DefenseNews

The British Army’s new Ajax vehicles ride too rough, too loud: report

LONDON — British Army attempts to modernize its armored fighting capabilities have taken a new hit with reports that the General Dynamics UK-built Ajax reconnaissance vehicle has encountered significant design problems. British newspaper Daily Telegraph cited a leaked document outlining issues such as excessive vibration, which had required the Army to impose speed restrictions on the vehicle…
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DefenseNews

US Air Force awards $465M contract for new E-11A planes

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force on Tuesday awarded Learjet a contract worth up to $465 million for Bombardier Global 6000 business jets, which will be modified into the E-11A aircraft used to relay data between platforms that cannot normally share information. The…
DefenseNews

Boeing bullish on battlefield communications market

MELBOURNE — Boeing Defence Australia is in the final stages of developing its Integrated-Battlefield Telecommunications Network for the Australian Army under Joint Project 2072 Phase 2B, and is now turning its attention to other local opportunities. The Army’s name…
DefenseNews

US Air Force to skip a year of Grey Wolf helicopter procurement in FY22

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force is taking a year off from buying the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter due to ongoing delays in getting the platform certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, service officials said Friday. “Basically what we are doing is we are deferring the procurement of the MH-139 until [fiscal 2023]. It’s not in the budget in FY22 due to an FAA certification issue…
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Croatia to drop 1 billion euros on used Rafale fighter jets

WARSAW, Poland — Croatia’s government has made a decision to buy 12 second-hand Rafale F3-R fighter jets from France for the country’s Air Force, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said. “The purchase of the multirole fighter aircraft will strengthen…
DefenseNews

Thales, Atos take on big data and artificial intelligence in new joint venture

STUTTGART, Germany — Two major French technology companies are joining forces in an effort to become the European nation’s premier institution for artificial intelligence and big-data efforts. Thales and Atos announced Thursday the creation of a joint venture called Athea, along with plans to develop a flagship, sovereign, big-data and AI platform that could serve customers in the public…
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DefenseNews

SECAF nominee walks a tightrope on F-35 procurement plans

WASHINGTON — The F-35 joint strike fighter loomed like a ghost over the May 25 confirmation hearing of President Joe Biden’s pick for Air Force secretary, who famously called the program a case of “acquisition malpractice.” If confirmed, Frank Kendall — who oversaw the program during the Obama administration as the Defense Department’s acquisition executive — will become the Air…
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