Israel-Hamas war: What are the US MQ-9 Reaper drones that have been flying over Gaza? | Reuters

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  October 8, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  India : Army plans to buy 350 helicopters over 10 years to modernise its Aviation Corps

  The Aviation Corps currently operates Chetak and Cheetah choppers, the ALH Dhruv since 2001, and its armed variant Rudra since 2013. By AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA New Delhi: The Army is working on a 10-year modernisation plan for its Aviation Corps and aims to induct at least 350 helicopters, including the indigenous Light Combat Helicopter and the battle-proven Apache. The long-pending plan includes increasing the surveillance features of the choppers already in the Aviation Corps' inventory, with the induction of the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS). What does Army plan to buy? The Army plans to induct two kinds of utility choppers and three combat helicopters. This will include squadrons of Rudra (the armed version of the Advanced Light Helicopter ‘Dhruv'), which will have 20mm guns and 70mm cannons and are to be inducted within one year. The LCH squadrons are to be inducted within seven to 10 years, while 200 Kamov Ka-226s, which are for reconnaissance and observation, are expected to be procured within 10 years through an inter-government agreement. By 2021, the Army also expects to procure six Apache choppers and an additional squadron of ALH Dhruv, to add to what is already functional. Dhruv can fly over all terrains in India, including high altitudes. What will the new choppers replace? The Aviation Corps currently operates Chetak and Cheetah choppers, the ALH Dhruv since 2001, and its armed variant Rudra since 2013. Each squadron of the Aviation Corps is supposed to have three ‘flights' and each ‘flight' is supposed to feature five aircraft each. However, in the current scenario, all squadrons have only two ‘flights' of five aircraft each. The inductions will replace the Army's ageing Chetak and Cheetah helicopter fleet at a time when a Cheetah crash recently killed the Indian Army's Lt Col. Rajneesh Parmar and Captain Kalzang Wangdi of the Royal Bhutan Army, raising questions about the choppers' flight-worthiness and bringing the focus back on their long-pending replacement with the Light Utility Helicopter. Probable advantages Army sources said the plans would be a game-changer in future conflicts, and expressed confidence that they would be put into action in a time-bound manner. “More emphasis is being put on prioritisation, rationalisation and economy of expenditure. Greater value for money is being achieved by encouraging procurements from indigenous sources in support of the government's Make in India initiative,” an Army source said. Army officers further said that the transfer of the RPAS to the Aviation Corps would ensure a comprehensive surveillance picture, utilising both manned and unmanned platforms, while sharing support infrastructure. “The operation of these assets under the common umbrella of Army Aviation Corps and a common aviation adviser to the ground forces commander will help achieve battlefield transparency,” the source added. https://theprint.in/defence/army-plans-buy-350-helicopters-10-years-modernise-aviation-corps/302506/

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  April 21, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Germany’s Defence Ministry is under the gun to name a Tornado replacement

