Defence`s Feeds

North Korea destroyed several tunnels and other facilities at its only known nuclear test site on 24 May in a move described by the government in Pyongyang as an “important process” towards achieving global nuclear disarmament. The dismantling of the northeastern Punggye-ri test ground,

The US Army has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a Common Robotic Systems – Heavy (CRS-H) prototype unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) programme. “The army is continuing to standardise its fleet of unmanned ground vehicles into programmes of record based on three weight

Australia’s state-owned naval shipbuilder ASC has entered an agreement with US consultancy company Accenture to support its implementation of advanced manufacturing techniques, ASC announced on 25 May. ASC said the agreement is part of its “digital transformation programme”

The Australian government has been warned that its naval shipbuilding programme (NSP) could consume so much of the country’s defence procurement budget that it might put at risk the ability of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to respond to emerging priorities. The Australian Strategic

Key Points Boeing expects two Super Hornet Block 3 test aircraft to be delivered at the end of 2019 The Block 3 upgrades also include an improved cockpit display and radar Boeing expects to deliver two F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block 3 test aircraft at the end of 2019, according to a company

A photograph of an Israeli Air Force F-35 flying (more or less..) “over” Beirut has been made public. Interestingly, the image seems to prove the stealthy aircraft was flying with radar reflectors. As reported yesterday, the Israeli Air Force F-35 stealth aircraft have had their baptism of fire taking part in air strike in the […]

Americas

• The US Army is contracting Defense Systems and Solutions for technical support of its Aviation and Missile Research, Development, Engineering Center’s Prototype Integration Facility. The Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) is the Army’s focal point for providing research, development and engineering of technology and services for aviation and missile platforms, across their life cycle. It has the mission to provide innovative research, development and engineering, and to produce capabilities that provide decisive overmatch to the Army against the complexities of the current and future operating environments in support of the joint warfighter. As part of its operations, AMRDEC works on projects like the PATRIOT and THAAD missile defense systems, the UH-60V Systems Integration Lab and the Gray Eagle UAS. The hybrid deal is valued at $2.5 billion and includes a number of different orders which are expected to be completed by May 2027.

• Lockheed Martin is being tapped to provide services for the US Army’s PATRIOT system. The contract modification is valued at $46 million and provides for post-deployment build-8.1 Phased Array Tracking to Intercept Of Target Advanced Capability-3 system ground and flight test support. PATRIOT PAC-3 is the current US standard for new-build Patriot Missiles. PAC-3 uses a “hit-to-kill” approach, instead of the PAC-2’s large fragmentation warhead, which allows it to pack more missiles per launcher. Its enhanced capabilities also allow it to be used for point defense against ballistic missiles, and its Config-3 ground systems also feature a range of improvements to the battery’s radar, communications, electronics, and software. Work will be performed in Dallas, Texas, and is expected to be completed by April 30, 2022.

• General Dynamic Electric Boat Corp. will develop air conditioning units to be deployed on the Navy’s new attack submarines. The $16.6 million contract modification sees for the procurement of prototype material and manufacturing for air conditioning units to be used on Block V Virginia class boats. The Navy currently has a 5-year, $17 billion program that sees for the production of 10 Virginia Class Block IV fast attack submarines. Block V submarines will be longer than its predecessors, so that they can accommodate four Virginia Payload Module tubes, which will each contain seven Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles. The Navy is counting on the Virginia-class Block V submarines to be incorporated into a larger military missile strategy by increasing the service’s the ability to stealthily strike targets. The Virginia-class Block V submarines are to replace the Ohio-class SSGN submarines as they are decommissioning. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania and Groton, Connecticut. It is scheduled for completion by September 2021.

• Oshkosh Defense LLC. is being awarded two contract modifications by the US Army. The two deals valued at $182 million and $52 million respectively, provide for recapitalized Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical trucks, palletized load system (PLS) trucks, PLS trailers, and container transfer enhancement upgrade in the family of heavy tactical vehicles. Oshkosh is the main producer of the US Army’s fleet of Heavy Tactical Vehicles. Oshkosh has provided the core of this capability for over 20 yeas now. Its Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) and their 13-ton payloads are the mainstay of the FHTV fleet, serving in variants that include M977/985 Cargo, M978 Fueler, M982/983 Tractors, and M984 Wrecker/Tow; they also serve as heavy transporters for Patriot and THAAD air defense systems. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2019.

Middle East & Africa

• President Trump has asked US Congress to review Foreign Military Sales to its Middle-Eastern allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The sales in question would provide for 120.000 precision guided munitions. In September 2017, the US and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had struck a deal worth about $7 billion. Saudi Arabia is an avid customer of Raytheon’s Paveway II and III kits. Paveways have been integrated with Tornado strike jets, F-15 Strike Eagles, and Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role fighters, all of which are operated by the RSAF. Saudi requests for GPS-guided weapons have been a sensitive political issue in the past. Considering Saudi Arabia’s poor track record of protecting civilians during its prolonged campaign against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, the sensitive nature of a weapons deal is even more exacerbated.

