Americas
* BAE Systems won a $383 million sole-source contract Monday for the support of multiple weapons platforms, while Raytheon was awarded a $109.6 million procurement contract for Standard Missile-6 and Standard Missile-2 full-rate production requirements and spares.
* Two companies have been awarded separate contracts for the development of interoperable C4I systems. SAIC was awarded a $83.8 million contract, while the Lafayette Group was awarded a parallel $92.7 million contract. The two companies will be able to compete for task orders over a five-year period.
* Northrop Grumman was awarded a $18.1 million contract for the WSN-7 navigation system, with completion estimated for the end of 2021.
* The Air Force is adding one HC-130J to its original 2012 contract, at a cost of $72.7 million.
* A software problem with the Air Force’s GPS IIF system – operated by Lockheed Martin – had cut $ 100 billion from the US’s nuclear weapons budget over the next ten years, including removing the F-35’s nuclear capability and delaying the development of the Air Force’s new bomber.
Europe
* On the same day that Sputnik reported that serial production of the PAK FA/T-50 fifth-generation fighter will take place next year – as per previous coverage – TASS ran an article stating that the Russian Defense Ministry may reduce the number of aircraft it plans to procure, instead opting to favor the SU-30 (recently offered as an alternative to the Rafale in the MMRCA competition, should the deal fall through) and SU-35 models.
* The Russian Air Force is also set to receive 146 Ka-52 helicopters by 2020, with 15 of these reportedly due for delivery this year. 32 helicopters of the same design were previously ordered for service with the Russian Navy’s Vladivostock-Class LHDs in August last year, according to Janes. It is unclear whether these form part of the 146 figure reported today. In other Russian helicopter news, 16 Mi-171s will be delivered to Peru this year, following a $528 million contract for 24 of the helicopters signed in late 2013. The first eight of these were delivered in 2014.
* The UK opened a collaborative hub for research, development and strategy today in an effort to stimulate growth in the UK defense sector and maintain exportability in the face of global competition. Formed as a result of the Defence Growth Partnership, the Defence Solutions Centre will be based in BAE’s home town of Farnborough, England and see industry members working together with the Ministry of Defence to develop solutions for “international customers.”
* The UK’s Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) also awarded Airbus a £1.4 million ($2.1 million) contract for a cyber protection study today, including the development of a virtual cyber operations center.
* The delivery of two more Turkish A400Ms is delayed, according to officials. Although exactly how delayed remains to be seen, the program is not unaccustomed to falling behind schedule. Turkey signed a contract for ten of the aircraft in 2003 and has previously come into conflict with manufacturer Airbus over slipping deadlines.
Asia
* The Royal Malaysian Navy’s new Littoral Combat Ships will be equipped with European missile systems, with the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile and MBDA’s Vertical Launch Mica selected to equip the Second Generation Patrol Vessel – Littoral Combat Ship (SGPV-LCS) fleet. Based on the DCNS Gowind 2500 corvette, the contract for the stealthy new ships wasn’t officially announced until October last year. The selection of the MBDA point-defense system is thought to facilitate easier integration into the ships’ SETIS combat management system, beating Raytheon’s Enhanced SeaSparrow Missile System (ESSM).
Today’s Video
* Super Hornets and GoPros…
