International Procurement Opportunities

INTERNATIONAL PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES

February 7, 2025 by

Sponsored by

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EUROPE

01 Feb 25. Turkish defence giants secure over 5.5bn dollars in exports for 2024. Türkiye’s leading defence firms have achieved record-breaking export figures in 2024, strengthening the country’s position as a key global player. Türkiye’s defence industry has reached a major milestone in 2024, with companies such as Baykar and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) generating over 5.5bn dollars in exports. Baykar, a global leader in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, contributed $1.8bn to this figure, with international sales accounting for 90 percent of its revenue. On Saturday, the company celebrated the achievement in a statement on X, stating: “The cutting-edge technology we’ve developed with our own resources has made us the export leader in the defence and aerospace industry!” Reaffirming its commitment to innovation, Baykar added: “We are dedicated to developing indigenous and cutting-edge technologies as part of our vision for a fully independent Türkiye in the skies.” Beyond Baykar’s contribution, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) recorded $750 m in exports, while ASFAT secured $644m, MKE $610m, Arca Defense $600m, Tusas Engine Industries $390m, ASELSAN $217m, Otokar $193m, Roketsan $179 m, and Samsun Yurt Savunma $166m.

Baykar’s dominance in UAV exports

Since launching its UAV research and development programme in 2003, Baykar has self-funded all its projects. Exports account for 83 percent of its total revenue. With Baykar leading the charge, Türkiye has surpassed the world’s top defence players, the United States and China, in UCAV exports. A September 2024 report by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) highlighted Türkiye’s dominance in the sector, controlling 65 percent of the global UAV export market. Baykar, now three times the size of its nearest US competitor, has been the world’s leading UCAV company for four consecutive years, with an estimated 60 percent market share. The company has delivered its Bayraktar TB2 and Bayraktar Akinci UCAVs to 35 countries, including NATO allies and EU member states.

TAI developing sixth-generation tech

Meanwhile, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is preparing to deliver Türkiye’s first domestically produced fighter jet, KAAN, to the air force within the next five years. KAAN is designed as a fifth-generation aircraft, but TAI is already looking ahead. Work has begun on a sixth-generation version, incorporating artificial intelligence, advanced sensors, and seamless integration with unmanned platforms.

“We are among the top two or three globally in developing sixth-generation technology,” TAI CEO Mehmet Demiroglu said in an interview with TRT World at the SAHA defence expo in Istanbul last year.

He expressed confidence that these technologies would be operational by the time KAAN enters service at the Turkish Air Force by 2030.(Source: Google/https://www.trtworld.com/)

USA

01 Feb 25. Bring Back the Destroyer Tender. If war broke out in the western Pacific tomorrow, how would U.S. Navy ships be supplied and repaired? Given China’s copious inventory of long-range missiles, virtually every Navy installation in the region could be attacked.1 During a conflict, none of the United States’ handful of regional bases could service the Seventh Fleet without risking ships being sunk in port. Similarly, replenishment ships, which load fuel and supplies out of those ports and deliver them to ships underway, could not do so without facing the same risk. The Navy’s entire supply chain could be forced to move thousands of miles to the east, to Hawaii, or even worse, to the West Coast of the United States. Meanwhile, China’s supply chain would remain about 70 nautical miles long, the width of the Taiwan Strait at its narrowest point. As soon as the missiles started flying, as many forward-deployed U.S. ships as possible would get underway and stay underway, leaving their homeports far behind. If the Navy expects to keep those ships underway and operational, it should revive a battle-tested capability from a time when the Navy’s control of the seas was similarly not assured—the destroyer tender.2

The Logistical Challenge in the Western Pacific

In October 2022, the Navy conducted the latest in a series of vertical launch system reloading tests between an Arleigh Burke–class destroyer and a Military Sealift Command ship.3 The pierside exercise was designed to demonstrate an “expeditionary ordnance reload” capability far removed from existing ammunition onload/offload sites, which are primarily pierside. As many observers have pointed out, U.S. Navy ships equipped with Mk 41 vertical launch systems carry a limited number of missiles, which would be expended quickly in wartime.4 During a conflict, a ship that has expended its ordnance would have to steam thousands of miles from the fight to reload, thereby removing it from the theater for at least a month. The problem, however, goes far beyond ordnance reload. Ships require an enormous supply chain to remain underway.5 This logistical infrastructure provides food, fuel, and ordnance. It also is critical for the repair parts needed to keep ships operational. The Navy keeps most of its repair parts in a limited number of Defense Logistics Agency distribution centers located in the continental United States.6 Often, the Navy’s inventory of repair parts is kept quite low, especially for the most expensive parts. This is the result of decades of cost-saving measures predicated on the supposed efficiencies of just-in-time logistics. When ships are in port, parts are mailed commercially to deployed ships. This can take weeks. When ships are underway, the delivery of repair parts (along with anything else the ship needs) relies on replenishments with the closest supply ship and the port from which that supply ship loads out. Or, if the ship is part of a carrier strike group, parts can be delivered by carrier onboard delivery aircraft. If a ship cannot get important parts in time, they might be cannibalized from other ships in long-term maintenance. And when a ship’s crew is unable to repair a piece of equipment, the Navy relies heavily on depot-level installations such as the ship repair facility in Yokosuka, Japan. This logistical model is not going to work well in wartime. It often barely keeps ships underway in peacetime, even with the superb expediting services of the Navy’s Priority Material Office. The current model depends entirely on fixed, shore-based logistical infrastructure. This includes the commercial logistics companies that ship most repair parts, the airports that receive those parts, the ports in which supply ships are loaded, and the ship repair facilities themselves. None of these is going to be reliably available in wartime.

Tenders to the Rescue

To mitigate these risks, the Navy should recapitalize destroyer tenders in the fleet. The last destroyer tenders in service were prematurely retired in the mid-1990s as part of the post–Cold War defense budget drawdown.7 This was one of many decisions concerning the Navy’s force structure made in the 1990s and 2000s that have left the Navy strategically incoherent and adrift at exactly the moment it might be called on to fight a war at sea with a peer competitor for the first time since World War II.8

Tenders bring many advantages, including:

Vertical launch system (VLS) reloading and maintenance. As many have argued, tenders could provide an expeditionary ordnance reload capability in protected harbors when fixed ammunition onload/offload sites in Japan or Guam become unavailable.9 It is unclear whether the Navy’s next-generation logistics ship, being developed for production starting in 2026, will have this capability.10 In addition to the need to reload cells, VLS modules also require depot-level maintenance after a certain number of missiles have been fired. While this maintenance today is performed infrequently, as the Navy does not fire many missiles in peacetime, in combat this requirement would increase significantly. It might be possible for a tender to carry this work out.

Forward logistics hub. Tenders could serve as mobile and distributed logistics hubs, putting critical repair parts in the theater where they are needed and not stuck in depots thousands of miles away. This would require an increase in the stock of many repair parts. A tender’s supply of repair parts would not be a cache never to be used during peacetime. A ship is a complex system-of-systems. The allowance parts list for a given ship is constantly changing as more reliable parts are developed and ship systems are upgraded, making any static cache quickly outmoded.

Intermediate maintenance facility. Tenders could serve as what the Navy terms intermediate maintenance facilities—repair facilities one step below that of depot-level, staffed primarily by sailors who have the training, tools, and resources needed to make repairs the ship’s crew cannot accomplish on their own. This would include technical experts who could troubleshoot problems (such as marine gas turbine inspectors), the ability to manufacture common parts on site, and specialty equipment needed for services such as calibration.

Port services. Many of the ports or protected harbors the Navy might end up using in a conflict do not have the services necessary to support warships. Ships in port or anchored in a protected harbor are unable to discharge sewage or make their own fresh water through reverse osmosis. Without shore power, ships also are forced to “auxiliary steam” (run gas-turbine generators) to generate electricity, burning fuel. While the Navy should invest in constructing infrastructure in such ports in advance of a conflict, and the Civil Engineer Corps (Seabees) would undoubtedly be tasked with rapidly building up port infrastructure during such a conflict (as it famously did in World War II), tenders could provide a stopgap when port infrastructure and services are lacking.

Unmanned surface vessels (USVs). Finally, tenders could service and repair USVs. While it has only begun to field these systems, the Navy envisions introducing a wide variety of unmanned, optionally manned, or minimally manned surface vessels by the end of this decade.11 Forcing these vehicles to return to existing Navy ports for servicing and repair would be suboptimal and potentially impossible given the distances involved in the Pacific. Requiring amphibious ships or expeditionary sea bases to service and repair USVs would also be suboptimal, as such ships would have their own missions and maintenance workload to complete, and neither ship type was designed with servicing and repairing USVs in mind.

Reestablishing a Tender Fleet

Given the Navy’s anemic shipbuilding program, even if the service did decide design and acquire new destroyer tenders, it is unrealistic to expect them to be fielded quickly. The Navy could shorten the timeline a little by modifying existing ship designs for new construction, retrofitting Military Sealift Command ships, or piggybacking on the contract to replace the Navy’s two aging submarine tenders.12 Another concern is that tenders would be highly vulnerable to attack. They have few organic defenses and present an enticing target with all the matériel needed to keep dozens of other ships operational. However, shore-based infrastructure is far more vulnerable than a moving ship.

Destroyer tenders are not a new idea—they are an old and practical one. In the decades following the Cold War, during which the U.S. Navy enjoyed uncontested command of the seas, they were also a luxury, easily discarded as superfluous. This is no longer true. The Navy tells itself that its raison d’etre is to “operate forward.”13 Destroyer tenders enable just that.

CDRs Thomas Shugart and Javier Gonzalez, USN, “First Strike: China’s Missile Threat to U.S. Bases in Asia,” Center for New American Security, June 2017.
For proposals along similar lines, see David Alman, “Bring Back the Seaplane,” War on the Rocks, 1 July 2020; and LT Jonathan Z. French, USN, “Bring Back the Dirigibles, Maintain the Undersea Advantage,” U.S. Naval Institute Naval History 37, no. 2 (April 2023).
Gidget Fuentes, “Navy Tests Reloading Missiles on Destroyer in San Diego Bay, Open Ocean Tests Tougher Task,” USNI News, 18 October 2022.
Bryan Clark, “Commanding the Sea: The U.S. Navy and the Future of Surface Warfare,” Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, 2017.
Edward Lundquist, “Delivering Parts, Fuel, Mail Over 52 M Square Miles,” Maritime Logistics Professional, 1 July 2019.
U.S. Government Accountability Office, “Managing DoD’s Spare Parts,” Watchblog, 23 June 2016.
Steven Wills, “Tending to a Distributed Maritime Operation: The Ongoing Need for More Navy Tenders,” Center for Maritime Security, 12 September 2023.
Steven Wills, “End the Navy’s 30-Year Slide in Capability and Capacity,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings 149, no. 4 (April 2023).
Bryan Clark et al., “Restoring American Seapower: A New Fleet Architecture for the United States Navy,” Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, 2017.
Ronald O’Rourke, Navy Light Replenishment Oiler (TAOL) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, Congressional Research Service, 12 December 2024.
Ronald O’Rourke, Navy Large Unmanned Surface and Undersea Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress, Congressional Research Service, 19 December 2024.
Richard Scott, “NAVSEA Intends to Award AS(X) Submarine Tender Design Development to NASSCO,” Janes, 17 May 2024.
HON Kenneth J. Braithwaite, Advantage at Sea: Prevailing with Integrated All-Domain Naval Power (Washington, DC: Department of the Navy, 2020). (Source: News Now/USNI)

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Since 1946, Industrial Electronic Engineers, IEE, has specialized in the design, test, support and fielding of display products for use in demanding military and aerospace applications throughout the world. IEE has developed an extensive product portfolio that today includes enhanced flat panel displays, smart displays and handheld devices.

From rapid prototyping of custom designs to full-scale production runs, IEE, produces displays with advanced features like low-latency video processing, high-bright and NVIS backlighting, and lightweight rugged enclosures. Their SWaP-C products employ the latest lightweight composite materials; low power, high performance integrated ARM processors; standard Ethernet and USB communication, in a low cost, highly producible design.

In-house California facilities include optical bonding, clean rooms for display assembly, a dark room for optical measurements and environmental chambers for pre-compliance and customer acceptance testing. On-site manufacturing includes PCB assembly and flow soldering. IEE has manufactured handheld, in-vehicle, airborne and naval LCD displays for all military branches as well as leading aerospace firms both domestically and internationally.

IEE is ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified.

IEE’s Advantage:

Direct control of critical process steps that reduce cost, decrease production lead times and improves life-cycle management
Unique advantage to serve to both smaller quantity, highly custom displays needs as well as high volume production outputs
Expert in delivering the best value in form and fit replacement by modifying existing COTS products to meet legacy requirements
Leading the next generation avionics efficiencies by leveraging open architectures and common software standards
Field-proven, pre-engineered displays minimize lead-time and non-recurring engineering costs.

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INTERNATIONAL PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES

January 31, 2025 by

Sponsored by

https://ieeinc.com/

UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

29 Jan 25. Aiming Far and High: New DASA Market Exploration seeks revolutionary uncrewed systems.

Novel solutions are being sought by the British Army to boost the range and effectiveness of uncrewed systems

DASA has launched a new Market Exploration called ‘Air Launched Effects: Revolutionary Deployment Systems’
This Market Exploration is being run on behalf of the British Army to help them identify Uncrewed Systems (UxS) capable of operating at extended ranges
The deadline for submissions is midday 12:00 (GMT) on 5 February 2025

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is pleased to launch a new Market Exploration called ‘Air Launched Effects: Revolutionary Deployment Systems’. Run on behalf of the British Army, this Market Exploration is seeking to identify Uncrewed Systems (UxS) with extended range capabilities. They aim to discover cutting-edge UxS technologies at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 or above that could potentially be deployed within the next 12 months.

Current events have demonstrated the importance of UxS in modern conflict and have shown that relatively low-cost UxS solutions can defeat more expensive systems. The UxS space is evolving at a rapid pace and, therefore, platforms and components must undergo rapid iterations to keep up with the latest battlefield adaptations and requirements. This Market Exploration reflects the growing importance of uncrewed systems in defence strategies and the need for agile, innovative solutions in the face of evolving global security challenges.

Do you have an innovation that could be of interest to the British Army? Read the full Market Exploration document and submit a proposal.

What technologies is this Market Exploration seeking?

The British Army is actively pursuing cutting-edge technologies to enhance their operational capabilities. A key initiative of this endeavour is the development of an uncrewed Deep Recce Strike platform capable of operating at ranges greater than 80 kilometers. This platform should also be able to deliver shorter-range one-way effectors onto designated targets.

In addition to its strike capabilities, the system needs to have the ability to incorporate sophisticated Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) functionalities. These features will enable the identification of dynamic targets and facilitate post-strike Battlefield Damage Assessment (BDA).

The British Army is seeking a solution that allows for rapid development, testing, production, deployment, and iterative improvement. To ensure longevity and adaptability, the platform should feature a modular design, providing resilience against advancements in Counter Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. Particular emphasis is placed on maintaining operational effectiveness in EW-contested and GPS-denied environments.

Innovation capabilities that only rely on the supply chains of the UK and its allies are preferred.

Submit a proposal

Do you have an innovation that matches the requirements? Read the full Market Exploration document to learn more and submit a proposal.

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

29 Jan 25. Full Operating Capability Declared for Upgraded Royal Navy Commando Merlin Helicopters.

Upgrades completed by Leonardo working with DE&S means aircraft are “ship optimised” for global maritime deployment.
Total of 25 AW101 “Commando Merlin” helicopters upgraded to Mk4/Mk4a standard with new Mission Planning System and benefitting from upgraded synthetic training equipment.
FOC means Commando Merlin is fully capable of operating from a greater range of RN and RFA ships in support of 3 Commando Brigade.

Upgrades enabling Royal Navy Commando Merlin helicopters to embark in and operate from vessels anywhere in the world in support of 3 Commando Brigade – a capability called littoral strike – have achieved full operating capability (FOC).

The Merlin Life Sustainment Programme (MLSP), overseen by Defence Equipment & Support, the procurement arm of the MOD, has now fully transitioned the AW101 MK3/Mk3a Commando Merlin helicopters to a ship optimised in-service capability platform designated the Mk4/Mk4a Commando Merlin.

In total,19 Mk3 and six Mk3a Commando Merlins were upgraded to the Mk4/4a standard – ensuring the Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) has the capability to provide air manoeuvre support to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines and other UK forces, anywhere in the world.

The work was overseen by DE&S working closely with industry partner Leonardo and the Royal Navy.

The Commando Helicopter Force, the wings of the UK Commando Force, also support the Carrier Strike Group, carry out search and rescue operations and take part in counter-narcotics and anti-piracy operations, maritime security and hurricane relief support if required.

Following delivery of the final aircraft conversion in 2022, DE&S has overseen retrofit after delivery activity including integrated Mission Planning System installation and integration of type-leading Synthetic Training Equipment. The declaration of FOC confirms achievement of the Royal Navy’s requirement and the achievement of system acceptance.

Key original upgrades to the aircraft include a new folding main rotor head and folding tail which allows two of the aircraft to fit on just one of the carriers’ aircraft lifts, and an improved defensive aid suite with a system that warns against and locates hostile laser guided weapons. These upgrades and the latest system integrations contribute to the Merlin Mk4/4A’s reputation as the world’s most advanced amphibious battlefield helicopter.

Capt Neil Mathieson RN Merlin DT Team Leader at DE&S: “The key difference between the Mk3/Mk3a and the new variant is the fact that the Mk4/Mk4a has been fully ‘ship optimised’ to allow it to in embark and more efficiently operate from Royal Navy vessels. This means that the Mk4/Mk4a aircraft are globally deployable for all maritime operations. There have been significant changes to enable this, including a new folding main rotor head and folding tail. In addition, a brand-new suite of avionics has been integrated and obsolescence removed, aligning the cockpit to the Mk2 and extending the life of the platform to 2030.”

Clive Scott, SVP UK Business, Leonardo Helicopters UK: “Our workforce is proud to have delivered these upgrades for the Royal Navy Merlin fleet from our site in Yeovil, the Home of British Helicopters. Decades of investment in the site have ensured that we have the highly-specialised design skills onshore, meaning we can modify helicopters to UK specifications and help preserve our nation’s Freedom of Action and Operational Independence. The AW101 sets the standard for maritime operations and, as well as being one of the UK Armed Forces’ core helicopters, has been acquired by allies including Japan, Italy and Poland. Our export customers benefit from continuous investment in the platform, as well as their ability to interoperate with the Royal Navy.”

The synthetic trainer includes two new pilot simulators, a procedures trainer and a rear crew training device, employing augmented reality systems. For the first time, this is co-located at RNAS Yeovilton with CHF providing a step change in training capability for new aircrew and front-line mission training.

Merlin is now cleared to operate from the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, Type 23 frigates, Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels and will operate from the Type 45 destroyer.

Littoral manoeuvre, sometimes termed littoral strike, is the term applied to amphibious operations – using both air and surface craft – that are launched from a ship to an objective.

An example would be aircraft deployed from the deck of a ship flying to complete its operation (usually land based) and then returning to the ship.

The upgrade has enabled Merlin to be a more effective component in the future conduct of littoral manoeuvre operations, allowing the CHF to generate, sustain and field a more modern aviation capability.

In addition to the operational benefits, the aircraft now share a higher commonality across all marks of Merlin with an upgraded cockpit and avionics suite that provides efficiencies within supply chains, effective maintenance cross platform knowledge and training while also enabling further interoperability when deployed.

MLSP was delivered through a single source contract with Leonardo worth £399m.

28 Jan 25. Threat detection systems on Royal Navy warships upgraded.

More than 200 UK jobs will be supported through a new contract to boost the Royal Navy’s warship combat systems and increase their ability to track, analyse and respond to threats in combat.

The contract, worth £285m, has been awarded to BAE Systems, to maintain and modernise vital combat management systems (CMS) on Royal Navy vessels, including Type 23 frigates, Type 45 destroyers, Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers and Type 26 frigates.

Such systems provide warship crews with all the information they need to track, analyse and respond to threats in combat. The contract will support hundreds of jobs across the UK delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.

Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle MP said: “This significant investment in our industry is another example of how our Government is making defence an engine for growth. We are strengthening the UK’s defences while supporting growth, with hundreds of high-skilled jobs, to help deliver on our Plan for Change. By working with British industry we’re ensuring our Royal Navy has the advanced technology it needs while strengthening our domestic defence industrial base.”

The project, dubbed RECODE (Real-time Combat System Open Data Enablers), will sustain more than 200 highly skilled UK jobs at BAE Systems in Filton, Dorchester, New Malden, Frimley and Portsmouth. It will also create additional investment in Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and high-tech suppliers across the UK.

The CMS is the primary method for Royal Navy operators to interact with weapons and sensors. The system supports operators in their Decide and Enable functions by providing a range of tools including:

Situation awareness.
Tactical picture compilation.
Threat evaluation and weapon assignment.
Navigation and blind pilotage.
Weapon direction and control.

The upgrades announcement comes just a week after the Royal Navy was tracking a Russian spy ship, Yantar, in British waters. The Royal Navy was able to follow its every move before the Russian ship left for the Mediterranean waters. Crucial upgrades such as RECODE will further improve the Royal Navy’s crucial deterrence capabilities.

This builds on the strategic aims of the Government’s upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, aligning national security with a high-growth economy to support the Plan for Change.

The combat management systems provide Royal Navy crews with essential situational awareness and operational capabilities. The new contract builds on 25 years of BAE Systems’ combat management expertise supporting the Royal Navy.

The Government is developing a full Defence Industrial Strategy, which the Defence Secretary launched in December, to ensure Defence is an engine for UK growth. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

28 Jan 25. BAE Systems has been awarded a £285m contract by the Ministry of Defence to support the Royal Navy’s Shared Infrastructure, Combat Management Systems (CMS) and warship networks.

RECODE is an eight-year programme ensuring the Navy’s fleet is armed and ready for evolving military challenges. It is tailored to meet the Royal Navy’s future operational needs and will deliver a modernisation programme at pace to enable the agile deployment of capabilities.

The contract award builds on 13 years of collaboration with the Royal Navy in which the BAE Systems’ CMS is used across a wide range of naval assets.

The core elements of RECODE include:

Maintaining high levels of safety, security and availability of combat systems across 20 Royal Navy ships. Architectural and capability changes delivered directly to the fleet to keep pace with the operational tempo.
Delivering BAE Systems’ CMS on the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, Type 45 destroyers and Type 26 frigates. The whole RECODE enterprise will adopt the engineering principles of DevSecOps1, with security integrated at every phase of the software development and operational lifecycle. This agile methodology will deliver the best CMS capability in the shortest amount of time.
A new collaborative working philosophy with DE&S Maritime Combat Systems and Navy Command which will mean closer working, joint decision-making and increased communication and collaboration between both parties.

RECODE will support more than 200 highly-skilled jobs at BAE Systems’ Naval Ships business across the Company’s sites in Filton, Dorchester, New Malden, Frimley and Portsmouth. It will also create additional investment in UK SME and high-tech suppliers across the UK.

Steve Carter, Naval Ships Combat Systems Director, BAE Systems, said: “RECODE represents a huge stride forward in our partnership with the Royal Navy and will help to realise warfare capability of the future. The global threat picture, advances in commercial technology and the immense volume of data available to crews means we need to become even more ambitious and far-reaching in our services and support. We are excited and privileged to secure this programme that will sit at the heart of the Navy’s ambition to be a protean force.”

Commodore Phil Game, Interim Director of Sense, Decide and Communicate, DE&S, said: “We are pleased to announce that this essential programme is underway to sustain the current Combat Management Systems on board in-service Royal Navy vessels, to enhance their capability and make them fit for the future. This new programme will take on proactive management of obsolescence, ensuring that at its core it is evergreen, robust and flexible. Through our close collaborative work with industry colleagues, this contract will also help to upskill the programme’s workforce and sustain UK jobs. The improvements made will be instrumental in making the UK Royal Navy more agile and more capable in our rapidly changing global Defence environment.”

Captain Kevin Miller, Combat Systems Design Authority and Surface Ships Combat Systems Group Team Leader, Royal Navy, said: “We have a long and successful history with Naval Ships Combat Systems and RECODE represents an important next phase of our collaboration. Today’s challenging landscape means we must adapt and evolve at pace. Agility is at the heart of the programme in three ways – equipment to maintain our capability, process so we can adapt that capability at the pace of relevance and a mindset to ensure we deliver. Those are the key facets that will enable the military advantage our crews are relying on.”

27 Jan 25. UK monitoring demand for new Typhoon fighter jets. The Ministry of Defence is evaluating the future demand for the Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 4+, both domestically and internationally, according to a written parliamentary response from Maria Eagle, Minister of State for Defence. The assessment, perfectly routine and normal, is part of the ongoing Strategic Defence Review, which examines the future capability and relevance of the UK’s combat air fleet. Responding to a question from Ian Roome, Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon, regarding the potential demand for the Typhoon Tranche 4+, Eagle stated that “the Ministry of Defence continually reviews the demand for Combat Aircraft, including through the ongoing Strategic Defence Review.” She noted that future combat aircraft will need to operate in increasingly demanding threat environments, making such evaluations essential for maintaining the UK’s operational edge. Despite the emergence of 5th generation aircraft like the F-35, the UK remains committed to sustaining and upgrading the Typhoon to meet modern challenges. Eagle explained, “The UK is committed to upgrades to ensure the Typhoon aircraft remains competitive into the future, including the introduction of the European Common Radar Standard 2 radar.” The minister highlighted the role of the UK’s Combat Air strategy in determining the balance between 4th and 5th generation aircraft. She emphasised the importance of delivering a “relevant and capable force mix” to counter evolving threats. These efforts ensure that the Typhoon remains a cornerstone of UK airpower alongside newer platforms. (Source: News Now/https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/) (Source: News Now/https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)

USA

29 Jan 25. U.S. Space Force Rapid Capabilities Office selects companies for tech accelerator. The Space RCO tapped 10 companies for its inaugural Prime Fusion Pilot Accelerator. The U.S. Space Force’s Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Space RCO) announced Jan. 29 it selected 10 companies to participate in its inaugural Prime Fusion Pilot Accelerator Program, an initiative aimed at fast-tracking technologies to protect military satellites from orbital threats. The program, run in partnership with defense contractor FedTech, is designed to identify emerging space technologies that could enhance the safety of satellites in orbit. Space RCO, headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, focuses on the rapid acquisition and delivery of critical space systems. The accelerator will focus on satellite defense technologies, including onboard satellite sensors, anomaly detection software, and ground-based tracking systems to monitor and report potential threats such as space debris and adversarial activity.

“The goal is to seamlessly integrate new and innovative technologies into satellites offered by prime integrators, creating adaptable space assets with built-in awareness,” the Space RCO said in a statement on Jan. 29.

The Space RCO, established by Congress in 2018, serves as a specialized unit within the Space Force dedicated to the expedited development and deployment of space capabilities.

Companies team up

The accelerator’s first cohort consists of five two-company teams, each bringing specialized expertise in satellite technology and situational awareness:

Active Vigilance – Turion Space: Active Vigilance specializes in automated onboard anomaly detection. Turion Space develops spacecraft capable of docking and maneuvering.

Digantara – Anduril: India-based Digantara is focused on space situational awareness, using a network of nanosatellites and a cloud-based analytics platform to track and assess space debris. Anduril Industries, a U.S. defense technology firm, is known for integrating artificial intelligence into defense systems.

Geost – Impulse Space: Geost manufactures space domain awareness payloads that track and identify objects in space. Impulse Space specializes in in-space transportation.

Raptor Dynamix – True Anomaly: Raptor Dynamix, a defense contractor leveraging AI for geospatial intelligence, teams up with True Anomaly, which develops spacecraft designed for military orbital operations and space domain awareness.

TRL11 – BlackVe: TRL11 is working to bring full-motion video capabilities to space for applications like satellite docking and debris removal. BlackVe focuses on developing spacecraft technologies for military applications.

The accelerator will culminate in a March 2025 pitch event in Albuquerque, where teams will present their solutions to Space RCO leadership and industry representatives. (Source: glstrade.com/Space News)

28 Jan 25. Predator drone maker asks Musk’s DOGE to cut Pentagon red tape, letter shows. A leading defense manufacturer has asked the Trump administration to reform the Pentagon’s contracting system, saying it was too slow and bureaucratic to combat threats from China and Iran, a letter reviewed by Reuters showed. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. sent the letter dated January 24 to billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has been tasked with streamlining U.S. government efficiency as co-head of the Department of Operational Guidance and Efficiency. The company, which makes the popular Predator drone, joins a growing list of firms that have viewed the DOGE efficiency panel as a route to lobby for the removal of rules that slow the sale of military equipment. L3Harris Technologies (LHX.N), one of the world’s biggest defense contractors, called on the panel to reform the Pentagon’s contracting system earlier this month, citing similar concerns. In the letter, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems CEO Linden Blue urged Musk to reform the defense acquisition system to enhance its efficiency and contribution to national security. (Source: Reuters)

28 Jan 25. US Army issues OASIS+ contract opportunity special notice for C-UAS. The United States Army, via the Department of Defense, has issued a contract opportunity special notice for counter-uncrewed aerial systems solutions. The notice serves to inform industry of two upcoming potential acquisitions that are going to be solicited off of the OASIS+ Vehicle. The two acquisitions are the Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) SETA Support-Recompete & the Modeling & Simulation Systems Engineering (MSSE) SETA Support-Recompete. The current incumbent for the C-UAS is Axient LLC. OASIS+, or One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services Plus, is a suite of governmentwide, multi-award contracts designed to support federal agencies’ procurement requirements. The contract base period is five years with one option period of five years that may extend the cumulative contract ordering period to 10 years.

Responses are required by January 30.

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Department/Ind. Agency

DEPT OF DEFENSE

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DEPT OF THE ARMY

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Contract Opportunity Type: Special Notice (Original)
Original Published Date: Jan 16, 2025 12:22 pm CST
Original Response Date: Jan 30, 2025 03:00 pm CST
Inactive Policy: 15 days after response date
Original Inactive Date: Feb 14, 2025
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o None

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Place of Performance:

Redstone Arsenal, AL

USA

Description

ACC-RSA SEC EXPRESS/OASIS Contracting Branch is issuing this Special Notice to inform industry of two upcoming potential acquisitions that are going to be solicited off of the OASIS+ Vehicle. The two acquisitions are the Counter-Unmanned Airial Systems (C-UAS) SETA Support-Recompete & the Modeling & Simulation Systems Engineering (MSSE) SETA Support-Recompete. The attached PDF pipeline provides an estimated ceiling range, historical information, ACC POCs, and estimated Milestones for these acquisitions.

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ACC-RSA SEC OASIS Plus Opportunities.pdf (opens in new window)

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Jan 16, 2025

Contact Information

Primary Point of Contact

Brandon Lee
Phone Number520-714-9204

Secondary Point of Contact

Latoya Pryor
Phone Number520-725-7470

History

Jan 16, 2025 12:22 pm CSTSpecial Notice (Original)

(Source: www.unmannedairspace.info

24 Jan 25. US arms exports hit record in 2024 on Ukraine-related demand.

Summary
Ukraine and Israel conflicts underpin global demand
Jets, drones, helicopters, tanks and air defenses popular
Foreign military sales up 45.7%
Direct commercial sales up 27.5%

U.S. military equipment sales to foreign governments in 2024 surged 29% to a record $318.7bn, the State Department said on Friday, as countries sought to replenish stocks sent to Ukraine and prepare for major conflicts. The figures from the Biden administration’s final year underpin expectations of stronger sales for U.S. weapons makers like Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman, whose shares are forecast to climb amid rising global instability. During his presidential campaign, Republican Donald Trump said allies should spend more on their own defenses. Trump wants other members of NATO to spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense – a huge increase from the current 2% goal and a level that no NATO country, including the United States, currently reaches. (Source: Reuters)

REST OF THE WORLD

30 Jan 25. WA state government launches new Defence and Defence Industry Strategy. Western Australia Premier Roger Cook and WA Minister for Defence Industry Paul Papalia CSC have formally launched the WA state government’s long-awaited Defence and Defence Industry Strategy 2025 to boost local jobs growth and enhance the state’s position as a defence industry hub. The Cook Labor government has unveiled its Defence and Defence Industry Strategy 2025, an ambitious plan aimed at driving local jobs and strengthening Western Australia’s role in the national defence sector. The WA government has made significant strides by establishing the defence industry portfolio, creating Defence West, appointing a senior retired military officer as a defence advocate, and releasing the first Defence and Defence Industry Strategy in 2018.

Premier Cook said, “WA’s defence industry continues to go from success to success, and through the new Defence and Defence Industry Strategy we aim to grow the sector’s presence and create more jobs for Western Australians.”

These efforts have firmly positioned Western Australia as a key player in Australia’s sovereign defence capability, ensuring the state’s strategic importance continues to grow. At the core of this, the Defence and Defence Industry Strategy 2025 also outlined six key pillars in partnership with the Commonwealth, the Department of Defence and the defence industry:

Workforce
Infrastructure
Industry
Community
Research and innovation
Veterans

Premier Cook added, “Our state is set to become home to the largest naval shipbuilding and sustainment location in the southern hemisphere, and we will need thousands of skilled workers to support its operations.”

The updated 2025 strategy sets out a long-term vision for WA’s defence and industry landscape through to 2040, with a strong focus on Western Australia’s critical role in homeporting Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarine fleet.

“The industry has already seen more than 1,000 jobs created in Western Australia since AUKUS came into effect, and through this strategy we aim to grow that figure to 10,000,” Premier Cook said.

Minister Papalia expanded on the comments made by Premier Cook, stating, “The release today of the Defence Industry Strategy is an enormously significant outcome for the state’s defence industry. I have advocated tirelessly for Western Australia to get a greater share of the shipbuilding and submarine sustainment work.”

Recognising the growth path of the defence industry in the state, the WA government’s strategy identifies a number of key objectives to deliver by 2040, including:

Be the homeport and sustainment location for Australia’s conventionally armed, nuclear-powered sovereign submarines delivered under AUKUS (Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States) Pillar 1 and continue to homeport and sustain Collins Class conventional submarines through to retirement.
Continue to host Australia’s largest operational naval base and provide sustainment for the Navy’s surface fleet, including the new Hunter Class and general-purpose frigates, and deliver highly capable maritime capabilities to the Navy and Army in support of the Australian government’s continuous naval shipbuilding enterprise.
Be established as a vital contributor to the nation’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance production capability, including substantial weapons and ordnance stockpile sites.
Host robust and resilient defence capabilities in northern WA, aligned to the Australian government’s defence priorities.

Minister Papalia added, “As a result of the advocacy, the state succeeded in both securing depot-level sustainment of nuclear-powered submarines, alongside a continuous naval shipbuilding guarantee from the Commonwealth. These successes will allow us to build a globally significant defence industry that will provide high-paying jobs to Western Australia’s young people for generations to come.”

It is anticipated that these central pillars, combined with the priority objectives, will steer the state towards achieving each of the 2040 outcomes.

The Western Australian government is committed to contributing meaningfully to the nation’s defence priorities and needs as well as advancing the state’s defence industry while ensuring significant benefits for local industries and communities, including veterans.

The full Defence and Defence Industry Strategy 2025 is available here: https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2025-01/wa_defence_and_defence_industry_strategy_2025_final.pdf

(Source: Defence Connect)

29 Jan 25. The Royal Thai Navy aims to purchase two frigates, with a budget for fiscal year 2026, will likely to receive parliamentary approval. On January 18, at the National Memorial, Admiral Jirapol Wongwit, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy, provided an update on the progress of procuring two frigates. He stated that the process is currently in the budgeting phase, which exceeds 1 bn baht and requires Cabinet approval before being forwarded to Parliament for consideration. The decision will rest with Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who will evaluate the proposal. If necessary, the Navy is prepared to provide further clarification.

“I believe the public and the government alike will agree on the need for these frigates to strengthen naval capabilities and safeguard maritime sovereignty. Our naval power has been declining year by year. Without reinforcements, neighboring countries may no longer respect our position,” he stated. When asked if he was confident the procurement would pass all parliamentary stages, Admiral Jirapol said it depends on lawmakers’ understanding of the Navy’s roles and responsibilities. “We are making every effort to communicate our position clearly and are optimistic that the proposal will ultimately be approved,” he said. (Source: Asian Defence)

27 Jan 25. Brazilian Army RFI for Special Vehicles. The Brazilian Army has just announced an RFI (Request for Information) for the acquisition of Special Engineering Vehicles, marking a significant step towards the modernization of its engineering capabilities. This is urgent news for military defense engineering companies looking to expand their presence in the Brazilian market and participate in high-impact projects. The RFI requests quotes for newly manufactured vehicles, with detailed specifications that will be provided to interested companies. This is an invitation to present innovative and high-quality solutions aligned with the needs of the Brazilian Army.

Participation in this RFI offers companies the opportunity to:

Access a major contract: The Brazilian Army is one of the largest buyers of defense equipment in the region.

Showcase your technology: Demonstrate what your company does best in developing cutting-edge engineering vehicles.

Establish strategic partnerships: Build connections with a major customer and strengthen your position in the market.

Contribute to national security: Actively participate in the development of Brazil’s infrastructure and military capabilities. (Source: Paulo Dominonni via LinkedIn)

28 Jan 25. KDX-II modernization to enhance South Korea’s combat readiness amid rising maritime tensions, says GlobalData.

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has launched a significant performance improvement program (PIP) for its Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyers (KDX-II), aiming to modernize critical systems and enhance combat readiness. The KDX-II upgrade underscores South Korea’s focus on leveraging indigenous technologies to maintain a modern and effective naval fleet amid rising regional maritime tensions, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s latest Fleet Size dashboard reveals that approximately 23% of the Republic of Korea Navy’s fleet comprises vessels with an average age exceeding 20 years. The KDX-II upgrade program is part of a broader effort to modernize South Korea’s naval fleet, ensuring it remains capable of countering emerging threats from adversarial forces.

Harpreet Sidhu, Aerospace and Defense Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The replacement of outdated combat systems with advanced domestic alternatives is particularly significant, as it aligns with South Korea’s ambition to establish itself as a regional naval manufacturing powerhouse.

“With North Korea’s increasingly complex undersea threats and growing range of ballistic missiles arsenal, the integration of advanced sonar and missile systems improves anti-submarine and air-defense capabilities of the destroyer fleet. Additionally, this upgrade addresses vulnerabilities that were made public during high-profile exercises such as the RIMPAC 2022, where weaknesses around operational readiness owing to system malfunctions were brought to light.”

A key point to note in the PIP program is the simultaneous integration of advanced domestic technologies and selective reliance on critical components like the MK 99 fire-control system procured via Foreign Military Sales (FMS). This hybrid approach supplements local innovations by utilizing relationships with global OEMs, thus reflecting a more nuanced strategy.

Sidhu concludes: “While the current program does not include a radar upgrade, it leaves room for future enhancements such as integrating advanced AESA radar systems like SPS-560K or AN/SPY-7. This multi-phased strategy demonstrates South Korea’s intention to develop capabilities of its naval platforms in line with technological breakthroughs it achieves over the future years, guaranteeing the fleet’s long-term viability.

“The KDX-II upgrades, in essence, are not just about modernizing older naval platforms, but are a cornerstone of South Korea’s broader strategy to assert its presence in the increasingly contested waters of the Indo-Pacific.” (Source:  GlobalData)

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IEE is ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified.

IEE’s Advantage:

Direct control of critical process steps that reduce cost, decrease production lead times and improves life-cycle management
Unique advantage to serve to both smaller quantity, highly custom displays needs as well as high volume production outputs
Expert in delivering the best value in form and fit replacement by modifying existing COTS products to meet legacy requirements
Leading the next generation avionics efficiencies by leveraging open architectures and common software standards
Field-proven, pre-engineered displays minimize lead-time and non-recurring engineering costs.

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INTERNATIONAL PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES

January 24, 2025 by

Sponsored by

https://ieeinc.com/

UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

23 Jan 25. The UK Accelerator welcomes five innovators to 2025 cohort.

On Monday 13 January, the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) and its delivery partner, the JANUS Consortium, welcomed its first NATO DIANA cohort.

Five innovative companies have embarked on a six-month programme consisting of ten modules custom designed for early stage start-ups.
The UK Accelerator hosted a launch event for over 100 attendees on Thursday 16 January to officially kick-start the cohort.

DIANA is a ground-breaking initiative that connects defence personnel, innovative start-ups, and industry across the Alliance to solve critical defence and security challenges. It provides a platform for innovators to develop, scale and test dual-use emerging technologies that address both military requirements and civilian applications.

The Janus Consortium, working in partnership with DASA, will deliver a six-month hands-on programme consisting of ten modules to the five selected defence start-ups. The programme will help them develop, scale and test technologies to solve NATO DIANA’s specific challenges and work to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of NATO’s defence industrial base. In addition, it will expand the range of innovative capabilities available for acquisition and deployment by civilian, defence and security customers in the UK and NATO-allied nations.

The 2025 Accelerator Programme will be delivered from a new, high specification office at the Imperial College London, Innovation Hub (I-HUB) in the White City Innovation District, which is co-located with the NATO DIANA Headquarters.

The five innovators successfully selected from 2,400 applications for the DIANA programme are:

AI Verse (France)

An artificial intelligence (AI) company addressing the challenges surrounding accessibility, quality, privacy, accuracy, and labelling of images for training computer vision models.

EIFys (Finland)

Founded by university researchers, the company aims to commercialise induced junction black silicon photodiodes.

Metahelios (UK)

A company building imaging technologies for industries through a nanotechnological approach.

RVmagnetics (Slovakia)

A high-technology company in the field of sensors and identification technologies based on microwaves.

Winse Power (Finland)

A company developing Optical links, a solution for delivering power and data with light, with applications in the sensing and surveillance fields.

Launch Event

On Thursday 16 January, the launch event was held at Scale Space located in White City, London. The agenda included a keynote from The Rt Hon Maria Eagle MP, Minister of State for Defence Procurement and Industry, as well as speeches from Jyoti Hirani-Driver, COO, NATO DIANA, Anita Friend, Head of DASA and Tanya Suarez, founder of the Janus Consortium.

This event also hosted panel discussions with key stakeholders in the innovation space and introduced the five innovators to representatives across the defence and security industry, bringing together Allies, Government and investors.

Anita Friend, Head of DASA said: “This is an exciting milestone for the UK Accelerator. Through DASA’s partnership with NATO DIANA, we’re fast-tracking the development of dual-use technologies that address critical defence challenges. We’re thrilled to welcome these five innovative companies to the UK Accelerator programme and look forward to supporting them in developing solutions that will benefit both military and civilian applications across the Alliance.”

Tanya Suarez, CEO of IOT Tribe, part of the Janus Consortium said: “In today’s rapidly evolving security landscape, innovative defence technologies have surged to the top of the government’s agenda. The UK stands as a hotbed for innovation, and through the UK Accelerator, we look forward to channelling this momentum. Our partnership with DASA will empower cutting-edge start-ups with the essential tools to become investment-ready, accelerating our future defence capabilities. Our best-in-class programme will help to enhance our technological sovereignty, bolster the security of the NATO allies, and ensure the UK remains at the forefront of defence innovation to promote a safer world. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

23 Jan 25. Landmark £9bn contract for British business to boost jobs, growth and nuclear deterrent. A major deal, worth approximately £9bn, has been struck with British firm Rolls-Royce to bolster support to the Royal Navy’s fleet of nuclear submarines, boosting national security and economic growth and delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.

Deal with Rolls-Royce to support Royal Navy submarine fleet and bolster national security.
Major boost for economic growth, creating and maintaining 5,000 long-term UK jobs.
New contract ensures more efficient Government spending and delivers on nuclear ‘triple-lock’ commitment.

A major deal, worth approximately £9 bn, has been struck with British firm Rolls-Royce to bolster support to the Royal Navy’s fleet of nuclear submarines, boosting national security and economic growth and delivering on the government’s Plan for Change

Creating more than 1,000 UK jobs and safeguarding 4,000 other roles, the contract with Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd – dubbed ‘Unity’ – will deliver the design, manufacture and support services to nuclear reactors to power our submarines.”

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP will announce the deal today on a visit to Rolls-Royce’s nuclear reactor production facility in Derby. Alongside backing thousands of UK roles, the agreement also streamlines previous contracts and incentivises more efficient delivery, resulting in better value for money for the taxpayer through savings of more than £400m over the eight-year contract. As part of our national endeavour to maintain a continuous at-sea deterrent, this agreement will help streamline decision-making and foster the kind of close partnership between industry and government that is essential to our success.

The announcement bolsters Britain’s security as a foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change, and strengthens the historic AUKUS partnership with the USA and Australia. In line with the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, Unity will drive significant UK economic growth over many years.

In Derby today, John Healey will speak with staff and apprentices, and use the visit to reinforce the Government’s commitment to the ‘triple-lock’ on the nuclear deterrent, which includes: building four new nuclear submarines in Barrow-in-Furness, in Cumbria; maintaining our continuous at sea nuclear deterrent; and delivering all future upgrades needed.

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said: “This investment in Britain’s defence will deliver a long-term boost to British business, jobs and national security. In line with our Plan for Change, this deal with Rolls-Royce, a historic British success-story, will support high-skilled UK jobs who equip the thousands of submariners that keep us all safe. We are showing defence can be an engine for growth, while also driving better value for taxpayer money.”

National security is a foundation of our government’s plan for change, and this is a clear demonstration of our commitment to the UK’s nuclear deterrent, which is our ultimate insurance policy in a more dangerous world.

The eight-year contract represents long-term certainty for a major British business, building in resilience and capability across the supply-chain. This will generate more efficiency and allow for effective risk and opportunity management, providing incentives to produce more for no increase in cost, including on work such as the building of Dreadnought Class submarines.

The agreement will also help streamline decision-making and foster close partnership with industry, supporting the aims of the new Defence Industrial Strategy.

Steve Carlier, President Rolls-Royce Submarines said: “We’re delighted to announce the Unity Contract, which confirms our commitment to the Royal Navy and the Defence Nuclear Enterprise. This long-term contract enables us to invest in the right skills, equipment, and facilities to play our part in protecting UK interests at home and overseas.”

The Government is committed to the nuclear deterrent triple Lock:

Building four new nuclear submarines in Barrow-in-Furness, supporting high-quality, high-status apprenticeships and jobs, with the supply chain benefits being felt right across the country.
Britain maintaining its continuous at-sea deterrent, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – securing protection for both the UK and NATO allies.
The delivery of all future upgrades needed for those submarines to patrol the waters and keep our country safe.

Sir Chris Gardner KBE, CEO Submarine Delivery Agency said: “The signing of the Unity contract is a key milestone in the SDA and Rolls-Royce partnership, building resilience, collaboration, and capability. Bringing together existing commercial arrangements, it is a clear signal of our commitment to deliver greater effectiveness, efficiency, and agility to meet the needs of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise and support the Royal Navy’s submarines now and into the future.” (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

20 Jan 25. RAF have more than enough fatigue life left for the Hawk T1. The Minister of Defence Procurement, Maria Eagle, cited steady figures representing continual Red Arrows tasking until 2030. The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has not exhausted its fleet of elderly Hawk T1 aircraft just yet. Approaching 50 years of service, the aircraft still perform aerobatic displays as part of the Red Arrows team in an effort to exhibit the very best of British aeronautical prowess. However, as training jets, the units went out of service almost three years ago. Since then, Maria Eagle, the Minister of Defence Procurement, cited steady figures from the fleet’s fatigue index value – which estimates the platform’s rate of decline – in a parliamentary written repsonse on 16 January 2025. According to the government, the percentage of the fatigue index used ranges between 68.31% and 94.65%. This means that, on average, the RAF have used close to 79% of Hawk’s fatigue index and is now left with just over 20%. These figures demonstrate that, across all 26 airframes, the service still retains “more than sufficient overall remaining available fatigue life.” The Minister assured a colleague that this will last until their retirement in 2030.. For the Ministry of Defence (MoD), these findings contrast with speculation of the potential early retirement of the Red Arrows due to exhaustion. However, as the retirement of Hawk T1 approaches the government still have not committed to a new contract to replace these ageing aircraft which serve diplomatic and presentational purposes. Similarly, this corresponds with the MoD’s decision to hold back from ordering any new Eurofighter Typhoon jets. While all three partner nations have opted for more, the UK is alone in its apathy.

Replacing Hawk T1 and T2

Hawk T2, the successor platform to the T1 and T1A variants – and differentiated by improvements in avionics, engine, and cockpit – is beginning to face obselesence as a training aircraft.

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As a trainer for pilots to go on to fly Typhoon and F-35, both fourth and fifth generation combat aircraft, the T2’s sunset years will overlap with the emergence of the UK’s sixth gen Future Combat Air System, or ‘Tempest’. Sixth-generation brings with it an understanding that an advanced crewed fighter jet will operate with other autonomous air vehicles as part of a hybrid formation with attritable mass. The complexity of crewed-uncrewed teaming will put more pressure on simulators and conventional training aircraft. The demand for replicating integrated combat with autonomous systems will require a lot innovation. And it is unlikely this will come before the T2 leaves service in 2040. While the previous Conservative government had planned to investigate the T2 replacement, details of replacing Hawk T1 and T2 will come with the new Labour government’s completion of the Strategic Defence Review in the spring of this year. There is still hope for the Hawk, however, as Eagle implied in another response on 16 December 2024 regarding closer collaboration between Qatar and the UK when it comes to their shared aerial capabilities.

“We have agreed to deepen cooperation,” Eagle stated, and “this includes undertaking opportunities to strengthen our respective defence capabilities through broadening our cooperation on the Typhoon and Hawk partnerships.”

This future collaboration – and it is not yet known what this will look like – will build on the Joint Hawk Training Squadron, situated at RAF Leeming in Yorkshire since its creation in 2021. (Source: airforce-technology.com)

21 Jan 25. In Japan, a more muted cheering for the British-led GCAP warplane. Japan and British defense ministers met last week to discuss an ongoing joint fighter jet development program with Italy and to unveil the trinational headquarters for the project in Reading, 36 miles west of London. Japan defense minister Gen Nakatani’s U.K. itinerary includes a meeting with Secretary of State for Defense John Healy on the Global Combat Air Programme and a visit to the headquarters of the GCAP International Government Organization (GIGO), the international body tasked with overseeing its development, production, and future exports.

“Today, Minister Nakatani and I have highlighted the positive progress being made on our important next-generation fighter jet program, to strengthen our security cooperation,” Healy was quoted as saying in a press release.

Partners are developing the fighter jets to enter service in 2035 while incurring less costs. The timeframe is crucial for Japan which will start retiring around 100 F-2s in the same year. The three countries are expected to hammer out the finer details in Reading, including work, cost, and revenue sharing; proprietary information and technology transfers; and the involvement of third countries like Saudi Arabia.

“All three countries and all the people want to have more work share and profit, but they will minimize the financial responsibility as well,” says Sadamasa Oue, consulting senior fellow of the Asia Pacific Initiative of the International House of Japan, a Tokyo-based think tank. Oue is a retired lieutenant general of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

“This is going to be a very difficult negotiation,” Oue tells Defense News.

In Britain, GCAP is a popular, widely reported multinational initiative. Groups waited with bated breath when Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office and heaved a collective sigh of relief when he approved the program. While experts scrutinized the U.K.’s two billion pounds ($2.4bn) allocation for initial research and scoping, GCAP partners drummed up attention when they unveiled the fighter jet’s concept model at the Farnborough Airshow near London in July. And British officials in a comprehensive report last week reiterated a need to rein in finances and “break the mould” of previous programs, which saw decades-long delays, development hurdles, and massive cost overruns. They also called for annual allocations to sustain British engagement. In contrast, there is “GCAP silence” in Japan, says James Angelus, President of the International Security Industry Council, a Tokyo-based group devoted to connecting Western and Japanese defense firms. Last year, they wanted to raise awareness of the fighter jets, which the public knew little or nothing about. This attempt, Angelus says, met objections.

“We try to put together a program for GCAP — it’s on our website: the next fighter jet — but we had to modify the title and keep the word GCAP out of the title. Why? Because of so many objections from Japan,” Angelus told Defense News. Local officials, he added, didn’t want the program to be a focus. “We have a lot of big decisions we have not made,” Angelus said, summarizing the local officials’ reason for the apprehension.

According to the analyst, local companies involved in the company “are a little embarrassed. They want to come out at a time when they can really trumpet success… that [they] have this formula put together.”

GCAP is Japan’s largest, most expensive and most important defense project since the Asian nation redefined Article 9 of its pacifist constitution and relaxed post-war arms export policies in 2014. However, it took eight years before the government released a new security strategy in December 2022 that elaborated buildup goals, troop deployments, and defense transfers amid increasing nuclear missile threats from North Korea. GCAP is expected to revitalize Japan’s defense industry, which faced public criticism in the past, says Yusuke Takagi, associate professor of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, a public policy school and think tank in Tokyo.

“The defense industry in Japan has been in trouble for decades. There are many people who want to cut the defense industry. They say, ‘Japan should be a pacifist nation, Japan doesn’t need a defense industry’—that’s one position,” Takagi said. “And some politicians are very concerned about these voices.”

Since signing the GCAP treaty in 2022, Japan has allocated billions of yen for research and development to be spread out over the next five years in its annual defense budget and tapped hundreds of engineers, experts and personnel. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in July last year established with Japanese Aerospace Companies the Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co. Ltd., or JAIEC, a unified entity representing the domestic defense industry in the trinational collaboration. Before leaving office last fall, then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wrangled with lawmakers, even with coalition partners, to revise the existing defense transfer rules to accommodate GCAP. The policy was loosened but the Diet, the national parliament, set strict conditions on future exports, which experts hope will be changed before 2035. Meanwhile, opposition parties criticized the move, saying it’s a preamble to Japan becoming an arms exporter. GCAP is likely to face similar political resistance and public scrutiny in the future. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and its junior coalition partner Komeito failed to take majority seats in last year’s elections. Oue says revising defense transfer rules will not be a high priority or might not even be tackled in this Cabinet.

This may also derail the remaining years of Japan’s five-year buildup plan to set aside 2% of the country GDP on defense spending as the country grapples with high inflation, shrinking yen, and a social welfare crisis.

“Weak ruling party, weak government is problematic,” Oue says. “I hope this Cabinet or the following Cabinet—I don’t when know the next election will be conducted and if Prime Minister Ishiba will still be surviving or not, but I hope that despite this political situation, GCAP is implemented as planned.”

“If the government can convince the people that GCAP is by far cheaper than fighter jets from the United States, maybe it can be popular, but I don’t think so,” Takagi says.

Experts said a much bigger player might influence GCAP: President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Unlike President Joe Biden who built and strengthened alliance networks, experts describe Trump as “unpredictable,” “transactional,” and “demanding.”

“He prioritizes arms deals that are beneficial for the American defense industry,” Takagi says. “During the first Trump administration, Prime Minister (Shinzo) Abe had a good relationship with Trump, so somehow he managed the relationship. But now, our prime minister is not as strong as Abe so we don’t know to what extent Japan can absorb the pressure from the United States,” Takagi explains.

“And even under Abe … Abe promised to buy more fighter jets from the United States,” Takagi pointed out, adding that with Trump in office, GCAP might face competition from American-made jets.

Oue agrees but says the Japanese government needs convince the Trump administration about their security strategy. “Japan will try to play an important role in improving the security environment in this region and work together with the United States to deter China, North Korea, and Russia,” he says.

The best next step for GCAP, Takagi says, is to make it more concrete.

“They have to show the progress of the program,” he said. “It’s quite often the case that there are delays. How is this carrier program being carried out, show it one by one, step by step… If Saudi Arabia comes into the picture—yes, why don’t we invite the Saudis more?”

“I think time is of the essence … and I think Japan’s going to make its decisions based on what’s happening in Ukraine and Russia. And they’re going to support the Brits with the GCAP program. They are committed,” Angelus says. (Source: Defense News)

21 Jan 25. Future of Flight challenge. Aviation Minister speaks about airspace modernisation strategy and drones at the UKRI’s Future of Flight challenge event. Back in 1903, the Wright brothers took to the sky in the world’s first ever powered flight, a feat of ingenuity and innovation that won the brothers a place in history. Since then, aviation has changed, technology has changed, the world has changed but this industry’s spirit has remained the same, with a commitment to progress echoing through the ages. Today (21 January 2025), we celebrate the UKRI’s Future of Flight Challenge and your excellent work in advancing this industry. By creating opportunities across the country and inspiring economic growth, this sector supports government’s missions and will help us to deliver our bold Plan for Change. That’s why we have re-committed to the Future of Flight strategic outcome, which includes scaling beyond visual line of sight operations for drones and bringing eVTOL aircraft into routine use.

I’m pleased to announce that I’ll soon be chairing a renewed Future of Flight Industry Group, bringing experts, local leaders and government together to seize the opportunities and tackle the challenges ahead. I also welcome the new Regulatory Innovation Office looking at drones and autonomous technology, which will encourage even more collaboration in this space.

It was great to see drones in action recently at London Health Bridge delivering vital medical products. As we turn our thoughts to what’s next, the CAA are working on transitioning from short term trials to longer term established operations, reducing the upfront process involved and increasing the time that operations can run. And I know you share my thoughts on the importance of the Airspace Modernisation Strategy as one of our top priorities.

Now, I know you have a busy day ahead of you, so I’d just like to leave you with words from Orville Wright, one of aviation’s pioneering brothers:

If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true were really true, there would be little hope of advance.

So, thank you for challenging the status quo, for having the courage to test the truth and for leading the Future of Flight. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

20 Jan 25. UK’s future fighter and early warning programmes ‘unachievable.’ Sixth generation FCAS fighter and E-7 Wedgetail AEW aircraft both rated ‘red’ in latest government projects report. Two of the UK’s main air domain defence programmes, the Future Combat Aircraft System (FCAS) and E-7 Wedgetail, have been given a ‘red’ rating in the government’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority Annual Report 2023-24, published on 17 January 2025. Of the 49 defence programmes listed in the report the vast majority are listed as being ‘amber’, which means that significant issues remain but the programme can still meet its targetted timelines. However, according to the government, a red rating indicates “successful delivery of the project appears to be unachievable”, with major issues with project definition, schedule, budget, quality and/or benefits delivery, which “at this stage do not appear to be manageable or resolvable”. As a result, the project may need re-scoping and/or its overall viability reassessed, the report states.

FCAS and E-7 in the red

The outcome marks a decline in the assessed progress of the E-7 Wedgetail programme, which is intended to deliver three new airborne early warning, command and control (AEW&C2) aircraft into Royal Air Force service, in replacement for the long-department E-3 Sentry fleet. The E-7 Wedgetail is due to come into service in 2025, with the first of the aircraft beginning test flights in September 2024. However, the red rating awarded to the FCAS programme, which is the UK designation for the tri-nation Global Combat Air Platform (GCAP), will be of more concern, given the intended delivery into service and IOC by 2035. This is the second consecutive year the FCAS has been rated red. In the making since 2019, the trilateral industrial endeavour between Italy, Japan, and the UK is moving closer to reality with the establishment of key programme structures to direct the project. The town of Reading, situated some 40 miles west of London, has been selected to house the new headquarters of the GCAP programme. In a recent report, the UK’s Defence Select Committee stated that GCAP would have to “break the mould” if it wanted to achieve its programme timeline.

Can FCAS keep to timeline?

Due to enter service in 2035, the FCAS fighter will replace the outgoing Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft, which will retire in the early 2040s. Italy is also looking to replace elements of its Eurofighter fleet with the FCAS/GCAP, while the jet will replace the Mitsubishi F-2 for Japan. Unlike all its Eurofighter partners, in 2024 the UK opted not to place orders for additional aircraft to bolster its existing fleet, which is expected to shrink with the axing of the 30 Tranche 1 Typhoons in 2025, leaving just 107 Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 aircraft in service. However, the timeline for the introduction of the FCAS is tight, with a first flight supposed to be achieved in 2027, having been first announced in 2022. The Eurofighter effort, the closest comparator to FCAS, took nine years from the first flight (1994) to service entry in 2003. The manufacture of the first prototypes began in 1989. (Source: airforce-technology.com)

18 Jan 25. Amber warning for Royal Navy as it hits its nadir. Most of the Royal Navy’s procurement programmes have been given an amber rating in a report by the UK government. The UK’s two major naval surface combatant programmes, the Type 26 and Type 31 frigates, have both been given an amber rating in the government’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority Annual Report 2023-24, published on 17 January 2025. An amber rating means successful delivery appears feasible but significant issues already exist, requiring management attention. Such issues “appear resolvable at this stage and, if addressed promptly, should not present a cost or schedule overrun”, the report states. The exact nature of the “significant issues” is not mentioned, but both classes of frigate are urgently needed as the Royal Navy shrinks to its smallest size in living memory, with entire capabilities cut or at risk of being gapped. Both the Type 26 and Type 31 frigate programmes have remained on amber for the past four reporting periods, with the latest being 2023/24. The first-in-class of the Type 26 frigates, HMS Glasgow, is undergoing outfitting with manufacturer BAE Systems and is expected to be operational with the Royal Navy in the 2028 timeframe. An originally intended class of 13 vessels was cut to eight on cost grounds in 2015, with first steel cut for the fifth warship, HMS Sheffield, in November 2024. In a bid to maintain fleet numbers through a like-for-like replacement of the outgoing Type 23 frigates, a new programme to deliver fight light patrol frigates was created, confirmed as the Type 31 class. The first-in-class of the Type 31 programme, HMS Venturer, is at an advanced stage of construction at Babcock’s Rosyth shipyard. Steel was cut for the future HMS Formidable, the third-in-class of the Type 31 programme, in October 2024, and potentially the first that will see the integration of the Mk 41 vertical launch system from Lockheed Martin, the beginning of a possible three-hull sub variant. Other UK naval procurement, including the Dreadnought nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine and AUKUS nuclear-powered attack submarine, Fleet Solid Support, and Multi Role Support Ship programmes, were also given an amber rating in the report. By the end of 2024, three of its Type 23 frigates had been axed in cuts, along with two amphibious assault ships, while the Royal Fleet Auxiliary also lost two tankers from its books, albeit vessels that had previously been placed into reserve. Collisions between forward-based mine countermeasure vessels in Bahrain further reduced the Royal Navy, which is struggling to maintain presence in key areas of operations. Analysis by Naval Technology indicates that 2025 will see the Royal Navy’s frigate fleet maintain a low of seven active hulls as life extension programmes are undertaken in a bid to keep vessels in service for as long as possible. Frigate numbers will only hit double figures again by 2028 at the earliest, and only hitting the minimum requirement of 13 hulls by 2031. Of eight Type 23 frigates in the Royal Navy’s inventory, six are configured for anti-submarine warfare with a towed sonar array, with the two oldest remaining, HMS Lancaster and HMS Iron Duke, configured as general-purpose platforms. Further pain could be coming the way of the Royal Navy as a looming spending crunch and anaemic growth in the UK economy looks set to see cuts of at least 5% across departments in 2025. The upcoming Strategic Defence Review, due to be published in Spring, could well see the mothballing of the of the two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers as a cost saving measure. (Source: naval-technology.com)

EUROPE

24 Jan 25. KNDS Deutschland, KNDS France, Rheinmetall Landsysteme and Thales signed the shareholder agreement for the “MGCS Project Company GmbH”, Cologne, on Thursday 23 January 2025 in Paris in the presence of the French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu and the German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. MGCS, which stands for Main Ground Combat System, is a German-Franco armament program designed to replace the Leopard 2 and Leclerc main battle tanks with a cross-platform combat system by 2040. The signing of the shareholder agreement marks an essential step in the forthcoming creation of the MGCS Project Company. After negotiating a contract with the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), acting on behalf of the two states through a German-Franco Combined Project Team (CPT), this project company will be responsible as the industrial prime contractor for the implementation of the next phase of the MGCS program. In particular, it will consolidate the concept and the main technological pillars of the system. The company will be equally owned by the parties, 25% each, with a national workshare of 50% Germany and 50% France, and will be based in Cologne, Germany. The industrial partners in the MGCS program are delighted with this signature, which follows on from the impetus given by the French and German governments in the spring of 2024, with the signing of a Letter Of Intent (LOI).

USA

21 Jan 25. US Army kicks off NGC2 prototyping effort. US Army leaders are seeking industry input for the development of prototype systems to support the ground service’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) initiative, according to a newly released request for information (RFI). The 14 January RFI, issued by the Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications, and Network (PEO C3N) is designed to “provide commanders and units at echelon an open and modular C2 ecosystem across hardware, software, and applications with access to a common and integrated data layer”, according to a service statement accompanying the 14 January RFI.

“Contracting and delivery of Next Generation Command and Control capabilities will be deliberate and iterative, geared toward commander needs and dependent upon the innovation of industry,” said Program Executive Officer for PEO C3N Mark Kitz said in the statement.

NGC2 programme officials at PEO C3N anticipate issuing a follow-on draft request for proposals (RFP) by late January 2025, with the final version of the RFP slated for release by the end of February 2025, service officials said in the statement. Once issued, contract awards for NGC2 prototypes are scheduled to be issued to industry by May 2025, “with initial prototype deliveries to occur within six months” of the contract award date, the officials said. “Each stage of the process will generate industry feedback and inform the [NGC2] contract approach and resultant contract … as well as future evolution of the capability,” they added. (Source: Janes)

16 Jan 25. Army to competitively develop Next-Gen Command-and-Control prototype. After spending a year working on pilot programs for a future battlefield command-and-control capability, the U.S. Army is on the brink of starting an effort to competitively prototype a next-generation system, according to the service’s program office in charge of the activity. Next-Generation Command-and-Control, or NGC2, as the Army calls it, represents a new approach to providing commanders and units an “open and modular” command-and-control, or C2, ecosystem “across hardware, software and applications with access to a common and integrated data layer,” the Army said in a statement. The service’s Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications and Network, seeking industry feedback ahead of launching the prototyping effort, released a request for information Monday to industry addressing its NGC2 priorities.

“The goal of NGC2 is to help organize and operationalize data for warfighting applications — including real-time operational modeling of the potential outcomes of commanders’ decisions and courses of action, as well as the ability to tailor and reconfigure elements to meet their missions,” the Army said.

The service launched a pilot in roughly a year ago to examine what could realistically be achieved for C2 using a clean sheet design. Entirely ignoring all current C2 capabilities, the Army partnered with industry to provide soldiers with an agile system capable of functioning off of laptops inside a tank, for example, rather than consisting of giant server stacks in climate-controlled tents easily detectable to the enemy.

“I think we’re learning that we can probably go pretty quick on this given where technology is at,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George told Defense News in an interview last fall. The Army needs to move away from “big systems and server stacks and all of that stuff,” he said. “That can all be an app.”

As a major element of the pilot, the Army focused not just on how a fresh C2 system might bring capabilities to the soldier in the field but how to transport data to enable all of those functions, according to Doug Bush, the Army’s acquisition chief.

“The ability to move the data around at speed, at a vast scale and under attack by an enemy, that is a very difficult challenge,” Bush told Defense News in an interview last fall. “The good news is, this time around, the tech is much closer to being able to enable that.”

A request for NGC2 proposals is expected to be released in late February, according to the RFI posted to federal contract opportunities website Sam.gov. The service plans to award contracts by May, with the delivery of initial prototypes within six months of award.

The planned contract awards are structured to enable multiple opportunities for defense companies to contribute to NGC2, the Army said, with the service intending to onboard new vendors for additional components available after the initial prototyping awards.

Specifically, the Army emphasizes “tailorable and intuitive capabilities” and “agility in requirements and governance” for the next-gen technology, according to Army Futures Command’s NGC2 character of needs statement.

Recent updates to the character of needs statement include a focus on mission partner interoperability, operating in challenging tactical communications environments and “an integrated ‘tech stack’ approach that reaches from the communications transport layer through compute, integrated data and applications layers,” the Army said.

“We have an incredibly tech-savvy formation,” Maj. Gen. Patrick Ellis, director of AFC’s Command and Control Cross-Functional Team, said in the statement. “Commanders understand the network better than they ever have, and divisions are eager to be a part of the process and part of the user-informed solution.” (Source: glstrade.com/Defense News)

REST OF THE WORLD

22 Jan 25. Western defense companies size up Vietnam’s military market. American State Department and military dignitaries address an audience on opening day of VIDEX 2024 in December 2024 in Hanoi. (U.S. Embassy in Vietnam)Vietnam has traditionally been a loyal client of Soviet and Russian military equipment, but Western companies are looking at the Southeast Asian nation as a market with significant potential. Their interest was evident at the Vietnam International Defense Expo – VIDEX 2024 for short – held here in late December. American prime contractors such as Boeing, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin and Textron were in Hanoi for the second edition of this biennial exposition, as well as European conglomerates like Airbus, BAE Systems, Leonardo, Rheinmetall and Thales. Also remarkable at VIDEX 2024 was the presence of kit belonging to the U.S. military, while Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, was in attendance as well. The U.S. Army displayed a Stryker 8×8 armored vehicle and M777A2 towed howitzer, whereas the U.S. Air Force dispatched two A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft from a South Korean base, and a C-130J Super Hercules from Japan. The government of Vietnam has shown interest in the Hercules to plug gaping holes in its air transportation capability. A Lockheed Martin spokesperson told Defense News that the company was highlighting the “C-130J’s tactical-by-design” capabilities at VIDEX 2024.

The spokesperson added, “Lockheed Martin stands ready to support Vietnam and other U.S. partners and allies across the Indo-Pacific region in meeting their current and future mission requirements across all domains.”

A Vietnamese deal for C-130Js is not unrealistic, as Vietnam has already procured a dozen T-6C Texan II trainer aircraft from American firm Textron. Five T-6Cs were delivered last November, and the remainder will follow this year.

Washington annulled a weapon sales ban to the Southeast Asian country in 2016, and a comprehensive strategic partnership signed during President Joe Biden’s visit to Vietnam in 2023 is paving the way for even more deals.

Marc Knapper, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, said at the show: “Our goal is to ensure that Vietnam has what it needs to defend its interests at sea, in the air, on the ground and in cyberspace.”

Knapper continued, “This is why we came out in force in a truly historic, unprecedented participation by the United States government and private sector in this event, and it reflects our commitment to Vietnam and to Vietnam’s aspirations.”

Boeing executive Dale McDowall told Defense News that his company’s presence at VIDEX 2024 was all about building relations with Vietnam.

McDowall said Boeing understands that maritime security is critical to Vietnam, a country bordering the South China Sea. Boeing was thus promoting its Wave Glider unmanned surface vessel and ScanEagle drones.

The United States, under its Maritime Security Initiative, supplied six ScanEagle systems to the Vietnam Coast Guard in 2022. Also, because many parts of Vietnam are inaccessible and lack airstrips, McDowall said transport helicopters like the CH-47F Chinook “have huge potential” there. Elsewhere, Natasha Pheiffer, BAE Systems’ managing director for Asia, said, “Vietnam is a new market for us.” She added, “We really are just exploring at the moment. There are no hard and fast opportunities for us per se,” though the company was supporting the U.S. government’s promotion of the M777 howitzer. Working with Vietnam presents challenges too. “There isn’t a fixed procurement program, necessarily, which does make it a little more difficult to understand what it is they’re looking for,” Pheiffer noted. Unsurprisingly, Russia had a very visible presence at VIDEX 2024, with large exhibition booths and several vehicles on display, including a BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle and Rubezh coastal missile system.

