Defense`s Feeds

Americas

Rolls-Royce won a $21.8 million contract modification, which exercises an option to provide depot repair of T56-A-427 engines utilized on E-2 Hawkeye aircraft, to include repair of the power section, torque meter, gearbox and accessories in accordance with Navy depot manuals and approved repair practices. The Hawkeye is an s an American all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft. Work will take place in Texas, Canada and Indiana. Expected completion date is January 2022.

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford completed Combat Systems Ship’s Qualifications Trials, a milestone in validating its defenses, the US Navy said. The five-phase trials began in February in the Atlantic Ocean, and followed an assortment of post-delivery tests and trials performed since the vessel’s 2017 commissioning. The CQSST, which wrapped up earlier this month, is a test of safe and effective use of the ship’s firepower and defenses, according to the Navy.

Middle East & Africa

Turkish Aerospace Industries found an export customer for its armed Hürku?-C single-engine, turboprop aircraft. This was disclosed by TAI General Manager Temel Kotil to private broadcaster CNN Türk. A total of 12 aircraft will be sold but the contract has not been signed yet.

A news release from NAVIR’s Air-to-Air Missiles Program Office (PMA-259) International Programs team disclosed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had “finalized an agreement with the US this March to procure the F-35.” The country also requested to buy additional AIM-9X missiles for its F-35 fleet.

Europe

According to a press release from the British government says ships from the UK Carrier Strike Group will “participate in Exercise Bersama Lima to mark the 50th anniversary of the Five Powers Defence Agreement between Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.” Exercise Bersama Lima is held yearly in October each year, naval vessels usually deploy to South China Sea off Malaysia for the war game. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told lawmakers that all Royal Navy sailors will be Covid vaccinated and will have received two Covid-19 jabs by the time the group reaches the Mediterranean.

Asia-Pacific

The South Korean government has given the green light to proceed with the development for an armed variant of the MUH-1 Marineon helicopter. The indigenous rotorcraft is made by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The MUH-1 is based on the KUH-1 Surion with modifications for the South Korean Marine Corps.

Today’s Video

Watch: UK carrier strike group will sail to India on its maiden deployment

Americas

The Canadian government has taken the first step in allocating funds for modernizing the North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD). “This funding will enable the enhancement of all-domain surveillance of our northern approaches and renewed investment in continental defence more broadly,” said the spokesperson for Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan. The US and Canada created NORAD in the 1950s to protect North America from a Soviet nuclear attack. Strings of radars and air bases were built to detect and stop incoming missiles and bombers, and placed under a unique joint command.

All of the 57 active US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers were indefinitely grounded this week after a fuel filter problem was discovered. Gen. Tim Ray, Air Force Global Strike Command chief, ordered the stand down after one B-1 experienced an emergency relating to its augmenter fuel pump filter housing at Ellsworth Air Force Base earlier in April. A large hole was discovered in the plane’s filter housing after it landed, which could cause a pressurized fuel leak and a pilot’s inability to utilize the plane’s afterburners, known as augmented thrust,

Middle East & Africa

According to “Israel Defense”, three F-35 “Adir” stealth fighters landed at the Nevatim base in southern Israel and joined the 116th Squadron, named “the Lions of the South”, the IAF’s second squadron of Adirs. The IAF now has reportedly 27 F-35s. The planes flew to Israel from Lockheed Martin facilities.  As of the beginning of April, 625 F-35s in nine countries had flown 380,000 cumulative flight hours. They operate from 27 bases, with more than 1,300 pilots and more than 10,000 maintainers.

Israel’s Rafael is reportedly on the verge of acquiring Bavarian drone producer EMT, which is in the process of bankruptcy. In response to a question from a Green party lawmaker, the parliamentary state secretary in the Defense Ministry, Thomas Silberhorn, said that Rafael informed Germany’s defense procurement agency BAAINBw that they had an exclusive agreement with the current general representative in the insolvency proceedings to take over the company.

Europe

Three new helicopters join the QinetiQ fleet at MOD Boscombe Down to expand the fleet of aircraft available to customers. Due to achieve initial operating capability this summer, the new aircraft comprise two Agusta A109S Grand helicopters and a Leonardo AW139 helicopter fitted with an integrated Electro-Optical and Infra-Red (EO/IR) camera turret and a modern, complex avionics suite.

Asia-Pacific

Taiwan’s new Brave Eagle advanced jet trainer has been tested at Taitung’s Chihhang air base on April 21. It departed the next day. The AIDC T-5 Brave Eagle (Y?ngy?ng) is a supersonic advanced jet trainer under development by the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) of Taiwan. It has been reported that the aircraft was designed from the beginning to serve dual peacetime training and wartime combat roles. The new jets will start being deployed at the base by the end of the year, with the full order of 66 scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026. The planes will replace the US-built F-5s, which have served Taiwan for some 35 years and have been plagued by fatal accidents.

Today’s Video

Watch: Brave Eagle indigenous advanced jet trainer spotted in Taitung

EUROCONTROL and the European Defence Agency (EDA) have today signed an agreement updating their complementary activities in support of the military in the context of the Single European Sky (SES) and SESAR.  
 
Eamonn Brennan, Director General EUROCONTROL said “As a civil-military organisation representing 41 Member States, our aim is to ensure that the military are fully involved and represented in all relevant SES/SESAR matters from the outset. Our focus is very much on ensuring that we deliver technical and operational solutions that are aligned with military needs and reflect national considerations.”  
 
Jiří Šedivý, Chief Executive, European Defence Agency said “In the framework of SES/SESAR, the Agency acts as interface between the military and the European bodies involved in SES/SESAR. Complementary to the work of EUROCONTROL, our aim is to ensure that security and defence needs are appropriately considered in EU regulations relating to SES/SESAR by providing common military views and requirements upfront.”  
 
EUROCONTROL and the EDA have been working closely in the context of the SES since June 2013 when a first agreement was signed. This new agreement updates the set of joint activities to be carried out over the coming 2 years, aiming to ensure that the SES and SESAR accommodate military requirements to the extent necessary to fulfil national security and defence needs.

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On 22 April 2021, the implementation of OPTIMISE was officially launched at an online kick-off meeting. The project was selected under the 2019 call for proposals for the EU Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR) managed by EDA. 

OPTIMISE (innOvative PosiTIoning systeM for defence In gnSs-denied arEas) was selected following an EU-wide PADR call for proposals on the topic of ‘Future Disruptive Defence Technologies - Emerging Game-changers’, in the sub-topic related to Autonomous positioning, navigation and timing (PNT). 

