US Army Flight Tested Apache HMD | MCTECH Unveiled New Manpack System Against Drones | India Ordered SkyStriker Munition

Americas

Lockheed Martin won a $25.8 million deal, which provides non-recurring engineering for the development, integration, testing, and deployment of the MH-60 Product Line System Configuration 24 fleet release for all MH-60 air platform variants, to include baseline management integrated management planning, integrated development environment support, support equipment baseline management, software architect, core lab support, problem trouble report legacy support, engineering tools support, and development aircraft support for the Navy and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. The MH-60R Seahawk missions are Anti-Submarine Warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare, Surveillance, Communications Relay, Combat Search and Rescue, Naval Gunfire Support and logistics support. Work will take place in New York, Australia and Denmark. Expected completion date is in August 2024.

The US Army has carried out flight tests with a new wide field-of-view helmet-mounted display (HMD) that could be fielded on the AH-64E. The new high-definition, binocular see-thru HMD allows the pilot to see around and below the aircraft to create a transparent cockpit. The system was demonstrated on an AH-64E Version 6 over 23 flights. A total of 17 pilots from Redstone Test Center (RTC), 101st Airborne Division, and the Army Capability Management – Recon Attack participated in the testing.

Middle East & Africa

According to Israel Defense, MCTECH unveiled the MC-HORIZON D360BP, a multi-layered manpack system designed to protect against UAVs. The reactive system can identify drones, acquire the targets, and neutralize them automatically from far distances. A number of such systems were delivered last week to the army of an African country, according to the company.

Europe

French and German defense ministers signed the second Franco-German intergovernmental cooperation agreement in the field of tactical air transport on August 30, 2021. It aims to create a bi-national squadron and a training center at the Evreux air base,France with a view to operating a fleet of C-130J planes. This signature will allow the formal establishment of the Franco-German squadron on 1 st September 2021.

Asia-Pacific

The Indian Army reportedly placed an order for nearly 100 explosive-laden SkyStriker loitering munitions. The drones will be supplied by a joint venture between Bengaluru-based Alpha Design and Israeli firm Elbit Systems. Alpha owns 51% of the JV. The contract valued INR 100 Crore ($13.7 million) was signed on September 1, the Times of India reported.

The Indian Air Force has inked an agreement with the US Air Force recently to co-develop air-launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). The agreement marks the first co-development project under the US-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative. The US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) will work with India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for this project.

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