Spare parts crisis hits F-35 program | Swedes go supersonic with Gripen E | India interested in Canadian Sea Kings

Americas

• Raytheon received Friday a US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) contract, with a ceiling of $1.5 billion, for Army Navy Transportable Radar Surveillance Model 2 (AN/TPY-2) and Sea-Based X-Band (SBX) radar support services.. The follow-on agreement includes AN/TPY-2 radar logistics support, AN/TPY-2 sustaining engineering, AN/TPY-2 transition and transfer, AN/TPY-2 depot transition, SBX logistics support, and SBX sustaining engineering. Work will take place at Raytheon’s Woburn, Massachusetts facility, and several stateside and overseas locations. The contract’s ordering period runs from November 1, 2017, through October 31, 2020, with four successive one year option periods provided in the contract.

• A spare parts shortage has stricken the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program and is severely limiting operational capabilities. A US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released Thursday found that “from January through August 7, 2017, F-35 aircraft were unable to fly about 22 percent of the time due to parts shortages,” and the shortage is likely to plague the program for several years to come. Reasons for the delay include “incomplete plans and funding that did not account for the long lead time parts,” while other instances blamed delays in the establishment of repair capabilities. Lead contractor Lockheed Martin said that it is now looking into finding disciplined ways it can reduce the overall operations and sustainment costs of the F-35 and is working with program partners to build a more cost effective supply chain. The Pentagon currently sustains 250 F-35s, and plans to triple its fleet by the end of 2021 and field 3,200 aircraft globally over the programme’s lifecycle.

Middle East & Africa

• Elbit Systems is to split its Cyberbit operation and bring the intelligence gathering operations back under the parent company’s wing while leaving the commercial business under the Cyberbit brand. The decision was made as the the two sectors diverge operationally and Elbit fear that offering commercial products alongside technologies used for national security and spying could cause confusion. Adi Dar, Cyberbit’s CEO, told a Reuters Cyber Security Summit in Tel Aviv that the “mix between the two provides limitations that we believe that if we remove them it would be for the benefit of the two sides of the equation.” Founded in 2015, Cyberbit had initially seen the structure of offering a homeland security portfolio with phone tapping and monitoring systems, alongside civilian cyber protection for banks and utilities, as an advantage.

Europe

• Saab’s Gripen E smart fighter flew its first supersonic flight on October 18, the firm announced last Friday. During the flight, conducted over the Baltic Sea, the aircraft conducted maneuvers to demonstrate its aerodynamic design and powerful engine, and the data collected will go towards the ongoing flight trials for the fighter program. Saab said that the milestone had been preceded by over 20 flying hours since the jet’s first flight back on June 15, 2017.

• After a year’s delay, Slovakia received the first of two ordered C-27J Spartan military transporters. It landed at an airbase in Kuchyna, Záhorie region, on October 24 ahead of the official handover ceremony scheduled for tomorrow, October 31. Delivery of the second aircraft is expected for early next year. Manufactured by Italian aircraft-builder Leonardo, a Slovak government spokesperson said that the possibility of imposed penalties on the firm for the delayed delivery will only be announced once negotiations have been completed. The Spartans will fill Slovakia’s capability gap left by the phasing out of its Soviet-era An-24 transport planes—one of which crashed in 2006 resulting in 42 deaths, including a contingent of peacekeeping troops returning from duty in Kosovo.

Asia Pacific

• Two AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters will be delivered to the Queensland government in Australia, Leonardo has announced. Coming at a cost of approximately $15 million each, the rotorcraft are expected to replace two older models in 2018 under Queensland’s fleet modernization program, and will be tasked with providing additional medical services as well as conducting both sea and land search and rescue missions. Once delivered, Queensland will have total of five AW139s in its fleet, with Australia as a whole operating more than 120 of the helicopters.

• In response to a US House of Representatives vote extending sanctions against Iran’s ballistic missile program, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed to continue production of missiles for its defense. “We have built, are building and will continue to build missiles, and this violates no international agreements,” Rouhani said in a speech to parliament Sunday that was broadcast on state television. The sanctions come as Washington looks to curb Tehran’s influence in the region in the wake of expanding influence in Iraq and Syria without without immediately moving to undermine an international nuclear agreement. Despite claims by the Trump Administration that Iran has violated terms of the 2015 agreement, the UN watchdog in Tehran has vouched for Iran’s compliance.

• It’s been reported that the Indian government has expressed interest in procuring retired Canadian CH-124 Sea King helicopters. 16 Sea Kings have so far been taken out of service as Ottawa replaces them with the CH-148 Cyclone and the matter of selling them on was discussed during Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s trip to India last spring. 24 Sea King’s will eventually be up for grabs when the final ones are retired by 2018 with the current resale value average just shy of $200k. India isn’t the only party interested, however, with five out governments and organisations also expressing informal interest in the helicopters for either search and rescue and transport duties.

