Defense`s Feeds

The US Air Force announced that Northrop Grumman would roll out the B-21 bomber in the first week of December at its production facilities in Palmdale, California. “We last introduced a new bomber over 30 years ago. As we look to the threats posed by our pacing challenge; we must continue to rapidly modernize. The B-21 Raider will provide formidable combat capability across a range of operations in highly contested environments of the future,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr said.

Textron won a $7.7 million modification to remove work, incorporate additional work and exercise an option to a previously awarded contract FA8617-22-C-6238 for Building Partner Capacity T-6C Program – Tranche 1. This descope and add work contract modification provides for the configuration change of the T-6C aircraft being produced under the basic contract. This modification also provides for the exercise of an option for an additional quantity of six personal life support equipment being produced under the basic contract via option exercise. Work will be performed in Wichita, Kansas, and is expected to be complete by September 30, 2024.

Noble Supply and Logistics won a $500 million modification exercising the first one-year option period of a three-year base contract with two one-year option periods under solicitation SPE8E3-18-R-0010 for facilities maintenance, repair and operations support in the Central Command Area of Responsibility. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, with an October 1, 2023, ordering period end date. Estimated completion date is October 1, 2023.

Sikorsky won a $32.8 million modification to exercise an option for two UH-60M aircraft for Foreign Military Sales. UH-60 Black Hawk is a multi-mission helicopter developed by Sikorsky that has been operational in the US Army since 1978. The export version of the UH-60 Black Hawk is designated as S-70A. Work will take place in Connecticut. Estimated completion date is June 30, 2027. Fiscal 2010 Foreign Military Sales (Jordan) funds in the full amount were obligated at the time of the award.

Defense News reports that the British government has ordered an update of its defense and security review published last year and hopes to complete a revised plan by the end of 2022, Prime Minister Liz Truss has announced. Touted as the biggest defense review since the Cold War when it was unveiled in March 2021, Britain’s update of strategic aims and capabilities has been overtaken by events following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Australia’s first MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft destined for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was unveiled on September 14 by Northrop Grumman at Palmdale California. The Triton’s will be particularly useful in protecting Australia’s northern maritime regions. Northrop Grumman began build in October 2020 with the fuselage and one-piece wing coupled together in December 2021.

WATCH: T-6 TEXAN II–An Up Close Look at the Air Force’s Primary Trainer

The Permanent Structured Cooperation, or PESCO, is among the most ambitious EU defence initiatives. Launched in December 2017, it aims to increase defence cooperation among the participating EU Member States to a new level. Twenty-five participating states signed up to 20 more binding commitments to jointly plan, develop and invest in shared capability projects. As PESCO approaches its fifth anniversary, the PESCO Secretariat – the European Defence Agency (EDA), the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the European Union Military Staff (EUMS) – have prepared an annual PESCO Projects Progress Report which highlights the underlying diversity of progress in ongoing projects.

Read the full article on the PESCO website

General Dynamics won a $414.8 million contract modification with one four-year option period for multiple items used in the Abrams Main Battle Tank, Stryker Family of Vehicles, Light Armored Vehicle Family of Vehicles, Cougar, Buffalo and RG-31. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/definite-quantity contract. Estimated completion date is September 28, 2029.

Boeing won a $51.7 million contract to procure the final 51 Advanced Capabilities Mission Computers retrofit kits (49 kits for EA-18G aircraft and two kits for software integration labs) in support of meeting the Navy’s mission requirements for the EA-18G aircraft. Work will take place in Minnesota, Missouri and Maryland. Estimated completion will be in September 2025.

The Israeli navy held Leonardo’s 76/62 Super Rapid Multi Feeding naval gun acceptance ceremony on board the Israeli Navy’s ship Oz/Magen Sa’ar 6 class, at the naval base of Haifa last week. The 76/62 SR MF will deploy the corvettes’ air, anti-surface and anti-missile defense capabilities. The Israeli Navy procured four new guns now installed on board of new Sa’ar 6 corvettes and it is expected that advanced ammunition and more new guns will be procured in the coming years.

Switzerland has inked a deal to procure three dozen F-35A fighter jets, dodging a proposed popular referendum in the hopes of receiving the new jets by the end of the decade. Bern’s armaments director Martin Sonderegger and F-35 program manager Darko Savic signed the procurement contract on Monday, per a government release. The contract, worth $6.25 billion includes 36 of the conventional takeoff-and-landing aircraft variant, due to replace the nation’s fleets of F/A-18 Hornets and F-5 Tigers between 2027 and 2030. The Swiss parliament voted last week to green-light the procurement, which paved the way for the contract signatures.

PKL Services won a $110.8 million deal for Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) flight operations and maintenance support training. This contract provides for F-15SG maintenance and operations training for the RSAF. Work will be performed at Mountain Home Air Force Base. Work will take place in Idaho. Expected completion date is September 30, 2027.

The US administration is quietly working on a trade of nearly 50 military aircraft with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in exchange for security assistance inside Afghanistan, Politico revealed. Afghan Air Force pilots flew the US-donated aircraft to the two neighboring Central Asian countries in August last year to avoid them being captured by the Taliban.

