Americas
The Canadian military will be confronted with significant challenges when it begins operating its upcoming MQ-9B Reaper drones in the Arctic. Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) documents seen by Ottawa Citizen suggest that the icy, -30 Celsius weather in the country’s far north will be a serious test for the Reaper’s ability to conduct its missions. The drones will also have to operate from remote runways in the region where satellite coverage is limited.
Lockheed Martin won a $19 million cost-plus-fixed-fee completion contract modification for SemaFor Prototype System. Work will be performed at Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and is expected to be completed by October 11, 2026. Fiscal 2024 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $395,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity.
Middle East & Africa
The US State Department has approved more than $20 billion major arms sales to Israel, including new F-15 fighter jets and tens of thousands of tank and mortar shells. One deal, valued at an estimated $18.8 billion, includes up to 50 new F-15IA multi-role fighter aircraft and Mid-Life Update modification kits for Israel’s existing 25 F-15I jets. This approval marks a pivotal moment in the long-standing negotiations between Israel and Boeing for F-15 acquisitions. Talks have been ongoing before COVID19, with the deal facing several delays. The potential sale underscores the enduring demand for the F-15 platform, despite competition from newer fifth-generation fighters. The Biden administration also approved the sale of 50,000 120mm mortar shells and 32,000 120mm tank shells. Another deal involves the sale of 30 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles for fighter jets. The last deal that was approved is for the sale of military tactical vehicles.
Europe
The Polish government has signed a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with Boeing for 96 AH-64E Apache combat helicopters, marking a significant milestone in Poland’s KRUK Attack Helicopter program. This deal, initially approved by the U.S. State Department in August 2023 for an estimated $12 billion, represents the largest Foreign Military Sale in the history of Boeing’s Vertical Lift division. The comprehensive package announced last year includes not just the helicopters themselves, but a vast array of supporting equipment and weaponry.
Asia-Pacific
South Korean authorities report a major security breach involving the Baekdu-Geumgang reconnaissance aircraft. North Korean hackers successfully infiltrated a defense contractor, compromising sensitive technical information. The attack targeted a company producing military equipment manuals. Officials believe detailed specifications of the Baekdu-Geumgang aircraft, military variants of the Hawker 800XP based at Seoul Air Force Base, were among the stolen data.
