Defense`s Feeds

Americas

US Air Mobility Command commander, Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, made her first visit to Boeing Field, Tukwila, Washington, on September 4 to receive briefings with Boeing officials. It was disclosed that Boeing took the opportunity to demonstrate a potential interim Enhanced Remote Vision System (eRVS) to Van Ovost during the visit. Boeing is working on RVS 2.0 to fix the troubled system currently installed on KC-46A fleet. The deficiencies of the system in its current form has forced the air force to place operational restrictions on KC-46 refueling. RVS 2.0 will include 4K color cameras with proper viewing geometry, operator stations with larger screens, a laser ranger for refueling aircraft distance measurement and boom assistance augmented reality.

The US Navy said Monday it’s searching the North Arabian Sea for a sailor aboard the USS Nimitz reported missing. A statement from the 5th Fleet said the sailor, whose name was withheld, was reported missing Sunday, when a call of “man overboard” was recorded at 6:47 pm local time. According to ABC News Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a 5th Fleet spokesperson, said that, “the sailor was not located upon a search on board, which resulted in a man overboard being called and the activation of the search and rescue.“ The sailor was listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown. The sailor is attached to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. The guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton was assisting in the search a statement from the US Fifth Fleet said Monday.

Brazil has decided to suspend the sale of its former aircraft carrier NAe São Paulo. No reasons were given and also no dates on when the bidding to dismantle the warship will resume. The former French Navy carrier has about 900 tonnes of asbestos and heavy metals in its structure and the French government had requested that the ship be dismantled at a European Union shipyard. Before the bidding was suspended, only one company was qualified for the bidding. São Paulo was first commissioned in 1963 by the French Navy as Foch and was transferred to Brazil in 2000, where she became the new flagship of the Brazilian Navy.

Middle East & Africa

Forces of Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) started a five-day military drill, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said. Turkey’s hunt for gas and oil reserves in waters claimed by Greece has put a huge strain on the relationship between the two NATO members. The long-running dispute between Turkey and Greece flared after the two countries agreed rival accords on their maritime boundaries with Libya and Egypt, and Turkey sent a survey vessel into contested waters this month. Both sides have held military exercises in the east Mediterranean, highlighting the potential for the dispute over the extent of their continental shelves to escalate into confrontation. Two weeks ago Greek and Turkish frigates shadowing Turkey’s Oruc Reis oil and gas survey vessel collided, and Turkey’s Defence Ministry said Turkish F-16 jets on Thursday prevented six Greek F-16s entering an area where Turkey was operating.

Europe

Germany has decided to drop the Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft from a list of contenders to replace its P-3 Orion. Berlin and Paris are shopping for a new aircraft that will enter service in 2025. This new aircraft will be a stopgap measure until 2035. However, Germany is worried that the P-1 might not be able to obtain a military type certification within five years. This will push the operational date beyond 2025.

The French Navy has formally retired its last Lynx Mk 4 helicopters, bringing the type’s 42-year Aeronavale service career to a close. A last embarkation at sea was completed from 18 to 23 July 2020, when the frigate Latouche-Tréville , the last remaining F70 Georges Leygues Class frigate in Marine Nationale service, sailed with a detachment of two Lynx helicopters for an operational/training mission off Brittany. Forty Lynx helicopters were purchased by the French Navy from the UK as part of a multinational agreement that also involved Puma and the Gazelle helicopters. Entering service in 1978, the Lynx has fulfilled a wide range of missions including anti-submarine warfare (ASW), maritime surveillance, over-the-horizon targeting, search-and-rescue, vertical replenishment, maritime counter terrorism, special forces operations, and disaster relief. In June 2019, it was announced that the retirement of the Lynx Mk 4(FN) would be brought forward from 2022 to 2020 to save money.

Asia-Pacific

The Australian government has launched a grants scheme to support skills development in the defense industry, the country’s Department of Defense announced. The ‘Skilling Australia’s Defense Industry (SADI) Grants’ programme is aimed at supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A statement said that such firms can apply through the programme for grants worth up to $363,000 to support skills advancement. As agreed, the government will allocate $28.32 million for the SADI programme in the next three years to support the development of a skilled workforce.

Today’s Video

Watch: INDIA JOIN ELITE HYPERSONIC CLUB WITH ITS WEAPON TRAVELING AT MACH 6 – MESSAGE TO PAKISTAN & CHINA !

Americas

Raytheon Technologies won a $579.8 million deal, which provides unit and depot level F-135 propulsion system spare parts, spare engines and modules in support of the F-135 propulsion initial spares requirements for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, non-Department of Defense participants and Foreign Military Sales customers. The Pratt & Whitney F135 is an afterburning turbofan developed for the F-35 Lightning II. Pratt & Whitney’s F135 propulsion system powers all three variants of the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft – the F-35A CTOL (Conventional Takeoff and Landing), F-35B STOVL (Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing) and F-35C CV (Carrier Variant). Work will take place in Connecticut, Indiana and the UK. Estimated completion will be in December 2024.

Triumph Engine Control Systems won a $7.9 million deal for the overhaul and repair of fuel engine controls for the CH-47 Chinook. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. The CH-47D Chinook helicopter transports troops, artillery, supplies and equipment to the battlefield with other applications ranging from medical evacuation, aircraft recovery, parachute drop, search and rescue to disaster relief, firefighting and heavy construction. Work will take place in West Hartford, Connecticut with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2021.

Middle East & Africa

Lockheed Martin won a $23.1 contract modification for the purchase of production parts for the production of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers. The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is a light multiple rocket launcher developed in the late 1990s for the United States Army, mounted on a standard Army M1140 truck frame. Work will take place i Camden, Arizona with an estimated completion date of December 30, 2023. Foreign Military Sales funds to the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Romania, Singapore and Finland in the full amount were obligated at the time of the award.

Europe

Bell Textron won a $272.2 million deal for the production and delivery of eight UH-1Y and four AH-1Z helicopters for the government of the Czech Republic. In August 2019, Bell helicopters announced that the Czech Republic was the first Foreign Military that acquired a mixed fleet of Bell UH-1Y and AH-1Z helicopters. The contract awarded to Bell does not include armament, ammunition, spare parts and training of pilots and service personnel. All work will be performed in Fort Worth (TX) and Amarillo (TX) and is expected to be completed in November 2023. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funds in the full amount were obligated at the time of the award.

Austria’s Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner has officially responded to Indonesia’s request to buy 15 Eurofighters from her country. Tanner said she had directed the General Staff to prepare for negotiations with Jakarta. She said the “exit from the Eurofighter system” is the declared goal and the sale is in the best interest of taxpayers. Two options are available for the sale to proceed. First, the Eurofighter consortium will have to issue a end user certificate to Indonesia and Austria will sell the jets directly to Indonesia. Alternatively, Airbus will buy back the planes, upgrade them and sell them to the South East Asian nation instead.

Asia-Pacific

Japan is set to take delivery of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) in March 2022, the defense ministry has revealed. The missile is to be mounted on the JASDF F-35A fleet. Tokyo placed two orders for the JSM with Kongsberg in March and November last year. Since scrapping its plan to deploy Aegis Ashore land-based interceptor missile batteries earlier this year, the government has held active discussions on possible deterrents to prevent attacks with ballistic missiles, including acquiring the capability to strike enemy bases.

Today’s Video

Watch: Indian Defence Updates : Upgraded Sprut SDM-1,3rd Tejas Production Line By Nov,PLA Cyber Unit In PAK

Americas

Lockheed Martin won a $51.9 million contract to exercise options for ship integration and test of the Aegis Weapon System (AWS) for AWS Baselines through Advanced Capability Build (ACB) 16. This option exercise is for Aegis shipboard integration engineering, Aegis test team support, Aegis modernization team engineering support, Ballistic missile defense test team support and AWS element assessments.  This contract action provides AWS ship integration and test efforts for nine new construction guided missile destroyer (DDG 51) Class ships and the major modernization of seven DDG 51 Class ships.  It will additionally cover the integrated combat system modifications and upgrades for all current ships with all AWS Baselines up to and including ACB 16. The Aegis Weapon System is a centralized, automated, command-and-control and weapons control system that was designed as a total weapon system, from detection to kill. The heart of the system is the AN/SPY-1, an advanced, automatic detect and track, multi-function phased-array radar. This high-powered (four megawatt) radar is able to perform search, track, and missile guidance functions simultaneously, with a track capacity of more than 100 targets. Work will take place in Virginia, New Jersey, California, Washington DC, Mississippi, Florida, Washington, Maine and Romania. Estimated completion will be in September 2021.

Bell Textron won a $49.1 million deal for the repair of nine various legacy components in support of the H-1 aircraft. This contract includes a three-year base period with no options. The H-1 upgrade program is the Marine Corps’s program to develop the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom military helicopters to replace its aging fleets of AH-1W Super Cobras and UH-1N Twin Hueys. Work under the contract will take place in Fort Worth, Texas. Estimated completion will be by September 2023.

