Lockheed Gets $450M For JASSM Production | Israeli MoD Tests Robotic Unmanned Vehicle | Sweden To Buy More Archer Howitzers

Americas

Northrop Grumman won a $15 million contract modification, which provides additional labor and material to incorporate production engineering change proposals that modify MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system production assets to an Integrated Functional Capability 4.0 multiple intelligence configuration for the Navy and the government of Australia. Work will take place in California, New York, North Dakotaand various locations within the continental. Expected completion will be in April 2025

The Air Force contracted Lockheed Martin with $450 million for Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) production support. The contract will provide lifecycle support for all efforts related to JASSM in the areas of system upgrades, integration, production, sustainment, management and logistical support. Work will take place in Florida. Expected completion date is June 10, 2027.

Middle East & Africa

The Israel Ministry of Defense will begin testing a robotic unmanned vehicle (M-RCV Medium Robotic Combat Vehicle), developed by the Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), the Tank and APC Directorate, and Israeli security industries. The robotic combat vehicle was unveiled at Elbit Systems’ pavilion at the Eurosatory Defense and Security Exhibition. The vehicle includes a new robotic platform type BLR-2 made by BL, a 30 mm autonomous turret developed by the Tank and APC Directorate for the “Eitan” APC, Elbit’s “Iron Fist” Active Protection System, fire control and mission management systems, and robotic autonomous kit, in addition to situation awareness systems.

Jane’s reports that the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) released a photograph on June 11. The picture showed a Cobra II 4×4 armoured vehicle made by the Turkish company Otokar deployed in Mozambique. The RDF did not explicitly identify the vehicle as one of its assets, but the photograph was one of four it released showing a Mozambican delegation visiting Rwandan forces in the northern districts of Mocímboa da Praia and Palma.

Europe

Sweden has committed to buying more Archer 155mm mobile howitzers from BAE Systems, having signed a letter of intent at the Paris-based defense exhibition Eurosatory this week. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration and BAE Systems Bofors took the first step to establish an additional artillery battalion in line with Sweden’s defense strategy, which runs through 2025.

Asia-Pacific

The last four F-16s that Taiwan is transferring back home from Luke Air Force Base have touched down on the island on June14. The F-16s landed at Hualien Air Force Base in eastern Taiwan around 3:40 p.m., a military official familiar with the matter told CNA.

Today’s Video

WATCH: Swedish Armed Forces demonstrate the Archer Artillery System in the USA

Sweden’s Archer Self-Propelled Artillery Project

BAE Systems Bofors’ Archer is a light, air-portable, and highly automated 155/52 light mobile artillery system. Archer began as a Swedish project, administered by their FMV procurement agency. Funding was provided for system development and some initial production, but the project’s future had been shadowed by anemic Swedish defense budgets.

In May 2007, however, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Norway’s FLO procurement agency, which evolved into a joint production venture. Just as initial production moved the Archer system from concept to imminent reality, however, Norway left the program. Why?