NATO has selected Boeing’s E-7A Wedgetail as its new command and control aircraft. In a press release, the security alliance said a “consortium of allies” approved the acquisition. The next-generation E-7A aircraft will replace NATO’s aging E-3A Airborne Warning and Control fleet, which has been in use since the ’80s. It is a militarized version of...
Category: Foreign Military Sales
Australia Pushes for Seamless Tech Sharing Among AUKUS Allies
The Australian Ministry of Defence has published draft legislation that seeks to make it easier for Australia and its AUKUS allies the United States and the United Kingdom exchange information on advanced technologies. The bill’s summary reveals Australia’s agenda of establishing an export license-free system to support industry, higher education and research advancements among the...
Rheinmetall to Supply Ukraine With 32 Leopard 1 Systems Under German-Funded Deal
Rheinmetall has secured a contract to deliver 32 Leopard 1 systems to Ukraine starting in 2024. The German-funded deal will supply the Ukrainian government with 25 Leopard 1A5main battle tanks, five Bergepanzer 2 armored recovery vehicles and two driver-training tanks, the company announced Tuesday. The agreement also requires Rheinmetall to provide training, logistics, spare parts,...
Northrop Says Initial Flight Confirms Australia’s MQ-4C Triton Ready for 2024 Delivery
Northrop Grumman has completed the first flight of Australia’s MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle at its Palmdale Aircraft Integration Center in California. The initial flight conducted airworthiness assessments, covering engine, flight control and fuel system checks, and basic aircraft handling tests, the company said. According to Northrop, the flight test confirmed that the UAV is...
General Atomics To Integrate Edge Smart Weapons Into MQ-9B SkyGuardian Platform
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. has agreed to work with the United Arab Emirates’ Edge Group to equip its remotely piloted aircraft with precision-guided munition and guided-glide weapon solutions. According to GA-ASI, the agreement will lead to the deployment of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian featuring Edge smart weapons. The effort expands the existing defense cooperation between...
US Navy Official Says Australia Could Get First Virginia-Class Sub in 2032
The United States will deliver Virginia-class submarines to Australia starting in 2032 under the trilateral AUKUS security agreement, according to Vice Adm. Bill Houston, commander of Naval Submarine Forces. Speaking to reporters at the Naval Submarine League on Tuesday, Houston revealed that Australia will receive at least three submarines throughout the 2030s. Following the initial...
Comtech Secures Spectra Group Deal to Equip NATO, European Union Customers With BLOS Capabilities
Comtech has secured a $20 million deal from United Kingdom-based Spectra Group to provide NATO and European Union customers with the Compact Over-the-Horizon Transportable Terminal system. The agreement will deliver secure and resilient beyond-line-of-sight capabilities to military users, according to Comtech President and CEO Ken Peterman. The company’s Troposcatter Family of Systems will provide blended...
MBDA UK, PGZ Ink $4.9B Deal to Bolster Poland’s Air Defense System
MBDA UK has signed a $4.9 billion agreement with Polish defense firm PGZ to build up Narew, Poland’s next-generation air defense program. The deal will support Poland’s plans to establish a powerful ground-based air defense system that can neutralize threats from cruise missiles and fighter jets, according to the UK Ministry of Defence. The defense...
Chilean Air Force Boosts Capabilities With Lockheed F-16 Upgrades
The U.S. Department of Defense said Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $177 million Foreign Military Sales contract for the upgrade of 36 Chilean Air Force F-16 jetfighters. Chile acquired the F-16s from the Netherlands in two separate deliveries of 18 each in 2005 and 2009. A company spokesperson told Defense News that Lockheed will...
Germany Denies Leaving Future Combat Air System Project
A German Ministry of Defense spokesperson has denied a report in The Times that Berlin may exit from the Future Combat Air System/SCAF next-generation fighter project it is partnered with France and Spain. The unnamed spokesperson told Breaking Defense that “Germany is sticking to the joint project” and the partnership is building the first FCAS...