Also out in force showing their wares at Vietnam’s blue-ribbon defense show were the Czech Republic, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Such a diverse list is an indication of Vietnam’s efforts to diplomatically balance relations with competing powers. However, both Russian and Western suppliers must also contend with up-and-coming defense companies from Vietnam itself. Viettel, owned by the Ministry of National Defense, is Vietnam’s largest defense company. Viettel was the most prominent exhibitor at VIDEX 2024, and it is now moving into the production of kinetic weapons. An example is the VCS-01 Truong Son coastal defense missile system now operational in the Vietnamese Navy. The VCS-01 system fires the VSM-01A missile possessing a 50-mile (80km) range.

23 Jan 25. German-Indian JV emerges as sole contender for $5bn India submarine deal. German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp and its Indian partner have cleared field trials for building six advanced conventional submarines for the Indian Navy, according to an exchange filing, emerging as the sole contender for the $5bn project. Their potential rival, Spanish state-held shipbuilder Navantia, which partnered with India’s Larsen & Toubro (L&T) (LART.NS) could not meet the navy’s requirements in trials held in 2024 for testing key technologies, an Indian defence source said. The project is crucial to India’s effort to modernise its military and boost its naval capabilities in the face of China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean region. ThyssenKrupp’s Indian partner, state-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MAZG.NS) said in an exchange filing on Thursday that its field trials for the project were successful and the Indian defence ministry had invited the company for commercial negotiations next week. (Source: Reuters)

21 Jan 25. Australia invests to boost local AUKUS submarine supply chain. The initiative will support 125 businesses nationwide to meet submarine construction and maintenance needs under AUKUS. The Australian government has announced an investment of A$262m ($163m) aimed at bolstering the local defence industry and establishing a supply chain for nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS agreement. Over the next two years, this initiative is set to support approximately 125 businesses across Australia, enabling them to meet the requirements of submarine construction and maintenance within the AUKUS framework. This move follows the AUKUS Naval Nuclear Propulsion Agreement in August 2024, which came into effect recently. It paves the way for the transfer of Virginia-class submarines from the US to Australia starting in the 2030s, alongside the sharing of information and equipment from the UK for Australia’s SSN-AUKUS submarines. In September 2021, Australia, the UK, and the US formed the AUKUS security partnership. In March 2023, they revealed a plan to develop nuclear-powered submarines in Australia while upholding strict non-proliferation standards. Meanwhile, Australia’s existing Collins-class submarines will undergo a life-of-type extension to keep them operational and available until the 2040s, aiding the transition to Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarines. The latest financial injection is expected to enhance existing programmes and introduce new ones, with the initial funding directed towards three areas. The Defence Industry Development Grants Program will provide eligible businesses the necessary funds to improve security, acquire skills, obtain international accreditations, and invest in manufacturing capital equipment. The expansion of the Global Supply Chain Program is designed to create commercial opportunities for Australian suppliers by connecting them with major submarine industry suppliers from the UK and US. Furthermore, the Defence Industry Vendor Qualification Program will be expedited to facilitate the inclusion of Australian products, such as mechanical assemblies and electro-mechanical components, into US submarine supply chains. Efforts will also be made to work with AUKUS partners to simplify processes and mitigate regulatory hurdles for Australian companies.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said: “This new AUKUS agreement now in effect will further bolster the strong continued progress the Australian Government is making with AUKUS partners to deliver Australia this vital capability. This is a further demonstration that AUKUS is happening now. “The momentum we are building for Australia’s conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine program is exemplified by the workforce we continue to build and the growing opportunities for Australian industry.” (Source: naval-technology.com)

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INTERNATIONAL PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES

January 17, 2025 by

Sponsored by

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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

15 Jan 25. For sale: two UK amphibious assault ships, available ‘as is.’ HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark are likely to be sold in a government-to-government deal, with Brazil a main candidate. Detailed in a parliamentary written response on 14 January 2025, Maria Eagle, UK Minister for Defence Procurement, stated that both vessels were currently “laid up awaiting disposal”, with the Royal Navy said to be “exploring options” for prospective sales. The vessels were part of wider large-scale cuts to UK defence capabilities in late-2024, which saw drones, helicopters, and warships all axed.

Eagle said both ships required “costly and time-consuming refits” and as such, were “not considered a cost-effective use of taxpayers’ money”.

The sale will save £9m ($11m) a year in maintenance, as well as funds generated from the sale of the two 20,000 tonne warships, Eagle added, stating that any sale would “reinforce relationships” with international partners.

“These vessels had, in effect, been retired by the previous government,” Eagle maintained.

This is incorrect, as both vessels were being kept in a condition known as ‘extended readiness’, able to be worked up into service as required, effectively in reserve. Many countries, including the United States, maintain a reserve fleet able to be brought into service within various timeframes, to accommodate operational necessities such as the outbreak of major conflicts or war. As specialised warships, the Albion-class amphibious assault ships provided the capability to embark around 400 troops and associated equipment, with its aft flight deck providing landing spots for rotary aircraft up to the size of the heavy lift CH-47 Chinook. According to the Royal Navy, below deck storage provide capacity for dozens of large trucks and smaller vehicles for light role configuration troops, or a squadron of six Challenger 2 main battle tanks and 30 amoured personnel carriers. Delivery of troops and vehicles is performed either via the helicopter flight deck or the integrated well deck at the stern, which is floodable to create a dock area. Landing ships, such as the Landing Craft Utility MK10, are hosted inside the Albion class and used ferry tanks, APCs, vehicles, and troops to shore. The UK government has said that the role of the Albion class will be performed by three smaller, less effective Bay-class landing ship docks operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), and the 45-year-old casualty receiving ship, RFA Argus. One of the Bay class, RFA Cardigan Bay, is currently laid up and likely not available for operations until the end of 2026 or early 2027. The Bay class cannot embark as many troops or vehicles as the Albion class and can host only half as many landing ships, while also being manufactured to commercial, not military, standards.

Brazil likely an option for Albion class

The UK has previously had success in selling unwanted naval platforms into South America, with the former Royal Navy helicopter carrier HMS Ocean sold to Brazil in 2018 in a deal worth around £84m at the time. The vessel had served in the Royal Navy for less than 20 years before being decommissioned. However, HMS Ocean was purchased as a direct replacement for Brazil’s 1960s era aircraft carrier São Paulo, which was originally acquired from France. The Brazilian Navy also operates the former Royal Navy Type 22 frigate HMS Battleaxe, which was acquired in 1997 and renamed Rademaker. In 2012, Brazil also acquired three offshore patrol vessels (OPV) from UK shipbuilder BAE Systems in 2012, newly dubbed the Amazonas-class OPVs. The vessels, which were based on the Batch 2 River-class OPVs, were originally manufactured for Trinidad and Tobago in the late 2000s, which subsequently opted not to complete the acquisition. The UK MoD declined to comment on prospective sale countries for HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, when contracted by Naval Technology. (Source: naval-technology.com)

13 Jan 25. UK Defence probes industry over FADS capabilities. A new range of maritime threats will shape the solutions embedded in the Future Air Dominance System (FADS). The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued a Request for Information (RfI) in mid-December 2024 to gain a clearer understanding of the current maritime capabilities available for its Future Air Dominance System (FADS) programme. Speaking with suppliers, the government aims to flesh out FADS through numerous one-to-one sessions in its second market engagement event over three days at the end of Janaury 2025. At present, the MoD suggests that this Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) concept will employ a ‘system-of systems’ approach, combining various diasggregated sensors and effectors in the battlespace. Besides naval aircraft, weapons, and emerging uncrewed systems, at the centre of this integrated network are the future Type 83 destroyers that are scheduled to replace the Royal Navy’s six existing Type 45 warships in the late 2030s. In particular, the RfI also points to innovation in Long Range Precision Strike (LRPS) capabilities to overcome “the hardest of targets in air, land, and maritime domains.”

Armed to the teeth

A new range of maritime threats faced over the past few years will doubtless shape the solutions embedded in the FADS. However, it must be noted that the Type 83 destroyer is in a pre-conceptual stage so any solutions are speculative. Nevertheless, William Freer, National Security fellow at the Council on Geostrategy, a think tank, observes growing threats from various aerial weapons.

“Warships over the last two decades were operating in a relatively benign environment and were equipped to do so. This is no longer the case.”

William Freer, Council on Geostrategy.

“The maritime component of FADS will have to contend with small but growing numbers of hypersonic missiles, the proliferation of anti-ship ballistic missiles, the potential of large saturation attacks by cruise missiles, as well as the potential of drone swarms,” he observed.

“One thing is becoming clear, warships over the last two decades were operating in a relatively benign environment and were equipped to do so. This is no longer the case. But the Royal Navy has not been sitting still.

“Although developing shipborne ballistic missile defences (BMD) has been slow, the missile defences will be significantly upgraded in the coming years,” suggested Freer.

By the end of the decade Type 45 destroyers should each receive an extra 24 missile cells (taking the total to 72) as well as BMD capability.

Depending on how the Type 26’s Mk41 VLS cells are loaded it could carry more than double the missiles (and a greater variety of missiles) than the current Type 23.

It has also been decided that the Type 31 will be equipped with up to 32 Mk41 cells instead of the original plan of just eight cells for Sea Ceptor missiles.

Red Sea crisis

Nowhere are these threats more prevalent than in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

In 2023-4, the Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond and Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, have respectively operated in the Red Sea as part of an allied force under Operation Prosperity Guardian to defend maritime shipping against Houthi strikes in the crucial chokepoint.

There is a considerable cost gap between Sea Viper/Ceptor and attritable uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). For that reason, the Royal Navy has made good progress with a cheaper counter-UAS solution with its development of a directed-energy weapon system, DragonFire, which will be fielded by 2027.

While the programme cost the MoD £100m ($125m), the government noted after the success of its demonstrator that the cost of operating the weapon is typically less than £10 per shot.

What will the surface fleet look like?

Recent research suggests that the Royal Navy will need to determine how it will disperse its capabilities across the surface fleet, especially when it comes to deciding what platform will take on the role of a ‘radar picket’ to get the most efficient response times against aerial threats.

However, this must also be considered within the context of a reduced force structure. Due to the decommissioning of several ships in 2024 and the capability gaps to come, the Royal Navy will be operating a more nimble service with ships operating a persistent forward presence around the world. While little can be said about Type 83, major decisions regarding other surface fleet programmes are expected to come in the spring with the release of the all-encompassing Strategic Defence Review according to the Minister of Defence Procurement, Maria Eagle, in a parliamentary written response on 9 January 2025. (Source: naval-technology.com)

19 Dec 24. 713285451 – Future Air Dominance System (FADS) – RFI – Market Engagement

Ministry of Defence

Published date: 19 December 2024

Last edited date: 19 December 2024

Open early engagement – This means that a procurement idea is currently active, it is in the early stage of development and judging interest from potential suppliers.

Contract summary

Industry

Warships – 35510000

Location of contract BS34 8JH

Procurement reference tender_473601/1436909

Published date 19 December 2024

Closing date 17 January 2025

Contract is suitable for SMEs? Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs? No

Description

The Future Air Dominance System (FADS) Team within Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), part of the UK Ministry of Defence (“the Authority”) is seeking to engage with suppliers for the purposes of gaining a clearer understanding of current market capabilities and potential offerings which may be relevant to FADS.

FADS is a transformative multi-domain programme that will provide Maritime Integrated Air and Missile Defence (M-IAMD) against the toughest of threats in the air and space domain, and Long-Range Precision Strike (LRPS) against the hardest of targets in air, land, and maritime domains. The FADS programme will align itself with a ‘system of systems’ approach and brigade around the themes of; SENSE, DECIDE, EFFECT, CONNECT, HOST and ENABLE.

FADS will deliver Air Defence of the Carrier Strike Group and Littoral Strike Group from the mid-2030s; a role currently being provided primarily by the Royal Navy’s Type 45 Destroyers.

Following the issuance of a Prior Information Notice (PIN), dated 18 November 2024 (Ref. 2024/S 000-037234), the Authority would like to sincerely thank all suppliers who have expressed an interest in the FADS programme. If you attended the brief on 03 December and would like to provide some feedback, the Authority would be grateful if you could complete the questionnaire linked here

https://forms.office.com/e/9K96GW0B7g

– to provide feedback that will help us improve how we engage with you in the future.

The slide pack shared at the brief is available for viewing via AWARD. To access the documentation, interested suppliers will have to register to AWARD and pass necessary checks in a security gateway. To register, please follow this link – https://award.commercedecisions.com/dsp/web/project/c681dabd-6f69-4130-a815-9a82d6902ca3/register

– and follow the instructions when prompted.

This second notice serves to provide further information regarding the next Market Engagement Event 2 (MEE2): One to Ones.

These sessions will be held on 28, 29 and 30 January 2025.

More information

Previous notice about this procurement

713285451 – Future Air Dominance System (FADS) – RFI – Market Engagement

Early engagement
Published 19 December 2024

Attachments

20241219_FADS- MEE2- RFI_O.pdf
n/a

About the buyer

Address

Ministry of Defence, Defence Equipment and Support

Bristol

BS34 8JH

England

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

20 Dec 24. Published date: 20 December 2024

Open early engagement – This means that a procurement idea is currently active, it is in the early stage of development and judging interest from potential suppliers.

Contract summary

Industry

Tactical command, control and communication systems – 35712000

Location of contract

Any region

Procurement reference tender_478242/1437512

Published date 20 December 2024

Closing date 17 January 2025

Contract is suitable for SMEs? Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs? No

About the buyer

Contact name

Fabiana Milczarek

Address

Mail Point 3008, Ash Level 0, MOD Abbey Wood

Bristol

BS34 8JH

England

Email:

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

13 Jan 25. Britain moves closer to nuclear-powered surface warships. There has been an update on the Royal Navy’s effort to explore nuclear-powered surface ships, building on its earlier Request for Information (RFI) issued last year. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has now invited industrial stakeholders to a workshop at Navy Command HQ in Portsmouth on 20 February 2025 to discuss the feasibility and strategic vision for a novel nuclear-powered navy. According to the updated notice, “This will be an opportunity for the Royal Navy to engage with industrial stakeholders on a novel Nuclear Surface Fleet then seek industry’s view on investigating a plausible strategic vision for a novel nuclear navy focusing on the operational advantages and feasibility of nuclear technology in naval surface applications.” The workshop will focus on validating concepts, identifying research questions, and laying the groundwork for further research and development. The workshop is limited to 50 attendees and is open to industry stakeholders only, with no press or public participation permitted. The MOD, in the announcement, made clear that this engagement does not constitute a pre-qualification exercise, stating, “Any formal procurement process will be undertaken in accordance with the relevant Procurement Law. Nothing in the event shall be construed as a representation as to the Authoritys ultimate decision in relation to any future requirement.” This workshop is a continuation of the Royal Navy’s broader exploration of nuclear technologies for surface ships, initiated with the September 2024 RFI. That RFI sought insights from the defence industry about integrating Generation 4 nuclear reactors into the fleet. The focus was on understanding how advanced reactors—such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)—could improve efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and enhance operational capabilities. The MOD asked industry leaders to provide detailed technical information on reactor designs, power output, safety features, and lifecycle sustainability assessments. The RFI also explored the feasibility of integrating nuclear power into existing and future ship designs, as well as the potential implications for training, crewing, and maintenance. These advanced technologies, designed to be safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly, represent a significant evolution from traditional reactors. They also offer the potential to extend operational range and reduce logistical dependency on fuel supplies, a key advantage in modern naval operations.

While nuclear propulsion has been widely used in submarines, its application to surface ships—common in the U.S. and French navies—represents a new frontier for the UK. Nuclear-powered carriers, such as the U.S. Navy’s Gerald R. Ford-class and France’s Charles de Gaulle, showcase the strategic advantages of extended operational endurance and reduced fuel reliance.

Despite the Royal Navy’s extensive use of nuclear propulsion in its submarines, including the Vanguard and Astute classes, its surface fleet remains conventionally powered.

Call to Industry

The workshop aims to gather further insights from industry experts on the integration of nuclear technologies. Discussions will focus on:

Feasibility of using Generation 4 nuclear reactors in surface ships.
Safety and regulatory considerations.
Environmental and sustainability challenges.
Implications for ship design, crewing, and maintenance.

Participants are required to RSVP by 31 January 2025, with detailed instructions to follow for successful applicants.

(Source: News Now/https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)

09 Jan 25. UK odd one out as European allies commit to the Eurofighter. Germany, Italy, and Spain are all acquiring the latest variant of the Eurofighter jet, but the UK appears unwilling or unable to follow suit. The UK is the only lead nation of the multinational Eurofighter programme not to have placed an order for additional aircraft in 2024, following the commitment to purchase 25 aircraft each by Spain and Italy late last year and Germany’s ongoing Quadriga acquisition. A collaborative effort between Airbus, BAE Systems, Leonardo, and the partner nations of the UK, Germany, Spain, and Italy, the Eurofighter is intended to remain operational beyond 2060. Beginning development in 1989, the first of the Tranche 1 aircraft arrived in service among the core nations from 2003-2005. However, while the UK’s European partners were busy concluding or progressing on the delivery of new aircraft in 2024, the UK’s own commitment to additional airframes appears uncertain.

The German Quadriga programme will see 30 single-seat and eight twin-seat latest generation Tranche 4 Eurofighters acquired to replace 38 older Tranche 1 aircraft, with the aircraft to be delivered between 2025-2030.

Spain’s Halcon programme will deliver 20 new Tranche 4 Eurofighters under Halcon I to the Spanish Air Force from 2026-2030. A follow up agreement for an additional 25 Eurofighters under Halcon II was formally concluded in December 2024.

The same month, Italy confirmed a contract for 24 Eurofighters to replace current in-service Tranche 1 aircraft, with the new variants offering upgrades in avionics, weaponry, and operational capabilities, and will be equipped to handle Brimstone III and Meteor missiles.

The UK is a full Tranche behind, only recently moving to integrate an active electronic scanning array radar (AESA) into its 40 Tranche 3 airframes. Unlike the other Eurofighter partners, the UK has not yet committed to replacing its oldest airframes, with the RAF due to lose its 30 Tranche 1 fighters in 2025, leaving just 107 Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 aircraft in service.

By comparison, the German Air Force operates around 140 Eurofighters and will likely commit to the programme throughout its life span given the level of industrial participation.

GlobalData analysis from 2024 indicates that Italy operates 95 Eurofighter multirole fighters, while Spain has a fleet of 70 aircraft.

New Eurofighter orders needed to sustain industry

In March 2024, Airbus stated that in order to maintain expertise and the capability to develop and produce fighters in Germany and bridge a potential decade-long production gap, an additional order of around 100 new Tranche 5 Eurofighters would be required.

Of these, 50 aircraft will be produced by Airbus in Manching, Germany, with the remaining 50, coming from potential export orders, to be assembled in Italy (Leonardo), Spain (Airbus), and the UK (BAE Systems).

In December 2024, Qatar reportedly came to the rescue of UK industry with the purchase of 12 additional Eurofighters for a fee of around £6bn ($7.4bn), a move that brought some much-needed certainty to BAE Systems’ share of the fighter programme. Qatar is a designated UK export country for the Eurofighter.

It is uncertain whether the UK will look to acquire anymore Eurofighters, with the RAF’s Tranche 1 fleet out of service this year and focus increasingly turning to the sixth-generation Tempest concept, part of the Global Combat Airforce Programme in collaboration with Italy and Japan. UK Minister for Defence Procurement Maria Eagle sought to make light of the situation during a House of Commons question and answer session on 6 January, stating domestic and export orders were “very important” and that the government was “working hard” on unnamed export campaigns.

“The rest of the spend in such matters is part of the [Strategic Defence Review] and once that is completed there will be conclusions. Perhaps it will not be a Christmas present, but… a present at some time later on,” Eagle said. (Source: airforce-technology.com)

09 Jan 25. Royal Navy will iron out MRSS concept by mid-2025. Whereupon the Outline Business Case will determine next steps for contracts awards as the service struggles to maintain a credible surface fleet. Although this comes nearly four years after the class was first announced in the government’s 2021 Defence White Paper, the ships could not come soon enough as Britain’s surface fleet has been culled in that time. Now all that is left to carry the burden of supporting Royal Marines in littoral operations around the world are three civilian-operated Bay-class dock landing ships after the new Labour government announced the retirement of two Albion-class ships in November 2024. Furthermore, it is likely the temporary vessels will need to be upgraded and recertified to fill the capability gap until the first MRSS unit is available in 2033. By that time the Bay-class, which entered service in the mid-2000s, will approach a quarter of a century of active service. Nevertheless, in a parliamentary written response on 9 January 2025, the Minister for Defence Procurement, Maria Eagle, confirmed that an Outline Business Case is underway and is scheduled to be submitted in the middle of this year. The document will “detail the schedule for future contract award milestones” and begin “shifting to the Assessment Phase in 2026.” At present, MRSS in the early conceptual stage. The Royal Navy and Defence Equipment and Support – the procurement arm of the Ministry of Defence – are conducting detailed work on key user requirements, conceptual designs, affordability, and exportability assessments.

High-level discussions between officials in the UK and Dutch governments considered forming a collaborative procurement programme for the MRSS platform at the end of June 2023. However, this depended on reviewing their respective joint requirements and expected timelines.

MRSS concept is a tall order

Six MRSS vessels will replace the decommissioned Albion-class and the ageing Bay-class. This means that the future platform must be highly versatile in replacing the two different classes.

“The Multi-Role Support Ship design will need to incorporate the twin needs of enabling an initial amphibious landing and supporting an extant bridgehead, as well as having a light deck for helicopters, and defensive armament,” observed James Rogers in a report published by the Council of Geostrategy last year.

“The new design would also offer an opportunity to embed an uncrewed system capability, particularly aerial, the potential for amphibious platforms – with their ample space, flight deck, and command and control systems – makes them a promising ‘mothership’ to multiply a variety of systems.”

The report recommended that the government prioritise MRSS to ensure the programme delivers a strong design that fully encapsulates all the capabilities of both classes without significant delay.

With plans set to get a first impression ready by the middle of this year, this will put pressure on the Navy and shipbuilders to deliver an all-encompassing concept. (Source: naval-technology.com)

13 Jan 25. UK MoD issues industry RfI for Light Mobility Vehicle. The LMV would replace in service platforms like the Land Rover and Pinzgauer used across the UK military. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) platform, itself part of the wider Land Mobility Programme (LMP) being undertaken by the British Army in a bid to consolidate disparate vehicle fleet designs. Published on 10 January 2025, the MoD stated a requirement for the production, supply, support, and training for an LMV solution, which would “explore multiple options” including the possible delivery of a wheeled utility platform to modernise capability in roles currently filled by Land Rover and Pinzgauer with a “Common Based Platform”. As part of the process, the MoD has invited industry to participate in a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise in support of the development of its acquisition strategy, looking at areas such as the potential for an Off the Shelf (OTS) solution, and through life costs of ownership. Despite the age of the UK military’s light vehicle fleet, with platforms such as the Land Rover and Pinzgauer many decades old, progress to find replacement options has been slow. As reported in 2024, the British Army is still to formally define the scope of the wider LMP, with the MoD not due to complete the formal change request until February 2025 ahead of an outline business case at some point between March-October the same year. The programme does not include acquisitions being sought under the Light Tactical Mobility Platform (LTMP) Medium and LTMP Light programme, through which the MoD is currently seeking industry responses to the potential purchase of more than 1,000 4×4 and all-terrain vehicles, valued at a combined total of £91.3m.

What LMV prospects for UK industry?

The prospect of an OTS solution for the LMV programme points towards a desire to expedite the procurement process, although the approach could see the acquisition of a non-UK design that involves little to no domestic participation. However, the new UK government has stated a preference towards local manufacture and participation, offering a degree of promise for the country’s commercial and military vehicle suppliers. In late-2024, UK defence vehicle prime Supacat unveiled its tactical Light Mobility Vehicle, intended for use by light role and very-high readiness forces, aimed towards operations with 3 Command Brigade of the Royal Marines or the British Army’s Ranger regiment for any UK requirement. The LMV combines Toyota automotive components with a bespoke chassis and a ‘Combat Cell’ shell and is available in 4×4 or 6×6 configurations. The Combat Cell, developed by Armoured Car Systems in Bavaria, Germany, is configurable depending on mission requirements, and features a crew served main weapon such as a general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) mounted on a 360° slewing ring and commander’s GPMG on a dash mounted swing arm. (Source: army-technology.com)

EUROPE

16 Jan 25. Dassault outlines Rafale deliveries as France eyes upgrades. A total of 30 aircraft were ordered in 2024 for export customers, as the French military looks towards the new F4.1 standard. Providing its annual production update in early January 2025, French aerospace manufacturer Dassault confirmed delivery of 21 Rafale multirole fighters in 2024, compared to 13 aircraft in 2023. Broken down by aircraft for the French Armed Forces versus those destined for international customers, Dassault stated that 14 platforms were for national use in 2024, while seven were intended for export. This compares to 11 Rafales delivered to the French military in 2023, with just two handed over to foreign operators. A total of 30 export orders were confirmed in 2024 for the Rafale fighter, compared to 60 aircraft (42 French, 18 export) in 2023. As of 31 December 2024, Dassault’s Rafale backlog included 220 Rafale (164 export, 56 France) versus 211 units as of 31 December 2023. Dassault Aviation confirmed that it will publish its full annual results on 5 March 2025, including revenue, and value of order intakes and backlog.

France looks to Rafale F4.1 standard

In December 2024 the French DGA confirmed that it had received the 14th and final Rafale scheduled for delivery in the year, representing the 26th aircraft in a batch of 39 airframes intended to be delivered to the French Air and Space Force by 2025. The 40th aircraft will be delivered at the beginning of 2026 for use as a test aircraft. A subsequent production phase of 42 Rafale’s to the F4.1 standard, confirmed in 2023, will see the first deliveries take place from 2027. The F4.1 model provides a range of upgrades and additional capabilities, including the integration of the new helmet sight, improved fire control for use with the Meteor missile, expanded passive threat detections, and boosted datalink exchange. Additional functionalities also provide greater protection against cyber threats and new functions for the Talios designation pod and the RBE2 radar. All Rafales of the French Air and Space Force and the French Navy will gradually be retrofitted to the F4 standard. (Source: airforce-technology.com)

15 Jan 25. Airbus CEO says Europe’s two fighter jet programmes could combine. Airbus (AIR.PA) CEO Guillaume Faury said he could see the two separate European programmes working on new fighter jets and combat air systems being combined in future or at least designed to work together. Britain, Italy and Japan said in December they were setting up a joint company to develop, design and build an advanced stealth jet, named GCAP, while France, Germany and Spain are working on the rival FCAS project. Defence experts have long speculated that there is not enough money or potential orders for the rival programmes. Faury said on Wednesday that some form of combination would make sense. “I think there’s really room to do things in a smart way,” Faury told reporters. “Each and every country could contribute its financial and technological capacity to a bigger programme for Europe, because that’s what we need at the end.” (Source: Google/Reuters)

14 Jan 25. EOS and AMEXCI, Together with Saab, Part of SQ2020 Industrial Participation. Squadron 2020 is a project of the Finnish Navy. Its aim is to replace the seven vessels the Navy will decommission. Four modern corvettes will be procured to replace the vessels to be decommissioned. A multi-role corvette is a surface combatant capable of conducting effectively the range of Navy tasks at sea all year round. A large part of the Navy’s tasks and operations are conducted at sea. As part of Squadron 2020 Industrial Participation, AMEXCI and EOS, together with Saab, will develop new capabilities to manufacture demanding defense components in Finland with metal additive manufacturing (AM). The project focuses on developing AM solutions both for spare parts and new product development. New and enhanced competencies will contribute to improving the overall security of supply in Finland. Additive Manufacturing can enable spare part production for the Finnish Defense Forces (FDF) and critical industries, as well as the rapid deployment of new innovative equipment. The project participants are industry forerunners in their respective areas of expertise. AMEXCI is a leading metal Additive Manufacturing service provider, with a high-quality 3D-printing production and know-how on developing AM solutions for our customers. EOS is the world leading company in Metal Additive Manufacturing solutions, with a deep understanding of materials and process development as well as quality assurance. Saab has successfully implemented metal Additive Manufacturing in its production processes. By transferring its technological expertise, Saab serves as an excellent partner in fostering new competencies within Finnish industries.

Statement from Finnish Defense Forces (FDF): “The project increases the capabilities of domestic industries in designing and manufacturing components for challenging military environments using AM. The Finnish Defense Forces sees the project as fulfilling the needs and supporting the interest of national military defense and security of supply.”

Johannes Karjalainen, Managing Director, AMEXCI: “I’m thrilled to be involved in developing new technologies and creating novel Nordic collaboration with Saab and EOS. I believe our new competencies developed within this project will be beneficial for many companies and stakeholders, and it will strengthen Finnish supply chain resilience in challenging situations.”

Paula Kainu, Senior Metal Solutions Architect, EOS: “Over the years, we have developed comprehensive know-how on AM materials with an extensive material data bank, which we will leverage in this project. By combining our extensive experience with the specific application requirements, we can develop an AM solution that perfectly fits. Not only advancing this project but adding value to many companies alike.”

10 Jan 25. Serbia cancels Russian arms deals amid Ukraine war, Western sanctions. Serbia, one of Moscow’s staunchest allies in Europe, has been forced to cancel a number of contracts to purchase Russian weapons, according to Gen. Milan Mojsilović, the chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces. As international sanctions continue to pressure Moscow, Belgrade is now shopping for military gear in other countries, such as Israel and China, but also in the West.

“When it comes to weapon deliveries from the Russian Federation, they are currently practically impossible. We are trying to find a way through diplomatic channels to overcome the newly created situation,” Mojsilović told local daily Večernje Novosti.

“We have terminated some contracts, and postponed some in the hope that the situation in international relations at global level will normalize and allow the implementation of the contracts,” Mojsilović said, indirectly referring to the war in Ukraine and the resulting sanctions on Russia.

The general did not specify what types of weapons were covered by the deals Belgrade decided to scrap or delay.

At the same time, Serbia’s military has “found a way to ensure a sustainable and flexible system of supplying spare parts and maintaining military equipment, even under the conditions of sanctions against Moscow” for its existing stocks of Soviet- and Russia-designed equipment, the general said.

While remaining outside NATO and pursuing a policy of military neutrality, Serbia has expressed interest in joining the European Union. In October 2024, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated his country was determined to “accelerate” its efforts to become an EU member state. This nuanced policy towards the West has pushed Belgrade to distance itself from Russia’s defense industry, all while awarding major military contracts to European companies. These include Serbia’s purchase of 12 Rafale fighter jets from France. Meanwhile, the Serbian government is also advancing military collaboration with Israel. In November 2024, Israel’s Elbit Systems announced that it was awarded deals worth around $335m to deliver PULS rocket artillery systems and Hermes 900 drones to an unnamed European client. Earlier this month, Israeli daily Haaretz reported those contracts came from Serbia, whose industry supplies ammunition to the Israel Defense Forces. At the same time, the Serbian authorities are investing in developing their ties with China. Belgrade recently announced the Chinese-made FK-3 air defense systems are now in service with the country’s Air Force. (Source: Defense News)

USA

14 Jan 25. The Pentagon’s ‘Replicator’ drone bonanza faces an uncertain future. In a speech last August, Kathleen Hicks listed the two most common questions about Replicator, her two-year pledge to buy thousands of drones and help the U.S. military compete with China.

“When we launched Replicator, a common refrain I heard was: ‘Can it work?’ These days I’m more likely to hear: ‘Will it stick?’” said Hicks, the deputy secretary of defense.

That second question soon won’t be hers to answer.

Since she first unveiled Replicator a year and a half ago, it’s nearly become a trademark. Hicks has sat in all of the Pentagon’s major meetings on it. She’s read every story published about the program, prepared in files from her staff. And she’s called its success a referendum on her leadership.

Senior Pentagon officials interviewed for this story said the program is on schedule largely through her effort. Now, as Hicks leaves office, the question is whether it can survive without her.

Republicans and Democrats have applauded the idea behind Replicator. To compete with China, they argue, the Pentagon needs cutting-edge weapons much faster. Hence, aides in Congress and executives at drone firms said they expect it to endure — albeit with changes.

And after 16 months, many officials working on the program outside the Pentagon say the biggest change it needs is size. Hicks made the bet to start Replicator, no small feat in a risk-averse bureaucracy, they acknowledged. But without more funding and more weapons on order, it won’t reach its true promise: a military nimble enough for the future of war.

“I would like to think that years from now, we would look back and say, ‘Yes, this began with the Biden administration,” said Chris Brose, an executive at the drone and software firm Anduril. “However, the real scale that this got to was delivered by his successors.”

‘Magnitude’

By early 2023, the problem was clear.

The year before, Russia had started a war with Ukraine dominated by trench warfare, artillery and increasingly drones. Both sides were building them in huge numbers to target, spy and attack at once, known in the military as “swarms.”

But these weren’t American drones. Instead, Ukraine’s soldiers were mostly buying and then tweaking their weapons from DJI, a Chinese company controlling 90% of the consumer market. U.S. firms weren’t only behind on building the weapons; their equipment wasn’t even needed.

“We know we have a problem on the production side: that DJI has just taken off with the international market. We needed to build out — we still do need to build out — that American industry,” Hicks said in an interview.

The deputy is close to the ultimate Pentagon insider. She took her first job in the building at the age of 23. And her habits reflect its culture of productivity. Hicks regularly schedules her day in 15-minute slots, she reads books on better managing her time and she returns hundreds of pages of reading to her staff each week marked with detailed notes.

So as the problem emerged, Hicks thought about how the Pentagon, internally, could solve it. American companies were indeed making high-tech drones. But the supply was small — in large part because the Pentagon was a picky customer. The period between signing a contract and actually getting equipment to troops often lasts more than 10 years.

The issue wasn’t just for Ukraine.

Hicks had entered office saying her top challenge was China, a country so large it could outpace America’s ability to build almost anything.

“It was the magnitude of all of the things,” said Mike Horowitz, a former top Pentagon policy official involved in Replicator, who listed out China’s ability to build a range of weapons: ships, submarines, drones, missiles. “They’re doing all of them simultaneously.”

Over the course of 2023, Hicks had been visiting Indo-Pacific Command, which oversees U.S. forces across the region, to watch troops experiment and exercise with new technology. She saw the need for more weapons that could punch above their weight. And she decided that if the Pentagon wasn’t buying enough of these already, she would make it.

In August that year, she took to the stage at a conference in downtown Washington and pledged two things. The Pentagon would field thousands of affordable drones within two years. And it would learn how to buy such weapons faster along the way.

Hicks called the two-part program Replicator, named after a gun from Star Trek that can form matter from thin air.

‘WD-40′

At first, other people in the Pentagon and Congress — largely unaware that the program was coming — had different names for it. Some called it confusing. Others worried it was a flash in the pan. Overall, the consensus at first was that Replicator was a good idea but that people couldn’t tell whether it was more than that.

“We had a candid conversation” before the announcement, said a senior defense official involved in the effort with Hicks, granted anonymity to talk freely. “I said we’re probably gonna get our asses kicked for eight to nine months in the press. Are you ready?”

