Defense`s Feeds

Northrop Grumman Systems won a ceiling $11.4 million contract modification for left-hand and right-hand wing tips for the T-38 weapon system. The T-38 Talon is a twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet trainer used in a variety of roles because of its design, economy of operations, ease of maintenance, high performance and exceptional safety record. Work will take place in Stockton, California. Expected completion is in July 2027.

The strike group led by aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman will return to Norfolk, Virginia after several months at sea, the Navy announced on Friday. The vessel left Norfolk, its home port, in November for deployment to the Middle East. Several ships in its strike force, which includes the Ticonderoga Class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy and the Arleigh Burke Class guided missile destroyers USS Lassen, USS Forrest Sherman and USS Farragut, have been at sea longer through multiple extensions of their deployment. In April, the strike group was kept at sea in the Atlantic Ocean for a “sustainment phase” in which crew members could remain safe from the pandemic but in a high readiness state. Sustainment phases are generally conducted pierside.

The Air Force announced that it has deployed troops from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings, flying F-35A aircraft, into combat to support the United States in the Middle East. The 421st Fighter Squadron departed Utah’s Hill Air Force Base on May 20 for Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates to support Central Command in the region, the Air Force said. This marks the third deployment for the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings in about 12 months.

For the first time American B-1B Bombers conducted a joint training with Norwegian and Swedish fighter jets in Swedish airspace. Norway said that the exercise is “one of the largest of its kind, and several allied and partners trained along with the US B-1B”. The Norwegian military says such joint flight missions are of high priority. “Today we have conducted complex flight operations with advanced systems, both on the ground and in the air,” says Lieutenant Colonel Ståle Nymoen. He is the commander of the 332 squadron which operates the F-35s from Ørland airbase. Norway, as one of NATO’s founding members, points to the United States as the most important ally for defending Norway in case of a crisis or conflict.

The Navy destroyer USS Russell completed a transit of the Taiwan Strait, the waterway between China and Taiwan, on Thursday and Friday, officials said. The Arleigh Burke Class guided missile destroyer made the voyage days after China’s newest aircraft carrier, Shangdong, left the area and sailed northward for sea trials in the Yellow Sea. “The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The US Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows,” Cmdr. Reann Mommsen, US 7th Fleet spokesperson told USNI.

A delivery contract for 1,500 tons of steel plate, for prototypes of the Australian Navy’s Hunter Class frigates was signed, BAE Systems announced. BlueScope Steel AIS will supply the steel to ASC Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of BAE Systems Australia, to construct five ship blocks in the prototyping phase of the program. The blocks will then test processes, systems, tools, and facilities before the start of construction, in 2022, of the first of nine planned frigates.

According to media reports, South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has approved the development of a new close in weapon system for the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy. The CIWS-II program will defend ROK Navy surface vessels against anti-ship missiles and fast attack craft. The Close-in Weapon System (CIWS)-II is set to be developed between 2021 and 2030 for $289 million. It will reportedly feature a 30 mm Gatling-type gun and a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.

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EDA issued recently a call for industry ideas and contributions in advance of the second ‘Countering Unmanned Airborne systems (C-UAS) Workshop’ scheduled to take place on 15 September 2020.  

After a first workshop jointly organised by EDA and the EU Military Staff last February (with participation from Member States, the European Commission and other institutional stakeholders), the aim is now to invite industry to the second workshop in autumn.  

Companies active in the C-UAS domain are therefore invited to respond to this CUAS Questionnaire by 3 July. 

Participation is open to companies of any size as well as academic, research institutes and associations or groupings of industrial suppliers. Speakers will be selected based on their replies to the call for papers, which will be evaluated by EDA. 

Whereas the first workshop in February was mainly devoted to identifying already available solutions that could be used in support of on-going CSDP operations and missions, the upcoming second event on 15 September will be focused on future capability development efforts related to C-UAS based on the Air Superiority priority agreed by Member States in 2018 as part of the 11 European Capability Development Priorities, as well as the corresponding Strategic Context Case (SCCs).   

During this second workshop, selected industry representatives will be invited to present their views to Member States focusing on the topics included in the call for papers and to make comments and suggestions on further perspectives which could inform capability development and R&T in the selected area. This should also include the long-term industrial and technological prospects (beyond 20 years) of potential relevance also to EDA’s work on Key Strategic Activities (KSA) in this critical domain.   

Contributions must be submitted to EDA at CAP@eda.europa.eu with a copy to dion.polman@eda.europa.eu by 3 July 2020. 

EDA issued recently a call for industry ideas and contributions in advance of the second ‘Countering Unmanned Airborne systems (C-UAS) Workshop’ scheduled to take place on 15 September 2020.  

After a first workshop jointly organised by EDA and the EU Military Staff last February (with participation from Member States, the European Commission and other institutional stakeholders), the aim is now to invite industry to the second workshop in autumn.  

Companies active in the C-UAS domain are therefore invited to respond to this CUAS Questionnaire by 3 July. 

Participation is open to companies of any size as well as academic, research institutes and associations or groupings of industrial suppliers. Speakers will be selected based on their replies to the call for papers, which will be evaluated by EDA. 

Whereas the first workshop in February was mainly devoted to identifying already available solutions that could be used in support of on-going CSDP operations and missions, the upcoming second event on 15 September will be focused on future capability development efforts related to C-UAS based on the Air Superiority priority agreed by Member States in 2018 as part of the 11 European Capability Development Priorities, as well as the corresponding Strategic Context Case (SCCs).   

During this second workshop, selected industry representatives will be invited to present their views to Member States focusing on the topics included in the call for papers and to make comments and suggestions on further perspectives which could inform capability development and R&T in the selected area. This should also include the long-term industrial and technological prospects (beyond 20 years) of potential relevance also to EDA’s work on Key Strategic Activities (KSA) in this critical domain.   

Contributions must be submitted to EDA at CAP@eda.europa.eu with a copy to dion.polman@eda.europa.eu by 3 July 2020. 

Austal won a $7.7 million contract for the accomplishment of post shakedown availability (PSA) for the littoral combat ship (LCS) US Ship Oakland (LCS-24). Work includes correcting government-responsible trial card deficiencies, new work identified between custody transfer and the time of PSA and incorporating the approved engineering changes that were not incorporated during the construction period (which are not otherwise the building yard’s responsibility under the ship construction contract). The LCS is a set of two classes of relatively small surface vessels designed for operations near shore by the US Navy. LCS-24 is the 12th Independence-variant littoral combat ship. Last month, the ship successfully completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico. Work will take place in San Diego, California. Estimated completion date will be by December 2021.

General Electric won a $180.6 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, which procures commercial depot level services for the repair and overhaul of T700-GE-401/401C turbo shaft engines, cold section modules and power turbine modules for the Navy H-60 Seahawk helicopter as well as the Marine Corps H-1 Cobra and Bell UH-1 Huey aircraft. The General Electric T700-GE-401 was the first engine qualified under the rigorous US Navy salt ingestion tests, where it proved its suitability for naval operation. The Sea Hawk is a twin-engine helicopter. It is used for anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, drug interdiction, anti-ship warfare, cargo lift, and special operations. The H-1 Cobra is a two-blade rotor, single-engine. Th Huey is a utility military helicopter. Work will take place in Wingsfield, Kansas. Expected completion will be by June 2025.