WATCH: The F-35A – The right fighter aircraft for Switzerland

Bell Textron won a $228.2 million deal by the US Navy, which provides the H-1 Light/Attack helicopter with new and modified capabilities through System Configuration Sets, which is a combination of software and/or hardware configuration item changes integrated into a previously deployed baseline configuration. These efforts include work on the airframe, aircraft wiring interface terminals, flight controls, and weapon systems interfaces, as well as research alternatives, investigation, and documentation of new capabilities and anomalies related to flight controls, wiring harnesses, and weapons, and developing, integrating, verifying, validating, and testing these systems. Additionally, this contract provides for identification of maintenance activities required to support the systems; research, development, and support of studies and analysis related to configuration items, new subsystems, weapons integration, engineering, and logistics; and all efforts required to accomplish analysis of alternatives, system design, integration, testing, rapid response activities, and system capability improvements for Foreign Military Sales customers and fleet support. Work will take place in Texas. Estimated completion will be in September 2027.

The US Air Force is testing out loading GBU-38 smart bombs with other types of munitions while being carried externally on the B-52 bomber. Tasked by the US Air Force SEEK EAGLE Office, engineers from Arnold Engineering Development Complex uses a 16-foot transonic wind tunnel at Arnold Air Force Base to gather separation data when the GBU-38 is carried with different types of weapons such as the GBU-31 and CBU-87 on neighboring stations.

Israel’s defense company Rafael is arriving at NATO Days as one of the Main Marketing Partners of the event and as the only Israeli company which has developed an air defense system that has been acquired by a NATO member. The Czech Ministry of Defense purchased the SPYDER air defense system last year. At NATO Days 2022, in Ostrava, Czech Republic, RAFAEL’s state-of-the-art SPYDER Family of air defense systems will be displayed with two configuration models of the SPYDER SR and SPYDER MR which operates with 6 different interceptors.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Defence announced a procurement process to buy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for its armed forces. The future order includes two UAV models, including 26 “mini” and nine “small” systems. According to market analysis, the variants should cost around $36 million. They will be utilized for target identification and tracking, field impact assessment, artillery fire monitoring, and system adjustments.

Damen Naval and Rolls-Royce Power Systems have inked a contract for the latter to deliver 16 mtu diesel generator sets (gensets) for the German Navy’s four new F126 frigates. Damen noted that this was the first time it had awarded a contract for mtu naval diesel gensets. The agreement also includes an Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) package. The onboard power of each F126 vessel will be provided by four mtu Series 4000 variable speed generator sets.

China announced sanctions on Friday against the chief executives of American defense contractors Raytheon and Boeing Defense over a major US arms sale to rival Taiwan. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning did not specify what the sanctions would be against Gregory Hayes, chairman and CEO of Raytheon Technologies, and Ted Colbert, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security.

WATCH: SPYDER Ground-Based Missile System with Web Look Protection | Philippine Air Force

Boeing won a $20.7 million deal, which provides for logistics management, product support analysis and integration, maintenance planning, technical data, support equipment maintenance, and engineering services in support of the P-8A aircraft for the Navy and the governments of Australia, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Work will take place in Florida, Washington, Maryland, Iceland and Japan. Estimated completion will be in September 2023.

Bell Boeing won a $13.4 million contract by the Navy. The deal provides engineering, management, technical, and acquisition support for the implementation and sustainment of V-22 capability defect packages for V-22 avionics and flight controls systems. Work will take place in Pennsylvania, Texas and Missouri. Estimated completion will be by September 2026.

The Israeli Navy has received the 76/62 Super Rapid Multi-Feeding naval gun for two Sa’ar 6-class corvettes at its Haifa Naval base. The 76/62 enables air, anti-surface, and anti-missile defense for INS Oz and INS Magen ships. The Israel Navy is one of the first international forces to procure the gunnery, according to Leonardo. Since 1973, the navy’s Sa’ar 4.5 fast attack craft have operated with six integrated 76/62 systems.

Poland’s Ministry of National Defence has signed two contracts to buy 48 FA-50 light attack aircraft from South Korea, with the first 12 jets to be delivered next year and a further 36 aircraft in the years 2025 to 2028. Polish President Andrzej Duda, who was present at the official signing ceremony on September 16, said “the implementation of the program to introduce the FA-50 aircraft to the Polish military will allow us to fully resign from using the [Soviet-designed] MiG-29 and Su-22 aircraft,” as quoted in a statement released by his office.

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will decide whether to buy a total of seven MQ-4C unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from Northrop Grumman after a defense review is completed next year. Australia has placed a order for three MQ-4Cs to complement the Boeing P-8A maritime aircraft acquired under AIR 7000 Phase 2B as a family of systems to replace the P-3 Orion. “That defence review will take into consideration the decision not to proceed on SkyGuardian,” Air Vice-Marshal Robert Denney was quoted as saying. Australia’s 2016 Defence White Paper had recommended the purchase of seven MQ-4Cs.

The Sri Lanka Air Force is set to receive aircraft loading and refueling equipment from the Department of Defense in 2023 under the Building Partner Capacity Program. To prepare the Sri Lanka Air Force on how to handle the equipment, a Mobile Training Team event was organized by the 36th Contingency Response Squadron at Montana Air National Guard Base last week. A 15-member team from the Sri Lanka Air Force spent four days learning to operate the gear from airmen assigned to 120th Logistics Readiness Squadron and 120th Maintenance Squadron. Procedures such as pallet buildup, refuel/defuel, and forklift operations were imparted to the Sri Lankans.

WATCH: MQ-9 Reapers land at Iowa Air Guard base for first time

General Dynamics won a $21.6 million modification for additional hours of Abrams system technical support. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of September 22, 2023. M1A1/2 Abrams main battle tank is manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems. The first M1 tank was produced in 1978, the M1A1 in 1985 and the M1A2 in 1986.

The Navy awarded Insitu a $191.8 million modification, which procures 13 RQ-21A Blackjack air vehicles, 25 ScanEagle air vehicles, 48 RQ-21A and ScanEagle payloads and turrets, support equipment, spares and sustainment spares and tools in support of RQ-21A Blackjack and ScanEagle unmanned aircraft platforms for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Foreign Military Sales customers. Work will take place in Washington. Estimated completion will be in June 2026.

Language Associates won a $10.6 million deal for English language training in support of the Air Force Security Assistance Training Squadron. Work will be performed in the United Arab Emirates and is expected to be completed by September 20, 2025. This contract involves 100% Foreign Military Sales to the United Arab Emirates.

The French Navy is setting its sights on commercially developed drones and laser weapons to field new capabilities before the end of the 2020s, a senior service officer said on Monday. “We need to go faster to keep up with the threats and to keep up with our competitors. We cannot wait until 2030 for some capabilities,” said Rear Adm. Eric Malbruno, the deputy for planning and programs in the office of the Navy Chief of Staff.

Saab announced that it has received a contract for submarine life extension and upgrades from Sweden’s Defense Materiel Administration (FMV). The contract was valued at $43.8 million and comprises life extension and upgrade works on the submarine HSwMS SÖDERMANLAND, along with new batteries and battery development.

Yomiuri news from Japan says Tokyo intends to import loitering munitions for trials and the American Switchblade and Israeli Harop are being considered. If trials are successful, Japan will induct loitering munitions into service from 2025 and deploy them in large numbers.These munitions are expected to be deployed in the Ryukyu Islands, close to China and Taiwan.

WATCH: The Södermanland-class submarine – one of the submarines in operation by the Swedish Royal Navy

Elbit America won a $12.6 million delivery order under previously awarded basic ordering agreement N00383-20-G-WY01 for the procurement of large-area display in support of the F-18 aircraft. The delivery order does not include an option period. Work will take place in Israel. Expected completion day will be in September 2023.

Lockheed Martin won a $9.9 million modification for developmental activities regarding the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. Work will take place in Texas. Estimated completion date is June 12, 2023.

Raytheon Lockheed Martin Javelin JV won a $311.2 million modification for full-rate production of Javelins. Work will take place in Arizona. Estimated completion date is November 30, 2026. Fiscal 2022 Foreign Military Sales (Jordan and Lithuania) funds and Army procurement appropriations funds in the amount of $311,171,700 were obligated at the time of the award.

Poland is expected to be the first nation to train their F-35 pilots at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, the Arkansas Business said. The pilots and their aircraft is scheduled to arrive in Fort Smith in 2024 and the US Air Force is expected to build a F-35 simulator center at the base.

Bloomberg says Germany has selected the Israeli Arrow 3 over THAAD for its ballistic missile defense program. Chancellor Olaf Scholz met Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid in Berlin on September 12 and both spoke positively on a potential deal in a press conference later that day.

The second India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting was held in Tokyo on September 8, 2022, and was attended by the Indian Minister of Defense, Shri Rajnath Singh, the Indian Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar, the Japanese Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, and the Japanese Minister of Defense, Mr. HAMADA Yasukazu.

WATCH: THAAD: America’s Super Shield against Ballistic Missiles

Champion Aerospace won a $9 million contract to procure 252 175 ampere (amp) Transformer Rectifier Unit (TRU) retrofit kits (240 for the F/A-18E/F fleet and EA-18G squadrons, and 12 for the EA-18G Growler capability modification operational test in support of upgrading the current 150 amp TRU to a 175 amp TRU). Work will be performed in Liberty, South Carolina, and is expected to be completed in December 2023.

General Electric Aviation said it and the US Air Force finished testing the firm’s second adaptive engine, which it hopes the military will adopt for the F-35 jet, and is ready to move into the engineering and manufacturing development phase.

Asio Technologies, an Israeli developer and manufacturer of geospatial position systems and tactical defense solutions, is launching the NavGuard NOCTA Mini, a mini-size jam-proof aerial optical positioning system for drones and UASs. NavGuard is a real-time optical navigation system that enables seamless and accurate autonomous GNSS-free navigation for tactical UAS platforms in areas where the GNSS signal is spoofed, jammed, or simply unavailable.

Polish company AMZ-Kutno unveiled the TUR 7 4×4 armored vehicle at the International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO 2022 held in Kielce from September 6th to 9th. The TUR 7 was shown in a light medical transporter configuration and joins the large TUR family of vehicles produced by AMZ-Kutno. The TUR is a family of 4×4 armored vehicles designed by the Polish manufacturer AMZ-Kutno in 2007. The vehicle was developed to offer a new generation of 4×4 armored personnel carrier vehicles. The TUR was based on the prototype chassis of a commercial IVECO off-road vehicle.

According to Jane’s Azerbaijan’s DefTech is developing a tiltrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and presented a 1:3 scale aircraft at ADEX 2022 in Baku. Jalal Rahimov, head of the company’s technical department, said that the intention is for the platform to fill a logistics role with a key differentiator being its ability to deliver its cargo at speed. Rahimov said that the company expects the final version of the UAV to be capable of 450 km/h and have an endurance of one hour.

L3 Technologies won a $32 million modification to exercise options for Cooperative Engagement Capability system spares and signal data processors. Work will take place in Pennsylvania, Utah and Florida. Estimated completion will be by April 2023. Foreign Military Sales (Japan) funds in the amount of $1,213,305 (4%); and fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $888,984 (3%) will be obligated at time of award, of which funds in the amount of $888,984 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

WATCH: SKY SHIELD – Airborne Electronic Warfare

General Atomics won a $35.9 million deal, which procures spares necessary for the successful operational capability of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Unmanned Aircraft System Expeditionary Medium Altitude Long Endurance MQ-9A Block 5 Reaper air vehicles, ground control stations and ancillary equipment for the Navy. Work will take place in California, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, Florida, South Carolina and Canada. Estimated completion will be in December 2026.

