Americas
* C-26 aircraft operated by the United States Navel Test Pilots School (USNTPS) are to be equipped with Leonardo Airborne & Space Systems Vixen 500E active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. The Vixen radar will be installed alongside an enhanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance adaptation by M7 Aerospace, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems of America in a deal worth $7.5 million. The US Navy has about seven C-26 aircraft in operational service.
* Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $424.2 million contract for the provision of AN/GPQ-11(V) Threat Radar Emitter Simulations products and services, and other target/threat simulators and peripheral equipment in support of the US Navy’s Aircrew Electronic Warfare Tactical Training Range (AEWTTR) project. The AEWTTR provides ground electronic warfare and surface-to-air weapons threats, and work will be completed by May 2021.
* The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) has announced that it has solved the next generation fighter’s glitch-prone combination of software and hardware called Block 3i. The patch may now clear the way for the USAF’s first Lightning II combat squadron to declare initial operational capability (IOC) between August and December of this year. Glitches in the Block 3i software have been causing problems since flight testing commenced in May 2014, with the most recent issue affecting the radar on F-35s with pilots having to turn the radar off and on again mid-flight.
Middle East North Africa
* Israeli firm General Robotics Ltd has unveiled its new Tactical Combat Robot, Dogo. The 12-kilogram, pistol-packing killer robot has 360 degree vision, and has been developed for close-quarter combat and counterterrorism operations. While Dogo usually contains a Glock 26 9mm pistol in its belly, it can be equipped with pepper spray, blinders, or other less-than-lethal means of engagement; relays two-way voice commands and can conduct remote hostage negotiations.
* Islamic State shelling of cities along Turkey’s border with Syria has caused the Turkish government to accelerate the development of its two drone programs. While Ankara has responded with howitzer bombardments of the militants border outposts, Ismail Demir, Turkey’s chief procurement official, said: “The best method is to monitor the region [under ISIS’ control] and mobile threats, and to have capabilities to hit the threat at its origin … like armed drones.” One such system, is TAI’s Anka UAV, which currently launched a competition for the indigenous development of several sub-systems for drones, including warfare systems.
Europe
* Russia’s new RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is capable of destroying an area the size of Texas or France according to the Defense Ministry run TV network, Zvezda. The ICBM is set to undergo field tests this summer, and will replace the older silo-based RS-36M and will enter service in 2018. While little is known about the technical details of Sarmat, the missile is believed to be a two-stage missile with an estimated operational range of 10,000km and a mass of at least 100 tons, including a payload weighing from 4 tons up to 10 tons.
* With the company currently rolling out its Leonardo re-brand, Finmeccanica has reported a strong financial first quarter thanks to its recent $9.1 billion Eurofighter deal with Kuwait. However, a drop in helicopter sales is negatively affecting the company. Helicopter orders dropped a massive €964 million in the first quarter from €1.35 billion last year to €384 million, which managers are attributing to turmoil in the oil and gas sector, resulting in companies buying fewer helicopters to access oil rigs.
Asia Pacific
* Amendments to India’s Customs Act has removed a customs exemption for defense goods to only include defense products produced domestically in the country. The law change has resulted in various imported spare parts and components for the Indian Air Force (IAF) now idling at warehouses in the ports as duties have not been paid. Opposition to the change has been vocalized by the IAF, who have now asked the Defense Ministry to alter the law so as to not delay modernization and maintenance programs of fighter planes like Mirage and Jaguar.
Today’s Video
* Dogo: The Tactical Combat Robot by General Robotics Ltd:
