Lockheed Delivered 5,000 Black Hawks To Armed Forces | Israel Requested F-15s From US | RNZAF to retire the P-3K2

Americas

Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky has delivered its 5,000th Hawk medium-lift helicopter to the US armed forces. The chopper is a variant of the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter deployed for international military and civilian operations. “For more than 40 years the Black Hawk has remarkably supported Soldiers in every major contingency operation the Army has executed,” US Army Program Executive Office Aviation Helicopter Project Manager Col. Calvin Lane stated.

Epirus has been awarded a $66.1-million contract to supply its Leonidas high-power microwave weapon to the US Army. The counter-drone weapon can neutralize targets by zapping their electronics, making them lose contact with their operators. The Leonidas outperformed six other counter-drone systems during a series of test events to win the sole-source contract.

Middle East & Africa

Israel has submitted a formal request to the US government for 25 F-15EX fighter aircraft, according to industry sources who spoke to Breaking Defense. An official letter of request was reportedly sent by the Israeli Ministry of Defense last week, marking the first step in the foreign military sale process. Jerusalem will now have to wait for an initial decision by the US before quantity and pricing are discussed.

The US and Israel have begun Exercise Juniper Oak 23.2 in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea amid increased tension with Iran, featuring more than 140 aircraft including strategic bombers, fighter jets, and refueling aircraft. The major live-fire drill, running from January 23-27, also includes Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, and 12 naval vessels, the US Central Command said.

Europe

Finland’s defense ministry said Wednesday the country had issued the first commercial export license for military material to Turkey since 2019 — a key demand for Ankara to approve Helsinki’s NATO bid. Riikka Pitkanen, special adviser at the ministry, told AFP that the export license granted concerned steel that would be used for armor. Finland had suspended new licenses for military exports to Turkey in October 2019 due to Turkey’s military operation in Syria.

Asia-Pacific

The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s No. 5 Squadron put on a three-ship P-3K2 formation flight on January 24 to mark the end of an era as the fleet prepares to retire at the end of the month. The flight took off from RNZAF Base Auckland at Whenuapai and flew over a variety of locations, including Waikato, Manawat?, Napier, Tauranga, Coromandel Coast, Great Barrier Island and Whang?rei. Spectators were treated to close formation fly-pasts over Ohakea, Wellington and Auckland harbors.

Today’s Video

WATCH: RNZAF Orion P3 Farewell Fly past of Wellington Harbour – Te Whanganui a Tara

Aging Aircraft: USAF F-15 Fleet Sees Renewed Interest

“Array of Aging American Aircraft Attracting Attention” discusses the issues that accompany an air force whose fighters have an average age of over 23.5 years – vs. an average of 8.5 years in 1967. One of the most obvious consequences is the potential for fleet groundings due to unforseen structural issues caused by time and fatigue. That very fear is responsible for the #1 priority placed on bringing new KC-X aerial tankers into the fleet to complement the USA’s 1960s-era KC-135 Stratotankers.

It can also affect the fighter fleet more directly.

Following the crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C aircraft Nov 2/07 (see crash simulation), the US Air Force suspended non-mission critical F-15 flight operations on Nov 3/07. While the cause of that accident is still under investigation, preliminary findings indicate that a structural failure during flight may have been responsible. In response, Japan suspended its own F-15 flights, which left them in a bit of a bind – even as Israel’s F-15s joined them on the tarmac. As the effects continue to spread and the USAF and others continue to comment on this situation, DID continues to expand its coverage of this bellwether event. A conditional restoration of the American F-15A-D fleet to flight status was soon overturned by the re-grounding of that fleet as a result of the report’s conclusions – a status that remains only been partially lifted. Meanwhile, the accident report has been released (compete with video dramatization) and the status of the remaining aircraft will have significant implications for the USAF’s future F-15 fleet size. Not to mention its other procurement programs.

Then, too, this is America. Now there’s a lawsuit.