25 Aug 14. Mexican Air Force reveals variety of procurements. The Mexican Air Force (FAM) plans to spend a combined MXN7.288bn (USD554m) on four new projects that would buy a total of 23 aircraft, the Mexican Secretary of the Treasury (SHCP) announced on 22 August. The first project – valued at MXN1.63bn – is to buy 14 Bell 407GX light helicopters that are to be configured for narcotics eradication and armed escort missions. Bell 407GXs are to operate in pairs, with one helicopter performing aerial spraying of marijuana or poppy plantations while covered by an armed escort. The Bell 407GXs will replace similarly configured Bell 206B/Ls operated by the 111th Air Squadron based at No.5 Military Airbase (BAM-5) in Zapopan, Jalisco. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
24 Aug 14. Guatemala to soon buy coastal patrol craft. Guatemala’s proposed EUR14.2m (USD18.8m) programme to begin procurement of two high-speed coastal patrol craft is undergoing its final phase in Congress and is expected to be imminently approved, Guatemalan sources confirmed to IHS Jane’s on 24 August. The programme comprises two high-speed coastal patrol craft to be funded partially through a EUR11.9m credit from Spanish bank Santander, sources told IHS Jane’s. According to Guatemalan Ministry of Defence (MoD) documents dated 30 January 2014, the programme is known as the Naval Component of the Guatemalan Biosphere Surveillance and Protection System (Sistema de Vigilancia y Protección de la Biósfera de Guatemala: SVPBG) and includes two coastal patrol craft to be built by Armon S A shipyards in Spain. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
21 Aug 14. Philippine Navy mulling best way to upgrade Del Pilar frigates. The Philippine Navy (PN) is having internal talks on how best to upgrade the weapon and electronic systems of its Del Pilar-class frigates. The PN has two Del Pilar-class frigates, BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PF15) and BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF16), which are ex-US Coast Guard Hamilton- and Hero-class cutters acquired in 2012 and 2013 respectively. The two vessels each originally mounted a Phalanx close-in weapon system (CIWS), which was removed when transferred to the Philippines. A sister ship, the USCGC Mellon, mounted a Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher in the 1990s. “Our initial target is for the Del Pilar frigates to have the same capabilities as the Hamilton-class did when they were in US service, such as having the Phalanx CIWS and Harpoon anti-ship missiles,” Marine Colonel Eric Nicanor, commander of the PN’s Naval Communications, Electronic and Information Center and chairman of the technical working group for the Del Pilar-class frigate upgrade, told IHS Jane’s at the Integrated Air and Missile Defence Asia conference in Kuala Lumpur on 20-21 August. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
20 Aug 14. Indonesia and US to sign Apache MoU. Indonesia and the United States are expected to sign an agreement soon to facilitate the Indonesian Army’s (TNI-AD’s) enhanced operation of on-order Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. The Indonesian Ministry of Defence said on 20 August that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) will cover the handling and security of data and communications received by the Apache during TNI operations. The MoU is currently under review by the TNI chiefs of staffs. Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said he hoped this review would be completed soon to enable ratification of the MoU so the US could deliver the Apache helicopters to Indonesia before the 69th anniversary of the TNI on 5 October. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
21 Aug 14. USAF seeks information for rocket engine replacement. Key Points:
* The USAF is asking industry for options on a new launch system that would replace the RD-180 that powers the Atlas V rocket
* Russia builds RD-180s and has threatened to stop providing them for military launches
The US Air Force (USAF) has released a request for information (RfI) for a new rocket engine to replace the Russian-built RD-180 that powers the United Launch Al