The Boeing Company has been awarded an estimated $90 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract for the development and delivery of an experimental laser pod. The contractor will provide research and development of high energy laser technologies through the next five years.
Canada’s Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan has just announced that his ministry will reach out to fighter manufacturers this summer to determine the best aircraft to meet the country’s needs.
The Canadian government wants to acquire the Super Hornet to fill its fighter-jet capability gap on an interim basis, a move that would also take the pressure off the country’s prime minister on the thorny political issue of the F-35.
Liberal Party Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had promised during last year’s election campaign his government would never buy the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, but that plane is still favored by Canada’s air force. Any decision to exclude the F-35 from a competition to acquire new jets could also spark a messy legal battle.
The U.S. government is poised to approve two long-delayed sales of Boeing Co fighter jets to Qatar and Kuwait, and could announce the multibillion-dollar deals during President Barack Obama's visit to the Gulf this week, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Both deals have been stalled amid concerns raised by Israel that equipment sent to Gulf states could fall into the wrong hands and be used against it, and by the Obama administration's broader decision-making on military aid to the Gulf.
However, the Pentagon and the State Department both have signed off on the sale of some 36 F-15 fighter jets to Qatar and 24 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to Kuwait, both built by Boeing. The White House is expected to follow suit shortly.
The sale to Kuwait is worth about $3 billion and the one to Qatar is probably close to $4 billion, sources familiar with the matter said.
President Mamnoon Hussain has said that Azerbaijan and Nigeria are interested in purchasing Pakistani defence products, including the upgraded JF-17 fighter aircraft.
“Azerbaijan and Nigeria will soon become buyers of Pakistani products,” he said during a meeting with a delegation of Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) at the Presidency.
He said Nigeria had expressed its desire to buy Pakistani defence products, including JF-17 Thunder and Mashaq aircraft.
Referring to his recent visit to Azerbaijan, the president said he had discussed ways of enhancing cooperation between the two countries in different areas.
Nigeria's plans to acquire three CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder multirole fighters in 2016, Nigeria's Punch newspaper reported on 6 January.
Citing a leaked copy of the budget, Punch reported that NGN5 billion (USD25 million) has been allocated for the acquisition of the three JF-17s, NGN2.06 billion for 10 PAC Super Mushshak basic trainers, and NGN11.6 for two Mi-35M helicopters.
Pakistan to sell eight combat JF-17 Thunder aircraft to Sri Lanka under an agreement signed during Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit on Tuesday.
The multi-roll fighter aircraft is the joint production of Pakistan and China.
Defence officials accompanying the prime minister said that both countries signed eight agreements related to defence, security, anti-terrorism, trade and science and technology and Pakistan would provide eight JF-17 fighter jets to Sri Lanka at the first phase.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena were present at the ceremony of signing agreements.
Speaking on the occasion, Nawaz said that Pakistan was ready to give Sri Lanka the most favoured nation (MFN) status in trade. He said that there were vast opportunities for bilateral trade and its quantum should be taken to one billion dollars annually.
He said that Pakistan was cooperating with Sri Lanka in defence sector and the two countries would work together to choke financial assistance to terrorists. He said that Pakistan and Sri Lanka were intended to strengthen bilateral relations as they had unanimity of views on the international and regional issues. He said that his visit was reflective of close relationship between the two sides.
Following the first export deal for its JF-17 multirole fighter to Myanmar, Pakistan is expected to be pushing hard for a follow-up agreement with Sri Lanka that would mark an important step in further extending its defence co-operation footprint in the Indian Ocean region.
With Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif scheduled to visit Sri Lanka in the first week of January 2016, efforts to secure an agreement in principle for the sale of the JF-17 Thunder - a third-generation fighter co-produced by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China's Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAC) - are likely to be high on his agenda, diplomatic sources have told IHS Jane's .
Sharif's upcoming talks in Colombo follow a mid-November visit to Pakistan by Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) commander Air Marshal Gagan Bulathsinhala during which the JF-17 was showcased by the Pakistanis. Immediately after the visit AM Bulathsinhala was invited to send an evaluation team of technicians and pilots to PAC's Kamra facilities near Islamabad, where the JF-17 is produced.
Malaysia is considering as one of the option to purchase JF-17 Thunder fighter jets from Pakistan and a deal will be finalised between the two countries after completing required formalities.
