Americas
General Electric Aviation won a $77. 5 million deal for repair; and 220 spare components for the stores management system, stores management upgrade, and converter signal control components for the F/A-18, AV-8B, and H1 aircrafts. This contract includes a five-year base with no options. All work will be performed in Clearwater, Florida, and work is expected to be completed by October 2029. Funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. Individual delivery orders will be subsequently funded with appropriate appropriations at the time of their issuance. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.
The United States Navy successfully launched a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) from a destroyer during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024. This significant event marks a key advancement in the Navy’s capabilities. While the NSM has been integrated onto several Littoral Combat Ships, this firing represents a crucial expansion of the weapon system. The launch, a live firing against a decommissioned amphibious ship almost 50 nautical miles off the coast of Kauai, was the culmination of a fast-tracked integration effort by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD). The team was tasked in late September 2023 to equip the USS Fitzgerald with the Over-the-Horizon (OTH) Weapon System in time for RIMPAC 2024 – a tight, nine-month deadline. This OTH system, which launches the Kongsberg-developed NSM, expands the reach of surface combatants, enabling them to strike targets beyond their radar horizon.
Middle East & Africa
The US Army recently announced the selection of five companies to demonstrate their existing platforms as part of its effort to modernize its self-propelled howitzer systems, with Israeli company Elbit Systems among them. The other companies selected are Rheinmetall, BAE Systems, Hanwha, and General Dynamics, with the Army allocating $4 million among them to cover other transaction agreements. It is anticipated that Elbit Systems will present its Autonomous Truck Mounted Howitzer System (ATMOS), a 155mm self-propelled howitzer mounted on a 6×6 truck. In recent months, the system has begun delivery to the Danish army as part of a deal to supply 19 cannons valued at $252 million.
Europe
On October 22nd, the first of Bulgaria’s F-16 Block 70 fighter jets successfully completed its inaugural flight at Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Greenville, South Carolina. This marks a significant milestone for the Bulgarian Air Force as it modernises its fleet with 16 of these advanced aircraft. OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of the Integrated Fighter Group at Lockheed Martin, highlighted the importance of this event, stating, “With the F-16 Block 70, the Bulgarian Air Force will be well-equipped to secure its borders and partner with S, European and NATO allies.”
Asia-Pacific
The US State Department approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to Taiwan’s Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) for the acquisition of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) and associated equipment, with an estimated value of $1.16 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) formally notified Congress, highlighting the ongoing efforts to enhance Taiwan’s air defense capabilities amidst rising tensions with China.