Category Archives: Aerial Warfare

Boeing to deliver two F-18 Super Hornets to Navy for $17.8M

Boeing to deliver two F-18 Super Hornets to Navy for $17.8M

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The U.S. Navy has awarded Boeing a $17.8 million for two F/A-18EF Super Hornet jets. The two Super Hornets include modifications to extend the service life of the aircraft, the Defense of Defense announced Friday. Most of the work on the contract, which is expected to be completed in October 2020, will most be performed in St. Louis, with the rest done in El Segundo, Calif. No funds are being obligated at time of award, as funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued.

Boeing to deliver two F-18 Super Hornets to Navy for $17.8M

Boeing to deliver two F-18 Super Hornets to Navy for $17.8M


The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which made its first flight in November 1995, is a low-observable aircraft that performs day and night missions with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort and close air support, according to Boeing. The E model of the aircraft is a single seat, and F model is a two-seater. The F/A-18E/F, which is 25 percent larger than the original Hornet that entered service in 1983, is operational in 10 U.S. Navy Carrier Air Wings as well as the Royal Australian Air Force.

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Wind tunnel testing moves AMRAAM-ER missile closer to production

Wind tunnel testing moves AMRAAM-ER missile closer to production

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Raytheon Company successfully completed more than 1,700 rigorous wind tunnel tests on the newest, extended-range variant of the combat-proven AMRAAM air-to-air missile. Testing is a major step in the missile’s qualification for integration with the NASAMS™ surface-based system. The AMRAAM-ER missile is a ground-launched weapon that will intercept targets at longer distances and higher altitudes. The missile’s bigger rocket motor and smarter flight control algorithms give it a boost in range.

“During these tests, we put AMRAAM-ER through a full range of potential flight conditions to validate the missile’s future performance on the battlefield,” said Kim Ernzen, Raytheon Air Warfare Systems vice president. “Raytheon is developing this missile to enhance ground-based air defense for our customers worldwide.” Raytheon engineers will now analyze data from the wind tunnel test runs to verify and update the AMRAAM-ER missile’s aerodynamic models to maximize its performance.

Raytheon engineers recently completed wind tunnel testing on a new, extended-range variant of the AMRAAM air-to-air missile. Testing is a key step in qualifying the missile for the NASAMS launch system.

Raytheon engineers recently completed wind tunnel testing on a new, extended-range variant of the AMRAAM air-to-air missile. Testing is a key step in qualifying the missile for the NASAMS launch system.


The AMRAAM-Extended Range missile is a new, ground-launched solution that will intercept targets at longer distances and higher altitudes. The AMRAAM-ER missile gets its boost in range from a bigger rocket motor and smarter flight control algorithms. Designed specifically for ground-based air defense, the AMRAAM-ER missile will be integrated into the NASAMS launcher to provide increased air defense protection in the medium range air defense market. NASAMS is deployed by seven countries, and is on contract for two more, and has been integrated into the U.S.’ National Capital Region’s air defense system since 2005. The AMRAAM air-to-air missile packs unprecedented performance into a lightweight, cost-effective package. Because of the weapon’s ongoing modernization and proven performance, it continues to deliver the highest dependability and versatility.

The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS™) is a highly adaptable mid-range solution for any operational air defense requirement. The system provides the air defender with a tailorable, state-of-the-art defense system that can maximize their ability to quickly identify, engage and destroy current and evolving enemy aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicle and emerging cruise missile threats. NASAMS is owned by nine countries and has been integrated into the U.S. National Capital Region’s air defense system since 2005. In addition to the U.S., Norway, Finland, Spain, The Netherlands, Oman, Lithuania, Indonesia and one undisclosed country have chosen to depend on NASAMS for homeland defense and the defense of critical assets. Together with Norwegian partner KONGSBERG Defence and Aerospace, AS, Raytheon continues to integrate new capabilities into NASAMS to develop and field highly capable and fully integrated solutions.

Norway fired an AMRAAM®-Extended Range missile from a NASAMS™ high mobility launcher during an international flight test.

Norway fired an AMRAAM®-Extended Range missile from a NASAMS™ high mobility launcher during an international flight test.

U.S. Army awards Raytheon $406M contract for ARC-231A radios

U.S. Army awards Raytheon $406M contract for ARC-231A radios

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Raytheon won a $406 million Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract award from the U.S. Army for ARC-231A radio systems. The contract, which will be performed over the next five years, includes upgrades, production and support for up to 5,000 radios. The radios will be installed on a variety of Army platforms, including the UH-60 Black Hawk, UH-72 Lakota utility helicopter and the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. Because the ARC-231A is software-defined, it can accommodate rapid upgrades without requiring the radio to be removed from its platform. The latest version of the system recently gained NSA Type 1 certification and delivers secure, classified communications on the battlefield. “These radios are the backbone of rotary-wing communications,” said Barbara Borgonovi, vice president of Raytheon Integrated Communication Systems. “The ARC-231A enables U.S. forces to maintain the edge in secure communications, whether they’re flying in contested or congested environments.”

The AN/ARC-231 is an Airborne VHF/UHF/LOS and SATCOM Communications System. This system supports Department of Defense (DoD) requirements for airborne, multi-band, multi-mission, secure anti-jam voice, data and imagery transmission and provides network-capable communications in a compact radio set. The AN/ARC-231(V)(C) Skyfire Radio System, based upon the RT-1808A/ARC-231(V)(C) Receiver Transmitter is a fully compliant, high performance, fully qualified, low risk solution for any airborne platform.

U.S. Army awards Raytheon $406M contract for ARC-231A radios

U.S. Army awards Raytheon $406M contract for ARC-231A radios


The AN/ARC-231(V)(C) is fully qualified to appropriate Military Standards (MIL-STD) through Environmental, Reliability, Electromagnetic interference (EMI)/ Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) testing that ensures interoperability across the tactical environment in addition the AN/ARC-231(V)(C) is Air-Worthiness certified. The ARC-231(V)(C) Radio System operates from 30 to 512 MHz, AM/FM Very High Frequency (VHF), Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Line-of-Sight (LOS) with frequency agile modes Electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM), UHF Satellite Communications (SATCOM), Demand Assigned Multiple Access (DAMA), Integrated Waveform (IW), Air Traffic Control (ATC) channel spacing is operator selectable in 5, 8.33, 12.5, and 25kHz steps. Standard Ship-to-Shore Maritime operation is also available.

The RT-1808A/AN-ARC-231(V)(C) is currently used on a wide variety of platforms. Rotary wing platforms include MH-60L/M and UH-60L/M Black Hawks, MH-47E/G and CH-47G Chinooks, UH-1N Hueys, A2C2S Black Hawks, AH-64 Apaches and UH-72A Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) . Fixed wing platforms include Airborne Reconnaissance Low-Altitude Multi-Mission-ARLM, USAF Rivet Joint, and USAF Joint-STARS. These platforms, along with a wide variety of additional users, utilize the ARC-231 for VHF/UHF Line-of-Sight Single Channel and SATCOM BLOS for voice and data transmission.

Royal Malaysian Air Force Hawk Fleet

Royal Malaysian Air Force Hawk Fleet

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The Royal Malaysian Air Force has 18 Hawk aircraft, consisting of 4 Hawk 108 export versions as training aircraft and 14 Hawk 208 as combat aircraft. The Hawk 108 is a two-seat advanced weapons trainer export version for the Royal Malaysian Air Force with additional avionics, an optional forward-looking infrared, a redesigned wing and HOTAS. Fitted with BAE Sky Guardian RWR and wing tip AAM rails. Ten ordered December 1990, and delivered January 1994 to September 1995. The Hawk 208 is a single-seat, lightweight multi-role combat aircraft export version for the Royal Malaysian Air Force. It has been used for air defence, air-denial, anti-shipping, interdiction, close air support, and ground attack.

Royal Malaysian Air Force Hawk Fleet

Royal Malaysian Air Force Hawk Fleet


On 5 March 2013, during the 2013 Lahad Datu standoff, five Hawk 208 together with three American-made Boeing F/A-18D Hornets were employed in airstrikes on hideouts of the terrorist group Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo in Lahad Datu, Sabah ahead of the ground assault by joint forces of the Malaysian Army and Royal Malaysian Police. The Hawk 208s flew 15 sorties, each Hawk 200 dropping Mk 82 unguided bombs in the first sortie and firing CRV7 rockets at additional ground targets on the second and third. A spokesman for Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said in a phone interview that the objective of the airstrikes was to “soften the ground before troops move in,”.
Royal Malaysian Air Force Hawk Fleet

Royal Malaysian Air Force Hawk Fleet


The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, jet-powered advanced trainer aircraft. It was first flown at Dunsfold, Surrey, in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk, and subsequently produced by its successor companies, British Aerospace and BAE Systems, respectively. It has been used in a training capacity and as a low-cost combat aircraft. Operators of the Hawk include the Royal Air Force (notably the Red Arrows display team) and a considerable number of foreign military operators.
Royal Malaysian Air Force Hawk Fleet

Royal Malaysian Air Force Hawk Fleet

South Korean consortium chosen as F-35 maintenance partner

South Korean consortium chosen as F-35 maintenance partner

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A consortium of six South Korean aerospace firms has been selected as a partner for the maintenance of the U.S.-made radar-evading Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has announced. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said that Ellen M. Lord, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, has notified it that the consortium has been chosen in the U.S. government’s partner selection program. DAPA said in a statement on 13 February that the consortium – termed by DAPA as ‘Team ROK’, consists of Hanwha Systems, Hanwha Corp., Hanwha Techwin, Korean Air, LIG Nex1 and Hyundai Glovis. ROK stands for South Korea’s official name, Republic of Korea.

DAPA said it was notified of the decision by the US Department of Defense (DoD). It added that the selection of Team ROK followed a review undertaken by the DoD of proposals to expand MRO involvement in the F-35 programme by countries involved in developing the aircraft and by countries committed to procuring the platform. DAPA said that Team ROK has been allocated responsibility to provide MRO services in support of components and systems across three areas: avionics, “machinery and electronics”, and in-flight egress systems, adding that the decision supports local industry’s efforts to gain access to the F-35 global supply chain and, at a wider level, to boost the country’s defence exports.

South Korean consortium chosen as F-35 maintenance partner

South Korean consortium chosen as F-35 maintenance partner


In recent years, the U.S. government has sought to build a network of partners for F-35 maintenance among the nine countries that have participated in the joint development of the fighter and several others that have bought it. In 2014, Seoul decided to purchase 40 F-35A fighters at a cost of 7.4 trillion won (US$6.58 billion). The deployment of the warplanes is slated to begin in the first half of this year and will continue through 2021. The F-35A is the fighter’s air force variant, while the F-35B and F-35C are for marines and aircraft carrier-based operations, respectively. U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin manufactures the fighter. South Korea becomes the third country to have been selected as a F-35 maintenance partner in the Asia Pacific region along with Australia and Japan.

Netherlands orders Thales Multi Mission Radars (MMR)

Netherlands orders Thales Multi Mission Radars (MMR)

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The Dutch Ministry of Defense awarded Thales a contract for nine Multi Mission Radars (MMR) designed for artillery, air surveillance, air defense, and security applications. This project is part of the ‘Nederland Radarland’ platform launched in 2002 to ensure the coherency of radar research by the Dutch science and technology community, and alignment and co-ordination of research programmes to achieve maximum synergies. The contract value was not disclosed, but the Dutch government gave a range of EUR100-250 million (USD113-282 million) in its November 2018 Defence Industry Strategy. The radars will be delivered to the Royal Netherlands Army (RNLA) starting in mid-2021.

Royal Netherlands Army commander lieutenant general Leo LJA Beulen said: “Due to its unique true multi-mission capability, the MMR will not only set the conditions for winning battles at long-range by accurate target acquisition, the MMR will also enhance the RNLA air defence capability by addressing the evolving air threat, including rocket, artillery and mortar, and unmanned air systems.” Thales Netherlands naval VP Geert van der Molen said: “The Netherlands has a leading position in the field of radar development. Therefore, the ‘Nederland Radarland’ platform was established in 2002. This project is a perfect example of the results of this platform. The unique and long-lasting cooperation between the military experts of the Royal Netherlands Army and Thales has led to an extreme modern multi-mission solution, ready for today’s and tomorrow’s threats.”

Netherlands orders Thales Multi Mission Radars (MMR)

Netherlands orders Thales Multi Mission Radars (MMR)


The Thales Multi Mission Radars (MMR) marketed as the GM200 MM/Compact is the latest version of the T- and S-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar family, developed for ground applications including air surveillance, weapon locating, and counter-battery missions. The MMR can be used for a large number of tasks: artillery support, 3D airspace surveillance and air defense. Also consider other security applications, such as locating weapons. The system can simultaneously detect, track and fully classify a large number of air targets. It can even distinguish individual tracks in a fire salvo. Its size has been limited by applying the most modern technologies, so the MMR is therefore particularly mobile and is easy to transport on a standard truck.

Thales has designed a 100%-digital system, the TLS755 Multi-Mode Receiver, that integrates all onboard reception functions needed for precision navigation and landing. Right from the beginning, Thales designed in full scalebility for the TLS755, through a highly modular design that allows this unit to keep pace with all applications, including the Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS), Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS) and MLS. Because of Thales breadth of expertise, all functions on the TLS755 – ILS, GNSS, MLS, GLS – were developed in-house, for guaranteed compatibility.

Netherlands orders Thales Multi Mission Radars (MMR)

Netherlands orders Thales Multi Mission Radars (MMR)

Martin-Baker US16E F-35 Ejection Seat

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The System Development & Demonstration (SDD) ejection seat that was selected by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is a further development of the Mk.16 range that has already been successful with the T-6 Texan II, Eurofighter Typhoon, NASA T-38N and USAF T-38 upgrade programmes and other numerous aircraft platforms around the world. The US16E ejection seat provides an unprecedented balanced optimisation between key performance parameters such as safe terrain clearance limits, physiological loading limits, pilot boarding mass and anthropometric accommodation ranges to fully meet the F-35 Escape System requirements. The US16E will be common to all F-35 aircraft variants.

Martin-Baker US16E F-35 Ejection Seat

Martin-Baker US16E F-35 Ejection Seat


The US16E is the only Qualified Ejection Seat that meets the US Government defined Neck Injury Criteria (NIC) across the pilot accommodation range. Martin-Baker is very proud to support the F-35 Programme; the programme will sustain approximately 700 jobs at Martin-Baker into the future, also supporting 66 sub-tier suppliers located within 20 counties spread right across the UK. To date, Martin-Baker has delivered over 130 Ejection Seats to Lockheed Martin, with LRIP V deliveries completed in October 2013. Ejection Seats for LRIP VI and VII have been launched into manufacture.
Martin-Baker US16E F-35 Ejection Seat

Martin-Baker US16E F-35 Ejection Seat


Martin-Baker Aircraft Co. Ltd. is a British manufacturer of ejection seats and safety-related equipment for aviation. The company’s origins were originally as an aircraft manufacturer before becoming a pioneer in the field of ejection seats. The company’s headquarters are in Higher Denham, Buckinghamshire, England with other sites in France, Italy and the United States. Martin-Baker claimed in 2016 that since the first live ejection test in 1946, a total of 7,545 lives have been saved by the company’s ejection seats. The Martin-Baker company continues as a family-run business, run by the two sons of the late Sir James Martin.
Martin-Baker US16E F-35 Ejection Seat

Martin-Baker US16E F-35 Ejection Seat