France says it has killed the leader of al-Qaeda in North Africa, Abdelmalek Droukdel, in an operation in Mali. Defense Minister Florence Parly said Droukdel along with members of his inner circle had been killed in the north of the country on Wednesday. French forces had also captured a senior Islamic State group commander in Mali in an operation in May, she said. As head of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Droukdel was in charge of all affiliates in North Africa and also commanded al-Qaeda’s Sahel affiliate, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).

According to media outlets quoting an anonymous senior defense official report that Trump has ordered the Pentagon to withdraw 9,500 of the 34,500 troops permanently assigned to Germany as part of a longstanding arrangement between the two countries. Defense officials said they had no immediate comment on the subject and referred questions to the White House National Security Council, which did not respond to queries. The reduction plan, pushed by US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, has been closely held within the White House. Grenell has also served for the past several months as acting director of national intelligence, following Trump’s firing of his predecessor, acting director Joseph Maguire, over concerns about Maguire’s staff’s loyalty.

A Indonesian Army Mi-17V5 helicopter has crashed on June 6 in Kendal district. The helicopter is assigned to the Army Aviation Education Center and was on a training flight. Four out of the nine people on board were killed. “The helicopter was flying very low and getting lower until it crashed with a very loud sound,” said Eka, a witness quoted by Kompas TV. “Two passengers escaped before it crashed and after that there were three or four explosions.”

A former Air India 777-300ER airliner that is slated to be the VVIP transport for the Indian government has arrived at Fort Worth. The aircraft was photographed in its new official livery. The plane will be used to ferry the President and the Prime Minister of the country. It will arrive in India and will be put out on the field this year. The Indian Air Force has made several visits to the Boeing facility where they frequently contributed with the progress and development of the aircraft.

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EDA has just launched a new study to evaluate the impact EU regulations on chemicals and waste might have on the wider defence sector. The results are expected to be available by the end of this year. 

The study does not cover the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) nor the CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging) regulations which have already been assessed in an EDA study in 2016 and whose effects on defence equipment have proven to be significant - from design and manufacturing to in-service use, maintenance and disposal. 

In the new study, due to be delivered in December, the focus will be on other EU regulations related to chemicals which may also have an impact on European defence capabilities, such as:

• Biocidal Products (BPR)
• Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP)
• Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)
• Greenhouse Gases (F-GAS)
• Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). 

The study will also look into potential repercussions on defence of the recently revised EU Waste Framework Directive (WFD), and specifically its provision under Article 9 on providing information to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) database on Substances of Concern in articles as such or In complex Products (SCIP), as from 5 January 2021. 

The study will be carried out by a consortium encompassing Milieu Consulting SPRL (consortium leader) and REACHLAW Oy.
 

The aim of the study is to provide detailed information on the impact of those EU legislations on the defence sector and to propose recommendations on how defence stakeholders (Ministries of Defence, Armed Forces, defence industry) could deal with them in a more coherent way. 

As part of the study, the contractor will be conducting consultations with a range of relevant stakeholders, such as the European Commission, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), Member States’ MoDs, Member States’ competent authorities as well as defence industry stakeholders, including the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) as well as National Defence Industry Associations (NDIAs).
 

• REACH (EDA project page) 

Sikorsky won a $7.7 million order, which procures support to update existing CH-53K system/subsystem specifications produced by the original equipment manufacturer. The Sikorsky CH-53K Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopter is being developed by Sikorsky Aircraft to replace the CH-53E helicopter of the US Marine Corps. The Super Stallion can be fielded from amphibious assault ships for the transportation of personnel and equipment. It will also be used to carry external cargo loads. The aircraft can be operated from austere and remote forward operating bases. Work will take place in Stratford, Connecticut. Estimated completion will be by October 2022.

Boeing announced that it delivered the first Super Hornet test aircraft for the US Navy’s Blue Angel flight demonstration squadron. The jet is now at NAS Patuxent River. Boeing says the jet comes with an oil tank for the smoke-generation system, fuel systems that enable the aircraft to fly inverted for extended periods of time, civilian-compatible navigation equipment, cameras and adjustments for the aircraft’s center of gravity. The Blue Angels, whose demonstrations this year have been limited to salutes to COVID-19 workers in US cities, have flown F/A-18 Hornets, referred to as Legacy Hornets, for the past 34 years. Super Hornets are about 20 percent larger, faster and more advanced variants of the planes they replace.

GeoSpectrum Technologies, a subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems, announced on June 2 that it was selected to deliver its Long-Range Acoustic Messaging (LRAM) system to a Western customer, marking the company’s latest sale of the long-range underwater communication technology. Nova Scotia, Canada-based GeoSpectrum recently delivered LRAM equipment to the Canadian government. The LRAM system is designed to send acoustically encoded tactical messages from a user-controlled station to a submerged asset such as a submarine. Two-way communication can also be provided.

Lockheed Martin won an $18.7 million contract for the procurement of maintenance and sustainment operations support for the Norway Italy Reprogramming Laboratory systems and consumables in support of the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for the governments of Norway and Italy. The F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter (JSF), is being developed by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company for the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and the UK Royal Navy. The stealthy, supersonic multirole fighter was designated the F-35 Lightning II in July 2006. The JSF is being built in three variants: a conventional take-off and landing aircraft (CTOL) for the US Air Force; a carrier variant (CV) for the US Navy; and a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft for the US Marine Corps and the Royal Navy. Work will take place at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Expected completion will be by December 2022.

The third of nine british P-8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft has been named after the highest scoring pilot in Coastal Command in the Second World War. Poseidon MRA1 tail number ZP803 is currently being completed in the USA and sports the name ‘Terence Bulloch DSO

• DFC* RAF’ in recognition of the pilot who made the greatest number of attacks against submarines in the Battle of the Atlantic. In April this year, the RAF has formally declared Initial Operating Capability for its brand-new P-8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

The Philippine president has suspended his decision to terminate a key defense pact with the United States, at least temporarily avoiding a major blow to one of America’s oldest alliances in Asia. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Tuesday he dispatched a diplomatic note to the US ambassador in Manila informing the US government that the Philippines is delaying its decision to abrogate the Visiting Forces Agreement by at least six months.

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EDA has just launched a new study to evaluate the impact EU regulations on chemicals and waste might have on the wider defence sector. The results are expected to be available by the end of this year. 

The study does not cover the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) nor the CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging) regulations which have already been assessed in an EDA study in 2016 and whose effects on defence equipment have proven to be significant - from design and manufacturing to in-service use, maintenance and disposal. 

In the new study, due to be delivered in December, the focus will be on other EU regulations related to chemicals which may also have an impact on European defence capabilities, such as:

• Biocidal Products (BPR)
• Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP)
• Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)
• Greenhouse Gases (F-GAS)
• Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). 

The study will also look into potential repercussions on defence of the recently revised EU Waste Framework Directive (WFD), and specifically its provision under Article 9 on providing information to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) database on Substances of Concern in articles as such or In complex Products (SCIP), as from 5 January 2021. 

The study will be carried out by a consortium encompassing Milieu Consulting SPRL (consortium leader) and REACHLAW Oy.
 

The aim of the study is to provide detailed information on the impact of those EU legislations on the defence sector and to propose recommendations on how defence stakeholders (Ministries of Defence, Armed Forces, defence industry) could deal with them in a more coherent way. 

As part of the study, the contractor will be conducting consultations with a range of relevant stakeholders, such as the European Commission, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), Member States’ MoDs, Member States’ competent authorities as well as defence industry stakeholders, including the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) as well as National Defence Industry Associations (NDIAs).
 

• REACH (EDA project page) 

Northrop Grumman won a $79.1 million contract modification, which increases the ceiling for the research and development of AH-1Z and UH-1Y system configuration set mission computers in support of the Marine Corps. Efforts include researching alternatives, investigating and documenting new capabilities and anomalies related to avionics and weapons, designing, developing, integrating, verifying, validating and testing upgrades to existing mission computer software and ancillary hardware and/or improved functionality and obsolescence management of the mission computer. This modification also includes the logistics requirements to support the system. The Northrop Grumman mission computers are the heart of the company’s integrated avionics system that powers the glass cockpit avionics of the UH-1Y and AH-1Z helicopters. The mission computer has a ruggedized 6U VME PowerPC-based single board computer. Interfaces include Fast Ethernet, four serial ports, parallel I/O, and built-in-test. FlightPro has a standard partitioned real-time operating system called INTEGRITY-178 tuMP for multicore architectures from Green Hills Software in Santa Barbara, Calif., with ARINC 653 and POSIX support. Work will take place in California, Utah and Maryland. Estimated completion will be by April 2021.

Northrop Grumman is contracted a $7.8 million modification to provide equitable adjustments for engineering change proposals for Increment One Block One (I1B1) Systems low rate initial production in support of the Expeditionary Warfare Program Office. It provide for an equitable adjustment for already completed engineering work for Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Devises Electronic Warfare (CREW) systems that provide combat troops protection against Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Devices (RCIEDs). CREW systems are designed to provide protection for foot soldiers, vehicles and permanent structures. The Joint CREW (JCREW) I1B1 system is the first generation system that develops a common open architecture across all three capabilities and provides protection for worldwide military operations. The modification is issued to ensure JCREW systems are viable for future production and maintain operational readiness for the field. Work will take place in San Diego, California.

IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) successfully completed an operational dual firing trial with the Long-Range Artillery (LORA) Weapon System. The trial was held in the open sea to demonstrate LORA’s capabilities to an IAI customer. “The complex trial included two scenarios to test and demonstrate LORA’s advanced capabilities. The first scenario involved a short-range launch to 90 km and the second to a long range of 400 km,” the company said in a statement. Both targets were accurately hit, it added. Developed by IAI’s MALAM division, the LORA is a surface-to-surface missile that IAI says “provides ballistic assault capabilities for multiple ranges with a precision level of 10 m circular error probable”. The missile can be fitted with a penetration or fragmentation warhead, usually one that weighs more than 200 kg, and uses GPS/inertial navigation system (INS) guidance.

Italian defense firm Leonardo announced that a flight test campaign dedicated to the configuration chosen by Kuwait is proceeding at pace. According to the company, Leonardo ISPA 6 (Instrumented Series Production Aircraft) is the most advanced Eurofighter Typhoon test aircraft with E-SCAN radar and it recently joined the other Typhoon test aircraft after the successful completion of an important lay-up in November last year. ISPA6 has completed the overall P3Eb Flight Test campaign, which represents a significant step forward to allow the delivery of the Eurofighter to the Kuwait Air Force. ISPA 6 is one of the three EF Typhoon test aircraft equipped with the Electronic Scan Radar made by the EuroRadar Consortium, led by Leonardo UK in Edinburgh, and it’s currently allocated to the EF/NETMA P3Eb (Eurofighter Consortium/NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency – Phase 3 Enhancements Package b) development programme to perform E-SCAN Entry Into Service flight tests and provide final clearance to the Kuwait customer.

Taiwan’s new Brave Eagle advanced jet trainer has been spotted making taxi tests at Ching Chuan Kang Air Force Base in Taichung. The jet is expected to fly for the first time this month. Manufactured by AIDC, the AT-5 is scheduled to undergo flight testing at about the time of the Dragon Boat Festival, said a Ministry of National Defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. AIDC plans to deliver 66 AT-5s to the air force by 2026 to replace the AT-3s, which the air force plans to retire.

According to China’s Defense Ministry, the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s only entirely home-built aircraft carrier is performing sea trials to test weapons and equipment as well as enhance training of the crew. Exercises were being conducted as planned, apparently unaffected by the country’s coronavirus outbreak. The Shandong’s commissioning last year by Chinese President Xi Jinping underscored the country’s rise as a regional naval power at a time of tensions with the US and others over trade, Taiwan and the South China Sea. It is the second Chinese aircraft carrier to enter service after the Liaoning, which was originally purchased as a hull from Ukraine and entirely refurbished.

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Northrop Grumman won a $27.6 million contract modification, which provides recurring production and non-recurring engineering in support of the incorporation of beyond line of sight, tactical targeting network technology, navigation warfare and electronic support measures cable modifications into full rate production Lots 7-11 of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The E-2 Hawkeye is an american all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning aircraft. The next-generation E-2D Advanced Hawkeye has a new radar system, theatre missile defense capabilities, multi-sensor integration and a Northrop Grumman Navigation Systems tactical glass cockpit. Work will take place in Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Colorado, California, New York, Maryland, Arizona and various locations within the continental US. Expected completion will be by September 2026.

Lockheed Martin won a $26.8 million contract modification that supports non-recurring engineering efforts to develop and certify a retrofit solution to support the structural requirements for full-up destruction and suppression of enemy air defenses capabilities for Lot 14 and Lot 15 F-35A Lightning II combat aircraft for the Air Force and non-Department of Defense participants. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft. The F-35 Lightning II is a strike fighter aircraft being procured in different versions for the United States Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. Current DOD plans call for acquiring a total of 2,456 F-35s. Allies are expected to purchase hundreds of additional F-35s, and eight nations are cost-sharing partners in the program with the United States. Work will take place in Texas and California. Expected completion by August 2022.

Vectrus Systems is contracted $27.2 million or base operations support (BOS) services at Isa Air Base, Bahrain, and its outlying support sites including the Patriot Battery Site, Riffa, Bahrain. The maximum dollar value, including the base period and seven option periods, is $210,090,820. The BOS services to be performed include general information, management and administration, fire and emergency services, safety, supply, housing (bachelor/unaccompanied housing), force protection, galley, facilities investment, custodial, pest control, integrated solid waste management, grounds maintenance and landscaping, utility management, electrical, wastewater, water, transportation and environmental. Work will take place in Riffa, Bahrain. Estimated completion will be by August 2028.

Rolls-Royce is to supply complete MTU propulsion systems for five new Type 31 general-purpose frigates for the Royal British Navy. The order comprises of 40 engines and generator sets to be used for main propulsion and on-board power generation, the MTU Callosum propulsion control and monitoring system, and Integrated Logistics Support. In September 2021, Rolls-Royce will deliver the first shipset comprising four main propulsion engines and four generator sets to prime contractor Babcock International Group. Integrated Logistics Support for propulsion and onboard power systems will ensure efficient and cost-effective maintenance throughout their entire service life. It is expected that the MTU Callosum propulsion control and monitoring system will be officially added to the supply contract very shortly.

Lockheed Martin won a $37.8 million order, which provides for retrofits from the Generation III, V and VI Mission Computer configuration to the Generation 3i and 5i MC configuration on the MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopter (186 for the Navy, seven for the government of Australia, five for the government of Denmark, and two for the government of Saudi Arabia). MH-60R Seahawk is a multi-mission helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. The rotorcraft replaces the SH-60B and SH-60F helicopters in the US Navy’s fleet and combines the capabilities of these aircraft. The MH-60R is also referred to as ‘Romeo’. The helo is equipped for a range of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search-and-rescue, naval gunfire support, surveillance, communications relay, logistics support and personnel transfer, and vertical replenishment. Work will take place in New York and Florida. Estimated completion date is in May, 2023.

JoongAng Ilbo has found out that the recent equipment upgrades at the THAAD site in Seongju, South Korea was to allow its AN/TPY-2 radar to guide PAC-3 interceptors launched remotely. The South Korean government had said the upgrading exercise was merely to replace old THAAD missiles with new ones. With the upgrade, 100 Patriot launchers in South Korea can be directed by the THAAD’s radar. It was reported a few days ago that the United States Forces Korea have shipped a new batch of THAAD interceptors to the site at Seongju on May 28. These missiles are of the same type as existing ones which require replacement as the internal components are expiring soon. The operation took nearly one day and ended on Friday. Usually, parts were flown in but this time, the equipment were too heavy to be airlifted. The THAAD site in South Korea has six launchers with eight interceptors each.

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Digiflight won an $18.2 million contract modification for programmatic support services for the Apache attack helicopter project office. Digiflight Incorporated provides information technology services. The Company offers material solution analysis, production and deployment, technology development, updating legacy technology, engineering, operations, cyber security, and support services. The firm serves government and commercial sectors in the States of Maryland and Alabama. The Apache attack helicopter was developed by Boeing for the US armed forces. It entered service with the US Army in 1984 and has been exported to Egypt, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the UK. Work will take place in Columbia, Maryland. Estimated completion date is November 30, 2021.

The US Northern Command announced an Atlantic Ocean exercise involving four other combatant commands and led by the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group. The unprecedented, large-scale exercise involves homeland defense operations and the involvement of the US Northern Command, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the US Transportation Command, the US Strategic Command and the US Space Command. With Canadian fighter planes also participating, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, is also involved. The exercise, which started Friday, is the first time that four US combatant commands have worked together in a military exercise.

General Dynamics Land Systems won a $7.7 million contract modification to provide logistics support and training services to the Iraqi Army. Fiscal 2010 Iraq train and equip (Army) funds in the full amount were obligated at the time of the award. The US Army Contracting Command is the contracting activity. Work will take place in Taji, Iraq, with an estimated completion date of December 31, 2020.

The Russian Armed Forces received their first Koalitsiya-SV 152 mm self-propelled howitzer, TASS reported. The report added that the vehicle’s trials are expected to be concluded in 2022, a significant revision of the original timelines various Russian sources reported when the vehicle first emerged in 2015. Russia’s Central Military District reported on the Ministry of Defense website that it had received eight 2S35s, which would be distributed among the Russian Ground Forces. The vehicles are fitted with the 6S21 remote-controlled turret carrying a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun.

Northrop Grumman won a $12.6 million contract modification for initial aircraft spares to assist in sustainment purposes of the Global Hawk in the Republic of Korea. 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. The South Korean Air Force had receives its second Global Hawk high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance drone in April. Work will take place in San Diego, California. Estimated completion date is May 30, 2022.

Officials from Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture are recommending to the governor that the civilian side of Hyakuri Air Base, Ibaraki Airport, be nicknamed as Tokyo Ibaraki International Airport. The committee argued that adding Tokyo to the airport’s name will help boost its awareness overseas. The governor is expected to make a decision this month, so far, the name has been used in overseas marketing material.

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Sikorsky won a $17.9 million contract modification, which provides logistics, program management, training, configuration management and sustaining engineering support for the H-53K system demonstration and test article aircraft. This modification includes pre-initial operational test and evaluation scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and software updates as well as product support packages, repair of repairable analysis and identification and interim supply support provisioning. Additionally, various pieces of peculiar support equipment and common support equipment may be identified and procured under this modification. The Sikorsky CH-53 Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopter first flew in 1974 and entered service with the US Marine Corps in 1981. A total of 172 Super Stallions have been delivered and 165 are in service with marine corps squadrons in the Pacific Fleet and in the Atlantic Fleet.

Thomas Instrument won a $25.3 million contract for remanufacture of B-1B left/right-hand hydraulic heat exchanger. The B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is also called the “Bone” (from “B-One”). It is one of three strategic bomber in the USAF as of 2020, the other two being the B-2 Spirit and the B-52 Stratofortress. Work will take place in Brookshire, Texas. Expected completion date is September 21, 2025.

Kellogg Brown and Root Services won a $9.9 million modification for the exercise of bridge Option Two under an IDIQ contract for base operations support services at Isa Air Base, Kingdom of Bahrain. Work provides for but is not limited to all management, supervision, tools, materials, supplies, labor and transportation services necessary to perform galley services, bachelor quarters and laundry services, facility management, emergency service requests, urgent service, routing service, facilities investment, custodial, pest control service, integrated solid waste, grounds maintenance, wastewater, operate reverse osmosis water treatment system and base support vehicles, environmental, fire emergency services and explosive safety officer services. Work will take place at Isa Air Base, Kingdom of Bahrain. Estimated completion date will be by August, 2020.

The US State Department has approved a possible $1.4 billion sale of Patriot air and missile defense system components and upgrades to Kuwait, the Pentagon said on Thursday after notifying Congress of the certification. The three packages, announced on the website of the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, include $425 million for sustainment and technical assistance, $200 million for a repair and return program, and $800 million for 84 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) missile segment enhancements. Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies are the main contractors for the radars, launchers and interceptors that comprise the Patriot system. The notification process alerts Congress that a sale to a foreign country has been approved, but it does not indicate that a contract has been signed or negotiations have concluded.

The Russian government has renegotiated its contract with Aviastar for the production of the Il-76MD-90A cargo jet, Kommersant reports. The newspaper said the new contract till run from 2021 to 2027 for 14 aircraft to be deliver at two per year. The original contract was signed in 2012 for 39 aircraft. So far, only six have been delivered and seven more planes will be delivered under the old agreement. The article said the plant was making a loss of $14.5 million per manufactured aircraft. The first contract was negotiated under specifications set by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, however, the planes were later required to be built under Ministry of Defense’s requirements.

United States Forces Korea has shipped a new batch of THAAD interceptors to the site at Seongju on May 28. These missiles are of the same type as existing ones which require replacement as the internal components are expiring soon. The operation took nearly one day and ended on Friday. Usually, parts were flown in but this time, the equipment were too heavy to be airlifted. The THAAD site in South Korea has six launchers with eight interceptors each.

Watch: RUSSIAN KNYAZ VLADIMIR SUBMARINE HEADS FOR SEA TRAIL – WILL BE DEPLOYED SOON !

Boeing won a $7.6 million contract modification to provide generator feeder fault protection for the Apache helicopter. The Apache attack helicopter was developed by Boeing for the US Armed Forces. It entered service with the US Army in 1984 and has been exported to Egypt, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the UK. Work under the modification will take place in Mesa, Arizona. Estimates completion date its December 31, 2024. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Ophir Corp. won an $11.3 million contract for repair of the B-2 pilot alert assembly and laser energy monitor. The B-2 Spirit is a low-observable, strategic, long-range, heavy bomber capable of penetrating sophisticated and dense air-defense shields. It is capable of all-altitude attack missions up to 50,000ft, with a range of more than 6,000nm unrefueled and over 10,000nm with one refueling, giving it the ability to fly to any point in the world within hours. The cockpit accommodates two crew members. It is equipped with a color, nine-tube, electronic flight instrumentation system (EFIS), which displays flight, engine and sensor data and avionics systems and weapons status. Work will take place in Littleton, Colorado. Expected completion date is May 25, 2025.

The Belgian government will decide by July whether to send four F-16s to Jordan in October to support Operation Inherent Resolve. The F-16s would be deployed in Jordan for a year, starting in October, along with 95 soldiers, as part of the international operation “Inherent Resolve” to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The deployment would be the third of its kind for Belgium. Operation Inherent Resolve is the US military’s operational name for the military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Lockheed Martin is contracted $13.2 million for modernized target acquisition sight/pilot night vision sensor refurbishment. According to Lockheed, the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) is a long-range, precision engagement and pilotage solution for day, night and adverse weather missions. Fiscal 2010, 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Army); and 2010 Foreign Military Sales (United Kingdom) funds in the amount of $13,210,610 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will take place in Orlando, Floria. Estimated completion date is May 31, 2022.

EXP Federal won a $25 million contract for architect and engineering services for construction and renovation project in the Republic of Korea. EXP Federal provides engineering design, construction management, interior, landscape, urban design, surveying, and master planning services. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is November 24, 2023. US Army Corps of Engineers, Far East District, is the contracting activity.

Taiwan’s deputy defense minister Chang Zhe-Ping has confirmed to legislators that Taipei has decided to acquire the coastal road-mobile variant of the Boeing Harpoon Block II missile. Chang said the missiles should enter service with the Navy’s Hai Feng squadron in 2023. When asked, why the country chose to buy the American weapon when the existing Hsiung Feng II & III missiles are already in service, Chang clarified that studies showed that more missiles are required to destroy 50 percent of the invading force from China. This can only be achieve rapidly by buying new missiles from abroad.

Watch: The Eurofighter Typhoon Isn’t Stealthy—But F-22 Pilots Like It

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics won a $16 million deal, which procures support to manage diminishing manufacturing sources in support of the F-35 program for the Air Force, Navy and non-Department of Defense participants. The F-35 program has been supported by an international team of leading aerospace majors. Notably, Northrop Grumman NOC rendered its expertise in carrier aircraft and low-observable stealth technology to this program. BAE Systems’ BAESY short takeoff and vertical landing experience, and air systems sustainment supported the jet’s combat capabilities. These features have enabled F-35 jet to dominate the combat aircraft market buoyed by solid demand as evident from the program’s frequent contract wins, both from Pentagon and other US allies. For instance, this January, Lockheed clinched a reimbursable contract worth $1.93 billion for providing a consortium of services involving the F-35 program. Work under the new cost-plus-fixed-fee order will take place in Fort Worth, Texas. Estimated completion will be by June 2020.

The Department of Defense will lift the stop-movement order it issued earlier this spring in stages rather than keeping it in place through June 30. Officials announced this shift on May 26. Under this, some installation will be able to accept transfers immediately, according to Matt Donovan, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness. Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper had issued the order on travel in March and extended it in April. Moving forward, individual installations will be able to lift travel and moving restrictions depending on local conditions, Donovan said. Troops, families and other DoD personnel will now be able to travel within the United States and some other countries provided their destinations have removed shelter-in-place orders and shown a 14-day reduction in the number of COVID-19 cases, as well as reports of flu-like or COVID-like symptoms.

Israel’s Elbit Systems reported its consolidated results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. The company provided US-GAAP results as well as additional non-GAAP financial data to provide investors with a more comprehensive understanding of the company’s business results and trends. Bezhalel Machlis, president and CEO of Elbit Systems, commented: “In the first quarter, we witnessed positive momentum across our markets, receiving more than $1.8 billion in orders from customers around the world. These orders contributed to a record backlog of $10.8 billion, growing by 8% over the last quarter of 2019, and providing Elbit Systems with good revenue visibility.” He also mentioned the current pandemic: „As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, since March we have made significant changes to the way we work in order to protect the health and safety of our employees around the world, while at the same time maintaining business continuity in order to deliver our products and services to our customers as planned. This includes utilizing our healthy balance sheet to secure our supply channels and maintaining adequate levels of inventory to enable us to continue deliveries to customers“. Elbit’s net income totalled $63.5 million in the quarter ending on 31 March, up 25% from the same period last year. Increased sales of military aircraft equipment and last year’s acquisition of the Harris Night Vision business from L3Harris Technologies lifted Elbit Systems’ revenue by 5% to $1.1 billion in the first quarter of 2020

A US Navy P-8A flying in the Eastern Mediterranean on May 26 was intercepted by two Russian Su-35 fighters. The intercept was deemed unsafe by the Americans as the two fighters were flying close underneath the wings of the maritime patrol aircraft. Russian pilots flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner while intercepting a US Navy P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea, US 6th Fleet said. The intercept the third such incident in two months, Navy officials said. The US Navy P-8A was flying over international waters in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea when it was intercepted by two armed Russian Sukhoi Su-35 aircraft. For 65 minutes, the Russian pilots simultaneously flew close to each wing of the P-8A, restricting the P-8A’s ability to safely maneuver, according to a Navy statement.

Indra will enhance the ground-based air defense capabilities of the Spanish Air Force with a radar modernization contract received on May 27. The Ministry of Defense deal will see the company update the identification, friend or foe (IFF) systems of its Lanza 3D ground-based radars, as used by the EdAE’s aerial surveillance squadrons. “With this upgrade, the systems will comply with the most recent NATO interoperability standards, which will soon be mandatory for military aircraft and ground systems,” Indra said, adding, “These are systems capable of interrogating an aircraft over 470 km away to identify it, and determine whether or not it is a threat.” According to the company, its contract with the Spanish MoD will run for three-and-a-half years, and comes with the associated logistic support in the EdAE’s EVAs and in the Logistic Transmissions Center (CLOTRA, in Spanish). This ensures that the systems will be operational throughout their life-cycle of at least 15 years.

A report by Korean Herald says Indonesia has failed to make its annual payment for the development of the KF-X fighter. The country was supposed to pay $405 million last month. Indonesia is responsible for 20 percent of the plane’s development cost and it has been delaying payments for a few years. Korea Aerospace Industries, the country’s only aircraft manufacturer, is currently co-developing next-generation fighters with Indonesia. Launched in 2016, the KF-X project aims to develop a next-generation fighter jet and mass-produce 180 units by 2026.

Watch: GETTING READY – AMERICA’S ‘SUPER DUPER MISSILE’ WILL TAKE ON RUSSIA & CHINA !

I wrote a piece on the CSTO and the Warsaw Pact for Russia Matters. Here’s a preview. You can read the whole article here.

This month 65 years ago, the Soviet Union announced the formation of the Warsaw Pact. For the next three and a half decades, the pact remained the security alliance of the Communist world, designed to counter NATO in Europe, before becoming defunct in 1991. Almost immediately, however, post-Soviet Russia laid out a new collective defense organization. Officially known as the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), that post-Soviet pact has proved to be no match for the Warsaw Pact. Neither CSTO nor the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the other collective security pact of which Russia is a member, pose a real threat to the U.S. and its allies above and beyond the threat posed by their individual member states.

The Warsaw Pact was formally founded on May 14, 1955, as Moscow’s answer to the integration of West Germany into NATO. Its members included the Soviet Union and its East European satellite states: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland and Romania. Albania was initially a member, but withdrew in the 1960s after siding with China during the Sino-Soviet split. The pact obligated member states to mutual defense, allowed for member states to station troops on each other’s territory and set up a unified military command under Soviet control. During the 35 years of its existence, the pact only undertook one operation as an organization—the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia, though Hungary’s withdrawal from the pact in 1956 was one of the proximate causes of the Soviet invasion of that country. Both of these actions were practical applications of the Brezhnev Doctrine, which justified intervention in any socialist state if socialist rule was considered to be under external or internal threat. The pact’s dissolution in July 1991 was a key signal that the Soviet Union’s hold on Eastern Europe had been broken and that the Cold War was truly over.

After the subsequent breakup of the Soviet Union, leaders of several of the newly independent states signed a new collective security treaty. Although the treaty was signed in 1992, no practical actions were taken until the early 2000s, when six states formed a new organization on its basis, imaginatively called the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Through this new organization, the member states sought to enhance the existing treaty’s mutual security commitments to develop a standing organization that enhanced security cooperation through regular exercises, while aspiring to further integration including an eventual joint command structure. However, the organization was largely moribund for several years after its founding. Although it became more active in the last decade, organizing regular and increasingly frequent military exercises since 2012, it still does little more than provide a venue for cooperation among the military forces of its member states.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Smart textiles are a new generation of innovative material offering very interesting multifunctional properties such as being integrable into uniforms and platforms. They therefore have drawn the attention of the defence sector.   

Against this backdrop, EDA has incorporated smart textiles into the so-called Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) of its capability technology group (’CapTech’) devoted to Materials & Structures, and a specific Technology Building Block (TBB) was set up for them. Furthermore, other EDA CapTechs, such as those dealing with CBRN, Human Factors and Ground Systems, have taken initiatives related to smart textiles.  
 

In January 2019, EDA launched a project on “Smart TextILEs in defence: looking at the soldiers of the future” with two participating Member States, Spain and Portugal. The practical implementation of this project, called STILE, was assigned to a consortium led by the Spanish research institute AITEX, in collaboration with two Portuguese organisations, CITEVE and INEGI. 

The objective of STILE is to lay the foundation for a future ‘European Multifunctional Smart Textile’ for defence able to respond to a certain number of requirements in terms of functionality, integration, comfort and weight. More precisely, it was aimed to define a roadmap for developing a system offering several functionalities in a textile substrate, and to come up with a proof of concept that integrates various functionalities with state-of-the-art technologies.
 

The initial analysis undertaken under the project confirmed that Europe lacks multifunctional smart textile capabilities in defence. Hence the importance for the STILE project to produce a proof of concept of multifunctional smart textiles able to integrate in a single model all the afore-mentioned features and requirements.  

Preliminary results of the project give already an overview of the current R&T development and technology needs as well as the challenges laying ahead to overcome those needs. The methodology used was based on the technical knowledge of the consortium members and the collection of data coming from multiple sources, including a technology foresight workshop on smart textile technologies organised at EDA, a survey done among the Agency’s ‘Materials’ CapTech experts as well as various meetings with experts.
 

A medium to long-term technology roadmap was established with a set of actions required to develop an innovative smart textile for future defence applications, including the incorporation of modern design and development methodology by the textile industry. For this purpose, two simulation models were developed to evaluate the main concepts regarding the thermal protection capacity of the garment and the thermal signature under different ambient conditions.  
 

As a first step of the roadmap, a multifunctional smart textile prototype - the first of this type and quality in Europe - was produced with the following functions (each of them tested):  

• signature management: the textile has multispectral camouflage in both static and moving positions 

• CBR threats monitoring: the smart textile detects the presence of hazardous agents (e.g. H2S, NO2, Cl2) and provides warning to the soldier 

• improved mobility, using various textile structures as well as seamless technology in body mapping concept 

• flame retardancy, water and dirt repellence and anti-mosquito solutions 

• physiological monitoring: the smart textile measures the heart rate and provide info to the soldier 

• temperature regulation (cooling and heating): the smart textile is able to control the body temperature through monitoring of the ambient temperature 

• communication: the smart textile provides all parameters, such as the heart rate, to the soldier via an app in the smartphone, embedded in the system. In addition, the data can be transferred to the operating centre, if needed. 
   

From June 2020 onwards, the STILE prototype will be further tested in the field to make sure that it fulfills the stringent military requirements. At the end of the project (expected in May 2021) an exhibition centre will be organized to reveal the fully tested STILE model to the European defence and dual use community, reaching out the potential users in the European Ministries of Defence. 

Smart textiles are a new generation of innovative material offering very interesting multifunctional properties such as being integrable into uniforms and platforms. They therefore have drawn the attention of the defence sector.   

Against this backdrop, EDA has incorporated smart textiles into the so-called Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) of its capability technology group (’CapTech’) devoted to Materials & Structures, and a specific Technology Building Block (TBB) was set up for them. Furthermore, other EDA CapTechs, such as those dealing with CBRN, Human Factors and Ground Systems, have taken initiatives related to smart textiles.  
 

In January 2019, EDA launched a project on “Smart TextILEs in defence: looking at the soldiers of the future” with two participating Member States, Spain and Portugal. The practical implementation of this project, called STILE, was assigned to a consortium led by the Spanish research institute AITEX, in collaboration with two Portuguese organisations, CITEVE and INEGI. 

The objective of STILE is to lay the foundation for a future ‘European Multifunctional Smart Textile’ for defence able to respond to a certain number of requirements in terms of functionality, integration, comfort and weight. More precisely, it was aimed to define a roadmap for developing a system offering several functionalities in a textile substrate, and to come up with a proof of concept that integrates various functionalities with state-of-the-art technologies.
 

The initial analysis undertaken under the project confirmed that Europe lacks multifunctional smart textile capabilities in defence. Hence the importance for the STILE project to produce a proof of concept of multifunctional smart textiles able to integrate in a single model all the afore-mentioned features and requirements.  

Preliminary results of the project give already an overview of the current R&T development and technology needs as well as the challenges laying ahead to overcome those needs. The methodology used was based on the technical knowledge of the consortium members and the collection of data coming from multiple sources, including a technology foresight workshop on smart textile technologies organised at EDA, a survey done among the Agency’s ‘Materials’ CapTech experts as well as various meetings with experts.
 

A medium to long-term technology roadmap was established with a set of actions required to develop an innovative smart textile for future defence applications, including the incorporation of modern design and development methodology by the textile industry. For this purpose, two simulation models were developed to evaluate the main concepts regarding the thermal protection capacity of the garment and the thermal signature under different ambient conditions.  
 

As a first step of the roadmap, a multifunctional smart textile prototype - the first of this type and quality in Europe - was produced with the following functions (each of them tested):  

• signature management: the textile has multispectral camouflage in both static and moving positions 

• CBR threats monitoring: the smart textile detects the presence of hazardous agents (e.g. H2S, NO2, Cl2) and provides warning to the soldier 

• improved mobility, using various textile structures as well as seamless technology in body mapping concept 

• flame retardancy, water and dirt repellence and anti-mosquito solutions 

• physiological monitoring: the smart textile measures the heart rate and provide info to the soldier 

• temperature regulation (cooling and heating): the smart textile is able to control the body temperature through monitoring of the ambient temperature 

• communication: the smart textile provides all parameters, such as the heart rate, to the soldier via an app in the smartphone, embedded in the system. In addition, the data can be transferred to the operating centre, if needed. 
   