Today’s Video

• Supersonic Swede: Interview with Gripen E test pilot, Robin Nordlander:

Northrop drop out of Navy’s Stringray program | Six more Super Tucano’s for Afghanistan | Eurofighter add sweeteners to Belgian fighter competition

Americas

• Northrop Grumman has pulled out of the US Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray unmanned refueler competition. Despite being the company who developed the test platform that proved a UAV could take off and land from an aircraft carrier, CEO Wes Bush cited the Navy’s requirements in the request for proposal issued earlier this month as the reason for the firm’s forfeiture from the race, noting “if you can’t really execute on it and deliver on it to your customer and your shareholders, then you’ve done the wrong thing.” That leaves Boeing, Lockheed Martin and General Atomics still in the race.

• Orbital ATK announced hitting the milestone of delivering its 1,000th tactical motor for the AGM-114 Hellfire missile to military customers. The motor is currently in service with the US Armed Forces as well as 16 other allied nations, and is utilized on dozens of platforms ranging from helicopters, aircraft, unmanned aircraft, land combat vehicles and combat ships. The company is also working on upgrading the Hellfire rocket motor to include insensitive munitions, called the IM Hellfire, which will be produced exclusively at the Orbital’s new Large Tactical Motor Manufacturing Facility in Rocket Center, West Virginia. Also in development is a rocket pulse motors capable of operating at extremely cold temperatures that provide increased range and flexibility for both tactical and defense applications.

• For the ninth consecutive year, Lockheed Martin has been selected by the US Air Force for follow-on production of Paveway II plus Laser-Guided Bomb Kits. Valued at $131 million, the award also includes all available funding for the service’s foreign military sales and replacement kits. Paveway II Plus includes an enhanced guidance package turns free-fall, or dumb bombs, into laser guided weapons through the addition of a nose-mounted laser seeker and fins for guidance. Production is expected to commence in the first quarter of Fiscal year 2018.

Middle East & Africa

• Embraer and its US partner Sierra Nevada Corp. will produce and deliver a further six A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft to the Afghan Air Force. Production of the aircraft will start immediately at Sierra Nevada’s plant in Jacksonville, Florida, and once delivered, Kabul will be operating 29 of the aircraft in its fleet. Speaking on the order, Embraer said they were “proud to continue our support of the Air Force’s A-29 Afghanistan Program,” citing the order as “a testament to the capability of the A-29.”

Europe

• On October 26, the Lithuanian government signed a $127.7 million contract with Kongsberg to move forward with the procurement of the Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). Included in the deal are two air defence batteries and logistical maintenance package, as well as training for operators and maintenance personnel of the system. Deliveries are expected to be complete by 2021.

• Following in the footsteps of Dassault’s generous fighter jet offer to Belgium, the Eurofighter consortium is offering its own incentives in conjunction with the Eurofighter Typhoon, as part of efforts to woo Brussels for its business. The offer includes a commitment by members BAE Systems, Airbus Defense and Space, Leonardo and missile systems company MBDA to try and develop two national innovation centers in Belgium, one in Flanders and one in Wallonia, and would focus on advanced manufacturing and additive layer manufacturing. The partners will invest in the development of research agendas by the centers. BAE Systems have also offered to establish infrastructure, technology and training to accommodate and run a Belgian National Network Cyber Center in partnership with the UK and Belgian Governments. The offer comes shortly after BAE Systems announced over 2,000 redundancies at its UK facilities due to dwindling Typhoon orders.

Asia Pacific

• Five Beechcraft TC-90 training aircraft will be donated free of charge by Japan to the Philippines following recent legislative changes made by Japan’s parliament that makes the transfer of military hardware easier to allied nations. Two of the aircraft had already been delivered to Manilla under a lease agreement with the next three scheduled to arrive in March 2018. But according to Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency, the deal changed after the Philippines approached them with a request to switch from a leasing arrangement to one where it would acquire the naval reconnaissance aircraft free of charge. They added that they hope the aircraft will enhance the Philippines’ ability to protect its waters and help the country better deal with Chinese efforts to build military facilities in the South China Sea.

• French firms Dassault, Thales and Safran, have been slapped with a $268 million fine by Taiwan in relation to a scandal involving kickbacks paid during the 1992 sale of 60 Mirage 2000 fighters to the island. Dassault will pay the biggest share, $155 million, while Thales and Safran will have to pay $64 and 29 million respectively. Reports stated that all three companies are now considering what next steps will be taken. The Mirage sale was one of a number of arms deals between French companies and Taiwan in the early 1990s that have recently come under scrutiny and have underpinned accusations of widespread corruption during the final years of then-French president Francois Mitterrand. The sales also soured relations between France and China, who oppose any foreign military sales to Taiwan—whom they consider a wayward province.

