Americas
The US Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a $439-million contract to produce and deliver the Joint-Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) and Hellfire missile. Lockheed will produce the missiles for the army and Australia, the Czech Republic, France, South Korea, and Thailand. The contract offers three additional follow-on awards of up to $4.5 billion over the next four years starting in late 2023.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) has deployed its MQ-9A Reaper drone to support the US Marine Corps in training exercises at Twentynine Palms, California. The activity is part of US Marine Corps Air-Ground Task Force Training Command (MAGTFTC) and US joint forces preparation for drone operations in future dynamic environments.
Middle East & Africa
The Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia appear to have acquired and deployed South Korea’s K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) on its border with Yemen. The weapons were seen for the first time on Saudi soil during last week’s visit of Fayyad bin Hamed al-Ruwaili, the chief of the General Staff, to military units deployed on the border. A video clip of the trip was uploaded on social media showing at least two Chunmoo MLRS and an ammunition resupply vehicle.
Europe
The Netherlands will acquire US and Israeli-made weapons to address military firepower requirements against long-distance threats. The weapons are expected to increase the Dutch armed forces’ air defense and bunker-destroying capabilities. “The war in Ukraine shows once again that fire support over short, medium and long range is essential. This applies on land, from the air and from the sea,” Netherlands Defence State Secretary Christophe van der Maat stated.
Asia-Pacific
The air forces of India and United States will meet at Kalaikunda air base, India next week to resume the Cope India air exercise. Media reports from India says the US Air Force will be sending its F-15 fighters to this exercise. Their counterparts from India will deploy the Su-30MKI.
According to Defense News, Russia will kick-off multilateral drills across its Arctic territory this week, drawing in participants from nine non-Arctic nations to test Russian-made equipment, after regional cooperation halted with the West. On April 6 and April 7, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations will host the Safe Arctic 2023 exercises across nine regions of the country’s Arctic zone, it said in a statement. Participants include representatives from nine unnamed African, Latin American and Eurasian countries, it said. The exercises will demonstrate rescue methods as well as vehicles, aircraft and other types of equipment produced by Russian manufacturers.
Today’s Video
WATCH: How strong is a Hellfire Missile?