New students who graduated to fly the B-52 bomber this fall will be operating the eight-engine aircraft with four crew members instead of the usual five. The bomber has two pilots, one navigator, a weapon systems officer operating the radar, and an electronic warfare officer. When downsized to four people, the navigator, weapon systems and electronic warfare seats can be filled by any of the two non-pilot air crew. The switch to a four-person crew now is necessary as the bomber will be structurally modified to fly with only four people in the future. These current batch of graduates will be ready to assume the role of instructors when the modifications are rolled out later this decade.

Egypt’s defense minister has expressed his wish for a closer military partnership with the US during a meeting with the commander of American forces in the Middle East. Mohamed Zaki met Gen. Michael Kurilla of US Central Command in Cairo to discuss cooperation, weeks after ships from both countries’ navies held training exercises in the Mediterranean.

The E1-79 Pegasus II has been flight tested. The unmanned air vehicle is produced by Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI) and has been in service with the Hellenic Air Force since 2005. It took off from JKH/LGHI Chios island National Airport for a short low test flight over Chios Strait.

The Polish Ministry of National Defence has sent a letter of request to the United States government to buy 96 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for the nation’s armed forces. Deputy Prime Minister and Polish Defence Minister Mariusz B?aszczak unveiled the planned purchase following a meeting with his US counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, which took place on September 8 in Ramstein, Germany.

The Philippine Navy plans to acquire more modern warships in the next five years to be on par with neighboring countries in Southeast Asia. According to Rear Adm. Caesar Bernard Valencia, the country expects the arrival of seven additional Acero-class gunboats in the next few years. It will also procure new offshore patrol vessels, construction landing docks, and next-generation corvettes.

WATCH: Hellenic Air Force UAV Pegasus II short test flight from Chios island National Airport.

Raytheon won a $9 million contract for the procurement of nine active electronically scanned array radar system APG-79 weapon repairable assemblies in support of the F/A-18 aircraft. The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engine, supersonic, all-weather, carrier-capable, multirole combat jet, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft. Work will take place in Mississippi. The deal contains no options and work is expected to begin October 2022 and be completed by January 2024.

Six F-16s from South Carolina Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing are in Colombia for exercise Relampago VII. The purpose of this exercise is to provide the Colombian Air Force with requested realistic interoperability training as allied countries, under NATO standards.

The United States on Thursday placed sanctions on an Iranian company that helped to ship drones to Russia for use in Ukraine, and warned non-Iranian firms against becoming involved in the trade. The US Treasury said it had placed Tehran-based Safiran Airport Services on its sanctions blacklist, two months after the White House divulged intelligence that Russia was seeking Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for its war in Ukraine.

The first pair of upgraded F-16Vs from the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) will return home from the United States on September 12. They will land at the Hellenic Aerospace Industry facility in Tanagra. They were sent to Forth Worth, Texas for modifications by Lockheed Martin in February 2021. The HAF is expected to receive six more F-16Vs this year.

According Jane’s, Belarus’ Belspetsvneshtechnika has outlined improvements to the 61 mm-calibre Sapphire disposable rocket launcher. Detailing the new features at ADEX 2022 in Baku, a company representative highlighted a new tandem warhead configuration, enhanced lethality, and ongoing work on what was described as a “smart sighting system” that is intended to automate processes and assist the user through a fire control unit that presents an aiming point once a target is designated, among other features.

The Japanese government is set to acquire the site of an abandoned school and school dormitory on Mageshima island as part of the plan to turn the island into a field carrier landing practice (FCLP) site for the US Navy. The city council will vote on the proposal on Sept. 9 and the news reports say council members will likely approve the acquisition.

WATCH: F-18 Hornet Fighter Jet in Action

Boeing won an $8 million modification, which exercises an option to provide cyber security services to support the physical security of the P-8 aircrew trainers and facilities, including cyber scanning and remediation, cyber security updates, and scheduled and unscheduled maintenance for the Navy. Work will take place in Missouri and California. Estimated completion will be in September 2023.

Lockheed Martin is working with the US Department of Defense (DoD) to lift a delivery pause of F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) combat aircraft following the recent discovery of material from China. The F-35 program office has assessed that the Chinese alloy does not present a safety or security risk that could expose the stealth jet to cyber attacks or other malfeasance, and an alternative source for the alloy has already been identified, F-35 JPO spokesman Russell Goemaere said in a statement. As a result, there are no plans to ground the F-35 fleet or return jets already accepted to Lockheed.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has received three domestically-manufactured vessels equipped with sophisticated air defense systems. The ships were handed over at a ceremony in the port city of Bandar Abbas off the southern coast of Iran. One of the newly-commissioned vessels is an advanced patrol ship with a vertical launch system for firing short and mid-range missiles.

The US unveiled nearly $3 billion in new aid for Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors on Thursday as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with allies in Germany and Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unscheduled visit to Kyiv. Alongside a $675 million package of heavy weaponry, ammunition and armored vehicles for Ukraine, the administration notified Congress of its intent to make $2.2 billion in new Foreign Military Financing available. The recipients include NATO members and Eastern European security partners the State Department called “most potentially at risk for future Russian aggression.”

The US and its allies sponsored the training of Ukrainian forces that sunk a Russian naval vessel in June with a Harpoon anti-ship missile, the US undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment Bill LaPlante revealed. Speaking at the Defense News Conference, LaPlante said the Boeing weapon was taken from an allied vessel and modified to fire from a flatbed truck.

