Americas
Thales Defense & Security Inc. won a $16 million deal for the repair of three items that are part of the H-1 Optimized Top Owl system. All work will be performed in Valbonne, France, and work is expected to be completed by October 2024. Annual working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $11,933,292 will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One company was solicited for this sole-source requirement pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 U.S. Code 3204 (a)(1), with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.
Denmark’s defense ministry said Tuesday that it was selling 24 used F-16 fighter jets to Argentina as the Nordic country upgrades its air force. The contract, which followed a declaration of intent unveiled in March, was formally signed during a visit by Argentine Defense Minister Luis Alfonso Petri at the Danish Skrydstrup air base. Denmark is in the process of upgrading its fleet to the more modern F-35, and has around 40 F-16s, of which around 30 are in operation, according to Danish media.
Middle East & Africa
French shipbuilder Piriou Group has completed the delivery of the third and final OPV 58 S offshore patrol vessel. The handover ceremony took place in Concarneau, France, graced by the presence of His Excellency the Ambassador of Senegal to France, El Hadji Magatte Seye, and Admiral Abdou Sene, the Chief of Staff of the Senegalese Navy. This event marks the culmination of a construction program that began with a contract signed in November 2019 between the Ministry of the Armed Forces of Senegal and the Piriou Group. The contract, which came into effect on September 30, 2020, entailed the acquisition of three 62-meter offshore patrol vessels, tailored for Senegal’s Maritime Defense and State Action at Sea.
Europe
On April 15th, Portuguese F-16 fighter jets assigned to NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission conducted their first intercept mission of the current deployment. The scramble, initiated by the Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem, Germany, marked the first time the Portuguese detachment launched jets for an air interception during their seventh rotation at Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania. Following a rapid response, the two-ship formation of F-16s approached unidentified aircraft flying near NATO airspace over international waters. Upon identification, the Portuguese pilots confirmed the presence of two Russian military aircraft (a Il-20 and a Il-76) that lacked a flight plan. The Portuguese F-16s then escorted the Russian planes until they entered the Kaliningrad Flight Information Region, successfully completing the mission.
The Finnish Air Force will conduct air-to-air refueling (AAR) training missions with the Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Unit (MMU) on April 16-17 and 23-24, 2024. The exercises aim to maintain and renew qualifications for F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilots in aerial refueling procedures, a vital skill for extending operational range and mission flexibility. The MMU is an international NATO air cooperation program established in 2016. It focuses on the acquisition, management, and operation of a fleet of Airbus A330-200 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft. The Netherlands and Luxembourg initiated the program, with Belgium, Germany, Norway, and the Czech Republic joining subsequently.
Asia-Pacific
The Mid-Range Capability missile has landed in Luzon, Philippines, as part of the Salaknib exercise taking place there, marking the first deployment of the new capability deemed vital for the US Army’s strategy in the region. The 1st Multi-Domain Task Force brought the MRC weapon to the country on April 11, traveling more than 8,000 miles from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state for over 15 hours via a C-17 Globemaster cargo aircraft, according to an April 15 statement from US Army Pacific.