The project’s main objective is to improve positioning, navigation and timing in areas without access to Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). OPTIMISE will develop a novel architecture to fuse data from different sensors and signals and achieve integration of different PNT technologies. The project can thus have a significant impact on a large number of military tasks which are currently dependent solely on GNSS.

The consortium is coordinated by Skylife Engineering (Spain) and comprises research centres, high-tech SMEs, system integrators and a university from Spain, Italy, France and Slovakia. The project has a duration of 24 months and a budget of approximately €1.5 million. More information can be found on the OPTIMISE project page.

Being part of the PADR programme, the project outcomes shall support the European Commission, EDA and Member States for the preparation of the Research Dimension of the European Defence Fund. The project is also related to the work conducted under the Capability Technology Groups of EDA (CapTech Guidance, Navigation and Control and the Ad Hoc Working Group Space).
About the PADR The OPTIMISE project is part of the Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR) launched by the European Commission in 2017 to assess and demonstrate the added-value of EU supported defence research and technology (R&T). It paved the way for a proper European Defence Programme to come as part of the European Defence Fund (EDF), under the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (2021-2027).
The PADR implementation is run by EDA following the mandate via a Delegation Agreement between the European Commission and EDA signed on 31 May 2017. By this agreement the Commission entrusts EDA with the management and implementation of the research projects launched within the PADR.  

Americas

Boeing won an $89.6 million deal, which provides systems and software engineering and sustainment support services, to include analysis, design, implementation, integration, testing, prototyping, prototype installation, and maintenance for development and test laboratory capabilities in support of modernizations and improvements to software and associated hardware capabilities for the P-8A aircraft. Seventy-eight percent of work will be conducted in Seattle, Washington, while 12 percent of it will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri. The remaining 10 percent will be held in Huntington Beach, California. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Maryland, awarded the contract. Estimated completion date is December 2024.

A team of officers from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force visited the 552d Air Control Networks Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, to learn how the unit carried out its cyber defense role. The role of the 552d is to help the E-3 Airborne warning and control system (AWACS) defend itself against cyber threats. It is the only Mission Defense Team (MDT) in the US Air Force to perform this role inside an aircraft. The visitors, including members from the Pacific Air Force, were briefed on the capabilities of a deployable cyber defense weapon system, Cyberspace Vulnerability Assessment/Hunter.

Middle East & Africa

Yulista Services won an $8.5 million contract for the F-16 Advanced Integrated Defense Electronic Warfare Suite (AIDEWS) ALQ-211 weapon system. This deal involves Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to support air forces of Pakistan and Turkey. Procurement of this services will enhance operational safety, suitability, and effectiveness of the AIDEWS and bolster F-16 FMS fleets’ survivability against electromagnetic threats. AIDEWS provides fighter aircraft with integrated radar warning and RF countermeasures and advanced stand-alone radar warning. The system uses a modular approach in an externally mounted pod, either for EW System upgrades or to add electronic warfare capability to an array of fighter aircraft. Work will take place in Huntsville, Alabama. Expected completion date is April 22, 2026.

Europe

The Mobile Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) system is to be deployed to Europe by the US Army. The 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (5-4 ADA) is the first unit to receive the M-SHORAD. The battalion was first activated in 2018. It is a subordinate unit under the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. US Army Europe and Africa’s air defense and missile operations come under the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.

Asia-Pacific

The US government has cleared the sale of 12 MQ-9B unmanned air vehicles to Australia for an estimated cost of $1.7 billion. The Foreign Military Sale package includes an unspecific number of Leonardo/Selex SeaSpray 7500 maritime radars. The principal contractors will be General Atomic Aeronautical Systems Inc., San Diego, CA; Lockheed Martin Inc., Bethesda, MD; Raytheon Inc., Waltham MA; and Leonardo SpA, Rome, Italy. The purchaser typically requests offsets. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractors.

An AC-130J gunship from the 73rd Special Operations Squadron will be participating in the Balikatan exercise in Philippines. Maj. Ken Kunze, a spokesman for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, said in an email that the gunship will carry out live-firing training at the Crow Valley Military Reservation, north of Clark Air Base.

Today’s Video

Watch: Soldiers get hands-on with new air defense system, IM-SHORAD

EDA’s Steering Board in National Armament Directors’ (NAD) composition met today in VTC format under the chairmanship of Bulgaria’s Deputy Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov. NADs’ discussion focused on the implementation of the 2020 CARD report recommendations and EDA’s roles in support of the European Defence Fund. 

After a presentation by Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý on the progress made on a wide range of EDA projects, programmes and activities, National Armaments Directors discussed the state of play and next steps to be taken as regards the implementation of the recommendations of the first CARD report presented to Defence Ministers in November 2020 - a topic that will also feature high on the agenda of EDA’s upcoming Ministerial Steering Board meeting on 6 May. Food for Thought There was a general understanding that particular attention must be paid to transforming the identified focus areas and collaborative opportunities into concrete projects. To support this process, EDA provided NADs with a Food for Thought paper (FFT) on how to implement CARD capability-related recommendations, focused on those which are within the Agency’s remit: defence spending, defence planning and defence cooperation.  In each of the three areas, EDA proposes achievable objectives for 2021 as well as options on how EDA could support the Member States in their efforts. The FFT paper was discussed today by NADs and, after the 6 May ministerial debate, will also be on the table of EDA’s Steering Board in Capability Directors’ (CAP) composition in June. Support to EDF

In the presence of Director-General Timo Pesonen of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS), NADs also exchanged views on how and in what roles EDA can best add value in supporting the European Defence Fund (EDF). The debate led to further common understanding among participating Member States and was based on an Agency document on EDA’s potential roles in the EDF across the upstream, implementation, and downstream phases. 

Relations with partners

NADs also had an exchange of views on the Agency’s relations with OCCAR and NATO. For those two discussions they were joined respectively by OCCAR Executive Director Matteo Bisceglia and NATO's Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment Division, Skip Davis. 

 

Americas

Raytheon won a $243.2 million contract modification for one AN/TPY-2 Radar (Radar #13) to support Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Battery #8. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $1,244,567,329 from $1,002,297,329. The THAAD missile system is an easily transportable defensive weapon system to protect against hostile incoming threats, such as tactical and theatre ballistic missiles, at ranges of 200km and altitudes of up to 150km. Work will take place in Massachusetts. Estimated completion date is December 31, 2024.

