Lockheed Tapped For AEGIS Support | Israel Joins Operation Sentinel | DoS Approves MH-60R FMS To South Korea

Americas

Lockheed Martin won a $176.3 million contract in support of the AEGIS SPY-1 Weapon System. The deal is for the repair of 1,672 different head-of-family part numbers. It is a five-year contract with no option periods. The AN/SPY-l radar system is the primary air and surface radar for the Aegis Combat System installed in the Ticonderoga (CG-47) and Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) Class warships. It is a multi-function phased-array radar capable of search, automatic detection, transition to track, tracking of air and surface targets, and missile engagement support. It is capable of providing tracking and discrimination data for ballistic and cruise missiles, aircraft, and other air or space breathing threats. Lockheed will perform work under the new contract in Moorestown, New Jersey and work will be done by August 2024.

General Dynamics won a $15.2 million delivery order for the Virginia Class USS Washington or SSN 787. The order includes planning, material procurement and repair work. The nuclear-powered fast attack submarine is built by Huntington Ingalls and General Dynamic’s Electric Boat Division. Virginia Class submarines operate in the world’s littoral and deep waters while conducting anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare, special operation forces support, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. General Dynamics will perform work in Groton, Connecticut. Work is estimated to be finished by December this year.

Middle East & Africa

Local media reports that Israel is providing intelligence and other unspecified assistance for “Operation Sentinel,” the US-led naval mission to bolster security for vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Israel’s Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz revealed that the Middle Eastern country is involved in the mission to protect trade routes in the Gulf. Katz also instructed the Foreign Ministry to work with all relevant parties in Israel and the US government to ensure that Israel is integrated into the Gulf security, according to the report, following a recent visit to Abu Dhabi in which he discussed the “Iranian threat” with a senior Emirati official. Iran has reacted negatively to Israel’s involvement in Operation Sentinel. The country threatened to counter Jerusalem’s presence in the region in self-defense after Israel’s FM reportedly said it was helping secure Strait of Hormuz.

Europe

The Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defence site in Romania has completed its upgrade, NATO announced. The work was completed on August 9 and the THAAD battery that had been temporarily deployed there will be relocated. The update is part of the United States European Phased Adaptive Approach to ballistic missile defense, which was announced in September 2009. A release by Nato said that the update, which has been taking place across the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system fleet, did not provide any offensive capability to the Aegis Ashore missile defense system. Aegis Ashore is the land-based variant of the Navy’s Aegis Weapons System and the centerpiece of Phases II and III of the European Phased Adaptive Approach.

Asia-Pacific

The US State Department approved a a possible Foreign Military Sale of MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopters to South Korea. The deal is valued at $800 million. The sales proposal includes the 12 helicopters, plus associated engines, multimode radars, sonar and targeting systems, sonobouys, communications equipment, and training and support. South Korea seeks to add anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare capability and capacity to the Navy. Back in January 2017, the country’s military procurement arm, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, announced that it planned to procure 12 more maritime ASW helicopters to complement an earlier 2012 purchase of eight AW159 Lynx Wildcats.

According to Jane’s, a second batch of four Boeing AH-64E(I) Apache Guardian helicopters arrived in India. The helicopters for the Indian Air Force arrived at the Hindon Air Force Station on the outskirts of New Delhi on July 30. The choppers are part of a $2.02 billion order placed by the service for 22 of these platforms in 2015. Boeing delivered all eight platforms a few weeks before schedule. The delivery of the remaining 14 Apache Guardians is scheduled to be completed by 2020. The AH-64E (I) is the customized version of the Apache helicopter. Modifications were made to suit the IAF’s future requirements. The helicopter is designed to offer significant capability in mountainous terrain. The service can use the chopper to conduct precision attacks at standoff ranges and operate in hostile airspace with threats from the ground.

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