France is seeking to almost double the amount of Hellfire missiles it is buying from the US government. The State Department has approved the possible $30 million sale of an additional 200 Hellfire Missiles, Hellfire Missile conversion kits, blast fragmentation sleeves and installation kits, containers, and transportation, according to a May 2 Defense Security Cooperation Agency release. Congress was notified of the proposed deal on April 29. The NATO ally has already received 214 Hellfire missiles, 50 training missiles, conversion kits, blast fragmentation sleeves and installation kits, containers, and transportation as part of the existing $42 million deal, bringing the total cost of an amended deal to an estimated $72 million. The missiles would be used by French Tiger attack helicopters to support French forces in Mali and Northern Africa, according to the release. The DSCA said the sale would not adversely impact US defense readiness in the release. (See also: Return of Lend-Lease.)
The latest round of environmental sampling for the Air Force’s Missile Community Cancer Study found trace amounts of potentially harmful chemicals called volatile organic compounds in the service’s ICBM facilities, but not at levels that would pose a health hazard, Air Force Global Strike Command announced Oct. 22.