USAF Tests Microvanes On C-17s | Rockwell Tapped For E-2D Training Systems | NG To Add SATURN To Japan's E-2D
Americas
The US Navy is paying BAE Systems $70 million to improve their Mk 45 ship guns. This includes $47 million they agreed to earlier, plus $23.5 million more just added. The improved guns will be able to fire stronger bullets, making them 50% more powerful. BAE will do this work at their factory in Louisville, Kentucky, and finish by the end of 2028.
The US Air Force is testing small, 3D-printed parts called microvanes on their big C-17 cargo planes. These microvanes are thin, blade-like pieces about 4 inches wide and 16 inches long. By putting many of these blades on the plane, they change the plane’s aerdynamic profile. This helps the plane fly more smoothly, using 1% less fuel. The Air Force is now in the last stage of checking if these parts work well enough to use on all their C-17 planes.
Middle East & Africa
The US military recently attacked Islamic State (IS) fighters in Somalia. This was the first time they did this since Donald Trump became president again. Trump ordered the attacks, and the US worked together with Somalia’s government. The US military used planes to bomb IS hideouts in northern Somalia. Trump, in a post on social media, said a senior IS planner and recruits were targeted in the operation.
Europe
Rockwell Collins, a company in Iowa, got a $65 million contract to make a training system for French E-2D planes. This includes providing technical information and training for instructors, operators, maintenance staff, and cybersecurity. Work should be finished by July 2028. The US Navy’s training division in Florida gave out this contract without a competition.
