Americas
DARPA Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program has completed the maiden flight of a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter without anyone onboard. Sikorsky completed 30-minutes of unmanned flight with the optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) over the US Army installation at Fort Campbell, Kentucky on February 5th with another flight on February 7th.
Saab has won a contract to deliver of the short-range air defense systems RBS 70 NG to the Argentine Armed Forces. The Argentine Navy has been a user of the RBS 70 since 1984 and is now upgrading to the latest RBS 70 NG. The contract entails a further expansion of the country’s usage of the RBS 70 NG system to the Air Force and to the Army. The RBS 70 NG systems, training simulators and missiles delivered, will therefore be used by the Argentine Army, Navy and the Air Force.
Middle East & Africa
Defense News reported that according to the nominee to lead the US Central Command there’s a fresh opportunity to integrate air and missile defense in the Middle East. According to Army Lt. Gen., both of the two countries’ newly normalized relations with Bahrain and the UAE provide opportunities for and their partners.
Europe
Spain’s Dragón infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) will be protected by an armor package from Plasan, which announced in a press release on February 3 that it had been awarded the contract by the Tess Defence consortium building the vehicle in November 2021. Plasan said it was supplying its Hybrid Slat Fence (HSF) lightweight modular rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) protection and its mine protection solution for underbelly and improvised explosive device (IED) side blast with energy-absorbing mine seats, with deliveries for 348 Dragóns having begun in January and continuing until 2026.
Asia-Pacific
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has conducted sea trials for the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG’s) first 97 m multirole response vessel (MRRV). The vessel conducted the trials in waters near Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works between 25 and 28 January, the PCG announcedon February 2.
Chinese state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) released footage suggesting that it is developing an armed, aerial refuelling-capable variant of the Harbin Aircraft Industry Group (HAIG) Z-20 medium multirole helicopter. The title screen of the video footage displays the three “20” series aircraft developed by AVIC, namely the J-20 stealth fighter jet, the Y-20 large transport aircraft and the Z-20 helicopter, in computer-generated imagery.
Today’s Video
WATCH: First Uninhabited Black Hawk Flight
