US Air Force conducts climate testing with the T-7A Red Hawk
The trainer aircraft recently completed the second round of extreme weather trials after enduring icy, windy and sunny conditions.
The USAF Life Cycle Management Center has awarded Raytheon Missiles and Defense a $239.11 million contract modification for production of GBU-53/B StormBreaker Lot 6 precision-guided glide bombs.
FMS customers will account for 6.3% of the contract value, although Shephard Defence Insight notes that there are no confirmed exports yet of StormBreaker.
Work on the contract, announced by the DoD on 15 October, is expected to be completed in Tuscon, Arizona, by 28 November 2023.
Raytheon announced on 13 October that USAF Air Combat Command has approved the use of StormBreaker on F-15E Strike Eagles. The weapon will be fielded on USN F/A-18E/F Super Hornets following guided release tests earlier in 2020, and it will also be installed on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
The trainer aircraft recently completed the second round of extreme weather trials after enduring icy, windy and sunny conditions.
The contract modification, awarded to Boeing, is worth $61.2 million and will support the US Navy’s (USN's) evolution of its P-8 Poseidon aircraft as continued upgrades are made to boost its capabilities and lethality.
The UK Ministry of Defence remains resolute that the Typhoon sits at the heart of the country’s air defence capabilities and is focused on the aircraft’s potential export orders, despite its continued focus on F-35 procurement.
The likely scrapping of Boeing’s Apache helicopter comes after a huge budget cut approved by the South Korean National Assembly. The helicopter procurement had already been reconsidered by the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier in the year.
The number of aircraft was stated by UK Defence Secretary John Healey during a Defence Committee hearing. It follows on from the UK’s decision to purchase F-35A aircraft to boost its nuclear deterrence, although hurdles and questions about the order still remain.
The use of air power by both sides in the ongoing conflict has been extensively focused on, influencing policy and procurement around the world. But are the lessons from the front line universally applicable, or should other nations be planning for very different scenarios?