The Japanese government is set to acquire the site of an abandoned school and school dormitory on Mageshima island as part of the plan to turn the island into a field carrier landing practice (FCLP) site for the US Navy. The city council will vote on the proposal on September 9 and the news reports say council members will likely approve the acquisition.

WATCH: What is a Boeing P-8 airplane used for?

Stellant Systems won a $36.9 million contract for the F-16 Traveling Wave Tube repair services. Work will be performed in Torrance, California, and is expected to be completed by January 30, 2029. The Air Sustainment Center Supply Chain Management Division, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity.

The US Army has nominated a new leader for Futures Command. Lt. Gen. James Rainey, nine months after its first commander Gen. Mike Murray retired, the service’s undersecretary said September 7 at the Defense News Conference. The Army command, which oversees the requirements process for modernization had been without a confirmed four-star leader for more than nine months after officials worried the front-runner for the job would not receive congressional approval because he allegedly had reservations about deploying the National Guard during the Jan. 6 attacks on the Capitol.

Iran’s naval forces have highlighted the vulnerability of the US 5th Fleet’s new fleet of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) by seizing at least three in less than a week, claiming they were a threat to navigation. Iranian television broadcasted footage on September 2 showing two Saildrone Explorer USVs on the flight deck of a frigate and then being pushed over the side by sailors.

UK-based engineering and services group Babcock has been awarded two new contracts intended to pave the way for in-country build of Poland’s Miecznik (Swordfish) frigates to start in 2023. Babcock – bidding a variant of its Arrowhead 140 design – was selected earlier in 2022 as the platform design provider and technology partner for the three-ship Miecznik programme. Arrowhead 140 forms the basis for the UK Royal Navy’s (RN’s) new Type 31 frigate.

The South Korean Marine Corps is shopping for an attack helicopter and Bell is proposing to license build its AH-1Z with Korean Air in order to secure the contract. The disclosure of Bell’s proposal to South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) was made by People Power Party lawmaker Han Ki-ho. Han said this was Bell’s third attempt to offer license production of the AH-1Z to South Korea. He said two e-mails sent by Bell in October and November last regarding the proposal were ignored by DAPA.

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of F-16 aircraft sustainment and related equipment to Pakistan in a deal valued at up to $450 million, the Pentagon said. The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin Corp. The Government of Pakistan has requested to consolidate prior F-16 sustainment and support cases to support the Pakistan Air Force F-16 fleet by reducing duplicate case activities and adding additional continued support elements. I

WATCH: UK Type 31 Swordfish Frigate Is Being Constructed for Polish Navy, Worth Almost €2 Billion

According to Jane’s, the Pentagon’s intelligence directorate is investing heavily in systems and programmes specifically designed to knock down barriers to collaboration between US armed forces, allies, and partner countries across all strata of command. Increasing capabilities to foster increased collaboration between the Pentagon and its allies, from an information-sharing and technology perspective, has emerged as a priority for the department’s intelligence directorate.

The Brazilian Navy commissioned its first-of-class Riachuelo Class diesel-electric attack submarine, S Riachuelo (S-40), on September 1. The general director of the Directorate-General for Nuclear and Technological Development of the Navy (DGDNTM), Fleet Admiral Petrónio Augusto Siqueira de Aguiar, signed with Itaguaí Construções Navais (ICN) and Naval Group the provisional receipt and acceptance confirmation for S Riachuelo on August 26.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has been awarded a contract to supply DroneGuard ComJam systems for the long-range detection and disruption of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to an Asian country. The contract comprises several dozens of mobile systems. The use of UAS has increased dramatically, and they have become a potential threat to borders, sensitive facilities, maneuvering forces and major events. UAS may be used for hostile purposes such as gathering intelligence, smuggling or even carrying armaments.

According to the British army, over 800 British, French and Danish troops have conducted Exercise Dragon Charge on the Tapa Central Training Area in Estonia to reaffirm their interoperability and agility. It was the final, major, force-on-force exercise for the Royal Welsh-led Battlegroup, who come to the end of their six-month tour in Estonia serving as NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) on Europe’s eastern flank.

Russia is buying millions of artillery shells and rockets from North Korea, hinting at the Kremlin’s supply-chain issues for military equipment, the New York Times reported, citing declassified American intelligence. The exact weaponry, timing and size of shipment remain unclear, but US officials stressed that they expect Russia to buy additional military material from Pyongyang as it struggles with Western sanctions and export controls amid President Vladimir Putin’s assault on neighboring Ukraine. The North Korea disclosure comes after Russia received its first shipment of drones from Iran last week as Moscow turns to pariah states to replenish its depleted military supplies.

The BQM-177A subsonic aerial target achieved full operational capability during a launch and intercept as part of Pacific Vanguard 2022 (PV 22) in the Philippine Sea on August 28. The US Navy’s next-generation target was launched from Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE 3) for a SM-2 intercept exercise for USS Barry (DDG 52) and Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate HMAS Perth (FFH 157).

WATCH: Brazil commissions its first Scorpène type submarine: Riachuelo

The circular economy is one of the building blocks of the European Green Deal, Europe’s agenda for sustainable growth. During the first annual general conference of the Incubation Forum for Circular Economy in European Defence (IF CEED), some 150 defence experts from over 20 European countries discuss how the defence sector can mitigate its environmental footprint by applying and promoting the principles of a more circular economy in European defence. Funded by the European Commission’s LIFE programme and the Directorate of Defence of Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, IF CEED is a two-year programme managed by the European Defence Agency (EDA). 

Since its establishment less than a year ago, the IF CEED has developed into a genuine European expert community on circular economy topics in defence, aiming to address the technological and organizational aspects needed to successfully implement the principles of a more circular economy in the European defence sector. This includes incubating public-private collaborative circular economy projects in European defence and promoting new circular-related knowledge and skills across all defence stakeholders. This should help to improve the designs and production processes of military capabilities and devices so that their components, parts and materials can be reused after use and their environmental impact can be minimized, helping the defence sector to become more sustainable over time.  

In the first 10 months of its existence, IF CEED has already built up a network of several hundred experts working in nine different thematic incubators, called “Project Circles”. These Project Circles cover domains such as critical raw materials, additive manufacturing, green procurement, spare parts management and sustainable eco-design. They represent key building blocks for achieving the forum’s goal and trigger transnational initiatives and projects through concrete roadmaps, partnerships and consortia. To that end, the various Project Circles will also develop operational benefits with existing EDA activities, for instance in the areas of industry engagement, sustainable energy, access to EU funding and strategic autonomy. 

The IF CEED 1st Annual General Conference is being opened today by EDA Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý, and his remarks are followed by keynote speeches of Rol Reiland, Deputy Director of the Luxembourg Directorate of Defence, Florika Fink-Hooijer, European Commission Director General, DG for Environment, and Kris Peeters, Vice-President at the European Investment Bank (EIB). 

In his welcome address, Mr Šedivý stresses the broad positive impact the IF CEED is expected to have, for instance on the defence sector’s contribution to the implementation of the EU’s Climate Change and Defence Roadmap. Other expected benefits include: strengthening Europe’s security of supply by mitigating dependencies on critical raw materials through enhanced circularity; developing the European Commission’s Roadmap on Critical Technologies, which also promotes the “smart and circular use of materials”; increasing potential future synergies with EDA innovation activities (especially the Hub for European Defence Innovation, HEDI, recently set up within the Agency); furthering the defence sector’s alignment with the EU’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria, a topic which matters for securing the European defence industry’s access to finance. The Incubation Forum could potentially also be called to play a role in EU-NATO cooperation.  

“We expect our collaboration to be further enhanced with the inclusion of climate change in the new EU-NATO Joint Declaration, to be agreed soon,” Mr Šedivý said. 

The Chief Executive recalls that the IF CEED is only one of several Agency activities to improve the defence sector’s ecological footprint, alongside the EDA’s Consultation Forum on Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector (CF SEDSS), the Energy & Environment Capability Technology Group (CapTech) or the recently established Environmental, Social and Governance Network, to name only a few. 

Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister François Bausch, underlines Luxembourg’s interest to support and participate actively in IF CEED: “Recent assessments have shown us that value chains in the defence sector contribute significantly to its heavy carbon footprint. Besides that, in a world of increased competition for raw materials, we urgently need to improve our systems of reusing and recycling materials. These facts have motivated Luxembourg to support the set-up of the Incubation Forum for Circular Economy in European Defence. We see a great opportunity here to extend expertise gained in the civilian sector to defence. I am happy to see that several of Luxembourg’s SMEs and research institutions have become active in IF CEED’s Project Circles and we look forward to seeing collaborative projects materialize in order to boost circularity, sustainability and resilience in European defence.” 

European Commission Director General for the Environment Florika Fink-Hooijer highlighted the support from the Commission to the greening of the defence sector and the opportunities of the circular economy to the sector.  

She said: “The transition towards a circular economy envisaged by the European Green Deal is a truly systemic change and every sector has a role to play. The Incubation Forum is a great opportunity for the defence industry to reap the benefits of this transition. Increased resource efficiency, developing new materials, promoting secondary raw materials and more sustainable public procurement will lead to innovation and new business models. This will not only preserve the environment but also ensure security of supplies, create new jobs, reduce costs for companies and make the most of public spending. Transitioning to a more circular economy is a win-win for the defence sector. We must all work together to make this happen.” 

European Investment Bank Vice-President Kris Peeters said:” The EIB - the EU Climate Bank – supports all economic sectors in their effort to become more sustainable through its expertise in financing green projects. This also includes defence and security. Together with our institutional partners, we are happy to facilitate a green and circular economy approach to activities in this field that are eligible for EIB financing. We aim to contribute to the reduction of waste, emissions and energy consumption in Europe. Innovation will help us create a more sustainable environment also in defence and security. No sector should be excluded from the objectives of the European Green Deal.” 

EDA has been increasingly involved in circular economy-related work at the EU level through the years. For instance, the Agency was a member of the Commission’s ‘Circular Economy Finance Expert Group’ which highlighted the potential of circularity in defence. It also contributed to the EU ‘Categorisation system for the circular economy’. In 2017, EDA also commissioned a study on the ‘Circular Economy in Defence’ from the University of Cambridge, which assessed the feasibility of the transposition of the principles of the circular economy in the defence sector. Furthermore, the Agency provided direct technical support to a €1.3 million circular economy project led by a Greek SME and originally put forward by the Hellenic Ministry of Defence. This project was aimed at developing a transferable Autonomous Composting Unit (ACU) for organic wastes, to be used in military missions. Benefiting from EDA’s expertise, it was successfully submitted and awarded funding under the European Structural Funds.

In January 2020, the EDA’s Steering Board then tasked the Agency to initiate and manage a Forum for Circular Economy in European Defence, in consultation with its participating Member States, to create a circular economy community consisting of participating Member States’ Ministries of Defence, European Commission, EU Agencies and bodies, defence industry, European Research Centres, academia, financial institutions and other relevant stakeholders. This led to the official launch of IF CEED in October 2021.   

1. IF CEED website : IF CEED (europa.eu)
2. EDA website: European Defence Agency (europa.eu)
3. EIB website: Homepage | European Investment Bank (eib.org)
4. European Commission DG for Environment: DG ENV - DG for Environment | Knowledge for policy (europa.eu)
5. Luxembourg Directorate of Defence website: Directorate of Defence // The Luxembourg Government (gouvernement.lu)

Lockheed Martin won a $17.6 million modification, which will exercise options for ship integration and test of the Aegis Weapon System (AWS) for AWS baselines through Advanced Capability Build (ACB) 16. Work will take place in New Jersey, Virginia, California, Washington DC, Mississippi, Florida and Maine. Estimated completion will be by May 2023.

Austal USA won a $11.4 million contract modification to exercise an option for littoral combat ship (LCS) industrial post-delivery availability support for USS Augusta (LCS 34). The LCS main purpose is to take up operations such as patrolling, port visits, anti-piracy, and partnership-building exercises to free up high-end surface combatants for increased combat availability. Work will take place in Alabama and Massachusetts. Expected completion will be by September 2023.

Head of the Iranian Air Force, Brig. Gen. Hamid Vahedi, says his service is interested in acquiring the Su-35 fighter from Russia. Speaking to Borna news agency, he said Iran is no longer looking at the Su-30. Approval is still required from Iran’s Army Command and the Armed Forces General Staff Command. It was reported back in 2020 that Egypt and Algeria are scheduled to take delivery of Su-35s. The Su-35s for Iran if approved, could come from the existing airframes intended for Egypt.

Greece has donated a EMB-135BJ to Cyprus for use by the latter’s president. Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, was at Elefsina Air Base to hand over the aircraft to Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades. Anastasiades and his entourage then boarded the aircraft for their return to Cyprus after the ceremony.

Spanish and German missile manufacturers are leading an effort to develop a new hypersonic defense interceptor as part of the European Defence Fund’s initial batch of sponsored projects. In July, the European Union announced the awards of its first slate of EF-funded projects, which included 61 research-and-development projects and over $1.2 billion in government funds.

India commissioned its first home-built aircraft carrier Friday as it seeks to counter regional rival China’s much larger and growing fleet, and expand its own indigenous shipbuilding capabilities. The INS Vikrant, whose name is a Sanskrit word for “powerful” or “courageous,” is India’s second operational aircraft carrier, joining the Soviet-era INS Vikramaditya that it purchased from Russia in 2004 to defend the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.

WATCH: Not Su-30 but Su-35, ‘Most Sophisticated’ Su-35 Fighters To Iran

Sikorsky won a $40 million modification, which adds scope to provide production and installation of a VH-92A Flight Training Device (FTD) and updates to a previously delivered VH-92A FTD for the Marine Corps. The new Marine One, also referred to as VH-92A, is the next-generation presidential transport helicopter being developed for the US Marine Corps (USMC). Work will take place in New York, Florida, Connecticut, Virginia, Utah and various locations within the continental US. Expected completion will be in March 2024.

The US Air Force Research Laboratory recently carried out an in-flight vapor purge test in a F-15E last month. The objective of the test by the 711th Human Performance Wing was to  evaluate cockpit environmental conditions after a chemical weapon attack. “In order to develop the next generation of aircrew protective equipment we need to determine what level of protection aircrew members need,” said Joel Huddleston, 28th TES deputy division chief. “By aggregating this data, we will be able to specialize the suits and ensure the warfighter is unencumbered.” For the data collection process, liquid methyl salicylate, also known as oil of wintergreen, was sprayed into the idling jet prior to taxi. Crew members are then exposed to the chemical after the liquid was vaporized by engine heat and get sucked into the cockpit.

According to Indian media reports, the Indian navy’s aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya has successfully launched Barak 1 surface-to-air missile (SAM). This appears to be the first time that a live firing test with Barak missiles was conducted on an aircraft carrier. So far, the tests in the Indian Navy have been conducted on frigates. Barak is an Israeli surface-to-air missile (SAM) designed to be used as a ship-borne point-defense missile system against aircraft, anti-ship missiles, and UAVs for relatively short range of about 12 km

Embraer has began the flight test program for Portugal’s first KC-390 transport aircraft. Once flight testing is completed, Portugal’s first KC-390, registered PR-ZDK, will be sent to Portuguese aircraft maintenance, repair, and operations service provider OGMA where it will be equipped with certified features to meet NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] standards.

South Korea intends to spend $295 million from 2023-2027 to buy tactical data links and fire control radar systems from the United States for its AH-64E fleet. The report from Yonhap did not specify the type of equipment to be bought.

The US government has cleared the sale of 60 AGM-84L-1 Harpoon Block II missiles and 100 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles to Taiwan on September 2. Congress was notified of three potential arms sales to Taiwan on that day and the most expensive one was the upgrade of the AN/FPS-115 PAVE PAWS radar for $665.4 million. The Pentagon says the Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) for the Surveillance Radar Program (SRP), to be executed by Raytheon, will provide “improved situational awareness and threat warning capabilities critical to regional security.”

WATCH: Comparison of the Embraer KC-390 Vs the Lockheed Martin C-130J cargo plane.

Boeing won a $2 billion contract modification for KC-46A Air Force Production Lot 8 aircraft, subscriptions and licenses. The contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional quantity of 15 KC-46A aircraft, data, subscriptions and licenses being produced under the basic contract. Work will take place in Washington. Expected completion date is November 30, 2025.

Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control deal for the purchase of Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Systems components and hardware for the Apache attack helicopter. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Estimated completion date is March 31, 2022.