Part of the skepticism came from how little Hicks’ team shared about the program after launching it. Because she didn’t want the idea choked by bureaucratic thorns, the deputy announced it without a full plan to discuss it publicly. Even more, her staff wasn’t entirely sure how it would work.

“My Italian family uses WD-40 for literally everything. — it’s like you have a cut [use] WD-40. So when we zoomed out, there were all these great innovation gears [inside the Pentagon] but some of them were a little squeaky,” the official said.

Replicator was meant to make these all click into place.

Atop the effort was the Defense Innovation Unit, tasked with bringing high-tech weapons into the military. Along with Hicks’ staff, it surveyed the different parts of the Pentagon from the Army to the Air Force, asking what drones would matter most for a fight with China and what they could buy the fastest.

At the same time, the team was working with military leaders in the Pacific and Congress, which later agreed to free up half a bn dollars for the effort (the same number made it into the next defense budget, which Congress has yet to pass).

In the year since, the Pentagon has announced several systems selected for the program: mostly underwater vehicles, small flying drones and loitering munitions meant to explode on impact. This last group will make up the bulk of the program, a congressional aide said. Of the 2,500 to 3,000 systems the Pentagon plans to deliver, over half will be the Switchblade 600, a kamikaze drone.

Hicks argued these results helped change the narrative.

“Replicator really depended on having that reputational advantage internally to make it happen. Now the Hill and the press — that reputational advantage probably needed to prove out another year. I think we’ve done that by just putting our heads down,” she said.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks observes a Defense Innovation Unit site walkthrough in Mountain View, California, Dec. 12, 2023. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza)

‘Dress rehearsal’

In a meeting last fall, another Pentagon official working on the program remembers getting goosebumps. Military leaders in the room were planning a Replicator “dress rehearsal” for early 2025 — a drill meant to prove how the weapons could all work together.

“There was this moment where we all realized how real this is,” said the official. It had gone from an idea to a table of the nation’s top officers.

Since Hicks announced the program, it’s earned real staying power. Officials across Washington cite it as an example of how to jolt America’s slow bureaucracy. And military leaders in the Pacific have been happy to have someone advocating for their priorities.

Last fall, the Pentagon announced a second version of the program, this time focused on protecting American bases from incoming drones — a problem on display across the Middle East since Israel’s war began in Gaza.

But the drill this year is also a sign of the issues Replicator has yet to address. For one, the military is still deciding where to station the drones, which so far have been relatively short-range and would struggle to enter a fight. The answer is likely to put them on ships, said Adm. Sam Papapro, the head of Indo-Pacific Command, at an event last November.

Military leaders are trying to make sure the drones can resist jamming — a huge problem in Ukraine — and how to make the weapons operate in synchrony. They’re also trying to decide how to sustain the weapons, since these drones are meant to be “attritable,” the Pentagon’s version of a plastic fork and knife compared to silverware.

“We’re now going from just buying the system to actually using it in an operationally relevant environment and assessing changes we need to make,” said Bryan Clark, a former Navy officer and analyst at the Hudson Institute, where he follows the program closely.

‘A solvable problem’

These tests won’t address the largest critique often leveled at Replicator: that it didn’t wasn’t big enough. China has huge stores of weapons, beyond what Horowitz listed earlier, and they’re growing. Thousands of relatively small drones won’t tip the military scales.

“The PRC has got 2,100 fighters, they’ve got three aircraft carriers, they have a battle force of 200 destroyers. Well, Roger, we’ve got a couple of drones,” Paparo said in November, using the common abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China.

Hicks staffers bristle at this critique. Replicator, they argue, was never meant to be the Pentagon’s only insurance program for a war with China. It was meant to teach the Pentagon a new way of doing business. Even more, it wasn’t like there were bns of extra dollars lying around for the program. Starting Replicator at its current scale was hard enough given how much the Pentagon bureaucracy can resist change.

“What Replicator did was juice the system and show that this is a solvable problem,” Horowitz said.

Indeed, Hicks and other top Pentagon officials say this effort is only one part in a much larger engine designed to get the military more advanced weapons.

In an interview last month, the head of Pentagon research and engineering explained the point by pulling out a complicated flow chart, illustrating how the Defense Department brings a new weapon on board.

“There’s the entire ecosystem. This is how we fit together. It isn’t [that] only one piece of the puzzle is important and the rest is irrelevant,” said Heidi Shyu, tracing the Replicator section of the chart with her finger.

Even critics accepted this argument: They could blame Replicator for not being something it was never meant to be. But Brose, the executive at Anduril, also said that the program’s scope should factor into its legacy. If the U.S. needed a true crash program to help defend Taiwan, or other parts of the Pacific, then Replicator may have missed the moment, even if it’s on track to meet its goals.

Still, that doesn’t mean they don’t want it to stick around. The Pentagon, at least, expects it to.

“Initiatives change names all the time,” the first official said. (Source: glstrade.com/Military Times)

10 Jan 25. Cuashub.com said today that US Major calls for lightweight drone interceptor to protect Marines. Major Jason Dempsey, Counter-UAS and GBAD Capabilities Integration Officer for the US Marine Corps, highlighted the urgent need for portable counter-UAS systems during his presentation at the Counter-UAS Technology USA conference. Maj. Dempsey provided an overview of the Marine Corps’ current capabilities and the critical gaps that remain.

Maj. Dempsey emphasized the evolving threat posed by small unmanned systems in modern warfare: “We know the threat. The threat has evolved. We have seen that the threat is dropping bombs into a tank’s hell hole. We have seen that troops are actually being attacked by these small, group one UAS that are a couple hundred dollars [and when equipped with] a mason jar, a grenade and a diode, you can have close air support.” Major Jason Dempsey, US Marine Corps

He described the Marine Corps’ efforts to address these threats, including the development of various integrated systems such as the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) and the Light MADIS, as well as fixed-site and medium-range intercept capabilities.

Deconflicting the airspace

There have also been efforts underway to enhance airspace awareness and ensure that the Marines can accurately identify hostile UAS when they appear and prevent friendly UAS being mistakenly shot down. The intent is to implement an “amber alert” system that enables geofencing of the environment to avoid unnecessary alerts for troops on the ground. Maj. Dempsey compared the problem to that of alerts from home security systems.

“Does anyone have a home security system? I do, you start getting pinged and you start ignoring it. We can’t do that. I need to be able to say this is a threat, it’s in your close proximity and you need to be able to take action on it while another unit is kicking in doors on the other block. But they don’t know what’s happening over there, because they don’t need to know, it’s not within their battle space,” he said.

However, Maj. Dempsey pointed to a critical need for dismounted counter-UAS solutions that are lightweight, easy to use, and effective against aerial threats without adding significant burden to Marines in the field. He noted that there is a key distinction between man-portable and dismounted systems.

“There’s a big difference between man-portable and dismounted. Man-portable, after a mile, I’m probably exhausted. Dismounted, I can walk that 25 miles if the battalion requires me to.”

A tiered approach

The Marine Corps is taking a tiered approach with “packages” that increase capability at each echelon. Maj Dempsey dived into the requirements for packages one, two and three.

Package one

Package one focuses on the individual Marine, particularly those stationed at entry control points or on short watches.

“That Marine on the deck has a phone, has a watch, and if they get indications of warnings, it will tell him where to point his weapon system if he needs to go kinetic,” Maj. Dempsey explained.

The Marines are looking at RF detection systems, passive detection systems, and acoustic detection systems to provide real-time alerts. However, Maj Dempsey also stressed that they want to maximize the use of existing weapons, such as the M4 and M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle.

“The last thing a Marine needs is another weapon system,” he said, but added, “If you can allow me the ability to kill the bad guy and kill a drone, we’d be willing to entertain another weapon system.”

Major Jason Dempsey, US Marine Corps

Package two

For package two, the focus shifts to small units requiring enhanced detection capabilities.

“You’re looking at EO/IR [electro-optical/infrared] and maybe a small radar that allows them to have both an active detection system and passive detection system, as well as the RF detection system,” Maj. Dempsey said.

The biggest gap, however, remains the lack of short-range interceptors. “I need the ability to kill these damn things,” he said. “Whether that ties into a different radar, or whether it has its own organic ability to detect the system and kill the threat, that is on industry to help us out.”

Package three

For package three, which focuses on vehicle-mounted or fixed-site capabilities, modularity is key.

“[We need] the ability to have both a fixed-site tower and a tripod capability, and be able to put it on a vehicle, [and take it] off very quickly,” he explained. “[For example, if] my engineers are rebuilding a bridge, they can drive up, their vehicles already have these capabilities on the system. And if those trucks need to go away, they just put it on a tripod and keep going.”

The need for a dismounted interceptor

Maj. Dempsey also highlighted the importance of equipping dismounted forces with the tools to detect, track and engage enemy drones while maintaining their operational flexibility. This is particularly key when considering the prevalence of jam-resistant drones such as those being deployed in Ukraine.

“We know where the threat is going,” he warned. “RF detection systems are becoming more obsolete. If I utilize a C2 dark drone, where it’s utilizing AI, ML or image recognition, I can’t jam that. I need to be able to kill it, shoot it out of the sky, and that’s where a short-range interceptor comes into play.”

“I need Marines that have the ability to not necessarily conduct air defense, but conduct self-defense against the aerial threat. I need a short-range interceptor that I can launch like a football, for lack of better terms, and go intercept that threat. The system needs to be lightweight, easy to use, easy to train and MOS agnostic.”

Major Jason Dempsey, US Marine Corps

As the Marine Corps continues to refine its requirements for these capabilities, Maj. Dempsey called on industry to provide innovative solutions.

“The program office has the flexibility, if I have a capability that has more lethality, it’s smaller, lightweight and more than anything, has a higher probability of kill. They have the flexibility where I don’t have to write a requirement. They just go and buy the new system.”

https://cuashub.com/en/content/us-major-calls-for-lightweight-drone-interceptor-to-protect-marines/ (Source: https://cuashub.com/)

09 Jan 25. Air Force reboots $12bn systems integration contract. The Air Force has gone back to square one in its effort to modernize a major ballistic missile system. Guidehouse and BAE Systems traded wins for the Integration Support Contract 2.0 contract, with each company protesting when the other won. For the last protest won by BAE in late June, the Government Accountability Office gave the Air Force the option to start over if it felt the solicitation no longer met its needs. The Air Force released a sources sought notice on Tuesday that kicks off the development of a new solicitation for the estimated $12 bn contract that will run for 18 years. ISC 2.0 is part of a massive Air Force effort to replace its Minuteman III missiles, with Northrop Grumman building the new Sentinel missile system that is also called the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent. The contract covers sustainment services for the Minuteman missiles and its retirement, as well as support the deployment of Sentinel. BAE is the incumbent contractor supporting Minuteman III. That intercontinental ballistic missile was first fielded in 1970 and initially had an expected lifespan of 10 years. The new sources sought notice describes four challenges the Air Force wants to address: modernization of legacy systems, evolving mission requirements, complex systems engineering and integration, and cost and schedule discipline. Some of the specific services they are looking for include systems engineering and integration, program and lifecycle support, data and analysis, and acquisition support. The Air Force also wants cybersecurity and IT support. The document also describes needs such as finance and budget management, security, nuclear safety, and construction and infrastructure support. The Air Force says it is open to small business primes. But given the scope of services and needs, this will be another battle of large businesses. Comments are due Feb. 8. (Source: glstrade.com/https://www.washingtontechnology.com/)

REST OF THE WORLD

16 Jan 25. Japan passes record defense budget, while still playing catch-up. While Japan’s Cabinet has approved a record defense budget for 2025, the 13th growth year in a row, Tokyo’s military posture vis-à-vis regional threats remains a work on progress, according a U.S. analyst. Grant Newsham, senior research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies, told Defense News that “decades of pathological dependence” on the United States have left Japan’s military “a stunted force not really able to operate efficiently or effectively in most cases.” This is at a time when Japan perceives unprecedented external threats. The government’s 2024 iteration of its annual Defense of Japan white paper noted, “Japan is facing the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II.” Japan is alarmed by China intruding into its southwestern archipelago, and it regards Russia and North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs as serious risks.

Newsham noted, “I think Japan recognizes and understands the seriousness of the threats it faces from China, North Korea and Russia. Ukraine really spurred Japanese awareness – figuring that Taiwan was next, with everything that would portend for Japan’s security.”

Yet the former U.S. Marine Corps officer warned the threat perception has yet to manifest itself fully in defense programs. “This hasn’t, however, translated into a Japan Self-Defense Force that’s organized and capable of fighting a war – despite having some niche capabilities that would be very helpful if employed in support of U.S. forces,” he said.

Approved on Dec. 27, 2024, the upcoming defense budget beginning April 1 is up 9.4% to a record 8.7tn yen, the equivalent of $55.1bn.

The FY2025 defense budget is higher than the 8.54trn yen requested last September, because it adds 123.8bn yen for a new communications satellite to replace the Kirameki-2 that will retire in 2030.

Stand-off weapons are a priority, with 939bn yen allocated to items such as ground- and sea-launched Type 12 anti-ship missiles, hyper-velocity gliding projectiles for island defense, and development of submarine-launched missiles.

Considerable funds are being spent overseas for Kongsberg’s Joint Strike Missile for Japan’s F-35A fighters, Tomahawk cruise missiles to arm destroyers, and extended-range Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missiles (JASSM-ER) for F-15 fighters.

On Jan. 15, the U.S. State Department approved a $39 million sale of 16 JASSM-ERs, following an approval for 50 such missiles in Aug. 2023.

However, depreciation of the yen is adversely impacting Japan’s overseas purchases. As a result, Tokyo paid 123.9bn yen more in fiscal 2023 for U.S.-sourced Foreign Military Sales equipment than it had originally assumed.

Other upcoming imports include two MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones and six American-manufactured V-BAT drones to operate from Japanese warships.

Integrated air and missile defense is a priority for Japan too, with 533 billion yen allotted to various interceptor missiles and mobile reconnaissance radars in places like Okinawa, where thousands of American troops are based.

Describing Tokyo’s ongoing security reliance on the U.S., Newsham said, “The Americans and Japanese either hang together or hang separately, paraphrasing Ben Franklin. The Americans might have a chance alone against the Chinese, but it would be tough. The Japanese have no chance at all.” (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)

16 Jan 25. South Korea to refit KDX-II destroyers with local combat management system. South Korea has announced plans to refit its Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin (KDX-II)-class guided-missile destroyers with a locally developed combat management system (CMS) as part of the vessels’ modernisation programme. In a statement released on 15 January, the country’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) revealed that these warships will be upgraded to enhance their ability to protect the country’s sea lines of communication. The Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) operates a fleet of six KDX-II destroyers and the warships were commissioned between 2003 and 2008. All six vessels are equipped with a CMS that has been supplied by a Samsung-BAeSEMA collaboration. BAeSEMA is in turn a British-French technology joint venture that has since been dissolved. This CMS incorporates elements derived from the Thales TACTICOS system. To develop the system, DAPA held a meeting with South Korean defence systems company Hanwha, the former disclosed in its statement on 15 January. In addition to its CMS, South Korea is seeking to upgrade the class’s sonar and fire-control systems. Details on these were not provided by DAPA in its statement but the country is known to have made a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) request to the United States for modified MK 99 fire-control system (FCS) cabinets. This FMS request has been approved by Washington and this approval was announced by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in December 2024. (Source: Janes)

15 Jan 25. India’s indigenous defense manufacturing prowess demonstrated by commissioning of three naval assets, says GlobalData. Following the news on simultaneous commissioning of three indigenously built naval assets by the Indian Navy;

Rithik Rao, Aerospace & Defense Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view: “The commissioning of INS Surat, INS Nilgiri, and INS Vagsheer marks a significant milestone in India’s shipbuilding and design capabilities, highlighting the country’s steadfast commitment to achieving self-reliance in defense manufacturing. Armed with advanced weaponry such as BrahMos and Barak-8 missiles, both INS Surat and INS Nilgiri provide the Indian Navy with enhanced anti-surface and anti-air warfare capabilities, excelling in both offensive and defensive roles. INS Vagsheer, being the last of the current batch of Kalvari-class diesel-electric submarines, excels in a range of operations, including anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, and area surveillance. Together, these domestically built platforms demonstrate India’s growing competence in developing cutting-edge naval technologies, thereby strengthening its maritime security and reinforcing its strategic autonomy in defense production. The increasing maritime presence of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy) in the Indian Ocean Region has underscored the need for India to bolster its naval capacity. The country is trying to catch up with its Chinese counterparts in terms of quantity and technology advancements. Consequently, the Indian Navy has been placing greater emphasis on improved capabilities of its new inductees with state-of-the-art sensors and weapon systems, aligning with a broader operational and force-level strategy. This also enables India to fulfill its responsibility towards maritime security & stability in the region.

“According to Global Data’s report “India Defense Market Size, Trends, Budget Allocation, Regulations, Acquisitions, Competitive Landscape and Forecast to 2029,” India is forecast to spend $35.2bn on the procurement of various types of indigenously built naval vessels and submarines. This substantial investment reflects the country’s ambition to cultivate a robust and resilient defense industrial base.

“Shipbuilders such as Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) stand to benefit significantly, leveraging the expertise gained from constructing complex naval platforms. Such advancements will lay a strong foundation for future collaborations between major domestic defense contractors and many small and medium suppliers in upcoming next-generation submarine and naval vessel construction programs, ensuring the Indian Navy remains well-equipped to meet evolving challenges in the upcoming decades.” (Source: GlobalData) Media Centre

14 Jan 25. ADSB Launches First Vessel in Prestigious FALAJ 3 Programme. EDGE Group entity Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB), the regional leader in the design, construction, repair, maintenance, refit, and conversion of naval and commercial vessels, celebrated a significant milestone with the launch of the first FALAJ 3 class vessel during a ceremony held at the ADSB shipyard. This launch marks a pivotal phase in fulfilling the contract with the Ministry of Defence (MOD), paving the way for an advanced fleet of vessels designed to enhance national defence capabilities. Under the patronage of Rear Admiral Pilot Staff Major General Sheikh Saeed bin Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Commander of the UAE Naval Forces, the ceremony brought together dignitaries, military officials, and senior EDGE and ADSB leadership to commemorate the vessel’s debut.

David Massey, CEO of ADSB, said: “The launch of the first FALAJ3 vessel reinforces ADSB’s expertise in shipbuilding and represents a major step forward in delivering cutting-edge, highly sophisticated vessels equipped with the latest mission systems and advanced armament. This addition to ADSB’s capabilities and extensive product portfolio underscores our commitment to supporting the strategic objectives of the Ministry of Defence. As we deepen this partnership, we remain focused on driving innovation and excellence to meet the evolving needs of the nation’s defence landscape.” (Source: Defense Arabia)

08 Jan 25. Asia-Pacific nations boost amphibious naval fleets to repel China. Navies across the Asia-Pacific region are boosting amphibious capabilities in an effort to protect their complex coastlines, as China continues its flex its military muscle in the region. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), for example, is set to receive 10 new landing craft by the end of Fiscal Year 2027. This includes two 3,500-ton Logistics Support Vessels (LSV), four 2,400-ton Landing Craft Utility (LCU) and four smaller Maneuver Support Vessels. Japanese shipbuilder Naikai Zosen launched the first LSV on Nov. 28, and the first LCU on Oct. 29. All these vessels will join a joint Maritime Transport Group being established next March, and will help support the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, Japan’s equivalent of a marine corps. Tokyo is alarmed at the vulnerability of its southwest archipelago to Chinese intrusion. The military said, “In light of the current severe security environment, the JGSDF will steadily build transport vessels to strengthen transport functions to islands.” Australia is charting the same course as it rapidly overhauls its amphibious capacity with 18 new Landing Craft Medium (LCM) and eight Landing Craft Heavy (LCH). Last year’s Defence Strategic Review mandated greatly improved littoral capabilities. The LCMs, designed by Birdon Group, carry 90 tons of cargo, while the larger LCHs displace 3,900 tons. On Nov. 22, Canberra announced the LST 100 design from Damen Shipyards had been selected for the LCH. Austal will build all LCMs and LCHs in Western Australia.

Australia’s chief of Army, Lt. Gen. Simon Stuart, said: “Our plan is to have the first medium in the water by the end of 2026, the first heavy by the end of 2028. That means we’ve got to work with industry and make sensible compromises to get the capability, which will be a step change above anything we’ve currently got.”

The Australian government said the craft “will support a strategy of denial, which includes deploying and sustaining modernized land forces with long-range land and maritime strike capabilities across our region.”

Elsewhere, the Philippines already has two Tarlac-class landing platform dock (LPD) vessels, and PT PAL in Indonesia is building another two following a 2022 contract.

To be delivered to the Philippine navy in 2026, these LPDs are useful for moving units around the Philippine archipelago, including its existing South China Sea bases. Manila is currently facing Chinese pressure in this maritime territory.

Taiwan commissioned the domestically built LPD Yushan in September 2022. This 10,000-ton vessel cannot help counter a full-scale Chinese invasion, but it can support mine countermeasures, resupply offshore islands and support amphibious landings.

India is dragging the chain in terms of improving its limited amphibious sealift. The Indian Navy issued a request for information for four LPDs in 2021, but little more has occurred since.

Navantia of Spain teamed up with Larsen & Toubro to offer the Juan Carlos I platform. However, amphibious vessels are competing for funding against submarines and other surface combatants. Plus, India’s land borders with China and Pakistan are mired in tensions. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)

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IEE is ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified.

IEE’s Advantage:

Direct control of critical process steps that reduce cost, decrease production lead times and improves life-cycle management
Unique advantage to serve to both smaller quantity, highly custom displays needs as well as high volume production outputs
Expert in delivering the best value in form and fit replacement by modifying existing COTS products to meet legacy requirements
Leading the next generation avionics efficiencies by leveraging open architectures and common software standards
Field-proven, pre-engineered displays minimize lead-time and non-recurring engineering costs.

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INTERNATIONAL PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES

January 10, 2025 by

Sponsored by

https://ieeinc.com/

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UNITED KINGDOM

10 Jan 25. UK LMV RFI. The UK Ministry of Defence has a requirement for the production, supply, in-service support and training for a Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV). The Ministry of Defence has a requirement for the production, supply, in-service support and training for a Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) as part of the Land Mobility Programme (LMP).

LMV will explore multiple options including delivery of a wheeled utility platform to modernise capability in roles currently filled by Land Rover and Pinzgauer with a Common Based Platform delivering warfighting roles across the Joint Force.

As part of this option analysis, the Authority is inviting industry to participate in a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise in support of the development of our acquisition strategy. Specifically, we seek information from industry to help us:

Establish the potential for an Off The Shelf (OTS) solution to meet the LMV requirement.
Obtain a greater awareness of what the market can currently provide to inform the LMV requirement.
To inform through life cost and cost of ownership.
To potentially inform further pre market engagement activity.

This Request for Information has been issued to enable industry to receive the PME and to respond within a specific timeline.

¤ Next Steps ~ Any suppliers who have an interest in this PME should express an interest to: DES-LandMobilityProgramme-LightM[at]mod[dot]gov[dot]uk (Source: joint-forces.com)

EUROPE

08 Jan 25. Rafale jets, submarines push France’s defense exports to $19bn in 2024. French defense export orders had their second-best year ever in 2024, rising to more than €18bn (US$18.6bn) on demand for Rafale fighter jets and submarines, Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu told troops in his traditional New Year’s address in Paris on Tuesday. Lecornu called for 2025 to be a new record year, driven by exports of surface vessels, submarines, radars, artillery, helicopters and yet more Rafale jets. Export efforts will also focus on the latest version of the French-Italian SAMP/T air-defense system, which the minister said is fundamental to defending against future ballistic-missile threats, particularly from Iran and Russia. France counts on exports to help pay for what it calls strategic autonomy, allowing the country to maintain capabilities such as building an entire fighter jet or nuclear-powered submarine, with an economy a fraction that of the United States or China. France was the second-largest arms shipper in the 2019-2023 period after the United States, accounting for 11% of global arms exports, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

“Exporting our weapons is vital to developing our defense industrial and technological base,” Lecornu said. “It is just as vital for our trade balance, and for creating jobs throughout France. But it is also a prerequisite for our sovereignty.”

Last year’s orders included nearly €10 billion for Dassault Aviation’s Rafale jet and Naval Group submarines, according to Lecornu. France’s overall defense export orders more than doubled from €8.2bn in 2023, after a record €27 billion in 2022.

Separately, Dassault Aviation reported export orders for 30 Rafale fighters in 2024 from 18 a year earlier. Export deliveries rose to seven aircraft from two, on total deliveries of 21 Rafale jets in 2024 and 13 a year earlier.

Lecornu warned the government’s failure to pass a 2025 budget last year in a divided parliament threatens France’s ability to fund the military sufficiently. He called on lawmakers to assume their legislative responsibility, saying the armed forces should “at the very least” receive the budget set out in the 2024-2030 military spending law “to ensure France’s real military effectiveness.”

The annual defense budget increase of €3bn over the planning period should seen as a floor, “certainly not a ceiling,” the minister said. With security threats mounting, “we must not weaken.”

Arms production is rising in countries at war and authoritarian regimes, but also the large democratic powers, some of which are allies and export competitors alike, according to the minister. France is “only at the beginning” of reaching the level of a true war economy, despite this being essential to the survival of the country’s sovereign defense industry, Lecornu said.

“The war economy we are implementing should also make our defense industry more competitive on the export market, particularly in terms of lead times and prices, when there is a brutal competition being played out as the world rearms itself.” Lecornu has previously said that slow delivery times have caused French firms to lose orders to foreign rivals.

European Union plans to support the defense industry are useful but shouldn’t result in European taxpayers’ money being spent on producing American equipment under license, the minister argued. The latter might provide “the illusion of European autonomy” but would put the continent at the mercy of a potential strategic U-turn by its U.S. ally, according to Lecornu.

EU countries must remain sovereign in defining operational and capability requirements, Lecornu said. The European Commission’s role should be to speed up and simplify the development of European defense industries, “not to take the place of member states by creating additional complexities or constraints.”

The minister called on manufacturers to take more risks in weapons innovation, rather than count on the government to pay for new projects. “Where there is a market, there is by definition an economic model to be found, and the taxpayer alone cannot be systematically called upon in any form of precondition.”

French priorities in 2025 will include deployment of artificial intelligence throughout the defense department, starting in operational intelligence and cyber. The goal is to make AI available for all operational uses, including in anti-drone warfare, operational decision making, fire control for terrestrial robots and piloting aids for fighter jets, Lecornu said.

“The year 2025 should allow us to move up a gear and make France one of the world’s leading countries in the field of military artificial intelligence.”

France is also betting on quantum technologies, which will have a major impact on how war is waged, according to Lecornu. The armed forces will deploy quantum inertial units in submarines and Rafale jets, and quantic atomic clocks in its satellites.

Space will also be key in 2025, with the first commercial flight of the Ariane 6 launcher lifting the military surveillance satellite CSO-3 into orbit. France plans to organize a military space summit in the first half to bring together the French space industry and prioritize the military’s needs.

Drones will be another area of focus, with France seeking to ensure that “every Army unit, every Navy surface vessel or every aircraft of the Air and Space Force” has its accompanying drones and corresponding anti-drone system. Industry must move quickly and, if necessary, turn to existing, cheap, off-the-shelf systems rather than going through years of development and certification, Lecornu said. “The situation is urgent, and here too, only results will count.”

France isn’t where it needs to be in terms of anti-drone electronic warfare, and Lecornu said he expects a leap forward in this area in 2025. “Where drones are present, they must be mirrored by electronic warfare capabilities, either for jamming or detection. All our platforms and forward bases will be targets tomorrow, and must have their own electronic warfare capabilities.” (Source: Defense News)

07 Jan 25. Sweden Faces Crucial Decision on Future of Fighter Jets: Will Saab Continue Development or Explore New Options?

A Pivotal Moment for Sweden’s Fighter Jet Development: A Look Back and Forward

The last critical discussion regarding the direction of Sweden’s fighter aircraft took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During this time, the government, led by Prime Minister Ola Ullsten, was contemplating the discontinuation of fighter jet development in Sweden. This decision was on the verge of being finalized, which would have significantly altered the trajectory of Sweden’s aerospace industry.

Martin Lundmark, a lecturer at the Swedish Defence University, reflects on this pivotal moment. “It was actually quite close to the point where the development of the first version of the Gripen was set to begin. It wasn’t far off that we could have ended up with an American-made aircraft instead,” he remarks. This period was fraught with uncertainty, as the future of Sweden’s aerial defense capabilities hung in the balance.

For Saab, the company responsible for manufacturing these aircraft, the implications of such a decision would have been catastrophic. In response to the looming threat of cancellation, Saab quickly devised a solution that they hoped would persuade politicians to reconsider their stance. This led to the introduction of a groundbreaking new aircraft designed for combat, attack, and reconnaissance purposes: the JAS. This initiative ultimately succeeded, and in 1982, the Swedish Parliament made the decision to allow Saab to continue developing what would become the Jas Gripen fighter jet. Now, over 40 years later, the country finds itself at another crossroads, facing a similar debate.

Per Olsson, a defense economist at the Total Defence Research Institute (FOI), emphasizes the financial stakes involved, stating, “We are talking about bns of taxpayer dollars here.” By 2030, Swedish politicians must decide how the next generation of fighter aircraft will be developed. Three main options are on the table: allow Saab to manufacture the next aircraft, collaborate with other countries to develop a new plane, or purchase one from abroad. There is strong political support within the Parliament for Saab to continue its role in developing Swedish fighter jets, but an investigation into the available options is currently underway to inform this critical decision.

Unmanned Fighter Aircraft: The Future of Aerial Combat

At Saab, testing is already underway for the technology that will power the next generation of fighter jets, set to enter service following the retirement of the Jas Gripen E after 2050. A key question remains: should the next fighter aircraft be piloted or unmanned?

Peter Nilsson, head of a division at Saab known as Advanced Programs, believes that we will soon see a mix of both piloted and unmanned aircraft operating together. “I think we’re going to see unmanned systems flying alongside manned ones within a few years. So, a combination of both will be part of our journey forward,” he explains. His team, comprising around 250 skilled professionals, has been tasked by the Swedish government with envisioning what the next Swedish fighter might look like.

Saab is set to prototype an unmanned aircraft, exploring a variety of innovative technologies. This includes advancements in 3D-printed metals and the integration of artificial intelligence in the cockpit to alleviate the pilot’s workload, among other developments.

The stakes are high for Saab, as not being allowed to continue producing Swedish fighter jets would be a significant setback. Regardless of the political outcome, the decision will have far-reaching implications for Sweden’s defense landscape.

Elisabeth Braw, a senior researcher in security policy at the Atlantic Council think tank, highlights Sweden’s unique position in the global aerospace industry. “Sweden is one of the very few countries that manufactures fighter jets, which makes it quite unique on a global scale,” she notes.

Conclusion

As Sweden stands at a critical juncture in its defense aviation history, the choices made by its leaders will shape not only the future of the country’s military capabilities but also its standing in the global aerospace community. The discourse surrounding the next generation of fighter aircraft is not merely a matter of technological advancement; it is deeply intertwined with national security, economic investment, and international collaboration. (Source: Google/https://nord.news/)

06 Jan 25. No air defense: Six Spanish Santa Maria class ships at risk. The Spanish Navy is making a bold move by retiring its aging SM-1 surface-to-air missiles, long stationed aboard the F-80 frigates. This decision marks the end of an era for the Santa Maria-class ships, which now find themselves without the critical long-range air defense they once

officially entering the demilitarization phase. This step, confirmed through recently accessed Spanish documents linked to a December contract with defense giant Indra, reflects a broader shift in naval strategy. Indra’s task will now include the upkeep of the Mouga workshop’s inventory, covering everything from torpedoes to auxiliary support gear.

What’s intriguing is the timing. Just a few months ago, in mid-2023, the SM-1 was still part of the Navy’s active maintenance list, according to another Indra contract. The sudden pivot raises questions about the Navy’s future plans for these frigates, which have played a pivotal role in Spain’s maritime defense for decades.

With the SM-1 out of the picture, the Santa Maria-class frigates are now left exposed to airborne threats. Designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, these vessels will no longer have the long-range missile shield that the SM-1 provided. The implications are significant: without a suitable replacement, these ships could become sitting ducks in a high-threat environment.

The retired SM-1s—considered cutting-edge in their heyday—are now labeled obsolete, with Lockheed Martin having long ceased their support. This obsolescence leaves a gap in the Navy’s defense capabilities that must be filled, and quickly.

Meanwhile, the Navy is not entirely leaving its air defense to chance. Indra’s new framework agreement includes the maintenance and fine-tuning of more modern missile systems, like the SM-2 Block IIIA, IIIB, IIIC, and the ESSM RIM-162, deployed on the newer F-100 frigates. There’s also attention being given to the MK-46 Mod5A torpedoes used by both the F80 and F100 classes.

This contract, with a budget of 1.6 m euros over two years, underscores the ongoing commitment to maintaining a robust naval arsenal. However, the Navy acknowledges that the list of equipment under Indra’s care might evolve, depending on the introduction of new systems or the phasing out of old ones. Any such changes will be coordinated with Indra, ensuring flexibility in the face of rapidly changing defense needs.

The bigger question looming over this development is how the Spanish Navy plans to backfill the capability gap left by the SM-1’s retirement. Will there be a new system, or is a more comprehensive overhaul of the Santa Maria-class ships on the horizon? One thing’s for sure: the Navy’s strategic choices in the coming months will be critical to maintaining its operational readiness and regional influence.

The Santa Maria-class frigates are a vital component of the Spanish Navy, representing a modified version of the American Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates. These vessels were constructed between the 1980s and early 1990s, with the Spanish shipyard Bazán, now Navantia, leading the production. (Source: News Now/https://bulgarianmilitary.com/)

03 Jan 25. Turkish aerospace and defence industry achieves record export growth in 2024. The Turkish aerospace and defence industry recorded exports totalling USD 7.154bn USD in 2024. This marks an increase of USD 1.6bn USD, or 29%, compared to the previous year. The export performance significantly exceeded projections, which had anticipated revenues between USD 6.5bn and USD 6.7bn USD. The industry now exports its products, including armaments, military equipment, and services, to 180 countries worldwide. This success is attributed to strong state support, which has fostered international collaboration without imposing substantial political restrictions. Both state-owned and private companies have contributed to the industry’s global achievements. Technological advancements in Turkish products have been steadily increasing year-on-year. A notable acceleration occurred after the imposition of economic sanctions by the United States and allied nations, spurring domestic innovation. (Source: Google/https://defence-industry.eu/)

03 Jan 25. Türkiye begins work on MUGEM carrier, TF-2000 destroyer, MILDEN Sub. Ceremonies marked the start of construction that took place at Istanbul Naval Shipyard for MUGEM and TF-2000. This upward trajectory is anticipated to continue, with the budget expected to reach $73.2bn by 2029, equating to a CAGR of 16.4%. The acquisition budget for Türkiye’s defence is set at $8.3bn for 2024 and is forecasted to increase from $7.6bn in 2025 to $12.5bn by the end of the 2025–29 period. Türkiye has also recently obstructed the passage of Ukraine’s new mine countermeasure vessels (MCMVs), which were donated by the UK to enhance the Ukrainian Navy’s coastal defence capabilities. (Source: naval-technology.com)

USA

08 Jan 25. Lockheed Martin delivers 110 F-35 fighter jets in 2024. Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) delivered a total of 110 F-35 fighter jets to the United States and its allies in 2024, the Bethesda, Maryland-based defense contractor said in a statement on Wednesday. The delivery total achieves the higher end of the range of 75 to 110 jet deliveries CEO Jim Taiclet gave in an earnings call last summer. Lockheed lifted its sales target in July after the Pentagon resumed taking F-35 deliveries following a months-long pause on delays on its software upgrade. Lockheed has been upgrading the jets under the Technology Refresh 3, or TR-3 program, which gives the F-35 better displays and processing power. Lockheed’s F-35 program contributes around 30% of the company’s revenue.

