DID - Lockheed Martin Tapped For Trident II Missile Production | Mali Orders Additional C295 | Australia To Purchase 155mm Ammunition

Americas

Bell Boeing won a $18 million contract modification, which exercises an option to continue providing technical analysis, engineering and integration services for various systems and sub systems in support of the V-22 aircraft for the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Foreign Military Sales customers. The V-22 Osprey is a joint service multirole combat aircraft utilizing tiltrotor technology to combine the vertical performance of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft. With its rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne, it can convert to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight. Work will take place in Texas and Pennsylvania. Estimated completion will be by 2022.

Lockheed Martin Space won a $29.1 million contract modification to procure a pilot assessment of the contractor’s property management system and exercise options under previously awarded contract N00030-20-C-0100 for Trident II (D5) missile production and deployed systems support. The modification includes a $5 million not-to-exceed value for the pilot assessment, which is being awarded as an undefinitized contract action. The Trident II D5 fleet ballistic missile (FBM) is a three-stage, solid-propellant, inertial-guided ballistic missile developed by Lockheed Martin. The Trident II D5 submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a successor to Polaris A1, Polaris A2, Polaris A3, Poseidon C3 and Trident I C4 missiles. Work will take place in Colorado, Utah, Florida, Illinois, New York and California. Work will take place in September 20, 2025.

Middle East & Africa

Mali has decided to expand its C295 fleet by ordering another cargo plane to expand the number of aircraft to two. Airbus says this contract includes an integrated logistics support package with spare parts for the two aircraft and training for flight crews and mechanics. This second aircraft, to be delivered in 2021, will supplement the first C295 already in operation since December 2016 which has already accumulated 1,770 flight hours and transported more than 38,000 passengers and 900 tonnes of cargo in less than four years of operations.

Europe

The Italian Air Force will double its intake at the International Flight Training School after the school moves to Sardinia. Head of the training operation, Gen. Luigi Casali, says 80 new pilots will be able to complete Phase 4 training at Sardinia and two thirds of those students will be from foreign air forces. Italy currently gathers its Phase 2, 3 and 4 pilots at Galatina where pilots in Phase 2 and 3 fly the Italian MB339 and Phase 4 students fly 18 T346A air force jet trainers, built by Italy’s Leonardo, as well as another four of the type owned by the firm. As the Phase 4 pilots move to Sardinia, the earlier stage students will stay on at Galatina to take advantage of the freed up space and start to switch over to new, M345 aircraft, also built by Leonardo, which is partnering the air force in the running of the flight school.

Asia-Pacific

Japan media have confirmed that a Royal Navy naval task force lead by aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will be sailing to Asia as early as next year. The British warships are likely to conduct wargames with Japanese and US forces in waters off the Nansei Islands chain in southwestern Japan. The move comes amid concerns over China’s increasing assertiveness in the East and South China seas as well as about its handling of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. It could trigger an outcry from Beijing. During the dispatch, the British navy also plans to conduct maintenance on carrier-based F-35B stealth fighter jets at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.’s aerospace systems works in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, the sources said.

The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of 155mm Ammunition and Accessories, and related equipment, for an estimated cost of $132.2 million. The Government of Australia has requested to buy M825A1 155mm White Phosphorous projectile munitions, M782 Multi-Option Fuze for Artillery, M762A1 electronic-timed fuzes, M231 and M232A2 propelling charges, percussion primers, technical publications and books, technical data for operational maintenance, technical assistance and services, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated program cost is $132.2 million. This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States. Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific. The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region.

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