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Americas
The Pentagon has awarded QinetiQ a $13.3-million contract to supply its Vindicator II uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) target support services to the US Navy (USN). As QinetiQ Target Systems is based in Canada, the deal was facilitated by the Canadian Commercial Corporation as the prime contractor together with Public Services and Procurement Canada. The five-year deal – with a six-month extension provision – came into effect in December and includes Canadian personnel deployed to provide services to the USN.
Lockheed Martin won a $678.4 million modification to support the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft retrofit and modification efforts for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-US Department of Defense (DoD) F-35 program partners, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in December 2028. The order and contract being modified were not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Middle East & Africa
Europe
Norway said Friday it wants to reintroduce mandatory construction of air raid shelters in new buildings, one of around 100 proposals aimed at boosting preparedness in case of war. Norway, a NATO member that shares a northern border with Russia, scrapped this requirement in 1998 following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. “In the future, we should take into consideration and be ready to manage crises and wars,” said Norway’s Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl, whose dossier also includes emergency preparedness. Mehl made her remarks as she presented a white paper on Norway’s preparedness together with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
Asia-Pacific
The Japanese Ministry of Defense has awarded Boeing a contract to test aerial drones for the country’s manned-unmanned teaming research and development. The $979.8 million project calls for the American company’s segment in Japan to simulate unmanned systems that are “capable of combat in collaboration with manned aircraft,” similar to the US military’s ongoing “loyal wingman” initiative.