From June 2020 onwards, the STILE prototype will be further tested in the field to make sure that it fulfills the stringent military requirements. At the end of the project (expected in May 2021) an exhibition centre will be organized to reveal the fully tested STILE model to the European defence and dual use community, reaching out the potential users in the European Ministries of Defence. 

The Air Force announced that it has removed the minimum height requirement for officer applicants who wish to fly. According to service, the change, which took effect May 13, is part of an effort to encourage a more diverse pool of applicants to pursue careers in aviation. “We’re really focused on identifying and eliminating barriers to serve in the Air Force,” said Gwendolyn DeFilippi, assistant deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services. DeFilippi, who chairs the Department of the Air Force Barrier Analysis Working Group, explained, “This is a huge win, especially for women and minorities of smaller stature who previously may have assumed they weren’t qualified to join our team.” Under the pervious Medical Standards Directory requirement, an individual who wanted to become a pilot had to have a standing height between 5’4″ and 6’5″ and have a sitting height between 34 and 40 inches. The previous height screening criteria eliminated about 44 percent of American women between the age of 20 and 29, the Air Force said.

The US Space Force requested flexibility from Congress to purchase and use satellites, saying it needs more agility to keep pace with adversaries. A 23-page report to Congress from the US Air Force, the current parent of the Space Force, explains an “alternative acquisition system” for the Space Force. The report, released this week, envisions an overhaul of the tools needed to acquire new space hardware, with less reporting to Congress, allowing it to operate with more agility in the face of completion from other countries. Congress mandated a retooling of the Space Force acquisition system when it created the new branch of the military in December.

US Africa Command issued a statement on the recent deployment of Russian fighters to Libya. It has also made available images of those Russian aircraft, which had their markings removed to hide their Russian origin. The press release disclosed that the jets had transited in Syria. Besides MiG-29s, there were also photos of Su-24, Su-34 and Su-35 fighters available for download. “Russia is clearly trying to tip the scales in its favor in Libya. Just like I saw them doing in Syria, they are expanding their military footprint in Africa using government-supported mercenary groups like Wagner,” said US Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, US Africa Command. “For too long, Russia has denied the full extent of its involvement in the ongoing Libyan conflict. Well, there is no denying it now. We watched as Russia flew fourth generation jet fighters to Libya, every step of the way. Neither the LNA nor private military companies can arm, operate and sustain these fighters without state support – support they are getting from Russia.”

The UK Royal Navy completed a series of live firing trials of the new Martlet lightweight precision strike missile from a Wildcat HMA2 helicopter. Undertaken at the UK Ministry of Defense Aberporth Range on the west coast of Wales, the firings, which were conducted as part of the UK’s Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapon program, demonstrated the integration of the Martlet system onto the Wildcat platform ahead of service entry. The system is due to enter service with the RN in January 2021, according to the Defense Equipment Plan 2019 financial summary released in February 2020.

South Korea’s Maritime Operation Helicopter (MOH) batch-2 competition has run into a roadblock as the current pandemic prevents South Korean military officials from traveling to Italy and United States to evaluate the bids. Italy’s Leonardo is hoping to secure another order for its Wildcat helicopter while Lockheed Martin entered the race late by offering the MH-60R. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the South Korean agency handling the tender, said negotiations were continuing.

China’s AVIC says its AG600 amphibious airplane will be making its first amphibious take off from sea surface in the second half of this year. The milestone flight is expected to take place off Qingdao. The aircraft first flew in December 2017 and made a water take off and landing on October 20, 2018 from a reservoir. The AVIC develops the AG600 to meet the needs of China’s emergency rescue and natural disaster prevention and control.

Watch: JAPAN SANCTIONS BIGGEST DEFENSE BUDGET EVER ! 3 WAYS IT PLANS TO TAKE ON THE CHINESE MILITARY

The Commemorative Air Force Inland Empire Wing planned a massive 17-aircraft flyover of Los Angeles on May 25 to mark Memorial Day and salute COVID-19 essential workers. The Air Force honors both veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice and healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis with the flyover Monday.

The US Navy completed its investigation into the fatal crash of a VFA-151 F/A-18E which killed the pilot on July 31, 2019. Lt. Cmdr. Charles Z. Walker was navigating through the Star Wars canyon in California’s Death Valley National Park when his jet slammed into a wall not far from seven French tourists. The report stated that the “flight profile created conditions where the processing time and subsequent reaction time required of the pilot made it difficult for the aircraft to exit the canyon safely.” Walker was not current in low altitude training and he was required to fly at least 500 feet above ground level. Investigators also did not find evidence that Walker was flying at a low altitude for thrills. All seven French tourists suffered burns from the fire started by the crash.

South African state defense firm Denel recently said it could not pay salaries for May and wages for June and July were at risk, highlighting the gravity of its financial position. Despite a slight easing of South Africa’s lockdown restrictions this month, Denel is running a reduced operation. The company is one of a number of struggling state enterprises the government has been keeping afloat with bailouts but are now being battered by the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Denel Chief Executive Danie du Toit said in a separate statement the company was in ongoing conversations with the government “to find solutions to the current crisis.”

The Royal Air Force’s 617 Squadron, the Dambusters, are preparing to deploy aboard aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth next time. Squadron personnel as well as Lightning Team UK members are getting ready to go into isolation so that they will not pass COVID-19 to sailors aboard the warship. The preparation to deploy has seen a number of added challenges as different processes and measures have been put in place to ensure that members of 617 Squadron and supporting personnel do not pass the coronavirus to the crew of the carrier, which has already had a period of isolation at sea. The squadron and personnel will all be tested for the virus and on confirmation of a negative result will be allowed to enter the quarantine area.

Starting May 25, the Austrian army is conducting a large-scale flight exercise. Eurofighter jets will complete daily supersonic test flights for almost two weeks. From May 25th to June 5th, the Eurofighter pilots of the Austrian Armed Forces will train supersonic intercept maneuvers. Two supersonic flights per day are scheduled between 8am and 4pm, Monday through Friday. According to the army, the purpose of the training is „the close and time-critical coordination between military pilots, radar control officers and military and civil air traffic control. Furthermore, the pilots train under real physical stress, which cannot be simulated. The training is indispensable for a working Austrian airspace surveillance. It serves to continue to ensure safe flight operations in all cases.”

According to Defense News, the Indian Air Force is overhauling its plan to induct 114 medium-weight multirole fighters. Reportedly, a senior service official said the aircraft will be built in India with significant foreign technology transfer and no foreign procurement. The effort will cost about $17 billion under the Make in India economic policy. The multirole fighters will be manufactured by domestic private defense companies with one of the original equipment manufacturers approved by the government. The process for selecting contractors is yet to begin, but a Ministry of Defense official said the businesses will be selected within three years.

Watch: Super Hornet vs Eurofighter | Best of Aviation

Boeing again won a $13.2 million modification to exercise options in support of the AN/USQ-82(V) program for DDG-51 class new construction, DDG-51 Class modernization, operations and maintenance, research and development and Foreign Military Sales (FMS). AN/USQ-82(V) program is a control system network. Its purpose is to transfer mission critical data to and from users associated with combat, navigation, aviation, power, propulsion, steering, damage control systems and alarms and indicating. DDG 51 Arleigh Burke destroyers are warships that provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. Destroyers can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups, and underway replenishment groups. Work will take place in Huntington Beach, California. Estimated completion will by May 2021.

Austal USA won an $8.2 million contract modification for Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) industrial post-delivery support for LCS 26. Austal USA will provide shipboard support to implement approved engineering change proposals, approved government-responsible deficiencies identified during test and trials, crew-related activities and preventative maintenance. Austal will also provide program management support and logistics support for technical documentation affected by the work performed. LCS 26 will be an Independence Class LCS. Work will take place in Mobile, Alabama and Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Estimated completion will be by March 2021.

Morocco will acquire missiles and missile defense systems from the defense industry consortium MBDA France, the Moroccan defense ministry said on Wednesday. Government approval of the contract came after Morocco received a $211 million loan in February from the French banking group BNP Paribas. France supplies about 44 percent of Morocco’s weapons needs, the United States supplies most of the rest, and relations between France and Morocco, a French colony until 1956, have long been cordial. The missiles, to be manufactured by Boeing will be used on Morocco’s F-16 fighter planes to enhance its capabilities in effective defense of critical sea lanes.

For the first time, the B-1B has flown over Sweden. The milestone occurred on May 20 when a pair from the 28th Bomb Wing flew to the Nordic Region. Aerial refueling support from a KC-135 from the 100th Air Refueling Wing and a Dutch KC-10 allowed the bombers to make the trip without stopping. The B-1s were also escorted by Typhoon fighters from the Royal Air Force as they flew over the United Kingdom. And they flew tactical sorties with Norwegian F-35s, and flew a low approach over Ørland Air Station, the home of Norway’s F-35 fleet.

According to Flight Global, Boeing named STS Aviation Services as its conversion partner for the Royal Air Force’s future fleet of five 737NG-based E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft, after Marshall Aerospace and Defense Group withdrew from the project. Marshall had signed a contract for preparatory work with Boeing in July 2019 to support risk-reduction activities, ahead of modification work converting 737 Next Generation commercial airframes to the E-7 military standard. This was initially set to take place at Marshall’s Cambridge facilities in early 2021. However, it will now play no further part in those planned developments. Boeing said the narrowbodies will be prepared for military service using a hangar at Birmingham airport which was previously occupied by Monarch Aircraft Engineering (MAEL). Following the first aircraft’s arrival at the STS conversion site next January, Boeing expects to be able to start deliveries to the RAF in 2023. Extensive updates will include adding a Northrop Grumman Mesa radar atop the single-aisle’s fuselage, integrating work stations for 10 onboard mission system operators, and installing self-protection equipment.

The State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States TECRO of 18 MK-48 Mod6 Advanced Technology (AT) Heavy Weight Torpedoes (HWT) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $180 million. TECRO had requested to buy eighteen MK-48 Mod6 Advanced Technology (AT) Heavy Weight Torpedoes (HWT). Also included are spare parts, support and test equipment, shipping and shipping containers, operator manuals, technical documentation, training, US Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics support. According to the DSCA, the proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region.

Watch: Defense security news TV weekly navy army air forces industry military equipment May 2020 Episode 2

Viasat and Data Link Solutions each won a $998.8 million deal for the production, retrofits, development and sustainment of the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Joint Tactical Radio Systems (JTRS) terminals.  Currently, there are three variants of MIDS JTRS terminals:  the Concurrent Multi-Netting-4, the Tactical Targeting Network Technology and the F-22 variant. The MIDS JTRS terminal is a line-of-sight radio system for collecting and transmitting broadband, jam-resistant, secure data and voice across a variety of air, sea and ground platforms. These terminals will continue to be procured, sustained and updated for future growth, including JTRS advanced networking waveforms such as:  multifunction advanced data link, intra-flight data link and other advanced networking waveforms. The MIDS JTRS terminals make use of high-speed jam-resistant Link-16 tactical data exchange network. The Link 16 allows for real-time transfer of combat data, voice communications, imagery, and relative navigation information between dispersed battle elements, using data encryption and frequency hopping to maintain secure communications. The system facilitates the exchange of data over a common communication link, allowing participants to obtain and share situational awareness information and interoperate within the battlespace. Viasat will perform work in Carlsbad, California. Data Link Solution will perform work in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Expected completion is by May 2025.

The Air Force announced that its Nuclear Weapons Center is breaking up the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Systems Directorate into two new directorate teams: the Minuteman III Systems Directorate and the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, or GBSD, Systems Directorate. “This restructuring is a natural progression of the Air Force’s increasing focus on the modernization of the ICBM, the third leg of our strategic nuclear triad,” said Maj. Gen. Shaun Morris, AFNWC commander and Air Force program executive officer for strategic systems. The NWC synchronizes all aspects of nuclear materiel management on behalf of Air Force Materiel Command in support of Air Force Global Strike Command, with more than 1,300 personnel assigned to 18 locations around the world. The Minuteman III Systems Directorate will be led by Col. Luke Cropsey, currently the ICBM Systems director. The GBSD Systems Directorate will be led by Col. Jason Bartolomei, who is currently the system program manager for GBSD and will continue to serve in that role.

Elbit Subsidiary Cyberbit won a $70 Million Investment from US firm Charlesbank Capital. The investment is seen as recognition of Cyberbit’s leading market position and the growth potential of the company’s platform that provides training on how to effectively mitigate cyberattacks and improve team performance. As a result of the investment and sale of equity holdings, Elbit Systems became a minority shareholder in Cyberbit. Claridge Israel L.P., an existing shareholder of Cuberbit, which invested $30 million in Cyberbit in June 2018, also participated in this round of investment. The Cyberbit Range product is said to deliver a hyper-realistic experience that replicates a real-world cyberattack by immersing trainees in a virtual security operations center, where they use commercial security tools to respond to live, simulated attacks. The platform delivers over 100,000 training sessions annually on 5 continents.

France’s Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly disclosed that the replacement for aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will start sea trials in 2036 and enter service in 2038. The ship will be built at Saint-Nazaire. Parly was there for the steel cutting ceremony for new replenishment ships for the French Navy. The characteristics of the future successor to the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier have not yet been defined. “Let’s not limit our horizon or our imagination. We must not re-do the identical but seek the most ingenious, the most useful and the most effective capacities. Let us make this aircraft carrier a real forward base for our navy”, asked Minister Florence Parly at the last Euronaval exhibition. It however seems accepted that this future aircraft carrier could be more imposing than the current Charles-de-Gaulle.

Lithuanian, German and Norwegian Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) carried out training with Royal Air Force Eurofighters and Spanish F/A-18s at Kazl? R?da training ground on May 11. The German and Norwegian JTACs are part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup in Lithuania. The British and Spanish air force contingents operate from Šiauliai Air Base and help guard the skies over the Baltic region as part of NATO’s Air Policing mission. NATO’s battlegroup in Lithuania is composed of around 1,200 personnel from Germany, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Iceland, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Norway. The battlegroup is part of the biggest reinforcement of the Alliance’s collective defense in a generation.

India announced Saturday that global companies can now invest up to 74 percent in the country’s defense manufacturing units, up from 49 percent, without requiring any government approval. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expressed hope that the new policy will attract foreign companies with high-end technologies to set up their manufacturing bases in India in collaboration with Indian companies. Sitharaman’s announcement came as part of reforms Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is implementing to revive India’s economy, which has been shattered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Watch: Indian Defence Updates : 114 Rafale Confirmed,BrahMos To Indonesia,1st Dhruv-MK3 Test,150 Micro RPAS