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Americas Boeing won a $7.6 million contract modification for integration of the legacy strap pack assembly for remanufactured AH-64E aircraft. The AH-64 Apache is a twin-engine, four bladed, multi-mission attack helicopter designed as a highly stable aerial weapons-delivery platform. The AH-64E features improved digital connectivity, the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System, more powerful T700-GE-701D engines with upgraded face gear transmission to accommodate more power, capability to control UAVs, full IFR capability, and improved landing gear. Work will take place in Mesa, Arizona. Estimated completion date is January 31, 2024. An exoskeleton, worn by US Air…

Americas Sikorsky Aircraft won an $11.9 million contract modification, which provides non-recurring engineering to include investigations, systems engineering support, risk analysis and integration development in support of the CH-53K Data Transfer Unit and Defensive Electronic Countermeasure System Replacement Phase III, to replace existing subsystems within the CH-53K production aircraft. The CH-53K is the United States Marine Corps’ (USMC) heavy lift replacement for the CH-53E. Work will take place in Maryland, Connecticut, Iowa, Texas and Vermont. Expected completion date is in June 2024. Honeywell International won a $9.4 million order for the procurement of the emb…

Americas Northrop Grumman won a $17 million modification, which adds scope to provide for the production, delivery, and installation of Link 16 Crypto-Modernization/Hybrid Beyond Line of Sight capabilities on 15 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) is the newest variant of the E-2 aircraft platform. It features a state-of-the-art radar with a two-generation leap in capability and upgraded aircraft systems that will improve supportability and increase readiness. Work will take place in Florida, Virginia, Illinois, California and New York. Estimated completion date is May 2023. The US Air Force, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps will have an a…

There are many fine traditions in the naval service, especially in the Anglosphere. One of the best was summarized by Admiral Nelson, RN. When in doubt, attack. That bias for action in the face of a threat is an admirable trait, especially when contrasted with a more common human reaction – to freeze. As we have evolved as a species, other reactions developed past these Upper-Paleolithic instincts of Homo Sapiens. Indeed, in the modern evolution of Homo Bureaucraticus, scapegoating and blame-shifting, have sadly become more common through natural selection. In Ottomanesque bureaucracies, game recognizes game, and such responses are rewarded and passed along generation af…

The big navalist news over the weekend was unquestionably what appears to be a successful attack on the Russian Navy at Sevastopol by remotely piloted surface craft by the Ukrainians. Some reports call them "drones" or other such descriptors, but really they appear to be an upscaled militarized remotely piloted surface vessel on a one way trip. There is a lot of expected hyperbole about the attack, and that is what I wanted to address today. I am concerned that the overhype by the ignorant, click hunting, or agenda driven people in the public space will cause us to miss the most important lesson here. This attack was not historically significant in a larger sense, no more…

Remarks by Commander Salamander before the Congressional Research Service, Defense Breakfast Seminar, Wednesday, 22 March 2023 I appreciate the opportunity to discuss some of my views on current topics affecting our defense posture and the future of our country. The views I will express are my own from my perspective after 35 years as a naval officer, defense journalist, and student of history. I will not dwell on the specifics of the broad breadth of topics I’ve written on because they are available for anyone with access to a computer. I would like to share with you thoughts on the importance on one topic I’ve been writing about since 2004; the People’s Republic of Chin…

Americas Raytheon won a $48.8 million deal for the repair of 10 forward-looking infrared components in support of the V-22 and CH-53 helicopters. This contract includes a five-year base period with no options. Work will take place in McKinney, Texas (40%); El Segundo, California (30%); Jacksonville, Florida (15%); and Goleta, California (15%). Work is expected […]View the full article

Americas The State Department has approved Canada’s request to gain access to the Mobile User Objective System service and procure associated logistics and program support services from the US government under a potential $138 million foreign military sales agreement. General Dynamics will serve as the principal contractor in the proposed FMS deal, which covers the provision of […]View the full article

Americas General Atomics Aeronautical Systems won a $34.8 million deal, which procures Air Vehicle and Ground Control Station spares in support of the successful operational capability of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Unmanned Aircraft System Expeditionary Medium Altitude Long Endurance MQ-9 Reaper air vehicles. Work will be performed in Poway, California, and is expected to be completed in May 2028. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Bell Boeing won a $21.9 million deal, which provides for non-recurring efforts for the engineering, component production, supportability, and management necessary to facilitate the incorporat…

Russian forces launched an assault on Ukrainian positions in Zaporizhzhia under the cover of both Russian and American flags, according to a report from the defense news outlet Militarnyi. The incident took place near Mala Tokmachka in the Zaporizhzhia region, where Russian troops attempted to storm defensive positions held by Ukrainian forces. Open-source intelligence specialists […] The post Russian troops use American flag in Ukraine attack first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Ukraine has presented a new generation of robotic warfare with the debut of the VATAG heavy uncrewed ground vehicle (H-UGV), unveiled at the Brave1 Defense Tech Valley 2025 summit on September 16. According to Defense Express, the system integrates artificial intelligence and advanced control technologies to perform a wide spectrum of battlefield missions. The VATAG […] The post Ukraine unveils AI-driven heavy ground robot first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

In response to mounting losses from low-cost Ukrainian FPV drone strikes, Russia’s VNII “Gradient” has developed a new counter-UAV system named “Multik”, designed to protect helicopters and ground forces from first-person view (FPV) drone attacks. The new system was detailed in promotional materials released by KRET, a division of Russia’s defense electronics sector. The system […] The post Russia equips helicopters with new drone defense system first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Russia has made clear it has no plans to provide military assistance to Venezuela, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stating that Caracas has not asked Moscow for weapons or troops. Speaking to Russian media, including TASS, Lavrov stressed that while Venezuela remains a friendly nation and strategic partner, the relationship does not include mutual defense […]View the full article

United States military air transport activity into Puerto Rico is continuing at a sustained pace, according to open-source flight tracking data and aviation observers monitoring movements from the continental United States into the Caribbean. The pattern has drawn attention from analysts who view the island as a forward logistics node for U.S. operations near northern […]View the full article

United States Central Command and regional partners opened a new coordination cell for integrated air and missile defense at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Jan. 12. The Middle Eastern Air Defense – Combined Defense Operations Cell, or MEAD-CDOC, is housed inside the Qatar-based Combined Air Operations Center. According to CENTCOM, the cell brings […]View the full article

Ukrainian armored vehicle manufacturer UKR ARMO TECH announced its intention to expand into the Middle East market while increasing production capacity to meet potential export demand, following its participation in the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia. The company showcased its DESNA multi-purpose tactical vehicle and GYURZA-03 MRAP-class platform at the exhibition in the Kingdom […]View the full article

The United States Department of War is moving to integrate the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor onto U.S. Navy destroyers equipped with the Aegis combat system, according to defense budget documents and reporting by Inside Defense. The plan directs $65 million in fiscal year 2026 reconciliation funding to support integration of the […]View the full article

A General Atomics Aeronautical Systems test aircraft for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program suffered a mishap following takeoff from a company-owned airport in the California desert on Monday at approximately 1 p.m. Pacific time, the company announced. The aircraft involved was a YFQ-42A, one of several production-representative test platforms currently in the […]View the full article

U.S. Air Force Special Warfare Airmen tested a commercial off-the-shelf kinetic counter-drone interceptor in Arizona earlier this month. The proof-of-concept event brought together Airmen from the 48th Rescue Squadron, 7th Air Support Operations Squadron, and 316th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal at the Arizona Army National Guard Florence Military Reservation. The exercise integrated a […]View the full article

Thales completed the first successful test firings of its new X-Fire multiple rocket launcher, confirming that France is moving at serious pace toward a sovereign long-range strike capability that does not depend on foreign ammunition for its core operational function. The system, developed jointly with French vehicle manufacturer Soframe and mounted on an agile 8×8 […]View the full article