Tag: missiles

First Naval Combat H225M Ever Built Delivered to Brazilian Navy

November 26, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first H225M in naval combat configuration to the Brazilian Navy. Stationed at the naval base in São Pedro d’Aldeia, the aircraft will boost the Brazilian Navy’s mission capabilities including anti-surface warfare and maritime surveillance.

Developed by the engineering team at Helibras (the Brazilian subsidiary of Airbus Helicopters), this naval version of the H225M aircraft is the most complex configuration that has ever been produced for this multirole helicopter. The aircraft’s embedded systems include the EWS IDAS-3 (countermeasure system), MBDA Exocet AM39 B2M2 missiles, the APS143 tactical radar and the naval mission system N-TDMS (Naval Tactical Data Management System) developed in partnership with Atech and Airbus Defense and Space, which is responsible for making the command and control of all embedded systems, including the missile system.

The last stage of the firing campaign with the Exocet AM39 B2M2 missiles was successfully carried out last June, representing a major milestone in the programme, which led the way to qualification and delivery.

The naval H225M is part of the contract signed by the Brazilian government in 2008 and which includes 50 H225Ms to be operated by the three armed forces. So far, 39 H225Ms have been delivered to the Brazilian Armed Forces, all of them assembled locally by Helibras.

A crowd that included Air Force leadership, congressional representatives and senators, executives and plant personnel from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Corporation attended a ceremony dedicating the delivery of the final F-22 Raptor in Marietta, Ga., May 2. (U.S. Air Force photo/Don Peek)

Lockheed Martin Inks $4.4B Deal to Acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne

December 20, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

From Reuters News – Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington, D.C., Editing by Greg Roumeliotis

Dec 20 (Reuters) – Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE: LMT) said on Sunday that it has agreed acquire U.S. rocket engine manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc (NYSE: AJRD) for $4.4 billion, including debt and net cash.

The deal is Lockheed’s biggest acquisition since Jim Taiclet took over as chief executive in June. He is seeking to beef up the company’s propulsion capabilities amid competition from new entrants such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, for space contracts with the U.S. government.

“Acquiring Aerojet Rocketdyne will preserve and strengthen an essential component of the domestic defense industrial base and reduce costs for our customers and the American taxpayer,” Taiclet said in a statement.

Lockheed said it will pay $56 per share for Aerojet Rocketdyne, a 33 percent premium to Friday’s closing price. The purchase price will be reduced to $51 per share after the payment of a pre-closing special dividend, Lockheed added.

The Bethesda, Maryland-based company already uses Aerojet Rocketdyne’s propulsion systems in its aeronautics, missiles and fire control offerings.

Lockheed said the transaction, which is set to be scrutinized by regulators given the company’s leading position in the defense sector, is expected to close in the second half of 2021.

Boeing Partners with General Atomics & Aerojet Rocketdyne in Homeland Missile Defense Bid

September 27, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Boeing [NYSE: BA] is teaming with General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems and Aerojet Rocketdyne [NYSE: AJRD] in its bid to build the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA). The NGI is a key element of the MDA’s missile defense system, which is designed to intercept and destroy incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles.

“The Boeing-led team will deliver critical technology to enhance our homeland missile defense,” said Norm Tew, Boeing Missile and Weapon Systems vice president and general manager, and Huntsville site senior executive. “Combined, we bring decades of expertise in proven missile and weapon systems.”

On Aug. 12, the Boeing-General Atomics-Aerojet Rocketdyne team submitted an NGI offering that will improve performance and enhance the nation’s ability to defend against future threats.

GA-EMS has a long history of delivering missile technology and complex systems for critical national defense programs. “This partnership combines our legacies in innovation, bringing together new ideas to create an affordable and reliable solution to defend against emerging threats,” said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS.

Aerojet Rocketdyne’s propulsion systems have powered the nation’s missile defense for decades. “As the country’s premier hit-to-kill propulsion provider, we’re able to deliver low-cost, high-performance systems by leveraging our skilled workforce and strategic investments in innovative technology and materials,” said Eileen Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and president.

Northrop Grumman will serve as a component supplier on the Boeing-led team.

A contract award is expected later this year.

NATO Gives Boeing $1 Billion Deal to Upgrade AWACS Reconnaissance Planes

November 27, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

– AWACS part of NATO investment in hi-tech surveillance

– Announcement comes days before NATO summit in London

BRUSSELS, Nov 27 (Reuters) – NATO on Wednesday awarded Boeing Co a $1 billion contract to upgrade its fleet of AWACS reconnaissance planes, a deal officials said showed the strength of transatlantic cooperation days before an alliance summit in London.

First flown in 1982 and repeatedly modernised, the Boeing-made planes, which can detect hostile aircraft, missiles, ships and other weaponry far beyond NATO borders, will be overhauled with more powerful computer processors, servers and equipment.

The 14 planes, based at an air base in Germany, can already exchange information via digital data links, with ground-based, sea-based and airborne commanders, but need a greater capacity to transmit data as technology develops.

The upgrade will keep one of the few military assets owned and operated by the Western alliance in service until 2035.

AWACS have been flown in support of the international coalition against Islamic State, gazing deep into Syria from Turkey, as well as along NATO’s eastern flank following Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

“The modernisation will ensure that NATO remains at the leading edge of technology,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference alongside Boeing President Michael Arthur, standing in front of one of the planes.

“It will provide AWACS with sophisticated new communications and networking capabilities, so these aircraft can continue their vital missions,” he said.

One NATO official described AWACS, which have crews drawn from 18 different allies, as a symbol of NATO unity, at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump has questioned its value and French President Emmanuel Macron last month said NATO was dying.

The upgrade will be funded by 16 NATO allies, including the United States, Germany, Turkey, Italy and Spain, and some work will be subcontracted to European suppliers including Leonardo and Airbus.

The modernisation comes as NATO takes delivery of the first of five Global Hawk drones, which will be based in Italy.

After years of delays, the high-altitude drones made by Northrop Grumman give the alliance its own spy drones for the first time and will work with the AWACS to protect ground troops, as well as other tasks.

The drones will be able to fly for up to 30 hours at a time in all weather, providing near real-time surveillance data.

(Reporting by Robin Emmott Editing by Mark Heinrich)

French Navy Received First Two “Standard 6” ATL2’s

November 2, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

(Saint-Cloud, October 29, 2019) – This summer, Lann-Bihoué French naval air station received the first two ATL2 maritime patrol aircraft upgraded by Dassault Aviation.

Last week, Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces, flew on one of these aircraft.

These two events demonstrate the progress made on the upgrade program which is designed to modernize the ATL2 combat system to standard 6.

The contract for the upgraded (standard 6) ATL2 combat system was awarded by the defense procurement agency DGA on October 4, 2013. The program covers a fleet of 18 aircraft. Dassault Aviation will deliver a further five upgraded ATL2s in the period 2020-2023. In parallel, the SIAé aeronautical maintenance center will upgrade 11 aircraft.© Dassault Aviation – C. Cosmao

Standard 6 includes:

new radar: Thales Search Master with active antenna,
new Thales acoustic subsystem to gather and process signals from the latest-generation air-dropped sonobuoys for submarine detection,
new navigation console designed by Dassault Aviation,
new consoles for the tactical display subsystem, developed by SIAé.

The upgrade work is performed by Dassault Aviation and Thales (co-contractors), in association with Naval Group and in cooperation with SIAé. Architect of the combat system, Dassault Aviation is as well responsible for development of the core system including LOTI software designed by Naval Group. Dassault Aviation is also in charge of overall integration of all subsystems.

All the specifications for this program were established using the PLM Systèmes tool as part of a Dassault Aviation-Thales-Naval Group-SIAé collaborative work platform installed at St-Cloud in the Dassault Aviation design office.

The standard 6 upgrade will improve the ATL2s’ capability to support the Strategic Ocean Force, to deal with modern threats (future nuclear or conventional submarines, naval forces at sea, etc.) and to support air-land missions, until 2030.

France is one of the very few countries producing high-technology maritime patrol aircraft combining detection (optronics, radar, acoustics) with a variety of weapons (anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, laser-guided weapons).

“This expertise as an architect of maritime patrol solutions, both for the platform and for systems integration, is the result of experience dating back to the late 1950s and the launch of the ATL1 program, the predecessor of the ATL2. Dassault Aviation has extended this experience, from the 1970s onwards, with the maritime surveillance Falcons, the latest version of which is the Falcon 2000 MRA-based Albatros program. As we have shown once again with the standard 6, this maritime patrol/maritime surveillance expertise builds largely on the trust and the excellent working relations between our company, the DGA and the French Navy, to which I express my sincere gratitude. We will leverage this know-how to prepare together maritime patrol solutions beyond 2030”, declared Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.

Japan’s Military Seek Eighth Straight Annual Defense Spending Hike

August 30, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

TOKYO, Aug 30 (Reuters) – Japan’s military has asked for an eighth straight annual increase in defence spending to help pay for U.S.-made interceptor missiles, stealth fighters, and other equipment it wants to counter threats from North Korea and China.

The Ministry of Defence budget proposal released Friday calls for spending to increase 1.2 percent to a record 5.32 trillion yen ($50.48 billion) in the year starting April 1. Finance ministry officials will scrutinise the request before it is approved by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet.

Already one of the world’s biggest military spenders despite a constitution that forbids the possession of weapons to attack other countries, Japan has increased military outlays by a tenth over the past seven years. That growth is being driven by alarm over military build ups by its neighbours.

Japan’s spending, much of it on advanced weapons from the United States, has benefited the likes of Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Co, and worried local contractors such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries who have seen their share of defence spending shrink.

U.S. President Donald Trump has thanked Japan for buying the expensive U.S. equipment, helping curtail criticism of Japan amid trade tensions between Tokyo and Washington.

For the next fiscal year, Japan’s defense officials have asked for 115.6 billion yen to buy nine Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters, including for the first time six short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) B variants that it wants to operate from aircraft carriers. That purchase will help Japan project military power by extending the range at which the country’s Self Defense Forces can operate.

The defence ministry also wants 116.3 billion yen to bolster ballistic missile defences (BMD), including money for a new generation of interceptor missiles designed by Raytheon to shoot down incoming warheads in space. It also wants funds for vertical launch systems for ships and two planned ground-based Aegis Ashore radar missile tracking stations.

($1 = 105.3900 yen)

(Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Michael Perry)

Lockheed Martin Raises 2019 Profit Forecast, Shares Jump

April 23, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

FILE PHOTO: Lockheed Martin is seen at Euronaval, the world naval defence exhibition in Le Bourget near Paris, France, October 23, 2018. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

(Reuters) – Lockheed Martin Corp reported a better-than-expected 47 percent jump in quarterly profit on Tuesday and raised its annual profit forecast, helped by strong demand for its missiles and fighter jets, sending its shares up more than 5 percent in pre-market trading.

U.S. weapons makers have been expected to benefit from stronger global demand for fighter jets and munitions and higher U.S. defence budgets in fiscal 2020 as they announce first quarter earnings this week.

Lockheed’s Missiles and Fire Control business, which makes missile defences like the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD), was one of its best-performing units.

On April 1, the unit was awarded a THAAD interceptor missile contract worth $2.4 billion, some of which are slated to be delivered to Saudi Arabia, which could boost earnings for the current quarter.

Overall, the Bethesda, Maryland-based company said its earnings rose to $1.70 billion, or $5.99 per share, in the first quarter ended March 31, from $1.16 billion, or $4.02 per share, a year earlier. That was partly helped by a $75 million dollar boost from additional tax deductions on foreign military sales.

Excluding that one-time gain, Lockheed reported $5.73 per share profit, well ahead of the $4.34 per share that Wall Street had expected, on average, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Lockheed’s overall net sales for the quarter rose 23 percent to $14.34 billion. The company’s sales backlog grew to $133.5 billion, up 3 billion over the quarter.

Operating margins at the aeronautics division, Lockheed’s biggest, fell to 10.5 percent in the first quarter from 10.8 percent a year earlier, but sales were up 27 percent to $5.5 billion on demand for the F-35 jet and some classified contracts.

The United States is considering expanding sales of Lockheed-made F-35 fighter jets to five new nations including Romania, Greece and Poland as European allies bulk up their defences in the face of a strengthening Russia, a Pentagon official told Congress in early April.

(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington D.C. and Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Bill Rigby)