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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
23 Apr 25. MOD clarifies carrier strike AEW requirements in new update. The Ministry of Defence has issued further clarification on its ongoing market engagement for a next-generation Carrier Strike Airborne Early Warning (AEW) capability, aimed at enhancing the protection of the UK’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers and their strike groups. Published on 22 April 2025, the update to the original tender—first issued on 9 April—adds crucial detail to the scope and intent of the proposed system, while continuing to stress that this is not a formal procurement process. The engagement seeks innovative solutions to deliver persistent surveillance against air and surface threats, potentially replacing or supplementing the current Crowsnest system.
What’s New?
The MOD has now responded to specific clarification questions from industry, revealing that: “The authority expects that the potential solutions could vary greatly with regards to combinations of numbers of platforms, endurance, and sensor performance and do not wish to specify those at present.”
Instead, the goal is to deliver “sufficient time to enact counter-threat measures”—allowing suppliers the flexibility to propose platforms and sensor suites they believe can best achieve this aim.
Additionally, the MOD has confirmed that platforms do not need to be registered on the UK Military Aircraft Register at this stage of engagement: “The RN is currently undertaking broad market engagement… Decisions on how any future demonstrations may take place will be made on the results of this market engagement.”
This is a notable shift from previous MOD engagements, suggesting a greater openness to novel solutions—including uncrewed platforms or hybrid options—not yet certified for UK military airspace.
Timelines and Scope
The proposed contract would be worth between £500m and £1.5bn, with service entry estimated between 2030 and 2035. The intended duration of the support arrangement is 5.5 years, with a delivery window between January 2027 and May 2032. (Source: News Now/https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)
22 Apr 25. Early Type 26 frigates mirror timelines ahead of late-2020s entry. It looks to be taking ten years from first steel cut to a Type 26 entering service with the UK Royal Navy. The second of an eventual eight-strong fleet of Type 26 frigates being manufactured for the UK Royal Navy is continuing its build at BAE Systems’ Clyde shipyards, with HMS Cardiff following the development timeline of first-in-class, HMS Glasgow. Providing an update to the Type 26 programme in a UK parliamentary written response on 22 April, UK Defence Procurement Minister Maria Eagle outlined that following the steel-cut ceremony for HMS Sheffield in November 2024, five of the eight planned frigates are now under construction. Of the four vessels in more advanced stages of the build process, HMS Glasgow and second-in-class HMS Cardiff are in drydock at BAE Systems’ shipyard in Scotstoun for outfitting, while unit and block assembly on HMS Belfast (third-in-class) and HMS Birmingham (fourth-in-class) continues.
“HMS Glasgow is forecast to achieve Initial Operating Capability [IOC] in 2028, with construction of all eight frigates expected to be complete by the mid-2030s,” Eagle stated.
The IOC target of 2028 stated on 21 April appears to be an implicit correction from a 7 April written response regarding UK Royal Navy frigate programmes, where Eagle said the first of the Type 26 frigates was scheduled to enter service “commencing from 2029”. It has been widely anticipated that HMS Glasgow will begin initial operations in 2028, having previously been reported as likely to achieve this target in Q4 that year. However, parliamentary written response can be updated corrected where mistakes are noted by colleagues, with the 7 April 2029 timeline answer still standing as originally published. HMS Cardiff joined HMS Glasgow in drydock for further build work in September 2024.
