Raytheon Tapped To Launch Harm | Saab Will Further Self-Fund ARTHUR | MDHI To Bid For Australia Special Force Helicopters

Americas

Raytheon won a $17.8 million firm-fixed-price contract for 114 High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile command launch computers to include two pre-production units, one first article test unit and 111 production units in support of the Navy. The system known as HARM’s primary mission is to suppress or destroy an enemy’s surface-to-air missile radar and radar-directed air defense artillery systems. When it is airborne, the 800-pound missile can operate in preemptive, missile-as-sensor and self-protect modes. The AGM-88 HARM is a joint US Navy and Air Force program developed by the Navy and Raytheon. The company will perform work in Tucson, Arizona, and is scheduled to be finished in October 2021.

The Navy awarded Wyle Laboratories an $81.2 contract for certified and qualified operational contractor support services aircrew to support mission essential testing and evaluation of all manned air vehicles under the operational responsibility of the Naval Test Wing Atlantic/Pacific squadrons. Ninety-four percent of contract work will take place at Naval Air Station in Patuxent River, and the remaining six percent will occur at two naval air stations in California. Expected completion will be in September 2024.

Middle East & Africa

Breaking Defense reports that despite Congress being ill-tempered about Trump’s multi-billion weapons sale to Saudi Arabia earlier this year, it hasn’t yet been able to come up with the votes to block the deal or overcome a presidential veto. Democrats as well as a couple of Republicans have been critical of President Trump’s use of emergency powers to bypass congressional approval of an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia. According to the Article by Breaking Defense, Congress likely won’t get enough votes to block the deal any time soon.

Europe

Saab will continue to self-fund the development of its ARTHUR (Artillery Hunting Radar) Weapon Locating Radar, Jane’s reports. Saab’s ARTHUR is a counter-battery radar system developed for the Swedish and Norwegian Armed Forces. The ARHTUR detects and tracks artillery projectiles and calculate points of origin and points of impact. The current ARTHUR Mod C WLR has an instrumented range of 60 km, operates over an arc of 120 degrees, and can track more than 100 targets per minute. Saab is developing the ARTHUR WLR Mod D. The Mod D leverages a combination of technologies fielded in other systems to reduce development cost and risk, and spiral development would be used for further growth via upgrades or new parts as necessary.

Saab has received an order from the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish Defense Material Administration (FMV) for continued technical support on weapons and external stores for Gripen. The order value amounts to $15.1 million. The order is a call-up of an option as part of a previous agreement with FMV for technical support and maintenance of Gripen’s existing weapons and external stores, which was signed in March 2015. Today’s order secures continued technical support for Gripen regarding weapons and external stores.

Asia-Pacific

MD Helicopters Inc (MDHI) has confirmed to Jane’s that it will bid for one single-engined and two twin-engined helicopter types for Australia’s special forces. The company has responded to a Request for Information by submitting its single-engined MD 530G light-attack and observation helicopter for Australia’s Land 2097 Phase 4 requirement, as well as its twin-engined MD 902 and MD 969 rotorcraft. The MD 530G is an armed scout-attack helicopter designed to provide enhanced agility and firepower for the armed forces. The helicopter is 7.76m long and 3m wide and has an overall height of 2.88m. The MD 969 is a new multi-mission combat attack helicopter designed to meet future assault and attack needs with its unmatched maneuverability, extended range, greater safety, and improved open architecture weapon system.

Today’s Video

Watch: F-22 Raptor vs F-35 Lightning | Cost, Performance, Size, Top Speed