Today’s Video

• SpaceX launches US Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command’s (USASMDC/ARSTRAT) Kestrel Eye microsatellite:

Posting Notice

Dear readers,

We are out of the office today! As a result, there will be no Daily Rapid Fire published tomorrow, Friday October 27. But fear not. Regular publishing will resume Monday, packed full of your favourite defense industry news, contracts, and scandals.

Early Edition subscribers will of course receive their newsletter on Sunday.

Have a good weekend!

Elta tapped for radar work on Canadian SAR | Israel resumes Apache flights | Griping Bulgarian MiG pilots strike, AF blames weather

Americas

• New search-and-rescue aircraft (SAR) aircraft being manufactured by Airbus for Canada will come equipped with Elta Systems’ ELM-2022A maritime patrol radar. 16 radars will be delivered for integration on the C295 aircraft being procured, however, Elta’s parent company, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), did not disclose any further details in relation to the sale. IAI did say that the multi-mode radar will assist in all aspects of the Canadian SAR mission, offering detection, localization, classification, and tracking of targets over water and land in all weather conditions, day and night. So far, 250 ELM-2022 radars have been supplied to customers worldwide in more than 25 countries, and this is the eighth project IAI have collaborated with Airbus on for maritime patrol radars. Costing Ottawa some USD$2.4 billion, deliveries of the new SAR aircraft will run from 2019 until 2022, with the C295s gradually taking over duty from Canada’s six de Havilland Canada CC-155 Buffalos and 13 Lockheed Martin CC-130H Hercules at four bases spread across the country.

• Orbital ATK has been selected by Lockheed Martin to produce additional composite components for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Valued at $24 million, the three-year deal calls for delivery of F-35 bullnose and blade seals, adding to the upper and lower wing skins, engine nacelles and access covers that Orbital already produces for the next-gen fighter. Work will take place at Orbital’s facility in Clearfield, Utah.

• The US Navy has tasked Engility Corp. with providing electronic warfare enhancements for aircraft operated both by the service and the Australian government. The $9.3 million modification adds to a previous indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract worth more than $39.8 million dollars in award obligations for electronic warfare weapon system modifications to the Navy and Australian government’s electronic warfare aircraft, and will cover aircraft such as the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler, the Boeing EA-18G Growler, Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye, Sikorsky MH-60 Seahawk, Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton and the Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft. Modifications to the EW weapons system include internal software system upgrades to allow for better threat analysis and sensor intelligence mission data files, along with other enhanced capabilities like signals jamming techniques. Contract completion is scheduled for September 2018 with work to be carried out at Point Mugu, California.

Middle East & Africa

• Israeli military authorities have lifted the remaining restrictions on AH-64 Apache flights following an accident this summer. The IAF Apache fleet had been temporarily grounded in the immediate aftermath of the August 7 crash—which resulted in the death of one crew member—but flights were later resumed under heavy restrictions while a final report on the incident was being compiled. The final report found that the crash at Ramon air base was caused by incorrect installation of a tail rotor control rod after a preliminary report ruled out a previously identified problem of tail rotor blade cracks which caused a temporary halt to operations in July.

• IAI announced Tuesday that the firm has supplied several advanced 3D surveillance and defense radars to an unnamed NATO customer. Produced by the firm’s radar-specialising subsidiary, Elta Systems, no further details, including the cost, of the systems delivered have been disclosed. IAI noted that the radars had been integrated within the national and NATO air and missile defense system, providing close-to-the-force air defense support that can pick up an array of airborne equipment, including low-altitude high-speed fighter aircraft, helicopters, UAVs and low-speed ultra-light aircraft.

Europe

• Despite Bulgaria’s government announcing a new tender to replace its MiG-29 fighter aircraft, Bulgarian Air Force (BAF) pilots have reportedly refused to fly in the the ageing Soviet-era aircraft. The training flights had been scheduled to take place on the morning of October 24 from Graf Ignatievo Air Force Base, and BAF brass later attributed the cancelled flights to bad weather. But media reports cite a mixture of safety concerns and low morale for the stand down, and pilots are said to be unhappy over Sofia’s delay in choosing a new fighter after ditching an interim government’s decision to move ahead with purchasing Saab’s JAS-39 Gripen aircraft. The government meanwhile, accused a rabble rouser of “artificially creating tension” among the pilots and that the Defense Ministry was looking into the situation.

Asia Pacific

• Japan needs a long-range strike capability, according to a piece from RAND political scientist, Jeffrey W. Hornung. Arguing that Japanese governments since the Ichiro Hatoyama administration (1952) had agreed in theory that the constitution allows Japan to strike enemy missile sites, Hornung suggested that now “may be time to move beyond the theoretical,” and move forward with procuring the munitions in order to boost its deterrence capabilities, removing the pressure on its two-tiered ballistic missile defense system. He added that in order to fill in the gaps, Tokyo could proceed with plans to purchase the land-based Aegis Ashore system and deploy more advanced missile interceptors for Japan’s sea-based and land-based systems, adding range, altitude and accuracy.

