Rolls-Royce To Produce Osprey Engine | Israel Grounds 11 F-35s | Netherlands Pledges Ukraine Aid

Americas

Rolls-Royce won a $74.7 million deal, which procures 28 V-22 AE1107C engines (24 for production aircraft and 4 spare engines) in support of the V-22 Osprey for the Navy and Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be completed in December 2023. The V-22 Osprey is a joint-service, medium-lift, multimission tilt-rotor aircraft developed by Boeing and Bell Helicopters. Boeing is responsible for the fuselage, landing gear, avionics, electrical and hydraulic systems, performance and flying qualities. Bell Helicopter Textron is responsible for the wing and nacelle, propulsion, rotor, empennage (complete tail system), ramp, overwing fairing and the dynamics.

Lockheed won a $43.4 million modification, which exercises options for the production and delivery of one MH-60R aircraft, and to procure one Australia unique modification kit in support of modifying the MH-60R aircraft from standard Foreign Military Sales configuration to a unique configuration for the Commonwealth of Australia. Work will be performed in Owego, New York; Stratford, Connecticut; and Troy, Alabama, and is expected to be completed in May 2026.

Middle East & Africa

Israel has grounded eleven of its F-35A stealth fighters following the advice of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office (JPO). The data and findings from the recent crash of a US F-35B fighter jet in Texas indicate the need for a dedicated inspection to determine if the Israeli system is at risk of a similar malfunction. “The Israeli Air Force (IAF) will analyze the findings from the incident and will draw conclusions and recommendations for the safe return of the aircraft to operational duty,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said. Israel has 33 F-35A delivered so far and they are assigned to the 116th Lions of the South Squadron and the 140th Golden Eagle Squadron.

Europe

The Netherlands on Friday pledged $2.7 billion to help war-torn Ukraine in 2023, with most of the money earmarked for military aid. “Nearly two billion is intended for military support,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told a press conference in The Hague. The rest will go towards humanitarian aid, rebuilding infrastructure as well as ensuring accountability, he said.

American technology firm Palantir has been awarded a $90-million contract to support the British military’s intelligence-gathering capabilities. As part of the three-year agreement, the company will utilize its cutting-edge software to help the army make real-time decisions and predict how battlefield decisions will play out. The software will allow the armed forces to treat data as a strategic asset, delivering military advantage and greater efficiency.

Asia-Pacific

South Korea accused North Korea of flying “several” drones across their border on Monday, prompting Seoul’s military to deploy warplanes and fire warning shots to ward them off. “Our military first detected a North Korean unmanned aerial vehicle around the Gimpo airspace at 10:25 am,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement. “Several North Korean unmanned aerial vehicles invaded our airspace” in the border areas around Gyeonggi province, it added.

Today’s Video

WATCH: V-22 Osprey – The Helicopter and Airplane That Changed The Game

Adir Who? Israel’s F-35i Stealth Fighters

In an exclusive June 2006 interview, Israeli Air Force (IAF) chief procurement officer Brigadier-General Ze’ev Snir told Israeli media that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was a key part of their IAF recapitalization plans, and that Israel intended to buy over 100 of the fighters to replace their fleet of over 300 F-16s.

Since then, however, the expected cost of that purchase has more than doubled. Israel’s F-35 contract had to deal with that sticker shock, with issues like the incorporation of Israeli technologies and industrial work, and with major schedule slips in the core F-35 program. Israel was even contemplating delaying its purchase, which would have removed an important early adopter for the Lightning II. In the end, however, Israel decided to forego other fighter options, and became the first foreign buyer of operational F-35s. So, how is the “F-35i Adir” shaping up?