The future USS Mobile, the US Navy’s next Independence-class littoral combat ship, will be commissioned on May 27, the Navy announced. The ceremony, restricted because of COVID-19 concerns but scheduled to be livestreamed, will be held in Mobile, Ala., where the ship was built by Austal USA. The vessel will be the 13th Independence variant in the Navy fleet. Littoral combat ships are fast, agile, focused-mission platforms designed for operation in near-shore environments but capable of open-ocean operation, Austral USA said.

Middle East & Africa

AITC-Fice Domains won a $27.4 million contract from the US Army to provide train, advise, assist and mentor services. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Saudi Arabia with an estimated completion date of October 31, 2024. Fiscal 2021 Foreign Military Sales funds to Saudi Arabia in the amount of $27,375,117 were obligated at the time of the award.

Europe

The Polish Air Force will take delivery of two Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) 2 aircraft in May and June, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reported. The service had placed an order for two BBJ 2s and one 737-800 in 2017. The 737 was delivered that year. The first BBJ 2 will arrive home in end of May while the other one is flying home in mid-June.

BAE launched Anson, the fifth of seven Astute Class attack submarines it is building for the British Royal Navy, at its worksite in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, in Britain. The submarine was moved out from Devonshire Dock Hall and entered the water for the first time Tuesday, according to a press release from the contractor.

Asia-Pacific

An Indonesian submarine has gone missing with 53 crew members. The Indonesian government reported the disappearance of submarine KRI Nanggala during a torpedo live fire exercise earlier today, requesting search and rescue assistance from Singapore and Australia. The submarine, a 40-year-old German-built Type 209 boat, was carrying a crew of 53 when it went missing. An Indonesian navy task force has begun to search for the submarine, and Indonesia has called for assistance from both Singapore and Australia.

Today’s Video

Watch: Austal USA – USS Mobile (LCS 26) Sea Trials

At today’s 13th EDA REACH plenary meeting, experts from the Ministries of Defence of participating Member States exchanged views with representatives of the European Commission, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the European Space Agency (ESA), national space agencies as well as the European defence industry on the latest developments regarding the implementation of the European Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and other relevant EU regulations on chemicals and waste regulations in the defence domain. 

The main aim of the meeting was to jointly explore ways and means to meet the objectives of these EU regulations and ensure their coherent application in the defence sector while, at the same time,  mitigate their possible impact on the operational capabilities of participating Member States’ Armed Forces and the competitiveness and innovation of the EU defence industry, as an important stakeholder in support of European defence capabilities. The discussions were based on EDA’s ongoing activities in the area of REACH and other relevant EU chemicals and waste regulations, as well as recent regulatory developments at European level such as the EU Green Deal  and EU Chemical Strategy for Sustainability towards a toxic-free environment.

The European defence industry was represented at the meeting by some 70  representatives from a wide range of stakeholders with expertise/activities in the area of REACH and other relevant EU chemicals and waste regulations such as the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), National Defence Industry Associations (NDIAs), individual industries, research and technology organisations, and academia. 

The main conclusion of the debate was that, while EDA participating Member States and the EU defence industry strongly support the implementation of REACH in the defence domain (for its positive effects on human health and the environment), it is crucial to ensure that potential negative impacts of its implementation on defence are identified at an early stage in order to be mitigated appropriately. To this end, EDA’s work on REACH is considered very important.

Background

EDA is addressing REACH and its defence implications since 2009, at the request of its participating Member States and in close coordination with the European Commission. 
The Agency’s work in this field was guided until recently by the EDA REACH Roadmap 2018-2020  which was adopted by Member States in October 2017 and contained a comprehensive list of activities, the majority of which have recently been successfully completed, or are continuous in nature. 

A follow-up EDA REACH Roadmap for years 2021-2023 is currently in the last stages of approval by EDA participating Member States. In addition to REACH, this roadmap also covers activities related to other relevant EU chemicals and waste regulations, on the basis also of the outcome of a recent EDA study.

EDA closely engages with and regularly invites key stakeholders to EDA REACH meetings, such as the European Commission, the European Chemicals Agency, the European Space Agency and (under the overarching comprehensive EDA approach on industry engagement) EU defence industry, in order to facilitate closer and more transparent interaction on defence-related REACH issues, which is seen as an important success factor for EDA’s work in this field. 

More information

• EDA REACH Activities

Americas

A second F-15EX has arrived at Eglin Air Force Base and the aircraft will be flown by the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron. This is also the final F-15EX delivery to the US Air Force for FY21. The F-15EX will make its exercise debut at Northern Edge 2021. The two F-15EXs and testers from the 40th Flight Test Squadron and 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron will work together in integrated developmental and operational test, effectively expediting the test timeline.

Northrop Grumman won a $2 billion deal for sustaining engineering support and program management support services for the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) propulsion subsystem. The deal with an ordering period of 18.5 years is provided for assistance to the government in maintaining the Minuteman III weapon system. The Minuteman is a strategic weapon system using a ballistic missile of intercontinental range. Missiles are dispersed in hardened silos to protect against attack and connected to an underground launch control center through a system of hardened cables. Launch crews, consisting of two officers, perform around-the-clock alert in the launch center. The location of performance is primarily Corrine and Magna, Utah, with various other locations. Work is expected to be completed November 5, 2040.

Middle East & Africa

According to Jane’s, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is currently configuring its Barak surface-to-air missile (SAM) for the first of the Israeli Navy’s four Sa’ar 6 corvettes, Boaz Levy, IAI president and CEO. The ships are being built in Germany, with the first, INS Magen, having arrived in Haifa on 2 December 2020, where it is being fitted with its Israeli-made systems, including the ELM-2248 radar. Barak-8 is an operational air & missile defense system used by the Israeli navy. It provides broad Aerial and point defense against a wide range of threats to the marine arena from the air, the sea or the land. The system integrates several advanced state-of-the-art systems as, digital radar, command and control, launchers, interceptors with modern RF seekers, Data link and system-wide connectivity.

Europe

Greek newspaper Proto Thema says Athens could buy another six Rafale fighters from France to increase the fleet size from 18 to 24. The jets will be assigned to 332 Squadron which is now flying the Mirage 2000 at Tanagra air base.

