GE To Provide Engine Improvements For Joint Strike Fighters | Netherlands Declared IOC For F-35 Squadron | South Korea To Replace CH-47Ds

Americas

General Electric Aviation won an $18.4 million order, which provides engineering and engine system improvement services for F414 engine component improvements in support of the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.The engine is a 22,000-pound class afterburning turbofan engine. It features an axial compressor with 3 fan stages and 7 high-pressure compressor stages, and 1 high-pressure and 1 low-pressure turbine stage. At a weight of 2,445 pounds, the F414-GE-400 has a thrust-to-weight ratio of nine. Work will take place in Massachusetts. Estimated completion will be in December 2022.

BAE Information and Electronic Systems Integration won a maximum $42 million contract modification with one five-year option period adding National Stock Number 1680-K0-107-337VM for ALR-56M radar warning receiver shipsets. The AN/ALR-56 radar warning receiver (RWR) is designed to detect incoming radar signals, identify, associate these signals to a known threat and alert the aircraft crew. Work will take place in New York and New Jersey. Estimated completion date is March 30, 2024.

Middle East & Africa

According to the Associated Press, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) has staged a military exercise consisting of a five-day drill across the country’s south region amid heightened tensions over the government’s nuclear program. The news was first published last week. Saeed Khatibzadeh, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, at a news conference gave a vague answer when asked by a reporter whether the country would enrich uranium to weapons-grade 90 percent purity. On December 24, Al Jazeera reported that the IRGC has fired 16 surface-to-surface ballistic missiles at the close of five days of military drills. Generals reportedly said the drills were a warning to Israel.

Europe

The Netherlands Ministry of Defense officially declared Initial Operational Capable (IOC) for the Air Force’s F-35 squadron. The military will now be able to deploy a unit of 4 F-35s with personnel and equipment anywhere in the world for a short period of time.

Asia-Pacific

Russia has reportedly offered India to develop its own armored vehicles with the country based on the Armata universal Armata platform. At the Army-2021 forum, the head of Rosoboronexport, Alexander Mikheev, told defense ministry’s Zvezda that in the coming years Russia will bring about 50 new types of weapons and special equipment to foreign markets.

South Korea’s Defense Project Promotion Committee has approved a plan to replace the country’s CH-47D helicopters with new ones. The project will cost $1.2 billion and will run from 2022 to 2028.

Today’s Video

Watch: T-14 Armata Russian Main Battle Tank – Tank Overview