USAF Published New B-21 Rendering | Will Israel Sell Its Air Force 1? | Details Emerged On How New UK Flagship Operates

Americas

The US Air Force published a new B-21 Raider artist rendering graphic with an accompanying fact sheet on July 6. The rendering is based on the actual aircraft, and an artist’s interpretation of the B-21 design, with Edwards Air Force Base, California in the background. The aircraft will undergo testing there.

The US Defense Department canceled a $10 billion cloud computing contract that’s been the subject of ongoing legal battles, saying it “no longer meets” requirements. A Pentagon representative told reporters that instead, the department will be soliciting new proposals from cloud service providers.

Middle East & Africa

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has called on the government to sell the “Wing of Zion” Boeing 767 VVIP jet just months before it is set to enter operational service. The cost of modifying the jet has grown fifty percent from the original $115 million budget. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will decide on the fate of the aircraft later with input from President-elect Isaac Herzog.

Europe

MBDA announced it will for the first time pair a CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile) missile with an upgraded Sea Viper command and control (C2) system on board the Royal Nay’s Type 45 destroyers. CAMM offers both close-in and local-area air defence, and will complement Aster 30, strengthening the anti-air defence capability of the Royal Navy.

Details were published about how the new UK ‘National Flagship’ will operate. According to a ‘Prior Information Notice’ regarding the upcoming tendering process to design and build the vessel, the vessel will be used to host high level trade negotiations and trade shows and will sail all over the world promoting British interests. The British Prime Minister announced a new National Flagship for the UK in May.

Asia-Pacific

Royal Australian Navy Anzac Class frigate HMAS Perth returned to the water on July 1 after being lowered out of the dry dock at the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson, Western Australia. The move followed the completion of upgrades to the frigate’s radar capabilities, communications systems, and crew-habitable areas, which are a major part of the Anzac Midlife Capability Assurance Programme (AMCAP), according to a statement by the Department of Defense.

Today’s Video

Watch: UK Navy power !! Royal Navy’s Type 45 Destroyers To Get £500m Firepower Upgrade

DDG Type 45: Britain’s Shrinking Air Defense Fleet

The 5,200t Type 42 Sheffield Class destroyers were designed in the late 1960s to provide fleet area air-defense for Britain’s Royal Navy, after the proposed Type 82 air defense cruisers were canceled by the Labour Government in 1966. Britain built 14 of the Type 42s, but these old ships are reaching the limits of their operational lives and effectiveness.

To replace them, the Royal Navy planned to induct 12 Type 45 Daring Class destroyers. The Daring class would be built to deal with a new age of threats. Saturation attacks with supersonic ship-killing missiles, that fly from the ship’s radar horizon to ship impact in under 45 seconds. The reality of future threats from ballistic missiles, and WMD proliferation. Plus a proliferation of possible threats involving smaller, hard to detect enemies like UAVs. Overall, the Type 45s promise to be one of the world’s most capable air defense ships – but design choices have left the cost-to-value ratio uncertain, and limited the Type 45s in other key roles. A reduced 6-ship program moved forward.