Good evening.
Here is your news round-up for the air warfare sector for the week
ending 18 October 2023.
Boeing is demonstrating enhanced
upgrade options for the US Army's Chinook Block II and Apache
helicopters to improve survivability, connectivity,
and capability. Defense News
explains how Boeing aims to introduce common features to both,
leveraging developments from each programme, providing insight into
the company's vision for modernising these legacy aircraft.
The Czech MoD has initiated talks with Embraer to potentially acquire two
C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft, a
deal that might surpass US$200 million. The Czech Republic's
negotiations follow recent C-390 acquisitions by Austria and the
Netherlands. Shephard Media has the
details and provides insight into the expanding global footprint of
the C-390.
Lockheed Martin is seeking a new solid
rocket motor supplier, emphasising long-term supply
chain resilience. CEO Jim Taiclet outlined a broad plan starting with
the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS). Breaking Defense explains how
the company is strengthening its supply chain and enabling multiple
sources in line with broader defence industry trends.
Italy has pledged over $8.1
billion for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP)
and the Tempest sixth-generation fighter from 2029 to 2037, doubling
their prior commitment and covering an additional year. Shephard Media outlines
Italy's drive to embrace new technologies and establish a strong
engineering culture, aiming to be on equal footing with GCAP partners
Japan and the UK.
Kazakhstan will start assembling the
Turkish Anka medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV
in 2024, marking a significant partnership between Turkish Aerospace
Industries (TAI) and Kazakhstan Engineering. Shephard
Media explains how the collaboration aims to produce
drones and transfer knowledge and technology, equipping Kazakhstan to
produce UAVs independently.
Next month, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems plans to trial its
Mojave short take-off and landing (STOL) UAV off the UK's aircraft
carrier, Prince of Wales. This experimentation aims
to guide the development of an MQ-9B STOL configuration programme.
Delve deeper into the Breaking Defense
article for comprehensive insights on the trial and its implications.
With South Korea's Seoul ADEX air show underway, Aviation Week looks at the rapid advancements in
its national defence industry over two years,
including the KF-21 fighter's debut and a record $17.3 billion arms
export in 2022. The article outlines that South Korea faces both
opportunities in global arms demand and domestic and foreign supply
challenges.
Finally, the US Air Force is poised for its most significant
transformation in decades, aiming for a smaller,
more agile force with enhanced leadership and capabilities. Defense News provides a
detailed backgrounder into the USAF's ambitious transformation plan
and the underlying challenges and strategies being deployed for
America's defence in the coming years.
That's all for this
week. Thanks for tuning in, and look out for our weekly news round-up
this time next week.
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