Defence`s Feeds

EVENT Several members of Ethiopia's Somali region's Liyu special police were reportedly killed by armed locals on 14 February in Gursum district, Oromia region, allegedly in response to recent raids into the area by these security forces, according to Ethiopian opposition media. Locals also seized

A US aircraft carrier design specialist has voiced scepticism over the announced plans by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) for a series of new aircraft carriers featuring steam catapults. These Chinese-built ships would supplant the PLAN's sole current carrier, the Ukrainian-built Liaoning

French company Thales has secured a contract from the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) to supply 14 units of continuous wave illumination (CWI) transmitters for the Royal Danish Navy.

Malaysian shipbuilding firm Boustead Naval Shipyard has awarded a contract to UK-based company Kelvin Hughes to deliver type-approved, upmast I-Band (X-Band) and E/F-Band (S-Band) SharpEye Doppler radars to the Royal Malaysian Navy.

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $166m contract by the US Navy for the full-rate production of its new avionics test system.

General Dynamics Electric Boat has agreed to procure long lead time materials for the SSN 802 and SSN 803 Virginia-class submarines under a new $126.52m contract.

Argentina on 15 February decided on plans to purchase a Lockheed Martin L-100-30 Hercules to be mainly used for firefighting duties. The decision was made during a meeting between Argentine minister of defence Julio Martínez and minister of environment Sergio Bergman. According to their

TEN Islamic State suicide militants were killed during armed clashes with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) after they conducted an attack on a base belonging to Turkish forces south of the town of al-Bab in Syria's Aleppo governorate on 15 February, Hurriyet reported. According to the report eight

Austria has announced it is launching a lawsuit worth up to EUR1.1 billion (USD1.17 billion) against Airbus over allegations relating to the sale of Eurofighter aircraft to the country in 2003. The Austrian government published a 130-page legal action against Airbus on 16 February, outlining its

Defence and industrial electronics supplier Curtiss-Wright Corporation published the results of its 2016 financial year on 15 February, revealing an annual contraction in revenue of 4%. From sales of USD2.1 billion the company generated operating income of USD308 million - a fall of 1% on 2015. The

3D software developer Dassault Systèmes (DS) and the state government of Karnataka, southern India, have signed an agreement to set up an aerospace and defence training centre, it was announced on 16 February at the Aero India 2017 show in Bangalore. A statement said the memorandum of

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has now taken delivery of all the Predator XP unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that it has ordered, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) has confirmed to Jane's. It declined to say when and how many Predator XPs were delivered and what payloads they are

Key Points Event marks the start of construction work for the new class of multipurpose patrol vessels Details have emerged on programme timelines and configurations, including a potential BMD capability Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri cut steel for the first of seven multipurpose offshore patrol

Argentina's decision to postpone buying new combat aircraft until 2018 and have the Argentine Air Force keep some Lockheed Martin (McDonnell Douglas) A-4AR Fightinghawks flying in the meantime will be a difficult logistical goal, sources in Buenos Aires told Jane's. To keep 12-14 of the air

TWO soldiers were killed and four people were wounded when a landmine detonated near Tihsiile in Somalia's Shabeellaha Hoose region 15 February, Shabelle Media Network reported. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Lockheed Martin Canada Mission Systems and Training (MST), after signing a contract earlier this month in Chile, is now officially the main contractor and integrator for a USD600 million programme to modernise three British-built Type 23 frigates that Chile bought from the United Kingdom in 2005.

Key Points The three-hour test showed that Redkite could operate from an Integrator UAS The Redkite payload operates on less than 300 W Logos Technologies' Redkite wide-area sensor flew aboard a Boeing Integrator Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) in early February. The test marked the first time the

Malaysian engineering group Destini Berhad, which has expanding interests in the defence sector, has entered an agreement to acquire Kuala Lumpur-based Halaman Optima (HOSB) to support the supply of aircraft to the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF). Destini said in a filing to the Bursa Malaysia stock

NATO has begun looking at options for the provision of early warning and control after it retires its fleet of Boeing E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft in about 20 years' time. Defence ministers from alliance member nations signed an agreement on 15 February to develop a

Americas

• The US subsidy of Elbit Systems, Elbit Systems of America, has been contracted by the US Army to provide and maintain mortar fire control systems for the service. An indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, the maximum value of the deal could amount to $102 million and will be carried out over five years. The company said the shipment of mortar fire control systems — both mounted and dismounted — along with a lightweight handheld mortar ballistic computer, will improve the accuracy of mortars.

