Americas
California-based Silvus Technologies has released Spectrum Dominance 2.0, a firmware upgrade that adds new capabilities to its StreamCaster radios to survive contested environments. Available as a software update, the upgrade breathes new life into existing systems and adds a modular set of features that can be tailored to specific mission needs.
The US Navy plans to award Leonardo a contract to supply thousands of airborne countermeasures for the service’s F-35 Lightning II and F-18 Hornet/Super Hornet/Growler combat aircraft fleets. A notice published by Naval Air Systems Command said that it “intends to negotiate and award” a fixed-price agreement, including associated materials. labor, overhead, and equipment to the company’s segment in the UK.
Middle East & Africa
Two crew members of a Greek-operated bulk carrier have been killed in an attack by sea drones and speedboats off Yemen, a delegation from Liberia told a meeting of the UN shipping agency IMO on Tuesday. The Eternity C, a Liberia-flagged vessel, was attacked on Monday evening off the coast of Hodeidah, maritime monitors reported. It was the second Red Sea attack in 24 hours after a recent period of relative calm.
Europe
US-based Saildrone deployed a handful of unmanned surface vessels as part of NATO’s Task Force X demonstration in the Baltic Sea, which helped detect and track Russian shadow-fleet vessels operating in the area, according to the company. Launched last year, Task Force X is led by NATO’s Allied Command Transformation (ACT) and seeks to accelerate the acquisition, development and integration of uncrewed maritime systems into naval operations.
Asia-Pacific
South Korea’s plan to purchase 36 additional AH-64E Apache attack helicopters appears to have been scrapped after the National Assembly slashed the program’s budget from 10 billion won to 300 million won in a supplementary budget passed Jul. 4. The remaining funds are expected to be transferred to other programs, effectively eliminating the $3.43 billion deal. National Assembly member Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party confirmed the budget cuts, stating that the likelihood of the program’s cancellation has increased significantly. The decision comes after the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided in May to review alternative capabilities, including manned-unmanned teaming systems, rather than proceed with the original Apache purchase plan.