• India completed Tuesday an Indian Air Force (IAF) drill that saw the touchdown of 20 military aircraft on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway. Aircraft involved in the exercise included Mirage 2000, Su-30MKI and Jaguar fighter aircraft, as well as An-32 and the C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft. The Super Hercules landing, the first of its kind on the highway, saw commandos exit the aircraft and take positions on either side of the makeshift airstrip to cordon if off for fighter operations.

Today’s Video

• Indian Super Hercules lands on Agra-Lucknow Expressway:

Rescue Required: Canada’s Search-And-Rescue Aircraft Program

The USA isn’t the only country whose SAR (search and rescue) aircraft programs are having a hard go of it lately. In 2004, Canada announced a program to replace its aging DHC-5 (CC-115) Buffalo (West Coast) and CC-130E/H Hercules (East Coast) search-and-rescue planes with at least 15 new aircraft. Some of the Canadian Forces’ CC-130s have already been grounded after flying 40,000 – 50,000 hours, and a contract has been signed for C-130J replacements.

The SAR project hasn’t been so lucky. The first SAR aircraft was supposed to be delivered in 2006, with all deliveries complete by 2009. Unfortunately, the Conservative Harper government temporarily shelved the project when it came to power, and subsequent efforts to restart it have featured one poor performance after another. The competitors have since expanded beyond the familiar duo of the Alenia C-27J Spartan with its speed advantage and C-130J compatibility, vs. the EADS-CASA C-295M with its longer fuselage and lower operating costs. Yet expanded options are no substitute for serving planes, and at least 1 victim has already died because the current fleet was unserviceable. What Canada’s SAR program really needs right now is transparency and urgency. Neither is currently in evidence.

Israel’s AH-64A Attack Helos Get Custom Upgrades – Despite the USA

Israel’s attack helicopter fleet still flies AH-1 Cobras, but larger and more heavily armored AH-64 Apache helicopters began arriving in 1990, and have distinguished themselves in a number of war since. The country received 44 AH-64A helicopters from 1990 – 1993. Additional buys, conversions, and losses placed the fleet at 45 helicopters as of Flight Global’s World Air Forces 2013 report, split between AH-64As and more modern AH-64D Longbows.

The AH-64D Longbow’s sophisticated mast-mounted radar can quickly pick up tanks and other dangerous targets, but isn’t designed to distinguish civilians from combatants, or to hover close over the deck in highly populated areas. Confronted by asymmetrical urban warfare and budget priority issues, and faced with a lack of cooperation from the Obama administration, the IAF decided in 2010 to forego AH-64D upgrades for their remaining helicopters. On the other hand, the type’s consistent usefulness has led Israeli to make extensive improvements of their own, to the point where Israel has effectively created their own improved AH-64A configuration…

NATO exercise sees SM-6 intercept | Bulgaria drops Gripen, requests info on F-16s and Eurofighters | SK, US, and Japan, start missile tracking drill

Americas

• Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $14.7 million US Air Force (USAF) contract to enhance the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast out system, among other parts of the communications system on the C-5. Work to be undertaken include C-5 communications, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management engineering and manufacturing development program and incorporates the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast out technology. Work will be completed at Marietta, Ga., and is expected to be completed by September 25, 2019. Lockheed’s C-4 Galaxy has been in service since 1970 and is one of the world’s largest transport aircraft.

• The crew testing an Embraer KC-390 prototype aircraft had to request an early return to base after completing stall tests on the aircraft. Conducted on October 12, the routine test was part of Embraer’s flight certification efforts for the KC-390 ahead of deliveries next year, however, during the flight, decreased lift force caused an altitude loss that would prematurely call the KC-390 crew back to the firm’s manufacturing and flight test centre at Gavião Peixoto, Brazil. No further details on the incident were given. The tactical transport and tanker aircraft is expected to enter service with the Brazilian Air Force in 2018 with Brasilia expected to receive a total of 28 units.

Middle East & Africa

• Advanced Technology Systems Co. of McLean, Va. has been awarded a $64 million firm-fixed-price, cost reimbursable, and time-and-materials contract for Egyptian border security. Under the terms of the deal, the firm will provide Cairo with a mobile surveillance sensor security system to support the Egyptian Board Guard mission of securing Egypt’s national borders from international terrorist organizations that may travel into the region from Iraq, Sudan, Libya or Chad. Work will take place at its subsidiary, STARA Technologies Corp., Gilbert, Arizona, with a scheduled completion time set for August 20, 2019.

