The U.S. Navy has awarded BAE Systems a new five-year contract worth up to $1.7 billion for continued production of APKWS laser-guidance kits, supporting large-scale procurement of low-cost precision munitions for U.S. forces and allied nations.
Joby Aviation has completed the first flight of its turbine-electric hybrid VTOL aircraft, developed with L3Harris Technologies to expand the range and operational use of its electric air taxi platform for commercial and defence applications. The company said the demonstrator builds on its all-electric aircraft, which has logged over 50,000 miles of flight testing and is in the final phase of Federal Aviation Administration type certification.
Germany’s defence ministry said it is ready to deliver two promised Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine from its inventory of nine systems, with plans to replace them with new orders from the U.S.
U.S. forces completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 in a widely-criticised and mismanaged evacuation of over 120,000 people from Kabul, with around 200 casualties.
Russian President Vladimir Putin “has long since switched completely to a war economy,” and the country is currently producing as many weapons and ammunition in three months as the entire European Union does in a year, Pistorius said.
Chinese drone manufacturer DJI is facing trouble doing business in the U.S with all kinds of legal hurdles and has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Pentagon, while Raytheon has been fined almost $1 billion and Sweden’s Saab has been subpoenaed for its sale of Gripen fighters to Brazil.
The latest round of military aid worth USD 150 million is the Biden administration’s 60th tranche of aid since August 2021, including artillery and ammunition from its own inventories, in addition to purchases of air defence systems worth USD 2.2 billion for Ukraine.
The Pentagon said last week the U.S. will indefinitely postpone a military exercise in Georgia ‘due to the Georgian government’s false accusations against the United States and other western entities, to pressure Georgia to open a second front against Russia to alleviate pressure on Ukraine, and of participating in two coup attempts against the ruling party.’
The U.S. Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit and the Indian defence ministry’s iDEX will throw open two challenges ‘focused on undersea communication and maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance’ to start-ups later this month.
Eight of the F-35A fighters intended for Turkey will now be acquired by the USAF in an order that also includes six additional F-35A aircraft, for an order worth USD 861.73 million.
The U.S. has tested Perdix swarm mini-drones by deploying 103 of them from three F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft over China Lake, California, as can be seen from the video inside.
