FlightSafety Tapped For KC-46 Simulator Training | Nigeria Completed Alpha Jet Upgrade | British Army Takes Measures Against Covid-19

Americas

The FlightSafety Services on a $25 million contract for a multi-country KC-46 aircrew and maintenance simulator training. The contractor will provide KC-46 aircrew and maintenance training to support the U.S. government and Air Force Security Assistance Training international partners’ mission objectives. The KC-46 is built as an empty 767 airframe in Everett, Wash., then transferred to the south end of Paine Field, called the Military Delivery Center. The jet’s military systems, including the refueling and communications equipment, are installed there. The KC-46 Pegasus is a wide body, multi-role tanker that is capable of carrying a fuel capacity of 212,000 pounds. Work will take place at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Estimated completion will be in September 2026.

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems won a $29.7 million modification for program management office and engineering services in support of the Surface Ship Undersea Warfare System model AN/SQQ-89(V). The AN/SQQ-89 Undersea Warfare Combat System is a naval anti-submarine warfare system for surface warships developed. The system presents an integrated picture of the tactical situation by receiving, combining and processing active and passive sensor data from the hull-mounted array, towed array and sonobuoys. Work will take place in Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania. Expected completion will be by March 2021.

Middle East & Africa

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) revealed the installation of new avionics in an Alpha Jet it has reactivated when the aircraft was recommissioned by the 407 Air Combat Training Group at Kainji Air Base on March 21. According to Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, the avionics upgrade is the first of its kind on the Alpha Jet. It has also significantly improved the aircraft navigation and communications systems, thus increasing safety, reliability, and overall efficiency.

Europe

All over Europe, armies are mobilizing against the outbreak of the coronavirus. UK military chiefs have been ordered to make preparations to call thousands of ex-service personnel back into the Armed Forces to fill gaps in their 20,000-strong force dedicated to support civilian agencies during the Covid-19 crisis if its members start falling sick. According to the Financial Times, the Armed Forces have placed up to 20,000 troops on standby as part of a “covid support force” which could set up makeshift hospitals in vacant hotels and help police officers. A group of 150 military personnel are due to start training next week in how to drive oxygen tankers in order to support the National Health Service’s treatment of coronavirus patients requiring ventilation and critical care.

The British Army announced they have suspended face-to-face recruiting and basic training operations. The Army says training will continue vie online learning tools after face-to-face interaction was postponed indefinitely. An army spokesman said the “virtual platoons” will use the existing Defense Learning Environment, an online portal to which all soldiers have access. No recruits will be ordered to go home. If personnel are worried about spreading or catching the virus, or of placing family members at risk, they will be able to continue living in training barracks, the spokesman said.

Asia-Pacific

North Korea appears to have once again test-fired the same type of short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), similar in appearance to some of the missiles used by the US Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), it had launched on August 10 and 16 2019. Although no further details were provided about the road-mobile system, images released by the media outlet showed that two missiles were fired from a tracked transporter-erector-launcher. The move, which marked North Korea’s third firing of SRBMs this year, is a further indication that Pyongyang continues to modernize its tactical missile systems. The country had tested its super-large multiple rocket launcher from its eastern regions on and March 2 and 9, after having tested the SRBM system four times in 2019.

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