An MH-60R Source: U.S. Navy An MH-60R Source: U.S. Navy Close

Mexico has requested the following equipment for the new helicopters: twenty (20) T-700 GE 401 C engines (16 installed and 4 spares); sixteen (16) APS-153(V) Multi-Mode radars (8 installed, 8 spares); ten (10) Airborne Low Frequency Systems (ALFS) (8 installed and 2 spares); fourteen (14) AN/APX-123 Identification Friend or Foe transponders (8 installed and 6 spares); twelve (12) AN/AAS-44C Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems Forward Looking Infrared Systems (8 installed, 4 spares); twenty (20) Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation Systems (EGI) with Selective Availability/Anti-Spoofing Module (16 installed and 4 spares); thirty (30) AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Devices; one thousand (1,000) AN/SSQ-36/53/62 Sonobuoys; ten (10) AGM-114 Hellfire missiles; five (5) AGM-114 M36-E9 Captive Air Training missiles; four (4) AGM-114Q Hellfire training missiles; thirty eight (38) Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS) II rockets; thirty (30) Mk -54 Lightweight Hybrid Torpedoes (LHTs); twelve (12) M-240D machine guns; twelve (12) GAU-21 Machine Guns. Also included are twelve (12) AN/ARC-220 High Frequency radios; spare engine containers; facilities study, design, and construction; spare and repair parts; support and test equipment; communication equipment; ferry support; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support.

Mexico is a major operator of the UH-60M Black Hawk. Initial agreements, covering six units for the National Police, were signed in July 2009 as part of the Merida Initiative. In August 2010, the Navy ordered three units for $35.3 million. In September 2014, the Mexican Air Force ordered 26 helicopters split between a batch of 18 and a batch of eight. The batch of 18 helicopters cost $203.6 million, while the batch of eight cost $93.3 million. In December 2015, the Navy exercised a $56.4 million option for five additional UH 60Ms. The Navy ordered another two in September 2015 for $22.6 million. The most recent order came from the Air Force in April 2016 for seven aircraft worth $55 million. In total, Mexico has ordered 49 UH-60Ms, with six for the National Police, 10 for the Navy, and 33 for the Air Force.

Initial deliveries of three UH-60Ms to the Navy began in 2011. Six UH-60Ms were delivered to the Air Force in December 2015. The Navy took delivery of an additional three in February 2016. A total of 18 have been delivered, with 12 for the Air Force and six Navy. One Air Force helicopter crashed in February 2018.

MH-60Rs are navalized version of Sikorsky's UH-60/S-70 helicopter. The addition of sonobuoys and torpedoes will be vital for Mexico to monitor and police its waters to stop traffickers transporting humans and illegal narcotics.

Source: KAI Source: KAI Close

Baghdad's Air Force will receive another batch of T-50 trainers, produced by KAI in South Korea.

Iraqi News quoted the Iraqi Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement, "Iraq will receive a new batch of South Korean fighter jets by the end of 2018 as per a contract signed in 2013." The announcement followed a visit by the country's Ambassador to South Korea, Haider Shayya al-Barak, to manufacturer KAI's headquarters in South Korea.

Reports referred to the T-50 aircraft as 'fighter jets' as they may be armed, but Baghdad is planning to use them in the advanced training role.

The ambassador held discussions with KAI regarding the delivery of the T-50s. The Foreign Ministry statement noted, "Iraq had already received two batches, six fighters each, and a third batch with the same number is expected by the end of the current year," according to Iraqi News.

The first delivery occurred in March 2017, while another arrived earlier this year. It is expected that the final batch will arrive some time in 2019, completing the contract.

Iraq placed an order for 24 T-50s in 2013, under an agreement worth over $1 billion. KAI will perform after-sale services for the aircraft following deliveries.

As Iraq has acquired new aircraft, its Air Force has taken on an increasing role against the Islamic State, which has largely been ousted from major population centers in the country but remains a potent insurgent threat. Earlier this week, Iraqi fighter jets conducted airstrikes in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, after coordinating the attack with the Syrian government.

Source: US Air Force Source: US Air Force Close

This contract provides for the design, development, engineering, systems integration, test, logistics planning, and aircraft integration support of all the elements of a hypersonic, conventional, air-launched, stand-off weapon.

"This effort is one of two hypersonic weapon prototyping efforts being pursued by the Air Force to accelerate hypersonics research and development," Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in a statement. "The Air Force is using prototyping to explore the art-of-the-possible and to advance these technologies to a capability as quickly as possible."

Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama.

This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds will be obligated at the time of award on the first task order.

Air Force Life Cycle Management, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8682-18-D-0003).

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