Defense Industry Daily

Raytheon and Pratt and Whitney Military Engines won a $642 million deal, which provides for the procurement of performance-based logistics activities including maintenance of support equipment, common program activities, unique and common base recurring sustainment, repair of repairables, field service representatives, common replenishment spares, conventional take-off and landing/carrier variant F135 unique maintenance services and short take-off and landing F135 unique services in support of the F-35 Lightning II F135 propulsion system for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-Department of Defense participants and Foreign Military Sales customers. Pratt & Whitney’s F135 propulsion system powers all the three variants of F-35, the combat-proven fighter jet developed by defense major Lockheed Martin LMT, with BAE Systems BAESY and Northrop Grumman NOC being the co-manufacturers. Notably, F135 delivers more than 40,000 lbs. of thrust and unmatched advances in safety, design, performance, and reliability. An initial contract obligation amounting to $215.5 million will come from the US military’s fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds. Work will run at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida; Hill AFB in Utah; Edwards AFB in California; Luke AFB in Arizona; Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station in South Carolina; Oklahoma City; East Hartford, Connecticut; and Camari, Italy, through November 2021.

IAP Worldwide Services won a $11 million contract modification, which increases the contract value and provides additional funding for inventory replenishment, operational and depot spare parts in support of the E-6B Mercury airborne command post take charge and move out aircraft. The Boeing E-6 Mercury is a command post and communications relay aircraft manufactured by Boeing for the US Navy. The aircraft relays communications for ballistic missile submarine forces and provides airborne command and control for strategic forces. Work will take place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Patuxent River, Maryland; Bellevue, Nebraska; and Fairfield, California. Expected completion will take place in January 2021.

Leidos Inc. won a $38.4 million modification for contractor logistics support services supporting the Afghan Air Force. Leidos had also received a multi-million contract modification in support of the Afghan Air Force and the Special Mission Wing of the Afghan armed forces back in March. The Department of Defense awarded a $728 million contract to Leidos Inc. in support of the Afghan Air Force in late in late 2018. Work under the current modification will take place in Kabul, Afghanistan. Estimated completion date is February 28, 2021.

The US Army awarded AITC-Five Domains JV LLC a $36 million contract to provide train, advise, assist and mentor services to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Fiscal 2021 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $36,000,547 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Estimated completion date is November 30, 2024.

BAE Systems won a $3.2 billion munitions contract for Britain’s Next Generation Munitions Solution program, the defense ministry announced. The British-based company will manufacture 39 different munitions for the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and Strategic Command for front-line use, including small arms ammunition, mortars, medium-caliber gun rounds and large-caliber artillery and tank shells. The 15-year contract calls for manufacturing improvements in five BAE facilities in Britain, and is part of a $22 billion, four-year increase in British defense spending announced on November 19. “This vital multi-billion-pound contract will provide our service men and women with fire power on the front line for years to come whilst investing in British industry, British jobs and British infrastructure,” Defense Minister Jeremy Quin said in a press release.

The United States and Australia, in an agreement announced on November 30 by the US Defense Department, will soon start speeding the development and testing of hypersonic weapons, officials of both governments said. The process of certifying the missiles capable of flying five times the speed of sound, or up to 6,000 mph, has been accelerated by a regional arms race involving China and Russia, each working on hypersonic missile programs of their own. The interest in air-launched missiles comes after defense strategists warned that a planned 10-year schedule of development is inadequate against potential threats.

Watch: It Could Nuke a Country: The E-6 Mercury is America’s Deadliest Plane Ever

According to the US Air Force, a B-1B Lancer bomber conducted a demonstration testing its ability to externally carry potential hypersonic weapons. The “external captive carry” test was conducted last week by the 412th Test Wing’s 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., the Air Force said on Tuesday. The plane carried an inert Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile outside its fuselage. An earlier test demonstrated the capability of carrying large weapons within the plane. The tests indicate that the B-1B can deliver and launch large hypersonic weapons, which by definition fly at over five times the speed of sound. The United States, China and Russia are all developing hypersonic missiles.

According to media reports, the Brazilian Navy completed the modernization of amphibious assault ship Atlantico on 12th November. After the modernization, the ship will be able to operate with fixed-wing medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles as well as crewed tiltrotor VTOL aircraft. After the modernization, the Brazilian Navy decided to reclassify the helicopter carrier “Atlantico” as an aircraft carrier. The Atlantico was procured in 2018 for a value of £84 million from the United Kingdom, where it has operated since 1995. With 203 meters in length and 21,600 tons of displacement, the vessel was used as a platform for helicopters on amphibious assault missions. Despite the new name, the ship has no characteristics to be considered an aircraft carrier, such as catapult or ski-jump takeoff systems.

Israeli media is reporting that Israel’s Ministry of Defense is in talks with Canada’s Top Aces for the purchase of 29 surplus F-16A/B fighters. Israel is asking for between $3 million and $4 million for each jet and the Ministry of Defense’s International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT) is responsible for the talks. General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons were delivered to Israel in the early 1980s and over the past decade have been gradually phased out of service.

The United Arab Emirates approved the establishment of a new national cybersecurity council, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Prime Minister and Vice-President and ruler of Dubai, said. The cabinet of the UAE government also appointed Industry and Advanced Technology Minister and head of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Sultan al-Jaber as a special envoy for climate change.

The first two of fifty new Apache AH-64E attack helicopters have been delivered to the British Army. The British Army expects to operate 50 AH-64E aircraft. Approval for the upgrade of fifty of the UK’s WAH-64 fleet to AH-64E Apache Guardian standard was given by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency in August 2015 however in July 2016, the UK placed an order for 50 AH-64Es through the US Foreign Military Sales program instead of upgrading their Westland-built WAH-64s. To date, more than 500 AH-64E model Apaches have been delivered worldwide. “The arrival of the first Apache E model attack helicopter to be delivered to the British Army over the next two years marks the beginning of a significant uplift in capability to enhance the army’s contribution across the spectrum of military operations,” Major General Jez Bennett, Director Capability, was quoted as saying.

The Philippine Navy formally received an Insitu Inc ScanEagle 2 unmanned aerial system from the United States during a “turnover, acceptance and blessing ceremony” held at the Naval Base Heracleo Alano in the Philippine city of Cavite near Manila on November 25. The PN said in a statement that the $14.79 million system – which comprises eight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), two launchers, the SkyHook recovery system and a ground control station – was handed over by US Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Kimberly Kelly and representatives from the US Embassy in the Philippines’ Joint US Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG).

Watch: B-1 Lancer – The Bone – Supersonic Bomber

Lockheed Martin won a $14.1 million contract modification for AN/SLQ-32(V)6 design agent engineering services. The AN/SLQ-32 is a shipboard electronic warfare suite built by Raytheon and the Hughes Aircraft Company. It is currently the primary electronic warfare system in use by US Navy ships. AN/SLQ-32(V)6, the latest fielded variant of the AN/SLQ-32, incorporates receiver, antenna and combat system interface upgrades developed under the SEWIP Block 2 ACAT II program and adds the High Gain High Sensitivity adjunct sensor developed under the SEWIP Block 1B3 ACAT II program. Work will take place in Syracuse, New York, and is expected to be completed by November 2021.

Three National Guard bases and a Navy Reserve base were selected to receive new C-130J Super Hercules cargo planes, the US Air Force announced. Louisville Air National Guard Base in Kentucky, McLaughlin ANGB in West Virginia and Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Texas are set to start receiving eight new aircraft each in the coming year. Savannah ANGB in Georgia is also scheduled to receive C-130Js “if they become available in the future,” officials said in a press release. The Lockheed Martin-built planes are improvements over earlier C-130 variants they will replace, and offer reduced manpower requirements and operating and support costs, providing life-cycle cost savings, the Air Force said. The C-130J climbs faster and higher, flies farther at a higher cruise speed, and takes off and lands in a shorter distance than its predecessors.

Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller made a surprise visit to Somalia Friday in the last of a four-country tour as President Donald Trump contemplates a draw down of counterterrorism troops there. Miller, who replaced Mark Esper on November 9, was making his first trip abroad in the position. The US military has about 700 troops in the country. Miller was visiting neighboring Djibouti as part of his scheduled trip when he took a flight to Somalia without traveling press. Officials said he is believed to be the first defense secretary to visit the country.

The final test firing trial of the Sea Venom/ANL missile was completed November 17 at the French Armament General Directorate (DGA) test site at Ile du Levant. The final qualification trial tested the missile’s advanced target discrimination within a complex and cluttered naval scenario, MBDA says. Soon to start equipping the Royal Navy’s AW159 Wildcat and Marine nationale’s H160M Guépard shipborne helicopters, the Sea Venom/ANL anti-ship missile is a co-operation project developed under the Lancaster House treaty between France and the United Kingdom.

