USAF Tries Out Magnetic Anomaly Navigation | General Atomics Won Deal For French MQ-9 | Korea Builds Iron Dome-Like Interceptor System

Americas

Boeing won a $128.8 million contract for the F-15 Mission Training Center (MTC) simulation services to support the Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces and Air Force in Europe locations. The contractor will provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, transportation, tools, materials, supervision and other items to perform all MTC services. These services will provide simulation capability to train F-15 pilots and system operators in high-fidelity training devices.  Work will take place in Missouri, Japan, Idaho, Nevada, the UK and North Carolina. Estimated completion will be in December 31, 2021.

The US Air Force’s multi-intelligence reconfigurable pod – AgilePod – recently demonstrated Precision, Navigation and Timing (PNT) concept of operations during six Phase I flights in Colorado. Three PNT technologies, the Vision Navigation (VisNav), Signals of Opportunity (SoOP) and magnetic anomaly navigation (MAGNAV), were demonstrated. The Vision Navigation (VisNav) and Signals of Opportunity (SoOP) technology were fused into a single system and the experiments proved that the idea can work in a wide range of aircraft and environmental conditions.

Middle East & Africa

Three Royal Air Force C-130J Hercules aircraft supported the British Army’s 16 Air Assault Brigade on exercise in the Middle East. The sortie included dispatching between 70 and 80 paratroopers from two separate Hercules aircraft. A third C-130J dispatched a Container Delivery System.

Europe

General Atomics won a $79.4 million deal for the France MQ-9 Block 5 aircraft procurement program. The MQ-9 Reaper is the primary offensive strike unmanned aerial vehicle for the US Air Force. The Reaper is part of a remotely piloted aircraft system. Work will take place in California. Estimated completion date is March 29, 2024.

A detachment of German Air Force Eurofighter fighters were in Romania to undertake combined Quick Reaction Alert training alongside the British Typhoon fast jets already deployed there, according to the RAF. This was the third time since 2020 that both air forces have joined forces on active deployments as part of the bi-lateral Eurofighter Interoperability Enhancement programme.

Asia-Pacific

South Korea’s defense project promotion committee headed by defense minister Suh Wook approved a $2.6 billion project to develop its own interceptor system similar to Israel’s Iron Dome. Work on the project is expected to begin next year. Last year, the defense ministry pledged to build such an air defense system as a longer-term plan. The Iron Dome is designed to detect, identify and destroy incoming threats, such as short-range missiles, artillery shells and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Today’s Video

Watch: The Might Of USAF F-15 Eagle Fighter Aircraft | Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag | Spark