L3 Technologies Tapped For Apache Support | Stinger Conducting Air Operations Over Somalia | Malaysia To Procure FLIT/ LCA

Americas

L3 Technologies won a $29.2 million deal for the manned/unmanned teaming hardware, as well as technical and engineering support, for the Apache helicopter. The Apache attack helicopter was developed by Boeing for the US armed forces. It entered service with the US Army in 1984. is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems. Work will take place in Salt Lake City, Utah. Estimated completion date is June 30, 2023.

Lockheed Martin won a $9.3 million contract modification for the US and United Kingdom to provide strategic weapon system Trident fleet support, Trident II SSP Shipboard Integration (SSI) Increment 8, SSI Increment 16, Columbia class and UK Dreadnought class navigation subsystem development efforts. Trident II D-5 is the sixth generation member of the US Navy’s Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) program which started in 1956. Systems have included the Polaris (A1), Polaris (A2), Polaris (A3), Poseidon (C3), and Trident I (C4). The first deployment of Trident II was in 1990 on the USS Tenessee (SSBN 734). While Trident I was designed to the same dimensions as the Poseidon missile it replaced, Trident II is a little larger. Work will take place in New York, California, Florida and Massachusetts. Estimated completion date is November 30, 2023.

Middle East & Africa

The AC-130W Stinger II is conducting air operations over Somalia under Joint Task Force – Quartz in support of Operation OCTAVE QUARTZ. The mission of OOQ is to reposition US DOD personnel from Somalia to other locations in East Africa. The AC-130W Stinger II primary missions are close air support and air interdiction. The aircraft is a highly modified C-130H featuring improved navigation, threat detection, countermeasures, and communication suites. All AC-130W aircraft are modified with a precision strike package to perform the gunship mission.

Europe

General Atomics won a $36.3 million contract modification for France contractor logistics support MQ-9 Block Five and Block One aircraft. The contractor will provide an additional period of contractor logistics support for the French Air Force. Work will take place in California. Estimated completion date is December 31, 2021.In January 2014, French Air Force took delivery of MQ-9 (Block 1) Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Reaper drones and deployed them at Niamey Air Base in Niger for border reconnaissance in the Sahel desert.

Asia-Pacific

Royal Malaysian Air Force chief Gen. Tan Sri Ackbal Abdul Samad has disclosed that the service will acquire the Fighter Lead-In Trainer/ Light Combat Aircarft (FLIT/ LCA) aircraft within the next three years. The Ministry of Defense will request for the budget to buy 18 aircraft in the 2021 budget and another 18 aircraft in the 13th Malaysia Plan. The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will be terminating the service of all Nuri helicopters within five years, said RMAF chief General Tan Sri Ackbal Abdul Samad. He said the helicopter, which has served for more than 52 years, is now obsolete as most of its components and spare parts are no longer in production.

Local media reports that Japanese defense officials are considering the option of installing new long-range standoff attack missiles on the two new Aegis warships to be built. Yomuiri Shimbun says the range of the new indigenous missiles will be around 1,000 km. The government may install such missiles on the two ships equipped with Aegis missile interceptor systems in response to increasing naval activities by Beijing in the East China Sea amid tensions over the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands, which Beijing claims and calls the Diaoyu. The Cabinet approved Friday the building of the two vessels to enhance its defense capabilities in the face of the North Korean missile threat.

Today’s Video

Watch: Japan Building Two Super-Sized Destroyers As An Alternative To Aegis Ashore

Japan’s Fleet BMD: Upgrades & UORs

The JMSDF (Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force) is working closely with the USA on missile defense activities. Air Force cooperation has also improved by leaps and bounds, allowing for much closer coordination with the USA in all aspects of operations – including missile tracking.

Japanese involvement includes modification and improvements to the SM-3 long-range anti-air/ABM missile. This weapon will form the outer layer of Japan’s ABM system, deployed from its current fleet of 4 Kongo Class AEGIS destroyers and their 2 larger Atago Class successors. The inner layer will consist of land-based Japan Self Defense Forces PAC-3 Patriot missiles, and together they will form the initial ballistic missile defense architecture for mainland Japan.