The governments of India and Sri Lanka are in talks for the donation of one Do 228 maritime patrol aircraft. Another aircraft will be sold to Sri Lanka as well. It has been discussed that the cost of one aircraft is said to be around $8 million. During the discussion, it has been decided to deploy an aircraft currently used by India with Indian pilots and coast guard officers immediately for surveillance operations and to provide the necessary training to the Sri Lankan counterparts. Thereafter, it is planned to deliver the first aircraft of this type manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to Sri Lanka free of charge.

Japan will attempt to launch a military communications satellite today that will relay data collected by its optical and radar-imaging reconnaissance satellites. This new satellite replaces the Data Relay Test Satellite (DRTS) that was decommissioned in 2017. It has a Laser Utilizing Communication System (LUCAS) that allows a network throughput of 1.8 gbps. The Optical Data Relay Satellite payload aboard this mission will be used to relay data collected by Japan’s fleet of Information Gathering Satellites (IGS) – including both optical and radar-imaging reconnaissance spacecraft – back to Earth for analysis.

Watch: This Is Why the C-130 Is Such a Badass Plane

Northrop Grumman Systems won a $4.8 billion deal for Global Hawk development, modernization, retrofit and sustainment activities for all Air Force Global Hawk variants. The contract provides for management, including program, business and technical areas; engineering efforts, including configuration management, data management, reliability, availability and maintainability, and related areas of concern such as technical refresh, diminishing manufacturing sources, etc.; studies and analyses; design, development, integration, test and evaluation; contract/production line closeout/shutdown; training; sparing; overseas contingency operations support; fielding; cyber security/information assurance; interoperability support; facilities modifications/renovation; integrated logistics support; requirements management specification management; and quality assurance. The USAF has 31 Block 20, 30, and 40 Global Hawk HALE UAVs in its inventory. The RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system with an integrated sensor suite that provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, capability worldwide. Global Hawk’s mission is to provide a broad spectrum of ISR collection capability to support joint combatant forces in worldwide peacetime, contingency and wartime operations. Work will take place in San Diego, California. Estimated completion date is September 30, 2030.

Perspecta Engineering won a $9.7 million deal, which provides engineering services in support of test and evaluation and systems engineering activities related to Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense on behalf of the Missile Defense Agency. The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system is a US Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency program. It is developed to provide missile defense against short to intermediate-range ballistic missiles. It is part of the US national missile defense strategy. Work will take place in Hawaii, California and Virgina. Estimated completion is November 2025.

According to Stars and Stripes, Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller is serving Thanksgiving meals to troops in the Middle East this week during his first international trip as the Defense Department begins the transition to President-elect Joe Biden’s administration. With the official switch to a new administration less than two months away and only being on his new job for a couple of weeks, Miller was already part of a major decision last week to reduce the US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Great Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that the UK will routinely deploy a ‘permanently available, ready to fight’ Carrier Strike Group. Having two aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, allows for one to be available at short notice year round. The additional funding announced by the Prime Minister will also support the purchase of three new Fleet Solid Support ships and the development of a new multi-role research vessel.

South Korea’s government approved the production of more than 200 Korean Tactical Surface to Surface Missiles (KTSSM). The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) says the missile is designed to destroy long-range artillery pieces hidden in underground tunnels. During the defense project promotion committee presided over by Defense Minister Suh Wook, the government approved the plan to produce more than 200 units of the Korean Tactical Surface to Surface Missile (KTSSM) by 2025, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The Russian Defense Ministry successfully carried out a check of its antiballistic missile (ABM) system. A recently-released video shows the interception in the skies above Kazakhstan’s Sary-Shagan testing ground. According to Lieutenant General Andrey Demin, commander of the 1st air and missile defense army of the Russian aerospace forces, the missile “reliably confirmed its characteristics” by successfully hitting the simulated target. The Defense Ministry described the interceptor as intended to defend against air and space attacks. Earlier this month, the US successfully tested the SMM 3 interceptor against a simulated ICBM. Following the test, Moscow accused Washington of providing “false information” about its capabilities.

Watch: Most Advanced Of U.S Military Technology : RQ-4 Global Hawks.

The US Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) has down selected L3Harris Technologies and Martin UAV for the phase two demonstration of the MI2 technology demonstration. The program’s objective is to identify unmanned air vehicles capable of operating in austere deployed environments without ancillary support systems. Such drones must not require dedicated launch or recovery equipment. Phase 2 demonstrations will take place at Yuma Proving Ground from November 30 to December 18.

BAE Systems won a $197.5 million deal for the execution of the USS Wasp (LHD 1) fiscal 2021 Chief of Naval Operations scheduled docking selected restricted availability. This availability will include a combination of maintenance, modernization and repair of USS Wasp (LHD 1). Under the deal, BAE will drydock and perform maintenance and modernization work on the amphibious assault ship. The company’s last maintenance availability aboard the Wasp was from December 2016 to May 2017, when it added modifications to support Joint Strike Fighter operations. The contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the total value of the deal to $237.7 million. This is the second time in four years the contractor has been hired to perform significant work on the ship. Work will take place in Norfolk Virginia. Estimated completion will be by May 2022.

A Israeli Air Force flight instructor and his student died on the spot in a field north of Beersheba on November 24 when their G-120 single-engine light aircraft crashed. The two had taken off from the IAF flight school at Hatzerim Airbase in their two-seat Grob G-120 ‘Snunit’ (‘Swallow’) aircraft. An IAF helicopter from the 669 Search and Rescue Unit and Magen David Adom paramedics arrived at the scene of the crash, near the Kibbutz Mishmar Hanegev shortly after the accident and found two men unresponsive. They were later pronounced dead at the scene.

The budget committee of the Bundestag, the German parliament, has approved funding for the German Navy’s new NH90 Sea Tiger frigate helicopter and tank ammunition, as well as for the upgrade of DM2A4 torpedoes and the Bundeswehr’s IT wide area network (WAN). The German Ministry of Defense announced on its website that it had approved $3.2 billion in funding for 31 Sea Tigers, accessories, spare parts, and training. Starting in 2025, the helicopters will replace the German Navy’s Sea Lynx Mk88A frigate helicopters dating from the 1980s. The German MoD said the Sea Tiger would be the Bundeswehr’s only multirole helicopter, providing close protection for frigates, armed with torpedoes and missiles for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare and conducting transport and search and rescue (SAR) missions.

Swiss voters decide on Sunday whether to ban the funding of arms makers, the latest anti-military referendum in the neutral country that hasn’t fought an external war for 200 years. Swiss banks have given loans and hold shares worth nearly $11 billion in companies like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics, according to a study by independent researchers Profundo. The Swiss National Bank (SNB), UBS and Credit Suisse have the biggest exposure, the study said. “An enormous amount of money comes from Switzerland into an industry which profits from death and destruction,” said Julia Kueng, co-president of the Young Greens Party.

Bell Boeing won a $12.8 million contract modification, which exercises options to modify the V-22 aircraft to the government of Japan’s unique configuration requirements. Additionally, the modification exercises options for the production and delivery of nine traffic collision avoidance systems, technical support representation and preservation of aircraft post completion of unique modifications. Last week, the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces kicked off flight operations with the first V-22 aircraft at Kisarazu Air Field, in the Chiba Prefecture, Japan, becoming the first military outside of the US to operate the Osprey. Japan selected and procured the type through foreign military sales (FMS) in 2015. The first two aircraft, JG-1701 and JG-1705, were transported from the US to Iwakuni via ship in May 2020.

Watch: Episode 17. Mi-28N. Natural-born hunter

Northrop Grumman won a $185.7 million deal for the A-10 Structural Integrity Program Legacy VIII. The deal provides for sustaining engineering services of A-10 aircraft. Services under the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract are intended to support the military branch’s A-10 Aircraft Structural Integrity Program Legacy VII effort. Built by Fairchild Republic Company prior to its acquisition by Northrop, the A-10 aircraft is designed to help USAF perform airborne forward air control and close air support operations. Work will take place in Clearfield, Utah and estimated completion date is November 22, 2030.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics won a $9.3 million contract for the Long Range Systems Division seeking to integrate the Navy Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) into the F-35. The AARGM-ER is a Navy weapon that will provide the F-35A advanced suppression of enemy air defenses/destruction of enemy air defenses capability. The AARGM-ER (Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range) is a further development of the AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile, used to destroy enemy air defense network. An anti-radiation missile homes in on the electronic transmissions coming from a hostile surface-to-air radar and destroys it. The AARGM-ER was originally developed for the navy carrier-based fighters, equipping its F-35C fighter fleet with a credible long-range weapon, which would further boost their lethality in carrying out SEAD/DEAD (suppression/destruction of enemy air defenses) sorties. With Lockheed Martin bagging the contract, the weapon system would also find its way into the US Air Force’s F-35A CTOL (conventional take-off and landing) fleet. Lockheed Martin is the parent manufacturing company of the F-35 aircraft as well.

Greece and the United Arab Emirates, countries opposing recent Turkish policy, agreed to a strategic partnership on November 23rd. “I am happy to announce the establishment of a strategic partnership to enhance political, economic and cultural cooperation between our countries,” Prince Muhammad bin Zayed announced on Twitter. The clause regarding mutual defense calling for aid if one country’s territorial integrity is threatened, is likely the most significant element of the pact. Although Greece and the UAE do not share a border or belong to a common alliance, each country regards Turkey as a threat. Greece disputed Turkey’s search for minerals and energy in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, claimed by Greece and Cyprus, during the summer.

Armasuisse, which is the Swiss Federal Office for Defense Procurement, announced that it has received the second set of proposals for the country’s Air2030 Neues Kampfflugzeug (New Fighter Aircraft, NKF) as well as ground-based air defense system. The offers to replace the Swiss Air Force’s F-5E/F Tiger II and F/A-18 Hornet fleets were made by Germany for Airbus Eurofighter, France for the Dassault Rafale, and the United States for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning Joint Strike Fighter. The DDPS said the proposals included the prices for 36 and 40 aircraft, including logistics and weapons, as a binding starting point for negotiations with the winning offer after type selection.

The US government donated 100 TOW-2A guided anti-tank missiles to the Philippines on November 23. US National Security Advisor (NSA) Robert C. O’Brien participated in the ceremonial handover of the weapons. The missiles will support the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ efforts to defeat ISIS-East Asia in the Southern Philippines. Following the recent typhoons that ravaged the Philippines and forced thousands of people from their homes, NSA O’Brien announced an additional $3.5 million in US humanitarian assistance to disaster-stricken communities.

Korea Aerospace Industries’ dedicated services company, Korea Aviation Engineering & Maintenance Service launched its new facility in Sacheon, in the south of the country, aiming to position the region as a hub for aerospace maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. KAEMS, which specializes in both military and commercial aerospace MRO, said the facility will initially be positioned to win regional commercial aerospace contracts as well as those to support military transport aircraft. KAI, manufacturer of military platforms including the T-50 advanced jet trainer aircraft, announced the launch of KAEMS in 2018 and started building the Sacheon plant in 2019. KAI, which is also headquartered in Sacheon, owns a 66.4% stake in the firm.

Watch: How Powerful is TOW Missile & How BGM-71 TOW Anti-Tank Guided Missiles Work?

Northrop Grumman Systems won a $10.7 million modification to procure two additional Surface-to-Surface Missile Modules (SSMM) for integration into the Littoral Combat Ship framework. The SSMM fires a Longbow Hellfire missile that will be added to the surface warfare mission module aboard the Littoral Combat Ship. In July 2019 the US Navy successfully completed structural testing of the Longbow Hellfire missile for the Littoral Combat Ship Surface-to-Surface Missile Module. LCS is a modular, reconfigurable ship, with three types of mission packages including surface warfare, mine countermeasures, and anti-submarine warfare. The Program Executive Office Littoral Combat Ships (PEO LCS) is responsible for delivering and sustaining littoral mission capabilities to the fleet. Work will take place in Huntsville, Alabama; Bethpage, New York and Hollywood, Maryland. Estimated completion will be by November 2022.

The four-nation Malabar 2020 naval exercise, involving the US Navy’s Nimitz Strike Group, concluded successfully Friday, the Navy’s 7th Fleet announced. The exercise began on November 3rd in India’s Bay of Bengal and involved Japanese, Indian, Australian and US maritime forces. It included night operations, air defense exercises, helicopter cross-deck evolutions, carrier landing approaches, underway replenishment approaches, gunnery exercises and antisubmarine warfare exercises to improve interoperability between allies. The strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz joined the Vikramaditya Carrier Battle Group of the Indian Navy on Nov.6 for the second phase of the event.

PAE Applied Technologies LLC won a $98 million deal for US Air forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) electronic warfare operations training and infrastructure maintenance services. The contract provides electronic warfare aircrew tactics evaluation, electronic warfare combat training, operation and maintenance of equipment and electronic warfare range infrastructure maintenance for USAFE-AFAFRICA. The deal’s five-year basic ordering period will wrap up by November 19, 2025, and the Air Force will obligate $8.1 million from fiscal year 2021 operation and maintenance funds following the basic contract. Work in Germany, the U.K. and Italy is scheduled to run through January 31, 2026.

France, Germany, Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom are embarking on a project to develop a new medium multi-role helicopter. The new helicopter will replace existing rotorcraft that are expected to reach the end of their lifespan between 2035 – 2040 period and beyond. A letter of intent for the Next-Generation Rotorcraft Capability, involving the construction of medium multi-role helicopters, was signed by representatives of France, Britain, Italy, Germany and Greece on Thursday. Details, timetables and costs were not revealed, and other NATO countries are welcome to join the consortium. The new capability would be involved in missions including insertion and extraction of special operations forces, transport of cargo and troops, medical evacuation, search and rescue, and anti-submarine warfare. As medium-sized helicopters, they would fit between what NATO describes as light and heavy helicopters.

The US Army formally activated a forward headquarters in Poznan, Poland, on Friday, to command its missions in Eastern Europe. About 200 troops will initially be assigned to the forward position of the recently reactivated and storied Fifth Corps, or V Corps, whose headquarters was established in October at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The Unit at Poznan will be responsible for command and control of assigned and rotational units of US Army Europe and U.S. European Command as troops, it said in a statement. Full rotations are expected to start in 2021, likely around the time of the DEFENDER-Europe 21 exercise planned for the Balkan and Black Sea regions.

An audit into the costs of building two new warships as the alternative for Aegis Ashore has found that it will cost Japan $4.8 billion. The new Maya Class destroyer already costs $1.6 billion each. The new warship will need to be lengthened, raising the tonnage. The figure, shown in an interim report of a private sector study commissioned by the Defense Ministry, is not significantly different from the cost of another offshore replacement proposal also under consideration. The government plans to coordinate around the Aegis ship option as it is viewed as allowing more operational flexibility.

Watch: How powerful is Japan’s new Super-Destroyers that fitted with New Super Weapon?

The US Air Force decided to relocate the AC-130J Ghostrider Formal Training Unit from Hurlburt Field, Florida to Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. This is done so that the Air Force Special Operations Command to realign its training mission under Air Education and Training Command and consolidate AC-130 initial and mission qualification training at Kirtland AFB. According to the service, the AC-130J is a highly modified C-130J capable of extremely accurate navigation due to the fully integrated navigation systems with dual inertial navigation systems and global positioning system.

The US Air Force announced on November 20 that it has selected Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama as the preferred location to host the MH-139A Grey Wolf Formal Training Unit. The MH-139 mission will replace the mission of the Air Force Reserve’s 908th Airlift Wing’s aging C-130Hs currently at Maxwell AFB. The MH-139A Grey Wolf is a multi-mission helicopter. It is based on the commercial AW139 helicopter and designed to protect intercontinental ballistic missiles and transport US government officials and security forces.

Marine Group Boat Works won a $48.7 million contract modification in support of the government of Jordan for two 37-meter patrol boats, communications equipment and other technical assistance. The company is a full-service boat construction and superyacht refit facility. This contract is for two 37-meter Patrol Boats, communications equipment and other technical assistance for the Royal Jordanian Navy. Foreign Military Sales in the full amount will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Work will take place in Chula Vista, California, and is expected to be completed by September 2023.

Insitu won a $9.8 million contract modification, which definitizes pricing and exercises options for the procurement of 15 ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicles, nine ScanEagle payloads, and three spares lots needed to provide the Afghanistan National Army (ANA) intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, and support current ANA ScanEagle efforts. The Boeing Insitu ScanEagle is a small, long-endurance, low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) built by Insitu, a subsidiary of Boeing, and is used for reconnaissance. The ScanEagle was designed by Insitu based on the Insitu SeaScan, a commercial UAV that was intended for fish-spotting. The ScanEagle continues to receive improvements through upgrades and changes. ScanEagle carries a stabilized electro-optical and/or infrared camera on a lightweight inertial stabilized turret system, and an integrated communications system having a range of over 62 miles (100 km); it has a flight endurance of over 20 hours. Work will take place in Washington. Estimated completion will be in July 2021.

A HIMARS Rapid Infiltration (HIRAIN) took place in Romania on November 19. It saw two M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) with 2 launcher crews being deployed from Germany with help from 352nd Special Operations Wing. The 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Field Artillery Brigade (41st FAB) was only reactivated recently and that was the unit’s second live fire event. It was also the first time that US forces have fired HIMARS from land into the Black Sea in Romania. All six personnel left from Ramstein Air Base, Germany early in the morning and were back in Germany on the same day.

The president of Taurus Systems Korea Co. says his parent company hopes to develop a smaller, longer-range Taurus K-2 cruise missile jointly with South Korea. Christoffer Drevstad said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency that the smaller weapon is suitable for aircraft such as the F-16 and FA-50. “We are developing Taurus K-2, which is smaller but has the same or even more performance of the current missile,” Christoffer Drevstad said. The current version of the air-to-ground precision-guided missile is Taurus KEPD 350K with a flight range of 500 kilometers. South Korea bought around 260 units, most of which are fitted on F-15K fighter jets. The weapon, known as a bunker-buster missile, can be used to destroy radar stations and other key facilities in North Korea, according to experts.