Europe

• A NATO-led international ballistic missile defense exercise off of the coast of Scotland concluded with the successful interception of a medium-range missile with a Standard Missile-3. Known as Formidable Shield, the exercise ran from September 24 to October 17 with participants from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Britain and the United States, and was designed to assess the capabilities of allied ballistic missiles and air warfare defenses at sea, with the goal of improving NATO allies’ ability to respond to incoming threats. During the SM-3 test, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) successfully detected, tracked and intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target with a Standard Missile-3 Block IB guided missile. Simultaneously, the Spanish frigate SPS Alvaro de Bazan (F101) fired an Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) against an incoming anti-ship cruise missile while the Netherlands frigate HNLMS Tromp (F803) fired ESSMs against a pair of incoming anti-ship cruise missiles. Manufacturer Raytheon added that the first land-based version of the SM-3 to became operational in Romania in 2016, and a site in Poland is expected to be in service by next year.

• The US State Department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of the potential foreign military sale of 12 Bell UH-1Y twin-engine, medium-sized utility helicopters to the Czech Republic. If approved, the Central European nation will be the first foreign operator of the rotorcraft. Valued at an estimated $575 million, the package includes 25 T-700 GE 401C engines, 13 Honeywell Embedded GPS/INS systems and 12 7.62mm M240 Machine Guns. Other items requested by Prague include the Brite Star II FLIR system, aircraft survivability equipment, the AN/AAR-47 missile warning and laser detection system, AN/ALE-47 counter-measure dispensing systems, and joint mission planning systems. Bell Helicopter, Textron and General Electric Company will act as principal contractors on the deal.

• Bulgaria has pulled away from plans to procure eight JAS-39 Gripen fighter aircraft and will instead launch a new tender for new fighter aircraft. The Defense Ministry said it will request new offers from Portugal and Italy—who had previously offered second-hand F-16s and the Eurofighter Typhoon respectively—after the tender is officially filed in November. The decision to ditch the Gripen was made in early October following the release of a report from the special committee of the Bulgarian parliament, who called on the Cabinet to relaunch its MiG-29 fighter replacement tender despite the recommendation of a ministerial expert group that ranked the Gripen as the top choice. Approximately $899.8 million has been earmarked for the program.

Asia Pacific

• An Indian Air Force (IAF) official has made claims that the service is looking to end involvement with PAK-FA next-generation fighter aircraft program, urging the government to back out of the effort. The aircraft is a collaborative effort between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Russian air giant, Sukhoi, but also involves work from various Russian design bureaus. The IAF source claimed that the “IAF is not keen to continue with the program,” and cited concerns such as an insufficient reduction in radar cross-section (RCS), especially in comparison to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, and difficulties in the Russia’s ability to demonstrate that it can produce the requisite technologies for 5th-generation fighters, such as electronic subsystems. Standing behind the program, however, is HAL, who is confident that the PAK-FA will succeed, arguing that the depth of technology-transfer being offered to India under the PAK-FA is not available elsewhere.

• South Korea and Japan have kicked off a two-day missile tracking drill on Tuesday, in anticipation of any missile or nuclear attacks from North Korea. the anti-missile drills have been conducted every few months since an agreement was made last year during a Security Consultative Meeting between South Korea and the United States. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the exercises will take place in coastal waters off South Korea and Japan and involves four Aegis-equipped ships from the three countries. No missiles will be fired during the exercise.

Today’s Video

• Turkey’s Kargu rotary-wing kamikaze drone:

Navy sceptical of RAND aircraft carrier suggestions | THAAD handed over to USFK | Egypt to discuss Rafales, covettes, and human rights with France

Americas

• Boeing has suggested the inclusion of equipment upgrades on US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets slated for service life extension work from next year. Negotiations between the firm and Navy for the first service life modification (SLM) contract are currently underway, which will lay out the structural modifications the company will conduct to extend the life of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet from 6,000 to 9,000 flight hours. Additional modernization work suggested by Boeing that could be carried out during the life extension include an upgrade to the more advanced Block III configuration, addition of conformal fuel tanks, an advanced cockpit station and advanced networking, as well as application of a low observable coating to the aircraft to help reduce the aircraft’s signature. Despite these ideas, Boeing was unable to give a full costing for these additional upgrades with Boeing’s director of SLM, Mark Sears, saying that there would be an additional cost to develop the Block III retrofit kits as well as “a few million” dollars more per plane to make the relevant changes. The Super Hornet SLM effort is set to take about 10 years, with as many as 50 aircraft going through the process modifications per year starting in 2023.

• US President Donald Trump signed Friday an executive order that will allow the US Air Force to recall as many as 1,000 retired pilots back to active duty. Under current law, only 25 pilots can be recalled by the service. The October 20 order comes after the military said that the flying branch is lacking 1,500 pilots, however, the service said it does not plan to use the new flexibility given by the Commander in Chief. Speaking on the executive order, Ann Stefanek, the chief of Air Force media operations, said Sunday the added power provided by Trump is appreciated but the Air Force does not “currently intend to recall retired pilots.”