The British government has decided to proceed with the purchase of 14 H-47 (ER) Chinook helicopters, Bloomberg reports. However, it wants to delay deliveries by three years due to budget shortfalls caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Letter of Offer and Acceptance was delivered by the British embassy in Washington on March 25. The UK is the largest operator of the Chinook outside United States. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency had announced the potential sale in October 2018. That notification says Britain is cleared to buy 16 Chinooks. It is likely that the new variant Britain is buying is the MH-47G.

Asia-Pacific

The US Navy is preparing to operate the MQ-4C from Japan by shipping the Triton Unmanned Air System’s forward operating base (FOB) from NAS Patuxent River to Japan on April 12. Although the location in Japan was not disclosed. Flight tracking data shows the C-17 that transported the equipment over northern Japan on April 15. NAVAIR says this deployment will allow the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Fleet (MPRF) to have additional geographic flexibility to support operations beginning in summer 2021.

Today’s Video

Watch: Top 10 ICBM | Top 10 Longest Range Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles

Americas

The US Navy announced the start of its first manned and unmanned capabilities exercise on April 19 at Naval Base San Diego. Executed by the Navy’s 3rd Fleet, “Unmanned Battle Problem 21” will “generate warfighting advantages in integrating multi-domain manned and unmanned capabilities into the most challenging operational scenarios,” ist says in a statement. Unmanned systems, including the MQ-9 Sea Guardian and MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicles, Sea Hunter and Sea Hawk unmanned surface vessels and small and medium unmanned undersea vehicles with modular payloads will be involved in exercises.

The USS Oakland, the Navy’s newest littoral combat ship, was formally commissioned in a weekend ceremony, as the first LCS ships face retirement. The Oakland, an Independence-class trimaran 418 feetlong and designed to carry a crew of 40 in shallow water and ocean-going situations, officially joined the Navy fleet in Oakland, California on April 18.

Middle East & Africa

The Advanced Electronics won a contract modification for the F-15 Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) Electronic System Test Set (ESTS). Services acquired under this effort are to provide the RSAF with an upgraded ESTS. The RSAF currently uses an A31U18240-2 ESTS configuration, and this shall provide the scope to upgrade and install the A31U18240-3 and A31U18240-4 configuration (frequently referred to as -3 and -4, respectively), as well as familiarization training, regression testing, and travel. Work will be performed at the RSAF Central Maintenance Facilities within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; the Science and Engineering facility in Huntsville, Alabama; and Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and is expected to be completed April 16, 2021.

Europe

The US Naval Air Traffic Management Systems Program Office completed Precision Approach and Landing System (PALS) certification on HMS Queen Elizabeth in March, completing a critical step in preparing the ship for its first operational deployment. The PALS system includes the AN/SPN-41B Instrument Carrier Landing System (ICLS), previously installed by PMA-213 as a foreign military sales (FMS) effort, and the AN/USN-3 Joint Precision and Approach Landing System (JPALS) system, installed as a US asset to support the future embarkation of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211’s F-35Bs aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth during its inaugural operational deployment.

Asia-Pacific

Boeing won a $79.5 million contract modification for KC-46A long lead spares, initial spares and support equipment. This modification provides mission essential long lead spares, initial spares, and support equipment for use on the Japan KC-46 aircraft being produced under the basic contract. The US Air Force awarded Boeing $279 million for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s (JASDF) first KC-46A tanker in December 2017. The agreement was completed through the Foreign Military Sale process between the US government and Japan. Japan is now on contract for a total of four KC-46 tankers. Japanese partners produce 16% of the KC-46 airframe structure. Work under the contract modification will take place in Everett, Washington. Estimated completion date is June 30, 2024.

News reports from Taiwan say the Ministry of National Defense intends to submit budget request for a new early warning radar system in 2022. As per reports, the new radar is likely to be the same AN/FPS-115 PAVE PAWS that Taiwan had wanted to build in the southern part of the island. Currently, it has only one system on Leshan mountain. The site is said to be Lilongshan, north of Hengchun.

Today’s Video

Watch: F-15s Fighter Jet at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia

At a high-level online conference co-hosted today by the European Defence Agency and the Portuguese Ministry of Defence (under the auspices of the current Portuguese EU Presidency), senior representatives from Ministries of Defence, defence research centres, industry, European institutions as well as NATO discussed existing and future challenges and opportunities related to emerging disruptive technologies in defence.

Emerging disruptive technologies (EDTs) such as artificial intelligence, big data, quantum technology, robotics, autonomous systems, new advanced materials, blockchain, hypersonic weapons systems and biotechnologies applied to human enhancements - to name only them - are expected to have a disruptive impact on defence and revolutionise future military capabilities, strategy and operations. The conference provided a comprehensive overview of EDA’s role in European defence research and stressed the need for Member States and the EU to sustain and further increase investment in innovative and disruptive technologies to support state-of-the-art defence capabilities.

The event was opened by the Portuguese Minister of Defence, João Gomes Cravinho (speaking from Porto) and EDA Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý.  

In his speech, Minister Cravinho stressed the need for cooperation and synergies between civil and military actors in order to get the most out of new emerging technologies for defence. “When it comes to EDTs, we need to stimulate synergies between NATO, the European Commission and EDA, taking advantage of civil-military cooperation and the dual-use nature of technological development”, he stated.

EDA Chief Executive Šedivý said in his speech that the EU’s strategic and political defence ambitions can only be credible if they are underpinned by technology and innovation. “For the EU to be a credible security provider and a trusted partner in defence, we must focus our efforts on the development and mastering of technologies that have a serious potential to revolutionise our military capabilities, strategies and operations. Emerging Disruptive Technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, quantum technologies or hypersonic weapons and new space technologies, must be in the centre of our capability development”, he stated. 

Jiří šedivý, EDA Chief Executive Disruptive technologies for disruptive capabilities

The opening part was followed by several keynote speeches.

Focusing on the disruptive potential of technologies at the interface between security, defence and space, Stephen Quest (European Commission Director at the General Joint Research Centre) said the strategic importance of cross-fertilisation between civil-military industries was behind the Action Plan the European Commission has presented last February to enhance synergies and cross-fertilisation between civil, defence and space industries. The Action Plan covers three priorities, Mr Quest said. “First, to build new synergies among EU programmes and instruments so that disruptive technologies can find concrete uses across civil, defence and space industries. Secondly, to enable that defence and space technologies find concrete civil applications, the so-called ‘spin-offs’. And thirdly, to facilitate the use of civil research and innovations into new European defence projects, the so-called ‘spin-ins’”. The Commission will present by October a roadmap on key technologies for security and defence including options for (a) boosting research, development and innovation and (b) reducing strategic dependencies in critical technologies and value chains, he said. 

General André Lanata, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, said EDTs were technologies whose practical uses have the potential to fundamentally change the way military forces operate. If we are serious about seizing the opportunities of EDTs, we need to fundamentally change the way we operate and think. We need resources and above all a cultural revolution, he stated.  Innovation and EDTs offer a wide range of opportunities for fruitful boosts to EU-NATO cooperation, he added. 

Petter Bedoire (Chief Technology Officer, Saab Group) referred to the need to make sure the new technologies developed will create opportunities rather than threats. There is also the challenge of finding a balance between the possibilities enabled by disruptive technologies and the defence capabilities actually required by the Armed Forces, he said.   

Panel discussions

Throughout the day, the conference attendants witnessed three successive panel discussions: 

• The first one on Disruptive Technologies and the Expected Impact on Defence with the following panellists: MGen Corte-Real Andrade (R&T Director, MoD Portugal), Jean-François Ripoche (EDA RTI Director), Sylvia Kainz-Huber (Head of Unit, DG DEFIS, European Commission), MGen Herminio Maio (MPCC Chief of Staff), Pablo Gonzales (Chairman of ASD DRDT Working Group and Director NATO & EU Defence Programmes, Indra).
• The second one focused more specifically on Artificial Intelligence with an interesting exchange of views between the panellists Auke Venema (R&T Director, MoD The Netherlands), Alípio Jorge (Coordinator for the national strategy for AI, Portugal), Jonas Andrulis (CEO Aleph, Alpha GmbH), Anna-Mari Heikkila (VTT Finland) as well as Panagiotis Kikiras (EDA Head of Unit Innovative Research).
• The third one, centred on Autonomous Systems, featured Mr Martin Jõesaar (Chief of Project Office at the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments), José Santos Victor (Director of Instituto de Sistemas e Robótica, Portugal), Joachim Schaper (Head of AI and Big Data at Porsche), Paolo Arrighi (Chief Technology Officer - Land Armaments and Systems, Leonardo), Mário Martinho (EDA CapTech Ground Systems moderator).

The conference was closed by Vasco Hilario (National Armaments Director, Portugal) and EDA RTI Director Jean-François Ripoche.

Digital exhibition

Conference participants ware also able to visit a digital exhibition of EDA research and technology activities, showcasing a number of Member States successful cooperation projects.

More information

• Portuguese Minister of Defence speech
• EDA Chief Executive speech

Americas

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded three contracts this week to design a nuclear thermal propulsion system that will operate above low Earth orbit in 2025. General Atomics, Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin are the prime contractors for the deal, according to a DARPA new release. The Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program has the potential to achieve rapid maneuver in space, which has been challenging because current electric and chemical space propulsion systems have drawbacks in thrust-to-weight and propellent efficiency, respectively, according to the agency.

MBDA will equip the Royal Canadian Navy’s new Canadian Surface Combatant, a variant of the Type 26 Frigate, with Sea Ceptor missiles. According to the company, utilising the Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM) as its effector, Sea Ceptor will undertake the Close-In Air Defence System (CIADS) role on-board the new CSC frigates.

Middle East & Africa

The Biden administration is seeing pushback from Senate Democrats after going ahead with a Trump-era deal to sell F-35 fighter aircraft to the United Arab Emirates. Citing national security concerns, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. files a bill to restrict the sale of the most sophisticated F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to the UAE. In December, the Trump administration approved the sale of 50 F-35 fighter jets worth $10.4 billion, 8 MQ-9B drones worth $2.97 billion and a package of munitions worth $10 billion.

Europe

On April 15, French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly announced an order for eight H225M Caracal helicopters to support France’s aeronautics industry during a visit to Airbus Helicopters’ plant in Marignane. The helicopters will be used by the French Air Force (FAF) and will be delivered in 2024–25. They will equip a new unit in Cazaux in southwestern France and Djibouti in the Horn of Africa where they will replace three Puma helicopters.

Danish and American officials recently celebrated the rollout of the first F-35A Lightning II for the Royal Danish Air Force at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas. Like the F-16 before it, the F-35 is spearheading NATO’s air power and ensuring strategic integration of allied combat airpower. The vital interoperability of the fifth generation F-35 binds 13 allies and partners with the US in air dominance and enabling critical joint capabilities. The F-35 will serve as a force multiplier for Denmark, allowing the Royal Danish Air Force to train and fight alongside NATO allies and create a strong deterrent.

Asia-Pacific

Lockheed Martin won a $66 million contract modification for Japan’s AEGIS weapons system. The deal extends performance and expands Aegis FMS in-scope work including Aegis Combat System computer program development and radar integration/test support services under new contract line item numbers.  Case JA-P-NCO funds in the amount of $65,354,942 are being obligated at the time of award. Work will take place in New Jersey. The period of performance will be through through December 31, 2022.

Today’s Video

Watch: Japan’s eight-Aegis defense system complete

A European-wide survey aimed at identifying user needs and use cases for future EU GOVSATCOM services was launched today under the ENTRUSTED project, in which EDA participates. The survey, which runs until the end of June, is addressed to governmental and institutional users managing security-critical missions, operations and infrastructures. It will allow assessing the current and evolving needs of prospective EU GOVSATCOM users, as well as their use of existing secure SatCom capabilities.

The results and findings of the survey will be submitted to the European Commission to help it prepare a set of prioritised user requirements which will be subsequently considered in the implementing regulations for the new EU GOVSATCOM programme which, as part of the new EU Space Programme 2021-2027, aims at providing secure and reliable satellite communications for governmental users in Member States, for EU agencies and institutions. The survey will focus on users’ needs and requirements in different fields of application. In addition, it will help review secure SatCom capabilities currently in use (in terms of user technology and services), as well as future technological trends. More than 350 EU GOVSATCOM users have been identified as potential participants in the survey. The Member States’ Armed Forces will be addressed by EDA. The Agency will contribute to a consolidated reply for the EU defence users to the ENTRUSTED project.  