Watch: Boeing’s MH-139A Grey Wolf Is A Multi-Mission Helicopter Ready To Serve The U.S. Air Force

Bell Boeing won a maximum $36.5 million contract modification to extend the period of performance for delivery of V-22 spare consumable and depot-level repairable parts. The V-22 Osprey is a joint-service, medium-lift, multimission tilt-rotor aircraft developed by Boeing and Bell Helicopters. Boeing is responsible for the fuselage, landing gear, avionics, electrical and hydraulic systems, performance and flying qualities. The aircraft operates as a helicopter when taking off and landing vertically. The nacelles rotate 90° forward once airborne, converting the aircraft into a turboprop aircraft. Work will take place in Maryland, Texas and Pennsylvania. Estimated completion date is May 10, 2023.

The US Army will seek solicitations to build the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle, a replacement for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. A competitive request for proposals is expected to be released on or about Dec. 18, Brig. Gen. Ross Coffman, director of the Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross-Functional Team, said this week. The vehicle’s name derives from one of the features demanded by the Army, which is its capability to engage in close combat and then be piloted remotely after troops disembark. The request for proposals will ask for concept designs, and up to five companies will be awarded contracts in June 2021, with a detailed design expected by early 2023, Coffman said.

The final class of Afghan A-29 students pilots at Moody Air Force Base has graduated on November 13. Kelli Seybolt, deputy under secretary of the Air Force for international affairs said this group was one of the strongest classes in the program, which has saw more than 30 student pilots and 70 maintenance technicians graduating over the past five years.

A three-day exercise between Cyprus and Israel from November 17-19 saw Israeli F-35s flying over Limassol and Paphos to test the local air defense system. Exercise ONSHILOS-GEDEON takes place in the Nicosia FIR. The Cyprus-Israel joint three-day military exercise was completed with absolute success, the Defense Ministry said. The exercise falls under the Bilateral Defense Cooperation Program between the Republic of Cyprus and Israel. The purpose of the exercise was to bring personnel up to speed with tactics and developments in the air defence sector, to increase their combat capability, as well as to gain experience from cooperation with the IAF.

Germany’s defense minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, reinforced her position this week that Europe still depends on United States security guarantees. The United States will remain “the most important ally in security and defense policy,” Kramp-Karrenbauer said in a speech. “Without the nuclear and conventional capabilities of the US, Germany and Europe cannot protect themselves. These are the sobering facts.” Kramp-Karrenbauer reiterated the view that Europe needs US help “for the foreseeable future.” This followed French President Emmanuel Macron “profoundly” disagreeing in an interview on Monday, suggesting that European nations must increase their own defense abilities to earn US respect.

India’s navy received its ninth P-8i surveillance aircraft on Wednesday, manufacturer Boeing Co. reported. The plane is the first delivered under an option contract, signed in 2016, for four additional aircraft, the remaining three of which are expected to arrive in 2021. The Indian navy was the first international customer to receive the plane, in 2013. The P-8i is modified from the Boeing 737-800ERX passenger plane and built originally for the US Navy. It is used in anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and shipping interdiction roles. Armed with torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and other weapons, it can drop and monitor sonobuoys, and can operate in combination with Northrop Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance drone.

Watch: India should Procure at-least 10 more P-8I | 9TH DELIVERED | 18 in plan

Honeywell International won a $25.7 million deal for the manufacture of four parts associated with the wheels and brakes used in support of the F/A-18 aircraft.  This contract includes a three-year base period with no options. F/A-18 Hornet became the nation’s first all-weather fighter and attack aircraft, and was designed for traditional strike applications such as interdiction and close air support without compromising its fighter capabilities. The F/A-18 A-D is employed in Marine Corps fighter attack squadrons, US Navy and Marine Corps Reserve squadrons, the Navy Flight Demonstration Team (Blue Angles), and various other fleet support roles. F/A-18E/F Super Hornet entered fleet service in 1999, as the replacement for the F-14 Tomcat. The Super Hornet is the second major model upgrade since the inception of the F/A-18 aircraft program highly capable across the full mission spectrum: air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close air support, air defense suppression and day/night precision strike. The single-seat F/A-18E and the two-seat F/A-18F are high performance, twin-engine, mid-wing, and multi-mission tactical aircraft designed to replace the F/A-18C (single-seat) and F/A-18D (two-seat) aircraft as they reach the end of their service lives and retire. Work will take place in Indiana and is expected to be finished by December 2023.

Testing of a new fan rotor design for the Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan engine has resumed at Arnold Air Force Base. Being carried out at the J2 Engine Test Cell, work had started back in 2019 but put on pause as the cell required scheduled maintenance. “Test results to date have been positive and encouraging, and early results allowed us to complete an AMT (Accelerated Mission Test) with the same newly-designed rotor,” said 2nd Lt. Gregory Landrum, AEDC Jet Engine Test project manager.

According to the Time of Israel, a program designed to teach newly discharged combat soldiers cybersecurity skills and help them find jobs as the coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc on the economy has won an innovation award by the chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces. The six-month bootcamp, called Cyber4s, was developed by Scale-Up Velocity, a nonprofit organization that partners with tech firms and academic and training institutions to set up initiatives to help Israel’s tech industry tap into talented human capital.

Lithuania signed for four Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk transport and utility helicopters, the country’s Ministry of National Defence announced. The $213 million procurement, which will be paid off over five years, includes additional equipment, spares, and a training, repair, and logistical support package. The US government is providing $30 million to support the purchase, and has cleared the sale of a further two helicopters should the Lithuanian Armed Forces request them. News of the contract came four months after the US State Department approved the sale to Lithuania of six Black Hawks for $380 million.

Hungary has placed an order for two C-390 cargo planes with Embraer. The planes will be used for air-to-air refueling, tactical airlift and medical evacuation. Embraer says the delivery is to start in 2023. “Following the procurement of personnel air transport capabilities in 2018, we will see the arrival of KC-390 aircraft to Hungary in 2023-24, able to deliver large military loads in an operational environment, as well as providing air-to-air refueling services. We are acquiring a multi-role transport fleet for the Hungarian Defense Forces to fulfill the widest possible range of tasks within the national framework, in a sovereign way, ”said Gáspár Maróth, government commissioner responsible for defense development.

According to news reports, the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) has assigned an officer to Vandenberg Air Force Base, California since October 15. The motive is to coordinate space surveillance between both countries. Japan is preparing to build its own space surveillance system by 2025.

Watch: Embraer KC-390 Impressive Take off (Paris Air Show 2019)

L-3 Communications won a $38 million contract modification for contractor logistics support of the Air Force C-12 fleet. Originally developed by Beechcraft, the Raytheon C-12 is a short-range personnel and cargo lift aircraft for the US military. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney turboprop engines, the low-wing, all-metal aircraft is the military version of the civilian Super King Air 200 aircraft. The pressurized cabin is capable of an altitude of 35,000 feet and can be reconfigured to accommodate a mix of passengers, and cargo. The first C-12s were fielded to the US Army in 1974 and the aircraft has undergone a series of upgrades since then. Work will take place in Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, Argentina, Brazil, Turkey, California, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Honduras, Hungary, Maryland, Kenya, Morocco, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand. Work is expected to be finished by December 31, 2021.

The Defense Department has a four-month supply of personal protective equipment as it anticipates an increase in COVID-19 cases, a statement released. The supplies include respirators, gloves and masks for use by military personnel and families, and was purchased and stockpiled by the Defense Logistics Agency. Much of it will be used for patient care at medical treatment facilities worldwide. The increase in supplies comes as the number of COVID-19 infections has risen sharply in the United States since September. On Monday, the Defense Department reported a total of 99,389 infections and 113 deaths among its military and civilian personnel, dependents and contractors. Last week it announced the award of a $6.18 million contract to Illinois-based Medline Industries Inc. to increase domestic production capacity of surgical masks.

A detachment of US Air Force F-16 fighter planes moved from Germany to the United Arab Emirates, the US Central Command announced. Planes of the 480th Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Wing, deployed at Spangdahlem Air Base, arrived last week at Al Dhafra Air Base, UAE, the command said. Although CENTCOM did not offer specific information about the move, the UAE base has been the center of operations for planes patrolling the Persian Gulf to monitor activities by Iran’s military.

The French Defense Ministry seeks a drone capable of intercepting radio communications transmitters, a request for proposal indicates. A “call for projects for a mini-payload of electronic support on drones” was revealed by France’s Defense Innovation Agency for “an electronic support payload that can be integrated into drones with a maximum take-off mass of less than” 55 pounds. “This payload must be able to detect, locate, identify or even interact with or block telecommunications transmitters,” the agency said in a press release.

Lockheed Martin won a $12 million contract modification, which provides continued support required to establish the common reprogramming tool development network and selection of a service-oriented architecture for the development of enhanced reprogramming tools, which is essential for all standing labs in support of the F-35 aircraft for the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and the governments of Australia and Great Britain. The F-35 is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. Work will take place in Texas and Florida. Estimated completion is in December 2021.

