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in support of the US Marine Corps’ VH-92A Presidential Helicopter Replacement Programme has been carried out. This signals the start of the 250-hour flight test programme which will take place at Lockheed Martin facilities in Owego, New York.

The US Department of Defence has awarded Lockheed Martin a $24.1 million contract modification for F-35 Joint Strike Fighter logistics services for US and FMS customers. Under the terms of the agreement, Lockheed Martin will provide material for depot stand-up and activation, canopy systems and avionics subsystems to the US Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and non-Pentagon participants and FMS participants. Work is scheduled to be completed by August 2019.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded not-to-exceed $427,088,637 for undefinitized order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement. This order provides for the procurement of ancillary military equipment and pilot flight equipment for low rate initial production Lot 11 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for the U.S., non-Department of Defense participants and FMS customers. Work is expected to be completed in December 2020.

MISSILE DEFENCE AGENCY (MDA)

The Missile Defence Agency(MDA) news release said that the MDA and soldiers of the 11th Air Defence Artillery Brigade have conducted a successful missile defence test today using the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system. A medium-range target ballistic missile was air-launched by an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III over the Pacific Ocean. The THAAD weapon system, located in Kodiak(Alaska), detected, tracked and intercepted the target.

RAYTHEON

It is expected that Raytheon will be awarded a contract to turn a number of US Navy Tomahawks into anti-ship cruise missiles. The upgrade will take place when the Block IV Tomahawks are sent back to Raytheon for mid-life recertification. A company executive said the multi-mode seeker for the anti-ship role will likely be a mix of passive and active sensors. The Block IV recertification effort will start in 2019 with the first Marine Strike Tomahawk variants to enter the fleet in the early 2020s.

RUSSIA

In exchange for 11 Su-35 fighter aircraft, Indonesia’s Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita has confirmed that Jakarta will barter commodities such as coffee, palm oil and tea to Russia in lieu of hard cash. Russia is currently facing a new round of US-imposed trade sanctions, while Jakarta is trying to promote its palm oil products amid threats of a cut in consumption by European Union countries.

SINGAPORE

Singapore has contracted Elbit Systems to provide and

integrate defensive suites on its fleet of Boeing AH-64 Apache attack and CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters. An examination of pictures of the one helicopter upgraded so far show that they have been fitted with missile approach and laser warning systems, a rectangular-shaped radar warning receivers, a SATCOM dome fitted onto the outer leading edge of each of the upgraded Apache’s stub wings while the upgraded Chinooks have a SATCOM dome on the top of the fuselage in between the twin rotor booms.

SUKHOI

Sukhoi’s T-50 PAK-FA has been designated the Su-57, according to Russian Air Force Chief Col Gen Viktor Bondarev. The fifth-generation stealth fighter made its maiden flight in 2010 and since then has received a number of upgrades to avionics, stealth and armaments. Six aircraft are expected to be delivered to the Russian Air Force next year with 55 expected to be in operation by 2020. The aircraft will then go into mass production.

TURKEY

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan has announced that contracts involving the sale of Almaz-Antey S-400 surface-toair missile systems have been “inked.” The announcement now confirms that both the S-400 procurement and the Turkey-Eurosam programmes are parallel initiatives, with the S-400 being sought for near-term needs.

US

The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible FMS to the Government of Switzerland for F/A-18 upgrades. The estimated cost is $115 million. The Defence Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale.

MQ-9 Reaper aircrew from the 732nd Operations Group participated in Red Flag 17-3 from July 10-28, 2017 at Nellis AFB, Nevada. During this Red Flag, the MQ-9 crew aimed to prove the Reaper’s multi-role capabilities and train over new and evolving tactics.

The US Secret Service is planning to deploy and test a small tethered drone during President Donald Trump’s visit to the golf club in New Jersey this month. The move, which aims at improving and providing new types of presidential protection, will help determine the potential for using such vehicles to protect the president, as the service works to incorporate several types of drones and tethered systems into its overhead security-monitoring efforts.

Pentagon has given two contracts contract for Ground-based Strategic Deterrent. These contract are to conduct technology maturation and risk reduction to deliver a low technical risk, affordable total system replacement of Minuteman III to meet intercontinental ballistic missiles operational requirements. Work is expected to be completed by August 20, 2020. The contracts have been given to The Boeing Co., Alabama for $349,159,962 and to Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., California, for $328,584,830.