Americas
The US Navy announced a successful live-fire exercise of its Rolling Airframe Missile from the littoral combat ship USS Charleston on Monday. The launching of the SeaRAM missiles from the San Diego-based vessel was a part of exercises involving all of the ship’s weaponry, and occurred on Thursday, the Navy said. SeaRAM missiles, also known as RIM-116 RAM missiles, are lightweight, quick-reaction missiles designed to defeat cruise missiles and asymmetric air and surface threats. Equipped with Phalanx search-and-track radar and Electro Optic sensor, 11-missile pods are carried within launchers aboard the ship.
The US Marine Corps (USMC) will acquire a pair of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Reaper medium-altitude, long-endurance UAVs and related systems. In a post released on the beta.sam.gov US government procurement website on April 12, the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) disclosed that it had awarded GA-ASI a $13.06 million contract modification related to the procurement of two Reaper air vehicles and other unmanned aircraft system (UAS) equipment.
Middle East & Africa
Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and National Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos will travel to Riyadh on April 20 to sign an agreement for the deployment of a Greek PAC-3 air defense missile system to the kingdom.
Europe
The Pentagon will send hundreds of additional troops to Germany to improve the ability of the US military to ramp up forces to defend allies, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday in a reversal of policy from former President Donald Trump. The move will station about 500 US additional troops in Germany while shifting some units to Belgium and Italy and bringing others back to the United States.
Asia-Pacific
Lockheed Martin won a $447.2 million order, which provides for the production and delivery of 12 MH-60R aircraft for the government of the Republic of Korea. According to a press release released by DAPA, a total of 12 MH-60R helicopters will be delivered to the Republic of Korea Navy by 2025, boosting anti-submarine warfare capability. As noted by Lockheed Martin, MH-60R is the most capable naval helicopter available today designed to operate from frigates, destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers. Work will take place in New York, Connecticut and Alabama. Estimated completion is in December 2024.
Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi has explained to a House of Councillors committee on April 12 on why the cost of upgrading the F-15J had gone up. Kishi says Japan has to spend more as the electronic warfare system that it choose for the upgrade faces parts shortages. Tokyo had wanted to buy 101 sets of the ALQ-239 Digital Electronic Warfare System (DEWS). It is now believe that they were told to switch to the new Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) instead.
Today’s Video
Watch: Just How Powerful is SeaRAM Missile System
