Defence`s Feeds

Americas Raytheon won a $333.2 million contract for Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) full rate production requirements, spares, and round design agent. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $908,144,803. Work will will continue through September 2030. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(1) (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements). Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. General Dynamics won a $188 million modification for Construction Spares associated with the Virginia Class Block V submarines. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California (36%); South Yorkshire, United Kingdom (7%); Westfield, Massachusetts (6%); Staffordshire, United Kingdom (4%); McKeesport, Pennsylvania (3%); Manchester, New Hampshire (3%); Tacoma, Washington (3%); Newport News, Virginia (2%); Warren, Massachusetts (2%); Farmingdale, New York (2%); El Cajon, California (2%); Tucson, Arizona (1%); Chesapeake, Virginia (1%); Tampa, Florida (1%), Portsmouth, New Hampshire (1%); and other locations less than 1% (26%), and is expected to be completed by September 2035. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity. Middle East & Africa Qatar has bought GM Defense’s Suburban Shield armored vehicles for the armed forces and […]

Dassault Rafale (click for cutaway view) Will Dassault’s fighter become a fashionably late fighter platform that builds on its parent company’s past successes – or just “the late Rafale”? It all began as a 1985 break-away from the multinational consortium that went on to create EADS’ Eurofighter. The French needed a lighter aircraft that was suitable for carrier use, and were reportedly unwilling to cede design authority over the project. As is so often true of French defense procurement policy, the choice came down to paying additional costs for full independence and exact needs, or losing key industrial capabilities by partnering or buying abroad. France has generally opted for expensive but independent defense choices, and the Rafale was no exception. Those costs, and associated delays triggered by the end of the Cold War and reduced funding, proved to be very costly indeed. Unlike previous French fighters, which relied on exports to lower their costs and keep production lines humming, the Rafale has yet to secure a single export contract – in part because initial versions were hampered by impaired capabilities in key roles. The Rafale may, at last, be ready to be what its vendors say: a true omnirole aircraft, […]

The Finnish Air Force will secure NATO skies by deploying four F/A-18 Hornets to Keflavik Air Base for the next rotation of the Icelandic Air Policing mission in February 2025. The Finnish Air Force is preparing to safeguard the NATO skies for the first time as a NATO member by deploying four F/A-18 Hornets to […]

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The planned delivery of the first six F-35B Lightning II fighters for Japan in FY2024 has now been pushed back to sometime during FY2025, Japan’s Defense Minister announced. The delivery of the first six F-35Bs to the JASDF (Japan Air Self Defense Force), which was planned to happen sometime during FY (Fiscal Year) 2024 (which […]

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By 2027, in areas west of the international dateline where U.S. assets are deployed, China will outnumber U.S. forces about 12 to 1 in modern fighter jets (including 5 to 3 in fifth-generation aircraft) and 3 to 1 in maritime patrol planes. Speaking from the base theater to both an in-person and virtual audience, Brig. […]

The post ‘The Chinese Military is the Largest and Most Modern It’s Ever Been,’ Edwards AFB Commander Warns appeared first on The Aviationist.

Americas The Pentagon has awarded QinetiQ a $13.3-million contract to supply its Vindicator II uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) target support services to the US Navy (USN). As QinetiQ Target Systems is based in Canada, the deal was facilitated by the Canadian Commercial Corporation as the prime contractor together with Public Services and Procurement Canada.  The five-year deal – with a six-month extension provision – came into effect in December and includes Canadian personnel deployed to provide services to the USN. Lockheed Martin won a $678.4 million modification to support the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft retrofit and modification efforts for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-US Department of Defense (DoD) F-35 program partners, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in December 2028. The order and contract being modified were not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Middle East & Africa Europe Norway said Friday it wants to reintroduce mandatory construction of air raid shelters in new buildings, one of around 100 proposals aimed at boosting preparedness in case of war. Norway, a NATO member that shares a northern border with Russia, […]

Footage from inside an Israeli Air Force KC-707 Re’em tanker aircraft was recently published on the official IDF Instagram page, providing a rare tour of the aircraft. The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) uploaded a short Instagram reel on their official @idfonline page on Jan. 6, 2025, offering previously unseen footage inside one of the IAF’s […]

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Americas Lockheed Martin won a $678.4 million modification, which adds scope to procure various material modification kits, special test/tooling equipment, and associated seed assets to support the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft retrofit and modification efforts for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-US Department of Defense (DoD) F-35 program partners, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in December 2028. The order and contract being modified were not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Vigor Marine won a $7.8 million firm-fixed-price contract for the 50-calendar day shipyard availability for the mid-term availability of Military Sealift Command’s fast combat support vessel USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE 11). This contract includes a base period and two unexercised options for additional work and time, which if exercised, would increase the cumulative value of this contract to $7,991,778. Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon, beginning January 10, 2025, and is expected to be completed by February 28, 2025. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the sam.gov website and three offers received. Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Middle […]

NAVAIR is working to integrate the AGM-158C-1 LRASM (Long Range Anti-Ship Missile) on the U.S. Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagles and F-15EX Eagle IIs, providing them with yet another tool for engaging surface targets at sea. The U.S. Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagle and F-15EX Eagle IIs are now set to be armed with the […]

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The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration has announced the completion of the upgrade program of the new B61-12 nuclear weapons, and the impending start of manufacturing for the B61-13 variant. The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has just announced, seventeen years after starting the design process, that production of the most recent American tactical […]

The post U.S. Completes Upgrade of B61-12 Nuclear Weapons and Prepares Production of B61-13 Warheads appeared first on The Aviationist.

Americas Airbus US Space & Defense Inc., Arlington, Virginia won a $315,043,393 modification for UH-72 Lakota contractor logistics support and engineering services. Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, Texas, with an estimated completion date of December 31, 2025. Fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $85,621,324 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. The US Navy has declared initial operational capability (IOC) for the Next-Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) system, taking a major step in providing the E/A-18 Growler an edge in electromagnetic spectrum warfare. Utilizing the latest software-based and electronically scanned array technologies, the NGJ-MB provides enhanced capabilities to deny and distract adversaries’ radars in the range of 2 GHz to 6 GHz of the overall threat spectrum. Middle East & Africa Elbit Systems has secured a significant $60 million contract with a NATO European country to supply its advanced ReDrone counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS). This deal highlights the growing concern amongst NATO members regarding the increasing threat of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and their potential misuse by terrorists and smugglers. Elbit Systems, a leading global defence technology company, is set to deliver the […]

Scheduled to fly in mid 2025, Leonardo has unveiled an updated design of its Proteus rotary wing uncrewed aerial system demonstrator for the UK Ministry of Defence. Proteus is the culmination of a £60 million contract awarded in 2022 to Leonardo by the UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Future Capability Group. […]

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The European Defence Agency (EDA) has launched the Small Arms Ammunition Technologies (SAAT) project, a four-year initiative led by Belgian defence company FN Herstal and supported by a diverse European consortium to establish a common standard for small arms ammunition. 

The project, which brings together 18 partners from nine countries — including defence manufacturers, research organisations, and national Ministries of Defence — aims to strengthen interoperability among European armed forces and to also advance ammunition technology. The kick-off meeting, held in mid-December, laid the groundwork for the project’s governance and collaborative framework. 

With a budget of €8.3 million, the SAAT project demonstrates a shared commitment among participating EU Member States — Belgium, Czechia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and non-EU members Norway and Switzerland — to address the following objectives: 

• Establish performance criteria for small arms ammunition to counter present and future threats
• Analyse ammunition components such as projectiles, propellants, and cartridge cases
• Develop projectile prototypes
• Advance the design and functionality of key ammunition technologies

By creating a common standard for small arms ammunition, the initiative aims to reduce dependency on external suppliers and ensure a unified European Union response to evolving security threats.

As well as project coordinator FN Herstal, the project’s consortium brings together Beretta, CZUB, Eurenco, Fiocchi Munizioni, Mesko, Nammo, Nobel Sport, and Swiss P Defence. Complementing these companies are research institutions such as Switzerland’s Armasuisse, DGA Techniques Terrestres of France, FFI from Normway, FOI in Sweden, the Royal Military Academy of Belgium, TNO in the Netherlands, and the Military University of Technology in Poland. 

About EDA

EDA supports its 27 Member States in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation. Acting as an enabler and facilitator for Ministries of Defence willing to engage in collaborative capability projects, the Agency has become the ‘hub’ for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks allowing it to address the whole spectrum of capabilities.