Europe

• Lockheed Martin is contracting BAE Systems to support the maintenance and replacement of electronic warfare systems on the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft. The $100 million deal is essential for critical aircraft readiness. The five-year contract from Lockheed Martin enables BAE Systems to manage the supply chain and establish infrastructure to ensure critical electronic warfare technology is available for readiness on the next generation fighter aircraft. BAE Systems manufacturers the electronic warfare suite for the Lockheed Martin F-35, called the AN/ASQ-239 Barracuda system. The system’s avionics and sensors provide a 360-degree view of the aircraft’s surroundings, detecting and geo-locating electronic emitters to give pilots the option to evade, engage, counter or jam threats.

• Italy’s Piaggio Aerospace has announced that it will deliver its first P.1HH Hammerhead unmanned aircraft system this summer. The first units will be delivered to the United Arab Emirates, the company’s launch customer. The P.1HH Hammerhead is based on Piaggio’s sleek, Ferrari-approved P180 Avanti II business turboprop. Rapid deployment inside larger aircraft is engineered by adding a quickly detachable joint for the outer wings, and the high aspect ratio laminar wings have been stretched to a 50’10” wingspan. The Hammerhead was initially designed as a surveillance only UAV, but there is more than sufficient space for weapons if customers choose this option. The only key limitation to equipping the drone is its 500 kg payload maximum. Piaggio is already looking in to the development of its next UAS, designated P.2HH. The P.2HH will bring about increased capability by way of key design changes, namely a larger fuselage structure for increased internal volume and all-new, wider-spanning composite wings for increased endurance. Deliveries of the new system are scheduled for early-2020.

Asia-Pacific

• Jane’s reports that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has launched its the third and final Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD). Named Sydney, the 146.7-meter-long vessel entered service on May 19th. The Hobart-class AWDs will replace RAN’s two Adelaide-class frigates. The AWDs are baes on Navantia’s F-100 Alvaro de Bazan-class frigate design, modified to Australia’s specific mission requirements. The Hobart class deploys the Aegis combat system incorporating the AN/SPY 1D(V) phased array radar. The vessels are equipped with the 48-cell MK 41 strike-length vertical launch system, that accommodates SM-2MR Block IIIA and SM-2MR Block IIIB long-range surface-to-air missiles, as well as quad-packed medium-range RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles. The Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyers provide Australia with the capabilities to face modern naval threats by providing state of the art air defense capabilities.

Today’s Video

• This is what a F-22 engine start-up sounds like!

The Australian Army (AA) will soon roll out the PD-100 Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System (PRS) across one of its brigades in Brisbane, the Department of Defence (DoD) in Canberra announced in a 24 May statement. The rollout and sustainment of the micro unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) is

Japan has taken delivery of a second batch of four Bushmaster 4x4 protected mobility vehicles for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), manufacturer Thales Australia confirmed on 24 May. The company built and supplied four Bushmasters to the JGSDF in 2014 at a cost of about AUD3.6 million

Kazakhstan has placed a “new and substantial order” for Arlan mine-resistant, ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles, manufacturer Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering (KPE) announced during the 23-26 May Kazakhstan Defence Expo 2018 (KADEX 2018) exhibition in Astana. The announcement comes after

Russian Helicopters holding, a subsidiary of the Rostec state corporation, has presented the Mi-38T utility rotor at the KADEX 2018 defence show being held in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 23-26 May. The Mi-38T can be supplied in the baseline transport, search-and-rescue (SAR) or medical evacuation

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Kazakhstan Aviation Industry (KAI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 24 May at the KADEX 2018 exhibition to co-operate on the joint development and procurement of the Turkish company’s Anka unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Hurkus advanced

Poland plans to extend the operational life of its oldest helicopters so they can remain in service, Deputy Defence Minister Wojciech Skurkiewicz told parliament on 10 May. In a status report on the modernisation of the Polish Armed Forces’ helicopter fleet, he said PLN4.7 billion (USD1.3

The Argentine Coast Guard (Prefectura Naval Argentina) has taken delivery of an initial batch of two Shaldag Mk II fast patrol boats on order from Israel Shipyards Ltd. A total of four vessels are being built under a deal worth EUR50 million (USD56.8 million) that was approved in December 2016.

The Czech Army took the opportunity at the IDEB 2018 exhibition in Bratislava to showcase the latest iteration of its MKEB (Mobilni komplet elektronického boje) mobile electronic warfare (EW) suite. The second-generation MKEB, known as MKEB II, was demonstrated by personnel from the 532

Lockheed Martin’s AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) has successfully completed a second ‘dual-LRASM’ flight test event ahead of achieving Early Operational Capability (EOC) on US Air Force (USAF) B-1B Lancer bomber later this year. The test, performed on 22 May on the

Two Flight Crew Hospitalized. No Ground Casualties in Crash of Advanced Trainer. It’s the second T-38 crash in 6 months, fifth USAF crash (tenth U.S. military) since the beginning of 2018 A USAF T-38C Talon II advanced, twin-engine jet trainer has crashed near Highway 373 and Barton’s Ferry Road north of Columbus AFB, Mississippi approximately […]

F-35, T-346, Typhoon, AV-8B, CAEW among the assets involved Italy’s largest exercise supported (for the first time) by the U.S. Marine Corps too. From May 7 to 19, more than 2,000 military, 25 aircraft and helicopters, dozens of land, naval and amphibious vehicles belonging to the Italian Air Force, Navy, Army were involved in the […]

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP