DID - Raytheon Won An SDB II Deal | UK Acquires Second Operating Location Reaper | MHI To Take Over Mitsui E&S’s Shipbuilding Business

Americas

Raytheon won a $79.4 million deal for Small Diameter Bomb Increment II (SDB II) lot integration and test. This contract effort will deliver all-up round (AUR) test vehicles, perform AUR-level assembly, checkout, testing and systems integration testing; and prepare for production cut-in and fielding for the multiple engineering changes needed, including National Security Agency (NSA) cryptographic modernization, Global Positioning System (GPS) military code, mitigation of part obsolescence, and design changes evolving from production and/or operations. SDB II’s capabilities include the ability for the weapon to be employed in three primary attack modes, each with a subset mode, for a total of six engagement modes. A dual band, two-way weapon data link for in-flight target updates and status reporting allows post-launch control of the weapon by the launching aircraft, a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC), or a third party. Work will take place in Arizona. Estimated completion is April 1, 2023.

Argent Technologies won a $8 million deal for engineering, technical, administrative and programmatic management support for total life cycle management of the various aircrew escape systems managed under the Joint Program Office for Cartridge Actuated Device/Propellant Actuated Device tri-service charter. Work will take place in Texas and is expected to be finished by September 2025.

Middle East & Africa

The eighth edition of Cybertech Global, an international cyber event that that until now had only been held in Tel Aviv, will take place this week in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The event on April 5-7, which begins this morning and ends on Wednesday, will be held under the sponsorship of the local government, and be attended by senior officials from the highest level. Delegations from more than 50 countries will participate in the event, as will hundreds of Israelis. Thousands of visitors are expected to come to Cybertech Global Dubai, which will include a conference and exhibition of the global cyber industry that will be the largest of its kind ever held in the Gulf region. Among the participants will be the Director of the Israel National Cyber Directorate, Yigal Unna, and his Emirati counterpart, Dr. Mohamad al-Kuwaiti. The Acting Director of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Brandon Wales, will also participate.

Europe

The UK’s New Medium Helicopter Programme will see four of the medium-sized helicopters currently in service across the armed forces replaced by one new helicopter. It is understood that the helicopters will be operated jointly by the Army and RAF under Joint Helicopter Command. Work on the programme is at an early stage with effort primarily focused on developing and refining key user requirements.

Asia-Pacific

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) had a press conference last week and the company revealed that it hopes to export two T-50TH advanced jet trainers to Thailand this year. President and CEO Ahn Hyun-ho made the revelation. Thailand had declared last year that it will not buy two more T-50TH jets to increase its fleet to 14 aircraft. He added that an export of three Surion helicopters to Indonesia was scuttled after Jakarta slashed its military budget due to COVID-19.

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has concluded an agreement with Mitsui E&S Holdings to take over the latter’s ‘naval and governmental ships business’, which includes the development and construction of autonomous underwater and autonomous surface vehicles (AUVs and ASVs). The deal, which was announced on March 29, is the result of formal negotiations between the two companies that began in June 2020. Both firms said they want to complete the transfer by October after getting approval from regulators.

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