Americas
Lockheed Martin won a $21 million modification, which exercises an option to provide maintenance and sustainment operations of the Australia, Canada and United Kingdom Reprogramming Laboratory facilities and systems for the F-35 A/B aircraft program. Work will be performed in Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and is expected to be completed in April 2025.
The US Space Force has awarded Boeing a $440-million contract to build its 12th satellite for the Wideband Global Satellite Communications (WGS) constellation. Boeing’s WGS-12 will bolster the US military’s communication network by adding further high-capacity, secure, and resilient capabilities onto the existing network. The company will implement its Protected Tactical Satcom Prototype payload onto the new satellite as an anti-jam feature, allowing it to operate in contested theaters.
Middle East & Africa
Niger’s government announced on Saturday that it was breaking off “with immediate effect” its military cooperation agreement with the United States. The declaration came just a day after a senior US delegation left Niger following a three-day visit to renew contact with the military junta that ousted the president and moved closer to Russia. The statement said the government had decided to “denounce with immediate effect” the agreement relating to US military and civilian employees of the US Department of Defense inside Niger. It was read out Saturday evening on national television.
Europe
The British government has inked a contract to procure 14 CH-47F Chinook extended-range military helicopters from the US. The acquisition is part of the UK’s ongoing efforts to expand its heavy-lift capability and sustain operability in “challenging environments” such as deserts and the Arctic. In addition to doubling the armed forces’ range in rotorcraft-based missions, the upcoming fleet will integrate air-to-air refueling functionality, upgraded airframes, and advanced digital cockpits to boost the “stability and survivability” of warfighters.
Asia-Pacific
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un joined troops training on a new tank model and drove one himself, state media reported Thursday, as the country’s rivals South Korea and the US wrapped up their annual military exercises. It’s the third time Kim was reported to have observed military exercises since the start of the 11-day South Korean-US drills, which he views as rehearsals for an invasion. That’s a less provocative option than missile tests.
The Japanese government is taking steps to allow the export of a stealth fighter jet currently under development with the United Kingdom and Italy. The move comes amid a shift in Japan’s security strategy and as the country loosens stringent post-war export regulations targeting weaponry. Under revised rules, Japan had approved the transfer of radars to the Philippines and the delivery of Patriot missiles to the US last year.
