Royal Canadian Air Force to buy air-to-air missiles from U.S.

The State Department announced Wednesday a possible sale of up to 32 AIM-120D Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles to one of America's "Five Eyes" partner, Canada.

Congress was notified of the possible $140 million sale on Tuesday, which includes the 32 AMRAAMs, as well as 18 AMRAAM Captive Air Training Missiles; four AMRAAM Non-Development Item-Airborne Instrumentation Units, two AMRAAM Instrumented Test Vehicles, seven spare AMRAAM guidance units and four spare AMRAAM control sections for use on their F/A-18 aircrafts.

"Included in the sale are containers; storage and preservation; transportation; aircrew and maintenance training; training aids and equipment, spares and repair parts; warranties; weapon system support and test equipment; publications and technical documentation; software development, integration, and support; system integration and testing; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support; and other related elements of logistics and program support," the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a press release.

The missiles will be used on Royal Canadian Air Force fighter aircraft and are said to contribute to the foreign policy and national security objectives of the U.S. by helping to improve the security of a NATO ally.

DSCA says the sale of armament is required to support the Royal Canadian Air Force fighters to "optimally fulfill" both North American Aerospace Defense and NATO missions. The deal also meets the U.S. Northern Command's goals of combined air operation's interoperability and standardization between Canadian and U.S. forces, according to the press statement.

The State Department assesses that the proposed sale of equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region, in addition to having no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of the sale.

Raytheon Missile Systems, out of Tucson, Ariz., will provide the equipment and support for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Lithuania buys Norwegian air defence system amid Russia fears
Vilnius (AFP) Oct 26, 2017
Lithuania on Thursday signed a landmark deal to buy Norwegian anti-aircraft missile systems to plug an air defence gap on NATO's eastern flank, amid concerns over Russia. The NASAMS medium-range air defence systems developed by Norway's Kongsberg will be the first such shield in the Baltic states and will cost 110 million euros ($130 million). "There is no secret that we have had gaps in ... read more

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