DID - USN Developing Torpedo-Tube Underwater Drone Recovery System | DoS Approved GMLRS Sale To Finland | MQ-9 Demonstration Flight To Local Officials Of Kanoya

Americas

Bell Textron Inc. has delivered the 189th and final AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter for the US Marine Corps at Amarillo Assembly Center in Texas, concluding the Program of Record for the latest H-1 platforms. With the delivery of 160 UH-1Y Venom choppers in 2018, the marine corps now has 349 H-1s in service. The Bell AH-1Z Viper was developed to replace the older two-bladed AH-1W Super Cobra. Meanwhile, the UH-1Y replaced the UH-1N Twin Huey constructed specifically for the US Army.

The US Navy is developing a torpedo-tube launch and recovery system for nuclear attack submarine-launched underwater drones. Submarines currently require a dry deck shelter and divers to recover a medium-sized unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), limiting the vehicle’s capacity. “The Medium UUV can go on any one of our submarines. That is a priority for us. We have no problem launching UUVs. That’s easy. The recovery part has been the critical aspect,” USNI News quoted Submarine Force commander Vice Adm. Bill Houston as saying.

Middle East & Africa

Israel-based Gadfin Aero-Logistics Systems has secured a contract with Israel’s medical GPO & logistics company – SAREL, for sending supplies from its advanced medical logistic center, to gradually connect all the major hospitals in Israel, in a radius of up to 200Km, under a long-term exclusive partnership agreement. Gadfin says that this will make Israel the first western country in the world to have an automatic, on demand, medical delivery aerial grid. This contract will allow SAREL to have constant supply of medical equipment, medicines Vaccines, blood, Serum ,lab samples and more, using a star model all across Israel, at less than one hour from call.

Europe

Belgium’s 349th squadron has painted an nearly 50-years old F-16 in a special paint scheme to commemorate the unit’s 80th anniversary. The plane’s decorated tail fin shows a drawing of Spitfire pilot Ivan Du Monceau de Bergendal, its first commander, wearing a leather helmet. On the left, it is decorated with an F-35A stealth fighter – the future mount of the squadron from 2027 – and a pilot wearing the latest generation helmet with the words “349 Sqn. Proud of the past, Ready for the future.”

The US State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Finland of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $535 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale. The state department is still in the process of diverting 50 percent of the procurement from US stocks. A final decision based on this process will determine the GMLRS version Finland receives.

Asia-Pacific

North Korean forces said they would respond to joint exercises by the United States and South Korea with “sustained, resolute and overwhelming” military measures, its state media reported Monday. The warning came following a spate of missile tests by North Korea last week, including four ballistic missiles on Saturday, while the United States and South Korea conducted their biggest-ever air force drills. Hundreds of US and South Korean warplanes — including B-1B heavy bombers — participated in the Vigilant Storm exercises last week.

The US military flew an demonstration flight of the MQ-9 at Maritime Self-Defense Force Base Kanoya to local officials on November 5. Attending the event was Kagoshima Governor Shioda, Mayor Nakanishi of Kanoya City, Kagoshima Prefecture, and town councilors from around the base.

Today’s Video

WATCH: Demonstration flight of the U.S. military’s MQ9 unmanned reconnaissance aircraft conducted

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