DID - GE To Build 20 Engines For CH-53K | DoS Approved GBU-39 Sale To Saudi Arabia | Philippine Navy’s Frigates Gets Its Missiles in October 2021

Americas

General Electric Aviation won a $111.9 million contract modification, which procures 20 T408-GE-400 turboshaft engines, peculiar support equipment, and associated engine, programmatic and logistics services in support of CH-53K Lot 4 low rate initial production and spares. The CH-53K is the United States Marine Corps’ (USMC) heavy lift replacement for the CH-53E. The most powerful helicopter in the Department of Defense, the CH-53K is a new-build helicopter that will expand the fleet’s ability to move more material, more rapidly throughout the area of responsibility using proven and mature technologies. Work will take place in Lynn, Massachusetts. Expected completion will be in December 2023.

Bell Boeing Joint Project Office won a $81.1 million deal, which provides continued non-recurring engineering support as well as the recurring procurement of kits and installs in support of the forced retrofit fleet implementation and installation of nacelle improvements and the conversion area harness onto the CV-22 aircraft for the Air Force. This order provides engineering, production, supportability, and management support necessary to facilitate the incorporation of the improved nacelles into the fleet via forced retrofit at the depot level of maintenance for previously delivered V-22 aircraft in support of phase two of the nacelle improvements effort. The V-22 Osprey is a joint-service, medium-lift, multimission tilt-rotor aircraft developed by Boeing and Bell Helicopters. Boeing is responsible for the fuselage, landing gear, avionics, electrical and hydraulic systems, performance and flying qualities. Work will take place in Texas and Pennsylvania. Estimated completion will be in June 2024.

Middle East & Africa

The State Department has cleared Saudi Arabia’s request to procure 3K GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb I munitions produced by Boeing, associated equipment and support services from the US government through a potential $290M FMS deal. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the agreement will also include the procurement of containers and parts and engineering, logistics and technical support. Boeing developed the SDB with a multipurpose warhead and a pneumatic carriage that can house up to four weapons. The glide bomb technology is designed to integrate with fighter and bomber aircraft platforms as well as unmanned aerial vehicles.

Europe

French Air Force Rafales will descend upon Jodhpur, India in the third week of next month for exercise SKYPROS with the Indian Air Force. Anonymous sources quoted by the local media say this exercise is different from the Garuda series of exercise that has been carried out by both sides previously. India is expected to send its own Rafale and Su-30MKI fighters to the training exercise.

Two B-52 “Stratofortress” bombers of the US Air Force arrived in the Middle East in a show of short-notice force, US Central Command said. CENTCOM’s announcement did not specify a destination for the planes, but emphasized their in-flight refueling capabilities and noted that their “deliberate appearance” was meant to “underscore the US military’s commitment to regional security and demonstrate a unique ability to rapidly deploy overwhelming combat power on short notice.” The B-52s are part of the 5th Bomb Wing, headquartered at Minot Air Force Base, N.D. The deployment of bombers was CENTCOM’s third to the Middle East in the past 45 days.

Asia-Pacific

The Philippine Navy’s new Jose Rizal-class guided missile frigates will only get its first shipment of missiles starting from October 2021. “(Deliveries for) the surface-to-air missile is (on) October 2021 and March 2022 for the surface-to-surface missile,” Navy public affairs office chief, Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas, said in a message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA). The Mistral 3 has been selected as the anti-air missile for the warships while South Korea will suppy the SSM-700 Haeseong anti-ship missiles.

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