Today’s defense news features significant policy shifts and technological advancements, alongside updates on international space launches and Middle East diplomacy.
White House Opens US Navy Contracts to Foreign Shipbuilders
The White House has issued a Presidential Memorandum allowing international shipbuilders to compete for U.S. Navy surface combatant contracts, according to Naval News. This policy shift aims to address domestic industrial bottlenecks and accelerate fleet expansion by establishing an international procurement path, expanding the “Finland Model.” Foreign contractors must invest in the U.S. defense industrial base, transfer technologies, and shift follow-on construction to American soil. An international competition for light surface combatants is mandated within 90 days, marking the first time frontline U.S. Navy surface combatants could be built in foreign shipyards. Sources: Naval News
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New Engine Option for JASSM Missile Program Awarded
The U.S. Air Force has designated a new turbofan engine, the F143-ZZ-100, for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) program, Defence Blog reports. GE Aerospace and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions received a contract to develop this engine, previously known as the GEK800, as a second option. This Engineering, Manufacturing and Development contract aims to advance the F143 as a second-source propulsion system for JASSM, providing an alternative to the current sole supplier, Williams International. Sources: Defence Blog
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- GE Aerospace, Kratos win JASSM engine development deal (Defence Blog)
F-22 Raptor Production Halted at 187 Aircraft
The U.S. Air Force ended F-22 Raptor production at 187 aircraft, significantly fewer than the original plan for 750, according to 19FortyFive. Budget cuts throughout the 1990s and 2000s drastically reduced the buy, with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the Obama administration ending production at 187 jets. A 2017 Air Force report to Congress priced 194 additional jets at about $50 billion, making reopening the production line too expensive. This decision loaded the $32.4 billion research and development bill onto fewer than 200 airframes, impacting the program acquisition unit cost of $369.5 million per fighter. Sources: 19FortyFive
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China Launches Guowang Satellites and UAE Earth Observation Satellite
China successfully launched a new batch of Guowang megaconstellation satellites, followed by a separate launch for the United Arab Emirates, SpaceNews reports. The Long March 12 lifted off on August 16th, carrying the 24th operational batch for the Guowang constellation, bringing the total to 195 satellites in orbit for the program. Later, a Long March 2C rocket launched the “Satellite for Earth Observation” for the UAE from Taiyuan. Sources: SpaceNews
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Kushner Meets Netanyahu on Gaza Peace Plan
Jared Kushner, U.S. President Trump’s Middle East envoy, is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss a U.S.-backed Gaza peace plan, BBC World reports. Kushner arrived in Israel after holding talks with Hamas regarding the plan’s implementation. Last week, Israel rejected Trump’s 15-point plan, which calls for Israeli troop withdrawal and Gaza’s reconstruction under a new civilian Palestinian administration. Sources: BBC World
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