Israel
The Israeli military is looking for new surface-to-surface rockets in preparation for a conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon. One option would be the Israel Military Industries (IMI)-made Extra rocket. The Extra is similar to the GPS-guided Romach that the IDF already uses, but would extend has a longer range, from approximately 20 miles to over 90 miles.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) began retiring its oldest Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets as the force modernizes its fleet. The IDF operated 90 F-16A/B ‘Netz’, which originally entered service in 1980, and will now rely on the M-346 Lavi, F-15I, F-16I, and F-35A for a mixing of training and combat roles.
Israel police seized records from the Israeli Defense Ministry as part of a probe into alleged corruption stemming from the purchase of a new submarine for the Navy. According to news reports, the Lahav 433 unit of the police are looking into conflicts of interest when Defense officials announced the acquisition of three German ThyssenKrupp submarines worth billions of dollars.
Foreign Military Sales
The Brazilian government awarded Elbit a $100 million framework contract to provide a South American nation with Remote Controlled Weapons Stations (RCWS) stationed atop armored personnel carriers. One system, named REMAX, has already been tested on Brazilian Guarani 6×6 vehicles.
Elbit will supply Rafael with laser designators for airborne systems as part of a three-year contract worth $35 million. The supplied designators will be integrated to larger weapons systems for two unnamed Asia-Pacific militaries.
The Israeli Defense Ministry awarded IMI a seven-year $450 million contract to supply to begin in 2019. The deal will help the IDF replenish some of its arms stocks used in the 2014 Gaza war and provide training supplies for the next ten years.
A defense contractor based in Sweden and the Dutch Army placed orders for Iron Fist, an IMI-made active-protection system. Iron Fist senses incoming missings and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and commits to a hard kill (destroying the incoming warhead). The Netherland will be the first NATO member to acquire the system, with BAE installing them on armored vehicles.