Middle East & Africa

Longbow Limited won a $164.6 million contract for AH-64E helicopter mast mounted assembly/radar electronics units. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. The AH-64 Apache is a twin-engine, four bladed, multi-mission attack helicopter designed as a highly stable aerial weapons-delivery platform. With a tandem-seated crew consisting of the pilot, located in the rear cockpit position and the co-pilot gunner (CPG), located in the front position. Work will take place in Orlando, Florida. Estimate completion date is December 31, 2022. Foreign Military Sale Funds to Morocco, India, Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates in the full amount were obligated at the time of the award.

Europe

A British Army Watchkeeper drone has conducted a sortie in support of UK Border Force efforts in the English Channel. Watchkeeper is an uncrewed aircraft system with a range of intelligence and reconnaissance cameras and sensors, including a state-of-the-art surveillance radar, according to the the Ministry of Defense.

Asia-Pacific

Up Media reports that a plan by Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology (NCSIST) to import the WB Electronics Warmate micro loitering munition for local manufacturing has been called off by the island’s National Security Council. Back in June this year, Up Media broke the news of the impending cooperation between Taiwan and Poland. However, the research institute received a call from the security council to stop the project immediately afterwards. The directive given to NCSIST was that the platform must be a local design. But Up Media found out that NCSIST had wanted to import the Warmate and link it with its own network system. The local network will allow up to 10 drones to be controlled at one time. The network will have anti-jam capability and the drones can feedback their sensor data to the command post for target identification and selection. The technology transfer agreement with WB Electronics will also allow Taiwan to fit different types of warheads to the Warmate.

Commercial satellite imagery obtained by the CSIS taken on September 4 shows that North Korea might be preparing for a new test of its Pukguksong-3 submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) at Sinpo South Shipyard. The center said the presence of several vessel within the secure boat basin, including one previously used to tow the submersible test stand barge out to sea, is the primary indicator for this assessment. “There is also activity around the static test stand on the south side of the Sinpo South Shipyard. This has been seen in the past both for maintenance and prior to ejections tests,” the center added.

Today’s Video

Watch: RUSSIAN FLEET SUFFER MAJOR ACCIDENTS – MULTIPLE WARSHIP & SUBMARINES DAMAGED DUE TO TYPHOON MAYSAK!

Americas

Captive carry tests of two hypersonic weapons have been completed, with their first free flights scheduled for later this year, according to DARPA and the US Air Force. Lockheed Martin and Raytheon have each designed hypersonic missiles for a combined program of the Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept program “seeks to develop and demonstrate critical technologies to enable an effective and affordable air-launched hypersonic cruise missile,“a DARPA said in a statement. The HAWC weapon employs “hydrocarbon scramjet-powered propulsion,” meaning the traditional fuel and air mixture but in prolonged airflow at speeds in excess of five times the speed of sound.

A test launch on September 2 of an unarmed Minuteman III missile shows that the nuclear deterrent remains safe and reliable, according to the US Air Force. The Air Force Global Strike Command successfully launched the intercontinental ballistic missile, equipped with a test reentry vehicle, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The reentry vehicle traveled about 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. “These test launches verify the accuracy and reliability of the ICBM weapon system, providing valuable data to ensure a continued safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent,” the Air Force said in a statement following the launch.

Middle East & Africa

The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan announced Wednesday it was deploying troops to the country’s strife-torn south following an upsurge in violence by armed rebels against civilians and aid workers. The UN peacekeepers will set up a base at Lobonok, some 110 kilometers southeast of the capital Juba, in a region witnessing a resurgence in violent clashes between rebel and government forces. This deployment to establish a new outpost in Central Equatoria follows attacks on humanitarian convoys this week that left two civilians dead as well as a roadside ambush in the same region in late August that killed six vice-presidential bodyguards.

Europe

The US State Department has approved a sale of four AE-2100D Turbo Prop engines and two Multifunctional, Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminal Block Upgrade Two (MIDS-LVT BU2) to France. The possible FMS also includes related equipment and is estimated to cost $350 million. Additionally, the US will provide AN/ARC-210 radios, AN/ARC-164 radios, L-3 CSW Multiband Receiver/Transmitters, AN/ARN-153 Navigation Systems, AN/ARN-147 Receivers, AN/APN-241 Radar Receiver Transmitter Processor and ARC-190 High Frequency Receivers among others. Lockheed Martin, Rolls Royce, General Electric Aviation System, Raytheon and ViaSat will serve as principal contractors. In a statement, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said: “The proposed sale will improve France’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing the necessary sustainment, services, and spare parts to support the co-managed fleet of French and German C-130 aircraft.”

The US State Department has approved a possible sale of 100 AIM-120C-7/8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) to Spain for an estimated cost of $248.5 million. The Government of Spain had requested to buy 100 AIM-120C-7/8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and one AMRAAM Guidance Section (spare). Also included are KGV-135A encryption devices; containers; weapon support and support equipment; spare and repair parts; publications and technical documentation; US Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The prime contractor will be Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Tucson.

Asia-Pacific

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) started the final assembly of the KF-X prototype. South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a statement that the company has begun joining the aircraft’s fuselage sections and wings at its facility in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, and confirmed that, despite the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the prototype is expected to be rolled out in the first half of next year as planned.

Today’s Video

Watch: INDIAN SPECIAL OPERATIONS BATTALION CARRY OUT AGGRESSIVE OPERATION – OUTSMART CHINESE PLA !

A new EDA research project, for which the Agency Steering Board has just given its go-ahead, will help participating Member States’ Armed Forces to step up their collaborative air training & exercise capabilities thanks to improved modelling and simulation.

The overarching aim of the project called MAJES (Modelling and simulation as a service applications for Air and Joint Exercises & Simulation) is to develop an interconnected and interacting system/network that will allow the military of participating Member States to perform training simulations for coalition operations in a distributed manner from different locations. This will allow much more realistic conditions than in the past when simulations were traditionally configurated and done locally, in isolation, which meant they were mostly unable to take into account external factors and changes and requested participating Member States to meet physically in specific training centres.

MAJES will thus help Member States in the preparation, execution and after-service of collective (but not physically joint) military trainings and exercises for air and joint operations using LVC (Live-Virtual-Constructive) technologies which suppose a mix of physical and simulated assets, including virtual adversaries. This will support as well the management and control of so-called ‘Battlelabs’ (digital distributed defence laboratories) for the concept, development and testing of System of Systems (such as the next 5th generation aircraft systems - FCAS) supporting experiment plan and data farming automation. The project also aims to improve the data collection from exercises for Artificial Intelligence learning in this distributed simulated environment which allows cooperation without joint physical presence.

The project will run over 36 months, starting from the signing of the project contract expected to take place early next year. Three countries are participating so far: France, the Netherlands and Norway (which is not an EDA Member State but has concluded an Administrative Agreement with the Agency). Industry from the participating countries is also involved.

Americas

Lockheed Martin won a $7.3 million contract modification for Apache modernized day sensor assembly kits. The Apache is the Army’s primary attack helicopter. It is a quick-reacting, airborne weapon system that can fight close and deep to destroy, disrupt, or delay enemy forces. The Apache is designed to fight and survive during the day, night, and in adverse weather throughout the world. The principal mission of the Apache is the destruction of high-value targets with the HELLFIRE missile. Work will take place in Florida. Estimated completion date is August 31, 2020.

Boeing delivered the first MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters to Army Special Operations Command, the company announced. Under the current iteration of the contract, Boeing will build a total of 24 aircraft for a total potential value of $602.2 million. The company had signed a $265 million deal in July to to build upgraded Chinook aircraft for SOCOM. The Block II version of the Chinook includes newly designed rotorblades, changes to the drive system and improvements like non-segmented fuel cells.

Middle East & Africa

Israeli strikes on Syria killed one civilian, three government troops, and seven allied foreign fighters, a war monitor said on Tuesday in a new toll. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which had previously put the toll from Monday’s strikes at five, said Iran-backed paramilitary fighters were among those killed in the attack. The Britain-based monitor said the strikes hit Syrian army positions south of Damascus as well as positions belonging to Iran-backed paramilitaries, including fighters of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, in the southern province of Daraa.

Europe

UKspace is working in partnership with the Royal Air Force (RAF) to develop a new Commercial Integration Cell at the UK Space Operations Centre (SpOC), which will enable enhanced coordination of military and commercial space operations. They say that the partnership will establish a CIC in the UK similar to that currently operated by the US Space Force at the Combined Space Operations Centre in Vandenburg, further improving interoperability between the allied nations in support of Operation OLYMPIC DEFENDER and national operations.

The Russian state-owned Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets are suspected to have violated Danish airspace on Friday, August 28, according to HQ Allied Air Command. The Russian Su-27, flying from Kaliningrad, followed the US Air Force B-52 bomber well into Danish airspace over the Island of Bornholm, committing a significant violation of airspace of a NATO nation. Danish Quick Reaction Alert aircraft were launched to counter the violation, however the violating Russian fighter turned back before interception. The Danish jets remained airborne and patrolling to protect the sovereignty of Danish airspace.

Asia-Pacific

China plans to double its stockpile of nuclear warheads within the next decade, but its nuclear force would still be a fraction of that of the United States, says a Pentagon report released on September 1. In its to Congress on military and security developments in China, the Pentagon said Beijing is working to develop a more assertive position and match or surpass the United States as the dominant power in the Asia-Pacific region. Part of that strategy is a plan to modernize and expand its nuclear forces, the report said.

Today’s Video

Watch: Su-27 Ukrainian Air Force exercise almost ends in disaster

Americas

General Dynamics Mission Systems won a $17.5 million deal for wide band radomes. The deal provides for production of wide band radomes supporting Air Force F-16 aircraft outfitted with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars. AESA is a phased array system in which the beam of signals can be steered electronically in any direction, without physically moving the antenna. The antenna consists of an array of an array of small antennas each with a separate feed. The beam is steered by electronically by controlling the phase of the radio waves transmitted and received by each of the multiple radiating elements in the antenna. Work will take place in Marion, Virginia and expected completion date is by August 30, 2032.

Day & Zimmermann Lone Star LLC won a $39.4 million contracts for the manufacture of M500 cartridge actuated cutters used on the C-130 and C-17 aircraft during load airdrop sequence. The deal includes a five-year ordering period with no options. The Lockheed Martin C-130 is the US Air Force’s principal tactical cargo and personnel transport aircraft. The C-130J Hercules is the latest model, featuring a glass cockpit, digital avionics and a new propulsion system with a six-bladed propeller. The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military airlift aircraft is a high-wing, four-engine, T-tailed military transport vehicle capable of carrying payloads up to 169,000lb. Work will take place in Texas and South Dakota. Estimated completion will be in August 2025.

Middle East & Africa

Leidos won a $35.8 million contract modification for continued contractor logistics support services for special mission wing Mi-17/PC-12 aircraft fleets in support of the government of Afghanistan. The PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft. The Mi-17 is a medium twin-turbine helicopter. Work will take place in Maryland. Estimated completion date is November 30, 2020.

The US Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate’s Foreign Military Sales Construction Division awarded a $36.1 million contract to the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District to support the beddown of a A-29 Super Tucano wing at an air base in Nigeria. The facilities will support 12 Nigerian Air Force A-29 aircraft, and include the construction of new airfield hot cargo pad, perimeter and security fencing, munitions assembly and storage, small arms storage, a flight annex wing building for simulator training, airfield lighting, and various airfield apron, parking, hangar, and entry control point improvements.

Europe

On August 31, the German Air Force Eurofighter detachment took over the augmenting role of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission from the French Air Force at Ämari Air Base, Estonia. The French Air Force Mirage 2000-5 detachment, deployed at Ämari since last May, handed over its augmenting role in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing to a German Air Force Eurofighter detachment during a ceremony today. The second Air Policing detachment at Ämari takes place under NATO’s assurance measures introduced in 2014 as the Alliance’s response to Russian interventions in Ukraine and is aimed at reassuring eastern Allies and demonstrating NATO’s commitment and resolve.

Asia-Pacific

India’s Ministry of Defense inked a $353.5 million contract with two domestic private-sector companies and a public-sector enterprise for the supply of six regiments’ worth of indigenously developed Pinaka Mk I multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) systems to the Indian Army (IA). The Indian government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) announced on August 31 that the deal includes procuring 114 launchers with automated gun alignment and positioning systems (AGAPSs) and 45 command posts from Tata Power and Larsen & Toubro. A total of 330 high-mobility vehicles – worth a combined INR8.42 billion – will be manufactured by BEML Limited at its Palakkad plant in Kerala, with deliveries expected to be completed within three years. The majority of these vehicles, however, will not be fitted with launchers, but will instead be used to carry additional rockets for the Pinaka systems.

Today’s Video

Watch: THE DRAGON HAS A SOFT UNDERBELLY & THIS CANT BE HIDDEN FROM GENUINE PROBING EYES| UNBIASED ANALYSIS

Americas

M1 Support won a $25.6 million contract modification for the T-38 aircraft maintenance program.  The modification will provide intermediate and organizational maintenance of T?38 aircraft for Air Combat Command, Air Force Materiel Command and Air Force Global Strike Command. The Northrop T-38 Talon is a two-seat, twinjet supersonic jet trainer. It was the world’s first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2020 in several air forces. Work will take place in California, New Mexico, Virginia, Florida, Missouri and is expected to be completed by September 30, 2021.

Lockheed Martin won a $911.8 million modification for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense element development and support services. The modification provides for the extension of the period of performance for additional incremental development, support to flight and ground test programs and responsive support to warfighter requirements to sustain the Ballistic Missile Defense System throughout the acquisition life cycle. THAAD is an American anti-ballistic missile defense system. It is designed to shoot down short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in their terminal range. Work will take place in California and Alabama. Expected completion dates will be established under subsequent task order awards.

Middle East & Africa

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey was quoted in local media saying that the country requires three aircraft carriers in order to be a “a deterrent at sea”. “Turkey is among the 10 countries that can design and produce its own warships. I see some shipbuilders with us today. We can build the second and third aircraft carriers, right? Can we? Because we need those to be a deterrent at sea. We continue to work and produce with the conscience that we don’t have a minute to lose“, he said. Turkey is building helicopter carriers, not aircraft carriers. Aircraft carriers carry fixed wing aircraft, rather than just rotary wing aircraft like helicopters.

Europe

Two Russian Su-27 Flanker pilots intercepted a US Air Force B-52 bomber over international waters in the Black Sea Friday, according to the Air Force. In a press release, the US said Russian pilots flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner while crossing within 100 feet of the nose of the B-52 multiple times, causing turbulence and restricting the B-52?s ability to maneuver. American B-52 Stratofortress bombers flew over all 30 NATO countries on Friday in an exercise the US military said was meant to demonstrate the alliance’s solidarity, amid growing signs of cracks. The single-day mission is part of regular flight missions that have been taking place in Europe since 2018, but is meant specifically to “demonstrate NATO solidarity, enhance readiness and provide training opportunities” by involving the airspace of every member nation, the US European Command said.

Asia-Pacific

Taiwan decided not to buy three sets of Centurion C-RAM system from the US after it was told by the Pentagon that no evaluation testing data exists for the Centurion. Taiwan had wanted the Centurion to act as an area defensive weapon system to protect its airfields but the system can only do point defense. Therefore, the military has decided to invite the local National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) to modify the Phalanx close-in weapon system (CWIS) for its needs. The institute had previously taken a Phalanx CIWS from the Navy’s Yang-class destroyer and installed it on a mountain top to protect the Songshan radar station on the top of Zhuzi Mountain. A total of seven Gearing-class destroyers transferred to Taiwan as the Yang-class had been upgraded under Wu Chin III program that turn these World War Two ships into guided-missile destroyers. However, since the Air Force’s requirement is for area defense, the new system will have to be integrated with the service’s Sky Guard air defense system. It will modify existing Phalanx CIWS in the inventory for the purpose.

South Korea is moving forward with a reshuffle of top brass, nominating military officials specializing in OPCON or transfer of wartime operational control from the United States. The decision comes a day after a US military vehicle crashed, killing South Koreans near a U.S. military complex outside Seoul. South Korea’s defense ministry said in statement on Monday that Gen. Won In-choul, Seoul’s Air Force chief of staff, was nominated to chair the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Won has “excellent strategic insight into operational command capability,” and the Air Force chief is “equipped with the competence and expertise to systematically advance defense reform and OPCON,” Seoul said.

Today’s Video

Watch: Indian Defence Updates : 5000Cr Pinaka Deal With L&T & TATA,P-75I RFP Fully Ready,Army’s New Uniform

The Agency’s Steering Board has given its green light to the launch of a new EDA research project which aims to improve and harden Armed Forces’ communication and radar systems with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make them more resilient, even in contested electronic warfare environments. Three Member States - Germany, the Netherlands, Poland – will participate in the project. 

Armed Forces’ radiocommunication and radiolocation services are faced with increasing challenges: the spectrum is becoming denser and more users are contending for limited frequency bandwidth, while the risk of interference is increasing. In addition to that, scenarios are becoming more and more dynamic with mobile high-speed communication, highly agile targets, and electronic warfare methods that are much more efficient than simple noise jamming.  

Cognitive systems supported by AI technologies are a promising option to harden the equipment against such interferences as cognitive radios and radars have the capability to respond to dynamically changing environments. This allows them to offer stable communication based on optimal utilisation of radio frequency spectrum by sensing free spectrum availability and minimizing interference between users, e.g. managing reliable communication dynamically.  

EDA’s new project, called ‘Communications and Radar Systems hardened with Artificial Intelligence in a contested electronic warfare environment’ (CRAI), will produce a study which will significantly help to make progress in the use of AI-supported cognitive systems for the benefit of military communications and radar systems. More precisely, the study notably aims to:  

• investigate future military scenarios and use cases for relevant communication and radar systems, where cognitive methods, combined with AI, offer potential operational benefits; 

• identify potential new communication disturbance based on the past experiences; 

• review and adapt AI methodologies for spectrum Situational Awareness and surveillance; 

• specify the requirements for the common cognitive system acting in contested electronic warfare environments; 

• analyse potential AI techniques that could be used for cognitive communications and radars; 

• design and implement cognitive techniques combined with AI for both communication and radar systems using common interfaces; 

• do the testing, verification and evaluation of AI based communications and radar concepts; 

• and verify, validate and demonstrate the test system in a (field) exercise. 

The project is expected to last for 36 months, starting with the signing of the project arrangement expected to take place in 2021. It will also involve a number of European defence industry players active in the communications and radar domain.  

Americas

Leidos won a $58.9 million contract modification, which provides for the development of Adaptive Radar Countermeasure (ARC) Software/Firmware (SW/FW) capabilities and integration of ARC SW/FW on the AN/ALQ-214A electronic countermeasure host. ARC SW/FW supplements F/A-18C-F survivability in the presence of radio frequency guided surface-to-air and air-to-air weapons systems. Work will take place in Virginia, New Jersey, California, Missouri, North Carolina and Alabama. Expected completion date is in February 2023.

Lockheed Martin won a $35.3 million deal, which procures labor and hardware for the development of preliminary software for Phase 2 Network Enabled Weapons (NEW) capabilities. Specifically, this order provides software coding, testing and integration of NEW into a software development branch of the MH-60R/S software configuration with a merge into MH-60R/S fleet release baseline after the capability has established maturity. Work will take place in Owego, New York. Expected completion will be in August 2023.

Middle East & Africa

Reports in the Israeli media said that snipers from the Hezbollah terrorist group were responsible for Tuesday night’s incident in which IDF troops near the northern border were fired upon from Lebanese territory. The reports said the snipers took position about 300 meters away from the border in an area between two positions of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force. They fired two shots, which both missed. There were no casualties among the IDF troops. In retaliation for the incident, IDF attack helicopters and other aircraft attacked Hezbollah targets in Lebanon including observation posts. The IDF also conducted an intensive sweep of the border area to ensure that there was no infiltration.

Europe

Greek newspapers report that Greece will be getting 18 Rafale fighters. The report says a preliminary agreement for the acquisition has been reached. Ten of these fighters will be the F3-R variant built from scratch while the other 8 jets will be second-hand aircraft that will be transferred free to Greece from the French Air Force. Rafale is a twin-jet combat aircraft capable of carrying out a wide range of short and long-range missions, including ground and sea attack, air defense and air superiority, reconnaissance, and high-accuracy strike or nuclear strike deterrence.

Saab announced that it is developing a new decoy missile system, the Lightweight Air-launched Decoy Missile, as part of Gripen’s E/F Electronic Warfare capability. The company will offer the missile together with the new Electronic Attack Jammer Pod for Finland’s HX fighter procurement program. It also revealed that the missile has a stand-in jammer that can jam or create false targets for acquisition, tracking, fire control and airborne radars. “The decoy missile, that we present today, will constitute a strong addition to Gripen E/F’s built-in electronic attack capabilities.The payload of the new decoy missile is to a large extent developed in Finland and this will strengthen our offer to Finland even further,” says Jonas Hjelm, Senior Vice President and Head of Saab Business Area Aeronautics.

Asia-Pacific

The Indian government is expected to clear the purchase of two A-50EI airborne early warning platforms that are equipped with the Israeli EL/W-2090 radar. This is the second time that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is reviewing the purchase. India has three PHALCON AWACS with a 360 degree rotodome mounted on top of the aircraft and two DRDO-built AWACS with 240 degree rotodome. China has 28 AWACS and Pakistan has seven for directing the air battle in the worst case scenario.

Today’s Video

Watch: U.S SELLING F-35 LIGHTNING II TO SINGAPORE, SOUTH KOREA & JAPAN -CHINA STILL HAS NO ANSWER TO IT !

Americas

Northrop Grumman Systems won a $44.6 million contract modification, which increases the ceiling of the contract for the production and delivery of an additional 228 H-1 Tech Refresh Mission Computers, increasing the quantity from 545 to 773 in support of domestic and Foreign Military Sales UH-1Y and AH-1Z aircraft. Northrop Grumman Gen III mission computers are at the heart of the company’s avionics system that powers the glass cockpit avionics of AH-1Z and UH-1Y. The conduction-cooled Gen III 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. It 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 Utah, Maryland and California. Estimated completion is in December 2023.

The Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $7.5 million modification, which exercises options to procure Intel Diminishing Manufacturing Sources parts that have reached end of life in support of the F-35 program future aircraft production and deliveries for the Air Force and Navy. The largest procurement program in the Department of Defense, 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. Work will take place in Fort Worth. Expected completion will be in December 2020.

Middle East & Africa

Kellogg Brown & Root Services won a ceiling $974 million contract for US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) base operating support. This contract provides day-to-day base operations and maintenance services throughout locations within USAFE-AFAFRICA. Air Force Installation Contracting Command at Ramstein Air Base in Germany received three offers for the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract and will obligate $10M on the first two task orders under the IDIQ. Work will take place at Spain’s Moron AB and Turkey’s Incirlik AB, Izmir Air Station and Office of Defense Cooperation. DoD expects contract services to be complete by Aug. 27, 2028.

Europe

The US State Department has authorized a British purchase of three hundred and ninety-five AGM-114R2 Hellfire missiles for an estimated cost of $46 million. The required certification notifying Congress about this possible sale was delivered by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The UK Government had put a request for the acquisition of the 395 missiles and this request also included technical assistance, publications, integration support, and other related aspects regarding logistics and program support. The proposed sale will not only support the foreign policy but also the national security objectives of the US Government by bolstering the security of a Nato ally. Furthermore, the acquisition of these missiles is expected to help the UK to replace expiring and unserviceable missiles and bolstering its capability to meet current and future threats. The missiles are also expected to help maintain its ability to carry out missions across a wide range of military operations. These missiles will also be easily inducted by the UK into its armed forces.

Asia-Pacific

The US government approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Japan of 32 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) with support for an estimated cost of $63 million. Along with the missiles, the sales package includes one AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM guidance section spare, containers, support and support equipment, spare and repair parts. The Government of Japan had requested to buy 32 AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM and one (1) AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM guidance section spare.  Also included are containers, support and support equipment, spare and repair parts, US Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistical support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated total cost is $63 million.

Taiwan has deployed a small number of its indigenous Albatross UAVs to Pratas and Taiping Islands in the South China Sea. Each island had one set of system which consists of 4 aircraft along with its ground control station. The system deployed to Pratas Island is tasked with monitoring the military exercises that China is executing off Shantou. It complements the reconnaissance assets that Taiwan will deploy from the island to monitor those exercises. The other system on Taiping Island will help monitor the artificial islands that China had constructed in the South China Sea. Previously operated by the Army Aviation and Special Forces Command, these UAVs were transferred to Naval Fleet Command in 2017.

Today’s Video

Watch: U.S MAY DEVELOP NUCLEAR-ARMED HYPERSONIC BOOST GLIDE VEHICLE WITH RANGE EQUAL TO A TRADITIONAL ICBM!

Americas

PAE Aviation and Technical Services won a $19.7 million contract modification for the Aerial Targets Program.  The contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional year of service under the multiple year contract which directly supports live-fire weapon system testing and enables the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group to perform developmental and operational weapons testing for all air-to-air missiles for F-15, F-16, F-22, and F-35 aircraft. Work will take place at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida; and Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. Expected completion date is September 30, 2021.

Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust won a $16.5 million deal for the ownership, operation and maintenance of the water and wastewater utility systems at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Earlier this month Oklahoma City officials authorized the city’s Water Utilities Trust and the city attorney’s office to finalize a draft contract with the federal government to modernize the base’s aging water and sewer systems. In March 2017 the Air Force tapped Honeywell with a $243 million contract to reduce energy consumption and costs at Tinker. That deal included updating wastewater treatment systems as well modernizing manufacturing lines, installing two new 2,000-ton chillers, installing smart meters and LED lighting and decentralizing the steam heating plant to use less energy. Work will take place in Oklahoma. Estimated completion date is August 31, 2071.

Middle East & Africa

The Israeli Ministry of Defense released the first images from the new Ofek 16 satellite on August 25. The Ofek 16 was launched on July 6. According to the ministry, this is the first time it has released recent imagery from one of its satellites. The greyscale images showed the Roman Theatre and Temple of Bel in the ruined city of Palmyra in central Syria. In a statement, the Defense Ministry said the camera on Ofek 16 that took the photos was developed in a hitherto-classified joint project by the ministry’s research and development department, known by the Hebrew acronym MAFAT, and the Elbit Systems defense contractor.

Europe

Three kayakers have been rescued in a multi-agency response featuring a Royal Navy warship, the BBC reports. It is understood that HMS Sutherland was sailing along the west coast near Skye when it received a request to assist coastguard teams in rescuing three individuals from a nearby loch. The operation also involved the RNLI, the coastguard and nearby fishing boats. A Maritime and Coastguard spokesman said: “HM Coastguard received a report of three kayakers in difficulty at Loch Torridon, in the north-west Highlands. Kyle Coastguard Rescue Team, the Portree RNLI lifeboat and the HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Stornoway were sent to assist at the scene. HMS Sutherland and a number of nearby fishing boats and other vessels also responded immediately and assisted.“

Asia-Pacific

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff is expected to rectify a plan to buy 20 F-35As and 20 F-35Bs under phase 2 of its FX III fighter program in October’s meeting. The purchase is expected to cost $6.7 billion and the priority is to acquire the B-model first in order for the short take-off and vertical landing aircraft (STOVL) to operate on the light aircraft carrier that Seoul intends to build.

Former Indian Navy aircraft carrier and Falklands War veteran INS Viraat will arrive at Alang shipyard next month to be dismantled. It was purchased by shipping firm Shri Ram Shipping after attempts to convert it into a museum failed. The iconic warship is hailed as the longest serving warship in the world. It was first commissioned as HMS Hermes by the British Royal Navy in 1959. It was deployed for peacekeeping mission to Sri Lanka in 1988 and Kargil War in 1999.

Today’s Video

Watch: SINGLE F-35 EVEN IN STEALTH CONFIGURATION DROPS 8 GBU-39 SMALL DIAMETER BOMB ON TARGET ACCURATELY!

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for a long time since the first, if crude, modern calculating machines were created more than a century ago. However, it is only in the past ten years or so with the advent of deep-learning techniques that AI has started to come into its own, with profound implications for the defence world.

This article has first been published in EDA's 'European Defence Matters' magazine N° 19 published in June 2020. 

The European Defence Agency aims to marshal its Member States’ research and development (R&D) in this sector in important ways, from creating a common set of AI references and terminology to pinpointing logical areas for their cross-border collaboration to framing the most important areas of AI for Europe’s strategic autonomy. 

“AI is not new for the defence world. There have been a lot of expectations pinned to it since the end of the Second World War: many trends and crazy predictions that have promised so much, only to fade away,” said Panagiotis Kikiras, EDA’s head of unit for technology and innovation. 

“We have avoided jumping on these trends by taking a very cautious approach. That said, this latest wave in AI’s evolution has been different. Enablers that were not around in the 1980s and ‘90s such as massive processing power and huge databases of near-real time information are accelerating. This wave of innovation stands in sharp contrast to previous advances in AI capability and makes possible new deployable solutions,” he said. “That is what we want to capitalise on as we look ahead.”
 

Taking stock

To do so first requires getting a solid idea of how military AI is being researched across the EU, what it has to offer Europe’s militaries – including its limitations – and, just as important, a common technical language for analysing it.

“In our discussions with Member State experts over the past few years, we saw a lot of discrepancies or divergent interpretations about what AI and ‘deep learning’ actually mean,” said Ignacio Montiel Sanchez, EDA’s project officer for information technologies research. 

Thus, the Agency decided three years ago to launch a preliminary blueprint to promote and coordinate AI innovation across its Member States. This was approved by its board in February 2019, and has been unfolding in phases since then. 

A first phase was to develop a common understanding of AI related to defence. “Everyone needs to read from the same ‘sheet of music’ so that all refer to and use AI terms and definitions the same way,” observed Montiel Sanchez. “This domain is really extensive, so we decided to demystify which AI elements are relevant for defence and which were not. That meant putting together a common definition, a technology taxonomy relevant to defence, and a glossary of terms in order to produce a clear vocabulary for everyone within EDA.”
 

Common definition, taxonomy, glossary

For instance, a first task was to set out the limits to AI and then converge on a common definition of it. “We saw too many divergent concepts, so the common denominator we settled on was, in brief: the capability of algorithms to select optimal or quasi-optimal choices to achieve specific goals,” he said.

With that done, EDA could then begin framing its AI taxonomy. “As we built the taxonomy, for example, we did not find a comprehensive taxonomy anywhere else. The Finnish Ministry of Defence is doing some work in that area, but it has not been completed yet to the best of our knowledge,” he said. 

The goal was not, however, to create a full taxonomy but instead “to do what was feasible within the EDA framework by focusing on what areas of activity could be clustered to help us further develop AI-related projects and programmes,” said Kikiras. In the end, EDA’s taxonomy was structured along three lines: algorithms, functions carried out by algorithms, and support or related areas such as ethics, hardware implementation or learning techniques. 

EDA’s AI definition, glossary and taxonomy were completed in December 2019. Since then these touchstones have been proving their worth, particularly regarding the AI taxonomy. The latter’s utility is such that other EU entities such as the European Commission’s research policy department, known as DG RTD, have expressed their appreciation and interest in following the evolution of this work.

Moreover, the taxonomy will be a living document. “We will soon have a dedicated place on our website for the taxonomy where it can be regularly updated,” said Kikiras.
 

Identifying defence applications

The second phase has been to identify and analyse applications within the scope of EDA’s research work that are relevant to the military and which can be affected by AI. 

“This is less about identifying technology and more about addressing the lack of awareness of knowledge about AI at all levels of defence planners,” said Kikiras. “They are trying to use it to incrementally improve their current systems and scenarios, something that is desirable and increases operational capacities. However, AI will transform the future battlefield far beyond that. For example, to survey the Arctic, ships are used supported by satellites. But this could be done more nimbly with unmanned systems. We need a new generation of planners who understand the optimisations AI can induce to their systems, and who think differently.”
 

Looking for synergies

The blueprint’s third phase is also its most strategic: to get an overview of the AI’s military status and strategies across the Member States, and to propose ideas where more AI synergies between them might be possible.

“We know from the recent study that EDA commissioned on the subject that not many Member States have a dedicated AI strategy for defence: most have a more general reference to defence in their national AI strategies. The important thing is that the study identified the gaps and patterns of potential collaboration such as data management, the ethical dimensions, certification of AI applications and systems or standardisation,” he said.  “We now need to get our CapTech groups of national experts to identify how AI can be folded into their work, and to ensure they have a better understanding of what other Member States – and third countries such as the USA, Singapore and China – are doing in the sector.”

Ultimately, the challenge will be to tackle all these things the right way, top-down as well as bottom-up. “There are different levels of AI maturity across the Member States, and that is a concern for us. While the experts within our CapTechs are eager to find solutions – and there are a lot of projects possible – once you move to the strategic level, it becomes more difficult,” said Kikiras. 

Montiel Sanchez added: “At the tactical level, AI is more about the intelligent automation of functions, like those on platforms aiming for autonomous systems. But at the strategic level, this goes straight to (AI-enabled) intelligence and support to decision-making, which immediately gets more complicated for cooperation, given the sensitivities from the different parties.”
 

AI Action Plan

This third phase includes a new EDA draft AI action plan, based on the Member States’ requirements and identifying how they could collaborate to develop AI for their militaries. National capitals had until May to comment on the action plans, after which it will be formally validated by end-2020. 

Virtual testing for real-life military AI solutions

AI products and services need standardisation and certification if they are going to be readily accepted into the military sector. One idea EDA has proposed to its members is to create a repository, or ‘data lake’, of less sensitive but anonymous military operational data on vehicles, air platforms and so on. By giving research and technology organisations, SMEs and large industry access to it, these players could devise new AI solutions such as platform-specific smart software.

“Let’s say you have a company working on predictive maintenance for a helicopter type and it has developed a great algorithm. How to test it? Traditionally, they would have to go to the manufacturer or military user, where it can be difficult or slow to get the right data sets for testing and validation,” said Kikiras. 

With the repository, however, a company could go to EDA as the trusted third-party to link the innovator with the Member State that controls and owns the operational data needed. “This would create a one-stop shop for testing AI products. But first we have to see whether our militaries will be willing to do this. France is already moving in that direction with its own repository, for example,” he said.
 

Artificial intelligence vs. machine learning: what are the differences?

The commingling is found everywhere, whether in articles for the layman or scientific texts. The terms ‘artificial intelligence’ (AI) and ‘machine learning’ (ML) are used so interchangeably that it suggests a complete synonymity between them, and thus the same concept. But this is certainly not the case, and it is important to understand the differences between them to avoid confusion. 

Artificial intelligence is the broad and overarching term. It encompasses various algorithms and techniques which exploit the huge power of computers (in their widest sense) to quickly make an immense number of calculations to solve specific goals. This capability can provide useful responses that can be construed as or equivalent to those coming from an intelligent human being. However, that is not a very precise or useful definition. 

Many AI definitions refer to human intelligence (itself not a well-defined term), reasoning (not clearly described either), concepts such as perception, cognition, intelligence or vague allusions to applications such as ‘computer vision’, ‘natural language understanding’ or ‘problem solving’.

To avoid confusion and establish a common reference, EDA has settled on a ‘minimum common denominator’ definition of the functional perspective of AI. For example, AI is very good at proposing the best option among a range of choices regarding a decision needed. The Agency has thus adopted the following definition: 

AI is the capability provided by algorithms of selecting, optimal or sub-optimal choices from a wide possibility space, in order to achieve specific goals by applying different strategies including adaptivity to the surrounding dynamical conditions and learning from own experience, externally supplied or self-generated data. 

This definition helps clear the way for EDA to support European defence cooperation in AI. 

As for machine learning, this can be understood in two ways related to the AI domain. One is that ML represents the ability of certain algorithms to learn without being explicitly programmed to do so. The other way refers not to their learning ability but to the algorithms themselves.  

For EDA, machine learning means the ability of algorithms “to model systems by learning from the data these systems produce”. These models identify and extract patterns, thus acquiring their own knowledge and inferring from the data how to predict the outcome of new inputs not previously seen. 

An exemplary illustration of ML would be so-called deep learning algorithms such as ‘Convolutional Neural Networks’ or ‘Recurrent Neural Networks’. These have produced spectacular results and are behind the explosion of AI in the last ten years regarding image- and voice-identification (Google, Facebook, Apple, etc.). They are also the reason why ML is erroneously taken as the whole body of AI when, in fact, it is only a part of it. Why? ML is a subset of AI because many AI algorithms do not have ML’s self-learning ability. 

 

Americas

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems won a $15.5 million contract modification, that adds performance for site relocation activities and exercises an option to extend intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance services utilizing contractor-owned/contractor-operated MQ-9 unmanned air systems. The Reaper is a UAV capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations. The MQ-9 Reaper has an operational ceiling of 50,000ft, a maximum internal payload of 800lb and external payload over 3,000lb. It can carry up to four Hellfire II anti-armor missiles and two laser-guided bombs (GBU-12 or EGBU-12) and 500lb GBU-38 JDAM (joint direct attack munition). In May 2008, a USAF Reaper successfully test dropped four Raytheon GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II 500lb bombs, which have laser and GPS guidance. Work will take place in Arizona, California and other locations outside the continental US. Expected completion is in December 2020.

Areté Associated von a $9.7 million contract for integration services supporting incremental upgrades, block upgrades and future generations of MK 18 Family of Systems unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), additional UUVs and remotely operated vehicles. This 17-month contract includes no options.The Mk 18 Mod 1 Swordfish UUV is capable of performing low-visible exploration and reconnaissance in support of amphibious landing; mine countermeasures operations such as search, classification, mapping, reacquire, and identification; hydrographic mapping at depths from 10 to 40 feet. Work will take place in Arizona and Florida. Estimated completion is August 24, 2020-

Middle East & Africa

Turkey and Qatar will help restructure forces loyal to Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) into a regular army based on the model that Turkey used to train the military of Azerbaijan after it became an independent country, turkish media reported. The three-way agreement was announced after talks in Tripoli between GNA Deputy Defense Minister Salah al-Namroush, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, and Qatari Defense Minister Khalid bin Muhammad al-Attiyah.

Europe

According to Rheinmetall, Hungary has embarked on a massive program worth over two billion euros (2.4 billion dollars) to modernize the country’s defense industry and military capabilities. Rheinmetall will be cooperating with Hungary to create a joint venture and production facility in Hungary to manufacture the most modern Lynx infantry fighting vehicle. Hungary is the first NATO and EU member state to choose the Düsseldorf-based Group’s innovative new IFV.

A giant Antonov AN-124 cargo aircraft touched down at Glasgow Prestwick Airport to make an oversized delivery of a new Operational Flight Trainer (OFT) heading to RAF Lossiemouth, according to the UK Ministry of Defense. The simulator is one of two that will be installed in the new £100-million strategic facility built by Boeing Defence UK. From Autumn 2020, RAF Lossiemouth will be the headquarters of the UK’s submarine-hunting Poseidon MRA Mk1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft fleet.

Asia-Pacific

According to Indian media, the United States and India seem to be finally ready to sign an agreement to share geospatial defense intelligence. The two countries might sign the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) during a virtual “2+2” foreign and defense ministers/secretaries’ dialogue in September. BECA is the last of the four “foundational” agreements that underpin deepening defense cooperation between the two countries. When signed, BECA will allow the United States to share satellite and other sensor data with India in order to improve the Indian military’s targeting and navigation capabilities.

Today’s Video

Watch: Defence Updates #1042 – Rafale New Base, BrahMos Export, DRDO 108 System List, MiG-21 Shot JF-17

Americas

BAE Systems Surface Ships won a $19.9 million contract for Archerfish Destructor full rate production, maintenance and associated technical services.  The work to be performed under this contract will include maintenance, spare and repair parts and evolution of the Archerfish Destructors. BAE Systems will manage the destructor configuration as well as integrate new or upgraded capability and assess the destructor configuration for application to in-service upgrade efforts. Flown on board the MH-60S, Archerfish is a remotely-controlled underwater vehicle equipped with an explosive warhead to destroy sea mines. Work will take place in the UK, France and West Virginie. Expected completion will be by January 2023.

Lt. Col. Luke Sustman, commander of the newly-activated 249th Special Operations Squadron, is the first US Air Force pilot to clock more than 3,000 hours on the tiltrotor. He is a 19-year veteran who has flown the CV-22 since 2006. Sustman’s milestone achievement precedes the squadron’s historic activation, which is scheduled for later this month. “Nothing really compares to a CV-22. Going from 230 knots to a hover to landing in the middle of nowhere without a runway is amazing,” he said. “The flying is great but I find that the experiences and people I’ve had the opportunity to work with have made it the most rewarding“, says Sustman

Middle East & Africa

In mid-August, a Turkish and a Greek warship collided in the Eastern Mediterranean, raising tensions in the most combustible naval stand-off the region has witnessed in 20 years. The crisis had started two days before, when Turkey deployed an energy exploration ship along with its naval escort to search for oil and natural gas in waters near the Greek island of Kastellorizo—waters Athens claims as its own maritime territory. The Turkish geological survey vessel Oruç Reis continued to chart an area in the eastern Mediterranean claimed by both Greece and Turkey following the collision of frigates from the two countries. AIS tracking of the survey vessel showed it continuing its movement pattern on August 13-20. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s national security advisor, Rear Admiral Alexandros Diakopoulos, resigned on August 19 after he pointed out the day before that the Oruç Reis was continuing its research activities. For decades, Eastern Mediterranean maritime boundary disputes were a local affair, confined to sovereignty claims and counterclaims among Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey. But over the past five years, the region’s offshore natural gas resources have turned the Eastern Mediterranean into a key strategic arena through which larger geopolitical fault-lines involving the EU and the MENA region converge.

Europe

A report on Russia’s military doctrine indicates a shift away from reliance on nuclear capability and emphasis on the military as only one element of strategy. The report by the Congressional Research Service on Thursday, notes Russia’s “new generation warfare.” It points out that Russia has expanded its military capabilities in the past decade, noting the Russian invasion of Crimea and its standing army in Syria. However, it acknowledges the military as a single component of an overall approach to warfare.

Asia-Pacific

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems won an $18.8 million contract modification under previously awarded Aegis Combat Weapon System development contract HQ0276-10-C-0001. Under this modification, the contractor will continue performing engineering design support and analysis of alternative services necessary for continuation of planning efforts and risk reduction efforts required to support the Aegis Ashore Japan analysis of alternatives and Foreign Military Sales. Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono had cancelled plans to build two Aegis Ashore sites, citing cost and concerns that falling booster stages from the interceptor missiles could drop on residents. Japan, however, has reportedly not cancelled the $1 billion contract for the defense system’s radars, built by Lockheed Martin. Work will take place in Moorestown, New Jersey. Estimated completion date is December 31, 2020.

An aviation brigade of China’s People’s Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) conducted an exercise at sea showing its ability to utilize a commercial semi-submersible heavy-lift ship as a flight deck. Video footage released on August 19 on the js7tv.cn website of the state-owned China Central Television 7 (CCTV 7) channel, shows Z-19 and Z-8 helicopters landing on and taking off from the vessel’s deck, which was marked with three operating spots. From the video it is clear that the exercise included serials for aircraft refueling, using conventional fuel bowser lorries embarked on the ship, and re-arming the attack helicopters with missiles.

Today’s Video

Watch: DARPA’s INITIATIVE SHOWS THAT U.S IS AHEAD OF CHINA & RUSSIA IN MILITARY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE !

Americas

Honeywell International won a $20.8 million deal for the repair of the advanced display core processor (ADCP) and digital mapping service (DMS) in F-15Es. The Boeing F-15E dual-role fighter is an advanced long-range interdiction fighter and tactical aircraft. The F-15E is the latest version of the Eagle, a Mach 2.5-class twin-engine fighter. More than 1,500 F-15s are in service worldwide with the US Air Force, US Air National Guard and the air forces of Israel, Japan and Saudi Arabia, including over 220 F-15E fighters. Work will take place in Phoenix, Arizona. Estimated completion date is August 19, 2025.

Lockheed Martin won a $8 million cost-share order, which is to consolidate Lots 12-14 known issues, funding and requirements on a single contract vehicle to ensure the most fiscally responsible business deals for customers. This supports concurrency related modification and retrofit activities for delivered air systems for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for non-Department of Defense (DOD) participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. The F-35 is a stealthy, supersonic multirole fighter. It 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. A 70%-90% commonality is required for all variants. Work will take place in Fort Worth, Texas. Expected completion date is in December 2025.

Middle East & Africa

KBR Wyle Services won an $8.7 million cost contract to provide technical assistance, program management, engineering, financial and logistics support for the integrated product teams that acquire and sustain F-18 series aircraft for Foreign Military Sales customers and the governments of Finland and Kuwait. Delivery of the very first F-18s to Finland happened between November 1995 and ended in August 2000. Kuwait had ordered its first 32 F/A-18C and eight F/A-18D Hornets i 1988. Delivery took place between 1991 and 1993. Work will take place in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Kuwait, California, California and ist expected to be finished by August 2025.

Europe

Six US Air Force B-52 bombers from the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, arrived on August 22, 2020, at RAF Fairford, England for a long planned training mission, US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Public Affairs has announced. “B-52s are back at RAF Fairford, and will be operating across the theater in what will be a very active deployment. Our ability to quickly respond and assure allies and partners rests upon the fact that we are able to deploy our B-52s at a moment’s notice,” said Gen. Jeff Harrigian, US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa commander. “Their presence here helps build trust with our NATO allies and partner nations and affords us new opportunities to train together through a variety of scenarios.” According to local spotters, the bombers landed at around 7:30 a.m. local time.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is deploying four of its F-16 fighters to Souda Air Base to Crete, Greece. The jets will be there to train with the Hellenic Air Force over the eastern Mediterranean. In the next days, these aircraft and their crews will carry out joint training with the Greek Armed Forces over the Eastern Mediterranean. The F-16 crews will be joined by support staff – engineers and ground personnel.

Asia-Pacific

Chinese state-owned media released video footage showing what appears to be a new tracked amphibious ferry and bridging system for use by the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF). The footage, which was released on August 20 on the Weibo social media page of the js7tv.cn website, shows two of the tracked vehicles deploying their pontoons before entering the water. It appears that the platform can provide both a ferry and bridging capability across rivers and other water obstacles. However, the video provided no further details about the system, including its designation and whether it is already in PLA service.

Today’s Video

Watch: USS MUSTIN OF U.S NAVY OPERATES IN SOUTH CHINA SEA – TRANSITS TAIWAN STRAIT UNCHALLENGED !

Americas

The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is on course to conduct the first ever intercept of a intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) target using a SM-3 Block IIA interceptor this year. Vice Adm. Jon A. Hill, director of MDA, says this will be executed under Flight Test Maritime 44 (FTM-44). It will be conducted in a “defense of Hawaii” scenario, with a ship and the SM-3 Block IIA, Hill added. Hill was speaking at a August 18 webinar sponsored by the Heritage Foundation, he said his agency is evaluating the feasibility of using the Aegis Combat System together with the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor as a layer in the missile defense of the US homeland.

The US Air Force’s Air Education and Training Command confirmed that it intends to scale down the T-1 Jayhawk fleet and students on the air mobility track will spend more time on the simulator instead. Pilots at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, and Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, will reportedly continue with the normal T-1 program but students assigned to Randolph Air Force Base will not fly the T-1 aircraft. Those at Vance Air Force Base will be exposed to a modified T-1 training syllabus. Senior leaders will make a decision whether to expand the program after gathering feedback from the two courses at Vance and Randolph. Maj. Gen. Craig Wills, 19th Air Force commander, said that this will lead to a reduction of T-1 aircraft if the program is successful. The T-1 fleet at NAS Pensacola will be retained to train combat systems officers.

Middle East & Africa

According to Jane’s Israeli company Rafael Defense is partnering with Pratt Miller and Oshkosh Defense in order to win a contract to provide 30 mm cannons for US Army Stryker vehicles. After a two-and-a-half-month deadline extension, all Medium Calibre Weapons System (MCWS) program proposals and bid samples are due on August 24. Although many vendors are remaining tight lipped over whether they are still competing, Janes confirmed with multiple, wholly separate, sources that Pratt Miller is no longer teaming up with CMI Defence and is now saddled up with Rafael and Oshkosh for its bid. Under the competition, the army wants to select a team to outfit Stryker vehicles with 30 mm cannons. Service plans called for a two-phased, concurrent approach involving a design integration study phase to help inform requirements development and the acquisition strategy, and a separate Stryker MCWS request for proposal.

Europe

British Army and German Bundeswehr Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) trained together at Kazlu Ruda training ranges in Lithuania on Exercise FURIOUS WOLF, alongside Typhoon aircraft from No. 6 Squadron Royal Air Force. The British and German troops have been training alongside other NATO JTAC partners across the Baltic States to hone their skills in accordance with NATO standardized practices. According to the British Army, all NATO JTACs use the same procedure when working with alliance aircraft. According to NATO, JTACs from Estonia, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the United States all worked together with air crews from the Estonian Air Force, the Royal Air Force as well as the Spanish Air Force.

Ukraine’s NATO-funded disposal of old and obsolete ammunition resumed this week after the project was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the alliance said. Ukraine acquired vast amounts of weapons and ammunition after the Soviet Union withdrew from Warsaw Pact countries in the 1990s. NATO’s Trust Fund Demilitarization Project has been working since 2005, at the request of Ukraine’s government in order of reducing the accumulation of unstable and potentially dangerous munitions. A second phase of the project, which will dispose of 29,600 tons of ammunition, 2.4 million antipersonnel mines and 1,500 tons of other unserviceable ordnance by the end of the year, began in 2011 but was halted to deal with the pandemic, NATO reported on Tuesday.

Asia-Pacific

Indonesia’s National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) has leased a CH-47D helicopter from Billings Flying Service of the United States for forest fire fighting and COVID-19 relief operations. The large rotorcraft is on a one month trial and will assist in the distribution of test kits to remote regions. It arrived in Sumatra on August 18 and is already painted in BNPB colors. The board says it will also lease a Black Hawk helicopter for similar duties.

Today’s Video

Watch: 5 Worst Weapons Projects the US Military Has in The Works

When seven EDA Member States established a Working Group in 2013 to improve collaboration and information-sharing in what was then a small and totally fragmented European Medium Altitude, Long Endurance, Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (MALE RPAS) domain, they instantly realised that cooperation on education and training offered the biggest potential for tangible results. Seven years on, there is a very tangible outcome: a joint RPAS Training Technology Demonstrator deployed to ten Member States.

This article has first been published in EDA's 'European Defence Matters' magazine N° 19 published in June 2020. 

The Working Group started with an in-depth analysis of the varying national approaches to RPAS crew training. It revealed that the paths into the RPAS aircrew pipeline varied significantly from country to country with disparate entry standards, methodologies and qualifications everywhere. Aligning the various approaches did not seem to offer any obvious immediate operational benefits to the fielded capability of the front line crews involved, a problem further compounded due to the remote and segregated nature of their daily tasks (often highly classified) which offered very few opportunities for multinational interaction. 

Against this backdrop, in late 2015, the Working Group reached a consensus that the only viable way forward was to construct a generic common MALE RPAS training platform that would be independent of bilateral obligation and not directly challenge national approaches. Instead, the common training platform would serve as a catalyst for slower convergence of training approaches, as a tool for improved interoperability as well as a framework for structured sharing of lessons, improved procedures and for general capacity development. The quest for improved interoperability was not unique to EDA, nor the Working Group itself, and, in early 2016, the European Air Group (EAG) was invited to contribute to the workstream as they had a strong interest in practical operator level improvements to interoperability, doctrine and procedures.  
 

RPAS Training Technology Demonstrator (RTTD)

The joint approach proved fruitful, and with funding support from EDA’s operational budget, a plan was developed to build a RPAS Training Technology Demonstrator (RTTD), the results of which would be shared across all EDA participating Member States.
 
Practically speaking, the RTTD project would equip each of the national training establishments with a desktop MALE RPAS simulator comprised of separate pilot, sensor operator and instructor consoles – all of them connected over a virtual private network that would enable both local and distributed training and the opportunity to test how interoperability could be improved through regular joint exercises and an annual face-to-face meeting of operators and instructors. 

EDA took care of the provision of the equipment and initial systems training, whereas the EAG focused on structured exercise collaboration and the tactical procedural dimensions to author a dedicated training manual through a parallel effort to be called the Interoperable MALE RPAS ISR Trainer (IMRIT) project. EDA rapidly progressed with the writing of a technical specification for the RTTD and opened a contract call in late 2016 for a four-year framework contract to provide the hardware, software and associated support services. The contract was awarded in February 2017 to DCI and DIGINEXT, a French consortium, who specialised in military simulation and had already developed a stand-alone system for the French Air Force.
 

First deployments to France, Italy, Spain

After several operator led design review and acceptance meetings, the first console was deployed in December 2017 at the French Air Force, Drone Centre of Excellence at Salon de Provence, followed quickly by deployments to the Italian Drone Centre in Amendola and the Spanish RPAS Training School, in Salamanca, Spain. The system immediately proved popular for local training and inter site communication, file transfer, debrief and replay functions were tested. 

The remaining deliveries to Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom (prior to Brexit) were conducted as soon as possible between March 2018 and February 2019. Issues were resolved as they came to light and Full Operational Capability was declared in March 2019. 
 

Desert, maritime and Middle East scenarios

Aside from the equipment deployment, the first MALE RPAS symposium was held at High Wycombe in the UK in November 2018 and the Member States and the EAG began work on designing three operational scenarios covering desert, maritime and Middle East based urban storyboards to form the framework for increasingly complex operational challenges.  

Each scenario was developed over three levels of difficulty: basic, advanced and advanced plus. Member States were each allocated a scenario in groups of three and four with the objective of refining the scenarios and further improving operational procedures. The EAG offered a vision of running a large collaborative personnel recovery exercise in late 2020 called VOLCANEX, but planning is currently held up due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
 

Unique training network for MALE RPAS operators 

Results from the RTTD/IMRIT project will be made available to all EDA participating Member States in late 2021 with a view to reviewing the membership and scope of the Working Group and to perhaps continue the Demonstrator project as a longer lasting endeavour. 

Initial impressions of the joint project have highlighted several significant benefits including the value of mentoring in terms of capability development, language and cultural context as drivers for change, the value of low cost simulation employing commercial off-the-shelf gaming technologies and the very high degree of fidelity achievable using common locally shared environments and synchronisation tools. 

Although Covid-19 has enforced a regrettable operational pause to further system development, the demonstrator has already proved its worth enhancing both local and networked training but, perhaps more importantly, establishing an ongoing and trust based dialogue between European MALE RPAS operators. 

Training together in peacetime should be the normal approach to delivering success on deployed operations and in that respect the RTTD/IMRIT has already broken down several cultural barriers that in time will improve deployed operational capability. 

 

Americas

Teledyne Defense Electronics won a $23.6 million deal for the repair of the electron tubes associated with the ALQ-99 system in support of the F/A-18G aircraft. This contract includes a five-year base period with no options. The AN/ALQ-99 is an airborne electronic warfare system, found on EA-6B and EA-18G military aircraft. Receiver equipment and antennas are mounted in a fin-tip pod while jamming transmitters and exciter equipment are located in under-wing pods. Work will take place in Rancho Cordova, California. Expected completion will be by August 2025.

The Army has reportedly developed a new system for land mine identification that it says will greatly reduce false alarm rates. Vadum, Inc., North Carolina State University, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Army Research Office all collaborated to develop the Vibration-Enhanced Underground Sensing system called Venus. Instead of detecting the electromagnetic signature of the mine, which can be confused with other buried metal objects or with wet or magnetic patches of soil, the Venus system uses a pulsed magnetic field to stimulate the metal parts inside a landmine to vibrate. The Army has awarded the research team an additional two-year Phase II STTR contract to mature the technology and make it ready for outdoor testing at the Army’s range.

Middle East & Africa

Iran unveiled the upgrade it appears to be implementing for its T-72M1 main battle tanks (MBTs) when Minister of Defense Amir Hatami inaugurated the production line at the Bani-Hashem Armour Industrial Complex near Dorud in the mid-August. General Hatami reportedly expressed hope that the experts of the defense ministry will be able to upgrade all the operational main battle tanks of the Armed Forces, saying that Iran is currently capable of manufacturing tanks equipped with an electro-optical fire control system, laser rangefinder system, ballistic computer, and a system to fire at fixed and moving targets, day or night.

Europe

A new Russian medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle was reportedly unveiled to the public during a visit by the Minister of Industry and Trade to Kronstadt Group on August 18. The UAV is named Helios and is likely a mock-up at this stage. At the production site, the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia was shown the diversification of technologies developed for civilian use, technologies for creating parts of UAVs

The US military lost two MQ-9 UAV over Syria when both aircraft collided with each other in mid-air. A defense official told the Air Force Times that while there were indications that both drones collided, whether it was due to enemy fire is still unclear at the moment. Locals had photographed the drones flying over north of Idlib just before the incident. The Reaper has also been reportedly deploying a “flying Ginsu” weapon. The weapon has been in use for some time, while its existence has been kept under wraps by the Central Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Asia-Pacific

The Japanese government may reportedly cancel the acquisition of three RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drones from the United States, slated for procurement through Washington’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system. The government is apparently reconsidering the plan and will soon make a decision, which could be the cancellation of the purchase, according to informed sources. It is the second time for Japan to review a procurement deal under Washington’s Foreign Military Sales program, following the recent decision to scrap the plan to deploy the US-made Aegis Ashore land-based missile defense system.

Today’s Video

Watch: RUSSIA WILL DEPLOY SUKHOI SU 30SM WITH KH 32 SUPERSONIC ANTI SHIP MISSILE TO COUNTER U.S CARRIERS !

Americas

According to Boeing, the 20th US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet entered Boeing’s Service Life Modification program for upgrades and extension of use. The SLM program adds a Block III conversion to the plane, in use since 1999, with features including enhanced network capability, added fuel tanks, an advanced cockpit system, signature improvements and an enhanced communication system. Each plane’s life is extended from 6,000 flight hours to 7,500 flight hours, with the intent of keeping the F/A-18 in active service for decades to come.

The submarine tender USS Emory S. Land arrived in California Monday for maintenance after a nearly eight-month deployment with the US 7th Fleet. The ship will spend 150 days in port at Mare Island Dry Dock in Vallejo, Calif., for a regular overhaul through an awarded contract of $33.5 million, the Navy said. The ship departed Guam, and completed a 14-day sequester period to guard against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, before arriving in California. The USS Emory S. Land is one of two submarine tenders in the Navy.

Middle East & Africa

The United States and the United Arab Emirates concluded a joint live fire exercise in the Arabian Gulf last week, the Navy Central Command said on Monday. The four-day exercise involved the UAE’s Joint Aviation Command and the US Naval Forces Central Command, US Air Forces Central Command and US Special Operations Central Command in air operations supporting maritime surface warfare, the Navy said. US and Emirati pilots also participated in live fire exercises, which officials said offers an opportunity to practice strike capabilities against simulated surface targets.

Europe

For the first time, the air forces of Israel and Germany began a two-week joint exercise over Germany on August 17. Six IAF F-16C/D “Barak” fighter planes of the Israel Air Force, two “Re’em” Boeing 707 aircraft known as “Re’em,” and two Gulfstream G-550 surveillance planes known as “Nachshon-Eitam” arrived at Germany’s Norvenich base, marking the first time that IAF aircraft landed on German soil, Israeli officials said. “The flights will be carried out using NATO’s combat doctrine as opposed to ours, which creates a challenge for the pilot and weapons systems operator in the cockpit,” Lt. Col. A said.

According to the Royal Navy, it has has “shown its commitment” to using autonomous and robot systems for underwater survey work. The Royal Navy, the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and the National Oceanography Center have expanded their Memorandum of Understanding for the underwater environment. The first iteration of the memorandum, signed in 2014, focused on the joint development and trials of unmanned underwater vehicles. Potential projects coming up include further testing of gliders and autonomous surface and underwater vehicles as well as the development of robotics systems and their possible military use.

Asia-Pacific

Australian Defense reports that the Boeing Australia’s Loyal Wingman prototype unmanned aircraft has been spotted out in the open and is being prepared for taxi trials. While the actual location was not disclosed, it is likely to be in Amberley. A Boeing spokesperson confirmed that the first flight will take place this year. Australia is spending $40 million for three prototypes under Project 6014.

Today’s Video

Watch: Meet America’s New ‘Assault Ship’ Armed with F-35s (And Much More)