Boeing won a $927.5 million contract action for four KC-46A aircraft for Israel. This contract is also issued for the non-recurring engineering design and test for the Remote Vision System 2.0 and the Air Refueling Operator Station 2.0 mission equipment and installation, pre-delivery integrated logistics support, and technical publications. Work will take place in Washington. Expected completion date is December 31, 2026.

General Dynamics won a $9.6 million modification for Abrams Systems technical support. Work will take place in Michigan. Estimated completion will be August 31, 2024.

Saab has announced it successfully test-fired the Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) from a Gripen E fighter jet for the first time. The event occurred at the FMV Vidsel test range in northern Sweden around the end of May or beginning of June 2022, and saw the weapon launched from an altitude of approximately 16,500ft and striking a target as planned.

Taiwan’s military fired warning shots at drones from China flying over its outposts just off the Chinese coastline, underscoring heightened tensions and the self-rules island’s resolve to respond to new provocations. Taiwan’s forces said in a statement that troops took the action on Tuesday after drones were found hovering over the Kinmen island group. Dadan, one of the islands where a drone was spotted, lies roughly 15 kilometers (9 miles) off the Chinese coast.

WATCH: The JAS 39 Gripen (Griffin) | 6th generation rival hidden in the Swedish Air Force

Sikorsky won a $36.4 million order, which procures spare parts and provides repair and maintenance support for the Lot 6 CH-53K low rate initial production configuration aircraft. Work will take place in Connecticut, Canada, Washington, Iowa, Illinois, North Carolina, Florida, Arizona, Missouri, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, West Virginia and California. Expected completion will be in December 2025.

Boeing won a $12.4 million deal to procure upgraded flight control computer operational flight program with automatic ground collision avoidance system capable software for the F/A-18C/D aircraft. The F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather jet aircraft that is used by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps as both a fighter and attack platform. In its fighter mode, the F/A-18 is used primarily as a fighter escort and for fleet air defense; in its attack mode, it is used for force projection, interdiction and close and deep air support. Work will take place in Missouri. Expected completion will be in June 2024.

Russia has begun receiving Iranian combat drones to be used in the Ukraine war, but many of them have already proven faulty, the US military said Tuesday. Russia has begun receiving Iranian combat drones to be used in the Ukraine war, but many of them have already proven faulty, the US military said. After both sides have deployed and lost large numbers of surveillance and attack drones over the six months of the war, Russian are importing two types from Iran: the Mohajer-6 and the Shahed-series UAVs, according to the Pentagon.

The European Union is considering a new training mission aimed at providing more predictable and additional support to Ukraine in its defense against Russia. The proposal was announced Tuesday, as EU defense ministers gathered for an informal meeting in Prague to discuss ways to boost the bloc’s defense investment, the influence of Russian activity in Africa, and Moscow’s aggression against Kyiv.

Poland has finalized the purchase of main battle tanks and howitzers from South Korea to bolster its defenses amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Polish government signed the $5.76 billion contract, one of Poland’s largest defense orders in recent years, on August 26. The agreement includes 180 K2 Black Panther Tanks and 212 K9A1 self-propelled howitzers. The acquisitions are expected to be complete by 2025 and 2026.

The Indian Army has inducted new swarm drone systems into its mechanized forces for offensive and defensive operations. The development comes as Delhi bolsters its military capabilities amid border disputes with China. Equipped with the latest technologies, the swarm drone system uses artificial intelligence (AI) software to control several drones from the same station.

WATCH: Meet The K2PL MBT Polish Future Main Battle Tank – Will Be One Of The World’s Best Tanks

The US Air Force has returned to Komatsu airbase, Japan for training for the first time in 3 years. According to the NHK, 6 US F-16s are in Komatsu till September 2 for joint exercise with Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

Communications and Power Industries LLC won a $36.5 million deal for the F-16 Traveling Wave Tube repair services. Work will be performed in Palo Alto, California, and is expected to be completed by January 30, 2029. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is an advanced aerial combat aircraft, which provides 4th generation fighter aircraft capabilities. Work will take place in California. Expected completion date is January 30, 2029.

The US Department of Treasury and Israel’s Ministry of Finance finalized the terms of their new bilateral agreement that aims to fortify cyber resilience in both countries’ networks, and further extends an existing tech-centric bilateral agreement.

General Atomics won a $42.7 million option for MQ-9 Reaper contractor logistics support. The contractor will provide an additional period of contractor logistics support for the United Kingdom Royal Air Force. Work will be performed in Poway, California, and is expected to be completed by September 30, 2023. The requirement is 100 percent Foreign Military Sales for government of the United Kingdom.

Sweden’s participation in the UK-led Future Combat Air System (FCAS) is effectively on hiatus, with Saab’s President and CEO Micael Johansson saying on August 26 that the country is in “a hibernation period” on the multinational project. Johansson said that the initial promise of the project had not so far materialised, and that Saab and Sweden were taking a back seat while they consider their own future requirements at the same time as the other FCAS partners map out the future direction of the programme.

Lockheed Martin won a $503.7 million order, which provides for the production and delivery of 12 MH-60R aircraft for the Commonwealth of Australia. Work will take place in New York, Connecticut and Alabama. Expected completion is in October 2026.

President Biden will ask Congress to approve $1.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, according to Politico, which reports the weapons deal will include 60 Harpoon anti-ship missiles and 100 air-to-air missiles for Taiwan’s US-made F-16 fighter jets. The planned weapons sales come after China staged large-scale military war games around Taiwan in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island.

WATCH: Harpoon Missile : The World’s Most Accurate Anti-Ship Missile