Americas
Northrop Grumman won a $10.7 million contract, which procures a lifetime quantity of 4-inch silicon carbide transistor wafers. The end-of- life buy is required to maintain production, spares, and repairs for the APY-9 RADAR’s primary power supply, power amplifier module in support of the E-2D aircraft. Work will be performed in Durham, North Carolina (90%); and Baltimore, Maryland (10%), and is expected to be completed in February 2027. Fiscal 2023 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,768,532 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Embraer quietly introduced a military variant of its E190-E2 commercial jet at the recently concluded Korea Army International Defense Exhibition 2024. The Brazilian aerospace firm showcased a concept image of the aircraft, indicating modifications for specialized military missions. While no technical details were provided, reports suggest that the militarized E190-E2 could be utilized for maritime patrol, airborne early warning, and surveillance missions. With its new role, the aircraft is expected to fill the gap between standard military aircraft and those based on larger 737 or A330 platforms.
Middle East & Africa
Kuwait has assured Malaysia that it has no objections to Malaysia’s request to purchase its F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets. This assurance follows a visit by a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) technical team to Kuwait in June to discuss the potential procurement. While Kuwait is open to the sale, the final decision rests on two conditions: approval from the United States, the aircraft’s manufacturer, and the completion of Kuwait’s own acquisition of newer fighter jets, including the F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornets and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Europe
Europe launched its first spacecraft to help develop a defense against city-killer asteroids slamming into Earth. The European Space Agency’s Hera mission, to which defense firms Thales and Leonardo contributed technology through their joint venture Thales Alenia Space, took off from Cape Canaveral on Monday riding on a Space X Falcon 9 rocket. The mission will study the results of a NASA experiment that was humankind’s first attempt at deflecting an asteroid.
Asia-Pacific
The US government has concurrently approved nearly $1 billion in military sales to India, Italy, and Romania. In separate notices released on Monday, the State Department cleared the sale of torpedoes for New Delhi’s MH-60R helicopters, electronic attack systems for Rome’s Gulfstream G-550 aircraft, and radar systems for Bucharest.