The hybrid United Nations-African Union (AU) peacekeeping force in Darfur, known as UNAMID, received a boost today from the arrival of 100 personnel from the second Egyptian Infantry Battalion. Another 100 troops from the battalion are slated to arrive tomorrow in the strife-torn western flank of Sudan as a meeting of the Tripartite Committee – comprising the Government of Sudan, the AU and the UN – is scheduled to take place for the first time in Darfur.

Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Susana Malcorra is expected to attend the meeting in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, which will examine ways to facilitate and expedite deployment of the AU-UN peacekeeping operation in the region.

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The aircraft, a dual seat operational type conversion variant, arrived in Cape Town on Saturday 29th November. South Africa ordered 26 Gripens, of which nine are dual seat aircraft.

Deliveries of 17 single-seat fighters will commence when the dual-seat aircraft have all been taken into SA Air Force service with the final aircraft on schedule to be delivered by 2012. The aircraft and associated industrial offset benefits are being delivered according to the schedule stipulated by South Africa when it ordered the aircraft in December 1999.

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Raytheon Company’s newest integrated electronic warfare suite has been selected in a competition to provide self-protection capability for Royal Moroccan Air Force F-16 aircraft. The RMAF recently agreed to purchase 24 Block 52 F-16s from Lockheed Martin.

Known as “ACES,” Raytheon’s advanced countermeasures electronic system consists of a radar warning receiver, digital jammer and chaff-flare dispenser. This advanced system meets evolving customer requirements and is Raytheon’s latest offering for the F-16. Raytheon’s contract, received from Lockheed, calls for deliveries to begin in December 2009.

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