This article is included in these additional categories:

Daily Rapid Fire

US Reduced Global Hawk Flights Over Black Sea | First US Drone Boat Sailed Through Strait Of Hormuz | Rheinmetall Unveiled Combat Drone

For more on this and other stories, please consider purchasing a membership.
If you are already a subscriber, login to your account.
Americas Boeing won a $313.4 million modification, which increases the ceiling to provide non-recurring engineering, system engineering program management, and additional aircraft inductions in support of extending the service life for up to 25 F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets from 6,000 flight hours to 10,000 flight hours and incorporating Block III avionics capabilities. Work will take […]
Americas

Boeing won a $313.4 million modification, which increases the ceiling to provide non-recurring engineering, system engineering program management, and additional aircraft inductions in support of extending the service life for up to 25 F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets from 6,000 flight hours to 10,000 flight hours and incorporating Block III avionics capabilities. Work will take place in Texas and Missouri. Expected completion will be in February 2025.

The US has drastically reduced its RQ-4 Global Hawk drone flights over the Black Sea since a Russian fighter jet collided with a Reaper drone last month causing it to crash into the sea. The US Air Force last flew the reconnaissance drone on March 21, a week after the incident on March 14 , RIA Novosti wrote, citing Flightradar24.

Middle East & Africa

The US Navy sailed its first drone boat through the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, a crucial waterway for global energy supplies where American sailors often faces tense encounters with Iranian forces. The trip by the L3 Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13, a 13-meter (41-foot) speedboat carrying sensors and cameras, drew the attention of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, but took place without incident, said Navy spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins. Two US Coast Guard cutters, the USCGC Charles Moulthrope and USCGC John Scheuerman, accompanied the drone.

Europe

Denmark and the Netherlands announced Thursday that they plan to provide Ukraine with at least 14 refurbished German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks, to be supplied from early 2024. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called it “a significant donation” which came on top of a contribution by Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany, announced in February, to supply at least 100 older Leopard 1 A5 tanks.

Rheinmetall recently unveiled a multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with reconnaissance and combat features. The Rheinmetall Combat Drone is based on the German arms maker’s Luna NG reconnaissance drone and can carry the Hero-R type loitering munition, according to Soldat & Technik. “The Rheinmetall Combat Drone is the game changer for protecting your own troops and fighting tactically relevant targets,” the company stated.

Asia-Pacific

Japan’s military is currently seeking foreign assistance to develop a railgun, a weapon that uses electromagnetic forces to launch projectiles at incredibly high speeds. The technology is still in its early stages of development, but Japan sees it as an important asset for its military to counteract the threat posed by neighboring countries. The primary Japanese contractor on the program is Japan Steel Works, a company that specializes in steel production and heavy machinery manufacturing. However, due to the complexity of the railgun technology, Japan has turned to foreign experts to help with the project.

Today’s Video

WATCH: MAST13 Norway Case Study | L3Harris

One Source: Hundreds of programs; Thousands of links, photos, and analyses

DII brings a complete collection of articles with original reporting and research, and expert analyses of events to your desktop – no need for multiple modules, or complex subscriptions. All supporting documents, links, & appendices accompany each article.

Benefits

  • Save time
  • Eliminate your blind spots
  • Get the big picture, quickly
  • Keep up with the important facts
  • Stay on top of your projects or your competitors

Features

  • Coverage of procurement and doctrine issues
  • Timeline of past and future program events
  • Comprehensive links to other useful resources