Malaysian High Commissioner to Pakistan Dr Hasrul Sani said his country wanted to purchase JF-17 Thunder from Pakistan. “Pakistan and Malaysia are enjoying excellent relations in defence as a result of a joint committee which played role as an active forum,” he said.
He said that this jet fighter was considered an excellent production of Pakistan in the defence sector and a decision about numbers would be taken very soon by the Malaysian government. He expressed his satisfaction over Pakistan-Malaysia bilateral relations and said that both the countries were enjoying cordial and fraternal bilateral relations especially in trade, economy and defence.
Egyptian Ambassador to Pakistan, Sherif Shaheen called on Federal Minister for Defence Production, Rana Tanveer Hussain here on Friday and showed his country’s interest in buying JF-17 Thunder.
During the meeting, the minister said that Pakistan is presently selling its traditional weapons to USA, United Kingdom (UK), Germany and Far-East.
He offered sale of JF-17 and Super Mashak to Egypt and said Iraq has already signed an agreement for purchase of 20 Super Mashak with Pakistan while deal with Turkey to buy 52 Super Mashak is almost finalized.
Rana Tanvir also emphasized on joint venture in defence Production between the two countries.
Admiring Egypt’s strong and close ties with Pakistan, he said Egypt is keen for cooperation in the field of defence production.
“A close cooperation between the two countries will also help other Muslim countries over the world,” he added.
Indonesia's defense minister had finally signed the official document approving to acquire Russia-made Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets to replace the would-be decommissioned F-5 E/F Tiger II operated by Indonesian air forces.
The document had been submitted to the National Development Planning (Bappenas) for the follow up.
Indonesian Air Forces Marshall Agus Supriatna has said recently that before the signing, the air forces has submitted the characteristics of fighter jets eligible to replace the F-5 E/F Tiger II which was in service since 1980.
According to Agus, the air forces proposed two options to replace the light attack F-5 E/F Tiger II. One is Sukhoi 35, the other is F-16 Viper produced by the United States producer Lokheed Martin.
"As the final user, the Indonesian Air Forces only submitted the technical specifications of fighter jets that we desire, capable to accomplish our missions," Agus was quoted as saying by a local media on Thursday.
Col. Wu Qian said the Su-35 project is “one of the areas in which China and Russia are willing to cooperate.”
He added that the S-400 acquisition is progressing smoothly.
The US Air Force has denied any plans to purchase another tranche of Lockheed Martin F-16 or Boeing F-15 combat jets following reports it could seek bids for up to 72 new aircraft.
According to comments attributed to a senior US Air Combat Command official at an international fighter conference in London last week, the current Lockheed F-35 procurement plan could prove unaffordable, and another fighter wing of F-15s, F-16s or perhaps even F/A-18s is being considered to supplement the current fleet – which will serve into the 2040s as F-35s are delivered.
The air force is seeking 1,763 F-35As through 2038, and in the interim it intends to modernise and upgrade its F-16s and F-15s with new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars and electronic warfare systems.
Asked to categorically confirm or deny any new fighter purchase, a spokesman for the service’s acquisition office says: “At this time the air force has no plans to acquire 72 new F-15s or F-16s, although the air force is always looking at options to be prepared for a dynamic global security environment.”
The first batch of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets will be supplied to China in 2016, a source in the system of military and technical cooperation told TASS on Friday.
"The first fighter jets will arrive for China in 2016," the source said.
It was reported on Thursday that Russia had signed a contract on the delivery of 24 Su-35 fighter jets to China. The deal is estimated at no less than $2 billion and also envisages the delivery of ground support equipment and reserve aircraft engines.
The joint proposal by Argentina and Israel raises the transfer, refurbishment and modernization of 14 aircraft Kfir (2 seater training and 12 monopostos), some of them equipped with active electronically scanned radar (AESA, by its acronym in English), system data Link for sharing information between units of the fleet and the full fleet maintenance for five years; an operation that materialize would reach about 320 million.
Russia is negotiating with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) possible deliveries of Sukhoi Su-35 fighters, Russia’s state technologies corporation Rostec head Sergey Chemezov said Sunday.
Kamra-based Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) is staying tight-lipped on the identity of the first international customer for its JF-17 Thunder fighter, but says marketing efforts for the single-engined type are going well.
“The contract is already signed, but we will leave it to the customer to announce it first,” says Air Marshal Javaid Ahmed. “There is a lot of interest in developing countries. I think almost all developing countries are keen to have a look at the JF-17.”
