Americas
* The US Army is planning to make the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) its new Light Reconnaissance Vehicle platform and arm it with a variant of the M230 chain gun found on the AH-64 attack helicopter. Manufacturer Oshkosh won a $6.7 billion contract last fall to build the first 17,000 production models of the JLTV. In total, the Army and Marine Corps plan to buy a total of nearly 55,000 of the combat vehicles, including 49,100 for the Army and 5,500 for the Corps, to replace about a third of the Humvee fleets.
* US lawmakers have called for a freeze on a $1.15 billion arms deal to Saudi Arabia citing concerns regarding the kingdom’s ongoing war against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Signed by 64 members of Congress, a letter was addressed to the Obama Administration asking them to walk back the August 8 approval of the sale, which would include replacing tanks destroyed in the Yemen campaign. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of 3,704 civilians and claims of war crimes have resulted in several Western governments having their Saudi weapons sales scrutinized.
* General Dynamics – Ordnance and Tactical Systems has been awarded a $39 million modification to a foreign military sales contract for various bomb bodies. The deal would see the production of 162 MK82-1 bomb bodies; 7,245 MK82-6 bomb bodies; and 9,664 MK84-10 bomb bodies for the governments of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, France, and Iraq. Completion is expected for December 2017.
Europe
* General Atomic has lodged a protest with the German government over their plan to lease armed Heron UAVs for surveillance missions. The lawsuit is expected to result in significant delays to the UAV’s delivery. GA’s complaint has stemmed from Berlin’s decision to drop their MQ-1 Predator B drones in favor of the Heron lease to service the country’s surveillance needs until the development of a collaborative EU drone, due for 2025.
* Ukroboronprom has confirmed that the indigenous Horlytsia unmanned aircraft system is ready for delivery to the Ukrainian armed forces in 2018 pending funding allocations from the government. The company’s deputy director Yuriy Paschenko told Interfax that “Works are being carried out within six months. As of today, the creation of the airframe has been completed. Before the end of 2016, we must complete the creation of the development type, complete all the research and development under the project in 2017, as well as the state tests, resulting in the adoption of the weapons.”
* A Swiss F/A-18C pilot missing since Monday has been found dead. The crash occurred in the Alps during a routine training exercise. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash, the third by a Swiss Air Force F/A 18 in the past three years.
Asia Pacific
* Raytheon and Lockheed Martin’s Javelin Joint Venture team has inked a letter of intent with India’s Tata Power Company to explore development of the Javelin missile under the Make in India initiative. The venture would see the collaboration also create a strategy to co-develop and produce the Javelin system while integrating platform mounts to meet Indian requirements. Fielded by the US Army and the US Marine Corps, the missile system has been approved for 15 foreign military sales customers.
* Following their failure to secure a $40 billion contract to sell submarines to Australia, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is discussing the possibility of developing an armored vehicle with an undisclosed US company. If given the go ahead, it will mark the first time a Japanese firm builds arms for a foreign customer. While new territory for the company, potential foreign partners could be attracted by their armored vehicle technology, notably heavy-duty tank engines, gear technology, and water jet propulsion systems that could be used to drive amphibious vehicles.
Today’s Video
60 Years of the KC-135 Stratotanker:
