Raw Intel

Americas Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW), a naval aviation repair and maintenance facility based at the NAS North Island, is embarking on a significant transition in naval aviation maintenance as the Navy gradually phases out its legacy F/A-18A-D series. This shift marks the inclusion of the F-16 fighter as a major program for FRCSW’s Depot […]View the full article

Taiwan is moving to expand its stockpile of Stinger air defense missiles, with the Army planning a supplemental purchase of several thousand rounds valued at NT$11 billion ($340 million), according to local defense reports. The move follows an earlier $2.1 billion package for 2,621 man-portable Stingers from the United States. According to Taiwan’s Liberty Times […] The post Taiwan to buy more Stinger missiles first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas Canopy Aerospace has clinched a $2.8 million US Air Force funding to develop a more resilient hypersonic thermal protection system (TPS) based on transpiration-cooling. An integrated TPS shields hypersonic platforms from extreme heat at over Mach 5, with temperatures reaching 3,000 degrees Celsius. The Canopy system works on the same cooling principle as sweating or how plants cool themselves through evaporation. According to Breaking Defense, the US Army is testing out a slew of drones in an effort to help decide just what the future force needs and pave a path towards acquiring it, according to a pair of one-star generals. The aviation-focused Experimental Gate…

Russia carried out a series of nuclear-capable missile launches on Wednesday as part of a large-scale strategic forces exercise overseen by Vladimir Putin in his role as commander in chief, according to a statement from the Kremlin. The training involved the launch of multiple intercontinental and cruise missiles designed to test the readiness of Russia’s […] The post Russia simulates “response” in nuclear drill first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas Bell Textron won a $48.3 million deal, which provides for the installation of Structural Improvements and Electrical Power Upgrades Phase II Part 3 kits, as well as ground and flight test for one AH-1Z and one UH-1Y aircraft for the Navy. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland; Fort Worth, Texas; and Amarillo, Texas, and is expected to be completed in August 2025. The AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter based on the AH-1W SuperCobra that features a four-blade rotor system, uprated transmission, and a new target sighting system. It has upgraded avionics, weapons, and electro-optical sensors designed to find targets at long ranges and attack …

A model believed to represent Russia’s newest “Oreshnik” ballistic missile system has appeared on the desk of Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. The image, which surfaced during a meeting in Minsk, shows a scale model of a large wheeled launcher — reportedly mounted on an MZKT-79291 chassis with a 12×12 wheel configuration — widely believed to […] The post Leaked image shows model of Russia’s new RS-26 ballistic missile first appeared on Defence Blog.View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin has achieved a significant milestone in tactical airlift with the delivery of the 2,700th C-130 Hercules aircraft. This landmark aircraft, a KC-130J Super Hercules tanker variant, joins the U.S. Marine Corps Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 (VMGR-252) stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. Notably, this delivery coincides with the C-130’s 70th anniversary of first flight this year, further highlighting the enduring legacy of this versatile military transport aircraft. The C-130 Hercules, first introduced in 1954, has become a ubiquitous workhorse in military aviation circles. Renowned for its unmatched versatilit…

Americas Raytheon won a $72.8 million order, which provides non-recurring engineering in support of early identification, development, and qualification of corrections to potential and actual F135 propulsion system operational issues, to include safety and reliability/maintainability problems identified through fleet usage. Additionally, this order provides for continued engine maturation, evaluates component life limits based on operational […]View the full article

Americas Boeing won a $50 million modification, which exercises options to procure eight P-8A Increment 3 retrofit A-kits, to include associated special tooling in support of anti-submarine warfare capabilities upgrades for the Navy. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida; and St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed in July 2026. Fiscal 2023 […]View the full article

Americas BAE Systems has been awarded $25 million to provide the US Marine Corps with more Amphibious Combat Vehicle-Personnel units (ACV-P) under its fourth order for full-rate production. The deal is a follow-on order to a previously-awarded $181-million contract for the vehicles. The agreement also covers the vehicles’ fielding and sustainment costs, as well as support […]View the full article

Americas Triumph Gear won a $18.5 million deal for the repair of one item that is part of the V-22 pylon conversion actuator system. All work will be performed in Park City, Utah. Work is expected to be completed by April 2025. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. […]View the full article

Americas Rolls-Royce Marine North America won a $23.5 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for highly specialized design agent engineering and technical services for the LCS, Freedom variant, machinery plant control and monitoring system, and control area network and monitoring ships control system, DDG-51 class machinery control system, and LSD 41/49 propulsion logic management units. Work will be performed in Walpole, Massachusetts (80%); Mayport, Florida (6%); Norfolk, Virginia (4%); San Diego, California (4%); and various locations outside and across the continental US, each less than 1% (6%). Work will be completed by May 2030. F…

Americas The US Air Force contracted Boeing with $14.5 million for KC-135 engineering sustainment services. The contract modification provides for recurring engineering services for sustainment of the KC-135 aircraft for one option year. Work will take place in Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama and Florida. Estimated completion date is March 31, 2022. Tactical Air Support won a $265.3 million deal, which provides non-recurring engineering, inspection, modification, and block upgrade efforts for 16 F-5E and six F-5F Tiger II aircraft from a Swiss Confederation configuration to a Navy/Marine Corps N+/F+ configuration. Additionally, this contract procures eight block upgrade retrofi…

Americas Brazil is in discussions about the possibility of extending its initial order of Saab Gripen E fighter jets from 36 to 40. The Defense Minister, Jose Mucio, confirmed that the Brazilian Air Force has expressed the need for additional aircraft and they are currently studying the matter. The 2014 agreement between Brazil and Saab, […]View the full article

U.S. soldiers are conducting joint training with Polish and Romanian forces on a counter-drone system deployed urgently to NATO’s eastern flank following a recent series of unmanned aircraft incursions across Europe. According to U.S. and NATO officials, the program reflects lessons drawn from the war in Ukraine, where cheap drones have repeatedly challenged traditional air-defense […]View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $74 million contract modification for the production of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) ground equipment to support the US government. Under this contract modification, Lockheed Martin will provide six launchers, THAAD Fire Control and Communication (TFCC), and associated Peculiar Support Equipment (PSE) under firm-fixed-price and fixed-price incentive (firm target) contract line items. The THAAD terminal (formerly theatre) high-altitude area defense missile system is an easily transportable defensive weapon system to protect against hostile incoming threats, such as tactical and theatre ballistic missiles, at ranges of 200km a…

Americas Technology company Sigma Defense Systems has signed a $4.7 million task order to build a virtual reality intelligence training ecosystem for the US Army. Under the deal, the Georgia-based firm will build, demonstrate, and deploy a next-generation training platform for the army’s Operator Maintainer Immersive Virtual Reality Environment for Intelligence Training (OMNIVORE-IT) project. The resulting […]View the full article

Americas An AC-130J Ghostrider assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing recently underwent Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF) testing at Edwards Air Force Base for its new radio frequency countermeasures system. Back in 2017, the US Air Force selected BAE Systems to provide new radio frequency countermeasures equipment for the AC/MC-130J fleet. Raytheon won a $482.7 million deal for DDG 1000 Class Combat System activation, sustainment and modernization support for Mission Systems and Total Ship Computing Environment infrastructure (TSCEi) hardware/equipment, in addition to non-recurring engineering services supporting combat system installation, integration, developmen…

Americas Sauer Construction won a $37.6 million task order to provide construction of two additions to the Trident Training Facility, a Strategic Systems Program missile control center team trainer, and Naval Sea Systems Command weapons handling system team trainer at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia. The contract also contains two unexercised options which, if […]View the full article

Americas The US Army recently launched a Tomahawk cruise missile from the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) system. The live-fire test follows the Lockheed Martin system launching an SM-6 missile earlier this year, confirming its full operational capability, the US Army revealed. Lockheed delivered the first of four MRCs, also called the Typhoon Weapon System, in December […]View the full article