Canada And Latvia To Train Ukraine | UAE Canceled Helicopter Deal With Airbus | DoS Approved Chinook Sale To Germany

Americas

On May 14, 2013, the Northrop Grumman X-47B made history by completing the first-ever catapult launch of an unmanned aircraft from an aircraft carrier. The successful launch from the USS George H.W. Bush marked a major milestone in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles for military operations. The X-47B had previously conducted numerous landings and takeoffs on an aircraft carrier, but this catapult launch was the first time that the drone had been launched from a carrier using the same system used to launch manned aircraft. The successful launch demonstrated that unmanned aerial vehicles could operate alongside traditional manned aircraft in carrier-based operations.

Canada and Latvia will jointly provide combat leadership training to Ukrainian junior officers starting as early as next week, their defense minister announced Wednesday. The training, which will take place in Latvia, builds on Canadian military deployments and training throughout Britain and Europe to bolster NATO defenses and support Ukraine.

Middle East & Africa

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has canceled its $879 million deal with Airbus for 12 H225M Caracal multirole helicopters. The cancellation was confirmed by Muammar Abdulla Abushehab, defense and security industry affairs sector chief for the Tawazun council, in an exclusive interview with Breaking Defense. Abushehab stated that the UAE found it difficult to continue with the contract due to the high lifecycle cost, limitations in adapting to modular designs of future mission requirements, and the complex technical proposal. He clarified that the decision was not politically motivated, but was based on financial and technical reasons.

Europe

Ireland’s air defenses have been a topic of discussion among national security sources due to a significant gap in the country’s air defenses. The Irish Air Corps lacks an aircraft to respond to almost all incoming suspicious and threatening aircraft, and the state is also completely blind to what is in its airspace due to a complete lack of primary military radar. To fill this gap, Ireland depends on the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other countries to respond to flights. Opposition TDs have demanded an answer from Tánasite Micheál Martin and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar regarding a supposed secret deal with the RAF to police Irish skies, which has caused a ripple through the political ranks. However, Martin has denied that Ireland relies on an agreement with the British and claimed the reporting was inaccurate, while Varadkar stated that Ireland does depend on international partners to assist in national security measures. Senator Gerard Craughwell has issued proceedings in the High Court to determine if the deal exists.

The US State Department has approved the sale of 34 AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods and related equipment to Poland. The proposed $124.7 million sale will improve the tactical effectiveness of FA-50 fighter jets Poland is acquiring from South Korea. Warsaw has purchased 48 FA-50 light combat jets from Seoul for $13 billion, expecting the first tranche of 12 aircraft this year.

The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Slovakia of M1278A1/A2 Heavy Gun Carriers Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs), and related equipment and services for an estimated cost of $250 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.  The JLTVs will replace Soviet-era personnel carriers and improve Slovakia’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing increased mobility and enhanced protection for ground units.

Germany announced its intent to buy 60 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters from Boeing last year to replace its ageing CH-53 fleet. The package includes 140 engines including 20 spares, missile warning systems, radios, transponders, navigation systems, a suite of modifications and technical support, the Pentagon said.

Asia-Pacific

China has completed the delivery of four warships to the Pakistan Navy as part of an agreement signed in 2018. The delivery, which took place last week, reportedly signified a deepening military cooperation between Beijing and its Asian ally. Two Type 054A frigates were featured in a commissioning ceremony at the Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai, with Pakistan Navy chief Amjad Khan Niazi in attendance.

Today’s Video

WATCH: Sling-load! CH-47 Chinooks Carry the M777 Howitzers

JLTV: Oshkosh Wins, Lockheed Protests

In an age of non-linear warfare, where front lines are nebulous at best and non-existent at worst, one of the biggest casualties is… the concept of unprotected rear echelon vehicles, designed with the idea that they’d never see serious combat. That imperative is being driven home on 2 fronts. One front is operational. The other front is buying trends.

These trends, and their design imperatives, found their way into the USA’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program, which aims to replace many of the US military’s 120,000 or so Humvees. The US military’s goal is a 7-10 ton vehicle that’s lighter than its MRAPs and easier to transport aboard ship, while offering substantially better protection ad durability than existing up-armored Humvees. They’d also like a vehicle that can address front-line issues like power generation, in order to recharge all of the batteries troops require for electronic gadgets like night sights, GPS devices, etc.

DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. JLTV certainly qualifies, and recent budget planning endorsements have solidifed a future that was looking shaky. Now, can the Army’s program deliver?

The New Chinooks: Boeing’s Modern H-47 Heavy-Lift Helicopters

DII FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record; this FOCUS Article covers the CH-47F/MH-47G Chinook helicopter programs, in the USA and abroad. These helicopters’ distinctive “flying banana” twin-rotor design stems from the brilliant work of aviation pioneer Frank Piasecki. It gives Chinooks the ability to adjust their positioning very precisely, while carrying a large airframe whose load capacity has made it the world’s most popular heavy-lift helicopter. The USA expects to be operating Chinooks in their heavy-lift role past 2030.

The CH-47F looks similar to earlier models, but offers a wide range of improvements in almost every aspect of design and performance. While the related HH-47’s $10-15 billion CSAR-X program win was terminated, delivery orders continue for CH-47Fs and for MH-47G Special Forces configuration helicopters. International orders or formal requests have also come in from Australia, Britain, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the UAE, with India and other countries expected to follow.