  By: Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany — You can count on Germany to stir the pot of nuclear weapons sharing amid a global pandemic. Such was the case in the past few days in a country that, armed with a superb health care system and a relatively low COVID-19 mortality rate, is seen as a model for managing the coronavirus crisis. But as of Sunday afternoon, the national security community was abuzz about a news report saying Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer effectively promised her U.S. counterpart that the ministry will buy 45 F-18 jets from Boeing. The Der Spiegel report comes after news broke a few weeks ago that Berlin planned to acquire a mix of Airbus Eurofighter jets and Boeing F-18s for a smattering of air warfare jobs too demanding for the country's aging Tornado fleet. Those jobs include flying conventional fighter-bomber missions, jamming enemy air defenses and carrying U.S. nuclear-tipped gravity bombs to hypothetical World War III targets somewhere eastward, per NATO's so-called nuclear sharing deal. According to Der Spiegel, Kramp-Karrenbauer sent U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper an email last week detailing her ministry's wish to buy F-18s not only for the atomic mission — which comes as little surprise — but also for the electronic warfare role. That reported promise stung Eurofighter advocates — even those who might begrudgingly accept an American product for the nuclear mission — because Airbus has plans for a souped-up jamming plane that it wants to see in Germany's inventory. In short, the Eurofighter crowd wants nothing more than Berlin to pick a pure Eurofighter fleet, arguing that the F-18′s shelf life is expiring in U.S. budget planning anyway, and that the Boeing jet is no closer to nuclear weapons certification than any other aircraft. The German Defence Ministry has always signaled it will take into account industrial policy considerations in the Tornado-replacement question. So strongly did senior leaders believe in the idea of a keeping the European industrial base humming toward an eventual Franco-German aerial über-weapon that they nixed Lockheed Martin's F-35 from the competition. But keeping American aircraft entirely out of the loop has always seemed a nonstarter. A ministry spokesman on Monday said Kramp-Karrenbauer's missive to Esper was only meant to test the waters regarding America's ability to start delivering those planes when the actual acquisition program gets underway in a few years. A formal decision on replacing the Tornados had initially been expected by the end of March. But as the coronavirus crisis unfolded, that decision was pushed to after Easter. Kramp-Karrenbauer is expected to announce her plans before the parliamentary Defence Committee on Wednesday, where she is likely to face opposition from lawmakers of the SPD coalition partner. Until then, Germans have yet another puzzle to discuss, as an increasingly divisive debate unfolds here over reopening the country. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/04/20/germanys-defence-ministry-is-under-the-gun-to-name-a-tornado-replacement/

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  June 19, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - June 18, 2019

  DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Inmarsat Government Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a competitive single-award blanket purchase agreement (BPA), GS-35F-0016X/HC1013-19-A-0005, for commercial satellite communication services. The total cumulative face value of this BPA is $246,000,000 (ceiling amount). The place of performance will be at Inmarsat Government Inc. Quotations were solicited via the General Services Administration's Federal Supply Schedule, Information Technology Schedule 70, and two quotations were received from 28 offerors solicited. The period of performance is five years, consisting of a one year base period of June 19, 2019, through June 18, 2020, and four 12-month option periods. The Defense Information Technology Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity (GS-35F-0016X/HC1013-19-A-0005). CORRECTION: A contract announced on June 17, 2019, for Cisco Systems Inc., San Jose, California (HC1084-19-D-0004), for $724,096,866, has not yet been awarded. AIR FORCE Systems Implementers Inc., Clearfield, Utah, has been awarded a ceiling $54,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) system implementation and sustainment. This contract provides for implementation and sustainment support. Work will be performed in Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and is expected to be complete by July 9, 2026. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 consolidated sustainment activity group maintenance working capital funds in the amount of $4,172,930 are being obligated on the first task order which will be awarded immediately after the basic contract. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8224-19-D-A003). Management Services Group Inc., doing business as Global Technical Systems, Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been awarded a $20,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Mid-Size Munitions (MSM) technology effort. This contract provides for the prototyping and demonstration program which focuses on an intermediate weight capable of defeating challenging targets. This program leads to flight test demonstrations, effectiveness assessments, and manufacturing readiness assessments adequate to support weapon system transitions. Work will be performed at Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by June 17, 2024. This award is the result of a broad agency announcement and one offer was received. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $4,526,000 are being obligated on the first task order which will be awarded immediately with the basic contract. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8651-19-D-0073). ARMY Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., Oak Brook, Illinois, was awarded a $20,967,250 firm-fixed-price contract for hopper dredging with beach placement of dredged material. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Galveston, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 13, 2020. Fiscal 2019 non-federal and operations and maintenance, civil funds in the amount of $20,967,250 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-19-C-0006). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, has been awarded a $9,919,398 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00007) to previously awarded contract HR0011-18-C-0026 for a research project for undersea systems. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $19,208,634 from $9,289,236. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Maryland (71%); Reston, Virginia (27%); and Cambridge, Massachusetts (2%), with an estimated completion date of May 2020. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $9,919,398 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1880092/source/GovDelivery/