Americas
General Dynamics won a $151 million modification for long lead time material associated with the Virginia Class submarines SSN 814, SSN 815, SSN 816, and SSN 817. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Spring Grove, Illinois; York, Pennsylvania; Annapolis, Maryland; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Windsor Locks, Connecticut; Cleveland, Ohio; and other locations, and is expected to be completed by September 2035. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
Rolls Royce won a $13.9 million modification in support of the original equipment manufacturer for the Littoral Combat Ships Independence variant for main propulsion diesel engines, ship service diesel generators, and hydraulic prime movers. Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.
Middle East & Africa
Somalia announced on Wednesday a defense deal with Turkey that includes support for the Horn of Africa nation’s sea assets and appears aimed at deterring Ethiopia’s efforts to secure access to the sea by way of the breakaway region of Somaliland. Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland on January 1. The document has rattled Somalia, which said it’s prepared to go to war over it because it considers Somaliland part of its territory. Somaliland says Ethiopia agreed to recognize its independence in return for a naval port.
Europe
Germany is moving five Eurofighters to Latvia to protect NATO airspace over the Baltics. The fighter jets took off from Neuburg an der Donau and were to be deployed from the Lielvarde military airfield southeast of the Latvian capital Riga, an air force spokesman said on Monday. The soldiers of Tactical Air Force Squadron 74 are supposed to protect NATO airspace over the three Baltic states, including Estonia and Lithuania, from the beginning of March to the end of November.
Asia-Pacific
British defense company QinetiQ has handed over a new Air Combat Training module to the Slovenian Armed Forces. This new form of training uses live ammunition against physical targets and is offered as part of the firm’s Threat Representation product line. Threat Representation services provide realistic training simulations to train users in the “ever-evolving threat landscape” for global partners.
South Korea is looking to incorporate unmanned technology that can operate alongside the Air Force’s fleet. The military’s growing interest in manned-unmanned teaming comes amid a declining pool of 18-year-old conscripts and as relations with neighboring North Korea worsen. Australian Target Systems (ATS) has received a contract to provide live-fire target capabilities supporting Canberra’s military training. The five-year initiative, valued at $21.6 million, will supply “leading edge” target systems and corresponding support services at training ranges across the country as well as target kits for warfighters stationed abroad. The platforms will serve as a critical element to upskill personnel in collective and individual combat shooting preparations across realistic scenarios once delivered, the Australian defense ministry wrote.
