Americas
The Thor unmanned aerial system is part of the US Department of Defense’s Medium Range Reconnaissance effort, which seeks Group 2 drones weighing between 9.5 to 24.9 kilograms for the army. Thor is designed with targeting, dropping, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities for multi-domain operations. It is capable of lifting 22 pounds (10 kilograms) of cargo, can be folded, transported via backpack storage, and deployed in under two minutes. Thor can fly autonomously for up to 70 minutes with its integrated electro-optical infrared sensor enabled.
Mitsubishi Electric has signed a pilot contract with Raytheon to repair transmitters used in APG-63 (V)1 F-15 fighter radars operated by the US Air Force and allied forces. Raytheon will verify Mitsubishi Electric’s repair capabilities under the pilot contract, deciding whether to contract it for such services in the future. The contract has been signed on the basis of Mitsubishi Electric’s experience producing and repairing the APG-63 (V)1s operated by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).
Middle East & Africa
According to Defense News, the US will have fully cleared out of one air base in Niger as it continues to move personnel and equipment from the African country ahead of a September deadline to complete its withdrawal, according to the head of US Africa Command. Niger and the U.S. announced their decision in a joint statement last month and set a deadline of September 15 for the US to move its forces out of the West African country. Ties between the two nations began to deteriorate last summer after a coup staged by a military junta known as the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, or CNSP.
Europe
Naval Group has introduced the third ship of a mine countermeasure (MCM) vessel program between the Belgian Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy. Awarded to the company in 2019, the effort will construct six modern minehunters for Brussels and another six for the Dutch government. Each will be based on Naval Group’s City-class MCM design to sustain uniformity between systems of both navies and cooperative dominance at sea.
Asia-Pacific
The South Korean Navy has officially received all six P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) ordered from Boeing. A ceremony held on July 4 at the Naval Air Command in Pohang marked the official delivery of the P-8As. South Korea’s Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, Chief of Naval Operations Yang Yong-mo, and other dignitaries attended the event. Following the ceremony, Defense Minister Shin Won-sik reportedly ordered the inaugural flight of one of the newly delivered P-8As.