Complaints from local residents in South Korea has forced US Forces Korea (USFK) to cancel a live-firing exercise for its attack helicopters on November 16. The training was supposed to be conducted at the range in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. The helicopters had moved there for their training after the traditional training ground at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province was abandoned earlier this year, due to noise complaints as well.

Watch: The C-12 Variants for U.S Army

General Dynamics won a $23.1 million deal for additional fiscal 2021 development studies, design efforts and material for Virginia Class submarines. The contract modification provides additional development studies and design efforts related to Virginia Class submarine design and design improvements. The contractor will continue development studies, design efforts and procurement of material required to fully evaluate new technologies for Virginia Class submarines. The Virginia Class attack submarine is an advanced stealth multimission nuclear-powered submarine for deep ocean anti-submarine warfare and littoral (shallow water) operations. The US Navy awarded several modification contracts to General Dynamics Electric Boat over the years in support of the Virginia-Class attack submarine programme.

Rockwell Collins Simulation won a $19.6 million modification, which is for the production and delivery of one 2F211 S/N 5 aircrew procedures trainer device, associated technical data and proposal preparation in support of the E-2D Hawkeye Integrated Training System program. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is the latest version of the Hawkeye early warning aircraft and features a new radar system. It brings new capabilities including the new and powerful AN/APY-9 radar, which is a two-generational leap in technology. The APY-9 radar is an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) surveillance system that provides both mechanical and electronic scanning capabilities designed to “see” smaller targets as well as more of them at a greater range, particularly in coastal regions and over land.

MD Helicopters won a $34 million contract modification for logistics support for the Afghanistan Air Force MD-530F aircraft fleet. The MD-530F is an evolution of the fabled OH-6 Cayuse light observation helicopter, known for speed, safety, agility and the ability to operate with ease in confined spaces, the Armed MD-530F Light Scout Attack Helicopter delivers increased operational capabilities, greater mission versatility and superior performance in the execution of a broad range of mission profiles. Work will take place in Arizona and Afghanistan. Estimated completion date is May 31, 2021.

Raytheon won a $51.1 million contract modification for the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) production program. This modification provides for the procurement and upgrade of test environment/equipment for AMRAAM production capacity. The AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) is a new generation all-weather, missile manufactured by Raytheon. The AMRAAM has been delivered to more than 36 countries. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales to Norway, Denmark, Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, Slovakia, Poland, Netherlands, Kuwait, Qatar and Spain.  Work will take place in Arizona. Expected completion is in January 2025.

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory won a $133.5 million modification to provide research into the applications of technologies to meet guidance requirements for operations on the Common Missile Compartment for the US Columbia Class program and the United Kingdom Dreadnought Class program; provide specialized technical knowledge and support for the hypersonic guidance, navigation and control application; and provide technical and engineering services to support the guidance, navigation and control system that will support the Navy’s hypersonic flight experiments. The Columbia Class is an upcoming class of nuclear submarines. The Columbia SSBN program consists of a minimum of 12 submarines to meet the requirements for U.S. strategic deterrent force structure as set forth in the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review. The Columbia Class program completed Acquisition Milestone B on January 4, 2017 and is in the Engineering and Manufacturing Development Phase. The British Navy has also planned to acquire Columbia-class submarine under the name of Dreadnought-class SSBN. This submarine will be armed with eight D-5 SLBMs, or half the number to be carried by the Columbia class. The modular design of the CMC (Common Missile Compartment) will accommodate this difference. The UK provided some of the funding for the design of the CMC, including a large portion of the initial funding. Work will take place in Massachusetts and California. Estimated completion date is September 30, 2021.

VAQ-131 has completed its first expeditionary deployment at NAF Misawa, Japan on November 6 and was relieved by VAQ-135. That was the unit’s first expeditionary deployment. But due to COVID-19, the EA-18Gs did not detach to any other places. As an expeditionary squadron, VAQ-131 deploys their EA-18G Growlers to air bases worldwide and fluidly integrates with US Air Force and foreign entities. While deployed to NAF Misawa, VAQ-131’s primary objective shifted from their previous mission of supporting combat operations while deployed to the Middle East, to supporting security and stability operations within the Indo-Pacific Area of Responsibility.

Watch: Meet The AIM-260: The Air Force And Navy’s Future Long-Range Air-To-Air Missile

Honeywell International won a $72.9 million deal for the repair of six weapon repairable assemblies in support of the V-22 aircraft. The V-22 Osprey aircraft, made by a joint venture between Boeing and Bell, is a multirole model designed for both vertical and short takeoff and landing. The V-22 operates as a helicopter when taking off and landing vertically. The nacelles rotate 90° forward once airborne, converting the aircraft into a turboprop aircraft. The Navy will use its annual working capital funds to finance task orders under the contract, as work runs through November 2025. Work will take place in California and Arizona. Estimated completion will by by November 2025.

AgustaWestland received a $171 million contract to build training helicopters for the US Navy. The deal is a contract modification for production and delivery of 36 TH-73A aircraft in support of the Navy’s Advanced Helicopter Training System program. It follows a January contract, for $175.5 million, for 32 similar helicopters and spare parts, with deliveries beginning in 2021. The Navy plans to procure a total of 130 TH-73As to replace its aging fleet of TH-57B/C Sea Ranger aircraft, in contracts potentially worth $648 million. The Philadelphia-based company is a division of the Italian defense contractor Leonardo, and markets the helicopter commercially as the AW119W. Work will take place in Pennsylvania and Texas. Estimated completion will be in December 2022.

Qatari pilots will soon be training at Italy’s International Flight Training School following an agreement between the Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah, and Italy’s minister of defense Lorenzo Guerini on November 11. In a release by the Italian Ministry of Defence, Guerini said, “The partnership between Italy and Qatar in the defence sector is confirmed as having a high strategic value. I am here to renew our commitment to deepen the ongoing collaboration that embraces all sectors.” Qatar currently operates the Pilatus PC-21 and PAC Super Mushshak aircraft in the training role. The country has also ordered nine BAE Systems Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers.

France selected MBDA’s MHT/MLP missile as its Future Tactical Air-to-Surface Missile (MAST-F) for the Tiger attack helicopter. The MHT/MLP (Missile Haut de Trame / Missile Longue Portée – high tier missile / long-range mobile missile) itself is based on the Missile Moyenne Portée, a man-portable anti-tank guided missile. The MHT/MLP is characterized by its high operational effectiveness. Weighing 20% less than other missiles in its category provides a weight saving of nearly 100 kg for the Tiger helicopter, which can carry up to eight missiles in combat configuration. Exploiting this weight saving increases the Tiger’s fuel capacity and so its combat endurance, with a significant gain in “playtime”.

NATO received the fifth and last NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance aircraft in its fleet at the Main Operating Base in Sigonella, Italy, this week. The RQ-4D aircraft took off from Palmdale Air Force base in California Wednesday night and landed at Sigonella Thursday afternoon. The drone took nearly 20 hours to reach its home. The arrival of the RQ-4D aircraft at its home base in Europe represents a new milestone in the NATO AGS Programme, completing the NATO AGS fleet. Following the arrival of RQ-4D Phoenix 5, the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Management Agency and the Italian Airworthiness Authorities will continue to wrap up the required documentation and hand-over the system to the NATO AGS Force in the coming months.

Up Media reports that the Teng Yun unmanned air vehicle from Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) might be armed with the TC-1 air-to-air missile. Under project Sky Blade, the research team will modify the TC-1 with features from the Sea Oryx naval point-defense system.

Watch: NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) – RQ-4D Phoenix

The US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Agile Combat Support Directorate started the process of replacing its existing inventory of High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), also known as Humvees, with the new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). The service has a need for 3,230 vehicles and they will be bought via an Army contract with Oshkosh Corporation. However, not all HMMWVs will be replaced, the current process is to swap out the up-armored variant. Air Force units are expected to start receiving the new JLTVs starting from September 2021, after having mission specific equipment installed at Naval Information Warfare Center. Developed by the Army based on the U.S. experience fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the JLTV is considered a major upgrade from Humvees currently in the field. It’s designed to achieve operational objectives in Performance, Payload and Protection against adversaries and provide better protection against improvised explosive devices.

Sig Sauer Inc. confirmed that it will produce a new scope for M4A1carbine rifles. The US Army Contract Command awarded the company a $77 million deal. Sig Sauer, headquartered in Newington, New Hampshire, will manufacture its TANGO6T optic for the branch. The TANGO6T is a variable-magnification Direct View Optic riflescope that allows close quarter and long-range target sightings with the ability to quickly switch between one and six times magnification, according to the company. The device is currently in use with the US Army Squad Designated Marksman and US Military Special Forces.

Israel received a Lockheed Martin F-35I combat aircraft to be used for in-country development testing of specific national capabilities, the Israeli Air Force announced. The arrival saw the first non-US based testbed F-35I fly into the IAF Flight Testing Center (FTC) at Tel-Nof Airbase, south of Tel Aviv. The first new aircraft to be assigned to the FTC in 14 years, the F-35I, line number AS-15, IAF serial 924, was the 15th “Adir” to come off the production line at Fort Worth, Texas and was initially retained in the United States.

Austrian prosecutors upheld a decision to end a criminal probe into alleged fraud by aviation and defense group Airbus and Eurofighter in connection with a 2 billion-dollar (€1.7 billion) fighter jet purchase in 2003, the counsel for Austria said Wednesday evening. A criminal complaint brought by Austria’s Defense Ministry in 2017 prompted the investigation. A lower court ordered an end to the investigation in April, which the Vienna appeals court upheld on the grounds that Austria had not provided enough of its own evidence, the office of Austria’s chief legal counsel Wolfgang Peschorn said in a statement on Wednesday evening. “With that, all criminal investigations in Austria that were initiated as a result of the criminal complaint in 2017 on suspicion of fraud in connection with the Eurofighter purchase have now been brought to an end,” Peschorn’s office said of the appeals court ruling dated November 4 and transmitted a week later.

According to the Russian Military, the Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters of the army aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces, involved in the peacekeeping mission to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, were prepared by the engineering and technical staff for operation after being transported by military transport aircraft. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Russian helicopter pilots performed training flights and departed to base airfields to perform tasks in the interests of the peacekeeping contingent. On November 10 a ceasefire was established in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. A peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation is being reportedly brought into the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin corridor to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire and military operations.

For the first time since the US and Taiwan ceased bilateral ties in 1979, Taipei on Monday announced the arrival of US marines to train Taiwanese soldiers. Taiwan’s Naval Command said a contingent of US marines, Marine Raiders, arrived upon the invitation of Taiwan’s military and will begin training Taiwanese troops for four weeks starting today, the daily Taiwan News reported. The US marines came about two weeks ago but were under quarantine to avoid coronavirus infection. Taiwanese soldiers will be trained by the US marines’ special operations troops in assault boat and speedboat infiltration operations at the Tsoying Naval Base in the port city of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan.

Watch: Stealth on Steroids: Meet Israel’s F-35I Adir (An F-35 Like No Other)

A US Marine Corps AH-1W gunship now retired to Picatinny Arsenal. It will be used as a laboratory for the XM915 20mm Gatling gun. The Bell AH-1W Super Cobra was flown from NAS Joint Reserve Base New Orleans to Picatinny Arsenal by Marines Lt. Col. Mark Diss and Capt. Garrett Peirce. The US Army plans to fit the XM915 on its Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft. The Super Cobra, a twin-engine attack helicopter, is the first aviation aircraft to be housed on post for research and development purposes at the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center, also known as DEVCOM.

The US Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) procured a logistics drone prototype to demonstrate long-range naval ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore cargo transport. The Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS will be used to deliver electronics parts or assemblies that weigh less than 50 pounds to warships. NAWCAD will improve the drone by working on invasions like folding wings for better handling and ship storage, a dual propulsion system that runs on both electricity and JP-5. “The Blue Water logistics UAS will be further developed and tested by the Navy, for the Navy,” said NAWCAD Commander Rear Adm. John Lemmon. “NAWCAD has organic talent and facilities you can’t find anywhere else. Combined with increased acquisition freedom granted by Congress, this effort shows how we’re doing business differently.”

Boeing won a $9.8 billion deal for F-15 support for Saudi Arabia. This contract provides for modernization and sustainment of the F-15 Saudi fleet to include such efforts as hardware, software, and interface design, development, integration, test, subsystem and structural component production and installation of future modifications and enhancements to the F-15 Saudi weapon system as well as product support. Per the contract, the ordering period for this contract is five years from the date of contract award plus an option for an additional five year ordering period. Saudi Arabia’s most modern F-15s are 88 new-build F-15SAs, with an average age of just 5.1 years. In addition to fly-by wire controls, the F-15SA has a digital electronic warfare suite, an infrared search and track system and a Raytheon APG-63(V)3 active electronically scanned array radar. The aircraft’s forward and aft cockpits feature advanced displays and joint helmet-mounted cueing systems. The new F-15 variant also has two additional wing weapons stations to boost its payload. Work will take place in St. Louis. Estimated completion will be by November 2025.

The US State Department cleared sales of F-35 fighter jets and MQ-9 unmanned systems for the United Arab Emirates, making official a potential sale still opposed by many congressional Democrats. The DoS formally approved a potential $23.4 billion arms sale to the United Arab Emirates, including up to 50 F-35s, 18 MQ-9s, and both air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions. In a statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the massive arms sale package, which includes up to 50 F-35 jets worth $10.4 billion, 18 MQ-9B drones worth $2.97 billion, and $10 billion of munitions. “The proposed sale will make the UAE even more capable and interoperable with US partners in a manner fully consistent with America’s longstanding commitment to ensuring Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge,” said the statement.

Defense company BAE Systems will reportedly receive a €1billion ($1.2 bn) windfall from the German government’s purchase of 38 Eurofighter jets, which german officials announced last week. According to the Times, BAE, which will make parts for the aircraft at its plant in Warton in Lancashire, would secure at least €1bn from the deal. However, the firm declined to comment on the report. BAE is Britain’s largest defense group and also part of the Eurofighter consortium. The German parliament had approved a 5.4 billion euro contract to buy 38 Eurofighter jets from Airbus. The selection of the Eurofighter over the Lockheed Martin F-35 will mean that the German Air Force will not be flying the American Jet in future.

The Japanese Navy demonstrated its latest Kawasaki P-1 submarine-hunting plane. On November 11, the Japan Maritime Self-Protection Drive 4th Air wing’s official Twitter account posted photos displaying 5 new Kawasaki P-1 plane on the Atsugi air base. The P-1 is a contemporary maritime patrol plane. It is developed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Currently, all five new submarine-hunting aircraft are located at the Japanese air base Atsugi. The Japanese Kawasaki P-1 was developed solely for the purpose for which it is supposed to be used and there is no civilian counterpart to this aircraft.

Watch: Kawasaki P 1-antisubmarine

The US Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command announced that it has test fired its Low-Cost Extended Range Air Defense (LOWER AD) missile interceptor. The LOWER AD is part of the Army’s roadmap to modernize its air defense system. The interceptor is design to defeat subsonic cruise missiles and unmanned aerial systems. It fills a capability gap between man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) and high-end Patriot interceptors. The CCDC Aviation & Missile Center is developing and demonstrating the Low-Cost Extended Range Air Defense (LOWER AD) missile interceptor technology that is smaller and less costly than larger systems.

L-3 Electron Devices won a $7.9 million delivery order for the repair of the guided traveling wave tube in support of the F/A-18 aircraft. The F/A-18 Hornet is a single- and two-seat, twin engine, multi-mission fighter/attack aircraft that can operate from either aircraft carriers or land bases. It has a digital control-by-wire flight control system which provides excellent handling qualities, and allows pilots to learn to fly the airplane with relative ease. Two type series of the original Hornet, the A/B and C/D preceded the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, a larger more capable version of the F/A-18 introduced in 1999. Since then the Super Hornet has been updated with “Block II” models and now there’s a “Block III” Super Hornet. Boeing signed a $4 billion contract with the Navy in May 2019 for 78 new-build Block III Super Hornets which should be delivered by spring 2024. Work under the delivery order will take place in California. Estimated completion will be by February 2021.

Boeing awarded a $657.2 million contract action modification for the F-15Q Qatar program. The contract modification provides a comprehensive sparing program and contractor logistics support for the sustainment of the F-15QA aircraft. Back in April, Boeing successfully completed the first flight of the F-15QA fighter developed for the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF). According to Boeing, the F-15QA brings to its operators next-generation technologies such as fly-by-wire flight controls, digital cockpit and modernized sensors. Logistical support for training devices and administrative costs are also included in the modification. Work will take place at Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar.

ESG Aerosystems won a $64.8 million deal to develop a curriculum and facilitate training for P-3 aircrew positions including copilots, patrol plane commander, instructor pilot, flight engineer, instructor flight engineer, and flight currency training in support of Naval Education and Training Security Assistance Field Activity’s applicable field units and other program offices and stakeholders. The P-3 Orion is a land-based maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The contract includes a five-year ordering period with no options and is expected to be completed by November 2025. This effort is 100% funded by Federal Republic of Germany funds under the Foreign Military Sales program. In June 2020, Germany had put a halt to an ongoing midlife upgrade of its fleet of Lockheed Martin P?3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) as it shifted to examining potential replacements. The legacy fleet of eight P-3C Orions were purchased secondhand from Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) stocks in 2005. The first unit entered German service in April 2006 following upgrades to P-3C CUP standard conducted by Lockheed Martin at its facility in Greenville, South Carolina, under a prior contract with the Dutch government. Work under the current contract will take place in Florida. Estimated completion will be in November 2025.

Polish President Andrzej Duda signed an enhanced US-Poland defense cooperation agreement (EDCA) on November 9. He said, the union should grow despite political changes. The agreement calls for establishment of about 5,500 US troops on Polish soil on a revolving basis, and the forward deployment of the US Army’s V Corps in Poznan, Poland. It reinforces the US military presence in Eastern Europe and provides for expansion of Poland’s defense infrastructure and an increase in joint military exercises, Poland’s Presidential Palace announced. “The United States values our strong bilateral relationship with Poland.  We look forward to Poland’s swift ratification of the EDCA, which will permit us to implement fully the enhanced defense cooperation envisioned by Presidents Trump and Duda“, the DoS said in a statement.

The first five of 16 Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopters ordered for the Philippine Air Force back in 2019 arrived at Clark Air Base, north of Manila. The helicopters were flown from Poland by a Russian Antonov heavy transport plane last November 7 and unloaded at Clark Air Base in Pampanga on November 9.. There was a brief stop in Kuwait. A sixth unit was expected to arrive in December aboard a ship. The DND said the Antonov could carry only five units “and as a result a sixth was loaded on a ship.” The helicopters were part of the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) combat utility helicopters acquisition project. The Black Hawks were procured through a government-to-government transaction.

Watch: Philippine Air Force S-70i Black Hawk Helicopter Capabilities

The US Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $17.5 million contract modification to exercise options to provide design agent engineering services for the MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) electronic systems and computer programs. The modification is for software design, systems engineering, ship/missile integration services, and depot operations services for the MK 41 VLS module electronics and launch control system. According to the DoD, these services include new missile integration into MK 41 VLS including launcher design, launcher integration into new ship classes and the new AEGIS shore based component, Life Cycle Support Facility depot operations, system product improvements, predictability enhancements, reliability enhancements, and failure investigations. The Mk 41 Vertical Launching System is a shipborne missile canister launching system. According to Lockheed Martin, MK 41 VLS is the only launching system that can simultaneously accommodate the weapon control system and the missiles of every warfighting mission area—anti-aircraft, anti-surface, anti- submarine and land attack. Work will take place in Maryland, Virginia, Washington and California. Estimated completion will be by July 2021.

The first two HH-60W “Jolly Green II” helicopters arrived at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia on November 5, 2020. The USAF expects the arrival of 112 of these helicopters. The first two aircraft arrived from Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Training Academy in Stuart, Florida. Moody’s 41st Rescue Squadron and the 413th Flight Test Squadron and 88th Test and Evaluation Squadron flew the “Jolly Greens II“, The HH-60W is an improved variant of the combat-proven UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, and will eventually replace the HH-60G Pave Hawk medium-lift, combat search-and-rescue helicopter, which entered service in 1982. The new helicopter is designed for deployment in casualty evacuation, medical evacuation, non-combatant evacuation missions, civil search-and-rescue, humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and insertion or extraction of combat forces. The USAF ordered the choppers in 2014.

According to Israel’s Ministry of Defense, the Israeli Navy first Sa’ar 6 Class corvette, INS Magen, will arrive in Israel in December. Within the coming year, three more Sa’ar 6 ships will be transferred to Israel from thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) Kiel shipyard, Germany. The ship will join the Israeli Navy’s fleet to reinforce the IDF’s naval assets, with an emphasis on defensive capabilities for important strategic assets and on offensive capabilities that have never been seen before in the eastern Mediterranean. The Sa’ar 6 Class corvette is a class of warships initially ordered for Israel’s Navy in 2015.

Lockheed Martin Overseas won a $14.3 million modification under the Poland Aegis Ashore Engineering Agent contract. Under this modification, the contractor will configure the Poland Aegis Ashore REU Integration Site (POL-AARIS) and perform integration, test, maintenance and upgrades of the Aegis Combat System prior to final installation within the Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense System. The Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense System is a program developed to provide missile defense against shirt to intermediate ballistic missiles. Work will take place in New Jersey and Poland. Estimated completion date is January 26, 2022.

Crimson Warrior, the largest military exercise to be run by the Royal Air Force in the UK for a decade has finished after three weeks of complex air activities. The exercise involved personnel and aircraft from the Royal Air Force as well as the Royal Navy, British Army, United States Marine Corps and United States Air Force. Exercise Crimson Warrior is a development of the regular Cobra Warrior exercises with the addition of missions to support the work up of F-35B Lightnings and helicopters that will form the Carrier Strike Group Air Wing during next year’s operational deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth. According to the RAF, fast jets, multi-engine aircraft, helicopters and Unmanned Air Systems operated from Stations across the country. In addition to the fast jets, the exercise incorporated a huge number or aircraft conducting Qualified Multi-engine Tactics Instructors.

Kazakhstan says it took delivery of new Su-30SM fighters. The jets arrived at Karaganda air base. “Under the agreement with the Russian Federation and the program of re-equipment of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan, the Air Force received multifunctional Su-30SM aircraft“, the Ministry of Defense said. The aircraft have been imported from the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant since 2015. Su-30SM is a multirole fighter aircraft developed by JSC Sukhoi Design Bureau for the Russian Air Force. It is an advanced derivative of the Su-30MK combat aircraft family. The Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter was designed in accordance with the requirements of the Russian Air Force. It is being manufactured by IRKUT, a company based in Russia.

Watch: HH-60W Jolly Green II Helicopters Arrive At Moody

The US Navy awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $9.5 billion contract modification for the construction and test of the lead and second ships of the Columbia Class. The contract modifies a $5 billion deal awarded in 2017. It exercises an option to test the ships and to provide design and engineering support. „This modification to the integrated product and process development (IPPD) contract supports the fiscal 2021 construction start of the lead ship (SSBN 826) and advance procurement, advance construction, coordinated material buys and full construction of the follow hull (SSBN 827) in fiscal 2024“, the Pentagon said in a statement. The original contract was for design completion for the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, which are meant to replace the Navy’s current force of 14 aging Ohio Class boats. The Columbia Class is an upcoming class of nuclear submarines. General Dynamic subsidiary Electric Boat in collaboration with Newport News Shipbuilding are construction the Columbia Class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) for the US Navy. Work under the contract modification will take place in Connecticut, Virginia and Rhode Island. Estimated completion will be by April 2030.

Raytheon won a $94 million deal to exercise options and realign funding for DDG 1000 ship class integrated logistics support and engineering services. The Zumwalt Class is a class of three guided missile destroyers. The multi-role class was designed for secondary roles of surface warfare and anti-aircraft warfare. DDG 1000 Zumwalt was the first vessel built under the US Department of Defense’s DD(X) programme. The US Navy received the vessel in May 2016. The ship was commissioned for service in October 2016. According to Raytheon, Zumwalt Class ships are designed to incorporate computing, undersea warfare, vertical launcher and electronic modular enclosure systems from Raytheon Technologies’ missiles and defense business. Work will take place in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, California, Indiana, Maine and New Hampshire. Work is expected to be finished by October 2021.

The US State Department approved a possible $500 million deal to sell Standard Missile 2 Block IIIC missiles and related equipment to Canada, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said. Canada’s government wanted to buy 100 SM-2 Block IIIC missiles and 100 MK 13 vertical launch systems. According to the DSCA, obsolescence engineering; integration and test activity associated with production of subject missiles; canister handling and loading/unloading equipment and associated spares; training and training equipment/aids; technical publications and data; US Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support; and other related elements of logistical and program support are also included in the request. The prime contractor on this deal would be Raytheon. The company has received a $19 million contract for engineering and technical services on the Standard Missile-2 and Standard Missile-6 in 2019. According to Raytheon, the SM-2 missile provides anti-air warfare and limited anti-surface warfare capability against advanced anti-ship missiles and aircraft out to 90 nautical miles. The SM-2 “gives warfighters a greater reach in the battlespace,”

CNN reported on November 6, that the US State Department sent Congress an informal notification of plans to sell $10 billion of defense equipment, including precision-guided munitions, non-precision bombs and missiles to the United Arab Emirates. This was told to CNN by a congressional aide. The informal notification about the ordnance came just after President Donald Trump’s administration informed Congress it planned to sell sophisticated armed aerial drones (MQ-9Bs) to the UAE. Reuters had first reported on this. According to the news agency, a State Department spokesman declined comment, saying its policy was not to confirm or comment on proposed defense sales until Congress is formally notified. Both of the recent informal notifications came after last week’s notification of a potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to the Middle East country.

According to local media, the Ukrainian design office KB “Lucz” presented the “Sokol-300” reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle. The UAV was to be premiered during the Arms and Security 2020 exhibition in Kiev. The exhibition however, was canceled due to the pandemic. The machine is reportedly armed with 4 Barier-W guided missiles produced by the same company. The prototype flight is planned in about eight to nine months. The presentation of the full-size model of the Sokol-300 drone took place at the “WIZAR” plant in Wiszniewo near Kielce.

Lockheed Martin won a $53.2 million contract modification for miscellaneous support for 50 retrofit aircraft to the Taiwan F-16 Peace Phoenix Rising program. Under the Phoenix Rising program, Taiwan is upgrading its fleet of 144 Lockheed Martin F-16 A/B Block 20 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft to the F-16V configuration. The modification provides for contractor over and above support and acquisition of legacy aircraft hardware and equipment. Work will take place in Texas and Taiwan. Expected completion date is December 31, 2023.

In an interview with Air Force Magazine, Boeing’s Vice President and F-15 Program Manager Prat Kumar commented on the status of the F-15EX program for the US Air Force. He said that Japan would be planning to incorporate many of the EX features except the fly-by-wire system. However, it is unknown if Kumar was talking about features that Japan plans to have in new aircraft purchases or those features that will be incorporated in the F-15JSI upgrade program. Boeing signed a Direct Commercial Sale agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to upgrade Japan’s F-15J to the F-15JSI in July this year. Kumar said the Air Force’s adoption of the F-15EX will potentially expand the number of countries that might buy the jet, including current users Israel, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. “The world watches what the US Air Force buys,” he said. “So clearly there’s interest in our existing customer base across the world.” Israel is “taking a look” at the new F-15, he said, while Japan is planning to incorporate many of the EX features except the fly-by-wire system.

Watch: Watch: Everything You Need to Know About the Air Force’s New F-15EX

The Navy contracted Raytheon Missiles $ Defense with a $24.8 million modification for procurement of fiscal 2021 Navy Standard Missile-2 intermediate level provisioned items ordered spares; and to exercise one-year options for fiscal 2021 Standard Missile-2 and Standard Missile-6 repairs and maintenance. The SM-2 is the U.S Navy’s primary surface-to-air defense weapon and is part of the AEGIS Weapon System along Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke Class destroyers. The SM-6, also known as RIM-174, is a ship-launched extended range variant of the anti-air and anti-surface interceptor missile developed by Raytheon Company. It is also a key part of the AEGIS Weapon System. Work will take place in Arkansas, Arizona and California. Expected completion date is in July 2024.

The Blue Angels demonstration flew its F/A-18 A/B/C/D Hornets for the last time on November 4, 2020. The team of planes, formally the US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, has used Hornets for the past 34 years, but transitioned to the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet platform. “We deeply appreciate the expertise and operational knowledge Blue Angels past and present have brought to the team and we look forward to enhancing our operations as we fully transition to flying the Super Hornet,” Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, Blue Angels commanding officer said in a statement The demonstration team began in 1946 as a civilian and military morale-building experiment, and travels to air shows around the world to exhibit aerial maneuvers. It first used the F/A-18A and F/A-18B Hornet platforms in 1986, and transitioned to C and D models, since discontinued, in 2010.

Egyptian and French naval forces carried out a transit naval training session in the northern fleet region of the Mediterranean Sea, Arab News reported. Egypt’s Taba frigate and France’s Jean Bart frigate took part in the joint exercise. The exercise included training on various sailing formations and assessing surface, air, and submarine threats, and setting scenarios to deal with such threats. The training showed the joint naval units’ capability to take their position with high speed and precision, El-Refaie said, adding that the Egyptian and French sides’ high combat experience has been reflected in the exercise.

The government of the Netherlands initiated an armored combat vehicle modernization program worth over 500 million Euros ($590.8 million). One of the stages of modernization that has been decided upon, is adoption of rubber track systems. There are many advantages to what seems like a small change from a steel track to a rubber track. The rubber significantly reduces the operational cost and the weight, which leads to better performance by the vehicle. The new contract that has been signed includes development, manufacturing, testing, validation and supply of implementation kits for training.

According to the Australian Department of Defense, the Royal Australian Air Force is testing safe airdrops of fodder. The Air Mobility Training and Development Unit is clearing a new method of delivering fodder using C-130 Hercules and C-27J Spartan transport aircraft, it said in a statement. It’s a safer method of performing a role last conducted by Air Force in the 1980s and ’90s, according to Commanding Officer of AMTDU Wing Commander Cameron Clark. According to Clark, the new method involves constructing a frangible box around the fodder, reducing the risk from foreign object debris damage to the aircraft. The Airdrop trials at RAAF Base Richmond could help cattle stranded by floodwaters.

BAE Systems responded to a Request for Information (RFI) from the Japanese Ministry of Defense, proposing a package of integration support to Japan’s F-X next generation fighter development program. The response to the RFI, which was issued by the JMOD’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency  (ATLA), outlines technical capabilities across a range of key areas, which BAE Systems can offer into supporting development of the F-X program. “We firmly believe that we can add significant value to the F-X programme. We look forward to further progressing our discussions and we are honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with Japan on this programme,” said Andy Latham, Campaign Delivery Director – Japan, for BAE Systems’ Air business.

Watch: Watch: Blue Angels Final Legacy Hornet Flight 2020

The United States Air Force is reportedly ready to move forward with the second program aimed at renewing its fleet of aerial refuelers, formerly known under the codename KC-Y. Head of Air Mobility Command Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost indicated that the service will be moving forward with the bridge tanker KC-Y acquisition program. The competition will be full and open plus “non-developmental“, meaning it will be based on an existing, proven aircraft, according to an Air Mobility Command spokesperson. The Air Force is defining which capabilities it needs in its next tanker and how it will “immediately follow the existing KC-46A delivery timeline,” she said. KC-Y will replace the KC-135 and bridge the capability gap between the KC-46 and the future tanker KC-Z. The KC-46 Pegasus was due to be withdrawn by 2025. But the development of the tanker exceeded the initial forecast by $3 billion. The aircraft has also encountered numerous technical problems since its delivery.

According to a statement by the US Pacific Fleet, the US participant in the Malabar exercise this year hosted by Indian Navy is the Arleigh Burke Class guided missile destroyer USS John S. MacCain. The Malabar exercise is a quadrilateral naval exercise involving the United States, Japan , Australia, and India as permanent partners. The exercise began in 1992 to advance planning, integration and employment of advanced warfare tactics between participating nations and this year will feature the return of the Royal Australian Navy, according to Navy officials. According to officials, the exercise will include a variety of tactical training, including specific interactions designed to strengthen interoperability between Royal Australian Navy, Indian Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and US maritime forces.

The Israeli technology news site CTech reports that the privatization of Israel Aeronautics Industries (IAI) is back on track. According to CTech, the Minister for Cyber and National Digital Affairs David (Dudi) Amsalem called for a meeting of the ministerial committee on privatization to be held on November 15. The ministers are set to approve the issuance of the publicly-owned company’s shares at a planned valuation of $12 billion. The move had been held up recently by the Ministry of Defense, led by Benny Gantz and its director-general Amir Eshel. Officially it was claimed that the delay was due to demands by the Ministry of Digital Affairs and the Government Companies Authority that some of the money for the public issuance go to the state treasury, while the defense ministry officials wanted it to remain in the company’s coffers. IAI provides products and services in aviation and space to the military and civilian markets. In 2019, its revenue totalled $4.1 billion, and 74% of its sales were exports. The company suffers from low profitability, although in 2019 it switched from a loss to an operating profit of $120 million. The privatization process as outlined follows the model of privatizations of aerospace and defense companies in Europe since the 1980s.

The UK started work to convert five Boeing 737 airliners into E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning Mk 1 (AEW1) platforms for the Royal Air Force. Boeing announced that the first fuselage sections for the first two aircraft to be modified arrived at STS Aviation Services in Birmingham. “Section 46 is the part of the fuselage where the aircraft’s [Northrop Grumman] multirole electronically scanned array (MESA) radar will be installed,” the company said. It also added that the first Section 46 will begin preparation for inclusion into a 737 Next Generation airliner later this month. Boeing UK also noted that parts and tooling will continue to arrive weekly to the Birmingham hangar in preparation for work on the first two aircraft in January 2021. The Wedgetail is an airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) platform. According to Boeing, the UK’s E-7 Wedgetail aircraft is expected to be in service with the Royal Air Force in 2023.

Northrop Grumman Systems won a $57.1 million deal, which provides for the manufacture and delivery of 19 full rate production Lot 14 GQM-163A Coyote supersonic sea skimming targets; 16 for the Navy and three for the government of Japan. Additionally, the contract procures associated technical and administrative data. The GQM-163A Coyote supersonic sea skimming target is designed to provide a cost-effective target to simulate supersonic sea-skimming and other emerging supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, support research into ship defense systems, and support fleet training exercises. The target missile design integrates a four-inlet, solid-fuel ducted rocket ramjet propulsion system into a compact missile airframe 18 feet long and 14 inches in diameter. Work will take place in Arkansas, Arizona, Vermont, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and various other locations within the continental US. Estimated completion will be in December 2023.

An advanced version of India’s Pinaka rocket system successfully underwent a flight-test from Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha, local news reports. A total of six rockets were launched in succession using Pinaka, indigenously developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). According to officials, all of the tests fulfilled the mission objectives. The rockets have been manufactured by Nagpur-based M/s Economic Explosives Limited, to whom the technology has been transferred. According to the DRDO, this advanced version has a longer range with reduced length compared to Mk-1, its earlier variant.

Watch: Watch: DRDO successfully test-fires advanced version of Pinaka rockets