“Lockheed Martin is fully committed to advancing and delivering unmatched air dominance solutions to the United States and our allies, helping to ensure America continues to own the skies,” the company said in a statement. (Source: Reuters)

REST OF THE WORLD

04 Jan 25. US plans $8bn arms sale to Israel, US official says. The administration of President Joe Biden has notified Congress of a proposed $8 bn arms sale to Israel, a U.S. official said on Friday, with Washington maintaining support for its ally whose war in Gaza has killed tens of thousands. The deal would need approval from the House of Representatives and Senate committees and includes munitions for fighter jets and attack helicopters as well as artillery shells, Axios reported earlier. The package also includes small-diameter bombs and warheads, according to Axios. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. Protesters have for months demanded an arms embargo against Israel, but U.S. policy has largely remained unchanged. In August, the United States approved the sale of $20 bn in fighter jets and other military equipment to Israel. The Biden administration says it is helping its ally defend against Iran-backed militant groups like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. (Source: Reuters)

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IEE is ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified.

IEE’s Advantage:

Direct control of critical process steps that reduce cost, decrease production lead times and improves life-cycle management
Unique advantage to serve to both smaller quantity, highly custom displays needs as well as high volume production outputs
Expert in delivering the best value in form and fit replacement by modifying existing COTS products to meet legacy requirements
Leading the next generation avionics efficiencies by leveraging open architectures and common software standards
Field-proven, pre-engineered displays minimize lead-time and non-recurring engineering costs.

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REST OF THE WORLD

31 Dec 24. India signs contracts for submarine enhancements with AIP and EHWT. The contracts encompass the construction and incorporation of an AIP system, developed by the DRDO, into Indian submarines. Indian Ministry of Defence’s press release noted that: “The project pertaining to construction of AIP-Plug and its integration will enhance the endurance of conventional submarines and significantly contribute towards the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.”

The Kalvari-Class submarines are based on the SCORPENE-class diesel-electric attack submarines.

The first of these submarines, INS Kalvari, was commissioned in 2017 and was entirely constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders through a technology transfer partnership with Naval Group.

The SCORPENE-class submarines are designed for an array of missions including anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, long-range strikes, special operations, and intelligence gathering.

Last year Naval Group’s Indian subsidiary inaugurated a technical workshop at the Karwar shipyard.

This facility is strategically located near the Indian Navy’s Ship Repair Yard, which services the nation’s aircraft carriers, warships, and Kalvari-class submarines. (Source: naval-technology.com)

27 Dec 24. Indonesia secures offset arrangements in contract for Italian PPAs. Jakarta has secured a slew of offset arrangements in its contract for two multirole offshore patrol ships (Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura: PPA) with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.

Documents that were provided to Janes on 22 December by a source close to the matter indicate that these arrangements include the provision of a full-scale naval simulator and assistance for Indonesia to develop an indigenous electric vehicle design and production capability in-country.

Fincantieri first disclosed in March 2024 that it has signed a EUR1.18bn (USD1.23bn) contract for two PPAs with the Indonesian Ministry of Defense (MoD), and these vessels will be operated by the Indonesian Navy.

The PPA is a class of 143 m frigate-like warships that can be configured for a wide spectrum of missions ranging from ‘light’ low-tempo maritime surveillance operations to ‘full combat’ higher-end warfighting scenarios.

The Italian Navy has thus far commissioned three of the vessels as the Thaon di Revel-class PPAs, and these warships were inducted between March 2022 and September 2023.

For the contract it signed with Indonesia, the PPAs that will be supplied were originally destined for the Italian Navy in the ‘light plus’ configuration. In this configuration, both ships were to be equipped for anti-air warfare (AAW) operations in addition to surface warfare missions. Fincantieri is now diverting these vessels for the Indonesian Navy’s requirements, but both vessels will retain their ‘light plus’ configuration. (Source: Janes)

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Leading the next generation avionics efficiencies by leveraging open architectures and common software standards
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December 30, 2024 by

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EUROPE

23 Dec 24. Italy places order for up to 24 Eurofighter Typhoon jets. The leaders of Eurofighter and NETMA (the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency) today signed the contract for up to 24 Italian Air Force Eurofighters in Rome.

The announcement comes at a strategically important time for the Eurofighter programme and follows the contract signing last Friday (20 December) for 25 Eurofighters for the Spanish Air Force.

The new Italian Eurofighter Typhoon jets will replace Italian Tranche 1 versions that are currently in service.

Giancarlo Mezzanatto, Chief Executive of Eurofighter, said: “Italy’s decision to purchase an additional 24 jets is, of course, fantastic news for our programme, further demonstrating the strength and importance that Eurofighter Typhoon brings to Europe.

“During this past seven days we have seen two of the four Eurofighter Core Nations sign new contract orders, with a clear desire to modernise their Air Forces and confirming the crucial role they attribute to our aircraft.”

Stefano Pontecorvo, Chairman of Leonardo, said: “The level of technology delivered by the Eurofighter programme over years is unquestionable. Its success provides also evidence of the outstanding synergies between the industry and institutions.

“We’re proud of what we’ve built together and we’re committed to providing our contribution to make sure Italy and all other partner nations continue to receive the level of capability they deserve.”

Lorenzo Mariani, Co-General Manager of Leonardo, commented: “This contract is a major milestone for the Eurofighter programme in Italy.

“Since its inception, it has played a crucial role for national defence and security as well as in the development of advanced technologies and employment of thousands of skilled professionals. With this latest order the programme will deliver even greater capabilities and economic returns for many years.”

AVM Simon Ellard (ret.), General Manager, NETMA said: “The additional 24 aircraft for Italy is yet another proud moment for the Eurofighter Programme.

“The order will enhance the Italian Air Force’s combat air capabilities and provide security for Italy, Europe and the NATO Alliance.

“The order, which follows the contract for 25 additional jets for the Spanish Air Force signed on the 20th of December, demonstrates that the Eurofighter Typhoon continues to be the backbone of European air defence.”

As with the new Halcon II Spanish order from last week, the new Italian Eurofighters will be equipped with advanced avionics, enhanced weapon systems capable of operating Brimstone III and Meteor, new sensors and improved connectivity.

With a service life well beyond 2060, its technical capabilities will allow full integration into the Europe’s future air combat environment.

21 Dec 24. Spain orders 25 additional Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, links arms on Turkish trainer. The Eurofighter consortium said in a statement that deliveries to the Spanish Air and Space Force will take place between 2030 and 2035. Spain has signed off on an order for 25 Eurofighter Typhoon fourth-generation fighter jets under its Halcon II program. A contract between the Spanish government and the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) was inked today and covers the acquisition of 21 single-seat and four twin-seat aircraft. The Eurofighter consortium said in a statement that deliveries to the Spanish Air and Space Force will take place between 2030 and 2035.

“The Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets will replace part of the legacy F-18 fleet, based in Torrejon and Zaragoza, and bring the total number of Typhoon aircraft in the Spanish Air Force to 115,” it added.

In a related statement, Airbus, which builds all Spanish Air Force Eurofighters out of its Getafe site, said that the “new aircraft will: boost Spain’s air-power capabilities and operations; reinforce its prominent position at the heart of NATO, and secure the programme’s industrial footprint.”

Halcon is Spain’s national two-phase acquisition program to replace all F/A-18C/D Hornets, split between the already contracted $2.15bn Halcon 1, covering 20 aircraft, and the new second batch order. The Halcon II effort, valued at €4.6bn ($4.8bn), was cleared by Spain’s Council of Ministers in 2023. Alongside aircraft, the program also covers engines and support services.

Gen. Javier Salto Martínez-Avial, chief of the Spanish Air and Space Force has long pressed for the Halcon II order not to be delayed, warning last year that deliveries could take 10 years.

Halcon aircraft are to be equipped with state of the art avionics, electronically-scanning radar (E-Scan), and weapon systems that can support launch of Brimstone III and Full Meteor missiles, alongside new sensors and improved connectivity, according to Airbus.

Separately, Spain has also decided to partner with Turkey to support development of the Hurjet advanced jet trainer. A Memorandum of Understanding for the collaboration was signed today between the Spanish Ministry of Defence and the Turkish Presidency of Defence Industries. The move could lead to Madrid acquiring the platform as a replacement for Northrop SF-5M aircraft. (Source: News Now/Breaking Defense.com)

18 Dec 24. Slovakia buys Black Hawk helicopters, leaving Vipers up for grabs. After months of pondering, Slovakia has decided to purchase 12 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters for its military, according to Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák. The move could encourage Ukraine to intensify its lobbying in Washington as Kyiv seeks the 12 AH-1Z Viper helos that Bratislava rejected.

The Black Hawk offer, comprising second-hand modernized copters, was submitted by Ace Aeronautics which is part of the Helicopter Alliance group, local daily Denník N reported. The group is controlled by Czech entrepreneur Jaroslav Strnad, the founder and former owner of local defense group Czechoslovak Group. The holding is currently owned by the founder’s son Michal Strnad, and operates a number of production facilities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Black Hawks were recently offered to Bratislava for around €150 m ($158m) without weapons, compared with the Vipers’ revised price which exceeded €550m, according to the minister. The Black Hawk is manufactured by Lockheed Martin’s subsidiary Sikorsky, and the Viper is produced by Bell.

In July 2024, the U.S. State Department authorized a tentative foreign military sale of 12 Vipers to Slovakia for an estimated $600m. This represented a sizable increase compared with the initial $340m price tag pitched to the previous Slovak cabinet. That discount resulted from the fact that a deal with Pakistan, the initially envisioned recipient of the copters, had fallen through.

Slovakia’s previous government was offered discounted Vipers under the country’s attack helicopter program, but the government that took over power in October 2023 has long hesitated over the purchase.

A senior industry official close to the talks told Defense News that Ukrainian decision-makers requested the Vipers from Washington some 20 months ago, and the latest decision is likely to further intensify Kyiv’s lobbying activities to secure the aircraft.

“They’d have been flying them by now,” the official said in a reference to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The Slovak military has a fleet of nine UH-60 Black Hawks.

(Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)

19 Dec 24. Within the framework of the European Defence Fund (EDF), Thales is leading the SEACURE project to achieve a sovereign European capability in future Anti-Submarine and Seabed Warfare.

The SEACURE programme began in November 2024 for a duration of 45 months, and involves 35 European partners from 13 EU member states.

Building on the successful completion of the EDIDP (European Defence Industrial Development Programme) SEANICE project at the end of 2023, the aim of SEACURE is to achieve a sovereign European capability in future autonomous Anti-Submarine and Seabed Warfare.

The world is facing rising tensions in many regions, with asymmetric threats and the resurgence of high-intensity operations, particularly at sea. It is the case near the borders of the European Union, in the Middle East, and the Far East. This highlights how critical it is for nations to control safety at sea and to protect their maritime infrastructures. Moreover, the exploitation of marine resources, including offshore wind farms, demands continuous monitoring to prevent malicious actions by state and non-state adversaries.

Recent events are accelerating plans throughout NATO and European countries to protect maritime infrastructure of national interest. Such plans embrace new operational theatres, and require new capabilities and new methods of operation.

The main objective of SEACURE is to develop and demonstrate at sea, by 2028, an integrated system of systems aimed at successfully performing autonomous joint Anti-Submarine Warfare and Seabed Warfare operations and protecting critical maritime infrastructure. It focuses on the detection, classification, identification and tracking of underwater threats in challenging conditions, using air, surface and underwater drones. SEACURE will offer a versatile defence system for such operations, increasing the level of autonomy, based on open, agile, modular and scalable system-of-systems architecture. In addition, it will be interoperable and ready for collaborative combat.

SEACURE not only strengthens maritime security today, but also lays the groundwork for a more resilient and cooperative global maritime future.

About SEACURE

SEACURE is proposed as a continuation of the EDIDP SEANICE research project that ended in November 2023. It offers a new way of protecting our critical maritime infrastructures, and guarantees the freedom to operate in our own waters, detecting and protecting against any external threats.

The partners are:

THALES DMS FRANCE SAS

ALSEAMAR

ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GMBH

CEIIA – CENTRO DE ENGENHARIA E DESENVOLVIMENTO (ASSOCIACAO)

DRASS GALEAZZI SRL

THALES EDISOFT PORTUGAL S.A

ESG ELEKTRONIKSYSTEM- UND LOGISTIK GMBH

ETME PEPPAS & ASSOCIATES SOCIETE ANONYME

EXAIL ROBOTICS

FEAC ENGINEERING PRIVATE COMPANY

FORSVARETS FORSKNINGINSTITUTT (FFI)

FINCANTIERI SPA

FINCANTIERI NEXTECH SPA

I.D.S. INGEGNERIA DEI SISTEMI SPA

GMVIS SKYSOFT SA

INNOVATION IN RESEARCH & ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS

KONGSBERG DISCOVERY AS

KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HÖGSKOLAN

LEONARDO – SOCIETA PER AZIONI

NAVAL GROUP

NAVANTIA S.A.

NAXYS TECHNOLOGIES AS

PATRIA AVIATION OY

RTSYS

SAAB KOCKUMS AKTIEBOLAG

SAAB DYNAMICS AKTIEBOLAG

SAAB AKTIEBOLAG

SAIPEM S.P.A

SCHIEBEL

SIEL SRL

SOTIRIA Technology Private Company

THALES ITALIA SPA

THALES ROMANIA SRL

NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO

WSENSE SRL

19 Dec 24. United Kingdom sends two Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Türkiye ahead of possible acquisition. As reported by Restitutor Orientis on December 18, 2024, two Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from the Royal Air Force (RAF) landed at Murted Air Base near Ankara, Türkiye, for evaluation by Turkish authorities. This follows Türkiye’s expressed interest in acquiring 40 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to modernize its air force as an interim solution while awaiting the operational readiness of the TAI KAAN, its indigenous fifth-generation fighter jet. Türkiye is reportedly prepared to allocate €8–€10 bn for the possible Eurofighter deal, a decision that may involve reducing its previously announced order for 40 F-16Vs and 80 modernization kits valued at €23 bn. (Picture source: Twitter/Restitutor Orientis)

Negotiations regarding the Eurofighter acquisition began during the NATO summit held in Washington from July 9 to 11, 2024. Discussions included Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and leaders of the Eurofighter consortium member countries—Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain. Türkiye is reportedly prepared to allocate €8–€10 bn for the deal, a decision that may involve reducing its previously announced order for 40 F-16Vs and 80 modernization kits valued at €23 bn. The deal is expected to include technical upgrades such as the European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk2 radar.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a multirole combat aircraft developed through a consortium of European aerospace companies: Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo. Designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, the aircraft is powered by two Eurojet EJ200 engines, producing a thrust of 60 kN dry and 90 kN with afterburners. It can achieve a maximum speed of Mach 2.35 at high altitude and Mach 1.25 at sea level, with a supercruise capability at Mach 1.5. The Typhoon has a range of 2,900 kilometers and a service ceiling of 19,812 meters. Its design features a delta wing and canard configuration for enhanced maneuverability.

The aircraft is equipped with advanced avionics, including the Captor-E Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, capable of tracking up to 20 targets simultaneously and engaging them with various weapons. Armament includes a 27 mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon and 13 hardpoints capable of carrying over 9,000 kilograms of payload. The Eurofighter can deploy air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM, MBDA Meteor, and IRIS-T, as well as air-to-ground munitions like Paveway IV bombs, Storm Shadow cruise missiles, and AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles. Additionally, it can carry anti-ship missiles, including the Marte ER and Joint Strike Missile (JSM).

Upgrades to the Eurofighter include the integration of the ECRS Mk2 radar, designed for electronic warfare and advanced targeting. The radar enhances detection, tracking, and jamming capabilities, and it is resistant to electronic interference. The ECRS Mk2 uses solid-state Transmit/Receive Modules (TRMs) for precise control and simultaneous engagement of multiple air and ground targets. (Source: News Now/https://www.armyrecognition.com/)

20 Dec 24. Germany formally approves Type F127 air-defense frigate program.

The German Bundestag has given its green light for the start of the Type F127 program. These 10,000 tons “frigates” are meant to replace the three in-service F124 Sachsen-class air defense frigates.

During a parliamentary session, Germany approved the procurement and the launching of several programs including additional four submarines and also the start of the F127 frigate program for the German Navy (Deutsche Marine) as part of a more global 21bn euros acquisition plan.

TKMS – leader of the program reacted as follow in a LinkedIn post:

“Green light for the F127 air defense frigate: A decisive step for the future of maritime security in Germany!

The Budget Committee of the German Bundestag has given the go-ahead for the F127 project by approving the 25m bill. This decision marks the start of planning for the next generation of sea-based air defense and secures Germany’s leading technological position in naval shipbuilding.

Important facts about the F127:

High added value in Germany: 90% of the order volume remains in Germany.

Industrial jobs: Up to 1,500 jobs at thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in Wismar.

Key strategic technologies: Securing and expanding expertise in the construction of complex naval vessels.

Security policy responsibility: Closes capability gaps in air defense and underlines Germany’s reliability within NATO.

The market-ready MEKO A-400 AMD design enables a seamless succession to the F124 frigates, which will have to be replaced at the beginning of the 2030s. This sends a clear signal that Germany is strengthening its defense capabilities and fulfilling its international obligations.

Together with NVL (Naval Vessels Lürssen) and other partners, we look forward to building on the extensive preparatory work and driving this important project forward – for the security and future of our maritime economy and defense!“

The German Navy has formulated a requirement for up to six ships, but the final figure remains undetermined at this stage. The Zielbild considers five F127 to replace the existing three F124 ships. Likewise, the exact configuration of the ship is still unknown, but we should be able to learn more as construction progresses.

Germany intends to have the first F127 air-defense frigate in service by around 2034. TKMS has set up a joint venture with NVL Group in September for the construction of the vessels. The builder has indicated that construction could begin as soon as 2025 but this remains to be formally confirmed.

About TKMS A-400 AMD frigate

MEKO A-400 AMD as shown at Euronaval 2024 by builder TKMS.

The type F127 will be based on MEKO A-400 AMD anti-air warfare frigate design from the German shipbuilder TKMS specifically meant to fulfill German Navy requirements for the replacement of the F124 AAW combatants by the mid-2030s.

The MEKO A-400 AMD design has a displacement of 10,000 tons. The hull length is 160m with a beam of 21m and a draft of 5.5m. These figures represent a very notable size increase over the company’s existing F125 design, promoted for export as MEKO A 400. Propulsion is not specified but appears to feature two gas turbines and two diesel engines. This arrangement allows a top speed of 32 knots. The range is 4,000 nautical miles with an endurance of more than 30 days.The design furthermore includes hangar space for two NH-90 sized helicopters. Space for two ISO containers next to the antiship missile launchers allows additional mission flexibility.

AEGIS is the specified combat management system. A-400 AMD features four large AESA panels for Raytheon’s AN/SPY-6 or AN/SPY-7 , in addition to smaller panels for a possible X-band AESA. The Lockheed Martin-developed radar is used by the Spanish F110-frigate. Canada also selected the system for their new “River”-class destroyer, known as the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC).

In addition to either a SPY-6 or SPY-7 radar suite, pending a respective decision by Berlin, the ship can accommodate an additional radar-model. Their purpose would notionally be to incorporate weapon systems not integrated into the AEGIS/SPY-combination. Such a choice could include incorporating another combat management system such as the Canadian CMS-330. The step would facilitate vertical integration between all desired effectors and sensors, as previously reported in German defence media.

MEKO A-400 AMD model at Euronaval 2024. The design envisions a ship with a length of 160m and a beam of 21m.

The design offers 64 cells for the Mk 41 VLS, divided into two groups of 32 cells. For Germany the primary effectors using this launcher would be SM-2- and SM-6 long range SAM to provide air and ballistic missile defence. Quadpacked ESSM provide medium range SAM-capability. The cells would be strike-length and support a notional requirement also for land-attack capability through Tomahawk LACM. Additionally this configuration would support exoatmospheric ballistic missile defence via SM-3-family interceptors. The usual two RIM-116 RAM 21 round-launchers together with eight box launchers for NSM antiship missiles complete missile armament.

Guns carried include the OTO 127/64 LW main gun by Leonardo and multiple small calibre autocannons. The German MLG-27, which previously filled this requirement, will likely see replacement by a new system capable of providing enhanced defence against drone attacks. Two laser weapons positioned ahead of the bridge and on the hangar are the final notable aspect of armament on MEKO A-400 AMD. The overall design resembles Rheinmetall’s 20 kW beam combiner-based fibre laser. Considering ongoing development such a weapon is unlikely to be part of an initial configuration. (Source: Google/https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news)

USA

29 Dec 24. Trump may scrap costly next-gen fighter program. The future of the United States Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter jet program hangs in the balance as the incoming Trump administration signals potential shifts in defense priorities. The NGAD, envisioned as a sixth-generation combat aircraft to replace the F-22 Raptor, has faced scrutiny over its projected costs and feasibility. Originally unveiled in September 2020, the NGAD demonstrator has been described as a cutting-edge platform integrating advanced stealth and combat technologies. However, with an estimated price tag exceeding that of the F-35, concerns about affordability have intensified, especially as rival nations like China accelerate their own advancements in military aviation. Recent footage of Chinese combat aircraft prototypes, reportedly developed as part of Beijing’s efforts to gain air superiority, has added urgency to the U.S. Air Force’s NGAD timeline. Nevertheless, questions remain about whether the program’s high-cost, high-capability approach aligns with the incoming administration’s defense objectives.

Elon Musk, a prominent advisor to President-elect Donald Trump and vocal critic of traditional manned fighter jets, has openly questioned the relevance of such programs in the era of advanced unmanned systems. “The F-35 design was broken at the requirements level,” Musk stated on his social media platform, X. “Manned fighter jets are obsolete in the age of drones anyway. Will just get pilots killed.”

This perspective aligns with growing calls within the defense community for a shift toward unmanned or hybrid combat systems that leverage artificial intelligence and automation.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall acknowledged the challenge of managing costs for the NGAD program during the Air, Space & Cyber Conference earlier this year. He suggested that design modifications, including adjustments to range, payload, and engine configurations, could bring the fighter’s cost below the $80-$100 m threshold set by the F-35.

One proposed solution involves integrating Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA)—autonomous systems designed to perform specific mission functions alongside manned aircraft. These CCAs, with a target price of $25 m per unit, could reduce the NGAD’s overall burden while preserving its effectiveness in contested environments.

“We haven’t set a number or threshold,” Kendall told reporters. “But managing costs is critical to ensuring the program’s long-term sustainability.”

While the Trump administration has yet to announce an official position, defense analysts suggest that the NGAD program’s future may depend on its ability to deliver cost-effective capabilities. There is speculation that the administration could redirect focus toward developing a lighter, more versatile fifth-generation-plus fighter instead of pursuing the ambitious NGAD concept. The potential pivot has sparked debate within military circles about balancing innovation with practicality. Supporters of NGAD argue that maintaining air superiority requires investing in the most advanced technologies, while critics highlight the program’s expense amid broader budgetary constraints. As the Trump administration prepares to take office, the fate of the NGAD program will serve as a litmus test for the U.S. Air Force’s ability to adapt to changing priorities and emerging global threats. For now, the question remains whether the NGAD represents an essential leap forward in military aviation or an untenable gamble on high-tech warfare. (Source: News Now/https://defence-blog.com/)

19 Dec 24. Air Force may curtail F-35 plan if newer tech pans out, SECAF says. Outgoing secretary Frank Kendall also clapped back at recent comments by Elon Musk about manned vs. unmanned systems. The Air Force may cut short its planned purchases of F-35 jets, depending on how newer development efforts go, the service’s outgoing secretary said Thursday.

“Our inventory objective for the F-35 is [1,763]. I don’t know what we’ll end up buying, and nobody can predict that right now. I know we’re going to buy more, and we’re going to be buying more for some period of time. At some point, this will be dependent on what we do with [Next Generation Air Dominance] and what we do with [Collaborative Combat Aircraft], we’ll probably revisit that, [but] I don’t think we’re ready to do that yet,” Frank Kendall said during an event at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

Kendall emphasized that the F-35 isn’t going away anytime soon, and even if the service decides to build a sixth-generation fighter under the NGAD program, it would be a “very expensive airplane” that would require at least “several years” to field in quantity.

But the Pentagon does need “better performance” out of Lockheed, Kendall said. The company is still reeling from a year-long F-35 delivery pause caused by technology development problems with an upgrade package for the jet.

“They’re not delivering what they’ve been promising, and they’re not doing as fast as they could by a wide margin,” Kendall said.

Lockheed and the F-35 program recently reached a handshake deal on the next two F-35 production lots—18 and 19—but that deal might not be finalized until after the new administration takes over. Those jets will be more expensive than previous lots “for a variety of factors,” Kendall said, reiterating previous comments from Lockheed officials.

The incoming Trump administration has announced no plans for the F-35. Elon Musk, key adviser for President-elect Donald Trump and co-leader of an effort to “increase government efficiency,” recently tore into the program, calling the jet “obsolete” and a “sh*t design.”

Kendall criticized Musk’s comments, noted his lack of military experience, and encouraged him to learn more about the military before he makes “provocative” comments.

“I have a lot of respect for Elon Musk as an engineer. He’s not a warfighter, and he needs to learn a little bit more about the business I think before he makes such grand announcements, as he did,” Kendall said.

At some point, the military could rely solely on autonomous drones instead of manned fighters, but that’s “decades” away, Kendall said. Other Air Force leaders have similarly pushed back on suggestions that the days of crewed aircraft are numbered.

Kendall has just a few weeks left in his tenure as Air Force secretary before the new administration takes the helm. Kendall said he has already met with the Trump transition team, who reportedly started making their rounds at the Pentagon on Monday.

Trump has yet to announce his pick to replace Kendall. Politico reported earlier this week that Andrew McKenna, a major Trump donor and head of a small investment and advisory firm, is a top contender. If he gets the nod, McKenna would be one of several Trump picks for top Pentagon jobs with little DOD experience. Kendall said his successor—whether that person comes from the national-security community or not—should put themselves in a “learning mode” and heed the advice of professionals in the Pentagon.

“If it’s somebody who’s coming in who doesn’t know this community as well, my one major piece of advice is listen to the people who’ve been doing it for all their careers, and have a depth of knowledge and learn as much from them as quickly as you can,” he said.

(Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense One)

REST OF THE WORLD

29 Dec 24. Saudi Arabia eyes up to 100 Turkish Kaan fighter jets as US-made F-35 remains inaccessible. According to Ekotrent on December 26, 2024, Saudi Arabia has begun negotiations with Türkiye to acquire 100 Kaan fifth-generation fighter jets. The talks were held during a three-day meeting in Istanbul, where Türkiye’s Defense Industry President Haluk Görgün hosted Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defense Minister Khaled bin Hussein Al-Biyari and Air Force Commander Turki bin Bandar Al Saud. Discussions centered on the potential procurement of the aircraft, joint production opportunities, and technology transfer agreements, with deliveries anticipated in the 2030s.

During a visit to Türkiye in October 2024, Saudi Air Force Commander Turki bin Bandar Al Saud, accompanied by officials from Saudi Arabia, met with representatives from TAI, Aselsan, and Roketsan. These meetings provided Saudi officials with in-depth briefings on the Kaan’s capabilities and explored opportunities for strategic collaboration. Earlier reports have indicated Saudi Arabia’s interest in acquiring over 100 units of the aircraft, further reinforcing its intent to diversify defense procurement sources and reduce reliance on U.S. suppliers, given that Saudi Arabia appears unable to buy the F-35, despite repeated requests since 2012. This potential purchase follows Saudi Arabia’s $3.1 bn agreement with Türkiye in 2023 for the acquisition of 60 Baykar AKINCI unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), set for delivery in 2025 and 2026.

Ukraine has also shown interest in the Kaan. In February 2024, Ukrainian Ambassador to Türkiye Vasyl Bodnar confirmed Ukraine’s intention to acquire the aircraft and highlighted collaboration between Turkish and Ukrainian engineers in developing its engines. Ukraine considers the Kaan a potential addition to its air fleet, supporting its defense modernization efforts. This collaboration highlights broader defense ties between Türkiye and Ukraine, including technological and industrial partnerships.

The bilateral defense relationship between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye has strengthened significantly in recent years. Following a strategic summit in Jeddah in July 2024, the two countries announced plans for joint defense projects, including technology transfer agreements. Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) has played a central role in facilitating partnerships with Turkish firms such as Aselsan, Roketsan, and Baykar, focusing on unmanned systems, defense electronics, and advanced aerospace technologies. These agreements align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy to develop a self-sufficient defense industry.

Saudi Arabia’s interest in the Kaan is part of a broader strategy to modernize its combat aircraft fleet amid challenges in acquiring U.S.-manufactured F-35 jets. Current U.S. restrictions, tied to concerns over regional stability and human rights, have led Saudi Arabia to explore alternatives. The Royal Saudi Air Force operates a fleet of F-15s, Typhoons, and Tornadoes but lacks a fifth-generation fighter. Other options under consideration include France’s Rafale and China’s J-31. The potential inclusion of technology transfer and local production agreements with Türkiye aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals of enhancing domestic defense production capabilities.

The Turkish Air Force (TurAF) is also actively integrating advanced air warfare concepts into its training programs, focusing on platforms such as the Bayraktar Kızılelma, Anka-3, and the TAI TF Kaan. The Kızılelma, a jet-powered unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) developed by Baykar, conducted its maiden flight on December 14, 2022, and its production prototype flew on September 25, 2024. The Anka-3, another UCAV developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), completed its first flight on December 28, 2023. The TAI TF Kaan, a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, achieved its maiden flight on February 21, 2024, with a second successful flight on May 6, 2024. These developments are part of TurAF’s strategy to modernize its fleet and enhance operational capabilities. The early deployment of these systems is expected to provide valuable operational data, facilitating design refinements and ensuring alignment with evolving combat requirements.

The Kaan program, initiated in 2016 with an investment of $1.18 bn, is designed to replace Türkiye’s aging F-16 fleet. Developed with international collaboration from partners such as BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, the program prioritizes local production and technology ownership. The aircraft incorporates advanced design features, including supercruise capability and reduced radar cross-section, alongside a suite of indigenous munitions such as the Gökdoğan and Bozdoğan air-to-air missiles. The program emphasizes network-enabled warfare capabilities and interoperability with UAVs and other air force assets.

The Kaan, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), is a fifth-generation twin-engine stealth fighter designed for air superiority and multirole operations. The aircraft measures 21 meters in length, 14 meters in wingspan, and 6 meters in height. It can achieve speeds of Mach 1.8, operate at altitudes up to 55,000 feet, and has a combat range of approximately 1,100 kilometers. It is equipped with advanced AESA radar capable of detecting targets over 100 kilometers away, internal weapon bays to reduce radar visibility, and a payload capacity of more than 6,000 kilograms. Initial models are powered by General Electric F110 engines, with plans to integrate domestically developed engines in later versions. The Kaan is designed to operate with other platforms in the Turkish Air Force, including the F-35A.

The potential sale of 100 Kaan fighter jets to Saudi Arabia represents a significant step in the regional defense landscape. For Saudi Arabia, it offers a pathway to modernizing its air force while fostering local production capabilities. For Türkiye, the deal underscores its role as a rising exporter of advanced defense technologies. If finalized, this agreement could enhance Saudi Arabia’s military capabilities and solidify Türkiye’s position as a significant player in the global defense market, especially for drones.

Türkiye’s position as a significant drone producer originates from historical events and strategic decisions aimed at reducing reliance on foreign defense systems. The U.S. arms embargo following Türkiye’s intervention in Cyprus in the 1970s exposed vulnerabilities in its defense capabilities, prompting a shift toward domestic production. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, challenges in acquiring advanced drones, including the U.S. refusal to supply armed Predator systems and difficulties with Israeli Heron drones requiring local modifications, reinforced the need for indigenous solutions. Turkish companies like Baykar and TUSAŞ subsequently focused on developing domestic platforms, creating a foundation for the current drone programs.

Türkiye’s contemporary drone strategy emphasizes the development of versatile systems for both domestic security operations and international deployment. Platforms such as the Bayraktar TB2 and Anka series have been used in conflicts including Syria, Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh, demonstrating their operational utility. Additionally, Türkiye has pursued exports to over 25 countries, emphasizing cost-effective production, integration of advanced technologies like AI and stealth, and reduced dependency on foreign suppliers. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to enhance Türkiye’s defense capabilities, support geopolitical objectives, and expand its presence in the global defense market. (Source: Google/https://armyrecognition.com/

20 Dec 24. Taiwan gets US Abrams tanks, hardening final defenses in an invasion. Taiwan, which ratified a record defense budget of $20.2 bn in August as it contemplates rising Chinese aggression, received a first batch of 38 M1A2T Abrams tanks on home shores this month.

After being unloaded at Taipei’s port on Dec. 15, the tanks were transported to the Armor Training Command in Hsinchu County southwest of Taipei. Around ten will remain there for training purposes.

The M1A2T is a customized M1A2 SEPv2 Abrams version, and these are the first new tanks Taiwan has received in nearly a quarter of a century. Taiwan previously received M60A3 TTS tanks from the U.S. between 1995 and 2001.

Following this month’s first batch, 42 more Abrams tanks would be delivered next year, and the final 28 in 2026, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) said. Taiwan had ordered them in 2019.

Chen Kuoming, a Taipei-based military analyst, told Defense News the weapons are meant “most importantly” for defending the Taipei capital area. They will outfit an armored brigade in Linkou in Taipei, and another brigade in Hukou in Hsinchu.

The Abrams represents a significant step up in terms of firepower and protection compared to the existing fleet of M60A3 and M48H/CM11 models, which are armed with a 105mm main gun.

Chen said those tank types were too old and outdated, although 108 new Abrams “are just not enough” to cover replacements in central and southern Taiwan as well.

Tanks essentially represent a final line of defense against any Chinese invasion. Taiwan’s earlier lines of defense against an amphibious assault include anti-ship missiles, artillery and rockets as well as attack helicopters.

“From the Russia-Ukraine war, we’ve seen drones and loitering munitions attacking tanks,” Chen said. He therefore expressed a need for the new M1A2Ts to be upgraded against such aerial attacks.

In that context, the analyst warned of diminishing returns for tank investments. Instead, he suggested the budget should be used on other equipment like small drones and loitering munitions, Javelin antitank missiles, Stinger air defense missiles or lighter armored vehicles.

“I want to encourage army officers to think about future wars, so they’ll change their thoughts about buying heavier tanks,” he urged.

Taiwan is also in receipt of an initial 11 of 29 M142 HIMARS rocket launchers. The defense ministry revealed that the first tranche arrived in October, with 18 more systems due before the end of 2026. These HIMARS were delivered to the 58th Artillery Command in Taichung, a city midway down Taiwan’s west coast.

Taiwan’s army has received a first batch of an undisclosed number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) from the U.S. too. Fired from the HIMARS launchers, the ATACMS’s range of 186 miles (300km) puts mainland China within strike range. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)

20 Dec 24. Government launches $159 bn continuous naval shipbuilding strategy. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles and Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Pat Conroy have formally unveiled the Government’s $159 bn continuous naval shipbuilding plan.

The Albanese Government has reaffirmed its commitment to a sustained and sovereign naval shipbuilding and sustainment industry, powered by an Australian workforce and supported by local supply chains, with the release of the 2024 Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Plan.

