Americas
Northrop Grumman won a $217.2 million modification, which provides for Battlefield Airborne Communications Node payload operation and support for payload equipment and services. Under the contract, Northrup Grumman will support payload equipment and services for the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, a US Air Force relay and gateway system carried by the EQ-48 and Bombardier E-11A aircraft. The node enables real-time information flow across the battlespace in line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight operations. Work will take place in San Diego and at undisclosed overseas locations, with an expected completion date of January 23, 2021.
Florida Ordnance Corp. won a $48,6 million deal for M88 Recovery Vehicle diesel cylinder heads. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. The M88 is one of the largest ARVs currently utilized by the US Armed Forces. There are currently three variants, the M88, M88A1 and M88A2 HERCULES. The Hercules series was introduced during the 1960s. The M88 series of vehicles were capable to refuel M1 tanks from their own fuel tanks, but this was to be used as a last resort due to the possibility of clogging the AGT-1500’s fuel filters. The fuel pump draws fuel from the bottom of the fuel cell, and with it, all of the sediment that has accumulated with time. Work under the new deal will take place in Florida. Estimated completion date is March 26, 2026.
Middle East & Africa
The US Army awarded Scientia Global Inc. a $12.2 million Foreign Military Sale to Iraq. The deal is to procure combat effective Digital Mobile Radio Tier III equipment, development, deployment, training and support services. Scientia Global, Inc. was founded in 2002. The company’s line of business includes providing professional engineering services. Work will take place in Erbil, Iraq as well as Melbourne, Florida. Expected completion date is April 29, 2022.
Europe
Aero Vodochody expects a near doubling of its revenues year-on-year in 2020, attributable in part to backlog orders for maintenance, repair, and overhaul of military aircraft including the L-39 Albatros jet trainer. The Czech aerospace company has what it describes as a “unique order backlog” for MRO services of the legacy L-39 for 35 aircraft in Asia and Africa, as well as maintenance work for the Czech air force’s L-159 light attack/advanced trainer fleet. To this end, revenues are set to increase during 2020 as these contracts come to fruition, which the company expects to total approximately $220–265 million.
Asia-Pacific
Boeing confirmed that its AH-64E Apache attack helicopter has been down-selected for a potential program in Bangladesh. Company officials confirmed the development, which points to growing defense ties between the South Asian country and the United States, in a media briefing on January 21. Boeing’s Terry Jamison, senior manager for global sales and marketing for attack and cargo helicopter programs, said the program in Bangladesh is proceeding through a US Foreign Military Sale. He added that Bangladesh is looking to procure the AH-64E through a competitive-bidding process through which the Boeing platform had beaten competitors “on price”. Boeing officials indicated that cost efficiencies in the Apache program were being achieved through economies of scale and the certainty of long-term modernization. About 1,200 Apaches are in operation in global markets, said officials, and the platform has been identified by the US government to undergo modernization through the late 2040s.
China’s indigenously developed J-20 stealth fighter jet would be controlling skies this year, according to The News. The country has announced its plan to develop nine types of aircraft, conducting maiden flights for four types of aircraft, and receive a production permit for one type of aircraft in 2020. Chinese military enthusiasts are reportedly eagerly expecting the new, homemade warplanes to debut in 2020, naming the next-generation aircraft carrier-based fighter jet and the carrier-based early warning aircraft as their top wishes.
Today’s Video
Watch: Here Comes the New F-16 Fighter: Thanks to F-22 and F-35
