Sikorsky Won $48M For Hawkeye Low Rate Initial Production | Nigerian A-29 Inducted Into Service | Saab Announced New Combat Boat 90 Generation

Americas

Sikorsky won a $48 million deal, which procures eight spare part and management and delivery of parts in support of the CH-53K low rate initial production configuration aircraft. The CH-53K can be fielded from amphibious assault ships for the transportation of personnel and equipment. Work will take place in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Washington, UK, Canada, California and North Carolina. Estimated completion will be in December, 2026.

Rockwell Collins Simulation and Training Solution won a $17.6 million modification, which procures initial spare parts and aircraft common equipment to support the E-2D Hawkeye Integrated Training Systems flight, tactics, and maintenance devices.The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye features a state-of-the-art radar with a two-generation leap in capability. Work will take place in Virginia, Japan and California. Work is expected to be finished by March 2024.

Middle East & Africa

Nigeria has inducted its A-29 attack aircraft into service at Kainji Air Base on August 31. The induction ceremony was hosted by Nigerian Minister of Defence Bashir Salihi Magashi.Gen. Jeff Harrigian, US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa commander, represented the US Department of Defense.

Europe

Saab announced that it will be demonstrating a new generation of the Combat Boat 90 (CB90) fast assault craft for the first time outside of Sweden. It will be shown from 14-17 September at the DSEI exhibition in London, where visitors will have the opportunity to go aboard to learn more about its new capabilities.

Asia-Pacific

South Korea’s Defense Ministry has submitted its budget request for next year and one of the items on the shopping list is a Counter rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) system. The military is also requesting $9 million for the development of micro-satellites. $392 million out of the $42.4 billion is for the KF-X fighter program.

Japan’s Defense Ministry is seeking a record $50 billion for its budget next year, this represents a 2.6 percent increase from the previous year. Nearly $78 million will be spent on research into high-powered microwave weapons to defeat unmanned aircraft. $35 million will goes into research for hypersonic weapons. Expenses for research and development will add up to nearly $3 billion.

Today’s Video

Watch: E2D Advanced Hawkeye

Super Tucano Counter-Insurgency Plane Makes Inroads in Africa

Embraer’s EMB-314 Super Tucano trainer and light attack turboprop continues to rack up global orders, solidifying its position as the globe’s pre-eminent manned counter-insurgency aircraft. The latest order set of about $180 million expands the plane’s footprint into 3 African states: Angola, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania. They join Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Indonesia as customers for this aircraft.

The Super Tucano is known as the A-29 or ALX in Brazil, but abroad, it’s the EMB 314 successor to Embraer’s widely-used EMB 312 Tucano trainer. A-29 is better for marketing, though, and Embraer is trying to shift the designation. The Super Tucano offers better flight performance than the EMB 312 Tucano, plus armoring and wing-mounted machine guns, weapons integration with advanced surveillance and targeting pods, precision-guided bombs, and even air-to-air missiles. This makes it an excellent territorial defense and close support plane for low-budget air forces, as well as a surveillance asset with armed attack capability. Brazil uses it this way, for instance, alongside very advanced EMB-145 airborne radar and maritime patrol jet platforms. Meanwhile, in Africa…