USAF Received First Two HH-60Ws | Israel’s INS Magen Will Arrive in December | New Su-30SMs Arrived in Kazakhstan

Americas

The US Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $17.5 million contract modification to exercise options to provide design agent engineering services for the MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) electronic systems and computer programs. The modification is for software design, systems engineering, ship/missile integration services, and depot operations services for the MK 41 VLS module electronics and launch control system. According to the DoD, these services include new missile integration into MK 41 VLS including launcher design, launcher integration into new ship classes and the new AEGIS shore based component, Life Cycle Support Facility depot operations, system product improvements, predictability enhancements, reliability enhancements, and failure investigations. The Mk 41 Vertical Launching System is a shipborne missile canister launching system. According to Lockheed Martin, MK 41 VLS is the only launching system that can simultaneously accommodate the weapon control system and the missiles of every warfighting mission area—anti-aircraft, anti-surface, anti- submarine and land attack. Work will take place in Maryland, Virginia, Washington and California. Estimated completion will be by July 2021.

The first two HH-60W “Jolly Green II” helicopters arrived at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia on November 5, 2020. The USAF expects the arrival of 112 of these helicopters. The first two aircraft arrived from Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Training Academy in Stuart, Florida. Moody’s 41st Rescue Squadron and the 413th Flight Test Squadron and 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron flew the “Jolly Greens II“, The HH-60W is an improved variant of the combat-proven UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, and will eventually replace the HH-60G Pave Hawk medium-lift, combat search-and-rescue helicopter, which entered service in 1982. The new helicopter is designed for deployment in casualty evacuation, medical evacuation, non-combatant evacuation missions, civil search-and-rescue, humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and insertion or extraction of combat forces. The USAF ordered the choppers in 2014.

Middle East & Africa

According to Israel’s Ministry of Defense, the Israeli Navy first Sa’ar 6 Class corvette, INS Magen, will arrive in Israel in December. Within the coming year, three more Sa’ar 6 ships will be transferred to Israel from thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) Kiel shipyard, Germany. The ship will join the Israeli Navy’s fleet to reinforce the IDF’s naval assets, with an emphasis on defensive capabilities for important strategic assets and on offensive capabilities that have never been seen before in the eastern Mediterranean. The Sa’ar 6 Class corvette is a class of warships initially ordered for Israel’s Navy in 2015.

Europe

Lockheed Martin Overseas won a $14.3 million modification under the Poland Aegis Ashore Engineering Agent contract. Under this modification, the contractor will configure the Poland Aegis Ashore REU Integration Site (POL-AARIS) and perform integration, test, maintenance and upgrades of the Aegis Combat System prior to final installation within the Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense System. The Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense System is a program developed to provide missile defense against shirt to intermediate ballistic missiles. Work will take place in New Jersey and Poland. Estimated completion date is January 26, 2022.

Crimson Warrior, the largest military exercise to be run by the Royal Air Force in the UK for a decade has finished after three weeks of complex air activities. The exercise involved personnel and aircraft from the Royal Air Force as well as the Royal Navy, British Army, United States Marine Corps and United States Air Force. Exercise Crimson Warrior is a development of the regular Cobra Warrior exercises with the addition of missions to support the work up of F-35B Lightnings and helicopters that will form the Carrier Strike Group Air Wing during next year’s operational deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth. According to the RAF, fast jets, multi-engine aircraft, helicopters and Unmanned Air Systems operated from Stations across the country. In addition to the fast jets, the exercise incorporated a huge number or aircraft conducting Qualified Multi-engine Tactics Instructors.

Asia-Pacific

Kazakhstan says it took delivery of new Su-30SM fighters. The jets arrived at Karaganda air base. “Under the agreement with the Russian Federation and the program of re-equipment of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan, the Air Force received multifunctional Su-30SM aircraft“, the Ministry of Defense said. The aircraft have been imported from the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant since 2015. Su-30SM is a multirole fighter aircraft developed by JSC Sukhoi Design Bureau for the Russian Air Force. It is an advanced derivative of the Su-30MK combat aircraft family. The Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter was designed in accordance with the requirements of the Russian Air Force. It is being manufactured by IRKUT, a company based in Russia.

Today’s Video

Watch: HH-60W Jolly Green II Helicopters Arrive At Moody