Lockheed To Produce M142 Launchers | Serbia Has Shown Its FK-3 | UK Confirms Plans To Purchase 74 F-35Bs

Americas

Lockheed Martin Corporation won a $204.7 million deal for production of High Mobility Artillery Rock Systems M142 launchers and support requirements. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. HIMARS carries a single six-pack of rockets or one ATACMS missile on the Army’s Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) 5-ton truck, and can launch the entire MLRS family of munitions. Work will take place in Texas, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, New Jersey and Mississippi. Estimated completion date is April 29, 2025.

Bell Boeing won a $302.2 million contract modification by the US Navy. The modification provides for the production and delivery of four MV-22B variation in quantity aircraft for the Marine Corps. Work will take place in Texas, Pennsylvania, New York and Utah. Estimated completion date is in November 2025.

Middle East & Africa

Israeli newspaper “The Jerusalem Post” said that huge cargo planes belonging to the UAE Air Force landed in Israel several times during the past two weeks. According to the paper, the reason for these flights is not yet clear, but it is suspected that they are transporting security and military equipment under a joint defense agreement signed by the two sides recently.

Europe

Serbia has shown its newly-acquired FK-3 air defense missile system that it bought from China to the media for the first time. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic attended the Shield 2022 airpower demonstration at Colonel-pilot Milenko Pavlovic airbase in Batajnica. The FK-3 was displayed alongside other weapons such as helicopters and MiG-29s.

According to the “UK Defence Journal”, the head of the Royal Air Force has confirmed plans to purchase 74 F-35B jets adding that it is “possible” the UK may eventually have a fleet of 138 F-35s. The specific number was apparently revealed by Air Marshal Knighton during a Defense Select Committee meeting.

Asia-Pacific

For the first time, the Royal Australian Air Force has conducted air-to-air refuelling flight testing with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Conducted from April 4 to 27, the flight test engineering program in Japan involved a RAAF KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) and Mitsubishi F-2 aircraft of the JASDF.

An Australian tanker has refueled a Japanese fighter jet in the air for the first time as part of interoperability trials between the two Asia-Pacific nations. A Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A tanker aircraft was deployed to Japan April 4-27, during which it participated in a flight test engineering program with Japan Air Self-Defense Force Mitsubishi F-2 jets.

Today’s Video

WATCH: How Marine Pilots Fly The $84 Million Osprey | Boot Camp

V-22 Osprey: The Multi-Year Buys, 2008-2021

In March 2008, the Bell Boeing Joint Project Office in Amarillo, TX received a $10.4 billion modification that converted the previous N00019-07-C-0001 advance acquisition contract to a fixed-price-incentive-fee, multi-year contract. The new contract rose to $10.92 billion, and was used to buy 143 MV-22 (for USMC) and 31 CV-22 (Air Force Special Operations) Osprey aircraft, plus associated manufacturing tooling to move the aircraft into full production. A follow-on MYP-II contract covered another 99 Ospreys (92 MV-22, 7 CV-22) for $6.524 billion. Totals: $17.444 billion for 235 MV-22s and 38 CV-22s, an average of $63.9 million each.

The V-22 tilt-rotor program has been beset by controversy throughout its 20-year development period. Despite these issues, and the emergence of competitive but more conventional compound helicopter technologies like Piasecki’s X-49 Speedhawk and Sikorsky’s X2, the V-22 program continues to move forward. This DID Spotlight article looks at the V-22’s multi-year purchase contract from 2008-12 and 2013-2017, plus associated contracts for key V-22 systems, program developments, and research sources.