• A report from US think tank the Rand Corporation on alternative aircraft carrier designs for the US Navy has come with a word of warning from the Navy. Copies of the report were submitted by the sailing branch to Congress with a letter warning that none of the four designs proposed would meet current operational requirements and might require new concept of operations, but it added that it would further study those concepts as it examines the design of its fleet of the future. Two of the designs are based on the Ford-class and America-class carriers while the other two are fresh ideas that will require engineering development. Shortfalls found in the designs closer in size to the Ford-class included a reduction in the capabilities the Navy requires of its aircraft carriers for mission success, according to the Sept. 8 letter. The smaller of those two variants wouldn’t be cost-effective or feasible because of engineering challenges, the Navy said.

Middle East & Africa

• Turkey’s Undersecretary of Defense Industry (SSM) Ismail Demir has told Turkish state media that production has started on a series of lightweight “kamikaze drones” capable of being operated by one soldier. The two models include the tactical striking, fixed-wing Alpagu and the rotating-wing Kargu, both capable of operating within a 5 kilometre range and striking targets during either the day or night. An additional rotating-wing system—the Togan—is also in production and will be tasked with surveillance missions.

• Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sissi is expected to use his trip to Paris this week to raise the issue with his French counterpart over purchasing additional Rafale fighters, as well as two more DCNS Gowind 2500 corvettes. Cairo currently has 24 Rafale fighters and four Gowind 2500 corvettes on order under a 2015 multi-billion contract signed with the previous French government. However, that deal was financed with the help of loans underwritten by the French government and it remains unclear whether Paris would extend fresh loans for further purchases. French President Emmanuel Macron is also expected to raise human rights abuses with al-Sissi, after receiving criticism at home for remaining silent in the face of increasing violations of freedoms by Sisi’s government in the run up to the 2018 presidential elections.

Europe

• Russian Helicopters confirmed on October 19 that its first batch of Mi-28UB helicopters will be ready for delivery to the Russian Ministry of Defense from next month. The firm added that the first units of the combat training helicopter have already completed factory tests. Chief Executive Officer of Russian Helicopters, Andrey Boginsky said the “emergence of training and combat version offers almost unlimited possibilities in terms of improving the pilots training system for Mi-28N. I’d like to note that the opportunity of learning not on the simulator but on a real combat helicopter is a considerable advantage of our military pilots compared to their colleagues from other countries.”

• German and Israeli authorities have given conflicting comments on a submarine deal that has been shrouded in a corruption scandal. While a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed after a three month delay, Berlin reiterated that a deal has not been concluded and that it will wait for Israeli prosecutors to complete all investigations into the scandal involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before delivering the three submarines manufactured by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. Israeli officials, however, are seeing the sale as a done deal, with Housing Minister Yoav Gallant welcoming “the German approval”. The 2016 deal has been under public scrutiny since it emerged that Netanyahu’s personal lawyer also represented the local agent of ThyssenKrupp, and several Israelis have been arrested in connection with the case since the summer.

Asia Pacific

• The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery recently deployed to South Korea has been officially handed over to US Forces Korea (USFK). An official ceremony was held on Oct. 19 to mark the transfer Delta Battery of the 11th Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Brigade in Fort Bliss, Texas, to the 35th ADA Brigade in South Korea. A joint security force comprising US and South Korean troops is also being formed to guard the Seongju base, troops to come from South Korea’s 201st Special Assault Brigade under the 2nd Operation Command and USFK’s special combined security force. THAADs deployment has proved a controversial decision, with locals living near the battery demanding the system’s removal.

Today’s Video

• Turkey’s Alpagu kamikaze drone:

SpaceX to launch secret government payload in November | More MSVFs destined for Afghanistan | South Korea to form Global Hawk ISR unit

Americas

• Boeing has awarded Lockheed Martin two contracts to upgrade the latter’s IRST21 sensor system for use on the US Navy’s F/A-18E/F fleet. According to Lockheed, the Block II contracts provide up to $100 million “for developing advanced software, performing hardware upgrades and delivering prototypes,” with the aim to “enhance IRST21’s proven detection, tracking and ranging capabilities in radar-denied environments.” Compared to radar, IRST21 significantly enhances the resolution of multiple targets, giving pilots a “see first, strike first” capability that will allow them to accurately identify threat formations at longer ranges. The IRST21’s predecessor, the IRST, has accumulated more than 300,000 flight hours on the US Navy’s F-14 and on international F-15 platforms.

• Some time in November, but possibly November 15, will see SpaceX launch a classified government payload, according to regulatory filings. Under the codename “Zuma,” the spacecraft is being supplied by Northrop Grumman and will be launched into orbit by a Falcom 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. While further information on the mission may never come to light, similarly classified launches of satellites built by Lockheed Martin for undisclosed customers were launched by United Launch Alliance in 2009 and 2014. It was later revealed in documents leaked by Edward Snowden that at least one of the Lockheed satellites, called Palladium At Night (PAN), was used to intercept data for intelligence and military operations over the Middle East.

