Oshkosh Defense announced a three-year extension of its contract with the US Army on Monday to build heavy vehicles, valued at $146.8 million. The deal calls for modernization of vehicles in the US Army and US Army Reserve Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicle, also known as FHTV, fleets, which include 354 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks, or HEMTT, and Palletized Load System, or PLS, trucks, as well as the construction of new PLS trailers. The FHTV fleet is designed to accommodate many mission packages, allowing it to support multi-domain operations as the battlefield continues to evolve, according to the company.
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems won a $15.6 million contract modification for the implementation of configuration management changes on select Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). The LCS new construction contract provides for the design, construction, integration, and testing of the Littoral Combat Ship, which operates with focused-mission packages that deploy manned and unmanned vehicles to execute a variety of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, and mine countermeasures. Work will take place in Marinette, Wisconsin. Estimated completion will be by May 2022.
Middle East & Africa
The US Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District has completed a Hardened Hangar project in Israel to support the latter’s F-35 fleet. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on March 10 to mark the handover. US Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District Commander Col. Patrick Dagon said the hardened hangars and operations facilities will house a squadron of F-35s. Work is already underway for multiple additional similar facilities to be constructed in the coming years, says the news release.
Egypt has confirmed that it will buy another 30 Rafale fighters from France, after the deal was disclosed by investigative website Disclose on May 3. Disclose had said that the deal is worth $4.5 billion. Egypt revealed that it will take a 10-year loan for the purchase.
Europe
The F-35Bs assigned to the Royal Air Force’s 617 Squadron will carry out airstrikes in Iraq and Syria during the maiden deployment of the UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG21). There are eight F-35Bs from 617 Squadron. They are joined by 10 F-35Bs from the U.S. Marine Corp’s VMFA-211.
Asia-Pacific
A man portable air defence system (MANPADS) fired by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) shot down a Myanmar military helicopter on May 3. Military tensions have been running high between Myanmar’s military junta and the ethnic Kachin armed group in Momauk since April 11, with the former using aircraft to bomb KIA outposts.
Latest updates[?]:Oshkosh Defense announced a three-year extension of its contract with the US Army on Monday to build heavy vehicles, valued at $146.8 million. The deal calls for modernization of vehicles in the US Army and US Army Reserve Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicle, also known as FHTV, fleets, which include 354 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks, or HEMTT, and Palletized Load System, or PLS, trucks, as well as the construction of new PLS trailers. The FHTV fleet is designed to accommodate many mission packages, allowing it to support multi-domain operations as the battlefield continues to evolve, according to the company.
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Latest updates: Battle for Oshkosh: Will FHTV re-bid copy FMTV mistake?
THAAD on HEMTT
In 2009, with its bridge buy of FMTV medium trucks in place, and initial awards for the potential JLTV Hummer replacement designs underway, the next order of business on the US Army’s agenda was a new Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles multi-year contract: FHTV-III. That multi-billion dollar FHTV-III contract has been awarded – not as a re-compete like FMTV, but as a single-source solicitation.
Oshkosh has provided the core of this capability for over 20 yeas now. Its Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) and their 13-ton payloads are the mainstay of the FHTV fleet, serving in variants that include M977/985 Cargo, M978 Fueler, M982/983 Tractors, and M984 Wrecker/Tow; they also serve as heavy transporters for Patriot and THAAD air defense systems. M1074/75 Palletized Load Systems (PLS) and PLS trailers (PLST) are best known for their automated container/pallet loading arms, and for their Universal Power Interface Kit (UPIK) that can add modules for firefighting, construction, cranes, cement mixing, etc. The M1000/1070 Heavy Equipment Transporters (HET) are flatbeds that can transport a 70-ton Abrams tank – or anything less – in order to save wear and tear on expensive armored vehicles and on the roads. A specialized FHTV truck called the M1977 CBT can even lay bridges. This article details the FHTV-III trucks, and related developments and contracts:
A former US Marine Corps (USMC) V-22test pilot has urged the US Army to select the Defiant-X as its next helicopter instead of the V-280. Scott Trail says based on the Army’s mission objectives, the compound helicopter is the better choice and cheaper solution.
Lockheed Martin won a $663.7 million contract modification for Hellfire II missile production. The Hellfire II air-to-ground missile system (AGMS) provides heavy anti-armor capability for attack helicopters. It is a 100lb class air-to-ground precision weapon delivering multi-target capability and precision strike lethality. The Hellfire II missile is in service with the armed forces of the US and 16 other nations. Work will take place in Orlando, Florida. Estimated completion date is September 30, 2024.
Middle East & Africa
The US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Hamilton conducted exercises with the Turkish Navy in the Black Sea, the US Navy Sixth Fleet said. The Legend-class cutter, which entered the Black Sea this week after transiting the Atlantic Ocean earlier in April, conducted a passing exercise and cross-platform helicopter operations with the Turkish Navy’s Yavuz-class TCG Turgutreis.
Europe
The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, has deployed to Greece to carry out essential pre-season training. The Royal Air Force say that the five-week visit, which has recently got underway, is known as Exercise Springhawk and concludes at the end of May.
The hull of Type 26 Frigate HMS Glasgow now sits as part of the Glasgow city skyline, BAE Systems said. The aft block of HMS GLASGOW, the first City Class Type 26 frigate being built for the Royal Navy, has been rolled out of the build hall to join the forward block at the BAE Systems shipyard on the River Clyde. The aft block contains the versatile mission bay and hangar which is capable of supporting helicopters, boats, mission loads and disaster relief stores, while the flight deck is capable of landing a Chinook helicopter for transport of embarked forces.
Asia-Pacific
Northrop Grumman Defense Services won a $58.6 million deal for the Japan Global Hawk program. This contract provides for contractor logistics support services to include, but not limited to, in-country personnel, mission planning, contractor field teams, contractor inventory control, reach back support and software maintenance. Work will take place in Misawa Air Base, Japan. Estimated completion will take place in September 30, 2022.
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The project manager for the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft(FLRAA) says the final request for proposal is to be released this summer. Col. David Phillips said the final document will not have any major changes relative to the draft proposal that was release late last year.
Raytheon won a $16.5 million deal for the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) program for Gordian Knot (GK) application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) life-of-type buy. This effort provides for a life-of-type procurement of GK ASIC in support of production and sustainment through the AMRAAM program of record. The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM is an American beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. Work will take place in Arizona. Estimated completion date is May 31, 2023.
Middle East & Africa
Sallyport Global Holdings won a $240 million contract action to provide base operations support, base life support, and security services in the support of the Iraq F-16 program. This contract is the result of a sole-source acquisition and involves Foreign Military Sales to Iraq. Work will take place at Balad Air Base, Iraq. Expected completion date is January 30, 2022.
Europe
Four Italian F-35As have deployed from Amendola Air Base, Italy to Ämari Air Base, Estonia to augment the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission. This marks the first time the F-35 is used for this mission. As part of the “Baltic Eagle II” mission, the Italian F-35A aircraft, operating within the Task Group Falco of the Task Force Air Estonia will replace the German Air Force Eurofighters which have been deployed to Amari since late August.
Asia-Pacific
A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A early warning aircraft flew to Hawaii for the inaugural exercise Pacific Edge last month. The E-7A were joined by F-22s from the Hawaii Air National Guard as blue force. The red force was played by F-16s from the 442nd Training and Evaluation Squadron. Seventeen F-22 pilots also flew inside the E-7A during the three-week exercise to provide real-time feedback to the E-7A on what is happening inside the F-22 cockpit during air-to-air engagements.
The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of six P-8I maritime patrol aircraft to India for an estimated cost of $2.42 billion. In November 2019, the Defense Acquisition Council, chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, approved the procurement of the long-range maritime surveillance aircraft manufactured by Boeing. This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship and improve the security of a major defensive partner.
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Latest updates[?]: A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A early warning aircraft flew to Hawaii for the inaugural exercise Pacific Edge last month. The E-7A were joined by F-22s from the Hawaii Air National Guard as blue force. The red force was played by F-16s from the 442nd Training and Evaluation Squadron. Seventeen F-22 pilots also flew inside the E-7A during the three-week exercise to provide real-time feedback to the E-7A on what is happening inside the F-22 cockpit during air-to-air engagements.
E-7A Wedgetail
over New South Wales
The island continent of Australia faces a number of unique security challenges that stem from its geography. The continent may be separated from its neighbors by large expanses of ocean, but it also resides within a potential arc of instability, and has a number of important offshore resource sites to protect. Full awareness of what is going on around them, and the ability to push that awareness well offshore, are critical security requirements.
“Project Wedgetail” had 3 finalists, and the winner was a new variant of Boeing’s 737-700, fitted with an MESA (multirole electronically scanned array) radar from Northrop Grumman. That radar exchanges the traditional AWACS rotating dome for the E-7A’s “top hat” stationary antenna. That design, and the project as a whole, have run into severe turbulence, creating problems for Boeing earnings, the ADF, and other export orders for the type. DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. This one covers contracts, events, and key milestones within Australia’s E-7A program, from inception to the current day.
