Americas
Lockheed Martin won a $12.1 million contract modification to exercise an option for post-delivery support for the Littoral Combat Ship USS Cooperstown (LCS 23). The USS Cooperstown is a Freedom Class LCS. The Freedom class is a class of small multi-purpose vessels. The Freedom class has a reconfigurable seaframe, that can be fitted with interchangeable mission modules. Most upgrades can be performed ashore and installed later into the ship. It allows to keep the ship on deployment for the maximum time. Work will take place in Wisconsin, Virginia, New Jersey, California and Washington DC.
Huntington Ingalls won a $9.5 million deal for Engineering Change Proposal 51-2006, replacement of the distributed integrated power node centers with Mark C. Pope ADV 180 on Arleigh Burke Class guided missile destroyer DDG 121. The Arleigh Burke Class of Guided Missile destroyers a class of destroyer built around the Aegis Combat System and the SPY-1D multifunction passive electronically scanned array radar. Work will take place in Mississippi and is expected to be finished by April 2022. This effort encompasses all of the manpower, support services, material, peripheral impacts and associated technical data and documentation required to prepare for and accomplish Engineer Change Proposal 51-2006.
Middle East & Africa
Morocco and the United States, in an alliance dating to 1777, renewed a defense cooperation road map through 2030, the Defense Department announced. US Defense Secretary Dr. Mark Esper and Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita signed the cooperation plan in Rabat, Morocco, on Friday as Esper toured Middle Eastern countries. “Morocco is a country we have been friends with for many, many years, and I am confident that we will remain friends and strategic partners for generations to come,” Esper said. In listing cooperative defense initiatives, he noted a specific military training drill, Exercise African Lion. The annual exercise includes participants from across the African continent.
General Dynamics won an $11.9 million contract modification for Abrams systems technical support. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2022. Abrams M1A2 SEPV3 is a modernized configuration of the Abrams main battle tank (MBT) in service with the US Army.The tank also features various advancements in technology, including improved armor, communications, reliability, sustainment and fuel efficiency. Work will take place in Michigan. Estimated completion date is March 31, 2022. Foreign Military Sales funds to Morocco in the amount of $11,949,962 were obligated at the time of the award.
Europe
RAF Coningsby has hosted US Air Force jet fighters as part of a three-day exercise. The Royal Air Force announced in a press release, that through the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept the USAF is testing new ways of deploying its aircraft during potential crises. “Exercising elements of ACE enables US forces in Europe to operate from locations with varying levels of capacity and support, ensuring Airmen and aircrews are postured to deliver lethal combat power across the spectrum of military operations“, said USAF Colonel Jason Camilletti, Commander of the 48th Fighter Wing.
Asia-Pacific
As the number of F-35As that Japan has acquired increases, the country is looking at alternative bed down locations besides Misawa air base. An anonymous official was quoted as saying that the exact locations have yet to be determined as approval from local communities are still required. Two possible locations are Chitose and Komatsu. The F-15s assigned there are need to be replaced as those airframes could not be upgraded.
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Watch: CHINA BEWARE – INDIA TESTS SHAURYA MISSILE & SUPERSONIC MISSILE ASSISTED RELEASE OF TORPEDO !