Middle East & Africa

• Textron Systems Marine and Land Systems received Wednesday, a $332.9 US Army order for up to 255 Mobile Strike Force Vehicles (MSFV). Based out of New Orleans, La., the firm will allocate work locations and funding depending on each order, with a scheduled completion date scheduled for October 2024. Based on Textron’s Commando Select 4×4 armoured vehicles, the MSFV comes in three variants including an armored personnel carrier (APC) equipped with a Mk.19 Grenade Launcher, an automatic belt-fed weapon system that fires 40mm grenades, and a .50 caliber machine-gun turret. While the recipient of the vehicles was not mentioned in the contract, Textron sources speaking to Jane’s confirmed that the contract will support the Afghan National Army (ANA) Defense and Security Forces. Since the first vehicles were shipped to Afghanistan in 2011, 634 MSFVs spread across all three variants have been provided to the ANA.

Europe

• Saab has been tapped by MBDA to provide subsystems work on the European missile maker’s Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile. Under the $18.4 million deal, Saab will produce and deliver a radar proximity fuze system for the missile, which detects the target and calculates the best time to detonate the warhead to achieve maximum effect. Deliveries will take place from 2020 through to 2021. Last year, the Swedish Air Force became the first operator of the Meteor, testing it extensively on its Saab Jas-39 Gripen fighters, and MBDA plan to equip the missile on the Eurofighter Typhoon, F-35, and Dassault Rafale operated by several European and world air forces.

• As part of investigations into the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine, it has been reported that the Georgian government transferred a Buk missile to the Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service earlier this year. The missile type is suspected to have been the one responsible for the aircraft’s downing, after being supplied by Moscow to ethnic Russian separatists fighting for secession from Ukraine. The Netherlands had previously tested the Buk’s explosive power during tests in Finland, and in conjunction to the investigation, the Dutch Defense Ministry also wants to see the extent to which the missile can pose a threat to the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Over 100 persons of interest have been identified by Dutch Chief Prosecutor Fred Westerbeke, including those who organised the arrival of the rocket and oversaw its transport from Russia to Ukraine and back.

Asia Pacific

• US rifle manufacturer Barrett will supply 40 M107A1 anti-materiel weapon and 42 Multi-Role Adaptive Design (MRAD) sniper rifle to New Zealand’s Defense Force. The weapons will be carried by infantry personnel and commandos. Estimated to cost in excess of $2.85 million, the sale also includes day optics, suppressors and ballistic computer auxiliary equipment to complement the weapon systems. They will be inducted into service by mid-2018.

• South Korean firms signed a number of cooperation agreements and ventures with foreign UAV manufacturers at this year’s ADEX event in Seoul. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Huneed Technologies Co. Ltd that will see them look to identify common areas of technology, manufacturing, and strategic interests, paving the way for Huneed to become a key in-country strategic supplier for GA-ASI in Korea. Another MoU was signed between GA-ASI and Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology gives opens the door for better understanding of the civil airspace environment of South Korea its regulatory structure. Meanwhile, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Hankuk Carbon formed a joint venture to offer UAsV, which Korea Aviation Technologies will manufacture, on both the military and civilian markets, specifically in South Korea.

• The Republic of Korea Air Force is planning to set up a new airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) unit in December, specifically tasked with analysing the data collected from its new RQ-4 Global Hawk assets. A total of four Global Hawks are on order, with the first batch of two scheduled to arrive next year followed by the final two in 2019. The new unit will work alongside Seoul’s existing ISR battalion which includes a fleet of four Boeing 737-700 Peace Eye airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) system aircraft.

Today’s Video

• Syrian Democratic Forces perform celebratory donuts after evicting ISIS from Raqqa:

Concept contacts awarded for new 360 degree Patriot radar | DA Defense to enter USAF ADAIR competition | SM-6s for Japan’s Aegis Ashore?

Americas

• Canadian defense contractor Discovery Air Defense is to enter the United States Air Force’s (USAF) Adversary Air (ADAIR) competition with the General Dynamics F-16. The firm told Jane’s that it had just finalized a deal to procure a “large volume” of the aircraft and that competing firms were offering third-generation solutions masquerading as fourth-generation one. Multiple awards for as much as $6 billion combined are expected for ADAIR, with the Navy also in source selection for its own procurement for adversary air training. Potential competitors for ADAIR joining DA Defense include Saab’s Gripen Aggressor and a Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) bid offering the French-built Dassault F1 fighters.

• It’s been reported that a number of contracts have been awarded by the Department of Defense Ordnance Technology Consortium (DOTC) to four companies to come up with concept designs for the Army’s long-running Patriot air-and-missile defense radar replacement. Based on their previous involvement with the Patriot program, both Raytheon and Lockheed Martin received contracts to develop new concepts for the radar, while Northrop Grumman also confirmed its involvement in the concept phase of the program. Another firm, Brea, California-based Technovative Applications, has also been reported to have landed another Army contract, which are expected to run for 15 months. After spending years debating what will replace the Patriot’s Raytheon-manufactured radar, the Army announced earlier this year a competition for a brand new 360-degree, lower-tier AMD sensor that can detect different evolving threats coming from any direction, be they ones that ones that fly slower, faster or manoeuvre differently.

