Nigeria confirms M-346 advanced trainer deliveries for this year
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) will enhance its fleet with the imminent delivery of six Leonardo-built M-346 advanced trainer and light attack aircraft by the end of 2024.
BAE Systems Inc confirmed on 28 June that it is ramping up production of its EW countermeasures system for the F-35 Lightning II multirole fighter, after obtaining a Lot 16 manufacturing contract for the AN/ASQ-239.
This Lot 16 award comes as BAE Systems delivers Lot 14 systems and executes material orders for Lot 15. The company already produces 18 shipsets a month and plans to reach 20 per month in 2022 to match LRIP for the F-35 aircraft.
Shephard reported in April that F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin expects a ‘ballpark $9 billion’ F-35 Lot 16 production contract to be signed off in Q4 2021.
BAE Systems calculates that it has already provided more than 800 units of the AN/ASQ-239 to date for the F-35 programme.
The AN/ASQ-239 extends detection ranges and provides radar protection, as well as providing the F-35 pilot with evasion, engagement, countermeasure and jamming options.
BAE Systems has been the EW supplier for the F-35 programme since 2005.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) will enhance its fleet with the imminent delivery of six Leonardo-built M-346 advanced trainer and light attack aircraft by the end of 2024.
Mesh Rider is a SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) optimised mesh radio designed for uncrewed systems and supports six frequency bands in a single transceiver and AES-256 encryption. It was developed in cooperation with the US Defense Innovation Unit.
The UK signed a $150 million contract for six Airbus H145 helicopters to enhance military operations in Brunei and Cyprus, replacing aging Puma HC2s. At the same time, questions remain over the fate of the New Medium Helicopter programme amidst uncertainties surrounding procurement plans and delivery timelines.
NATO’s E-3A fleet will have been in service for more than half a century by the time of their expected retirement but a boost to the capability and conflict elsewhere have highlighted their importance.
The Kemankes 2 was said to be designed to conduct deep-strike missions on high-priority targets.
NATO’s E-3A AWACS fleet has been scheduled for retirement from 2035. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has been leading the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) project to develop new options for future surveillance and control capabilities, based on future technology and requirements.