Rolls Royce Tapped For LCS Gas Turbine Engines | Patriot Missile Unit Damaged in Ukraine | Australia Orders Bushmasters

Americas

Rolls Royce Marine North America won a $66.7 million deal in support of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for the global engineering and technical support of the Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) Freedom Variant MT30 gas turbine engines. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would not increase the cumulative value of this contract above $66,679,116. Work will be performed globally and will be defined in each delivery order. Fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds, which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, will be used for the base year delivery orders. No funding will be obligated at time of award.

In a recent incident at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Oregon, a US Air Force F-15D encountered an unexpected situation during landing. During the landing on May 15, the F-15D veered off the runway and came to a halt in the Bureau of Reclamation irrigation canal located on the south side of the runway. Colonel Micah Lambert, the vice commander of the 173rd Fighter Wing, provided reassurance that the situation has been managed effectively, stating, “We don’t believe the aircraft is leaking any petroleum products based on our initial assessment of the water in the canal.” He emphasized that minimizing the environmental impact remains a top priority for the team. As a precautionary measure, absorbent booms have been placed around the aircraft to prevent the flow of fuel or other substances downstream in the event of a leakage.

Middle East & Africa

According to Israel Defense, the Greek Police has been using a “David” armored vehicle made by Israel’s Shladot in its activities along its Northern border. The David was presented in the Greek Police pavilion at the DEFEA 2023 exhibition which took place last week in Athens. The Greek Police’s “David” armored vehicles were built by Shladot utilizing the extensive knowhow and experience gained from the “Davids” used by the Israel Defense Force (IDF). The Greek “David” was tailored to police requirements, built as a 5-door SUV, unlike the IDF 3-door version. The “David” is equipped with a powerful 205 horse power engine, automatic transmission and a unique suspension system, enabling it to maneuver through mountains, forested areas and small villages.

Europe

Lockheed Martin won a $15.7 million for computer program development, shipboard testing and installation and live fire and test planning and execution in support of the Norway Program. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $48,201,842. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales to Norway. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (94%); and Norway (6%) and is expected to be completed by July 2026. If all options are exercised, work will be completed by July 2026. Foreign Military Sales (Norway) funds in the amount of $15,651,498 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

A recent missile barrage by Russia targeted a US-made Patriot air defense system in Kyiv, causing damage to the system. The extent of the damage is currently being evaluated, raising concerns about Ukraine’s defense capabilities against escalating Russian missile attacks, CNN reports. The Patriot air defense system appears to have sustained damage but remains intact. The severity of the damage will determine whether the system needs complete withdrawal or can be repaired on-site by Ukrainian forces.

Asia-Pacific

Australia will buy 78 Bushmaster protected vehicles for $106 million to replenish stockpiles sent to Ukraine for its war against Russia. Signed at Thales’ facility in Bendigo, the agreement covers the delivery of the Bushmasters in troop carrier and command variants over the next 18 months.

Today’s Video

WATCH: UK and Dutch pledge fighter jet support for Ukraine | DW News

LCS: The USA’s Littoral Combat Ships

Exploit simplicity, numbers, the pace of technology development in electronics and robotics, and fast reconfiguration. That was the US Navy’s idea for the low-end backbone of its future surface combatant fleet. Inspired by successful experiments like Denmark’s Standard Flex ships, the US Navy’s $35+ billion “Littoral Combat Ship” program was intended to create a new generation of affordable surface combatants that could operate in dangerous shallow and near-shore environments, while remaining affordable and capable throughout their lifetimes.

It hasn’t worked that way. In practice, the Navy hasn’t been able to reconcile what they wanted with the capabilities needed to perform primary naval missions, or with what could be delivered for the sums available. The LCS program has changed its fundamental acquisition plan 4 times since 2005, and canceled contracts with both competing teams during this period, without escaping any of its fundamental issues. Now, the program looks set to end early. This public-access FOCUS article offer a wealth of research material, alongside looks at the LCS program’s designs, industry teams procurement plans, military controversies, budgets and contracts.

Timely Defenders: Keeping Patriots in Shape

The USA’s MIM-104 Phased Array Tracking Radar Intercept On Target (PATRIOT) anti-air missile system offers an advanced backbone for medium-range air defense, and short-range ballistic missile defense, to America and its allies. This article covers domestic and foreign purchase requests and contracts for Patriot systems. It also compiles information about the engineering service contracts that upgrade these systems, ensure that they continue to work, and integrate them with wider command and defense systems.

The Patriot missile franchise’s future appears assured. At present, 12 nations have chosen it as a key component of their air and missile defense systems: the USA, Germany, Greece, Japan, Israel, Kuwait, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan and the UAE. Poland, Qatar, and Turkey have all indicated varying levels of interest, and some existing customers are looking to upgrade their systems.