Americas
* Sikorsky has been tapped to provide technical and logistics services for variants of the H-60 helicopter operated by the US Army. Valued at $93.8 million, work carried out by the company includes the provision of engineering services in addition to other weapon system supplies. Helicopters included in the deal include the UH-60 Black Hawk.
* John Richardson, the US Navy’s Chief of Naval Operations Admiral, has spoken of American shipyards capabilities to boost warship production, as hopes of more orders soar under a Trump presidency. Promises to expand the target vessels from 308 to 350 would be incredibly easy if funding is made available to fit the bill, said Richardson, speaking in an interview at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum in southern California. Navy officials were still calculating how much it would cost to expand the Navy to 350 ships from around 290 now, but it would depend on the mix of ships and related costs.
* As part of efforts to upgrade USMC radar capabilities, Saab has received an $18.6 million contract to provide supporting AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar components. The contract was awarded by lead contractor Northrop Grumman, work will include major subsystem delivery and assembly in addition to software for the next 9 low-rate initial production units. Saab delivered the first six systems for the program in previous contracts. Its next deliveries are expected to begin in 2018.
Africa
* The first batch of four Super Mushshak trainers have been delivered to Nigeria. Delivery comes six weeks after the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) signed a deal with the Nigerian Air Force to supply 10 new Super Mushshaks, eight of which will be loaned on an interim basis until the new trainers are exported. The next four will arrive by the second quarter of 2017, while the new models will be delivered later that summer.
* Kenya has taken ownership of six of an eventual eight Bell Huey II helicopters, following delivery by the US government. Washington had contracted Bell $52.1 million back in September for a five helicopter foreign military sale to Kenya, however this has now been extended. The final two will arrive in May 2017 and will go toward helping Kenyan forces tackle militants associated with the Somali jihadist group, al-Shabaab.
Europe
* Contracts have been signed between General Atomics and the UK government to develop new UAVs. The company will equip existing drone technology into new remotely piloted aircraft for the RAF, in a deal worth $127 million. 20 Protector UAVs will be developed under the program and will replace the current fleet of 10 MQ-9 Reapers.
* The Netherlands will participate alongside Norway in the development of the F-35’s brake chute. Dutch participation in the work comes as it agreed to pay $11.4 million to Oslo as part of a cost-share and will allow the Norwegian government to redirect those funds to other areas of its F-35 program. The incorporation of drag chutes on Norwegian and Dutch F-35s will help the aircraft land on icy runways.
Asia Pacific
* Private companies in India will be allowed to produce and supply ammunition as part of a rule change by New Delhi to fill demand and improve quality control. Until now, the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) was permitted to produce ammunition, with private firms limited to providing fuses and shells. The rule change has been followed by a request for information (RFI) for a $400 million program to supply a wide variety of ammunition in the next five to eight years, and has attracted the interest of several large and small-medium local firms participating. Foreign companies may also be able to get in on the game with the potential for joint ventures with Indian companies, offering established designs from abroad, licensing and manufacturing ammunition in India.
Today’s Video
S-300 misfire:
