Turkey Choice of Chinese Missile Systems Causes Concern in West

This week, Chinese defense firm CPMIEC beat out US, Russian, and European firms to supply Turkey with a new air defense system. The FD-2000 is a modern SAM system based on a Russian design and priced to make headway in defense markets. The US expressed serious concerns to Turkey about the sale since CPMIEC is under US sanctions for arms proliferation to Syria, North Korea, and Iran. A US State Department official said that talks with Turkey over the sale would continue.

South Korea re--opens bids for new fighter shunning Boeing's F-15 SE

South Korea restarted its FX-III project for 60 new fighter jets today to the dismay of the Boeing company who had designed the F-15 Silent Eagle for the competition and defeated the other entries earlier in the year. The low cost of a proven air frame were enough to win the initial rounds against the Lockheed Martin F-35 and the Eurofighter Typhoon but today South Korea decided that the Boeing bid was not stealthy enough and had unanswered questions about the 1970s era jet. Boeing still has new orders for F-15s from Saudi Arabia but orders legacy aircraft like the F-15 are slowly winding down. South Korea now insists that the FX-III winner be a "fifth generation" fighter. 

Lockheed Martin gains contract for THAAD missiles for US Army, UAE.

A production contract was received today by Lockheed Martin for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense weapons systems. The order includes missiles 110 for the US Army and 192 missiles and ground systems for the United Arab Emirates. Missiles are built in Alabama and the launchers in Arkansas. The order reportedly costs $3.9 billion.