Americas
* Textron Systems will provide a number of Commando Select armored personnel carriers (APCs) with 40/50 turrents as a foreign military sales contract to both Colombia and Iraq. The $65 million deal will see each country receive 54 of the APCs each, alongside four Commando Select APCs with 40/50 turret and command and control (C2) variant; and two each Commando Select APCs. Funds for the four-wheel APC will come out of the US Army’s “other procurement” funds.
Middle East North Africa
* Israel is seeking to gain greater autonomy in its participation and design of its F-35I Joint Strike Fighter procurement. This will include its own command, control, communications and computing (C4) system, indigenous weaponry and the ability to perform heavy maintenance in country rather than at predetermined regional overhaul facilities. Delivery of the first F-35Is are expected to commence this December, and it is expected that Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will begin installing a tailor-made C4 system on top of the central avionics embedded in the joint strike fighter. At present, Lockheed Martin is working with Elbit subsidary, Cyclone Ltd., for external fuel tanks to mount on the F-35A.
* Kuwait’s delayed Eurofighter deal was eventually signed on Tuesday. The 28 jets making their way to the Gulf state will be the largest order of the jet for Italian Eurofighter partner Finmeccanica, who spearheaded the deal. The fighters will also come with a new electronically scanned radar designed by the European EuroRADAR consortium and specifically developed for the Eurofighter. Kuwait will be the first to have such radars installed on their jets as the four Eurofighter launch partners, Germany, Spain, Italy, and UK have yet to adopt the radar.
* An indigenous trainer built by Tusas Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has passed an important flight test that could result in certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Two Hurkus prototypes were tested by EASA’s flight test pilot and flight test engineer on March 22-25, successfully completing six sorties of certification adaptation flights. TAI hope to start deliveries of the basic trainer in 2018.
Europe
* The French Army is to get Sagem’s Patroller System as the force’s new UAV. Contracts were signed between France’s DGA procurement agency and Sagem’s parent company Safran to provide 14 of the UAVs to become operational in 2018. The surveillance UAV has a 20h endurance at 20,000ft, and can carry a 250kg (551lb) multi-sensor payload that can be integrated in the body of the airframe or mounted in pods, and will replace the Sperwer UAV, also developed by Sagem.
* Swedish tactical support for fighting the Islamic State may see it sell some of its stocks of laser-guided munitions to France. The Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) have an unknown number of the Lockheed Martin and Raytheon produced GBU-12 Paveway II 227-kilogram laser-guided bombs, as well as Raytheon-produced AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground tactical missiles. While exact cost and number of munitions sold in any deal have yet to be mentioned, any such agreement covering delivery of laser-guided bombs to France would invariably increase the projection for Sweden’s arms export sales in 2016.
Asia Pacific
* Pakistan will receive nine more AH-1Z aircraft under the foreign military sales (FMS) program. The US Navy has contracted Bell Helicopters to provide the attack helicopters in a deal worth $170 million. The sale follows approval by the Pentagon to provide eight F-16 jets to Pakistan, despite reservations from some members of congress against the deal. Nine auxiliary fuel kits will also be provided in the latest deal, and is part of a decision last April to sell military hardware worth $950 million for use by Pakistan’s armed forces, that includes up to 15 helicopters and 1,000 Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire-series missiles.
* Two new reconnaissance planes based on the Falcon 2000 business jet will be tested by South Korea in Texas this week. The test is intended to examine the operability of the aircraft with internal mission equipment in development by local manufacturers including LIG Nex 1 as part of the enhanced Baekdu program. As part of a new electronic intelligence (ELINT) platform, the new planes will replace the four RC-800s currently in service, and help Seoul better detect signs of North Korean missile launches and other threats.
Today’s Video
* The evolution of the Head-Up Display (HUD):
