Kentucky Air National Guard Receives First 2 C-130Js | KAI To Maintain Iraqi T-50IQ Fleet | South Korea To Launch Cheonan Frigate

Americas

The first two of eight C-130Js for the Kentucky Air National Guard arrived at Louisville on November 6. The 123rd Airlift Wing will phase out the C-130H in September to make way for the latest variant of the Hercules. The C-130J Super Hercules is the latest version in the Air Force arsenal. It comes with modern instrumentation, more efficient engines and a stretched fuselage for additional payload capacity.

The Pentagon is in a rush to buy GPS chips from GlobalFoundries. The reason for this is, that the plant that fabricates them will soon stop producing those components, Bloomberg reports. An initial $885 million in orders would be placed by December 15 and the rest by March next year. The Fab 10 facility has been sold to a new owner who will not be making those components anymore. These chips are need by the B-2 bomber and the Small Diameter Bomb II.

Middle East & Africa

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said it has secured a contract worth $360 million from the Iraqi government for the logistical support and maintenance of the Iraqi T-50IQ fleet. The deal is for three-years and cover the training of pilots and ground personnel as well.

Europe

Britain is to spend $135.3 million for maritime electronic warfare capabilities. This is the first phase of a $676.6 million ‘Maritime Electronics Warfare Programme’ to improve electronic warfare capabilities on Type 45, 26 and 31 warships, as well as the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

Asia-Pacific

South Korea will launch a new 2,800-ton frigate named after Cheonan, the Pohang class warship torpedoed by the North over a decade ago. The launching ceremony for the seventh Daegu-class Cheonan will take place on Tuesday at the shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. in Ulsan, some 410km southeast of Seoul.

Pakistan’s state-owned Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works has laid the keel for the fourth and final Milgem class corvette. In July 2018, Pakistan Navy inked a contract with Turkish firm ASFAT for the acquisition of four MILGEM-class ships. Under the deal, two ships were to be constructed at Istanbul Naval Shipyard and the other two at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works.

Today’s Video

Watch: The C-130J Super Hercules