US State Dept okays defense sales to India, Italy, Romania for $965 million

On the same subject

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  June 11, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  French aviation rescue plan bets on defence helicopters, drones and tankers

  The French government has pledged to buy new military heavy-lift helicopters and accelerate plans for naval drone, ISTAR and tanker aircraft programmes as part of a wider economic stimulus package, worth €15 billion ($17 billion), aimed at protecting the country's aviation industry from faltering under the strain of COVID-19. Based on the PlanAero initative, a decision to specifically issue the defence industry with funding of €600 million means that eight H225M rotary platforms will be ordered, while orders for three A330 MRTT and one Beechcraft King Air 350 ALSR will be expedited. VSR700 rotary-wing UAS and Aliaca mini drone plans have also been brought forward. The H225M order confirms that Paris will opt for it as a replacement for legacy French Air Force Puma helicopters while the new A330 MRTT arrangements will lead to retirement of the A340 being reset from 2028 to this year. A310s will similarly be taken out of service in 2021 – two years earlier than scheduled. The ALSR is under contract with Thales and Sabena Technics with a host of additional French suppliers contributing to the programme, including Ecrin, Aquitaine Electronics, Arelis, Avantix, Elvia and Protoplane, although a 9 June announcement from the French Ministry of Armed Forces does not mention a delivery date for the aircraft. PlanAero unmanned details include the addition of a second VSR700 demonstrator as part of the French Navy's SDAM programme but new commitments for the effort and the navy's SMDM mini drone programme stop short of exact order quantities. SDAM has been contracted to Airbus and Naval Group who have designed the in-development VSR700 from the Cabri G2 light helicopter, while SurveyCopter supplies the Aliaca for SMDM. 'This additional SDAM demonstrator will enable the programme to further secure the next steps, and in particular the development of technologies and the refinement of specifications to meet the French Navy's operational requirements,' an Airbus spokesperson told Shephard. The VSR700 is due to enter service in 2028 and boasts a 500-1,000kg MTOW capability. In November 2019, Airbus announced the platform had undergone tethered flight testing with future free flight trials anticipated. A VSR700 demonstrator phase. to include ship-based flights off French Navy frigates, has been laid out as part of risk reduction activities that were originally due to be completed by 2021. Shipborne deployments from the future FTI medium frigate are a longer-term target. Following on from France's aviation support plan, the European Commission warned on 10 June that budgetary pressures stemming from COVID-19 could impact member states, calling on them to 'spend better together'. In a joint statement Josep Borrell, VP of the European Commission and Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, said that common capabilities, critical technologies and infrastructure must be strengthened but they questioned if Europe had given itself 'the means to do so'. https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/defence-helicopter/french-aviation-rescue-plan-bets-defence-helicopte/

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  March 4, 2020 | International, Naval

  BAE Systems Secures $188 Million Contract for U.S. Navy’s AEGIS Combat System

  March 2, 2020 - BAE Systems Inc. was awarded a five-year $188.2 million contract to provide the U.S. Navy's AEGIS Technical Representative (AEGIS TECHREP) organization with critical large-scale system engineering, integration, and testing expertise for the AEGIS Weapons and Combat Systems aboard U.S. Navy surface combatant ships. “BAE Systems personnel have worked side-by-side with Navy sailors and civilians for nearly 40 years to strengthen and modernize the fleet of AEGIS-equipped surface ships,” said Mark Keeler, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems' Integrated Defense Solutions business. “Our team brings a wealth of AEGIS combat system expertise with the agility, innovation, and technical acumen to ensure the U.S. Navy has the safe and effective combat capability it needs to meet mission objectives.” As part of the AEGIS Technical Representative Engineering Support Services contract, BAE Systems will provide Navy acquisition managers with on-site leadership and systems engineering to validate Total Ship Combat design at Navy sites in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey; Bath, Maine; and Pascagoula, Mississippi. The company also will support systems engineering and test and evaluation personnel to provide fleet experience and operational insight. Additionally, the company will provide logistics, cybersecurity, production, acquisition, and waterfront support required for upgrading and maintaining development of AEGIS Combat System capabilities and baselines across the entire life cycle. The task order was awarded under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center's Chief Information Officer–Solutions and Partners 3 (CIO-SP3) Government-Wide Acquisition Contract. CIO-SP3 is an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract. This contract is intended to provide information technology solutions and services. BAE Systems delivers a broad range of services and solutions enabling militaries and governments to successfully carry out their respective missions. The company provides large-scale systems engineering, integration, and sustainment services across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains. BAE Systems takes pride in its support of national security and those who serve. View source version on BAE Systems: https://www.baesystems.com/en/article/bae-systems-secures--188-million-contract-for-u-s--navy-s-aegis-combat-system

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  December 16, 2024 | International, Aerospace

  SpearUAV Announces $20 Million Contract for Advanced VIPER 300 AI-Based Loitering Munition Systems

  The company is expected to deliver the systems as early as 2025.