with potential scope for the program to involve each of Qatar’s armed services branches. Qatar has previously hired Havelsan to provide its Cabin Team Training Simulator, Tactical Control Center, Flight and Navigation Procedures Trainer and DebriefingSystem, as well as a Full Mission Simulator for the Leonardo AW139 utility helicopter. In July, the firm opened an office in Doha as part of efforts to promote business growth in the country.

• Israel has begun an evaluation process for domestically developed systems and aerial refuelling procedures for its fleet of F-35i ‘Adir’ fighter aircraft. As part of the trials, aerial refuelling tests have been conducted from Tel-Nof air base using one of the service’s Boeing 707 tankers. The tests are an integral part of the Israel Air Force’s work towards declaring the initial operational capability (IOC) for its Joint Strike Fighters.

Europe

• Norwegian defense minister Marie Eriksen Soreide has announced a planned acquisition with German shipyard ThyssenKrupp for the production and delivery of four submarines. The $5.06 billion deal is part of a cooperation agreement between Oslo and Germany, under which Germany’s armed forces will buy two identical submarines from ThyssenKrupp and missiles from Norway’s Kongsberg. Soreide said that contracts for the deal will be signed in 2019 and delivery will commence in the mid-2020s.

• The UK Ministry of Defence (Mod) has announced the three-year extension of a British Army training contract with Saab. Under the terms of the agreement, valued at $26 million, Saab will provide its Tactical Engagement Simulation as a fully managed service, as well as delivering infrastructure, instrumentation and support personnel. The Tactical Engagement System simulates the effects of direct and indirect fire and tracks individual troops and vehicles. It also collects data in real time for after-action review.

Asia Pacific

• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has won a Japanese government competition to lead the contracting work on a new class of multi-purpose destroyers. Eight models are expected to be built over the course of the program and construction is expected to commence in 2019. Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Company has also been selected to act as sub-contractor, after MHI’s design won out against proposals from both Mitsui and Japan Marine United Corporation. Due to enter service by the end of the next decade, the vessels will be designed for a variety of missions including anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures, with the capability to operate helicopters, unmanned surface and underwater vehicles.

Today’s Video

• Cargo ship launch of LORA:

Ten missing after US destroyer collides with oil tanker | F-35 nears Block 3F software IOC | RAAF fields PC-21s in Victoria

Americas

• The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is one more weapons delivery accuracy (WDA) test away from having its initial operating capability (IOC) declared for its Block 3F software. The news comes after a surge by the F-35 Developmental Test team in early August, which saw multiple test events accomplished over the course of a number of days. Speaking on the surge, Torrey Given, a weapons integration engineer with the 461st Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Base, said that the testing allowed the development team to “accomplish some complex air-to-air demonstrations with the (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) in order to show the full capability of the aircraft.” Upon achieving its IOC, the aircraft will then move to operational test organizations so they can be combat proven.

• Israel’s RADA Electronic Industries has been contracted by the US military to deliver its Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar systems. Valued at $8 million, the company stated that the radars will be used by a “key US military force” for air surveillance with “an emphasis on counter-UAS with the most advanced on-the-move capabilities,” adding that dozens of the system will be delivered this year for immediate fielding. More than 300 Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar systems have been delivered to various defense customers. It is an S-band, software-defined, pulse-Doppler, active electronically scanned array systems with beam forming capabilities and advanced signal processing.

• Lockheed Martin Space Systems has won a $21.9 million US Navy contract modification for support of the Trident II D5 submarine launched ballistic missile. Work will be split between Sunnyvale, Calif., Cape Canaveral, Fla. and other locations across the US with a completion date expected by Sept. 30 2017. The Trident II D5 is the submarine-launched ballistic missile deployed by both the US and British Royal Navy, and is the sole nuclear weapon system deployed by the UK.

Middle East & Africa

• The Hermes 900 UAV is likely to have its full operational capability (FOC) declared by the Israeli Air Force before the end of the month. Developed by Elbit Systems, it is expected that the number of Hermes 900s in use with the air force will be increased once FOC is awarded. The MALE UAV was first used in combat during Israel’s 2014 Protective Edge operation in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, accumulating hundreds of flight hours throughout the campaign, flying in excess of 100 times with what the service described as an extremely high success rate. Switzerland and Brazil have also expressed interest in purchasing the UAV.

Europe

• Norwegian firm Nammo A/S has come to a landmark agreement with the Finnish Defense Forces (FDF) to supply its newly developed artillery shells. Helsinki is the first international customer for Nammo’s 155 mm insensitive munitions, high explosive, extended range ammo (IM-HE-ER)—which has been under development since 2002 and partly funded by the state-owned Norwegian Defense Material Agency (NDMA)—which covers almost twice the distance of Nammo’s previous precision-strike artillery ammunition offerings. The ammo purchase forms part of a long-term project by Finland to reinforce the Army’s artillery capability and fire-power, which has already seen the February purchase of second-hand K9 Thunder 155 mm/52 caliber self-propelled artillery systems from South Korea. Training with the K9s will commence in 2019 following a modernization with Finnish sub-systems that include battle management, global positioning, communications and camouflage bolt-ons.

Asia Pacific

• After 72 years, a lost World War 2-era heavy cruiser has been discovered 18,000 feet (5.5km) beneath the surface. The USS Indianapolis was sunk by a Japanese submarine torpedo on 30 July 1945 somewhere in the Philippine sea between Guam and Leyte, resulting in the deaths of 880 seamen—the largest loss of life at sea in the history of the US Navy. Notoriety of the the ship’s sinking intensified after news of the vessel’s final mission, completed just days before the Japanese attack—it carried parts for the atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima as well as enriched uranium fuel for its nuclear reaction. Those supplies were delivered to an American base on Tinian island, in the final year of the war which launched the world’s first nuclear bombing. A spokesman for the survivors, 22 of whom are still alive, said each of them had “longed for the day when their ship would be found”.