On 13 January, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will participate in his first exchange of views with Members of AFET and SEDE as well as in association with the Delegation for relations with the NATO PA (DNAT). Discussion topics will include EU-NATO cooperation, efforts to strengthen NATO defence and deterrence, Russia's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine and its implications for transatlantic relations as well as other regional and global security threats and common challenges.
Meeting agenda and documents (AFET)
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Super Hornets, which have been armed with five AIM-120s and four AIM-9Xs since April 2024, were recently referred to as “Murder Hornets” in a year-in-review factsheet published by the U.S. Navy. In a recently published year-in-review factsheet, titled “Delivering Warfighting Advantage,” the U.S. Navy mentioned under the ‘Aviation’ column that the Super Hornet’s heavy air-to-air […]

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Americas Boeing won a $615.8 million contract for the F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System full rate production. This deal provides for procurement of Group A and Group B kits, system engineering program management, and interim contractor support lay-in material. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri; and Nashua, New Hampshire, and is expected to be completed by December 31, 2030. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas bid farewell to its last T-1A Jayhawk last month, as the Air Force continues its drive to retire the heavy aircraft trainer. Laughlin’s last Jayhawk, from the 86th Flying Training Squadron, took off from the base December 17. It joined a pair of T-6A Texan IIs and a pair of T-38C Talons as the centerpiece of a five-plane flyover, which twice passed over Laughlin’s airfield and air traffic control tower. After the other planes split off, the T-1 continued to its final resting place at “The Boneyard,” an airplane graveyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. Middle East & Africa Turkey said Monday that it was “only a matter of time” before Syrian Kurdish fighters – […]

The achievement of the IOC follows the first combat deployment of NGJ-MB with VAQ-133’s EA-18Gs embarked aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has disclosed on Jan. 6, 2025, that the U.S. Navy declared initial operational capability (IOC) for the AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) system in December 2024. The […]

The post Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band Achieves Initial Operational Capability appeared first on The Aviationist.

The AN/ALQ-250 EPAWSS achieved the Initial Operational Capability in early 2024 and is currently being fielded on the new F-15EX Eagle II and retrofitted on the F-15E Strike Eagle. The U.S. Air Force has approved the full rate production of the F-15’s AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System. The service previously expected to award a […]

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13 January 2025:
A joint meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) - in association with the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (DNAT) - with an exchange of views with NATO Secretary General Mark RUTTE, takes place on Monday, 13 January 2025 from 16:00-17:30 in Brussels (ANTALL 2Q2).

Meeting documents are available here.

27/28 January 2025:
The next meeting of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) is scheduled to take place on Monday, 27 January 2025 from 15:00-18:30 and on Tuesday, 28 January 2025 from 9:00-12:30 and 14:30-18:30 in Brussels (SPINELLI 1G3).

Further information about the meeting can be found here.

_______________________

SEDE missions 2024:

• Ukraine - 25-26 October 2024
• United Kingdom - 28-30 October 2024
  

SEDE meetings' calendar 2025
SEDE meetings' calendar 2nd half of 2024 - 10th legislature
EP calendar 2024
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Americas The US Air Force has conducted Exercise Reaper Castillo to test the mission capabilities of the MQ-9 Reaper drone in challenging environments. The drills involved the 65th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) to test dirt-strip landings, refueling, rearming, and rapid relaunches. Above the Melrose Air Force Range in New Mexico, an MQ-9 Reaper circled the area, surveying the terrain before landing on a dirt runway. Dutch shipyard Damen has signed an agreement with Alblasserdam-based Nevesbu to provide engineering support in constructing Colombia’s Sigma-class frigates. The contract encompasses basic and detailed engineering works to complete the program, which is expected to produce up to five modern warships for Bogotá’s naval force. It will also enable Bogotá’s local program partner Cotecmar to build the system under license domestically. Middle East & Africa The Turkish navy has begun the new year by announcing the construction of three warships based on domestic designs: a submarine, an aircraft carrier and the lead ship of the highly anticipated TF-2000 air-defense destroyer series. The shipbuilding programs are closely linked to the political and naval ambitions of Turkey, honing the country’s long-range force projection and strike capabilities, in particular. Europe Latvia’s government and local drone manufacturers are preparing a shipment of […]