About ENTRUSTED

ENTRUSTED (‘European Networking for satellite Telecommunication Roadmap for the governmental Users requiring Secure, inTeroperable, innovativE and standardiseD services’) is a European research project, launched by the European Commission in September 2020 under the HORIZON 2020 programme. Under the leadership of the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA) and with a budget of €3 million, ENTRUSTED will identify needs and requirements of secure satellite communication end-users. The project will contribute to the formulation of assumptions and guidelines, in terms of user-oriented activities, for the future EU GOVSATCOM programme aimed at creating independent, autonomous and secure satellite communication system for EU Member States and agencies. It will run until February 2023. 

EDA is a member of the ENTRUSTED consortium where it represents its participating Member States. The Agency contributes to all work packages with a focus on user needs, requirements and use cases definition, surveying the state-of-the-art of existing secure SatCom user technologies and definition of a research and development (R&D) roadmap.

More information

• ENTRUSTED website

Americas

The US Naval Research Laboratory has demonstrated that its electric unmanned aerial vehicle dubbed Hybrid Tiger can stay airborne for 24 hours using multiple power sources. “The flight was effectively a performance test in worst-case conditions: temperatures falling below zero degrees Celsius, winds gusting to 20 knots, and relatively little solar energy as we approached the solar solstice Dec. 21,” Richard Stroman, one of engineers involved in the testing, said. Daytime power come from solar panels integrated onto the wings and high-pressure hydrogen fuel tank and fuel cell system provides nighttime power. The drone also had algorithms in its flight control software to take advantage of thermals to gain altitude.

The US Navy announced that it landed an Osprey V-22 aircraft for the first time on a flight deck aboard a hospital ship. The flight testing is result of a seven-month mission to expand the ship’s capabilities for landing aircraft such as the V-22 Osprey and MH-60 Seahawk. Prior to the testing, the deck of Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy was upgraded to allow for the flights to take off.

Middle East & Africa

Elbit Systems Ltd. announced that it was awarded a contract valued at about $1.65 billion for the establishment and operation of the International Flight Training Center of the Hellenic Air Force, as part of a deal between the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the Hellenic Ministry of National Defense. The company noted that the contract will be performed over a period of about 20 years and will include price indexation. As per the contract, Elbit Systems will supply new M-346 training aircraft and will maintain the entire training fleet, comprised of dozens of M-346 and T-6 training aircraft for a period of approximately 20 years.

Europe

Northrop Grumman won a $99 million contract modification, which adds scope to procure long lead items and associated services in support of the production and delivery of three E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft for the government of France. The French Navy has been operating the E-2C Hawkeye since 1998 and is the only country other than the United States to operate its E-2 Hawkeyes from an aircraft carrier. This capability enables interoperability exercises that support Hawkeyes from each other’s carrier flight decks. With the US Navy’s fleet transition to E-2D squadrons, the French Navy intends to maintain interoperability and partnership by taking steps to procure three E-2D aircraft. Work will take place in New York, California, North Carolina and Florida. Estimated completion will be in April 2027.

The first P-8A Poseidon fuselage for Norway arrived at Boeing. This marked a major milestone in the production of the first of five Poseidons for the Royal Norwegian Air Force. A derivative of the Boeing 737 Next-Generation commercial aircraft, the P-8 is first assembled at Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ 737 production line, where the fuselage receives additional wiring and systems needed to support military components, equipment and operation.

Asia-Pacific

Japan’s first RQ-4B Global Hawk made its maiden flight on April 15, 2021 from Palmdale, California. “The unarmed RQ-4B Global Hawk will provide Japan with on-demand intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information supporting the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s missions of protecting borders, monitoring threats and providing humanitarian assistance in times of need,” said Jane Bishop, vice president and general manager, autonomous systems, Northrop Grumman, in a press release. “This successful first flight is a significant milestone in delivering Global Hawk to our Japanese allies.”

Today’s Video

Watch: Japan’s RQ-4B Global Hawk high altitude Makes First Flight!

Americas

Oshkosh Defense and BAE Systems will deliver prototypes of the US Army’s next Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle, the companies announced. The National Advanced Mobility Consortium, which is an alliance of defense contractors and research organizations involved in providing the US government access to technology developers, narrowed its choice down to the two companies. BAE Systems announced that its Beowulf vehicles were chosen. According to a statement, the vehicle has a modular design and can be reconfigured for multiple missions, such as logistical support, disaster and humanitarian relief, search and rescue, and other missions as required. Oshkosh Defense’s prototype is derived from the Bronco 3 and is in production by ST, which said the vehicle can traverse “swamps, desert, snow or water bodies to satisfy the most demanding mobility requirements of expeditionary forces,” the company said.

French shipbuilder Naval Group formally delivered a second Bouchard Class multimission offshore patrol vessel to the Argentine Navy. Piedrabuena (P 52) is the second of four Gowind OPVs ordered by Argentina under a $380 million contract signed with Naval Group in 2018. The contract included the refurbishment of OPV L’Adroit, which was built by Naval Group as a private venture and operated by the French Navy from 2011, as well as three new-build ships. The new-build OPVs are being built in France by Kership: a joint venture between Naval Group and Piriou.

Middle East & Africa

The US State Department is moving forward with the sale of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and MQ-9 drones to the United Arab Emirates, a decision which will now face a legal challenge from a nonprofit seeking to halt the weapons agreement. At stake is an arms package approved in the waning days of the Trump administration, which includes 50 F-35s,18 MQ–9B Reapers, as well as thousands of munitions and hundreds of missiles. The total sale comes with an estimated $23 billion price tag.

Europe

Poland inked an agreement to procure five C-130H transport aircraft from the US under the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program, the country’s defense minister announced. The aircraft will join the existing C-130E fleet at 33rd Transport Aviation Base in Powidz.

Babcock International won a two year contract with the UK Ministry of Defense, for continuation of in-service support to the Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CIWS). Phalanx CIWS is a rapid-fire, computer-controlled radar and 20mm Gatling gun system and is the Royal Navy’s primary defence for ships against the threat of anti-ship missiles.

Asia-Pacific

The president of Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) Chang Chung Ch’eng told lawmakers today that work on the next generation fighter is progress ahead of schedule. Chang said the program is split into research into the overall design and power. This phase of the program is expected to complete in 2024. The development program is progressing smoothly. The engine program has a budget of $309 million while the fighter design portion has a budget of $59 million. A total of 24 key technologies are to be studied.

