April 25, 2024 | International, Aerospace
US Army to field long-range combat aircraft to first unit in FY31
The program's schedule is behind by a year following Lockheed Martin's protest over the Army's decision to choose Bell's offering.
October 3, 2018 | International, Aerospace
Australia signs space agreements with the UK and Canada
By Asha McLean
The Australian Space Agency now has arrangements with France, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Australia's newly stood up space agency has announced signing two agreements with counterpart agencies in Canada and the United Kingdom.
The Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between the Australian Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, and the United Kingdom Space Agency, with the three-way deal expected to help the nations develop their respective space programs and take advantage of the global industry.
"Forging international partnerships is vital to building Australia's space industry and ensuring our businesses can compete on the world stage," Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said Wednesday.
"These agreements with counterpart space agencies in Canada and the United Kingdom will increase opportunities to work together and share information, technology, and personnel between our nations."
The signing of the new MoUs took place at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) being held this week in Bremen, Germany. The IAC is an annual meeting of international space agencies and industry.
The Australian Space Agency last month signed a similar MoU with the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), with both agencies joining forces to develop their space capabilities, particularly in the areas of operations, science, Earth observation, positioning systems, and communications.
The federal government announced during the 2018-19 Budget that it would be committing AU$41 million to the creation of the Australian Space Agency.
Full article: https://www.zdnet.com/article/australia-signs-space-agreements-with-the-uk-and-canada
On the same subject
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September 17, 2018 | International, Aerospace
Indonesia plans to buy C-130J Super Hercules, CH-47 Chinooks
By: Mike Yeo MELBOURNE, Australia — Indonesia's defense minister has said the country intends to acquire new tactical airlifters and heavy-lift helicopters from the United States, as it continues its gradual drive to modernize its military. Speaking in the capital Jakarta earlier this week, Ryamizard Ryacudu said Indonesia is looking to acquire five Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft and the Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter, according to the country's state-owned Antara News Agency. He did not specify the number of helicopters Indonesia is seeking, but Defense News understands from an Indonesian source the number of Chinooks will be between three and five. This expected procurement is likely to be just the first step in the southeast Asian archipelago nation's effort to recapitalize its airlift inventory. Earlier this year, the Indonesian Air Force's chief of staff, Air Marshal Yuyu Sutisna, was reported by Antara as saying that the service plans for all six of its airlift squadrons to have new aircraft by 2024, which currently operates a mix of light and medium transports alongside older variants of the C-130. Indonesia's current Hercules fleet consists of about a dozen "B" and "H" variants of the C-130 aircraft, the oldest of which date back to the early 1960s. The inventory has also been bolstered in recent years by the ongoing transfer of nine C-130Hs from Australia, which has retired the type from service in favor of the C-130J. However, this has been offset by the loss of five C-130s since 2000, including one of the former Australian aircraft, which crashed while landing in bad weather at one of Indonesia's remote eastern islands in December 2016, while the older aircraft have suffered from ongoing serviceability issues. This is not the first time Ryacudu has said Indonesia was seeking the C-130J. He first flagged the intention to do so back in May, following a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in Hawaii. There have also been earlier reports that Indonesia was interested in acquiring Chinooks; however, this is the first time the defense minister has confirmed that it will go ahead with the acquisition. Antara also quoted him as saying Indonesia had evaluated the Russian Mi-26T2 heavy-lift helicopter, but found it unsuitable for the country's requirements. The Indonesian military currently does not operate any heavy-lift helicopters, and alongside its relatively small airlift fleet represents a key capability gap for a country made up of more than 17,000 islands that are also prone to natural disasters. Any Indonesian acquisition of the C-130J and CH-47 will likely be done through Foreign Military Sales channels. It is unclear if Indonesia has formally submitted a request to acquire the types, which must first be approved by the U.S. State Department. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/09/14/indonesia-plans-to-buy-c-130j-super-hercules-ch-47-chinooks
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March 8, 2023 | International, Naval
Exclusive: Australia expected to buy up to 5 Virginia class submarines as part of AUKUS
AUKUS is expected to be its biggest defense project and offers the prospect of jobs in all three countries. In the early 2030's, Australia would buy 3 Virginia class submarines with the option to buy two more.