• Ten US Navy personnel remain missing after the guided missile destroyer USS John S McCain collided with a Liberian-flagged oil tanker off the coast of Singapore. The collision was first reported at 05:24 local time on Monday, east of the Strait of Singapore, as the US warship was planning to perform a routine port stop in Singapore. Authorities stated that the McCain sustained damage to her port side, while the tanker sustained damage to a tank near the front of the ship 7m (23ft) above the waterline, with no injuries to her crew. A US-led rescue operation with support from the Malaysian and Singaporean navies and coast guards is ongoing.

• The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has fielded its first six Pilatus PC-21 basic trainers at its East Sale air base in Victoria. The Swiss-built turboprops are the first of an eventual 49 PC-21s that will be operated by the RAAF, replacing a 30-year old fleet of PC-9/As in the training of Australian pilots from 2019. A new basic training school will be equipped with 42 of the aircraft, along with seven simulators and related training equipment, four will be assigned to the RAAF’s 4 Sqn to support operational training needs, with the final three will be operated from its Pearce air base in Western Australia for research and development.

Today’s Video

• Interview with USS Indianapolis survivors:

GA requests relaxing of UAV export controls | DSCA clears HIMARS for Romania | B-1B Lancer drops LRASM

Americas

• Raytheon has been granted a $103 million contract to supply its AGM-176 Griffin precision guided missile and associated support to the US Air Force. Work will be conducted in Tuscon, Ariz., and is expected to be finished by Dec. 31, 2018. Originally designed for MC-130 special operations gunships, the light attack missile comes in eitheraft-launch or forward firing variants for aircraft and can also be deployed from ground and naval units.

• The US Navy and Lockheed Martin have completed the first tactical configuration of a Long Range Anti-ship Missile (LRASM) from a B-1B Lancer bomber based out of Edwards Air Base. The free-flight launch was conducted over the Point Mugu Sea Range in California. A Lockheed statement announcing the success stated that the missile “navigated through all planned waypoints, transitioned to mid-course guidance and flew toward the moving maritime target using inputs from the onboard multimodal sensor. The missile then descended to low altitude for final approach to target area, positively identified and impacted the target.” The LRASM is slated to start entering operational service with the B-1B by next year and the F/A-18 Super Hornet by 2019.

• Upgrades planned for the RIM-116C Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Block 2B will include improved seeker and missile-to-missile link (MML) capability. Known as the RAM Block 2B Raid Engineering Change Proposal (ECP), the enhancements will increase the missile’s ability to deal with complex multi-missile raids—in effect allowing missiles to talk to each other. Raytheon’s Block 2B upgrades have aimed to increase the use of kinematic and sensor upgrades, designed to expand the missile’s engagement envelope, so as to defeat more manoeuvrable and higher-speed anti-ship cruise missiles.

• General Atomics has called on the US government to clarify and relax export controls of UAVs to non-NATO customers as the firm announced that it is chasing a sale for its Predator C Avenger UAV. The Avenger, which so far has only been supplied to the US military, is classified by the international missile technology control regime (MTCR) agreement as a Category 1 and is rarely licensed for export. As the Trump administration considers setting new MTCR export policies, GA-ASI chief executive Linden Blue urged the White House to make short-term changes, such as relaxing State Department-imposed policies on UAV exports. Blue added that while US industry had once been the leading exporters in UAVs, the export control regime had given competing suppliers, namely non-MTCR adherents China and Israel, an edge in the global market.

Middle East & Africa

• L3 Vertex Aerospace is to conduct maintenance and logistics on Kuwaiti-operated KC-130J Hercules tanker aircraft, following the award of a $8.9 million US Navy contract. The agreement covers equipment and logistical support for three KC-130J tankers until August 2022 and work will be conducted at Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base, Kuwait. As well as its usual mission to provide mid-air refueling of military aircraft, the aircraft is capable of strike actions using the Harvest Hawk weapons pod—a system that gives the KC-130J the ability to launch laser-guided Hellfire and Griffin missiles.

• The Lebanese Army has commenced military operations against Islamist militants along its shared border with Syria. Operations conducted at the weekend saw the military assault an Islamic State enclave on the northeastern border, as the Lebanese Shi’ite group Hezbollah aiding the Syrian government announced an assault on the militants from the Syrian side of the frontier. During the move, the Lebanese Army also took over positions formally held by the once Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al Nusra Front, finding arms caches that included surface-to-air missiles and US-made TOW anti-tank missiles.

Europe

• The US State Department has cleared the sale of mobile artillery rocket systems to the government of Romania. Estimated at a value of $1.25 billion, the foreign military sale includes the delivery of 54 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and associated equipment and support, with Lockheed Martin acting a lead contractor. Bucharest announced last month that it planned to buy HIMARS and 36 F-16 fighter jets by 2022, part of a larger plan to spend roughly $11.6 billion on military procurements in the years 2017 through 2026. It also plans to acquire Bell Helicopter combat helicopters and a Patriot air and missile defense system.

Asia Pacific

• Japan’s Ministry of Defense has requested $179 million in funding to go towards research on Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) radar technology for the better detection of stealth aircraft. The funding, if approved, will go towards developing and fielding a prototype radar and it is expected that the technology will be ready to roll out in 2024. Tokyo also plans to build a radar system to monitor space junk and other nations’ space-based weapons ahead of its first participation in space-related international war games backed by the US military.

Today’s Video

• The multi-capable Griffin missile: