DID - USAF Is Looking For E-3 Replacement | Thales To Provide Sighting Systems Under Challenger 3 MBT Upgrade Programme | Japan To Upgrade F-15s

Americas

Boeing won a $95 million deal, which provides engineering services and supplies, to include capability defect package fixes and acoustic software improvement efforts in support of the continued development and sustainment of the P-8A Acoustic Operational Flight Program. Work will take place in California, Washington, Maryland and Missouri. Expected completion will be in January 2027.

The US Air Force has published a RFI for the replacement of the E-3G Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS). The contract is expected to be awarded in FY2023 and the winner must produce two prototype aircraft within five years of the award.

Middle East & Africa

The South African Navy is reportedly struggling to meet its operational commitments due to chronic underfunding, according to a recently published parliamentary portfolio committee report. In its budgetary review and recommendations report for the Fiscal year 2020/2021, the South African Committee on Defense and Military Veterans said that ongoing funding shortfalls and the subsequent reduction in ship availability for taskings due to the postponement of planned maintenance lead to the issue that the SAN had been unable to meet its sea hours target for the year.

Europe

The French defence procurement agency (DGA) has awarded Thales and its partners a contract to install the aircraft satcom stations on French Air Force Phénix MRTT aerial refueling tankers.Thales says the station are able to resist aggressive jamming while providing broadband connections.

Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) awarded a $121.61 million subcontract to Thales UK to provide sighting systems under the Challenger 3 MBT upgrade programme. The contract will protect key manufacturing skills in the UK and sustain 700 skilled engineers and technicians based in Glasgow, including 30 apprentices currently receiving training. The contract was signed by RBSL (Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land) and Thales, with the Secretary of State for Scotland in attendance, at Thales’s site in Glasgow where the majority of the integration work will take place.

Asia-Pacific

The Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) plans to upgrade 68 Boeing-Mitsubishi F-15J Eagle fighter aircraft through the Japan Super Interceptor (JSI) programme. This information was confirmed on February 4. The Ministry also said that the estimated life-cycle costs of the 68 Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) aircraft over 30 years – including the upgrade – will amount to $5.6 billion.

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