Lockheed To Deliver 9 F-35s To Canada Before End Of 2027 | Israel’s Special Forces To Get Upgrade | South Korea Conducts Soaring Eagle

Americas

Canadian government documents have disclosed that Lockheed Martin is required to deliver nine F-35s to Canada by December 1, 2027. The last aircraft will have to be delivered before December 31, 2031. The Liberal government plans to purchase 88 U.S.-built F-35s as part of a project expected to cost taxpayers between $15 billion and $19 billion. Critics of the purchase have noted, however, the full lifecycle cost for the planes is estimated at $77 billion.

According to Defense News, Argentina has kicked-started the process for procuring four Boeing-made CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters from the US. Aimed at fulfilling a requirement first issued in 2011, the helicopters are intended for Army and Air Force operations, both in tactical transport and special forces support roles, as well as disaster relief and civil support.

Middle East & Africa

The Israeli Defense Forces’ Special Forces units are getting an upgrade. Israel will be purchasing new “Negeva” combat vehicles worth $28 million for their Special Forces. Israeli Deputy Director-General and the Directorate Head of Production and Procurement (DOPP) Avi Dadon signed the order for “hundreds of vehicles,” revealing that the new combat vehicles for the IDF SOF will be the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) ‘s Negeva vehicles. The contract for the purchase was signed during a ceremony at the IAI Land Division production line in Be’er Sheva. Commonly referred to as the Z-MAG and the ZD, manufacturing will be done in cooperation with Ido Cohen and The Armored Group.

Europe

German Dynamit Nobel Defense (DND), a subsidiary of Israeli defense giant Rafael, presented the final design of the RGW110 HH-T (HEAT/HESH tandem) shoulder-launched weapon, at the Eurosatory 2022 exhibition in Paris. The German website esut.de notes that the system has a new design of the grip and a spike protruding from the barrel. According to DND, the RGW110 HH-T is about to complete the company qualification, and it should be ready for series production in just over a year. The basic version intends to take over the strengths of the Panzerfaust 3-IT warhead and combine them with the ergonomics and operating concept of the RGW series.

According to a tweet by the Royal Air Force, testing started on the MESA sensor destined for the UK’s 1st E-7. The first of the E-7 Wedgetails purchased by the UK to replace the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning And Control aircraft will arrive in 2023.

Asia-Pacific

South Korea kicked off the biannual exercise Soaring Eagle on June 20. Around 70 aircraft are participating in the exercise held by the 29th Tactical Fighter Weapons Group. The theater-level “Soaring Eagle” combat training exercise is being staged over five days through Friday at the 29th Tactical Fighter Weapons Group located at an air base in the central city of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.

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