Americas
* A weighty study has concluded that the DoD should consider prioritizing stealthy long-range bombers in lieu of agile fighters in order to achieve air dominance post-2035. The study bases its findings on an examination of historic air combat and suggests that a bomber capable of finding and destroying enemy aircraft on the ground, without being spotted by the heat signatures associated with fast flying, would offer advantages over investment in new generations of air combat fighters.
* The Army awarded a $1.34 billion contract Thursday for operation of the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant.
* Lockheed Martin won a $150.6 million contract for F-35 mission data file programming, with these services heading for the Australian and British F-35 programs. Also on Thursday, Northrop Grumman was handed a $83.7 million contract to improve the mission computer systems of the Marine Corps’s AH-1Z and UH-1Y helicopters.
* Canadian firm CAE has been awarded a handful of contracts totaling $175 million. These principally include support and supply of simulator and training equipment to the US, Australian, Italian and UK Air Forces, as well as with the NATO Support Agency, with another separate contract to support the British Army’s Warrior IFV.
* The Marines are launching a major drive to bring $8.4 billion-worth of air assets to combat readiness, with these 158 aircraft currently unavailable representing approximately 19% of the Corps’s aircraft inventory.
Europe
* In the midst of the United Kingdom’s election politicking, the Conservative party has promised to build four new replacement subs for the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrent. The Royal Navy currently uses SSBN Vanguard-class subs, with the UK government required to make a decision over whether to replace the current system by 2016. The debate over the UK’s nuclear deterrent program has become increasingly politicized, with the parties split over the program’s future.
* Russia will reportedly equip its force with the S-400 Triumf air defense system later this year. This is the same system purchased by China earlier in the year at $500 million each. Russia is stepping up production of air defense systems, aiming to triple the number of missiles produced for these systems in 2015 compared to last year. These reports will likely spur the US Air Force’s drive to develop counter-weapons, including cyber capabilities.
Middle East
* A US KC-135 tanker has begun daily refueling sorties to resupply coalition planes operating over Yemen.
Asia
* India is looking to procure ultra light recovery vehicles, capable of retrieving vehicles up to 6-tons. The supercharged short-chassis vehicles will be required to have a 700-km range on roads, with this falling to 500-km in mountainous terrain.
* General Electric is reportedly looking to supply jet engines for the South Korea KF-X program, submitting a proposal to Korea Aerospace Industries, following the company’s selection as preferred bidder at the end of last month. The F414 engines GE is proposing has previously equipped the US Navy’s Super Hornets and Growlers, the Saab Gripen NG and the Indian Mk II Tejas.
* Kongsberg will supply the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) to equip the Royal Malaysian Navy’s six new Gowind Littoral Combat Ships, due to enter service around 2020.
Today’s Video
* The view inside a Stratofortress bomb-bay…