The 2024 Plan outlines the Government’s historic investment of up to $159 bn over the next decade, as part of the Integrated Investment Program. This significant funding will enhance Australia’s maritime capabilities and includes the addition of 55 newly announced vessels, a substantial increase compared to the previous Coalition government’s plan.

The Plan establishes a 30-year pipeline for construction and sustainment projects, primarily in South Australia and Western Australia. This includes conventionally armed and nuclear-powered submarines, a more capable surface combatant fleet, and landing craft for the Australian Army.

The Deputy Prime Minister stressed the importance of the plan, saying, “The long-term investment laid out in the 2024 Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Plan represents the Albanese Government’s vision for continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment, a future made in Australia and our commitment to keeping Australians safe.

These initiatives will create a long-term pipeline of naval projects, supporting approximately 8,500 jobs in shipbuilding and sustainment by 2030, with an additional 20,000 jobs over the next 30 years tied to Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine program.

“Through the most significant investment in maritime capability in Australia’s history, we will see generations of naval construction projects happen right here, with plans to construct and upgrade over 70 vessels across South Australia and Western Australia,” the Deputy Prime Minister added.

The Albanese Government is already taking action to expand the workforce, including:

$1.5 bn for 500,000 Free TAFE and vocational education training places
$250 m to attract, train, and retain the nuclear-powered submarine workforce, including 4,000 Commonwealth-supported STEM university placements across Australia
The implementation of the South Australia Defence Industry Workforce and Skills Report and Action Plans, in partnership with the South Australian Government.

The growth of this workforce will be overseen by the newly established Maritime Workforce and Skills Council, which will collaborate with federal, state, and territory governments, industry, trade unions, and academic institutions.

Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Pat Conroy expanded on the Deputy Prime Minister’s comments, saying, “Under this plan, the Albanese Government is building world class shipyards and creating tens of thousands of well-paid jobs for decades to come, providing financial security for Australians and a future made in Australia.”

Additionally, the Government is advancing the design and planning of multi-bn-dollar infrastructure upgrades for Australia’s maritime industrial base. This includes developments such as the new Defence Precinct in Henderson, Western Australia, and the Submarine Construction Yard in Osborne, South Australia.

Building and maintaining vessels for the Defence Force is crucial to safeguarding national security, strengthening sovereignty, and enhancing Australia’s industrial capabilities.

“The Government’s record investment in the maritime domain will deliver a much bigger and more lethal navy and an army that’s appropriate to our strategic environment. This will make Australia safer,” Minister Conroy added.

To ensure the shipbuilding strategy remains aligned with evolving strategic needs, the Government will update the Plan every two years, with the next version set for release in 2026.

A copy of the 2024 Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Plan is available here: https://www.defence.gov.au/about/strategic-planning/2024-naval-shipbuilding-sustainment-plan. (Source: Defence Connect)

19 Dec 24. India commissions Russian-built warship amid enduring ties with Moscow. Eleven years after its keel was laid, India has taken receipt of a 3,900-ton guided missile frigate from Russia.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called it a “significant milestone in the longstanding friendship between India and Russia,” with the two nations bound together by “mutual trust and a special and strategic privileged partnership.”

The ceremony for this Project 1135.6-class warship, christened INS Tushil, took place in a wintry Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad earlier this month.

The warship was originally destined to join the Russian Navy, but it was diverted to Delhi after India contracted for two frigates in October 2016. Sister ship INS Tamala is due for handover in the first quarter of 2025.

India already has six frigates of this Talwar class in service – three built in the Baltiysky shipyard, St. Petersburg, and three in Kaliningrad.

Viraj Solanki, Research Fellow for South and Central Asian Defence, Strategy and Diplomacy at the U.K.-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, told Defense News that Russia remains a key defense partner for India.

“India’s armed forces have long relied heavily on Russian weapons and military equipment, and that dependence will not change soon,” Solanki said.

INS Tushil, carrying BrahMos supersonic missiles, will join the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet.

After being launched in October 2021, its first sea trials occurred in January ahead of delivery acceptance trials that concluded in September.

The Indian government boasted that the warship “packs a lethal punch and is an impressive blend of Russian and Indian cutting-edge technologies and best practices in warship construction,” per a statement.

Levels of Indian content reached 26%, including 33 Indian-made systems.

However, Moscow’s war with Ukraine has encouraged India to prioritize locally built warships rather than Russian ones. In September, for example, Delhi granted acceptance of necessity for seven Project 17B frigates to be constructed in India.

“Although India is seeking to rely less on Russia for defense equipment, the sheer amount of Russian-made equipment operated by the Indian armed forces is so great that it’ll take a long time to make any significant dent,” Solanki said.

Still, he added, India has sought to diversify its equipment suppliers in recent years. “This has included co-development and co-production of equipment through joint ventures between foreign and Indian companies. At the same time, India has been seeking to enhance its own indigenous defense capabilities.”

India is widening the scope of its naval operations too, from the Gulf of Oman to the Gulf of Aden, from the Suez to Malacca, and from Australia to Madagascar. Singh said the navy “is playing the essential role of a net security provider in the Indian Ocean region.”

(Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)

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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

18 Dec 24. UK looks to protect funding for rapid Watchkeeper UAV replacement. Lt. Gen. Robert Magowan did not elaborate further on the replacement effort but did note that the Watchkeeper retirement will allow the MoD to still save “quite a lot of money” that would otherwise go toward support costs for the aircraft.

British Army Watchkeeper Unmanned Aerial Systems are set to be axed from service next year as part of defense cuts. (UK MoD)

BELFAST — The United Kingdom has learned from watching Ukraine that its Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicle is “no longer fit for operational purpose,” but the ministry of defense is committed to protecting funding that will go towards its replacement, according to a senior official.

“We are working really hard with the army and ensuring they’re funded to deliver the sorts of drone capability in 2025 to replace the drone [Watchkeeper] that’s being retired,” Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Capability) Lt. Gen. Robert Magowan told lawmakers from the UK Defence Committee on Tuesday.

In November, London said it had decided to scrap 46 of the British Army medium-altitude, long-endurance intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) drones as part of sweeping equipment cuts aimed at delivering savings of £500 million ($632 million) over the next five years.

Magowan’s comments on the lack of operational utility offered by Watchkeeper are in keeping with those of John Healey, UK Secretary of Defence, who justified the early retirement of the aircraft on grounds that “technology has overtaken” it.

Magowan did not elaborate further on the replacement effort but did note that the Watchkeeper retirement will allow the MoD to still save “quite a lot of money” that would otherwise go toward support costs for the aircraft.

As previously reported, the Watchkeeper program has suffered years of delays, cost overruns and a series of test and operational crashes. As of September 2022, the UK had spent £1.31 billion on the program, according to a lawmaker statement. It initially entered service in 2014, supporting Afghanistan force protection efforts, but has rarely been deployed on military operations since that conflict. In October, Watchkeeper was operated with upgraded sensors in Estonia, as part of Exercise Athena Shield, according to a British Army statement. (Thales UK, manufacturer of the Watchkeeper, told FlightGlobal in November that while London’s decision to cut the platform was “disappointing,” the company said it was “proud of Watchkeeper’s success in Afghanistan, support to Border Force and, most recently, being deployed in Estonia.”)

Elsewhere in Tuesday’s hearing, lawmaker questions prompted additional revelations from Magowan across a number of other key programs, including plans to replace 17 Royal Air Force-operated Puma medium lift helicopters, also axed under the latest round of military cuts.

He said that a “range of capabilities” are currently being explored that could “plug gaps” when the rotorcraft, which are permanently based in Brunei and Cyprus, are retired in March 2025. The UK has already committed to the acquisition of six Airbus H145 Jupiter helicopters to replace the Puma’s in 2026, so it appears that Magowan is suggesting an interim or stop-gap acquisition could be approved. He did not share additional details.

The Puma’s premature withdrawal from service from Brunei and Cyprus has previously drawn concern from Airbus. In November, the company noted in response to the move that, though it welcomes the H145 business, “we regret the likely impact on the UK’s defence industrial base, with the potential loss of skilled engineering roles and wider consequences for the aerospace supply chain.”

Magowan also said that the £1 billion ($1.3 billion) New Medium Helicopter (NMH) program, designed to source a successor for a separate fleet of Puma aircraft, is “playing out now,” adding “there’s one bidder left and that bidder has significant investment in the in the UK.”

The single bidder is presumably a reference to Leonardo, the only manufacturer to put forward a bid after Airbus and Lockheed Martin both walked away from the competition in August because of requirement problems and fears linked to not receiving “adequate long-term returns.”

In a program update last week, Maria Eagle, UK minister for defence procurement, said that “there are no plans to change the extant New Medium Helicopter procurement process.”

She added, “The New Medium Helicopter competition remains sensitive, and the evaluation and approval process must complete before further details, including aircraft numbers, can be confirmed.”

The previous Conservative government had said the procurement could be “up to” 44 airframes, but Breaking Defense has reported industry expects the real number to be around 30 platforms, and FlightGlobal recently reported it could be as few as 23.

NMH contract award is set for next year, but the UK’s Strategic Defense Review (SDR), due for release in mid-2025, could complicate matters because it has been designed to evaluate national defense priorities and equipment planning.

Also in the hearing Magowan said that the BAE Systems Bofors Archer, an interim self-propelled howitzer, is set to enter service with the British Army in “early 2025,” while the UK and Germany are in “close negotiations” on the longer term solution, expected to be the KNDS Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155mm (RCH 155) 52 cal. Wheeled Artillery System. (Source: Google/Breaking Defense.com)

13 Dec 24. The British Army has issued an open invitation for manufacturers to participate in its Drone Effectiveness Workshop, scheduled from 10 to 14 February 2025. The workshop, to be held at MOD Boscombe Down, aims to test the resilience of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) against simulated jamming effects in a controlled environment.

This early engagement opportunity is part of the MOD’s ongoing efforts to assess and improve the operational capabilities of UAS platforms, with up to five UK-registered companies invited to participate.

Participants will have the chance to test their multi-rotor UAS in realistic, simulated environments that emulate jamming effects on GPS, control, and video signals.

The scenarios will simulate a jammer approaching from 10 km to 100 m, while the UAS remains a simulated 20 km from its Ground Control Station (GCS).

Key benefits include:

Controlled Environment: Testing will take place within a secure indoor facility at Boscombe Down.
Realistic Scenarios: Simulated jamming across commercial frequencies (2.0-6.0 GHz).
Performance Analysis: A comprehensive report detailing the effects of jamming on control and operation.
Actionable Insights: Data to inform design and operational decisions.

Each participating company will be allocated a one-day testing slot and is permitted to bring up to five sub-10 kg UAS platforms for evaluation.

To participate, companies must meet the following requirements:

UAS platforms must conform to the EASA C4 standard (or equivalent), weigh no more than 10 kg, and feature a multi-rotor design.
Antennas must be SMA/RP-SMA/U.FL/MMCX to allow for RF attenuator insertion.
Ground Control Stations (GCS) must have the ability to attenuate power output.
Companies must provide their own pilot/operators and ensure all personnel meet NATO or MISWG country security clearance standards.

Participating companies will bear their own costs and risks, including transport and personnel requirements. All systems and operators must be delivered to MOD Boscombe Down within the specified timelines.

(Source: forces.net)

17 Dec 24. Crossroads for UK Skynet programme. Airbus, Lockheed Martin and Thales Alenia Space compete for key WSS satellite capability.

The UK faces a critical decision in potentially adding a new element and industry partner to the existing military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) Skynet capability through its multi-bn-pound Wideband Satellite System (WSS) requirement.

Skynet 6 is the next generation MILSATCOM constellation, and by far the UK’s largest space project.

In 2022, £1.4bn ($1.78bn) was promised for a range of British space capabilities over the following ten years, while £5bn was allocated to the UK’s Skynet capability.

Within Skynet, the WSS contract provides at least three tranches of wideband geosynchronous (GEO) satellite systems, ground equipment, and launch operations. The requirement includes high availability, military hardened satellite systems, incorporating X-Band and Mil-Ka payloads.

This capability will operate for at least 15 years into the 2040s. WSS procurement alone will cost somewhere between £1.5bn and £2bn.

The UK first launched WSS on 31 May 2023 while an invitation to tender was issued on 14 November that same year. In 2024, the UK Ministry of Defence downselected three competitors: Airbus Defence and Space UK, Lockheed Martin UK, and Thales Alenia Space UK. However, the former two tenders are the only two companies left in the running.

It is anticipated the UK will move to select a single tender by Q4 2025.

Airbus is already contracted to build initial Skynet 6 satellites, which are based on the company’s Eurostar Neo platform. The 6A satellite is booked to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in 2025.

Crucially, Skynet 6 will adhere to the concept ‘allied by design’, which hinges on the continued engagement with Nato, Five Eyes and other mission partners. This will ensure that Skynet maintains and extends interoperability with allies, according to UK government information.

In the past, Skynet 5 has been used by other partners and allies too, including Estonia and the US.

Furthermore, UK defence procurement will tend to prioritise bids that can offer a significant domestic contribution. In this case, Airbus already builds spacecraft in Stevenage and Portsmouth while Thales Alenia Space own two industrial plants in Bristol and Harwell.

Past UK defence contracts similarly indicate the requirement of domestic manufacturing too, including the ongoing New Medium Helicopter (NMH) acquisition for which the government asserted:

“The NMH contract will secure the vital operational independence the UK requires, as well as investing in UK skills for the long-term.”

Lockheed Martin, the parent group of Sikorsky, a competitor that pulled out of the NMH competition, told Airforce Technology at the time that they “elected not to submit a response to the NMH [invitation to negotiate] as we could not meet its minimum requirements in today’s market conditions.”

What lessons for the UK from Australia?

As the UK looks to develop its WSS requirement, fellow Five Eyes member Australia cancelled its Joint Project (JP) 9102 end-to-end MILSATCOM network programme in November 2024 after just 18 months, a strategic and technical capability similar to that being sought by the UK.

Officially, Australia cited a shift in programme requirements as reasoning for the cancellation, which was thought to be valued in the bns of Australian dollars and part of the wider A$9-12bn space-based Integrated Investment Programme. Lockheed Martin was the contractor charged with delivering the programme.

An end-to-end MILSATCOM solution is a highly complex undertaking, including spacecraft, ground systems, and services.

Lockheed Martin has an expansive portfolio in space, having built more than 300 mission payloads for customers. This includes the LM 400 satellite bus, which provides a range of services both military and civil, including communications.

Although unconfirmed, the similarity between the Australian and UK programmes could see Lockheed Martin leverage much of its earlier Canberra offering, which was ultimately unsuccessful as Australia’s government changed its requirement from a single orbit (GEO) system to prioritise a multi-orbital capability.

Lockheed Martin won the Australia programme against competition from Airbus, Boeing, Northrup Grumman, and Optus in April 2023.

Australia typically leans towards a cautious approach to defence procurement, tending to avoid buying first-of-type and preferring to wait for proven capability. From the very start of the process, risk would indeed have been a factor under consideration.

When asked for comment on the Australian JP9102 contract and its offering to the UK through WSS, the company stated: “Lockheed Martin will continue to support the Australian government to meet its strategic needs and is proud to be partnering with the Australian Defence Force on many ongoing programmes.

“We are committed to our global customer community and will continue partnering with international customers and suppliers to support their missions and boost their national space economy.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)

EUROPE

13 Dec 24. Greece to buy artillery systems from Israel and drones from US, officials say. Greece is in advanced talks to buy 36 PULS rocket artillery systems from Israel as it pushes to modernise its armed forces, two officials said on Friday. The discussions on the 600-700m euro ($630m-$735m) deal come as the countries are in negotiations for Israel to sell Greece a 2-bn-euro anti-aircraft and missile defence dome. Greece’s government will submit the deal to a parliamentary committee for approval in the first quarter of 2025, the officials said.

Athens has drafted a multi-bn, 10-year purchasing plan that also includes acquiring up to 40 new F-35 fighter jets from the U.S. and four frigates from France.

The PULS system, made by Israel’s Elbit (ESLT.TA) has a range of up to 300 km (190 miles), the officials said. The deal also includes the construction of components in Greece.

One of the officials added that on Friday, the country’s top decision-making body on foreign affairs and defence matters, KYSEA, approved the procurement of US-made Switchblade drones, made by AeroVironment, (AVAV.O).

Most of the new artillery systems will protect Greece’s northeastern borders with Turkey and its islands in the Aegean, a second official said.

Greece and Turkey, NATO allies, have long been at odds over issues including where their continental shelves start and end, energy resources, flights over the Aegean, and the ethnically partitioned island of Cyprus. ($1 = 0.9535 euros) (Source: Reuters)

USA

18 Dec 24. Cuashub.com said today that Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt orders procurement of counter-UAS detection systems. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced in a statement on Monday, December 16 that he has instructed the Department of Public Safety to begin the procurement of C-UAS detection systems.

Governor Stitt has directed Tim Tipton, Commissioner of Public Safety and Homeland Security Advisor, to immediately begin procuring mobile C-UAS detection systems to support state and local law enforcement, giving them the ability to detect and identify UAS activity.

Whilst he recognized the positive impact drones and UAS have in Oklahoma, Governor Stitt emphasized the need to “ensure Oklahomans are protected from those who would use this technology to harm others.”

Commissioner Tipton noted the “unsettling” nature of the widely-reported recent drone activity in New Jersey and around the US. He noted that Oklahoma itself has only reported a handful of incidents, but that this procurement of mobile C-UAS detection systems allows the state to be “ready in case the need arises.” He further emphasised that he is “glad Governor Stitt takes this threat seriously and will equip the Department of Public Safety adequately.”

Currently, Federal Law classifies drones as a form of aircraft, meaning they are protected from being shot down by local law enforcement agencies without certain permissions. The procurement of mobile detection systems will now allow the Department of Public Safety to monitor and identify UAS without destroying them, and if they are deemed a threat to Oklahoma’s critical infrastructure then appropriate next steps can be made.

This latest move to expand C-UAS capabilities follows from several recent initiatives in the State of Oklahoma, with the Oklahoma National Guard (OKNG) hosting representatives from state, education and the defence industry to discuss C-UAS systems on November 7. Oklahoma is also home to several agencies dedicated to C-UAS, including the Counter-UAS Center of Excellence at Oklahoma State University, and the Joint Counter Small UAS University (JCU) at the Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill. https://cuashub.com/en/content/oklahoma-govenor-orders-procurement-of-c-uas-systems/ (Source: https://cuashub.com/)

18 Dec 24. US Navy “wasted” billions on Ticonderoga cruiser LIFEX: GAO.

Delays, cost overruns, poor quality work, and reduced inspections all contributed to programme failure, the GAO has reported.

USS Hue City, pictured in 2013, was one of the vessels to have undergone modernisation but quickly divested. Credit: US Navy

The US Navy’s shambolic efforts to modernise its diminished fleet of Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers have been laid bare in an excoriating report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), which details the spend of billions of dollars on a programme that has failed to deliver.

Published on 17 December 2024, the GAO report states the US Navy programme to modernise its Ticonderoga class required the spend of bns of dollars in a bid to extend individual ship’s service life by five years, rather than retire them from the fleet.

However, only three of 11 cruisers will complete the process and will not spend as much time at sea as intended. The three cruisers – USS Gettysburg, USS Chosin, and USS Cape St George – are planned to be divested in the 2026 and 2027 financial years having undergone a combined $1.9bn outlay.

In addition, four of the modernised cruisers, the USS Hue City, USS Anzio, USS Cowpens, and USS Vicksburg, were decommissioned between 2022 and 2024 having undergone a total of $1.8bn in modernisation works.

An initial plan would have seen 11 Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers undergo a modernisation and service life extension programme, although this was cut to seven vessels in 2017.

Among issued uncovered during the investigation were “schedule delays, wasted costs, and poor-quality work”, the GAO stated, adding that “weak oversight” contributed to the problems.

“Navy leadership discouraged the use of key quality control tools. For example, leadership discouraged the use of monetary penalties, so contractors weren’t always held accountable for their late and sometimes poor-quality work,” the GAO reported.

Providing examples of modernisation failure, the GAO reported that contractors performed “poor work” on the sonar dome of USS Vicksburg, resulting in additional costs and schedule delays. In addition, USS Vicksburg was provided new weapons operating stations that were not installed years after having been delivered. (Source: naval-technology.com)

17 Dec 24. Landing Ship Medium Program Stalled Over Price, Navy Cancels Industry RFP. The development of a new landing ship key to the Marines Corps’ island-hopping strategy in the Western Pacific is on hold due to Navy concerns over cost, USNI News has learned.

After receiving bids from industry, the Navy canceled the request for proposals for the Landing Ship Medium, a beachable platform crucial to how the Marine Corps envisions itself operating in a conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific under its Force Design plans.

“We had a bulletproof – or what we thought – cost estimate, pretty well wrung out design in terms of requirements, independent cost estimates,” Assistant Secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition Nickolas Guertin said at an American Society of Naval Engineers symposium last week.

“We put it out for bid and it came back with a much higher price tag,” he added. “We simply weren’t able to pull it off. So we had to pull that solicitation back and drop back and punt.”

A Marine Corps spokesman acknowledged the difficulty in developing an affordable platform that can effectively shuttle Marines around islands and shorelines. For now, to quickly get the Marines a ship that can move them around the region, the Navy plans to buy a “non-developmental vessel” while it works on the requirements, Lt. Col. Eric Flanagan told USNI News last week.

“The Marine Corps and Navy are currently working to create an acquisition way ahead for LSM Block I that includes a schedule, cost estimate, and detailed requirements,” Flanagan said. “Affordability and delivery schedule are key factors in pursuing littoral maneuver in support of [stand-in forces]. As with all modernization efforts, our capabilities must be pursued within affordability constraints.”

NAVSEA Image

Requirements churn and disagreements between the Navy and Marine Corps over a path forward have plagued the Landing Ship Medium for several years, since the program was previously called the Light Amphibious Warship. While the Marine Corps has pushed for a more affordable ship that’s built to commercial standards, the Navy’s requirements for improved survivability have increased the cost.

The idea was for the Navy to buy a smaller, less expensive amphibious ship that could shuttle Marines around islands as they set up ad-hoc bases on islands and fire weaponry like anti-ship missiles in a potential conflict and quickly move to new locations. The Marines Corps has converted two of three planned Marine Littoral Regiments that would rely on the LSMs to move across the Pacific.

At a lower price point, the Navy could buy more ships, and current requirements call for 18 to 35 LSMs. The Congressional Budget Office projected the lead ship in the class costing anywhere from $460 to $560 m, according to an April report. If the Navy buys the 18 to 35 ships according to current plans, each hull could cost $340 to $430 m. Initial plans in 2020 called for each ship to cost $100 to $150 m.

While the ship is a key part of the Marine Corps’ Force Design strategy, any platform that fulfills the requirement will get purchased out of the Navy shipbuilding account. With mounting bills to pay out of the shipbuilding budget – including submarines, destroyers and cruisers – the amphibious warships remain a lower priority.

Last fall, the Navy put out a request for proposals out to the shipbuilders after finalizing requirements for the Landing Ship Medium earlier in 2023, USNI News reported at the time. Those requirements called for a platform that could haul 75 Marines and 600 tons of equipment, and have a cargo area of about 8,000 square feet, a helicopter pad, a 70-person crew, spots for six .50-caliber guns and two 30mm guns.

“Specific configuration details will be determined during the detailed design phase, but generally the ship will be less than 400 feet long, have a draft of less than 12 feet, an endurance speed of 14 knots, and roll on/roll off beaching capability,” Naval Sea Systems Command told USNI News at the time.

The wide range of capabilities that last year’s RFP asked the shipbuilders to provide in the proposal may have increased the cost, according to Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel who is a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“At the high end, it was almost an [tank landing ship] kind of vessel, something about the size of a World War II LST,” Cancian told USNI News. “And of course at the low end, something quite small. When you give bidders that much range, you’re naturally going to get pushed to the high end. So I’m not surprised.”

Naval analyst Bryan Clark said the Marine Corps was willing to accept more risk to the platform in exchange for cost savings, but the Navy’s standards for warships prevent the services from going down this path.

“The way the Navy manages programs – shipbuilding programs in particular – is you’ve got the people that enforce technical standards have a veto over what the program managers do in terms of establishing requirements for the ship,” Clark told USNI News.

The Navy’s Fiscal Year 2025 shipbuilding request, unveiled earlier this year, asked to buy one Landing Ship Medium. Congressional authorizers approved the purchase of the ship in their National Defense Authorization Act agreement. The policy bill includes a provision that fences funding for the program until the Navy secretary verifies the “basic and functional design” of the ship. That provision is waived if the Navy pursues a commercial platform or a “nondevelopmental item,” according to the legislation.

Meanwhile, House defense appropriators cut most of the funding the Navy sought to buy the first Landing Ship Medium, while Senate defense appropriators allotted the $268 m the service asked for in the budget proposal. It’s unclear what the final defense spending bill will do to the program.

For now, the Marine Corps is leasing a stern landing vessel so it can experiment with a platform similar to a future Landing Ship Medium. The Marines took a modified offshore supply vessel, known as the Resolution, and are leasing it from Hornbeck Offshore Services so they can perform water testing and work out the requirements for a future LSM.

The Marines are already manning the units that would operate from the LSMs. The service converted its Hawaii-based regiment to the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment in 2022 and one of its Okinawa-based regiments to the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment in 2023.

“The Navy and Marine Corps are committed to delivering a timely, affordable, littoral maneuver solution, which requires alignment of capabilities, resources, acquisition, and Congressional support,” Flanagan told USNI News.

“The Marine Corps is looking to leverage existing commercial and military capabilities that require minimal modification and can provide sustainment and littoral mobility.” (Source: Defense News Early Bird/USNI)

17 Dec 24. U.S. GAO Denies Protest of $990m Switchblade Systems Contract. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has denied the protest filed on September 6, 2024, challenging the U.S. Army’s sole-source award of a $990 m contract for AV’s Switchblade systems.

“AV remains steadfast in our commitment to fulfilling this important contract and upholding our mission to provide innovative, relevant, and effective capabilities to those who serve and defend freedom”

Post this

This decision reaffirms confidence in the integrity of the Army’s procurement process and its thorough evaluation of operational requirements. AV is proud to continue delivering these combat-proven, mission-critical Switchblade systems to meet the warfighter’s operational needs.

(Source: BUSINESS WIRE)

13 Dec 24. US Army issues RFI for mobile UAS integrated defeat system. The US government is conducting market research for the rapid development, deployment, and continued support of the US Army Mobile Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS).

“The US Army has a need to develop, produce, and maintain countermeasures against enemy-armed and intelligence gathering UAS’s operating at various speeds and altitudes which are targeting both US and their allies’ interests at home and abroad,” the Request for Information (RFI) states.

“Current M-LIDS systems consist of Coyote Missiles with launchers, a 30 mm cannon, a .50 caliber gun, an M240 7.62mm crew served weapon, an Electronic Warfare (EW) system, an Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) camera and a Ku-band Radio Frequency System (KuRFS) radar under the control of a Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2) system mounted on a M-ATV vehicle.”

The RFI states that future variants will be configured on a single vehicle such as a Stryker. All variants should be capable of identifying and defeating Group 1 through Group 3 drone threats. The system should also be capable of integrating additional sensors and effectors.

Among other requirements, interested parties must have sufficient engineering expertise to support the integration of the overall system as well as provide development activities to include both hardware and software capabilities. They should also possess or have access to a facility capable of testing capability at the system and component level.

Interested firms are invited to indicate their interest by January 24, 2025.

For more information: US Army RFI at SAM.gov (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

REST OF THE WORLD

17 Dec 24. Commonwealth, industry partners reach SSN-AUKUS agreement.

The Australian and UK governments have formalised the agreement between the Australian Submarine Agency and industry partners BAE Systems and ASC to support the delivery of Australia’s fleet of nuclear-powered, SSN-AUKUS submarines.

The Australian and UK governments have reached a major milestone in the partnership between the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) and key industry partners, advancing the delivery of the SSN-AUKUS fleet – conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines – for the Royal Australian Navy.

The ASA, BAE Systems, and ASC Pty Ltd have signed a tasking statement, a contractual agreement focused on developing a build strategy, supply chain management plans, and a workforce development strategy.

Stuart Whiley, chief executive officer and managing director of ASC, welcomed this milestone achievement, saying, “The tasking statement is an important step in establishing a sovereign nuclear submarine build capability in Australia. The program is anticipated to generate thousands of highly skilled jobs over its lifetime.”

Over the past eight months, government and industry partners have achieved significant progress in delivering the SSN-AUKUS program. In November, the ASA, BAE Systems, and ASC formalised an AUKUS mobilisation deed, establishing a framework for contracting with the Australian government through the ASA.

Steve Timms, managing director, BAE Systems’ submarines business, said, “SSN AUKUS is our contribution to the critical tri-national security partnership between Australia, the UK and the US. The safe build, test and commissioning of nuclear submarines is a hugely complex engineering endeavour and through these agreements, we’re able to share our vast experience of nuclear submarine capabilities with our industry partners to support the build of submarines in Australia.”

This followed the heads of agreement and the trilateral announcement of Australia’s designated shipbuilders in March.

Meanwhile, Craig Lockhart, chief executive officer, BAE Systems Australia, added, “Focused on stealth and endurance, the SSN AUKUS submarine will integrate cutting-edge technologies and advanced materials to enable it to operate the full spectrum of underwater missions, from advanced intelligence and surveillance through to underwater warfare.”

This announcement comes while Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong are currently in the United Kingdom, meeting with their UK counterparts, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defence Secretary John Healey.

As part of the joint statement on the 2024 Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) meetings, the partners recognised the “significance of the mobilisation agreement signed last month between the Australian Submarine Agency, BAE Systems Australia Submarines Pty Ltd and ASC SSN AUKUS Pty Ltd which will ensure work to build Australia’s SSN-AUKUS submarines can commence as quickly as possible”.

In addition to this, the joint ministerial statement added, “They welcomed the announcement of the first tasking statements contracted underneath the tripartite mobilisation agreement on 16 December 2024, enabling the ASA, BAE Systems Australia Submarines Pty Ltd and ASC SSN-AUKUS Pty Ltd to work together to develop detailed plans, schedules and workforce initiatives for the Australian build program of the SSN-AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine. Ministers also welcomed the wide range of initiatives to deliver a more resilient and prosperous trilateral submarine supply chain in the UK and Australia, particularly including the initiation of the UK-focused effort under the AUKUS Defence Industry Vendor Qualification program.”

Integrated project teams are now in place to manage key tasks, including nuclear stewardship, infrastructure requirements, business enablement and build preparation. Supporting functions – such as nuclear safety and assurance, engineering, and build operations – have also been established to ensure program success. (Source: Defence Connect)

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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

13 Dec 24. British Army Market Exploration Seeks Revolutionary Uncrewed Systems. The UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) has launched a new Market Exploration called ‘Air Launched Effects: Revolutionary Deployment Systems’. Run on behalf of the British Army, this Market Exploration is seeking to identify Uncrewed Systems (UxS) with extended range capabilities.

The aim is to discover cutting-edge UxS technologies at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 or above that could potentially be deployed within the next 12 months.

Do you have an innovation that could be of interest to the British Army? Read the full Market Exploration document and submit a proposal.

What technologies is this Market Exploration seeking?

Innovation capabilities that only rely on the supply chains of the UK and its allies are preferred.

UK Ministry of Defence Guidance – Market Exploration Document: Air Launched Effects: Revolutionary Deployment Systems

Summary

On behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), DASA is running a Market Exploration to identify technologies from across industry at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 or above or ideally capable of integration within the next 12 months.

The information obtained from this Market Exploration will be reviewed to identify technology areas suitable for further research and development, as well as potential procurement opportunities. At this stage, there is no commitment to launch a subsequent competition.

Details of your submission will not be shared outside of UK MOD.

Background

The British Army is pursuing a goal to double its lethality by 2027 and triple it by 2030. As part of this drive, there is a strong focus on developing new and novel technologies to be integrated into the wider force.

Current worldwide events have demonstrated the importance of UxS in modern conflict. Relatively low-cost UxS solutions can defeat more exquisite systems. This increases survivability of personnel and other crewed platforms.

The UxS space is evolving at a rapid pace. Therefore, platforms and components must undergo rapid iterations to keep up with the latest battlefield adaptations and requirements.

What we want

The British Army is seeking an uncrewed Deep Recce Strike platform capable of operating at ranges greater than 80km. This platform should also be able to deliver shorter-range one-way effectors onto targets identified by the User.

A further requirement is an Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability for identifying dynamic targets and conducting Battlefield Damage Assessment (BDA) following effect delivery.

The User requires the ability to rapidly develop, test, produce, operate, and iterate the system. The platform should be modular to provide resilience against technological advancements in Counter Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Focus should be given to operating successfully within EW contested and Global Positioning System (GPS) denied environments.

Details of supply chain resilience should be included in your submission.

A forecast cost indicator of the platform and associated software/modular add-ons is requested for consideration.

We are keen to seek innovation capabilities that predominantly rely on the supply chains of the UK and its allies.

What we don’t want

Technologies below TRL 4 are not required as this does not typically support integration within a 12-month timeline unless this can be shown in the submission.
We are not interested in literature reviews, paper-based studies, consultancy or non-technical solutions.

How to submit a Market Exploration Submission to DASA

Responses to this Market Exploration must be submitted via the DASA submission service, for which you will need to register. We recommend you use a Google Chrome browser to access the DASA submission service.

You will be asked for a title and short summary of your innovation, along with questions related to your organisation, your idea and technology maturity. We are seeking to understand what and how much further development is required for a complete solution to meet requirements, or whether a combination of separate solutions is required. The information you provide will assist in developing a statement of requirements for potential future activities.

Submissions must be submitted by Midday 12:00 (GMT) on 4 February 2025. We are unable to accept any submissions after this point.

Please only provide details of one product/capability per submission. If you have a number of potential solutions, please submit multiple forms.

If you have any questions please email with “Air Launched Effects: Revolutionary Deployment Systems Market Exploration” in the subject line. (Source: UAS VISION/UK Defence and Security Accelerator )

13 Dec 24. BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy), and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co Ltd (JAIEC), have reached an agreement to form a new company under a business joint venture for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), subject to regulatory approvals. The agreement builds on the strong trilateral government, defence, and industrial cooperation between the UK, Japan, and Italy on GCAP since it was established in December 2022. The new joint venture will be accountable for the design, development and delivery of the next generation combat aircraft and will remain the design authority for GCAP for the life of the product, which is expected to go out beyond 2070.

BAE Systems, Leonardo, and JAIEC will each hold a 33.3% shareholding in the new joint venture: bringing together the combined strengths and expertise of three leading companies and marking a pivotal moment for the international aerospace and defence industry.

Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems Chief Executive, said: “Today’s agreement is a culmination of many months working together with our industry partners and is testament to the hard work of everyone involved in this strategically important programme.

“The new business will bring together the significant strengths and expertise of the companies involved to create an innovative organisation that will lead the way in developing a next generation combat air system, creating long-term, high value and skilled jobs across the partner nations for decades to come.”

Roberto Cingolani, Leonardo Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, said: “This agreement is the result of an intensive journey made possible by pooling our mutual and shared experiences. This partnership not only enhances our technological capabilities but also reinforces our commitment to global security and innovation.

“Today, we are paving the way for the development of a new era in Aircraft Systems and Multi-domain scenarios, fostering long-term sustainable growth for the economies of the involved countries.”

Kimito Nakae, President of JAIEC said: “As we now embark upon the exciting and important journey towards the success of GCAP, I acknowledge that the way might not always be simple and straightforward. However, I believe that through continuing the strong spirit of trilateral cooperation and collaboration that we have fostered up to this point, we will not only deliver the GCAP on time but also at a level that exceeds all of our expectations.”

The new joint venture will have operations and joint teams working in each of the partner nations. It will be headquartered in the UK, to ensure maximum alignment and collaboration with the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO) which will also be headquartered in the UK. Both entities will work together to support cost-effective and timely programme delivery, including a 2035 aircraft in-service date.

GCAP is a hugely significant programme for the security and economic prosperity of each nation and, through effective knowledge and technology transfer, it will help to evolve and deliver important sovereign combat air capability in each nation for generations to come.

The joint venture is expected to be established by the middle of 2025.
It will undertake the design and development of the GCAP aircraft and will subcontract the manufacturing and final assembly of the aircraft to BAE Systems, Leonardo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the wider supply chain.
The joint work of the programme is designed to maximise and grow industrial capability in each of the nations, with design, development, manufacturing and production elements evenly distributed among nations.
The first CEO of the joint venture will be from Italy.

10 Dec 24. Thousands of jobs in doubt over military helicopter contract. Nearly 3,000 roles at a factory in Somerset may be at risk if ministers do not press ahead with procurement plans Fears are mounting over the future of a helicopter factory in Somerset as confusion reigns over the status of a vital government contract. Close to 3,000 jobs at the Yeovil manufacturing plant may be at risk if ministers fail to press ahead with the so-called New Medium Helicopter (NMH) procurement, which is intended to replace older Puma models. While the Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed last month that the existing supply of RAF Puma helicopters will be retired in March, it has yet to award a £1bn contract to replace the outgoing fleet. Leonardo, the Italian defence giant responsible for running the factory in Somerset, is currently the sole bidder involved in the NMH procurement. mHowever, the delay is fuelling concerns that minsters may scrap the NMH order entirely and make do with other helicopter types, plunging Leonardo’s Somerset site into crisis. It comes as the Government evaluates the future of outstanding military projects as part of an ongoing defence review.

The Unite union said its General Secretary Sharon Graham recently met with Defence Secretary John Healey and urged him to press ahead with the order.

She said: “We have had the Government’s statement of intent for the defence sector. Now we need to see some action.

“These are highly skilled workers and a further delay in awarding this contract would have disastrous consequences for the long term future of this factory.”

Responding to questions about the order in Parliament, Defence Procurement Minister Maria Eagle said no decision is imminent.

She said that while there are no plans to modify the NMH tender, an appraisal process will continue through next year, after which a contract will be awarded subject to Government approval.

However, an industry source said concern is mounting that the MoD may recommend utilising helicopters such as the Chinook for a wider array of missions.

That would allow the NMH project to be scrapped and money diverted to other programmes, aiding Rachel Reeves’s efforts to save bns of pounds across Government departments.

The source said: “There is no way they can procure everything they want to procure.

“So the question is, will the NMH order even happen at all? With the defence review coming, nobody really knows anything.

“It would be a ridiculous stretch to substitute Chinooks for Pumas to fly three people around, but that’s one of the possibilities and it fits with the idea of reducing the number of helicopter types.”

In announcing last month that the Pumas – which have been in service since the early 1970s – would be withdrawn, the MoD also placed an order for six H145 Jupiter helicopters from Airbus that will take over their role in Cyprus and Brunei.

Airbus had previously expressed an interest in the Puma defence contract, although pulled out of the bidding process earlier this year after claiming the terms of the tender weren’t sufficiently attractive.

Sikorsky Aircraft, a US-based rival, also withdrew – leaving just Leonardo in the running. The weaponsmaker currently produces the AW149 helicopter at its site in Yeovil.

Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters boss, said earlier this year: “We took the decision to withdraw only after concluding that we could not provide long-term returns to our business, address the requirements in terms of social value and industry capacity and still have a fair chance to win.

“But we are not the only ones to take this decision, which questions the current set of requirements.”

Had Airbus succeeded in securing the contract, it had vowed to build a new factory in Broughton, Flintshire, creating hundreds of jobs in the process.

While the MoD originally sought up to 44 aircraft as part of the £1bn contract, that number is understood to have been reduced to to around 25, including the six ordered from Airbus.

The Chancellor has said she will only unveil her plans for military spending once the defence review is completed next year. However, she has vowed to increase defence spending to 2.5pc of GDP.

The Government declined to comment. (Source: Daily Telegraph)

10 Dec 24. Enhancing UK Biosecurity: DASA Launches Microbial Forensics Competition.

DASA and UKMFC seek novel technology options to enhance the UK’s Microbial Forensic capability.

DASA has launched a new Themed Competition: Future-proofing Biosecurity by Strengthening the UK’s Microbial Forensic Capability
This competition is funded by Dstl for the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD)
The total possible funding available for this competition is £1 m (excluding VAT).
Competition closes midday on Tuesday 18th February 2025 (GMT)

On behalf of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory(Dstl), the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is pleased to launch a new Themed Competition called Future-proofing Biosecurity by Strengthening the UK’s Microbial Forensic Capability. The competition is being run in response to the 2023 UK Biological Security Strategy which aims to implement a UK-wide approach to biosecurity that will strengthen deterrence and resilience to a spectrum of biological threats.

Dstl is leading the creation of the United Kingdom Microbial Forensics Consortium (UKMFC) which is being developed in support of the Detect Pillar of the Biological Security Strategy. It will comprise a network of biosurveillance laboratories from all four nations of the UK, operating under a One Health doctrine. This competition seeks novel technology options or technical approaches that can directly support the UKMFC initiative.

The total possible funding available for this competition is £1 m (excluding VAT). We are looking to fund a minimum of 4 and up to 10 projects, each up to a maximum value of £250,000. The deadline to submit a proposal is midday (GMT) on 18 February 2025. Submit via the DASA Online Submission Service.

Background

The aim of the competition is to strengthen UK capability in the field of Microbial Forensics. Novel technology options are required to function within the context of the UKMFC laboratory network; an appropriately resourced, high technological infrastructure, staffed by subject matter experts in biosurveillance. Innovations that either augment current approaches (e.g. increasing the speed and / or opportunity for anomaly detection through genomics) including novel uses of technology platforms or that provide completely new avenues for a Microbial Forensic investigation are of interest.

Any new capability should not increase the risks encountered in the day-to-day activities of a laboratory, or significantly increase the financial burden encountered by a laboratory (above normal investment patterns). There is no interest in technology development that would provide a solely mobile Microbial Forensic capability or enhance a laboratory’s ability to simply identify a pathogen.

Dstl provides expert scientific advice and deployable capabilities which directly support resolution of some of the most challenging national security incidents: those involving explosive, chemical or biological materials. Dstl hosts the UK’s only sovereign Chem-Bio capability used to analyse and understand the world’s most deadly pathogens and biological weapons.

What are the technology challenges we would like addressed?

There is particular interest in funding new research in the following areas:

Computational tools that improve the opportunity to detect anomalies in genome sequencing data, including evidence of biological engineering.
Technologies that allow the identification and / or computational analysis of other omic signatures for novel Microbial Forensic capabilities.

Ideally any new capability would be agnostic of the sector, sample type, and class or type of biological agent being analysed. However, technical approaches that are specific to certain types or classes of biological agent may be considered. We are also interested in proposals that develop or repurpose existing technologies used in other scientific disciplines.

We are looking for innovations that will form the basis of the next generation of Microbial Forensic capability, potentially enhancing our ability to use any branch of science under the omics banner in a Microbial Forensic investigation, and fundamentally improve our understanding of an encountered pathogen.

Learn more about the competition and submit a proposal here.

Supporting events

Thursday 9 January 2025

A dial-in webinar providing further detail on the problem space and a chance to ask questions in an open forum. If you would like to participate, please register on the Eventbrite page here.

Wednesday 15 and Tuesday 21 January 2025

There will also be one-to-one teleconference sessions on 15 and 21 January giving you the opportunity to ask specific questions to the competition team in a closed forum. Registration details for these sessions will be published the day after the dial in webinar session, i.e. on 10 January 2025. Booking will be on a first come first served basis.

Please attend the dial-in session on 9 January 2025 or reach out to your local Innovation Partner if you have more general questions on DASA the application process.

Submit a proposal

We want novel ideas to enhance the UK’s Microbial Forensic capability. Can you provide innovative solutions? If so, please read the full competition document and submit a proposal.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/future-proofing-biosecurity-by-strengthening-the-uks-microbial-forensics-capability

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

EUROPE

10 Dec 24. Type 26 “down selected” for Norway’s future frigate. New Labour government “actively supporting” the promotion of Type 26 and Type 31 frigate designs in international navies.

The UK’s Type 26 programme is well underway, with the first-in-class HMS Glasgow (pictured) undergoing outfitting. Credit: UK MoD/Crown copyright

The UK’s Type 26 frigate design has been “down selected” by Norway for its future frigate platform, according to the UK government, with the Royal Norwegian Navy seeking options to replace the remaining four Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates with up to six new warships.

In a parliamentary written response on 9 December 2024, UK Defence Procurement Minister Maria Eagle stated the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Business and Trade were “actively supporting” the promotion of the Type 26 and Type 31 general purpose frigate “to other navies around the world” with similar requirements.

“The Type 26 has been down selected as one of four options for the Norwegian Future Frigate competition,” Eagle stated.

The Type 26 design has already won export deals with its design to be used by Canada and Australia for their respective frigate programmes, with the UK Royal Navy expected to introduce eight City-class Type 26 frigates into service from 2028-2035 in a bid to reverse a steep decline in surface combatant numbers.

Norway wants to join existing production line

In mid-November, Norway’s Ministry of Defence announced that it had invited France, Germany, the UK, and US to “discussions on strategic partnership” for new frigates for the Royal Norwegian Navy.

“The new frigates represent the largest acquisition planned for the Norwegian Armed Forces in the coming years. Norway is an important maritime nation in Nato, and through this and other maritime investments we will be strengthening both national and allied security,” said Norwegian Minister of Defence, Bjørn Arild Gram.

In June 2024 the Norwegian Parliament passed the new Long-Term Plan for the Norwegian Armed Forces, which calls for the acquisition of a minimum of five, optionally six new anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates with embarked anti-submarine helicopters.

A Norwegian MoD release stated that the plan stressed that the new frigates are not to be procured as stand-alone vessels, but through a” long-term and mutually beneficial strategic partnership with a close ally” with strategic interests closely aligned with those of Norway.

The strategic partnership was to include “joint acquisition, operation, maintenance, continuous development and upgrades of the new frigates” throughout their service life.

In addition, to limit the need for upgrades of the Fridtjof Nansen-class, Norway is also looking to accelerate the acquisition by joining an existing production line for such vessels.

Norway’s future frigate: assessing the options

With the need to join an existing production line, and the ASW requirement, the options for Norway appear to be set, based on the countries it has invited for discussions.

Option 1: UK

For the UK, the Type 26 programme provides both an ASW-specific platform, a growing international supplier base in Australia and Canada, and an active production line, with the recent steel cutting for the fifth-in-class HMS Sheffield taking place at BAE Systems’ shipyard in Scotland.

Crucially, the Type 26 has been designed with a reduced acoustic signature and incorporates a combined diesel and gas (CODAG) turbine propulsion system, with integrated electric motors.

The other UK frigate currently under development, Babcock’s Type 31, also has an active production line but is not an ASW-specific design, instead being a general-purpose warship.

Option 2: France

France meanwhile can offer the FDI light frigate, currently in production for French and Greek navies, and described by Naval Group as being a multi-purpose platform able to conduct a full range of maritime and naval duties, including anti-submarine warfare.

The FDI design provides for more conventional combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) propulsion configuration. It is the smallest of the four possible options, displacing some 4,500 tonnes.

Option 2: Germany

Germany’s offering will likely be centred on its F126 frigate, of which six are planned to be introduced into the Germany Navy in replacement of the F123 Brandenburg-class frigates.

The F126 design is the largest of the four options either confirmed or thought likely contenders. Credit: Damen via German Ministry of Defence

Construction of the first-in-class F126 frigate Niedersachsen began in December 2023 and due to be delivered in December 2028. The design calls for the use of a combined diesel-electric and diesel propulsion configuration.

Option 4: US

Finally, the US, which abandoned naval frigates in favour of the development of the ill-fated twin-variant Littoral Combat Ship programme, is returning to the space with the introduction of the Constellation class, a heavily adapted variant of the European FREMM platforms.

However, design issues continue to plague the programme, which is seeing the concurrent conclusion of the platform design phase alongside the start of construction of the first-in-class USS Constellation.

The design is a combined diesel-electric and gas layout and intended to be a more multi-purpose frigate in keeping with the US Navy’s requirements. Along with the UK’s Type 26, the Constellation comes in between Germany’s F126 and France’s FDI, displacing around 7,500 tonnes.

(Source: naval-technology.com)

06 Dec 24. US offers Viper, Black Hawk helicopters to Slovakia in revised pitch. As Slovak officials ponder the purchase of new attack helicopters, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák has announced Bratislava has received two new offers from the United States, allowing the nation to choose between 12 AH-1Z Viper helos and 12 upgraded UH-60 Black Hawk copters.

“Now it is important to make a decision in an efficient and quick manner. I think that we will have the results of these analyses in the coming days,” Kaliňák said, as quoted by the state-run news agency TASR.

Last July, the U.S. State Department approved a tentative foreign military sale of 12 Vipers, manufactured by Bell, to Slovakia for an estimated $600m. This represented a solid increase compared with the initial offer of $340m pitched to the previous Slovak government. That discount was partly due to the fact that a contract with Pakistan, the initially envisioned recipient of the aircraft, had fallen through.

Meanwhile, as Slovakia’s incumbent Cabinet has hesitated to buy the Viper copters, Ukrainian officials have intensified their lobbying in Washington to secure the helos for their defense against Russia.

The Slovak military currently operates a fleet of nine UH-60 Black Hawks manufactured by Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin.

Kaliňák said there is a significant difference between the original $340m Viper offer and the current price of the helicopters, which exceeds €550m ($582m). (Source: Defense News)

USA

11 Dec 24. CDAO and DIU Launch New Effort Focused on Accelerating DOD Adoption of AI Capabilities. Today, the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) announced the formation of a new AI Rapid Capabilities Cell (AI RCC) focused on accelerating DoD adoption of next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) such as Generative AI (GenAI). The AI RCC will be managed by the CDAO and will be executed in partnership with DIU. The AI RCC will lead efforts to accelerate and scale the deployment of cutting-edge AI-enabled tools, to include Frontier models, across the Department of Defense.

This announcement comes as the CDAO sunsets Task Force Lima, the Department’s initiative focused on harnessing the power of GenAI. The AI RCC will build upon the findings, and focus on executing pilots in the primary use case areas identified by Task Force Lima. These areas are:

Warfighting: Command and Control (C2) and decision support, operational planning, logistics, weapons development and testing, uncrewed and autonomous systems, intelligence activities, information operations, and cyber operations
Enterprise management: financial systems, human resources, enterprise logistics and supply chain, health care information management, legal analysis and compliance, procurement processes, and software development and cyber security

The executive summary of Task Force Lima’s findings can be found on CDAO’s website.

“The US commercial sector is at the cutting edge when it comes to artificial intelligence, and digital solutions,” said Chief Digital and AI Officer Dr. Radha Plumb. “We need an all-hands-on-deck approach to accelerate development and deployment of these tools for the Department of Defense to responsibly harness the tremendous promise of AI in everything from financial management to logistics to operations planning to autonomous systems.”

“DIU’s role is bringing the very best commercial tech to bear to meet critical warfighter problems with the focus, speed, and scale required to meet the strategic imperative,” said Doug Beck, Director of DIU. “Our partnership with CDAO, and collaboration on the Rapid Capabilities Cell, will allow us to shape critical AI initiatives in a way that incorporates the standards, policy, and requirements from the beginning. The result will help us scale the tech faster and more reliably, and will also help change the way the Department thinks about software development and delivery tempo for the future.”

The AI RCC will initially be resourced with approximately $100M in FY 2024 and FY 2025 for pilot efforts that apply generative AI models to priority use cases, and investments in foundational AI infrastructure and tools. In partnership with other parts of the Department, industry, and academia, CDAO and DIU will take a rapid experimentation-based approach to the AI pilots, consistent with the CDAO and DIU’s Open DAGIR construct and use all available agile acquisition approaches.

Additional details about planned pilots, infrastructure investments, and other AI-focused efforts can be found in the linked fact sheet.

About the CDAO and DIU

CDAO is the Department of Defense’s (DoD) organization responsible for the acceleration of the department’s adoption of data, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI). It has the mission of providing enterprise-level infrastructure and services, as well as scaling proven secure digital and AI-enabled solutions for enterprise and joint use cases. CDAO leverages relevant dual-use commercial technologies and novel operating models to enable all DoD organizations to quickly develop, test, integrate and deliver secure, data, analytic, and AI capabilities to achieve their missions.

DIU is the DoD’s organization responsible for leading the adoption of commercial technologies to solve warfighter problems for strategic impact at speed and scale, in support of the National Defense Strategy. It serves as the principal liaison between the DoD and the national security innovation base, and with its companies and investors, and coordinates and advises efforts within the DoD, and with interagency and international partners, on matters related to the development, procurement, and fielding of commercially derived technology. (Source: U.S. DoD)

11 Dec 24. Perceptronics, announced the award of a follow-on contract by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) for the development of advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) mission systems. This contract expands on previous AFLCMC EW development efforts and includes further implementation and flight test of U.S. Government EW software frameworks. These frameworks standardize data processing and techniques delivery within a Sensor Open System Architecture (SOSA)-aligned hardware and software system, fully Open Mission System (OMS) compliant for seamless integration with USAF platforms. This effort also advances the application of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) algorithms to the processing of radio frequency (RF) emitters, culminating in systems integration and flight demonstration in an open architecture pod in operationally representative environments. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)

REST OF THE WORLD

06 Dec 24. Cuashub.com said today that the Head of Canadian JCO announces $19m in available grants. At the Counter-UAS Technology USA Conference, Colonel Chris Labbé, Head of the Canadian Joint C-UAS Office (JCO), announced the launch of the IDEaS NORAD Modernization S&T Contest, a grant program offering up to $19m to advance innovative solutions in areas critical to NORAD’s modernization.

Speaking to attendees, Col. Labbé highlighted the urgency of advancing counter-UAS capabilities and emphasized the significance of technological interoperability between Canada and its allies.

“This is one of our innovation pathways that we have in the Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defense,” he said. “Essentially, we’ve got $19 m in grants that are available for round one funding for proposals at Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 1-6. There’s multiple topic areas, including quantum. But out of the five areas, counter-UAS is one of those.”

Canada’s focus on innovation

The contest, part of Canada’s broader effort to modernize NORAD through innovative technology, seeks proposals in key areas such as drone interceptors, wide-area sensing for counter-UAS, cost-effective counter-swarm measures and kinetic effectors.

It is open to Canadian educational institutions, incorporated Canadian companies and Canadian government organizations. Col. Labbé also noted that foreign companies can participate by incorporating in Canada, noting a recent success story from a company outside of Canada.

“At the last sandbox, there was a company that was not from Canada, [that] decided to incorporate. They did really, really well, and they left the event with a m-dollar grant because they made the decision to incorporate in Canada before registering for the sandbox,” Col. Labbé shared.

The IDEaS program provides a platform for innovators to develop their concepts, with successful projects advancing through multiple funding rounds.

Col. Labbé stressed the importance of a strategic and agile approach to advancing counter-UAS capabilities and addressing modern threats, saying:

“We know counter-UAS capabilities are urgently needed. We know that we need a new approach. We can’t do business like we have been for the last 20-25 years, because otherwise, technology that we field will become rapidly obsolete.”

Col. Labbé noted that the JCO will have a mandate to deliver capabilities under a comprehensive program approach, using an agile governance framework. This will be done in partnership with joint partners, industry and Canada’s closest allies, with the IDEaS program aimed at furthering these efforts.

https://cuashub.com/en/content/head-of-canadian-jco-announces-19-m-in-available-grants/ (Source: https://cuashub.com/)

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IEE is ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified.

IEE’s Advantage:

Direct control of critical process steps that reduce cost, decrease production lead times and improves life-cycle management
Unique advantage to serve to both smaller quantity, highly custom displays needs as well as high volume production outputs
Expert in delivering the best value in form and fit replacement by modifying existing COTS products to meet legacy requirements
Leading the next generation avionics efficiencies by leveraging open architectures and common software standards
Field-proven, pre-engineered displays minimize lead-time and non-recurring engineering costs.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

INTERNATIONAL PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES

December 6, 2024 by

Sponsored by

https://ieeinc.com/

UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

05 Dec 24. UK tendering for nuclear submarine support work.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has announced a tender for a new five-year contract to support critical systems aboard the nation’s nuclear-powered strategic submarines.

According to the MOD’s notice, the contract will cover procurement, repair, overhaul, and post-design services for Pressure Hull Penetrators (PPENs), as well as associated cables and connectors.

The tender, published on December 4, 2024, highlights the importance of maintaining and upgrading equipment integral to the safe and effective operation of the UK’s strategic submarine fleet.

The contract, to be delivered from Bristol, will include:

Maintenance and Procurement: Continued support for PPEN equipment and related components installed on submarines.
Technical Support: Updates to technical and maintenance manuals, safety documentation, and reference materials.
Rapid Defect Response: A requirement for the contractor to respond to reported defects within 48 hours, which could involve providing on-site waterfront assistance or remote support via phone or email.

The Submarine Delivery Agency’s Platform Equipment Delivery Team (SDA-PEDT) will oversee the competitive selection process. The MOD plans to assess and select a contractor capable of delivering comprehensive support for the PPEN systems and associated components, with an estimated contract delivery date extending until January 31, 2030.

The deadline for tenders is January 31, 2025, at 23:59. This project represents another significant step in sustaining the UK’s underwater deterrent capability and ensuring its submarines remain equipped with reliable and secure systems.

(Source: News Now/https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)

03 Dec 24. UK MoD seeks high explosive supply chain amid munitions bottleneck. The UK looks to be setting up a supply chain to feed Ukrainian demand for artillery shells and munitions. Releasing a single statement of user need (SSUN) on 28 November, the MoD revealed its intention to develop a high explosive supply chain specifically to assist with Ukrainian requirements, indicating the potential development of a country-specific industrial capability inside the UK or overseas, funded by the UK. Working under the moniker of Task Force Kindred, the SSUN revealed that an industry day would take place on 11 December to determine capabilities and resources available in the private sector, specific to the provision of “high explosives for warheads and artillery projectiles, peopellants for boost/rocket motors and artillery”, as well as “pyrotechnics”.

In its reasoning, the MoD stated that it required to “secure supply of a significant quantity of energetic materials” for the next three years, citing a “critical bottleneck in munitions production” and availability of energetic materials, including ammonium and nitric acid.

The MoD intends to “reverse this” through a “coherent set of multi-year investments in UK-based or overseas suppliers”, funded through part of the “annual £3bn Ukraine budget”, and could include investment in facilities and infrastructure.

The move comes on the back of the announced creation of a new UK-based factory to produce M777 155mm lightweight towed howitzers, with Ukraine one of the most likely destination, given the British Army does not use the platform.

Has the UK been too slow off the mark?

The clamour for the raw materials of munitions manufacture, as defence industries in the UK, Europe, and the US spool up manufacturing to meet the demand, not just from Ukraine, but also all its suppliers.

To date, ms of artillery rounds have been provided by the US and Europe to Ukraine, particularly in the 155mm range, as Kyiv continues to persist in a war that passed the 1,000-day landmark recently.

However, with all countries effectively competing for the same raw materials and for the business from such suppliers, it is far from certain that the UK MoD will be able to acquire the resources it needs.

In August 2024, UK-based Astor Defence secured a four-year deal to supply Finnish defence OEM Nammo with TNT for the production of 155mm artillery shells.

In its release, Astor Defence stated that it would provide Nammo Group with “thousands of tons” of TNT, coming weeks after the Norwegian government announced in July 2024 that it had entered into a multi-year agreement with Nammo on artillery, missile, and rocket munitions.

The company also said it has “spare capacity” for TNT supply through 2025.

In November 2024, the US revealed that it would reestablish TNT production with a $217.5m contract for the design, build, and commission of a Trinitrotoluene facility to Repkon USA-Defense.

Better known as the acronym TNT, Trinitrotoluene is used in the manufacture of military munitions, and is the prime high explosive used in the production of artillery shells, as well as aerial bombs and infantry grenades. The new facility will be built in Kentucky and expected to be completed by November 2028.

The award will reestablish TNT production “swiftly and at scale” on US soil for the first time in decades, the US Army stated in an 8 November release.

“Reshoring TNT production gives us the ability to control and secure our supply chain for this vital component, especially in an era of increasing global challenges,” said Douglas Bush, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology.

Supply chains stretched by global demands

In March, a report by analytics firm GlobalData examined the strain placed on global supply chains as an intensifying rearmament race, driven by geopolitical tensions and escalating defence budget, was setting new demands for an industrial base struggling to keep up with demand.

Speaking in March 2024, James Marques, defence and security analyst at GlobalData, said “vital items” such as artillery shells, air defence missiles, and armoured vehicles were seeing “rates of attrition in the war in Ukraine at rates unheard of in recent times”.

The repercussions of this heightened demand are reverberating across supply chains, with Western nations striving to replenish depleted stocks while simultaneously supporting Ukrainian forces.

The UK, for instance, has confirmed that it had donated 400,000 artillery shells to Ukraine and had earlier inked deals with companies such as BAE Systems to increase munitions production. Similarly, companies like Rheinmetall and KNDS in Europe are forging ahead with new production lines to meet the escalating demand. (Source: army-technology.com)

02 Dec 24. Chief of the Air Staff Signals Need to Replace Hawk T2. In a speech to the Freeman Air and Space Institute in London on Tuesday, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, commented: “We don’t get what we need from Hawk today. We are getting half of what we should get out of it…I would like to replace Hawk T2 as soon as we can.”

The AERALIS proposition has been conceived from inception to address the specific challenges and aspirations of the Royal Air Force (RAF) regarding sovereign fast jet training capability, and stands ready to support the RAF, MOD and HM Government with a future-fit, sustainable and commercially compelling, digitally integrated solution.

“AERALIS is a Sovereign, British designed-and-built fast jet training system that combines an optimised aircraft design with a cutting-edge digital enterprise,” AERALIS CEO and founder, Tristan Crawford, commented. “It was conceived from the ground up with the RAF’s future in mind: massively reducing costs to sustainable levels while enabling optimal training through consistent fleet availability and exploitation of integrated technologies.

“AERALIS is not ‘just’ a replacement to Hawk. It’s the first all-British designed and built military aircraft in 50 years, and ticks all the boxes for the RAF and the UK:

We can restore our position as a global leader in fast jet training.
We can have a market-leading proposition for a multi-bn-pound export market, underscoring and bolstering our geopolitical influence around the world.
We can attract significant inward investment to the UK.
We can afford a national display team – with a Red Arrows that represents British excellence in digital aerospace engineering as well as precision flying.” (Source: ASD Network)

EUROPE

05 Dec 24. Ukraine list of equipment for manufacturing razor wire barriers.

Press parts:
⁃ 5 pcs, automatic device for unwinding steel strips;

⁃ 5 pcs., automatic press with automatic (electric) steel strip feeding function (main element), not less than 65 tons;

⁃ 10 pcs., stamp for manufacturing barbed tape (the main element of the press machine) of the VTO-18 type for 7 tapes;

⁃ 5 pcs, switchgear;

⁃ 5 pieces, winder for 7 tapes;

⁃ 105 pcs. “Plate” for winding tape

Forming parts:

⁃ 10 pcs, compatible unwinder for wire and tape;

⁃ 10 pcs., PLC-controlled belt forming machine with built-in winder and the ability to produce spiral coils with a diameter of up to 01100 mm;

⁃ 10 pcs, table for clipping the finished product;

⁃ 50 pcs, pneumatic gun for staples type: JTK02 (JTK03).

Pressing part for manufacturing clips (staples):

⁃ 5 pcs, unwinder for steel stitching;

⁃ 5 pcs, container for lubrication of steel belt;

⁃ 5 pos, press automatic machine for pressing staples type: JTK02 (JTK03);

⁃ 5 pcs, line unwinder.

Contact: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=5rXxzeLwcEeqV9_qMXlCS74NB7JLOKtEogeWrzzQ06ZUOTZVUVA4MzhSOE8yNVE1RjgxSDBSNFNRRS4u

(Source: MakeUK Defence)

02 Dec 24. On November 19, 2024, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) hosted its first Blue Magic Netherlands (BMN) event in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Approximately 200 people attended the event that provided Dutch businesses with an opportunity to present their capabilities to GA-ASI and other companies interested in possible collaborations. GA-ASI was joined for the event by the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Brainport Development, Brabant Development Agency (BOM), the Netherlands Industries for Defence & Security (NIDV), and SpaceNED.

At this event, GA-ASI and its partners heard first-hand from Dutch companies about the important capabilities they are developing. The process started in July when GA-ASI put out an open invitation to Dutch businesses to apply for the opportunity to present innovative technologies at the November 19 event. Key areas of focus included Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Autonomy, Advanced Materials, Sensors, Advanced Manufacturing, and Space. Close to 50 companies applied and after reviewing the applications, 15 businesses were selected to pitch their capabilities to an audience that included lightweight lattice structures, gas detection technologies, advanced battery and photonics applications, and several innovative unmanned system and AI applications, among many others.

“This event is where the rubber meets the road,” said Brad Lunn, Managing Director-Strategic Finance at GA-ASI. “In addition to attracting many companies, we increased the areas of expertise and depth of knowledge from the presenting companies in order to provide research, development, and breakthrough innovations to support current and future missions by GA-ASI aircraft. We also wanted to give the companies an opportunity to pitch in front of other potential customers, partners, and investors.”

The first Blue Magic event held by GA-ASI was in 2019 in Belgium, with subsequent events held in 2020, 2021, and 2023. GA-ASI is delivering eight MQ-9A Remotely Piloted Aircraft to the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF).

GA-ASI expects to announce technology partnerships stemming from the BMN event and intends to hold this event on an annual basis in the Netherlands.

02 Dec 24. EU fund common defence procurement for the first time.

Aggregating European demand will assure defence companies of long-term intentions and allow for the expansion of manufacturing capacities.

Europe has made headway on its newfound common defence procurement practice in November 2024.

Mistral very short-range air defence (VSHORAD) systems;
IRIS-T medium-range air defence systems, under the Joint Air Missile Defence Initiative Europe (JAMIE);
the Finnish-led Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS);
Common Procurement of Ammunition (CPoA) 155mm (involving six nations);
and HE-155mm ammunition (four nation participants).

All these funds were issued under the European Defence Industry Reinforcement through Common Procurement Act, shortened ‘EDIRPA’. This piece of legislation came to pass on 18 October 2023, whereupon it was decided that the joint acquisition would be centred around ammunition, air defence and ground platforms.

The common procurement concept has its roots in the continent’s alarmist response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine around March 2022.

Aggregating EU demand on a wider scale, it is believed, will assure regional defence companies of government’s long-term intentions and allow suppliers to expand their manufacturing capacities and workforces.

Just last month, France’s senior army officials entered into agreements enabling ARQUUS and KNDS France to lean on “industrial reservists” for the first time in order to keep pace with the stifling military demand. It is hoped that this Defence Industrial Reserve system will facilitate the participation of 3,000 reservists into the defence industrial workforce or to state industrialists by 2030.

Ammo, air defence and vehicles

Calls for ammunition, air defence and armoured vehicles give us some indication of Europe’s priorities in a new age of strategic preparedness.

Ukrainian troops fore artillery at Russian forces near Robotyne and Orichiv, the Zaporizhzhia region, 25 June 2023. Credit: Serhii Nuzhnenko (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) / the Collection of war.ukraine.ua.

Of course, these three choices are informed by the gruelling high intensity warfare playing out in Eastern Europe, where success is measured in yards gained and, at least for the Russians, waging destructive campaigns against civilian, as well as military, morale and infrastructure. This then demands an Israeli-style layered missile defence plan through the European Sky Shield Initiative and armoured mobility capabilities.

As far as artillery and missile defence go, GlobalData intelligence reveals that Europe is set to dominate the sector with a share of 44.9% and 34.4% of the two global markets respectively.

Likewise, armoured vehicles will prove essential to armoured mobility and fires in a high intensity warfare environment in which the rate of demand comes form a need to replace vehicle losses from cost-effective loitering munitions. For that reason, Ukraine is confronted with the question of how to appropriately balance protection and manoeuvrability in this operational context.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies says Ukraine has lost more than 8,000 infantry fighting units since the full-scale invasion began (nearly) three years ago.

Self-determined security

This is a step in the right direction, Germany’s National Armaments Director, Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki commented, as it ensures a “self-determined European security architecture.”

Previously, in April, the EU unveiled its inaugural defence industrial strategy which put forward for a longer-term approach to collective defence than the responsive measures of support for Ukraine until now. As part of this strategy, member states will procure at least 40% of defence equipment in a collaborative manner by 2030.

While the EU decision to provide budgetary resources for collective defence for the first time will help to cultivate a ‘self-determined’ security arhcitecture, its inclusion of equipment in other domains remains an open question.

Even in Ukraine, often characterised by trench warfare and artillery bombardment, the country’s forces are using asymmetric methods to eliminate Russian war potential, including its Black Sea operations and deployment of F-16 Fighting Falcons. Naturally, air and sea assets play a crucial, if secondary, role in modern European conflict.

In this regard, progress is made through other European initatives such as the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Organisation for Joint Armament Procurement (OCCAR). These initiatives play a crucial role as Denmark’s accession to the EDA in April suggests.

Likewise, OCCAR is a critical programme manager that has kept numerous defence programmes at pace, such as helping Italy secure its fourth U212 NFS submarine as well as the Offshore Multi-Purpose Support Vessels (PPAs). (Source: army-technology.com)

REST OF THE WORLD

05 Dec 24. Japan to Transfer Coastal Radars, Small Boats to Philippine Military in Latest Defense Aid Package. BRP Jose Rizal conducts exercises with two Japan Maritime Self-Defense ships. Philippine Navy

The Philippine Navy and Air Force are set to receive small boats and radars from Japan through a $10.6 million Official Security Assistance grant that Tokyo says will strengthen Manila’s capabilities in the South China Sea and Luzon Strait.

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya and Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo inked the grant in Manila Thursday following a week of incidents with Beijing in the South China Sea.

“The Philippines faces important sea lanes including the South China Sea and the Luzon Strait and plays an important role in regional security,” read a statement from the Japanese embassy in the Philippines on the defense aid grant.

This is the second time Japan has pledged defense assistance to the Philippines under its recently created Official Security Assistance grant scheme, a program that focuses on military and other defense-related transfers from Tokyo to its partners and allies across the Indo-Pacific. Last year, the Philippines was the first country to receive assistance from the program when Japan pledged $4 million in maritime domain awareness radars.

In this latest tranche, Tokyo included the Philippine Air Force and increased its funding from $4 million to $10.6 million. Japan will provide an unspecified number of coastal radar systems and rigid-hulled inflatable boats to the Philippine Navy, which has sought more sensors to improve its maritime domain awareness capabilities across the country. Japan said the Navy project is “expected to contribute to maintaining and strengthening the regional security and to enhance the security of the vital sea lanes.”

For the Philippine Air Force, the Official Security Assistance will cover the service’s previously procured Mitsubishi Electric air defense radars. The Philippines ordered four air defense radars through a $103 million deal in 2020, which marked the largest international Japanese defense export sale. Since then, Manila activated the first air defense radar at a base facing the South China Sea in Western Luzon.