Middle East & Africa

• Egypt’s first Gowind 2500 corvette from French shipbuilder Naval Group (formerly DCNA) and the second Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) Type 209/1400 diesel-electric submarine (SSK) have been delivered to the Navy’s naval facility at Alexandria. Cairo has four Gowind 2500 corvettes on order under a $1.1 billion order from France in 2015 and four TKMS Type 209/1400 SSKs from Germany in 2012. The Gowind procurement is part of a multi-billion-dollar arms package agreed with France, and includes two Mistral landing helicopter docks (LHD)—delivered in 2016—a DCNS FREMM multi-mission frigate and 24 Dassault Rafale fighters. Funding for the deal saw Paris provide a $3.76 billion loan to support 60% of the purchase, with Cairo coughing up 40% in upfront payments from the treasury.

• Denel Group of South Africa has given updates on its A-Darter high-off-boresight (HOBS) air-to-air missile (AAM) and Marlin radar-guided beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile programs. The firm said the A-Darter recently completed seeker performance qualification flight trials and is expected to complete final qualification tests by the end of the year ahead of entering serial production. Regarding the Marlin, Chief systems engineer Ivan Gibbons said the missile has completed various tests such as rocket motor firings and firing of a largely complete missile from the Denel Overberg Test Range two years ago by utilizing a ground-mounted launcher to test the missile’s manoeuvrability and flight characteristics. Target markets for the missiles include Algeria, Brazil, Kenya, Malaysia, Mozambique, Oman, Pakistan, South Africa, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Europe

• The Greek government has replied to criticism surrounding the recent US State Department approval of an upgrade package for its fleet of F-16s. In a notice posted by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), 123 F-16s will be upgraded to the V-standard at a cost estimated to reach $2.4 billion. However, this figure has been criticised by the opposition New Democracy, who said the government was “offering jobs not in Greece but in the US,” and lamented the sale as “an expensive deal”. In response, Defense Minister Panos Kammenos said that the budget ceiling for the program is only $1.3 billion and the “rest relates to subsidy packages and offsets.” While no offsets have so far been agreed to, the DSCA notice noted that Greece usually requests offsets, and that any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between Greece and the contractor—Lockheed Martin.

• A $18.2 million US Navy contract modification has been awarded to Orbital ATK to undertake conversion work of high-speed, anti-radiation missiles into advanced medium-range air-to-ground guided missiles with counter-enemy shutdown capability for the Italian government. The previous firm-fixed contract award called for the procurement and transition of AGM-88B High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM), to the latest generation of AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM). Differences between the two munitions is that the AARGM has an advanced guidance section and control abilities that use a multi-mode seeker to counter enemy shut-down capability, as well as an onboard Weapons Impact Assessment subsystem that supports battlefield commanders in conducting after-action battle damage assessments. It can also relay impact assessment data prior to the impact on target. The majority of the contract’s work will take place in California, with some to take place in Istrana, Italy. Contract conclusion is scheduled to March 2019.

Asia Pacific

• Shaking off the ongoing corruption allegations being investigated at the firm, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has been busy chasing sales at this year’s International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (ADEX) in Seoul. The firm is currently looking to start negotiations with Thailand for an additional batch of four T-50TH trainer aircraft, adding to the eight initially procured by and delivered to Bangkok and a contract signed earlier this year for a further four aircraft scheduled to be delivered in 2018. Thailand had intended to acquire all of its planned 16 T-50s in a single go, but budget constraints forced the government to pursue a multi-batch procurement. The aircraft are scheduled to replace the Royal Thai Air Force’s Aero L-39 Albatros jet trainers. Other target nations for the T-50 include Botswana and Argentina, but these deals have been pushed back until at least 2018.

• The Japanese government is considering the inclusion of SM-6 interceptors—in conjunction with the anti-ballistic missile SM-3 Block IIA interceptor—at its proposed ground-based Aegis Ashore installations, giving the systems the capacity to counter cruise missiles. While a shorter-range will limit the SM-6’s coverage, Tokyo is deeming it a necessary procurement to counter the threat of Chinese bombers like the H-6, which can carry cruise missiles loaded with nuclear warheads that have a range of more than 1,500 kilometers. These aircraft are frequently sighted in the skies around Japan and current anti-air missiles in Japanese stocks are not designed to intercept cruise missiles until they are very close. While Aegis Ashore won’t be online until at least 2023, SM-6s will be deployed on Japan’s Aegis warships from next year.

Today’s Video

• Naval Group delivers Gowind 2500 to Egyptian Navy: