Americas
* A decision will be made shortly by the US Navy to go ahead with low-rate production of the Lockheed Martin High Altitude Anti-submarine warfare Weapon Capability (HAAWC) package. The package integrates an air-launched accessory (ALA) kit with a GPS guidance system and folding wings onto a standard Mk54 torpedo, and will be made available to P-8A Poseidon foreign customers, which currently include Australia, India and the UK. A guided flight test is scheduled for late Fiscal 2017, and could see as many as 140 high-altitude torpedoes total ordered over the first two lots.
* Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $273 million contract to produce Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Lot 9 Interceptors for the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA). In addition to Lot 9 Interceptors, the fixed-price agreement also includes one-shot devices and associated production support efforts, and delivery is expected by the end of March 2020. The THAAD system is used to engage incoming ballistic missile attacks and other airborne threats, and has been recently deployed to South Korea as a response to North Korean ballistic missile tests.
Middle East & North Africa
* AM General received a $28 million contract modification from the US Army to support the sale of 150 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled vehicles to Iraq. Delivery is expected for May, 2017. The vehicles, commonly referred to as Humvees, can perform a variety of military functions, and can be also converted into ambulances and shelter carriers. They can carry machine guns, tube-launched anti-tank missile launchers, and up to four occupants.
* The Trump administration is to continue pursuing the $5 billion sale of F-16 fighters to Bahrain since the deal was postponed last year after it was deemed Bahrain had not done enough to improve their human rights record. The $4.9 billion sale includes the 19 aircraft, 23 engines, radars and other avionics, air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance, and related equipment. Congress will now be notified for a second time by the State Department, giving way to 40 days of additional congressional review, followed by a formal notice to Congress as required by the Arms Export Control Act, after which the licenses for the sale would be approved.
Europe
* Saab has been awarded a $42 million contract to perform operational and developmental support for Swedish Gripen fighters throughout 2017. The contract will include the operation of rigs and simulators, alongside work to test, verify and validate Gripen C/D and Gripen E fighter aircraft systems. Gripen C/D planes will also receive operational support. Work will be carried out in various cities in Sweden, including Linköping, Järfälla, Arboga and Gothenberg.
Asia Pacific
* Indonesia has signed a letter of intent to buy a number of A400M aircraft from Airbus. The announcement was made by the office of French President Francois Hollande following his recent trip to the region. While the number of aircraft to be sold was not given, Jane’s reported in January that Jakarta wanted to buy five A400Ms, joining neighboring Malaysia as only the second export customer for the troubled program. Previous attempts to sell the transport to South Africa in 2009, and more recently Chile, have all fallen through amid soaring costs and development delays.
* Vietnamese media has reported that the Vietnam Peoples’ Air Force (VPAF) follows the visit of a high-level military delegation to the recent LIMA-2017 exhibition in Malaysia, where they visited the site of the Yak-130 combat training ground, leading people to believe that a procurement was near. Hanoi was also considering the L-39NG, however the Yak’s increased interoperability with modern aircraft systems such as Su-30, Su-35, and MiG-35, has made it the number one choice.
* The Chinese AG600, the world’s largest amphibious aircraft, will make its maiden flight this May. Its first flight will take place over land, to be followed by another on water in the second half of 2017. Roughly the size of a Boeing 737, state-owned manufacturer the Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AVIC) have spent the last eight years developing the aircraft, and have received 17 expressions of interest so far.
Today’s Video
* The Yak-130:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV2d5QKCtOM&feature=youtu.be
