Textron Tapped For Minuteman III Work | Boeing To Provide Apache Logistics Support For The UAE | DoS Approved PAC-3 FMS To Germany

Americas

Textron Defense Systems won a $51.3 million contract modification for the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Weapon System multiprobe antenna procurement. The Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile or ICBM is an element of the USA’s strategic deterrent forces under the control of the Air Force Global Strike Command. It is a strategic weapon system using a ballistic missile of intercontinental range. Missiles are dispersed in hardened silos to protect against attack and connected to an underground launch control center through a system of hardened cables. Textron will perform work in Wilmington, Massachusetts, and expected completion date is July 13, 2029.

C&C Power Solutions won a $65 million firm-fixed-price contract to procure, renovate, repower, overhaul, and repair different power systems within its fleet of power equipment services at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center Mobile Utilities Support Equipment (MUSE). Initial seed task order is being awarded at $2,559,924 for a four, 900-kilowatt generator package at EXWC MUSE Port Hueneme, California. C&C Power Solutions is a company that offers front access, standard, rack mount, and spares battery cabinets, as well as landing boxes, battery monitoring, telecom, commander plus controllers, and integrated distribution systems. Estimated completion date for work under the contract is in July, 2025.

Middle East & Africa

Boeing won a $96.9 million modification to a Foreign Military Sales deal for the United Arab Emirates. The contract provides Apache aircraft integrated logistics support, product assurance and Longbow Crew Trainers. Apache is a twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a two person crew. Boeing has made more than 2,200 AH-64 Apache attack helicopter deliveries to the US and other countries such as Egypt, Greece, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the UAE and the UK. Boeing will perform work in Mesa, Arizona and estimated completion is on December 31, 2024.

Europe

The US Army Contracting Command awarded DynCorp International a $29.3 million contract modification for the aviation field maintenance services contract. The deal includes Foreign Military Sales to Slovakia. DynCorp International is a leading global service provider. Work under the services contract involves program management, aircraft and ground support equipment maintenance, as well as aircraft modifications, and other logistical support to aviation customers worldwide. It will take place in Afghanistan, Honduras and Germany. Estimated completion date is September 30, 2019.

The US State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Germany for Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) Missiles Segment Enhanced. The deal is estimated at $401 million. Germany had requested to buy 50 PAC-3 Missiles Segment Enhanced (MSE). The prime contractor will be Lockheed Martin. The FMS will also include PAC-3 MSE launcher conversion kits, missile round trainers (MRTs), empty round trainers (ERTs), launcher stations (LS) heater controllers, PAC-3 ground support equipment, and concurrent spare parts. The PAC-3 MSE, which is based on PAC-3 and an increased range, is the primary interceptor for the multi-national medium extended air defense system (MEADS).

Asia-Pacific

According to the South China Morning Post, China is hoping to develop a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier by first putting the reactors on icebreakers. This approach was carried out by the Soviet Union when they wanted to build their own nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Russia has so far been invited by China to develop the latter’s first nuclear-powered icebreaker. “China really needs a more powerful, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to catapult its superheavy carrier-based fighter jet, the J-15,” the SCMP quotes Naval expert Li Jie. Although China already has nuclear submarines, the systems they use are unsuitable for carriers as they are not powerful enough.

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Carrier Signal: China’s Naval Aviation

In 1998, the former Russian carrier Varyag was bought by a Chinese firm for use as a “tourist attraction.” Nobody believed that, and by 2005, she was in drydock for secret refits. Still, a carrier needs planes. Near the end of October 2006, Russia’s Kommersant newspaper revealed that Russian state-run weapon exporter Rosoboronexport was in negotiations with China to deliver SU-33s, a variant of Sukhoi’s SU-27 Flanker with forward canards, foldings wings, an arrester hook, a reinforced structure, and other modifications that help it deal with carrier operations and landings.

By 2009, Russian media were reporting a breakdown of negotiations, citing low order numbers and past pirating of Russian SU-27/30 designs. China built on that prior piracy to produce its SU-33 look-alike “J-15,” with the reported assistance of an SU-33 prototype bought from the Ukraine. It’s now 2012, and China’s myriad deceptions have served their purpose. They don’t have an active carrier force yet, but they’re very close.