US approves $4.9 billion E-7 AEW&C sale to South Korea
The purchase of the four aircraft will also include 10 CFM56 engines, alongside aircraft countermeasures, GPS navigation systems, and related logistic and programme support.
BAE Systems Inc confirmed on 28 June that it is ramping up production of its EW countermeasures system for the F-35 Lightning II multirole fighter, after obtaining a Lot 16 manufacturing contract for the AN/ASQ-239.
This Lot 16 award comes as BAE Systems delivers Lot 14 systems and executes material orders for Lot 15. The company already produces 18 shipsets a month and plans to reach 20 per month in 2022 to match LRIP for the F-35 aircraft.
Shephard reported in April that F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin expects a ‘ballpark $9 billion’ F-35 Lot 16 production contract to be signed off in Q4 2021.
BAE Systems calculates that it has already provided more than 800 units of the AN/ASQ-239 to date for the F-35 programme.
The AN/ASQ-239 extends detection ranges and provides radar protection, as well as providing the F-35 pilot with evasion, engagement, countermeasure and jamming options.
BAE Systems has been the EW supplier for the F-35 programme since 2005.
The purchase of the four aircraft will also include 10 CFM56 engines, alongside aircraft countermeasures, GPS navigation systems, and related logistic and programme support.
The agreement includes H135 acquisition, support and services, support for the development of a ground-based training solution and advanced engineering support. Deliveries for the aircraft are expected to commence in the first half of 2026.
The flight test formed part of a larger programme of work to provide mission autonomy software to integrate, data links and other advanced mission systems onto the Avenger UAS.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed during the Marrakesh Air Show, with the C-390 Millennium positioned as the ideal future choice for the Moroccan Air Force.
The trainer aircraft will initially seek to replace the Turkish Air Force’s T-38 trainer fleet, with deliveries scheduled for 2026, but TAI confirmed that ‘closer talks’ were underway with potential export customers.
There has been a spike in demand for Raytheon’s Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), including a US$1.2 billion Pentagon order for 12 countries as well as US Navy and US Air Force. There have also been approvals this year for sales to Israel, Norway, Romania and Singapore.