Type 26 frigates: RN expects three before 2030
The Royal Navy states that the first three Type 26 frigates (HMS Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast) are expected to enter the fleet before 2030, with a further five warships (HMS Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, Edinburgh and London) joining after 2030. Despite steel being cut on HMS Glasgow as far back as 2017, and government officials initially claiming an expected in-service date in the mid-2020s, the timeline now suggest a more than ten-year long process to deliver the first-in-class Type 26 into service. Second-in-class HMS Cardiff saw steel cut in 2019, around two years after HMS Glasgow, with both vessels entering water for the first time around five years after the start of manufacturing. With first steel cut of HMS Belfast occurring in 2021, it is likely that the third Type 26 will not enter the water until 2026 ahead of drydocking for outfitting. The eight Type 26 frigates will replace eight of the ageing Type 23 frigates currently in service in the crucial anti-submarine warfare role. The remaining five general purpose Type 23 frigates are being replaced by five new Type 31 frigates, also currently in-build. (Source: naval-technology.com)
22 Apr 25. UK explores offshore support vessel options for MHC. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Royal Navy (RN) are moving forward with analyses to consider mother ship options for the next phase of the RN’s Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) programme, officials have told Janes . Current plans call for the acquisition of three offshore support vessels (OSVs) as part of the forthcoming MHC Block 2 programme. The MoD has previously purchased a commercial offshore support platform to meet its initial requirement for an OSV to support mine countermeasures (MCM) in UK waters. The MHC programme is designed to deliver the RN a next-generation MCM capability based on autonomous ‘system of systems’ packages that will be capable of executing MCM operations both in home waters and overseas. The overarching aim is to exploit advances in technology in areas such as autonomy, sensors, and advanced data processing techniques to increase the tempo of MCM; improve survey ‘product’; enhance transportability of MCM systems through ‘modularisation’; and take crews out of the mine danger area.
Planning assumptions
Current planning assumptions underpinning the RN’s MHC Block 2 programme envisage a force design comprising six mission systems, plus three ‘hosting’ OSVs for deployed operations. As a precursor, the MoD in early 2023 acquired the offshore vessel MV Island Crown – renamed RFA Stirling Castle – from the commercial market to serve as a UK host platform for autonomous MCM payloads previously procured through Project Wilton and MHC Block 1. (Source: Janes)
EUROPE
24 Apr 25. Netherlands to buy anti-torpedo weapon, tracked armor, new rifle. The Netherlands plans to buy a torpedo-killing torpedo as early as 2029, replace the armed forces’ standard assault rifle starting this decade and equip its heavy infantry brigade with tracked armored general-purpose vehicles, as part of 17 equipment projects for the coming years. Total spending on the planned projects will be at least €1.45bn (US$1.65bn), based on the lower end of the budget range for each project, according to a so-called “A letter” from the Dutch Ministry of Defense sent to parliament on Wednesday outlining equipment requirements.
“It’s essential that the Ministry of Defense has the necessary defense equipment at its disposal in good time to increase our deterrence and be a reliable NATO ally,” State Secretary of Defence Gijs Tuinman wrote. “With this omnibus A letter, the Ministry of Defense is taking the next step toward greater flexibility and less internal bureaucracy in the procurement process.”
The Netherlands lifted its 2025 defense budget to €22 billion, after spending €21.4bn last year. The country is in the process of renewing its fleet of air-defense frigates, anti-submarine warfare frigates and submarines, and on land is beefing up its 43 Mechanized Brigade into a heavy infantry brigade with a full-fledged tank battalion and mobile air-defense systems. The Dutch plan to equip the future frigates, submarines and new amphibious transport vessels with a hard-kill system to defend against unmanned underwater vehicles such as drones and torpedoes. The first platform to be fitted with the anti-torpedo torpedo (ATT) system will be the anti-submarine warfare frigates, according to Tuinman. Development of the anti-torpedo weapon from a demonstration model to a production-ready design will continue within the European Union’s Permanent Structured Cooperation through to 2028, according to the Dutch MoD. Subsequently, the Netherlands expects to acquire a “qualified ATT” starting in 2029, when the first new Dutch ASW frigate is scheduled to become operational. The investment for the anti-torpedo torpedo is €250 million to €1bn for the 2025-2039 period, the ministry said. Potential international military cooperation through PESCO will reduce the technical development and financial risks, according to Tuinman.
Other Navy investment projects include a replacement for the Mark 48 torpedoes for the new Orka-class submarines to be built by Naval Group, with delivery of the new torpedoes planned in the early 2030s. The Netherlands also plans to invest in unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned surface vessels for maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and to contribute to anti-submarine warfare. Both projects are in the €50m to €250m range. For the land forces, the Netherlands plans to buy an estimated 100 to 150 tracked armored vehicles for use by the heavy infantry brigade in roles including transport, command, ambulance, engineering and troop transport, for between €250m and €1bn. The MoD plans to buy the tracked vehicles through a negotiated procedure without tender from a single source, buying systems that are already known and have been acquired previously, Tuinman said. “This ensures that contracting can be done quickly, which benefits delivery time.” While Tuinman didn’t provide details on the model the Dutch plan to buy, the 43 Mechanized Brigade operates the CV90 infantry combat vehicle from BAE Systems Hägglunds, alongside Leopard 2 main battle tanks. The CV90 exists in an armored-personnel carrier version that is the base for other non-turreted variants. Sweden, Finland, Norway and Lithuania are preparing a joint purchase of the CV90, the Swedish government said earlier this week.
The Dutch list of projects also includes replacing the armed forces’ Colt C7 standard assault rife and C8 carbines, with a budget of €250m to €1bn for the 2027-2041 period. The existing rifles have been modernized since 2009 and will reach the end of their technical lifespan in 2030, and the ministry targets the first deliveries of the new arms before the end of the decade. The MoD plans to buy multiple variants of the same weapon from a single supplier, and is looking for a possible purchase in cooperation with partner countries to increase interoperability. The Netherlands said several partners and allies either use similar weapons or are planning to acquire them in the short term. The Netherlands will also buy around 200 multi-barrel machine guns that will equip helicopters and ships, for between €50m and €250m. The speed of engagements has increased, and the MoD said it’s looking for a weapon with a higher rate of fire than the current MAG 7.62 mm and Browning .50 machine guns. Technical improvements on a multi-barrel machine gun make it less likely to malfunction than current weapons, and the improved combat capabilities increase the survivability and operational availability of platforms including naval vessels and helicopters, the ministry said. The ministry said the Dutch F-35 jets need a tactical armament that can be deployed against well-defended targets, with high survivability to avoid anti-munition weapon systems, and the ministry has budgeted €50m to €250m from 2027 to 2032 to acquire such a weapon. The current weapons for tactical deployment equipping the Dutch F-35 fleet are precision-guided and short-range, free-fall munitions with low survivability due to lack of speed or because of high radar reflectivity. They are limited in their deployment due to vulnerability to weather conditions, camouflage, deception and jamming, the ministry said. The Netherlands has changed its defense procurement to cut red tape and accelerate the process, doubling the threshold that requires notification to parliament to €50m and lifting the investment amount that needs parliamentary approval to €250 million from €100m.
“Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Defense has taken new measures to increase agility, speed up processes and reduce internal bureaucracy,” Tuinman said. (Source: Defense News)
23 Apr 25. Denmark invests in new minelayers, undersea drones, and Home Guard vessels. The new capabilities will strengthen the Danish Navy and intensify surveillance above and under the sea surface. The Danish Government, alongside several political parties, has reached a consensus on a DKr4bn (around $614.36m) plan to expand the naval fleet, which encompasses the acquisition of four specialised vessels and an additional 21 ships for the Home Guard. This arrangement forms a segment under the Danish Defence Agreement 2024-2033 to bolster the Danish Navy. The expenditure will be covered by allocations from both the Acceleration Fund and the existing defence budget. The essence of this agreement is to enhance maritime surveillance and assert sovereignty in marine territories. The four vessels will be capable of performing dual roles: military operations such as sea surface and subsurface monitoring, personnel training, mine-laying; as well as environmental missions like addressing chemical spills and oil pollution. The 21 modern vessels for the Marine Home Guard will collaborate closely with the Royal Danish Navy on tasks ranging from maritime patrol and port security to search-and-rescue missions, environmental protection duties, and support for host nations. The procurement list under this agreement also comprises underwater drones and other autonomous systems, a dedicated vessel equipped with drones and sonar technology and enhanced surveillance capabilities for vital submarine infrastructure. Moreover, there is a unanimous decision among these parties to invest in an expanded fleet that includes larger naval ships to augment the combat strength of Denmark’s Armed Forces.
Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said: “The threats we face at sea throughout the Kingdom of Denmark today are different and far more serious than just a few years ago. (Source: naval-technology.com)
21 Apr 25. Hanwha Ocean updates its offer for Polish submarine Orka programme. Hanwha Ocean has revealed its updated offer for the supply of future submarines to the Polish Navy under the Orka programme. The South Korean shipbuilder is willing to deliver KSS-III Batch 2 vessels along with an extended MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) package as well as to invest in Polish shipyard infrastructure under the contract. During a briefing held in early April, Hanwha Ocean presented a new updated timeframe for the delivery of three submarines for Poland. According to the Hanwha representatives, the first vessel could be delivered within six years after signing the contract, and all vessels could be delivered within eight and a half years. Moreover, Hanwha is offering to lease the decommissioned Jang Bogo (KSS-I)-class submarine as a bridging solution for crew training. As Janes has learnt, the vessel is expected to be decommissioned from the South Korean navy in 2027 and, after refitting, could be delivered to Poland. Hanwha representatives told Janes that some of the command systems, which will be compatible with the KSS-III Batch 2 vessels, might be installed onboard. Such a solution could help to train Polish crews before the delivery. The leasing would be signed by the Polish and Republic of Korea governments with Hanwha Ocean. (Source: Janes)
USA
22 Apr 25. Lockheed won’t protest NGAD loss, instead pitches new, ‘fifth-gen plus’ version of F-35 fighter.
“My challenge here on my aeronautics team is, let’s get 80 percent of six-gen capability at half the price,” said Lockheed CEO Jim Taiclet.
After losing out on the Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter program, Lockheed Martin’s chief executive has laid out a mandate to its aeronautics division: Create a “fifth-generation plus” version of the F-35 that can offer 80 percent of the capability of the upcoming F-47 at “half the price.” During an earnings call today, Jim Taiclet announced that the world’s largest defense contractor will not protest the Air Force’s decision to award the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program to Boeing. Instead, Lockheed will pull its full focus toward enhancing its flagship stealth fighter jet in the hopes of enticing the Pentagon with a less expensive alternative to a sixth-generation fighter.
“We’re basically going to take the [F-35] chassis and turn it into a Ferrari,” Taiclet said. “It’s like a NASCAR upgrade, so to speak, where we would take the F-35 [and] apply some of those co-funded technologies both from NGAD and the F-35 program.
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“My challenge here on my aeronautics team is, let’s get 80 percent of six-gen capability at half the price. And that’s something that — these are engineers, you know, they wouldn’t have agreed to this if they didn’t think there was a path to get there,” he said.
Taiclet declined to detail all of the upgrades that could make up Lockheed’s enhanced version of the F-35, citing classification, but laid out several types of technologies that could be incorporated, such as a new advanced passive infrared radar.
“I explained this at a meeting at the White House to the president,” he said. “Dogfights are not what we want anymore. In air-to-air combat, we want to shoot the other guys, I said, before he even knows we’re there. And you do that, first of all, with the critical sensors to find them. Then you make sure they can’t find you, and that’s the stealth technology.”
“There’s some techniques with that we’ve used for our NGAD offering that can be applied, whether they’re materials, they’re geometries, they’re counter-measures for stealth, so I can’t be seen,” he added. Other key elements include new weapons and tracking systems that can help increase the range in which an enemy target can be shot down.
Lockheed hopes to “build exportability into each of these components” — some of which are already a part of the F-35 program of record through the Block 4 modernization program — but the US government will have the final say on which upgrades will be made available to international F-35 customers, Taiclet said.
After Lockheed’s loss on the NGAD program, the company finds itself shut out of the sixth generation fighter market, as it is no longer in the running for the Navy’s F/A-XX program after submitting a bid that did not satisfy the service’s requirements.
Lockheed’s strategy to offer an “fifth-generation plus” version of the F-35 echoes the playbook of rival fighter manufacturer Boeing in the wake of Lockheed’s victory in the Joint Strike Fighter competition in 2001. In the decades following that loss, Boeing pitched advanced “fourth-generation plus” versions of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-15 Eagle — eventually succeeding in garnering Air Force orders for the F-15EX. It remains to be seen if Athens is set on acquiring Israel’s Iron Dome or holds interest in other solutions, but at a more general level, Achilles Shield is part of an extraordinary modernization push. Overall, Lockheed executives downplayed the NGAD defeat during the earnings call today, stating that the company anticipates more than 3,500 F-35s to be operational during the height of the program and has numerous other opportunities to win emerging programs, such as the Golden Dome missile defense system that has been made a major defense priority of the Trump administration.
“Even with the NGAD loss, that was probably more impactful farther out in the future than over the next few years, [and] more than offset by some of these other opportunities that we’re seeing,” said Maria Ricciardone, Lockheed’s treasurer and vice president for investor relations.
Taiclet said the company has received a classified debrief on the NGAD decision from the US Air Force and will take that feedback and “[address] those on a strategic basis.” (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
14 Apr 25. US Army issues RFI to support Eastern European air defence and C-UAS capability. The US Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal has issued a sources sought request for information (RFI) to support Eastern European air defence. The requirement for this action is a new contract in September 2025 with a 12-month period of performance. “This effort will provide the necessary software engineering, field support, technical assistance, and interoperability testing to integrate into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) architecture for air defence and counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) in support of their homeland defence,” the RFI states. Responses will be used for a market research analysis that will assist in determining if the contemplated acquisition could be conducted under full and open competition, or if the contemplated acquisition should be set-aside for small business. Funding is provided by Fiscal Year 2024 Building Partner Capacity funds from European Command (EUCOM). The interested party must be able to obtain and maintain personnel and facilities at the SECRET clearance level. They must also comply with the Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting clause at DFARS 252.204-7012 and have a program that follows the National Institute of Standards and Technology framework for improving critical compliance assessments performed by the government. Responses are invited by April 25, 2025. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
REST OF THE WORLD
24 Apr 25. Unveiling high-tech destroyer, Japan seeks Australian buyer. As a key selling point, the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s new destroyer Kumano can do more with less, at a time when naval personnel are being stretched to the limits. The MSDF touted this capability as it unveiled the Kumano to the news media at its Yokosuka Naval Base on April 23. Japan is hoping that its state-of-the-art Mogami-class frigate vessel, known as an FFM (Future Multi-mission Frigate), will find a place in the Royal Australian Navy fleet. A look aboard shows a host of high-tech features that could be attractive to an Australian Navy looking to modernize its fleet.
21ST CENTURY ON THE SEAS
The interior of the Kumano differs substantially from conventional destroyers and is designed to minimize the number of crew members needed for operations. Stations such as the fire control room, telegraph room and pilot room, which were previously located separately on the ship, are now integrated in the combat information center (CIC), and all information can be viewed on a 360-degree screen. Crew members wear wristwatch-like biometric sensors to keep track of personnel positions. Equipped with a navigation system with GPS functionality, the new destroyer eliminates the need for an assistant navigator to manually draw nautical charts. Conventional destroyers require seven personnel on the bridge, but Kumano can be manned by four.
JAPAN BATTLING GERMANY FOR CONTRACT
Against the backdrop of the Kumano’s unveiling is the Australian government announcement in February 2024 of a plan to introduce 11 new naval vessels to modernize the Royal Australian Navy. In November, the Japanese government officially announced its plan to participate in the joint development of the Australian Navy’s new vessels. The Japanese government has proposed a more capable version of the MSDF’s Mogami-class destroyer, by adding the performance capabilities required by Australia. Australia plans to replace its aging frigates with 11 new vessels, which are expected to cost a total of A$11.1bn (about 1trn yen, or $7bn). Three of the 11 vessels will be manufactured in the joint development countries first, and the rest will be built in Australia. Australia has named two finalists for the project, Germany and Japan.
Australia will name the joint developer by the end of this fiscal year and deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2029. If the Japanese proposal is selected, it will be “Japan’s first large-scale equipment transfer project,” according to a senior Defense Ministry official. For this reason, Japan has been making a major sales push.
U.S. HELP SOUGHT IN SALES PITCH
According to several ministry officials, the Japanese government has sought the cooperation of the United States in pushing for Japan’s proposal to be accepted by Australia, and the U.S. side is said to be willing to do so. At a Japan-U.S. defense ministerial meeting held at the end of March, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani asked U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to support the Japanese proposal. Japan is seeking the cooperation of the U.S. side because the Japanese proposal is advantageous to its close ally in that it is “easier to mount U.S.-made missiles,” according to a senior ministry official. It is assumed that Tomahawk cruise missiles, ESSM ship-to-air missiles and Harpoon anti-ship missiles will be installed aboard. However, it is believed that many in the Australian Navy support the German proposal, which has already been introduced and is considered less expensive.
REDUCTION IN PERSONNEL A HUGE PLUS
The main selling point of the FFM is the “reduction in manpower” needed to operate the vessel. The Kumano destroyer has a crew of about 90, about half that of conventional vessels. The new FFM, which Japan hopes to jointly develop with Australia, can be operated with the same 90 crew members as the Kumano. That is about 30 fewer than the 120 crew members required on German naval vessels. Driving the need for fewer personnel aboard is the manpower shortage in the MSDF, where long naval careers are shunned. The SDF has suffered a recruitment shortfall of about 20,000 personnel in recent years. The number of recruits for the SDF in fiscal 2023 dipped to a record low of 50.8 percent of the planned recruitment quota. A senior Defense Ministry official said, “Australia’s navy is also understaffed.” The official said the “reduction of manpower will be the greatest weapon in selling to Australia.” (Source: News Now/https://www.asahi.com/)
23 Apr 25. Brazilian Army preps to replace MBTs and IFVs. Brazilian Army efforts to replace its ageing M60A3 Tank Thermal Sight (TTS), Leopard 1A5BR main battle tanks (MBTs), and M113B/BR armoured personnel carriers (APCs) have attracted several foreign contractors, according to companies at the recent LAAD Defence & Security 2025 exhibition. Brazil issued a combined request for information (RFI) and request for quote (RFQ) in August 2024 to acquire an initial 65 medium-weight MBTs armed with a 105 mm or 120 mm gun as part of the VBC CC (Viatura Blindada de Combate Carro de Combate) project and an initial 78 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) with turreted medium-calibre automatic cannon as part of the VBC Fuz (Viatura Blindada de Combate de Fuzileiros) project. Brazil demonstrated interest in the local armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) plans as companies presented options during the exhibition between 1 and 4 April in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Both the armoured vehicle efforts are part of the ‘Army Strategic Program Armoured Forces’. Local industry sources indicate that a request for proposals (RFP) to procure the MBTs and IFVs could be issued around 2028. BAE Systems exhibited the Hägglunds CV90120 armed with the turreted 120 mm RUAG Compact Tank Gun (CTG) smoothbore cannon. The vehicle will mount the Rheinmetall L44A1 high-pressure barrel, Tarkan Turkcan, CV90 platform director at BAE Systems Hägglunds, told Janes on 2 April. An improved CV90 Mk III IFV was demonstrated at the Army Evaluations Center in 2023. (Source: Janes)
23 Apr 25. Korean Air wins tender to upgrade UH-60P helicopters. Korean Air has announced that its Aerospace Division (KAL-ASD) has been selected as the “preferred bidder” to upgrade Lockheed Martin (Sikorsky) UH-60P Black Hawk helicopters in service with the Republic of Korea (RoK) Armed Forces. In a statement on 23 April, Korean Air said that it participated in the bid as part of a consortium with LIG Nex1 and Collins Aerospace. The company added that it was notified of its selection by South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The upgrade programme, which is valued at KRW961.3bn (USD675m), also received a bid from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in collaboration with Hanwha Systems and Elbit Systems.The “core objective of this modernisation” programme is “enhance a total of 36 UH-60 helicopters”, Korean Air said. The RoK Army has 103 UH-60Ps in service, plus four specialist HH-60P Pave Hawks, which are modified UH-60Ps and used in the combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) role. The RoK Air Force (RoKAF) operates 25 HH-60P Pave Hawks. The RoK Navy (RoKN) operates 10 UH-60Ps. DAPA has previously told Janes that the upgrades will be applied to helicopters in service with special forces. According to Korean Air, the upgrade covers “digital cockpit upgrades and implementing comprehensive performance improvements covering engines, survivability systems, communication suites, integrated depot maintenance, and force integration support elements”.
“Korean Air will enter into detailed negotiations with DAPA regarding technical specifications and contract terms before finalising the agreement,” the company added. KAL-ASD plans to commence delivery of the upgraded helicopters to the military in 2029. (Source: Gogle/Janes)
20 Apr 25. Boeing gambles massive stake on F-15EX build in Indonesia. In a striking move to secure a major defense contract, Boeing has pledged to produce 85 percent of its advanced F-15EX fighter jets locally in Indonesia if the Southeast Asian nation commits to purchasing the aircraft. The commitment, announced by Penny Burtt, Boeing’s Southeast Asia president, during a media briefing in Jakarta on April 15, 2025, represents a significant departure from traditional arms deals. This offer is not merely a business tactic to win over Indonesia’s government; it reflects broader transformations in the global defense industry, where nations increasingly demand technology transfers and local manufacturing as prerequisites for bn-dollar contracts. As Indonesia weighs its options to modernize its aging air force, Boeing’s proposal raises critical questions about the future of defense partnerships, regional geopolitics, and the risks of sharing cutting-edge technology. The F-15EX dubbed the Eagle II, is the latest iteration of Boeing’s storied F-15 platform, a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter that has been a cornerstone of air superiority since its introduction in the 1970s. Designed to replace the aging F-15C/D models in the U.S. Air Force, the F-15EX boasts a suite of advanced features that make it one of the most capable 4.5-generation fighters in the world. Its digital fly-by-wire system enhances maneuverability, while an advanced electronic warfare suite provides robust defense against modern threats. The aircraft’s open mission systems architecture allows for rapid integration of new technologies, ensuring adaptability in evolving combat environments. With a maximum speed of Mach 2.5, a combat range of approximately 1,200 nautical miles, and the ability to carry up to 29,500 pounds of payload across 23 weapon stations, the F-15EX is a versatile platform for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. Its conformal fuel tanks extend its operational reach, and its compatibility with hypersonic weapons positions it as a bridge to next-generation warfare. Unlike stealth-focused fifth-generation fighters like the F-35, the F-15EX prioritizes raw power, payload capacity, and cost-effectiveness, making it an attractive option for nations seeking a balance between capability and affordability. Indonesia’s interest in the F-15EX, which would be designated F-15IDN if acquired, stems from its urgent need to modernize its air force. The country’s current fleet, a mix of aging Russian Su-27 and Su-30 jets, British Hawk 209s, and American F-5 Tigers, struggles to meet the demands of securing a vast archipelago of over 17,000 islands. In August 2023, Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing for the potential purchase of 24 F-15EX jets, a deal valued at up to $13.9bn, according to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The agreement, signed during a visit by then-Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto to Boeing’s St. Louis facility, marked a significant step toward strengthening U.S.-Indonesia defense ties. However, the deal remains contingent on government approval and faces challenges, including recent U.S. tariffs on Indonesian imports announced earlier this year, which could strain bilateral trade relations. Boeing’s promise to localize 85 percent of F-15EX production is a strategic response to Indonesia’s defense procurement policies, which prioritize local industry involvement under the IDKLO [Indigenous Defense Capability and Offset] scheme. This commitment involves integrating Indonesian companies, such as state-owned PT Dirgantara Indonesia, into the fighter jet’s supply chain, as well as providing training, maintenance, and operational support.
“Should Indonesia choose [to purchase] the F-15EX, Boeing will deliver on its 85 percent local content and offset commitments, aligned with national defense and industrial priorities,” Burtt stated during the Jakarta briefing, as reported by The Jakarta Post. This approach aligns with Indonesia’s broader goal of developing its domestic defense industry, a priority for President Prabowo, who has championed self-reliance in military capabilities since taking office.
The offer of localized production is emblematic of a seismic shift in the global defense market. Nations like India, Turkey, and now Indonesia are no longer content to be mere buyers of advanced weaponry; they demand a stake in the production process, seeking to build their own industrial capacity and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. For Boeing, this trend presents both opportunities and risks. By agreeing to manufacture most of the F-15EX in Indonesia, Boeing could secure a foothold in one of Southeast Asia’s largest markets and strengthen its position against competitors like France’s Dassault, which has already secured a deal to supply Indonesia with 42 Rafale fighters. However, sharing proprietary technology and manufacturing know-how carries long-term risks. The transfer of expertise could empower Indonesian firms to develop their own aerospace capabilities, potentially creating future competitors. (Source: Google/https://bulgarianmilitary.com/)
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