The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia for M88A2 Hercules Heavy Recovery Vehicles and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of US$47 million.

Pentagon testers have found that Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) prototypes are slow to deploy from ship to shore and, therefore, leaves US Marine Corps (USMC) units “vulnerable to threats”.

In a nation with less than five million people the incentive to optimise every industry that employs citizens is apparent, and immediate.

The remediation of Army’s Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter program achieved a major milestone in late December, with the singing of an agreement aimed at restructuring the existing through life support contract.

A walk around a Joint Strike Fighter will reveal at least two physical characteristics that set it apart from earlier aircraft.

The full version of Defence Week Premium no.333 of 29 January 2015 can be downloaded here as a PDF. A separate PDF of the latest Defence tenders can also be downloaded here.

The full version of Defence Week Premium no.332 of 22 January 2015 can be downloaded here as a PDF. A separate PDF of the latest Defence tenders can also be downloaded here.

Steve Richards has replaced Greg Hodge as Managing Director of Serco Defence.

In January 2007 Australia entered an 18-month, $15 million cooperative agreement with the US Navy, to participate in the pre-system development and demonstration (SDD) processes of the BAMS MUAS program.

With the value and operating costs of military platforms ever climbing, the ability to flight-test equipment and systems without taking an airframe off-line is becoming increasingly attractive.

Japan has selected E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft and the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system, both Northrop Grumman platforms, as part of their ISR program.

In Australia, the timing and content of the Defence White Paper, the blueprint for our nation’s strategic defence needs and the materiel that will be procured to fulfil them, has always been somewhat at the whim of the incumbent government.

Raytheon managing director Michael Ward has weighed in on the Future Submarine debate with a blog on ASPI’s The Strategist

As Australia embarks upon the most challenging and complex defence procurement program ever undertaken in our history - the Future Submarine program - the need for unity and leadership has never been greater.

The full version of Defence Week Premium no.331 of 15 January 2015 can be downloaded here as a PDF. A separate PDF of the latest Defence tenders can also be downloaded here.

The US Department of Defense has assigned F-35 Regional Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade (MRO&U) capability for airframes and engines for the Asia Pacific Region.