Aug 04, 2021 05:00 UTCAmericas
Lockheed Martin won a $51.8 million deal, which provides for program management support to include development of customer unique capabilities in support of the continued development of the air system for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program for a Foreign Military Sales customer. Work will take place in Texas, California and Florida. Estimated completion date will be in January 2024.
The US Air Force has carried out wind tunnel testing of directed energy system turret earlier this year. “There is a growing interest for directed energy systems within the DOD for many purposes, especially defending our systems and personnel,” said Dr. Rich Roberts, chief of the Aerodynamics Branch Store Separation Section. “There are a number of systems in use and being developed across the DOD. Integrating the DE systems on aircraft has obvious benefits but also creates challenges, especially at higher speeds.”
Middle East & Africa
The Egyptian Navy received a German S-44 submarine in Alexandria on Monday. The craft is question, a 209/1400 mod class submarine is the last of four that Egypt received with the aim enhance its defense capabilities and combat efficiency, an Egyptian military spokesman said in a statement.
Europe
According to The Times, HMS Monmouth and HMS Montrose, two Type 23 Frigates vessels, will be given to Greece as part of efforts to ‘sweeten the deal’ to sell the Greek Navy the Type 31 design. In March it was announced that Montrose as well as sister ship Monmouth would be decommissioned earlier than planned
Asia-Pacific
Lockheed Martin won an $117.7 modification, which provides non-recurring engineering and field services representative efforts to bring 12 MH-60R aircraft from standard Foreign Military Sales (FMS) configuration to a Republic of Korea Navy configuration. The MH-60R is a naval version of the American-made UH-60 Black Hawk designed and manufactured by Sikorsky company which is now part of Lockheed Martin. Work will take place in Connecticut, France, New York and Rhode Island. Estimated completion date is in November 2026.
The Yomiuri reports that the Japan Ministry of Defense intends to deploy anti-ship and anti-air missile units to Ishigaki Island next year. The number of personnel will be between 500 to 600 and four islands in the Okinawa island chain will have missile bases.
Today’s Video
Watch: Protecting HMS Queen Elizabeth: On The US Destroyer USS The Sullivans
Aug 03, 2021 05:00 UTCAmericas
Lockheed Martin won a $108.8 million modification for AEGIS combat system engineering agent (CSEA) efforts for the design, development, integration, test and delivery of Advanced Capability Build 20. The Aegis combat system uses powerful computers and radar to track and guide weapons to destroy enemy targets. More than 100 Aegis-equipped ships have been deployed in five navies worldwide. Aegis, not an acronym, refers to the shield of the mythical Greek God Zeus. Work will take place in Moorestown, New Jersey. Expected completion date will be in December 2021.
The US Air Force has successfully demonstrated that the F-16’s Electronic Warfare System can receive software updates with new Mission Data File while airborne. The test was carried out during a recent Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) demonstration at Nellis Air Force Base. The jet downloaded the data file using an existing Beyond Line of Sight satellite communication system. It was processed by a custom-developed Center Display Unit software, and load into the ALQ-213 Countermeasures Signal Processor.
Middle East & Africa
The UK and Kenya have signed a new Defence Cooperation Agreement to tackle the shared threat from Al-Shabaab. According to the UK Ministry of Defense, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Defence Dr Monica Juma signed the deal. British troops currently help to train over 1,100 Kenyan soldiers every year before they deploy to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to fight Al-Shabaab and the British Army and Kenya Defence Force (KDF) conduct around five joint training exercises every year, involving around 750 Kenyan and 5,000 British troops.
Europe
The UK Ministry of Defense (MOD) today awarded BAE Systems approximately $348.77million to progress the design and development of Tempest, the UK’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS). The contract, signed by BAE Systems, officially marks the start of the programme’s concept and assessment phase. The programme is being delivered by Team Tempest – combining the expertise of the UK MOD, BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, MBDA UK and Rolls-Royce. Working with international partners, the team is leading progress towards a UK-led internationally collaborative Future Combat Air System.
The UK Royal Navy (RN) Type 23 frigate HMS Portland has completed first-of-class sea acceptance trials (SATs) of Ultra Electronics’ Sonar 2150 bow-mounted medium-frequency sonar. Trials took place over multiple days at sea, detecting and tracking a target and proving its passive and active performance.
Asia-Pacific
The US State Department approved a potential sale of 300 Javelin FGM-148 Missiles to Thailand accounts for another estimated $83.5 million. Thailand’s request would include 300 Javelin missiles, as well as 50 Command Launch Units, plus associated technical support and training. Thailand wants to use the Javelin to replace the 106mm Recoilless Rifles that the Royal Thai Army was given back during the Vietnam War; doing so will improve the country’s anti-tank capability and help with interoperability, according to the DSCA statement.
Today’s Video
Watch: F-16 Fighting Falcon Fighter Jet Take Off U.S. Air Force
Aug 02, 2021 05:00 UTCAmericas
General Atomics won a $33.7 million contract, which provides for logistic support, maintenance services, supply chain and spares management, and sustainment support in support of the MQ-9 Reaper aircraft and its dual control mobile ground control station. The MQ-9 Reaper is the primary offensive strike unmanned aerial vehicle for the US Air Force. It is part of a remotely piloted aircraft system. A fully operational system consists of several sensor/weapon-equipped aircraft, ground control station, Predator Primary Satellite Link, and spare equipment along with operations and maintenance crews for deployed 24-hour missions. Work will take place in Arizona, Bahrain and California. Estimated completion date is in July 2022.
An MQ-4C in Integrated Functional Capability (IFC)-4 configuration has made its first flight at NAS Patuxent River on July 29. The press release added that multiple MQ-4Cs have been modified into the IFC-4 configuration in support of IOC in 2023.
Middle East & Africa
The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale worth $3.4 billion of 18 examples of the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter to Israel. The package includes the King Stallion helicopters, made by Lockheed Martin, in Shelton, Conn., and up to 60 T408-GE-400 engines, made by GE Aviation, in Lynn, Mass., as well as up to 36 embedded navigation systems with anti-spoofing and an unspecified number of GAU-21 .50-caliber machine guns.
Europe
A Russian Su-35 fighter has crashed into the Sea of Okhotsk on July 31 after experiencing an engine failure in mid-air. The pilot ejected and was recovered safely.
An Italian F-35B Lightning II, belonging to the Marina Militare (Italian Navy) landed on the Italian Navy’s ITS Cavour aircraft carrier for the first time on July 30, 2021 during navigation in the Gulf of Taranto. The aircraft is the BL-4 built at the Cameri Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO), in northwestern Italy, and recently delivered with the serial MM7454 and codes “4-03”, which flew for the first time in June. As the other two F-35Bs delivered to the Navy, it features the wolf’s head insignia on the tail, the wolf’s paw prints on the rudder, the Italian Navy roundel and the “MARINA” text.
Asia-Pacific
South Korea has started deploying an upgraded version of its indigenous 81-millimeter mortar system. According to Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the development of the system took five years and was completed in 2019. The system is about 20% lighter and can now be move easily due to having its own carrier vehicles.
Today’s Video
Watch: Italian Navy F-35B Lands Aboard ITS Cavour for the First Time
