Americas
General Dynamics won a $9 million modification to exercise options on previously awarded contract N00024-23-C-4413 for the USS Arlington (LPD 24) fiscal 2023 docking selected restricted availability. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2024. Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC), Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. The USS Arlington is a a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock.
The United States Air Force (USAF) has confirmed that hypersonic missiles will not be bought in fiscal 2024. Instead, the Air Force will continue to focus on research and development of the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), which features a boost-glide hypersonic vehicle. The budget request for the upcoming fiscal year includes $150 million allocated to ARRW R&D. Aside from the ARRW, the request also includes $380 million for R&D on the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM), which is a scramjet-powered hypersonic weapon. In December 2021, Raytheon Technologies was awarded a $985 million contract to continue its HACM development.
Middle East & Africa
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has recently inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Australian’s Daronmont Technologies, collaborating to bid on Australia’s Ministry of Defense Tender (AIR-6502) for the supply of Medium Range Ground Based Air Defense system. IAI’s wide Australian Industry Capability (AIC) plan will implement Daronmont’s established integration, manufacturing and development capabilities to supply BARAK-MX Air and Missile Defense (AMD) system – a battle-tested defense system – that will provide an efficient safeguard to the Australian Defense Forces (ADF) and other national properties. Moreover, it will deliver initial combat capability.
Europe
The British Ministry of Defense is reportedly investigating the supply of Royal Air Force (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 1 fighter jets to European MiG-29 operators. The ultimate aim is to replace the Soviet-era MiG 29 planes gifted by these operators to Ukraine, with these advanced Eurofighter aircraft. In parallel, Poland is considering gifting its Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine within the next four to six weeks, a move that would bolster Ukrainian forces’ firepower. These planes are already familiar to the country’s air force and can be utilized immediately. However, both the UK and Poland have stated that this supply would be part of a larger international coalition. Other countries, including Slovakia, have also declared their readiness to provide their MiG-29 planes to Ukraine, and NATO nations have urged others to come forward.
The Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) has demonstrated a new battle management system (BMS) for the Swedish Armed Forces. Called the BMS 3.1.2, the capability grew out of trials to develop a command support system for the combat vehicles of the Swedish Army’s two training companies. An initial system, dubbed the LSS Mark 2.0, was fielded in 2021 but had technical deficiencies, according to FMV.
Asia-Pacific
Russia said Wednesday it had started naval exercises with China and Iran in the Arabian Sea as it seeks to shore up ties with Beijing and Tehran. The Russian defense ministry said in a statement that the trilateral exercises dubbed the “Marine Security Belt 2023” had begun in the vicinity of the Iranian port of Chabahar. The naval part of the drills will take place on Thursday and Friday.
Today’s Video
WATCH: IAI BARAK MX System