Today’s Video

Watch: WITH THE ARCTIC UP FOR GRABS, THE ARMY NEEDS A NEW SNOW CARRIER || 2021

Americas

Bell Boeing won a $143.2 million delivery order from the US Navy for the logistics and repair support of MV-22B, CMV-22 (Navy) and CV-22 (Air Force) Osprey components.  The Navy is planning to use the CMV-22 variant as a replacement of the Grumman C-2 Greyhound for carrier onboard delivery. The service marked a milestone last November, when a CMV-22B conducted the first carrier landings, take-offs and refueling on the USS Carl Vinson. COD deployments should begin sometime later this year. All work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas. Work is expected to be completed by December 2025.

The Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center C-130 Hercules Detachment was at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to test the LITENING targeting pod. The pod is being evaluated in its role to aid precision airdrops. “The pod helps the C-130 airdrop mission by adding the ability to generate airdrop location coordinates, locate and avoid enemy and sensitive objects, such as people or structures; and track airdropped supplies following the airdrop release,” Lt. Col. Justin Brumley, AATC director of operations said.

Middle East & Africa

Bell announced that it has started the production of 12 Lot-16 AH-1Z attack helicopters for Bahrain. Deliveries to the Royal Bahraini Air Force is set to start from later this year. A delegation from Bahrain toured the Bell Amarillo production facility to observe the production line and ceremoniously sign on the first rotorcraft.

Europe

IAI and Thales UK are offering what they call a “next Generation ship-killing solution” to the Royal Navy. Sea Serpent has anti-ship and anti-surface attack capabilities at ranges “in excess of 200km”. According to a press release, the Sea Serpent deploys an innovative RF seeker head and a sophisticated data analysis and weapon control system to provide precise target detection, discrimination and classification.

Elbit Systems will supply an additional J- MUSIC Direct Infrared Countermeasures self-protection system to the Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet. The MMF programme is a multinational pooling and sharing initiative. The fleet consists of nine A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft able to provide strategic transport, air-to-air refueling and medical evacuation capabilities to its six participating nations (Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Norway).

Asia-Pacific

Taiwan has launched the first of a new class of multimission amphibious ships that can carry troops and equipment to its offshore and South China Sea islands. The vessels can also conduct surface warfare missions with anti-ship missiles. The landing platform dock, named Yu Shan after Taiwan’s tallest mountain, was launched at the shipyard of the state-owned shipbuilder CSBC Corporation in the southern Taiwanese port city of Kaohsiung on Tuesday. The launch ceremony was attended by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng, among other senior civilian and military officials.

Today’s Video

Watch: Israel and Thales to develop Sea Serpent Missile for Royal Navy

Americas

The US Navy announced a successful live-fire exercise of its Rolling Airframe Missile from the littoral combat ship USS Charleston on Monday. The launching of the SeaRAM missiles from the San Diego-based vessel was a part of exercises involving all of the ship’s weaponry, and occurred on Thursday, the Navy said. SeaRAM missiles, also known as RIM-116 RAM missiles, are lightweight, quick-reaction missiles designed to defeat cruise missiles and asymmetric air and surface threats. Equipped with Phalanx search-and-track radar and Electro Optic sensor, 11-missile pods are carried within launchers aboard the ship.

The US Marine Corps (USMC) will acquire a pair of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Reaper medium-altitude, long-endurance UAVs and related systems. In a post released on the beta.sam.gov US government procurement website on April 12, the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) disclosed that it had awarded GA-ASI a $13.06 million contract modification related to the procurement of two Reaper air vehicles and other unmanned aircraft system (UAS) equipment.

Middle East & Africa

Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and National Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos will travel to Riyadh on April 20 to sign an agreement for the deployment of a Greek PAC-3 air defense missile system to the kingdom.

Europe

The Pentagon will send hundreds of additional troops to Germany to improve the ability of the US military to ramp up forces to defend allies, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday in a reversal of policy from former President Donald Trump. The move will station about 500 US additional troops in Germany while shifting some units to Belgium and Italy and bringing others back to the United States.

Asia-Pacific

Lockheed Martin won a $447.2 million order, which provides for the production and delivery of 12 MH-60R aircraft for the government of the Republic of Korea. According to a press release released by DAPA, a total of 12 MH-60R helicopters will be delivered to the Republic of Korea Navy by 2025, boosting anti-submarine warfare capability. As noted by Lockheed Martin, MH-60R is the most capable naval helicopter available today designed to operate from frigates, destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers. Work will take place in New York, Connecticut and Alabama. Estimated completion is in December 2024.

Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi has explained to a House of Councillors committee on April 12 on why the cost of upgrading the F-15J had gone up. Kishi says Japan has to spend more as the electronic warfare system that it choose for the upgrade faces parts shortages. Tokyo had wanted to buy 101 sets of the ALQ-239 Digital Electronic Warfare System (DEWS). It is now believe that they were told to switch to the new Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) instead.

Today’s Video

Watch: Just How Powerful is SeaRAM Missile System

EDA participates this week in the Exercise ‘Locked Shields 2021’, the largest and most complex international live-fire cyber defence exercise organised from 13-16 April by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE). Taking place every spring since 2010, the exercise puts this year a special focus on the need for cyber defenders and strategic decision-makers to understand the numerous interdependencies between national IT systems.  

More than 2000 participants from 30 nations will have the possibility to test and train their entire chain of command in the event of a severe cyber incident, ranging from the strategic to the operational and tactical levels and involving both civilian and military capabilities. Reflecting real world cyber threats, the exercise deals with the protection of vital services and critical infrastructure that are fundamental for modern societies to operate, including critical information infrastructure, power and water supply and national defence systems. For the first time, the exercise also includes satellite mission control systems needed to provide real time situational awareness to facilitate military decision-making.  

Based on a fictive but realistic scenario, ‘Locked Shields’ will see a Red Team acting against 22 Blue Teams which take on the role of national cyber–Rapid Reaction Teams that are deployed to assist a fictional country in handling a large-scale cyber incident with all its implications. The exercise involves cutting-edge technologies, complex networks, and diverse attack methods with some 5000 virtualised systems being subject to more than 4000 attacks. In addition to securing complex IT systems, the participating Blue Teams must also be effective in reporting incidents, strategic decision making and solving forensic, legal, media and information operations challenges. In previous iterations of Locked Shields, the organisers of the exercise gathered in Tallinn, Estonia, with the participating Blue Teams joining remotely by secure online access from their home base. However, in 2021, the exercise differs in that the organisers will also be contributing remotely from their home nations.  
EDA support to strategic track  After 2019, EDA will support the strategic track of the Locked Shields exercise for the second time (LS20 was cancelled due to Covid pandemic) by bringing in its expertise and experience gained from its own Comprehensive Cyber Senior decision-making (CC SDM) exercise which has taken place in different EDA Member States since 2014 and where the participating countries had the opportunity to test and evaluate national crisis mechanisms and procedures. In particular, EDA will support Locked Shields’ exercise control unit’s White Team to manage the different Blue Teams during the strategic track of the exercise. In addition to that, EDA developed and provided the specific air scenario inputs as part of the overall strategic scenario. 
Background  Locked Shields 2021 is organised by the Tallin-based NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) in cooperation with NATO Communications and Information Agency, the Estonian Ministry of Defence, the Estonian Defence Forces, the European Defence Agency (EDA), Siemens, Ericsson, TalTech, CR14, Bittium, Clarified Security, Arctic Security, Cisco, Stamus Networks, SpaceIT, Sentinel, the Financial Service Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), US Defense Innovation Unit, Microsoft, Atech, Avibras, SUTD iTrust Singapore, The European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats, NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, Space ISAC, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), STM, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, NATO M&S COE and PaloAlto networks. 
More information: 

• Exercise Locked Shields 21 website
• EDA Cyber Defence project page 

Americas

The US Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Test Center (AATC) is planning to modify two KC-135s to equip them with a new communications, sensors and defensive pod. While tentatively called the Gladiator Pod, it is expected to enter flight testing on a few KC-135s in 2023. AATC intends to pack communication, defensive, and sensor technologies inside the shell of a Multipoint Refueling System (MPRS) Pod. The MPRS consists of a single refueling pod mounted on each wing of a KC-135 to support probe and drogue refueling. The communication systems that will be packed inside the Gladiator Pod will allow the KC-135 to act as a data node and host on the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS). Defensive systems will protect the tanker with limited fighter support. It was also disclosed that the KC-135 was able to receive off-board data from the Kratos Unmanned Tactical Aerial Platform-22 (UTAP-22) during a recent test China Lake.

The US military’s ability to meet demands has largely degraded over the past two decades, according to a Government Accountability Office report. “GAO found that reported domain readiness did not meet readiness recovery goals identified by the military services,” it said. The report spotlighted “the effects of Hurricane Michael and its associated infrastructure limitations on the Air Force’s F-22 fighter jets; the effects of trained pilot shortages on the Army’s AH-64 attack helicopter; and the effects of limited depot repair capacity on the Marine Corps’ light attack helicopters.”

Middle East & Africa

According to media reports, Morocco has carried out its first drone strike in the Western Sahara. The Polisario Front announced that its police chief Addah al-Bendir had been killed “on the field of honor” in a separatist-controlled part of the disputed desert territory. The reported use of a drone strike to kill a senior Western Sahara independence fighter would, if confirmed, mark a turning point in the conflict, experts say. A Polisario official told AFP that Bendir had been killed by a Moroccan drone after taking part in a military operation near a sand barrier separating Moroccan and Polisario-controlled zones. Moroccan military expert Abdelhamid Harifi told AFP that “officially, Morocco doesn’t have armed drones — but it has a whole range of state-of-the-art unarmed drones.”

Europe

A US Air Force contract with British company BAE will see the firm support equipment for the fleet of F-16 aircraft in “more than 25 countries” through 2031. “From Boresighting avionics testing and vehicle management system tests to aircraft power, hydraulics, and electrical systems support, BAE Systems’ comprehensive approach is a key enabler for F-16 sustainment worldwide. The company will enhance aircraft supportability, reduce the logistics footprint, and minimize life cycle cost through the contract, which includes obsolescence management, logistics and sustainment, and on-base support and depot development”, it says in a press release.

Asia-Pacific

Korea Times quoted anonymous sources as saying the KAI FA-50 and Pakistan’s JF-17 are the finalists in Malaysia’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) competition. The report added that the JF-17 is in the lead as it “possesses a better mid-range weapons capacity.”

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has rolled out a prototype of the multirole fighter aircraft being developed for the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) under the Korean Fighter eXperimental (KF-X) programme. The locally developed twin-engined aircraft KF-21 Boramae was officially unveiled in a ceremony held on April 9 at KAI headquarters in the South Korean city of Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, that was also attended by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto.

Today’s Video

Watch: KC-135 Stratotanker Take Off and Landing at MacDill Air Force Base, United States Air Force

Americas

According to the US Navy, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division has completed five weeks of integrated test evaluations of the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) system. The Dahlgren Division, based in Virginia, performed interoperability testing with the G/ATOR system, preparing first by verifying the command’s infrastructure functionality, including power accessibility, radar data recording abilities and data analysis capabilities. The G/ATOR system, made by Northrop Grumman, is designed to detect low-observable targets with low radar cross sections such as rockets, artillery, mortars, cruise missiles and drones.

Northrop Grumman is designing a new radar instrumentation system for the B-1B bomber under a $2.3 million contract. The current radar instrumentation system is over 10 years old and faces diminishing manufacturing sources for components. Northrop will be producing new single board computers, ethernet-based protocol, high-speed data lines, and solid-state drive data collection units for installation on the two instrumented B-1Bs at Edwards Air Force Base. Work is scheduled to being later this year.

Middle East & Africa

Elbit won a contract by the Israeli Ministry of Defense last year to pursue a program to develop an airborne laser weapon system. A new video posted by Elbit shows the laser mounted on a Hermes 900 unmanned air vehicle. The aircraft has been modified with canards, probably due to the increase weight on the nose to house the laser turret or to improve pitch stability in order to have a stable beam.

Europe

Babcock International and BAE Systems have been awarded a five year contract extension by the Ministry of Defense to continue in-service support to the Royal Navy’s 4.5 Mk8 Medium Calibre Gun (MCG). The agreement is worth $58.9 and will see the continuation of in-service support to the 4.5 MCG across 19 Type 23 Frigates and Type 45 Destroyers as well as HMS Collingwood.

Technology to protect emerging wideband receivers from interference, enabling their use in contested and congested environments, is being developed by BAE. According to BAE Systems, the British company will design mechanisms for the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) that protect emerging wideband receivers from interference, enabling their use in contested and congested environments.

Asia-Pacific

The Indian Air Force has taken a new approach for its bid to acquire a fleet of aerial refueling tankers. It has now decided that it will lease those new tankers by the hour. And they will be used for training missions and free the Il-78 tankers for operational purposes.

Today’s Video

Watch: Elbit Systems / Growth Engines