Americas
Raytheon won a $287 million modification, which adds scope to provide for recertification and modernization of 166 Tomahawk Block IV All-Up-Round Missiles (142 for the Navy and 24 for Foreign Military Sales customers) in support of enabling the missiles to be operational for up to an additional 15 years of service. Additionally, this modification provides for missile obsolescence and health monitoring, software maintenance, depot support, and associated hardware procurements. Work is expected to be completed in March 2026. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Saab has announced plans to construct a new manufacturing facility in the United States dedicated to munitions production. This move signifies a significant expansion of Saab’s presence within the US defense industrial base. The new facility will focus on the development and production of advanced weapon systems for the US military. Key areas of focus include components for the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) and close combat weapon systems, such as the M3A1 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System (MAAWS).
Middle East & Africa
Niger on Wednesday said the United States will shortly submit a proposal to “disengage” its soldiers from the country, after the regime said it was withdrawing from a 2012 cooperation deal with Washington. Interior Minister General Mohamed Toumba met US Ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon on Wednesday to discuss the issue, his ministry said in Niamey, the West African nation’s capital.
Europe
Lithuania has adopted a new development program for its National Defense System, identifying key measures to boost for the next six years. The program, set to be implemented from 2024 to 2030, allocates 3 percent of gross domestic product to national defense spending. This includes building infrastructures for the German brigade, a NATO deployment of 4,800 soldiers tasked with guarding the alliance’s eastern flank.
Denmark has awarded local aerospace firm Scandinavian Avionics a contract to modernize the air force’s Saab T-17 high-wing military training aircraft. The agreement covers the replacement of the fleet’s analog cockpit with digital components, including wireless data transfer, engine indication, newer air traffic control transponders, and communications tools. The project will also incorporate Garmin’s G500 TXi touchscreen flight display, which enables a more detailed overview of the vehicle’s speed and altitude, as well as the company’s GTN 750Xi high-resolution navigator and GI 275 standby multifunction instrument for complex scenarios.
Asia-Pacific
Pakistan’s military showed off its wares and unveiled several defense program during the March 23 Pakistan Day Parade in the capital. The country displayed new equipment including the Haider platform, the first locally produced, Chinese-designed VT-4 main battle tank. The tank in the parade itself was from the pilot production batch unveiled March 6 by state-owned armored fighting vehicles manufacturer Heavy Industries Taxila.
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