BAE Systems Won A Virginia Class Propulsor Order | Kenya Ordered Turkish Armored Combat Vehicles | US Approves AH-64E Sale To Australia

Americas

BAE Systems won an $18.7 million delivery order for Virginia Class submarine propulsors. This delivery order does not include options. The Virginia Class new attack submarine is an advanced stealth multimission nuclear-powered submarine for deep ocean anti-submarine warfare and littoral operations. Work will take place in Kentucky. Expected completion date is in April 2025.

Northrop Grumman won a $12 million contract modification, which increases the ceiling to extend services and adds hours increasing the full-scale fatigue repair time to achieve the required simulated flight hours in support of E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft development. The Advanced Hawkeye features a state-of-the-art radar with a two-generation leap in capability and upgraded aircraft systems that will improve supportability and increase readiness. Work will take place in California, Florida and New York. Estimated completion is in June 2023.

Middle East & Africa

Turkey’s Katmerciler said it won a contract from Kenya for 118 H?z?r tactical wheeled armored 4×4 vehicles. Kenya will be the third country in the world to acquire Katmerciler’s armored vehicles. The company aims to complete the delivery over two years, Furkan Katmerci, deputy chairperson of Katmerciler, told media.

Europe

Damen Shipyards Galati performed the keel-laying ceremony of the Combat Support Ship (CSS) Den Helder last week. The keel laying ceremony was performed by the Director Defence Material Organisation (DMO), vice admiral Arie Jan de Waard and vice admiral Rob Kramer, Commander Royal Netherlands Navy. The yard carried out the steel cutting for this new vessel in December last year. Following the keel-laying, all the building blocks for the actual construction of the ship in Romania are now ready. The engineering of the CSS has been largely carried out in the Netherlands.

Asia-Pacific

Japan will allocate funds in 2022 to start the development of a new long-range standoff missile based on the Type 12 missile. The missile can be fired from surface ships and aircraft. Tokyo first indicated that it will acquire a standoff attack capability in 2018. $306 million were allocated this year to conduct feasibility studies on modifying the Type 12. The new missile is anticipated to be ready in 2026. Prototype development and operational testing for surface ships will take five years while the air-launch variant will need seven years of work.

The Biden administration has given its approval to sell 29 AH-64E attack helicopters to Australia that is expected to cost $3.5 billion. Australia has requested to buy 29 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, but also engines, modernized target acquisition and designation sight and pilot night vision sensors and fire control radars with electronic units, a release said.

Today’s Video

Watch: FLOW – The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Enhancement: Refuel in Air

Virginia Block III: The Revised Bow

“GDEB Receives $148M as Virginia Class Lead Yard” described changes to the Virginia Class submarine’s design that are expected to reach 20% of the $200 million savings goal by the time orders for the versatile sea attack/ land attack/ special forces submarines rise to 2 per year, in 2012.

The bow changes cover the FY 2009-2013 ships, referred to as Block III. SSN 774 Virginia – SSN 777 North Carolina are Block I, and SSNs 778-783 will be Block II. Block III begins with the 11th ship of class, SSN 784. Long lead time component orders began May 22/08, and the submarine is expected to be ready for delivery around 2015. A fuller explanation of Block III’s extensive bow changes, and an accompanying graphic, may be found below – along with contract updates that include additional improvements and sonar development.

E-2D Hawkeye: The Navy’s New AWACS

Northrop Grumman’s E-2C Hawkeye is a carrier-capable “mini-AWACS” aircraft, designed to give long-range warning of incoming aerial threats. Secondary roles include strike command and control, land and maritime surveillance, search and rescue, communications relay, and even civil air traffic control during emergencies. E-2C Hawkeyes began replacing previous Hawkeye versions in 1973. They fly from USN and French carriers, from land bases in the militaries of Egypt, Japan, Mexico, and Taiwan; and in a drug interdiction role for the US Naval Reserve. Over 200 Hawkeyes have been produced.

The $17.5 billion E-2D Advanced Hawkeye program aims to build 75 new aircraft with significant radar, engine, and electronics upgrades in order to deal with a world of stealthier cruise missiles, saturation attacks, and a growing need for ground surveillance as well as aerial scans. It looks a lot like the last generation E-2C Hawkeye 2000 upgrade on the outside – but inside, and even outside to some extent, it’s a whole new aircraft.