• US Army engineers from Watervliet Arsenal have designed a 105mm low blast overpressure muzzle brake (LBOP) for the service’s M119 howitzer. This is the first time that a large-caliber device of this kind has been developed for an existing gun platform. Army engineers have said that the LBOP will greatly increase the howitzers battlefield performance by radically reducing the weapon’s recoil and will reduce its noise output from “between 13 percent to 48 percent at various quadrant elevations and crew locations.”

• Lockheed Martin has been contracted by the DoD for Trident II ballistic fleet missile production and deployed system support. The $540 million contract modification supports production efforts for the US.Navy and the British Royal Navy, who deploy the missile on their Ohio-class and Vanguard-class submarines respectively. Lockheed Martin received roughly $453 million in weapon procurement funds from the Navy, plus an additional $50.7 million from the Royal Navy. The company also received $36 million in fiscal 2017 operation and maintenance funds, which are set to expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

Africa

• A planned sale of 12 Air Tractor aircraft to Kenya may be halted while allegations of faulty contracting practices, fraud, and unfair treatment are investigated. The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the possible $418 million sale in January, with L-3 Communications acting as the prime contractor. However, US Representative Ted Budd has now introduced a resolution to halt the Foreign Military Sale of the Air Tractors to Kenya saying, “the proposed sale would reward a $13 billion company [L-3] that has never produced airplanes of this type and would cost $283 million dollars more than a small business in North Carolina [Iomax], which is currently producing the needed aircraft.” Citing credible allegations of faulty contracting practices, fraud, and unfair treatment surrounding this sale, Budd said that Iomax claims it can fulfil the contract for $180 million, and it has 48 weaponized border patrol aircraft in service, as opposed to zero for L-3.

Europe

• After four years of investigation, Austria has filed a lawsuit against Airbus and the Eurofighter consortium over alleged deception and fraud linked to the 2003 purchase of Eurofighter jets. The investigation into the $2.1 billion deal by the Defense Ministry found that the defense groups gave misleading information on the purchase price, deliverability, and equipment of the jets, and are seeking damages that could amount to $1.17 billion. Vienna’s purchase of 15 fighters has faced scrutiny since the outset of the deal, with allegations that money was pocketed by politicians, civil servants, and others via brokers for side deals accompanying the purchase.

• On his first trip to Europe as US Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis warned NATO allies that they must honor military spending targets to ensure that Washington does not “moderate” support for the alliance. Speaking in Brussels, Mattis also took aim at some NATO members for ignoring security threats, including those posed by the Kremlin, but the main thrust of his words was that allies should spend the magic 2% of economic output on defense. While some of Europe’s wealthier economies are preferring to spend taxes on education and welfare rather than defense, the former Eastern Bloc nations of the alliance are all on course toward reaching that magic number.

Asia Pacific

• Saab is continuing a defense partnership with Indian industry, offering a sensor package for India’s s LCA Tejas fighter. Included in the technology transfer is the company’s Airborne Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) fighter radar integrated with a compact electronic warfare suite. The package will also have synergies with the systems developed for the Gripen fighter, currently being pitched to New Delhi to fill their Navy requirement for carrier-based fighters.

• India is also being offered United Engine Corporation’s (UEC) AL-41F turbofan engine as part of upgrades connected to the Su-30MKI modernization proposal. The power plant is currently being installed on Russian Su-35 and PAK FA fighters, and is being called significantly superior to its predecessors. India’s air force has a fleet of over 200 Russia-designed Su-30MK aircraft built under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, and is looking to have them overhauled to the MKI standard, making them 4++ generation aircraft.

Today’s Video

• Tactical Robotic’s Instant Eye: Now in use with the USMC: