Americas
The Navy awarded Lockheed Martin with a 14.5 million contract modification to provide for initial lay-in of repair materials for seven F-35 Lightning II systems at various depots in support of the Air Force, Marine Corps, non-US DOD participants, and Foreign Military Sales customers. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine stealth multirole fighters. The global F-35 program is the largest and most advanced military aircraft program in the world. More than 3,000 F-35 aircraft will be produced by 2030 for a number of countries. Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, the UK, and the US are the original partner countries in the F-35 program. Work under the modification will take place in Orlando, Florida; Fort Worth, Texas; Jackson, Mississippi; Windsor Locks, Connecticut; St. Louis, Missouri; and East Aurora, New York, and is scheduled to be completed in July 2024.
The US Navy’s Military Sealift Command contracted Detyens Shipyards $10.5 million for a 50-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry docking of USNS William McLean (T-AKE 12). Detyens Shipyards operates a commercial shipyard on the East Coast of the US. It provides ship repair and conversion services. The USNS William McLean is a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship. The Lewis and Clark class of dry cargo ship is a class of 14 Combat Logistics Force underway replenishment vessels. Work under the contract includes clean and gas-free tanks, voids, cofferdams and spaces, main engine and electric motor maintenance, 10-year crane maintenance and recertification, dry-docking and undocking, propeller shaft and stern tube inspect, freshwater (closed loop) stern tube lubrication, underwater hull cleaning and painting, 2.5-year bow thruster maintenance and tunnel grating modification, renew flight deck nonskid, and auxiliary pre-stage area refrigeration installation. Work will take place in North Charleston, South Carolina, and is expected to be finished by July 16 this year.
Middle East & Africa
The Israeli Ministry of Defense will buy seven AW-119 Koala training helicopters from Italian defense contractor Leonardo in a multi-billion dollar deal. The contract, estimated at $350 million and also includes 20 years of aircraft maintenance, also has Rome buying an equivalent value of Israeli military technology. The AW-119, known in Israel as Sayfan will replace the Air Force’s current Bell 206 training aircraft. Israeli defense contractor Rafael beat out US defense contractors Bell and Airbus to win the Israeli tender in today’s deal. According to reports, Italy wants to purchase $70-80 million in anti-tank missiles from Rafael.
Defense contractor Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is in talks with Colombia for the sale of Barak-8 missile systems. Barak-8 is an Indian-Israeli surface-to-air missile designed to defend against any aircraft, helicopters, anti-ship missiles, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles as well as ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and combat jets. Barak-8 incorporates a state-of-the-art phased array multi-mission radar, two-way data link, and a flexible command and control system, enabling users to simultaneously engage multiple targets day and night and in all weather conditions. The missile was tested for the first time in mid 2018 when it intercepted a small drone simulating an enemy craft. The system extends the range of Israel’s aerial defense. It is being jointly developed by the Defense Research & Development Organisation, IAI, Israel’s Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, Elta Systems, Rafael and other companies. According to reports, one of the catalysts for Colombia’s interest in advanced air defense systems is the crisis in Venezuela. IAI did not want to comment on the issue.
The USA provided the Lebanese Army with a $16 million APKWS laser-guided rocket kit. The APKWS is a design conversion of Hydra 70 unguided rockets with a laser guidance kit to turn them into precision-guided munitions. The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System laser-guided rockets are a key component for the Lebanese Air Force’s new A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft. APKWS is about one-third the cost and one-third the weight of the current inventory of laser-guided weapons, has a lower yield more suitable for avoiding collateral damage, and takes one quarter of the time for ordnance personnel to load and unload. The A-29 Super Tucano is a turboprop light attack aircraft with weapons including precision-guided munitions. According to the US Embassy in Lebanon, the current delivery demonstrates the US government’s firm and steady commitment to support the Lebanon Army.
Europe
Royal Air Force (RAF) Marham is the first UK Airbase powered by green energy. The Defense Infrastructure Organisation worked collaboratively with Amey, the Crown Commercial Service Utilities & Fuels Company, DIO’s electricity supplier EDF and their supply chain partner Future Biogas on the project for EDF to supply baseload power to RAF Marham since 2015. The energy provided by the new biogas plant is sustainable, green and provides substantial financial savings over grid-imported energy to the airbase. The biogas plant will provide annual savings of $371,191. The plant increases power resilience at RAF Marham by providing multiple pathways to electrical resources.
Asia-Pacific
Indonesia and South Korea entered the final stages of negotiations for a follow-on order of the Type 209/1400 diesel-electric submarines, according to Jane’s. An agreement with South Korean company Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) is expected in the upcoming months. The contract is valued to be worth $1.2 billion when finalized. Jakarta signed a $1.1 billion deal for three Type 209/1400 submarines with DSME in December 2011. Two submarines under this contract have been delivered, while a third is awaiting launch in Surabaya. The Type 209 submarines are a class of diesel-electric attack submarines armed with eight bow 533 mm torpedo tubes and 14 torpedoes. Ships utilized by South Korea can be armed with 28 mines in place of torpedoes and Sub-Harpoon missiles.
Today’s Video
Watch: Most Feared! America’s Super fighter jets to join UK’s new Supercarrier first operational mission
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkvLnIz4sPc
