Boeing Tapped For B-1, B-52 Services | Iran Held Major Military Exercise | EDA Launches AAR Project
Jan 03, 2023 05:00 UTCAmericas
Boeing won a $38.7 million modification for B-1 and B-52 bomber engineering services. This modification is for recurring and non-recurring engineering services to B-1 and B-52 aircraft. Work will be performed at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma; Edwards AFB, California; Barksdale AFB, Louisiana; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is expected to be completed December 31, 2023.
Sikorsky has filed a protest with the US government regarding the US Army’s decision to award a contract for its next-generation helicopter to Textron’s Bell. The Lockheed Martin subsiadary seeks a review of the $1.3 billion deal awarded in early December, in which Bell’s V-280 Valor tiltrotor was selected over Sikorsky and Boeing’s Defiant X coaxial rotor for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program.
Middle East & Africa
Iran’s army held major military drills in the Gulf on Friday, state media reported. The exercises, which included naval, air and ground forces, were held at the Strait of Hormuz — a key waterway through which 25% of the world’s oil passes and about a third of global liquified natural gas.
Europe
The European Defence Agency (EDA) is launching a new research project to improve the efficiency and success rate of air-to-air refuelling (AAR) missions that uses the hose and drogue method by developing an automated system. The project, which has a budget of $4.26 million, will be led by Spain in collaboration with Germany and involve an industry consortium including Airbus Defence and Space, GMV, the German Aerospace Center, and AES Technology.
Asia-Pacific
The Japanese and Indian Air Forces will conduct their first bilateral fighter jet training in January, bolstering ties amid continued tensions with China. Their first-ever joint air combat training will commence on January 16 to 26 at Hyakuri Air Base in Ibaraki Prefecture, 95 kilometers (59 miles) northeast of Tokyo. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) said the 10-day air drills would “promote mutual understanding and strengthen defense cooperation between the air forces.”
South Korea’s Defense Project Promotion Committee has approved two major projects to enhance the country’s military capabilities. The first project is a $2.73 billion effort to upgrade the combat capabilities of its F-15K fighters. The project, which will run from 2024 to 2034 and aims to strengthen the mission capabilities and survivability of the F-15K jets. The upgrade will include replacing the current F-15Ks’ old radar system with an advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and installing integrated electronic warfare equipment and an up-to-date mission computer. It is not known if the upgrade of F-15Ks will be similar to Japan’s “Japanese Super Interceptor” (JSI) configuration. The JSI uses the APG-82(v)1 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars, Advanced Display Core Processor II Mission System Computers and AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS).
Today’s Video
WATCH: AMA’s Actively Stabilized Drogue Refueling System (ASDRS).
