December 2021 news

Defense Aviation and Aerospace Industry


 

Taiwan Air Force receives second indigenous advanced jet trainer

According to information published by Focus Taiwan on December 22, 2021, the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force took delivery of the second indigenous advanced jet trainer (AJT) of local aircraft maker Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC).

Israel buys 12 Sikorsky CH-53K helicopters and two Boeing KC-46 aircrafts

According to a tweet published by the Israeli MOD on December 31, 2021, the Ministry of Defense Mission to the U.S. signed an agreement (LOA) with the US government for the purchase of 12 Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky helicopters and an additional agreement for the procurement of two Boeing KC-46 refueling aircraft.

Pakistan buys 25 Chinese-made Chengdu J-10C multirole fighters

According to information published by Tass on December 30, 2021, Pakistan has decided to buy 25 Chengdu J-10C multirole fighters from China amid strained relations with India.

Serbia could buy Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft

According to information published by Informer on December 28, 2021, the Serbian Air Force could buy Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft to replace its Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter aircraft.

Lockheed Martin awarded contract for Apache Attack Helicopter Modernized Target Acquisition Designation/Pilot Night Vision Sensor System

Lockheed Martin Corp. Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $102,389,630 firm-fixed-price contract for production and delivery of hardware components and spares of the Apache Attack Helicopter Modernized Target Acquisition Designation/Pilot Night Vision Sensor System. 

Raytheon awarded contract for multi-spectral targeting systems for Royal Australian Air Force and US Navy Triton UAVs

Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, is awarded a $23,175,000 firm-fixed-price order (N0016422FJ026) under basic ordering agreement N0016417GJQ02 for the procurement of multi-spectral targeting systems for the U.S. Navy Triton unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)

First S-550 air defense systems enter service in Russia

Russia’s new S-550 air defense system has successfully passed state trials and entered combat service, a source close to the Russian defense ministry has told TASS.

Tekhnodinamika target helicopter used during Orion UAV weapon test

Unmanned target helicopters of the Tekhnodinamika holding of the Rostec State Corporation took part in testing the latest ammunition for unmanned aerial vehicles. The use of the new weapon was practiced by the Orion strike drone. According to the scenario of the exercises, the helicopter must break through to the military airfield, and the Orion, in the absence of other air defense systems, must find and destroy it.

Rostec delivered a new A-50U Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft to the Russian troops

Subsidiaries of the State Corporation Rostec - the Vega concern of the Ruselectronics holding and the TANTK im. G.M. Beriev - handed over to the Russian Aerospace Forces the modernized A-50U long-range radar surveillance and guidance aviation complex. The board can detect fundamentally new types of aircraft, and is also capable of simultaneously tracking a greater number of targets and guided fighters than the previous modification.

Lockheed Martin awarded contract for a Joint Strike Fighter aircraft variant tailored for an unspecified Foreign Military Sales customer

Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $49,059,494 cost-plus-incentive-fee-contract that provides engineering and other related activities in support of the design and development of a Joint Strike Fighter aircraft variant tailored for an unspecified Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customer.

Boeing awarded contract for the Apache Improved Turbine Engine integration Phase II

The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $239,590,243 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Apache Improved Turbine Engine Integration Phase II.

US Air Force orders M61A1 Vulcan cannon guns for its F-16 fighter jets

General Dynamics-OTS Inc., Williston, Vermont, has been awarded an $88,275,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity requirements contract for the purchase of M61A1 Vulcan 20MM cannon guns. This contract provides for production of the guns in support of the F-16 weapon system. 

Royal Netherlands Air Force declares IOC for its F-35 fighters

The Netherlands has been officially declared Initial Operational Capable (IOC) with the F-35 squadron. This means that Defense is able to deploy a unit of 4 F-35s with personnel and equipment anywhere in the world for a short period of time.

US Air Force Research Laboratory and Northrop Grumman demonstrate solar to radio frequency conversion

The US Air Force Research Laboratory’s and Northrop Grumman’s Space Solar Power Incremental Demonstrations and Research (SSPIDR) Project have successfully conducted the first end-to-end demonstration of key hardware for the Arachne flight experiment.

Myanmar Air Force inducts 17 new aircraft in service

On December 15, the Myanmar Air Force (MAF) inducted 17 aircraft into service at Meiktila Air Base at a ceremony to mark the service's 74th anniversary.

Bangladesh to get 8 Mi-28NE helicopters

Emphasis has been placed on further enhancing the capabilities of the Bangladesh Air Force in the Forces Goal-2030 to ensure a strong national defense system. As part of this, eight Mi-28 NE attack helicopters are being purchased from Russia. It will cost around Tk 4,100 crore to buy these helicopters. This information has been known from the sources of the Ministry of Finance 

US Air Force to begin E-8 JSTARS retirement

The Air Force authorized Air Combat Command and the Georgia Air National Guard Dec. 6 to start divesting the E-8 JSTARS fleet beginning with four aircraft in fiscal year 2022.

Indra awarded €180 Million in Spanish Eurofighter contracts

Indra, a leading global technology and consulting company, will equip the Halcón Program’s 20 new Eurofighters, set to replace the F18s at the Gando air base in the Canary Islands, with the ESCAN electronic scanning radar and the DASS (Electronic Defence System), some of the most advanced avionics and sensor systems in the world, which will ensure the superiority of the aircraft in the coming decades. The value of these production activities is in excess of 80 million euros. Furthermore, Indra has renewed its maintenance contract for the existing fleet, which represents revenues totaling 100 million euros, at a rate of 20 million per year for five years.

Spanish Ministries of Defence and Interior sign for 36 Airbus H135 helicopters

The Spanish Ministries of Defence and Interior have ordered 36 Airbus H135 helicopters. This signature takes place in the context of the stimulus plan activated by the Spanish government to support the industry.  The Ministry of Defence will receive 18 helicopters to be operated by the air force and the navy while the Ministry of Interior will also take delivery of 18 helicopters to be operated by the National Police and the Guardia Civil. The deliveries will start next year.

Italian Army UH-169B training helicopters set first major operational milestone logging 1000 flight hours

The Italian Army’s two AW169 basic training twin engine helicopters recently set a first important milestone by accruing 1,000 flight hours in operations. The type has been in service with the Italian Army since July 2020 when the first aircraft was delivered to the 2nd Army Aviation Regiment ‘Sirio’ based in Lamezia Terme in Southern Italy, followed by the second helicopter a few months afterwards.

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