Sponsored by
https://ieeinc.com/
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
17 Jul 25. Britain and Germany will vow on Thursday to work more closely to sell jointly made weapons, including Typhoon jets, in a deal that Downing Street claims can unlock “billions of pounds of additional defence exports”. (Source: FT.com)
EUROPE
16 Jul 25. Germany requests US long-range weapons as bridge to European tech. The German government this week notified Pentagon leaders of an interest to buy the U.S. Army’s Typhon missile launcher system, which can fire missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers, while a European initiative to make such weapons continues to ripen. Interest in the Lockheed Martin-made launcher comes as defense officials in Berlin await a final call by the Trump administration to honor a Biden-era agreement under which American missiles are to bolster Germany’s deterrence posture starting in 2026. Those long-range fires capabilities, launched via Typhon, are to include SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles, plus “developmental hypersonic weapons,” said a July 2024 German-U.S. statement, released on the sidelines of NATO’s 75-year anniversary summit in Washington.
Boris Pistorius, speaking to reporters in Washington on July 14, said missile-stationing plan’s fate was still iffy, as U.S. defense leaders re-assess the American military footprint in Europe.
“I’m very confident that the announcement will remain in place,” he said following a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “But a final decision is still outstanding.”
In that context, Berlin’s interest in Typhon could be seen as a gesture to keep the long-range strike plan, devised as a conventional counterstrike option in the event of a Russian attack, on track in the first place. Either way, European nations currently lack the weapons range that Typhon would bring to the continent, according to Pistorius. Countries have banded together to develop such weapons under the European Long-range Strike Approach, or ELSA, but those capabilities will take seven to 10 years to field, he said. (Source: Defense News)
11 Jul 25. US clears Norway to purchase $2.6bn worth of HH-60W helicopters. Oslo’s purchase of the HH-60W could help extend the helicopter’s production line after the US Air Force moved to end procurement of the platform in 2022. The US State Department today cleared the potential sale of up to nine HH-60W helicopters to Norway, a deal valued at $2.6bn, according to a notice from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The notification paves the way for a formal agreement between Oslo and Connecticut-based manufacturer Sikorsky for the sale, which would include up to 22 GE Aerospace T700 turboshaft engines, countermeasures and other associated equipment, the notice says. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin.
“We deeply value Norway’s continued trust in Sikorsky helicopters, including the Hawk aircraft which are operated by more than 35 other nations and offer unmatched global and regional interoperability,” a Sikorsky spokesperson told Breaking Defense. “The HH-60W was purpose built for the combat rescue mission and provides enhanced survivability while recovering isolated personnel from hostile or denied territory, day or night, in adverse weather, and in a full range of threat environments.”
The notice from DSCA is a congressional notification and is not final. Quantities and dollar totals often shift during negotiations. And today’s announcement technically tees up an opportunity for lawmakers to block the deal within a 30-day period, though such a step would be unlikely considering Norway is a key NATO ally.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,” State’s notice says. “The proposed sale will improve Norway’s capability to meet current and future threats by increasing its airborne combat and special operations capabilities. Norway will use these aircraft to defend other NATO members and its allies.”
The HH-60W, also known as the Combat Rescue Helicopter, is a derivative of the iconic UH-60M Black Hawk and modified for perilous rescue missions.
Citing contested environments and more challenging terrain like the vast expanse of ocean in the Indo-Pacific, the US Air Force moved to end its procurement of the platform in 2022. But lawmakers have fought to keep the program alive, citing concerns about a gap in combat rescue capabilities if the HH-60W is not fielded in adequate numbers to replace its predecessor, the HH-60G. The Air Force most recently ended up procuring four of the helos in fiscal 2025 for a total fleet of 89, budget documents say, but the service is not requesting any more of the platforms in FY26. A search of DSCA’s database shows that Norway is the first foreign customer approved to buy the HH-60W, and more foreign customers would help Sikorsky keep the helo’s production line going. Amid fluctuating fleet plans for a different helicopter, the HH-60W has also found a new role. According to recently released budget documents, the Air Force plans for the helicopter to take over the task of shuttling VIPs around the National Capital region, a job originally planned for Boeing’s MH-139 Grey Wolf. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
USA
09 Jul 25. New aircraft carriers face years of delivery delays. An aerial photo of the Newport News Shipbuilding yard in Virginia in September 2021. Aircraft carriers Gerald. R. Ford and John F. Kennedy sit at the pier in the foreground. (Newport News Shipbuilding photo) Two new aircraft carriers will yet again experience delays in delivery, after already having previously delayed in past years, Navy budget documents reveal. The delivery of the Navy’s next Ford-class aircraft carrier, to be christened the John F. Kennedy, will now be delayed by two more years, the Navy’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget justification documents show. It had been scheduled to be delivered this month. Delivery is now pushed back until March 2027. Before this latest setback, the carrier had already been delayed by an estimated one year. Additionally, another repeat delay is in store for the future carrier Enterprise, which was scheduled to be delivered in September 2029. The budget documents now show that “due to delays in material availability and industry/supply chain performance,” it is now projected to be finished in July 2030. This is not the first delay for the Enterprise, either. It was scheduled for delivery in 2028 before being pushed back to 2029 last year, according to USNI News. The sudden year-long delay for the John F. Kennedy, according to the budget documents, is “to support completion of Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) certification and continued Advanced Weapons Elevator (AWE) work.” The Ford class, the newest type of aircraft carrier, features new reactor and electric plants, an advanced propulsions system and an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, among other updates. Both the AAG and AWE systems lagging on the future John F. Kennedy are currently operational on the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford, which departed from Norfolk, Virginia, two weeks ago as the lead vessel of its strike group on a deployment to Europe amid tensions with Iran. The creeping delays facing the new aircraft carriers are the latest examples of what has been a decades-long struggle within the Navy to obtain new ships.
“We are behind in every ship class [by] different rates, but at least years,” Adm. James Kilby, acting chief of naval operations, recently told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
The Pentagon is attempting to remedy the situation by awarding contracts to boost ship manufacturing, developing unmanned systems and modernizing centuries-old shipyards to accommodate new vessels. (Source: Defense News)
REST OF THE WORLD
17 Jul 25. New Zealand seeks medium trucks to replace ageing fleet. New Zealand’s military continues to renew its disparate transport vehicle fleet under the Garrison and Training Support (GATS) programme, with the latest tender being published in late June. A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson told Janes , “The 2025 Defence Capability Plan outlines multiple indicative investments to refresh the fleet by purchasing up to 550 commercial vehicles in total. This will include on- and offroad vehicles, buses, vans, ambulances, and fire appliances.” The spokesperson added, “In addition, defence will replace critical support equipment including refuellers, vehicle transporters, heavy equipment transporters, trailers, and forklifts.” The current request for proposals (RFP) encompasses at least 45 medium-sized tactical trucks to replace remaining Mercedes-Benz Unimogs that have been operated by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) for more than 40 years. Described as Medium Class 2, the NZDF wants trucks for “cargo and personnel transportation across both formed and unformed roads”, the RFP said.
Their acquisition was approved under the 2025 defence budget and this project marks the first tranche of GATS phase two. The MoD spokesperson said specifications and timelines would be finalised after Cabinet approves the final business case.
These trucks will not deploy overseas. Sarah Minson, deputy secretary for capability delivery, said, “The NZDF will use the vehicles every day for training purposes and for the transport of people and equipment within and between camps and bases.” Domestic search-and-rescue and disaster relief missions also fall under their purview. (Source: Janes)
15 Jul 25. Australia’s SATCOM ambitions resurge in RFI for narrowband capability. After shifting requirements to a multi-orbit satellite last year, the government is still considering a single-orbit system, leading to confusion about its SATCOM intentions. Australian Army signaller sets up a satellite radio antenna to enable a mobile patrol to report in from an area of mangroves on the northern Kimberley coast of Western Australia, 18 October 2024. Credit: Australian Defence Forces. The Australian government issued a request for information (RFI) among industry regarding military satellite communication (SATCOM) systems at the end of June 2025. However, it appears that the call to industry has resurrected some aspects of a contract that the government had previously cancelled towards the end of 2024, more than eight months ago. Joint Project (JP)-9102, as it was known, would have delivered a wideband and narrowband, geostationary earth orbit (GEO) SATCOM constellation until the Department of Defence (DoD) cancelled the project, having changed its requirements from a single-orbit system to a multi-orbit capability after 18-months of development with Lockheed Martin Australia. The resurgent Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA)-9102, as the RFI is now known, requests knowledge of capabilities in the space systems market offering a narrowband, ultra-high frequency (UHF) SATCOM system, with a focus on resilient satellites that mitigate against electromagnetic interference.
RFI details
The SPA structure under which Australia are considering existing SATCOM capabilities contrasts with JPs in that they provide broader scope, long term thinking, compared to the narrower end capability pursued under a JP structure. The RFI is open to any company that believes they have something to offer. This nascent stage only calls for insight into existing capabilities available today; no selection or proposals will be made at this point, it is purely a research endeavour. After the RFI process, the government will consider possible solutions and understand what industry can provide before requesting specific requirements. A proposal phase will likely follow some time later.
What SATCOM does ADF use now?
At present, the Australia Defence Forces rely on a collection of SATCOM systems. One of which is a US-managed system, the Wideband Global SATCOM manufactured by Boeing. But even without access to WGS, Australia has some commercial capabilities which include a communications payload, as well as a UHF communications payload on a satellite that covers the Indian Ocean. Self-reliance and fast access are still the main reasons for the procurement of a sovereign system.(Source: army-technology.com)
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Since 1946, Industrial Electronic Engineers, IEE, has specialized in the design, test, support and fielding of display products for use in demanding military and aerospace applications throughout the world. IEE has developed an extensive product portfolio that today includes enhanced flat panel displays, smart displays and handheld devices.
From rapid prototyping of custom designs to full-scale production runs, IEE, produces displays with advanced features like low-latency video processing, high-bright and NVIS backlighting, and lightweight rugged enclosures. Their SWaP-C products employ the latest lightweight composite materials; low power, high performance integrated ARM processors; standard Ethernet and USB communication, in a low cost, highly producible design.
In-house California facilities include optical bonding, clean rooms for display assembly, a dark room for optical measurements and environmental chambers for pre-compliance and customer acceptance testing. On-site manufacturing includes PCB assembly and flow soldering. IEE has manufactured handheld, in-vehicle, airborne and naval LCD displays for all military branches as well as leading aerospace firms both domestically and internationally.
IEE is ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified.
IEE’s Advantage:
- Direct control of critical process steps that reduce cost, decrease production lead times and improves life-cycle management
- Unique advantage to serve to both smaller quantity, highly custom displays needs as well as high volume production outputs
- Expert in delivering the best value in form and fit replacement by modifying existing COTS products to meet legacy requirements
- Leading the next generation avionics efficiencies by leveraging open architectures and common software standards
- Field-proven, pre-engineered displays minimize lead-time and non-recurring engineering costs.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-