Americas
Toyon Research won a $9.1 million ordering agreement, which provides for analysis tools and performance analysis to support the E-2D aircraft and provide support equipment for E-2D performance analysis. Additionally, this order provides two E-2D Delta System Software Configuration (DSSC)-4 mission computer upgrade kits to support analysis of E-2D DSSC-4 in an operational environment, as well as develop system requirements to update the E-2D All-source Track and ID Fuser data fusion engine to accept data from tactical information web services. This order continues efforts in support of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Topic N111-016 titled, “Optimizing Track-to-Track Data Fusion for Variable Cases”, which seeks to develop a method that would analyze different approaches of combining tracks from multiple disparate data sources and identify the approach that results in the best overall track accuracy within the processing and time constraints available. Work will take place in California, Florida, Texas and New Hampshire. Estimated completion will be by July 2024.
F-15s assigned to the 144th Fighter Wing, California, carried out Alaska Dissimilar Aircraft Combat Training exercise with F-22s from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson last month. There were two objectives in this exercise: one is to free up F-22s to allow them to be deployed in the Pacific and the second is to improve interoperability between the two different generations of fighters.
Middle East & Africa
Senegal has ordered eight LG1 105 mm howitzers and ammunition from Nexter. The contract for the Senegal Armed Forces entered into effect on April 20. A unit cost of the 105 mm LG1 howitzer is $2.08 million, indicating that the Senegal procurement is worth more than $16.6 million. Senegal is the eighth customer for the LG1, which has also been bought by Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Europe
UK shipbuilder Babcock has laid down the keel for the first of five new Type 31 Inspiration-class general-purpose frigates on order for the Royal Navy (RN). The keel laying ceremony for the first in class, to be named HMS Venturer , was held at Babcock’s Rosyth dockyard in Scotland on April 26.
Asia-Pacific
South Korea and the United States will hold air and naval anti-submarine exercises in South Korea next week. Korea Flying Training exercise will kick off on May 9 while the Ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Readiness and Evaluation Measurement (SHAREM) exercise will commence on May 10. The two-week Korea Flying Training exercise is a scale-down version of the Max Thunder exercise that used to be stage back both sides since 2009.
According to Jane’s, the Australian Department of Defence has selected Schiebel’s S-100 Camcopter for an initial phase of the Royal Australian Navy’s programme to acquire a maritime unmanned aircraft system. The Camcopter is already in service with the RAN’s 822X squadron in a trial capacity under the long-running Navy Minor Program (NMP)1942 effort that was designed to inform SEA 129 Phase 5’s requirements. Five systems were shortlisted in March 2021 under an invitation to respond (ITR) to the requirement, and limited request for tender (RFT) was due to have been issued in early 2022.
Today’s Video
WATCH: Finally! HMS Venturer Type 31 Inspiration-class Frigate take shape
