Defence`s Feeds

The Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopters recently selected by the Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aérea de Chile: FACh) are to be used mainly for combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) and Special Operations roles, but will also be available for community support and disaster relief, sources in Santiago

Jorge Domecq, chief executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA), told a gathering of industry stakeholders in Brussels on 22 September that a "window of opportunity" exists to revitalise European defence policy. First among Mr Domecq's concerns is that the European defence industrial

South Korean industrial and defence system provider Hanwha Techwin announced on 23 September that it is to acquire a 30% stake in Pratt & Whitney's (P&W's) Singaporean subsidiary, Pratt & Whitney NGPF Manufacturing Company Singapore Pte Ltd (PWMS). PWMS, which has been operational only

Indian defence company Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has signed a contract with the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to supply high-speed patrol vessels to the Vietnam People's Army's paramilitary Border Guard Force. L&T said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange on 22 September that the

The Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Udara, or TNI-AU) has taken delivery of a further five F-16C/D fighter aircraft from the United States. The airframes, which are part of a deal to refurbish and transfer 24 secondhand F-16 platforms signed between Washington and

Israeli unmanned systems manufacturer Aeronautics announced on 20 September that it will display its Orbiter 4 small tactical unmanned air system (STUAS) for the first time at the Azerbaijan International Defence Industry Exhibition (ADEX), which is scheduled to begin on 27 September in Baku,

Japanese defence minister Tomomi Inada and her Myanmar counterpart, Lieutenant General Sein Win, agreed on 21 September to strengthen security co-operation between their countries, a Japanese official told Kyodo news agency. The pact will see Tokyo helping increase the southeast Asian nation's

Korean Air and Boeing have signed an agreement to co-develop the MD 500 Little Bird light attack helicopter into an unmanned combat platform, South Korea's national airline announced on 22 September. The memorandum of agreement was signed in Seoul by Korean Air chairman and chief executive Yang Ho

The Mexican Air Force (FAM) plans to continue operating the Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II for the foreseeable future, and hopes to modernise the fleet and increase its availability. A FAM source told IHS Jane's the current F-5 fleet of 10 aircraft comprises only seven planes, including two twin-seat

In the capital Abuja, the Niger Delta Peoples Professional Volunteer Force threatened to launch an IED attack on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Towers if the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) went ahead to arrest former First Lady, Patience Jonathan over the USD15m

In Khost province, National Directorate of Security (NDS) claimed to have arrested a suspected suicide organiser and alleged would-be suicide attacker who were planning to target security forces during Eid-ul-Azha

Congress has yet to reach an agreement on a simple stop-gap funding measure to keep the US Department of Defense (DoD) and the wider federal government funded when fiscal year 2017 (FY 2017) begins on 1 October. The funding would mainly be at the current year's levels and lawmakers have been aiming

Saab Defense and Security USA has won the race to provide US Navy (USN) aircraft carriers and large deck amphibious ships with a new shipboard air traffic control (SATC) radar. The company was on 21 September announced as the recipient of a USD38 million Engineering and Manufacturing Development

Americas

• A fix has been found for a recently discovered issue on a number of F-35 fighters involving tubing insulation crumbling between the wing tank and fuselage tank. The USAF revealed last week that an unnamed supplier used the wrong coating for the insulation which deteriorated when it met fuel. A total of 15 USAF and Norwegian warplanes along with 42 models on the production line were affected by the issue with manufacturer Lockheed Martin fixed to cover engineering and modifications for all affected aircraft.

• Bell Helicopter has unveiled its V-247 Vigilant, an unmanned tilt-rotor aircraft aimed at filling a USMC need for larger armed systems, as outlined in their 2016 Marine Aviation flight plan. Dubbed the Marine Air Ground Task Force – Unmanned Expeditionary Capabilities, also known as MUX, the service’s UAV concept envisions a multi-sensor, electronic warfare, C4 and strike platform that would complement the Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor and Lockheed Martin F-35B. While final details of exact requirements for MUX remain to be published, Bell believes that Vigilant will satisfy the USMC’s needs as outlined in the plan, and could make the aircraft ready for production as early as 2023.

Middle East & North Africa

• A bill that would have blocked the sale of Abram tanks and other armored vehicles to Saudi Arabia has failed a US Senate vote, 71-27. The $1.1 billion sale has received much negative publicity amid growing concern of the Saudi’s use of Western-supplied weaponry to commit human rights abuses throughout its ongoing campaign in Yemen. Supporters of the deal claim that the Gulf kingdom is still an important US ally in a volatile region and deserving of backing.

• Engineers working on Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)’s Ofek-11 reconnaissance satellite have managed to fix some of the operational issues found shortly after its launch. As a result, Ofek was able to transmit back its first set of pictures to the ground control station. While officials have called the developments encouraging, engineers are currently trying to solve the remaining problems that the satellite is experiencing.

Europe

• Saab has stated that an anonymous client has submitted a purchase order for RBS 70 NG short-range air defense systems. Delivery of the man-portable systems is expected to take place between 2018 and 2020 at a cost of $44 million. The company’s latest variant has garnered much interest from several international clients, with Lithuania and Latvia to integrate and test the weapon for their short-range air defense needs.

• Self-propelled howitzers (SPH) intended for Norway will instead go to Sweden. 24 Archer (6×6) SPHs will instead be delivered to the Swedish armed forces next year, bringing Stockholm’s total inventory to 48. Both Norway and Sweden agreed to co-develop the Archer back in 2007, but Oslo backed out of the agreement in 2013. Plans for the extra howitzers will see half of the former Norwegian allocation placed in reserve while foreign buyers are sought for the remaining 12.

Asia Pacific

• The US State Department has cleared the sale of four KC-46A aerial refueling tankers to Japan in what is estimated to be a $1.9 billion deal. All aircraft will come equipped with Northrop Grumman’s AN/AAQ-24(V) Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) system. Tokyo first announced its intention to purchase the new tankers last October, with the recent approval from the Pentagon moving it closer to becoming the aircraft’s first foreign customer for manufacturer Boeing.

• It may have taken a long while to get to this stage, but the Indian government is expected to sign a deal for 36 Dassault Rafale fighters today after the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the inter-governmental agreement (IGA) with France. New Delhi had initially intended to buy 126 Rafale before several years worth of talks with Dassault broke down and Modi and Hollande stepped in last year to agree on the smaller purchase. Friday’s signing will see French defense minister Jean-Yves Le Drian finalize the deal with his Indian counterpart, Manohar Parrikar, believed to be worth between $8.5 and $9 billion.

Today’s Video

Sweden’s Archer (6×6) Howitzer:

Canadian Leopard 2A4M CAN Main Battle Tank

The US Marine Corps' (USMC) Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 has become the first operational F-35 unit to fire a live air-to-air missile.

Since 1974, Rodman Polyships has designed and constructed Glass-Reinforced Plastic (GRP) and composite-material fast patrol boats and fast patrol vessels for naval, maritime surveillance and maritime law enforcement applications.

The US Naval Sea System Command has awarded a five-year submarine repair contract worth $400m to General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB).

The US Navy has placed an order with Saab for the procurement of an AN/SPN-50 (V)1 shipboard air traffic radar.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP