Americas
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory won a $200.7 million contract modification to exercise the optional line item for fiscal 2020 production of TRIDENT II D5 Strategic Weapon System MK6 Guidance Equivalent Units. UGM-133A Trident II, or Trident D5, is a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale, California, and deployed with the American and British navies. The missile has a maximum operational range of over 7,500 miles and a CEP of 90 meters. The missile’s MK 6 Astro-inertial guidance navigation system is also able to receive GPS updates. The missiles deployed on US submarines can be equipped with a Mark 5 MIRV warhead that can carry up to 8 W88 (475 kt) warheads, or a Mark 4 MIRV that can also carry 14 W76 (100 kt) warheads. Work will take place in Massachusetts, Florida, Texas and estimated completion date is in December 2023.
Raytheon won a $17 million order for dual band radar spares in support of USS Gerald R. Ford or CVN 78. According to the company, the dual band radar is the first radar system in the U.S. Navy fleet capable of operating on the S-band and X-band frequency at the same time. DBR systems allow unmanned operation of and uses commercial off-the-shelf technology for signal and data processing. CVN 78 is the lead ship of her class of aircraft carriers. The Ford class carriers are now on the cusp of entering operational service. Work will take place in Massachusetts and is expected to be finished by December 2021.
Middle East & Africa
Science Applications International won a $15.3 million modification for Force Protection Systems (FPS) Integrated Base Defense Operation Inherent Resolve System Engineering, FPS Counter Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (C-VBIED) Systems Engineering, Close Combat Weapon System Foreign Military Sales engineering and analysis, and FPS Combat Outpost Surveillance Force Protection System (COSFPS) System Engineering. Work will take place in Afghanistan, Iraq and Alabama. Estimate completion date is January 30, 2021.
Europe
Serbia has taken delivery of the first shipment of Pantsir-S1 mobile air defense missile system at Colonel-Pilot Milenko Pavlovic airbase on February 22. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic made the announcement on television on February 23 a day after the Defense Ministry confirmed receiving two of the six ordered short-range, rapid-fire antiaircraft systems. “Serbia strengthened its defensive and deterrent capabilities,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement. The delivery comes from a deal made last year that comes with a target detection and designation radar, target and missile tracking radar, and electro-optical sensor systems. Each Panstir system is capable of guiding up to four missiles at a time.
The Latvian National Armed Forces have begun to take delivery of initial consignments of Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Spike precision-guided tactical missiles under the provisions of a $133 million contract signed between the Latvian Ministry of Defense and EuroSpike in February 2018. Based in Röthenbach, Germany, EuroSpike is a joint venture between Rafael, Diehl Defence, and Rheinmetall Electronics, and is responsible for the marketing, and some manufacture, of the Spike family of missiles in Europe. The new contract provides for latest Spike variant effectors, including Spike SR, Spike LR2, and Spike ER2. The Latvian Land Forces already field the man-portable Spike LR1, which it acquired in 2008.
Asia-Pacific
Azerbaijan is the latest operator of the Leonardo M-346 advanced jet trainer. Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov and Leonardo S.p.A Executive Director Alessandro Profumo signed an agreement on February 20. In May 2017 Leonardo showcased its Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master trainer aircraft to top Azeri military officials. While the number of aircraft was not revealed, in July 2019 Leonardo chief executive Alessandro Profumo said that his company had signed a deal for six M-346FA light attack aircraft with a major “international customer”. The M-346 is an advanced jet trainer that comes fitted with nine hardpoints. The M-346 can carry a range of ‘dumb’ and ‘smart’ munitions, such as Mk 82/83/84 unguided bombs and GBU-12/16 and Opher Mk 82 guided bombs.
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