US Space Force awards third contract for anti-jamming SATCOM prototypes

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  February 3, 2021 | International, Aerospace

  Turkey launches F-16 life-extension program amid lack of replacement aircraft

  By: Burak Ege Bekdil   ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's procurement and defense authorities have launched a program designed to increase the structural life of the country's existing fleet of F-16 Block 30 jets from 8,000 flight hours to 12,000, the country's top procurement official announced. Ismail Demir, who leads the Presidency of Defence Industries, wrote in a Feb. 2 tweet that the comprehensive upgrade program would involve revisions, renewals, replacements and body reinforcement. “The upgrades will cover 1,200 to 1,500 parts per aircraft,” Demir said. Caglar Kurc, a Turkish defense analyst, said the upgrade program indicates Turkey's intention to keep the F-16s as its main aerial firepower until the country completes work on its planned indigenous fighter jet. “In addition to the F-16s, [armed and unarmed] drones could be used to support, particularly, anti-terror missions,” Kurc said. Turkey has been seeking options for a new-generation fighter after it was suspended from the American-led, multinational Joint Strike Fighter program that builds the F-35 Lightning II. Turkish Aerospace Industries will perform the structural upgrades for the F-16s as part of an ongoing upgrade program. TAI is currently building 30 new F-16 Block 50+ aircraft for the Turkish Air Force and is running an upgrade program covering more than 160 F-16 Block 30/40/50 aircraft. Turkey's indigenous fighter program, dubbed TF-X (or MMU in its Turkish acronym), has been crawling over the past years due to technological failures and issues with know-how transfers. Turkish engineers must first select an engine for the planned aircraft before finalizing the design phase. TAI has been in talks with British engine-maker Rolls-Royce for engine know-how and co-production, but a final contract has yet to emerge. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/02/02/turkey-launches-f-16-life-extension-program-amid-lack-of-replacement-aircraft/

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  February 1, 2021 | International, Land

  Meet the new hybrid tank competing for serial production in Turkey

  By: Burak Ege Bekdil ANKARA, Turkey — A Turkish-Qatari armored vehicles manufacturer has unveiled a hybrid tank that combines the hull of a German Leopard 2A4 with a Turkish-made turret in an effort to win a serial production contract. The tank was displayed by BMC on Jan. 23 to a high-profile delegation including Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and top military brass. A BMC official said the company hopes to win a serial production/upgrade contract from the Turkish government for the hybrid tank. He added that serial production would involve more than 300 Leopard tanks receiving the hybrid upgrade. “If the military command decides to order mass production, we will start the work immediately,” he said. BMC hopes the hybrid model will become combat-proven after entering the Turkish military's inventory. “That will pave the way for similar upgrades on hundreds of Leopards in different parts of the world,” the company official said. “Export potential is bigger than the Turkish contract.” The hybrid Leopard is equipped with Turkish-made active protection, fire control and laser warning systems. It combines the chassis of the iconic German tank with the turret of the locally developed Altay, which includes a 120mm smoothbore gun. A source with knowledge of the hybrid program told Defense News the contract is estimated to be worth “several hundreds of millions of dollars.” The tank will not be a substitute to the multibillion-dollar Altay program. Under that effort, Turkey plans to build 1,000 units of the new-generation main battle tank. BMC won the serial production contract for the Altay, but the program has struggling over the past few years as Turkey continues its search for an imported power pack (engine and transmission system). Most recently BMC started negotiations with South Korea's Hyundai-Rotem for a power pack for the Altay after talks failed with German suppliers, among a number of other companies. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/techwatch/2021/01/29/meet-the-new-hybrid-tank-competing-for-serial-production-in-turkey

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  September 28, 2018 | International, Aerospace

  A C-130H training subcontractor has replaced Lockheed Martin as prime for Air Force contract

  By: Daniel Cebul WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force has awarded CAE USA a contract to provide training services for C-130H aircrew, according to a Sept. 26 service announcement. The potential eight-year contract is valued at nearly $200 million and will begin Oct. 1. It comes with a one-year base period and seven additional option years. The company was a subcontractor on the training program for almost 20 years. “[W]inning the C-130 Aircrew Training System program to support the United States Air Force is a significant achievement and further testament to CAE's experience as the world's leading provider of training systems and services for the enduring C-130 Hercules aircraft,” said Ray Duquette, the general manager and president of CAE USA. Replacing Lockheed Martin as the prime contractor, CAE will be responsible for providing classroom and simulator instruction, training device modifications and upgrades, systems engineering support, program management, contract logistics support, and management of the C-130H Training Systems Support Center at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. The formal training unit for the Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard C-130H training is based at Little Rock AFB, but is also provided at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; Minneapolis Air National Guard Base, Minnesota; and Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. Each year, more than 11,000 crew members from the U.S. Air Force, other U.S. military services and over 30 other countries are trained under the C-130H ATS program. https://www.defensenews.com/training-sim/2018/09/26/a-c-130h-training-subcontractor-has-replaced-lockheed-martin-as-prime-for-air-force-contract