According to the release, the deal will include equipment related to the operation of the radars and “will help support the seamless operation of the radar and further improve the monitoring and surveillance capabilities of the Philippines.”

The coastal radar systems, rigid-hulled inflated boats and air defense improvements all appear to be related to capabilities sought by the Philippines to fend off China in the South China Sea. Tokyo has been among Manila’s primary sources of maritime security capabilities, as attested by the Japanese hulls in the Philippine Coast Guard fleet.

All of the Philippine Coast Guard vessels that have recently engaged their Chinese counterparts and the People’s Liberation Army Navy at Iroquois Reef, Sabina Shoal and Scarborough Shoal were previously funded and constructed by Japan through development assistance loans. Five more 97-meter-long patrol vessels were pledged by Tokyo earlier this year, adding to the 12 already provided since 2016.

(Source: Defense News Early Bird/USNI)

04 Dec 24. Aussie businesses secure first AUKUS vendor qualification contracts. Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Minister Pat Conroy has announced the awarding of several contracts under a qualification process that paves the way for the Australian businesses to enter UK and US submarine supply chains, underscoring further progress in delivering the AUKUS program.

The contracts to HIFraser, Mack Valves, Bale Defence and STAUFF Corporation announced today will enable these businesses to commence manufacture of a sample of standard US Navy valves and pipe fittings as part of their qualification process – a critical step to becoming approved vendors within the US submarine industrial base.

These companies have strong histories supporting Defence projects, including the Collins Class submarine capability and will leverage the opportunities provided by the DIVQ, which provides a vital conduit for helping Australian businesses, supporting high-skilled and well-paid jobs in locations across the country, including in regional Australia.

Minister Pat Conroy said, “This qualification program is critical to delivering on AUKUS but also demonstrates how AUKUS can deliver for Australians and local businesses by providing opportunities for growth and jobs.”

Once qualified, these businesses will have the opportunity to manufacture and supply valves or pipe fittings for use in the construction and sustainment of a range of navy platforms, including Virginia Class submarines.

Once qualified these businesses will become part of the US supply chains, giving them the opportunity to receive orders to meet demand. This Australian government funding gives them that opportunity to prove their manufacturing capability and in partnership with the AUKUS partners, supports the approval process.

Minister Conroy added, “It helps to fill the gaps within the supply chains of our AUKUS partners, giving greater strength and resilience to these supply chains.”

The contracts, secured by companies, employ a number of Australians around the country, across a range of components critical to the trilateral submarine industrial base, including:

HIFraser has signed an initial contract with the Australian government to produce 15 valves (five lots of three valve types). HIFraser will also be producing pipe fittings for qualification. HIFraser employs 135 Australians, with locations in Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Brisbane and O’Connor.
Mack Valves has signed an initial contract with the Australian government to produce 15 valves (five lots of three valve types). Mack Valves employs 33 Australians, with locations in Townsville, Wollongong, Melbourne and Adelaide.
Bale Defence has signed an initial contract to manufacture pipe fittings. Bale Defence employs 44 Australians in Port Macquarie, NSW.
STAUFF Corporation has signed an initial contract to manufacture pipe fittings. STAUFF Corporation employs 92 Australians with locations in Wollongong, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

“It also contributes to the development of Australian businesses ahead of the build and sustainment of our own conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines,” Minister Conroy said.

This is a major milestone in our efforts to expand Australia’s submarine industrial base, promote opportunities for Australian businesses in the US and UK supply chains, and strengthen the resilience of our collective industrial capacity through AUKUS.

This is a practical step in Australia’s acquisition of conventionally armed, nuclear‑powered submarines and an investment in Australian manufacturing.(Source: Defence Connect)

30 Nov 24. Australia’s Department of Defence invites applications for C-sUAS systems integration partner. The Australian Defence Force’s Land156 programme is seeking a Systems Integration Partner (SIP) to undertake market analysis, design, implement, manage and provide ongoing assurance of capability delivery across the programme. The SIP will also deliver options for a counter-small uncrewed aerial system (C-sUAS) command and control (C2) system. Land156 is intended to protect buildings, headquarters, strike packages and expeditionary bases and nodes from UAS surveillance and attack. An open invitation to register has been published, which will lead to a down select of potential suppliers who will then be invited to respond to the subsequent request for tender. Responses are invited by December 20. For more information: Department of Defence – Australia (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

02 Dec 24. Deal to procure 26 Rafale-M jets to be inked soon: Navy chief. The procurement of Rafale-M (naval variant) and the Scorpene submarines is likely to be finalised next month, he added. India is set to seal the proposed procurement of 26 naval variant of Rafale jets and three additional Scorpene submarines soon, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said on Monday. At a media briefing ahead of Navy Day, Admiral Tripathi also said that the government’s approval for two SSNs (nuclear-powered submarines) indicated its faith in the country’s indigenous capabilities to build such boats. The Navy chief also said that 62 ships and a submarine are currently under construction within the country as part of efforts to boost its naval power. A large number of platforms are waiting for induction in the next one year and at least one ship will be inducted into the Navy, he said.

“We have redoubled efforts to include niche technologies into the force,” Admiral Tripathi said.

The procurement of Rafale-M (naval variant) and the Scorpene submarines is likely to be finalised next month, he added. In July last year, the defence ministry approved the purchase of the Rafale-M jets from France, primarily for deployment on board the indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.Top of FormBottom of Form On Pakistan’s efforts to increase its maritime prowess, Admiral Tripathi said the Indian Navy is ready to deal with any possible threat from neighbouring countries. (Source: News Now/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/deal-procure-rafale-m-jets-navy-chief-9701787/)

29 Nov 24. Japan pre-approves possible Mogami Class destroyer transfer to Australia. The Japanese Ministry of Defense has announced approval for the overseas transfer of Mogami Class destroyers if the ships are selected under Australia’s next-generation general purpose frigate program. Japan made the statement on 28 November regarding the transfer of FY2023–24-type destroyers in the event that Japan is to carry out the joint development and production of Australia’s next-generation general purpose frigate, via their Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

“In the event that Japan is to carry out the joint development and production of Australia’s next-generation general purpose frigate … the National Security Council has deliberated and confirmed that this is a case in which the overseas transfer can be approved,” the statement said (translated from Japanese to English).

“Regarding Australia’s next-generation general purpose frigate program, in February 2024, the Australian government announced that it would select the next-generation general purpose frigate from several candidate vessels, including the Mogami Class destroyer, and published procurement plans, including construction in Australia.

“Since this announcement, Japan has provided the necessary information at the request of the Australian government, and in November 2024, the Australian government evaluated the vessels based on the information provided and narrowed them down to two candidate vessels, selecting the FY2024 destroyer (4,800-tonne type), an improved version of the Mogami Class destroyer, as one of them.

“Going forward, the Australian government is expected to decide which ships to procure under the Next General Purpose Frigate Program after holding discussions with the countries proposing candidate ships, including Japan. If Japan is selected, Japan will work with Australia to jointly develop and produce Australia’s next general purpose frigate … and the completed products will be transferred to Australia.”

The statement outlined that Japan is building a close cooperative relationship with Australia as part of the country’s National Defense Strategy.

In addition, the statement speculated that joint development and production project will contribute to significantly improving interoperability and compatibility with Australia, strengthen the foundation for shipbuilding and maintenance in the Indo-Pacific region, and improve the future capabilities of Japan’s own shipping. (Source: Defence Connect)

IEE is ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified.

IEE’s Advantage:

Direct control of critical process steps that reduce cost, decrease production lead times and improves life-cycle management
Unique advantage to serve to both smaller quantity, highly custom displays needs as well as high volume production outputs
Expert in delivering the best value in form and fit replacement by modifying existing COTS products to meet legacy requirements
Leading the next generation avionics efficiencies by leveraging open architectures and common software standards
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INTERNATIONAL PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES

November 29, 2024 by

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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

28 Nov 24. DASA links innovators to defence and security investors.

DASA demonstrates its commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration at the 2024 Investment Showcase event

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) provides a collaborative platform for innovative companies to pitch their businesses and novel technologies to investors. Running for a sixth consecutive year, the DASA Investment Showcase was held in London in November 2024. The event saw twelve small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) present their innovative business opportunities and technologies to an invited audience of over fifty investors from both Government and industry.

The SMEs showcased how their cutting-edge technologies could boost defence and security capabilities while offering compelling commercial returns on investment. The streamlined 2024 showcase, hosted in an open-plan venue, hit the mark with attendees who praised both the dynamic, concise pitches and valuable networking opportunities.

The featured SMEs and innovations included:

AI GPR showcased their system that can enhance ground-penetrating radar capabilities using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Aphelion showcased their technology ‘Targe’, which offers space-station-level protection at mass and volume levels suited for modern satellites, addressing the growing need for specialised defence in space.
Decision Lab showcased their ‘DroneMind’ platform, which can produce a customisable 3D simulation environment and reinforcement learning training suite. It will enable development of enabling algorithms in easily configurable defence related scenarios.
Elemendar showcased their AI-powered platform which automates the interpretation of cyber threat intelligence (CTI) and transforms complex, unstructured threat data into actionable insights.
Ethicronics showcased ‘Heavens’, the first tamper-proof, transparent, ready-to-use software that eliminates counterfeit and compromised hardware.
FlockfireAI showcased their AI platform that provides a deep-learning-based malware detection solution designed for air-gapped and disconnected environments, ensuring security in even the most restricted or remote environments.
Gibson Robotics showcased Red Kite, an autonomous UAS capable of hunting down and ensnaring an aerial threat using its patented net capture device and sophisticated flight algorithms and Shadow Hawk which offers autonomous and continuous patrols of a fixed site.
HTMS showcased their novel matrix chemistry that enables lower temperature processing, allowing the use of lower-cost fibres and electromagnetic additives, and a simplified manufacturing process.
Nquiring Minds showcased their technology ‘TDX Volt’ which integrates security principles into the heart of its AI powered analytics system. The novel design mirrors the complexity of the real world: an analytics processing paradigm that fuses data from different organisations.
NuTissu showcased ‘E-Plaster®’, which enables wounds to rapidly and completely heal whilst preventing infection through delivering microcurrents at high-voltage.
Optomel showcased ‘LuxJet’ a technology that offers governments and industry more secure, but easy-to-verify, physical features to improve the resilience of documents and products to counterfeiting and falsification.
Zest Consult showcased ‘S-VID (Synthetic Video & Image Data)’, a tool designed to create the substantial volumes of labelled datasets required for training Machine Learning models.

Showcase Success

Since its inception in 2019, the DASA Investment Showcase has built a reputation as a key event for defence and security focused investors and DASA-funded innovators to connect.

The showcase has a strong track record: participating companies have been able to grow securing investment from investors in attendance, while DASA’s expertise helped strengthen SMEs fundraising capabilities through pitch-training. An impressive 33% of SME’s showcased at the events have successfully raised funding with a total of £36.8 m of investment being raised to date.

The DASA Investment Showcase not only facilitates crucial financial opportunities but also fosters valuable networking and learning experiences, contributing significantly to the growth and success of pioneering SMEs in the defence and security sectors.

Supporting Innovators: the Business Growth and Finance team

DASA’s support extends far beyond initial funding. DASA offers funded companies access to business mentoring and finance advice via the Business Growth and Finance (BG&F) service. DASA is committed to not just find and fund novel innovations, but to ensure the businesses that are funded have the appropriate strategies, plans and structures in place to commercialise their products and services.

The Business Growth and Finance team provides a suite of 1 to 1 support services to SMEs to help them become business, funding and supply chain ready. The BG&F team of specialists bring their extensive experience from the worlds of consulting, business banking and company support to offer DASA funded companies the assistance they need to identify and access the expertise and funding required to scale, grow and supply into the defence & security sectors.

You can find out more about the funding opportunities DASA offers here.

Are you an investor? Find out more: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/apply-for-funding

Investors who are interested in more details about UK innovations are welcome to get in touch with DASA to find out more about the companies that showcased this year and the associated investment opportunities.

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

27 Nov 24. GCAP vs carriers: analysing UK defence priorities. Certain programmes are under scrutiny; this is exhibited by the government’s distinct tonal differences, particularly where jobs and the economy are concerned. HMS Prince of Wales operated in Vest Fjorden in the Arctic Circle. F-35B Lightning jets of 617 Squadron landed back on the carrier at sunset, after a day of sorties, participating in Exercise Joint Warrior, 3 March 2024. Several programmes are under scrutiny as part of the Strategic Defence Review, and the Royal Navy’s two aircraft carriers are one to be reconsidered. Credit: Crown copyright/UK Ministry of Defence. UK defence priorities are increasingly determined by the jobs and economic conditions that surround certain programmes. Recent defence activity over the last month, since the government’s Budget statement was released at the end of October, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has begun to implement cost-cutting measures which have affected certain projects. As part of these measures, the Secretary of State for Defence John Healey, in his first session in front of the newly formed Defence Select Committee on 21 November, offered an ambiguous assessment of a major flagship programme that until now seemed beyond reproach.

Both of the Royal Navy’s two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers “are under scrutiny but not in jeopardy,” he said.

“The decisions that we will have to take are those that will we will take – but we’ll take it in light of the reviewers’ analysis when they come to report.”

The status of the two carriers, which entered service in 2017 and 2019 respectively, are dependent on the findings outlined in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR). This hotly anticipated examination of the Armed Forces’ capabilities and global strategy will be released in the spring of 2025. Unlike the dubious position of the British carriers, the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) to build a sixth generation crewed fighter jet is treated as an indispensable endeavour by MoD officials, more as a source of economic prosperity these days than for its next-generation capability. In a parliamentary written response on 25 November, the Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle noted that the government want to align the imperatives of national security with a high-growth economy:

“The combat air sector… provides highly skilled jobs across the UK and the [future] Defence Industrial Strategy will consider how we grow and retain the skills needed, working closely with partners across government, industry and skills bodies to ensure we retain and attract a skilled workforce across the sector.”

Slimming down defence

On 20 November, Healey addressed Parliament to lay out plans to cut programmes and platforms. This includes an end to the British Army’s close-to-obsolete Watchkeeper tactical uncrewed aerial vehicle programme, but more significantly, and perhaps unnecessarily, a Type 23 frigate and two Albion-class amphibious assault ships. While the decision will save up to £500m ($629.2m) over the next five years, the move will reduce mass – a major consideration when we consider the attritional rate of platforms in Ukraine as Britain inexorably approaches conflict in Europe against Russia this decade.

“These are common-sense decisions,” Healey added without offering a replacement for these new gaps in the UK’s military. “They are decisions which have been backed by the Chiefs and have been taken into consultation with SDR reviewers.

“Our soldiers, our sailors, aviators have been stuck with old, outdated equipment because [previous Conservative] ministers wouldn’t make the difficult decommissioning decisions.”

This activity indicates that enduring programmes are only here to stay in their full-fledged capability so long as they deliver economically and without any operational issues. This is worrying given the enduring trouble with the carriers.

Carriers could be mothballed

The relative inactivity of the service’s two aircraft carriers, combined with each suffering mechanical problems that have required repairs, could see each vessel taking turns in being placed in ‘extended readiness’, effectively mothballed by another name.

Lately, the Royal Navy response to Houthi disruption in the Red Sea centred on the use of its Type 45 air defence destroyers, which operated well, claiming dozens of kills of Houthi drones and anti-ship missiles fired at civilian ships. The absence of a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier was notable, given their relative proximity to the region and theoretical ability to embark an air defence group.

Their absence resonated in another written response from a senior MoD official on 22 November. The official noted the “credible” posture of Type 23 and Type 45 combatants as part of the UK’s carrier strike capability, without any reference to the carrier centrepiece.

Under the former Conservative government, Britain arranged a Carrier Strike Group in 2025 to which the incumbent administration is also committed. This will be led by HMS Prince of Wales, the second in the class, which will deploy to the Indo-Pacific where the fleet will interoperate with allies and partners in the region. Certain naval assets in the Royal Norwegian Navy will accompany the British expedition.

GCAP: a source of economic growth

Earlier this month, the UK government cited a forecast that suggested the Tempest programme – the UK name for GCAP – is expected to contribute £26.2bn to the British economy from 2021 to 2050. In addition, it would support on average 21,000 jobs per annum from development to operational service.

At this stage, however, the unit price of each aircraft and the size of the UK order are unknown, meaning the total cost of the programme remains unquantified.

Moreover, Justin Bronk, airpower specialist, RUSI, has argued that Tempest is competing for funding with the requirement to regenerate frontline Royal Air Force combat capability to deter Russia and meet Nato commitments this decade. This reality, he says, means that the current funding falls short of the required level of investment.

To give some sense of the complexity and scale of building a sixth generation aircraft, we need only look to the US Air Force, which has lately taken a step back from their own Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme.

“GCAP is such a big, complex programme for a capability far beyond anything even the US is pursuing at the moment,” commented Tristan Sauer, a GlobalData defence analyst. “While it could be seen as forward-looking, it is also a very risky oversight driven by a desire to keep British programmes with ‘good economics.’”

The new Labour government is keen to find ways of balancing the budget while responding to the Europe-wide defence investment bonanza, and this is proving a difficult line to straddle.

Right now, according to GlobalData intelligence, GCAP is dominating spending in combat air which is a questionable fiscal decision. “I’m not sure GCAP is the best basket to put all their eggs,” Sauer stated.

(Source: army-technology.com)

28 Nov 24. Opportunity for Make UK Defence Members: Brakestop Project Bid.

Key areas:

Airframe Components

o Supply of wings, fuselage, nosecone, and associated fixtures/fittings

o Materials of interest include both composite and metallic options

Small Turbojet Engines

o Provision of innovative, high-performance small turbojet engines

Methods of Launch

o Boost motors

o Ground launching systems

o Support equipment

Final Assembly Facilities and Resources

o Identifying, specifying, and equipping assembly facilities

o Providing resources to run these facilities effectively

This is a unique opportunity to collaborate on a high-profile defence initiative, leveraging your capabilities and contributing to a successful bid.

We will share your interest with the organization and facilitate introductions where appropriate. This will be a competitive process, and a targeted response will maximize the potential for collaboration.

Required

1.First Name

2.Last Name

3.Email Address

4.Company Name

5.Company Website

6.What are you’re company’s capabilities?

(Source: MakeUK Defence)

28 Nov 24. Seven leading businesses have joined Digital Catapult’s latest quantum innovation accelerator to fast track the development of solutions and accelerate the practical application of deep tech. Aiming to help solve complex market challenges in major sectors of the UK economy including transport, defence and telecommunications, the programme convenes unique quantum capabilities and innovation consultancy to de-risk technology adoption.

The Quantum Technology Access Programme is part of a wider Innovate UK funded project called ‘Quantum Data Centre of the Future’ which aims to embed a quantum computer within a classical data centre to explore real-world access to quantum technologies. Partners include ORCA Computing, Riverlane and PQShield, and the inaugural programme saw a 26% boost in confidence about quantum computing from industry leaders such as Rolls Royce, Airbus and the Port of Dover.

This year, Digital Catapult welcomes more household names, including BAE Systems, and Vodafone, signalling growing industrial interest in the technology and the spectrum of sectors that could benefit from quantum innovation. With tailored consultancy from Digital Catapult’s experts and access to cutting-edge quantum computing technology, the services available to participating companies are designed to achieve defined use-cases, and make sustainability and efficiency gains.

Aiming to demonstrate the value quantum tech solutions can bring to the UK’s deep tech sector, the programme will explore how new products and services can address global imbalances between the supply and demand of new quantum solutions. Vodafone, for example, will explore innovative use cases to address complex telecommunications challenges, including the NP-Hard Steiner Tree problem which focuses on optimising telecoms networks by finding the most efficient way to connect multiple points.

The full list of participating companies include:

Autonomia: Autonomia is a technology innovation start-up pioneering new ways to solve complex engineering challenges, specialising in the development of intelligent software solutions for the mobility and energy ecosystems.
BAE Systems PLC: BAE Systems is a global defence and security company offering advanced technology solutions across air, land, sea, and cyberspace.
Origami Labs UK Ltd: Origami Labs was created to discover and develop the next generation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Autonomy technologies. It delivers applied R&D to find solutions to complex problems and accelerate turning innovation into deployable capabilities.
SIMULEX Limited: SIMULEX is a cutting-edge R&D technology startup driving hydrogen integration across carbon capture and storage, geothermal, renewables and fossil sectors to accelerate the energy transition through advanced chemical and reservoir engineering solutions.
Viasat: Viasat is a global communications company specialising in satellite technology for high-speed broadband and secure networking to power high-quality, reliable, secure, affordable, fast connectivity solutions and services.
Vodafone Group Services: Vodafone is a leading European and African telecoms company. The company provides mobile and fixed services to over 330 m customers in 15 countries, partners with mobile networks in 45 more and has one of the world’s largest IoT platforms.
ZF Automotive UK: ZF is a global technology company supplying advanced mobility products and systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology.

Dr Chloe AI, quantum researcher at Vodafone Group R&D, said: “We’re excited to join the Quantum Technology Access Programme to further deepen our quantum knowledge and explore how quantum computing can enhance optimisation challenges like the Steiner Tree problem. This programme will provide valuable insights as we look to leverage quantum computing in areas such as machine learning and combinatorial optimisation.”

Roger McKinlay, Challenge Director for Quantum Technologies int UKRI, said: “The clear demand for this innovation programme and associated consultancy services is testament to the growing maturity of quantum computing, the increasing interest from many industrial sectors and growing investor confidence”.

Daniel Goldsmith, Senior Quantum Computing Technologist at Digital Catapult, said: “The ‘quantum revolution’ is underway, and businesses need to innovate to incorporate quantum technologies into their operations if they are to succeed in the long term. However, many are unsure where to start. This is why innovation programmes are invaluable for UK businesses, serving as an essential resource to help them navigate the complex quantum landscape. I look forward to working with this new cohort to drive innovation and advance the application of deep tech across industry.”

Research indicates that quantum technology could contribute up to $450 bn to the global economy by 2040, and our work will play a key role in scaling solutions and increasing investor confidence in early stage deep tech. Any reader interested in learning more about the cohort’s progress can sign up to the newsletter here

EUROPE

27 Nov 24. Turkey scales down $23bn F-16 jet deal with US, minister says. Turkey has reduced its planned $23bn acquisition of an F-16 fighter jet package from the United States, scrapping the purchase of 79 modernisation kits for its existing fleet, Defence Minister Yasar Guler said late on Tuesday.

“An initial payment has been made for the procurement of F-16 Block-70. A payment of $1.4bn has been made. With this, we will buy 40 F-16 Block-70 Viper and we were going to buy 79 modernisation kits,” Guler told a parliamentary hearing.

“We gave up on this 79. This is why we gave up: Our Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) facilities are capable of carrying out this modernisation on their own, so we deferred to them,” he said.

25 Nov 24. Norway asks US about maritime drone options as it ponders new, long-range capability.

“Norway is considering several types of drones, and it is too early to comment further on the type, number, or specific requirements for the acquisition beyond what is outlined in the adopted long-term plan,” a Norwegian official told Breaking Defense, though one US executive expects a decision within months.

Norway has embarked on studies to examine how it would introduce a new, long-range, aerial maritime surveillance drone into its forces in the high north and has asked the US for information about suitable American options, the Ministry of Defence said in a new statement.

“Norway is considering several types of drones, and it is too early to comment further on the type, number, or specific requirements for the acquisition beyond what is outlined in the adopted long-term plan,” Anne Marie Aanerud, state secretary at the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, told Breaking Defense Thursday.

“As part of the ongoing studies we have requested additional information on relevant drones from the U.S. authorities,” she said. “The response will be incorporated into the ongoing work on the drone acquisition.”

Aanerud noted that a timeline for contract signing has has still to be decided, as military officials continue to work up a strategy to implement recommendations for the long-term defense plan.

That defense plan, published in April, revealed Oslo’s intention to procure the maritime surveillance drones, and Aanerud told Breaking Defense the ministry envisions platforms that are able to “monitor large areas for extended periods of time, complementing the tools we already have.”

The future drones are set to be based out of Andøya Air Station, northern Norway, 300 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle and previously home to Royal Norwegian Air Force P-3 Orion Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA). Olso decided to reverse a decision to close the base in the aftermath of the Ukraine war and amid a renewed focus on bolstering defense capabilities to counter Russian aggression.

Though Aanerud declined to say if any specific platforms are under consideration, and several international firms make drones that could fit the bill, the fact that US authorities had been contacted suggests that American systems are in the running.

An executive at Northrop Grumman, for one, said the company’s MQ-4C Triton, a pricey high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) system, was among them. The US Navy operates the Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) mainly to support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and as a complement to Boeing P-8A MPA operations. Norway operates five of the P-8 crewed platforms.

Doug Shaffer, vice president of autonomous intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting programs at Northrop Grumman, told Breaking Defense his firm has had “extensive” written exchanges as well as face-to-face meetings with Norwegian officials about the aerospace giant’s offerings.

“We’ve had all our engineers there, answering hundreds of questions,” he said, adding that an aircraft selection decision could come in the “next few months.”

Northrop says the Triton, which can fly above 50,000 feet, can cover some 4 m nautical miles with its sensor array in a 24-hour sortie — roughly equivalent to the size of China.

But it is expensive. In July, Inside Defense reported that each newest version of Triton has an estimated price tag of $618 m though that figure was a result of a per-unit price jump in the US Navy program after the total acquisition was slashed.

Shaffer argued the capabilities of a single airframe are worth the price tag over the drone’s entire lifecycle.

“The largest cost is the operational sustainment over decades, and to do the same mission as a HALE platform, it takes three to five times more MALES,” he claimed, referring to medium-altitude, long-endurance drones. “That calculus is what Norway is evaluating.”

If that is a calculus Norway is doing, on the other end of the equation could be the much less expensive American-made MQ-9B SeaGuardian, a MALE variant of the MQ-9 Reaper produced by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) that can fly at 40,000 feet. The flyaway unit cost of a MQ-9B sits at approximately $38m, excluding through life and sustainment costs, according to figures from Shephard Media, a British trade publication.

GA-ASI has positioned the drone for sale up north, saying in company literature that “with MQ-9B, the Nordic and Northern European allies now have a surveillance platform to choose that can perform all their key missions with low acquisition and operating costs.”

Mark Brinkley, a spokesperson for GA-ASI, declined to comment on whether the SeaGuardian is in the race for Norway’s next UAV, but did suggest it would be an effective high north asset.

“MQ-9B’s advanced sensors, data processing power, worldwide proliferated low-Earth orbit (pLEO) satellite communications link, and impressive endurance make Arctic awareness possible from anywhere in the world,” he said. “Over the Arctic, MQ-9B can detect air, ground, surface, and subsurface targets of interest, including surveillance balloons, maritime vessels, and submarines, and then feed real-time intelligence to military and civil authorities around the world.”

Brinkley also said that future upgrades of the aircraft, including detect and avoid technology integrated with Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) capability, Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) and air-to-air radar, “will add to the ease of operating in the Arctic.”

Specific to maritime missions the MQ-9B can also be equipped with a 360-degree maritime radar, fitted with an Automated Identification System (AIS), an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capability, featuring a sonobuoy monitoring and control system capable of dispensing up to 40 sonobuoys, noted Brinkley.

A spokesperson for the US State Department, which plays a key role in negotiating foreign military sales, told Breaking Defense that the US has a “close defense trade partnership with Norway that includes co-production of advanced systems like the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS. However, we have no comment on our specific cooperation in the long-range maritime UAV space and would refer you to the Government of Norway.”

In A Cold Country, A Heated UAV Debate

Generally speaking, Oslo has consistently stressed that multinational collaboration with allies will be a core element of the maritime surveillance drone acquisition, particularly in areas such as development, operations and training.

In June, it committed to closer bilateral defense cooperation with Scandinavian counterpart Denmark, through a letter of intent, covering drones and air defense, among other items. Similarly, Copenhagen has committed to the acquisition of long-range drones to monitor the Arctic and North Atlantic. Additional funding for the effort was secured in January, as part of an initial cross party agreement, that falls under a new, national defense settlement, according to a Danish Ministry of Defence statement.

But at a local level, the Norwegian drone effort has been hotly debated in recent months with critics, including senior defense officials, publicly warning against the procurement of large, long-range surveillance types at all.

Writing in a Norwegian Armed Forces magazine, Rolf Folland, former Chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force and currently the Norwegian military representative to NATO, questioned the survivability of the US platforms, specifically citing shootdown incidents of both aircraft.

“We have seen examples of this vulnerability in Ukraine, and in the Middle East, where large drones of the type MQ-9 Reaper and RQ-4 Global Hawk have been shot down,” he wrote. “These shootings illustrate how today’s large drones, even with advanced technology, can become easy targets for hostile actors who use relatively simple air defense systems.” (Triton is a variant of the Global Hawk.)

Large drones “with their low speed and large radar cross-section … can become relatively easy targets for an adversary that has modern anti-aircraft systems, and they are vulnerable to electronic countermeasures that can disrupt their communication and navigation systems,” stated Folland.

Instead of Norway opting for such large, expensive platforms, he recommended looking into alternative ideas, specifically procurement of a stealth-designed drone or ordering additional satellites. “Monitoring and situation overview from space can potentially be significantly better than from a drone,” he added.

Despite such sentiment, there are few indications though that Norway will change course on its current acquisition approach. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)

26 Nov 24. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for the country to relax its “debt brake”, joining the chorus of politicians calling for the end of an economic straitjacket that she implemented. Today, our Berlin correspondent reports on last night’s bonhomie between EU and British defence ministers, and our finance correspondent profiles the frontrunner to lead Europe’s new anti-fraud watchdog. On December 12 I will be at the FT Tech and Leadership Forum in Brussels, moderating a series of panels and keynotes about the intersection of technology, leadership, and geopolitics: check out the agenda and participation options here. Brothers in arms More joint arms production and procurement: that was the message from Berlin as five European defence ministers met to discuss how to beef up the continent’s domestic defence industry and maintain support for Ukraine ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House, writes Laura Pitel. Context: The group of Europe’s five biggest defence spenders hastily came together as part of a continental drive to formulate a response to the re-election of Trump, who has threatened to pull US military protection from Nato allies that fail to spend enough on their own security. Yesterday was their first meeting. Speaking alongside his British, French, Polish and Italian counterparts, German defence minister Boris Pistorius said that closing gaps in Europe’s defence capabilities was even more important than securing more money. “Regardless of whether we spend 2 per cent, 2.5 per cent or 3 per cent [of GDP] on defence in the future, we must close the capability gaps,” Pistorius said, pointing to weapons such as long-range missiles and long-range land systems. “That is the priority . . . We must develop, produce and procure more weapons systems together. We agreed on that today.” Though France has for years been notoriously protective of its own weapons industry, the country’s defence minister Sébastien Lecornu showered London with praise as he said that Britain should play a role in contributing to the European Commission’s White Paper on industrial policy for the defence sector expected in the next few months. Speaking after the FT revealed that Paris had dropped its opposition to non-EU companies accessing EU-funded financial incentives for defence procurement, he said: “No security concept can be developed without partnership and close, trusting co-operation with Great Britain.” UK defence minister John Healey told the FT after the meeting that the need for greater European self-sufficiency was “concentrating minds”. He said: “There is a real will and determination to strengthen our ability to co-ordinate as the European defence industry, not within the institutions of the European Union, but within Europe [as a continent].” (Source: FT.com)

USA

28 Nov 24. US Army developing AESA radar for combat rotorcraft. US Army officials are looking to develop an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, specifically for the ground service’s fleet of combat rotorcraft, according to a November request for information (RFI). The Apache Attack Helicopter (PM AAH) office, within the Program Executive Office for Aviation (PEO AVN), is leading the development of the ASEA radar variant, the RFI stated. The radar will be designed to meet programme requirements for the service’s AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook, and Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA). US Army officials approved the Bell V-280 Valor to enter the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase for the FLRAA programme in August, clearing the way for work on the prototype and low-rate initial production (LRIP). Bell is set to build six prototypes of the Black Hawk replacement, with the first scheduled to fly in 2026. LRIP aircraft are scheduled for production in 2028, and the type’s entry into service is expected in 2030. EMD approval came after the V-280 cleared preliminary design review (PDR) in April. The capabilities aboard the AESA radar being sought by the army for the FLRAA and its current rotorcraft fleet will include fire control, pilot aid in Degraded Visual Environments (DVEs), airborne hazard detection, terrain following and avoidance, and shoreline mapping using augmented reality (AR) techniques, according to the RFI. Industry prototypes will be evaluated during test exercises at Army Test and Evaluation Command’s Redstone Test Center (RTC) at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, service officials wrote in the RFI. Test and evaluation scenarios will include “attack profiles for ground, air, and littoral targeting”, they added. (Source: Janes)

28 Nov 24. USAF seeks C2, data relay capability for tactical drone swarms. Programme officials at the US Air Force (USAF) are soliciting information from industry to support the development of new command-and-control (C2), data relay, and electronic warfare (EW) payloads, specifically for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUASs). Managed by the Offensive Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (sUAS) System Program Office (SPO), as part of the air service’s Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance & Special Operations Forces directorate, the sUAS payloads being sought will be able to provide C2 and data relay capabilities “to an sUAS swarm in a contested environment”, according to a November request for information (RFI). The EW payload will enable the USAF’s small unmanned aircraft to carry out those missions “in a contested environment”, the RFI stated. The focus of the programme will be to develop those specific integrated payloads for signature-managed Group 3 sUASs, service officials said. Group 3 sUASs are defined as tactical-level UASs with an operational weight of 1,320 lb, a maximum speed of 250 kt, and an altitude ceiling of 180 ft, according to a US Department of Defense (DoD) fact sheet. Examples of Group 3 sUASs include the RQ-7 Shadow and the Small Tactical Unmanned Aerial System (STUAS). USAF programme officials have not publicly disclosed which Group 3 sUAS the payloads will be developed for in the RFI. However, they did note that industry proposals would be weighed against “platforms with currently integrated payload solutions”. The C2 and data relay payloads, according to the RFI, would be used to enable drone swarms of Group 2 sUASs. (Source: Janes)

22 Nov 24. Lockheed, Pentagon reach handshake deal for next 2 F-35 production lots. The so-called “handshake deal” precedes a formal contract finalization, which Lockheed expects will occur before the end of 2024. After protracted negotiations, the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin have reached an informal agreement, known as a “handshake deal,” for the next two production lots of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the parties confirmed to Breaking Defense.

“We have reached an initial agreement as part of ongoing negotiations for the Lot 18/19 Air Vehicle Production Contract,” the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) and Lockheed said in a joint statement.

The statement did not share final quantities or prices, saying only that those figures will be disclosed “when a final agreement is signed.” The news was first reported by Air & Space Forces Magazine, which stated the agreement covers roughly 300 aircraft.

Progress on F-35 negotiations is likely welcome news to Lockheed, which has recently been funding the tri-variant stealth fighter’s production out of pocket as talks dragged on. A Lockheed executive told Breaking Defense last year that the aerospace giant aimed to finalize the lot 18/19 deal by the end of 2023, marking a significant delay for the negotiations. The program has recently battled inflation woes, supply chain challenges and technical problems that halted deliveries of upgraded jets for a full year.

It’s not clear what the price might be for the forthcoming jets, though Lockheed has telegraphed that inflation may hike costs. Jets in lots 15 through 17 came in at an average price of $82.5 m for the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A, $109 m for the short takeoff and vertical landing F-35B and $102.1 m for the carrier-launched F-35C, Breaking Defense previously reported.

Unlike the previous contract structure that included three production lots, the upcoming F-35 deal only covers two. Officials have discussed lot 20 serving as the first multi-year production agreement. Lockheed maintains that its Fort Worth, Texas, plant can build 156 jets annually.

If the past is any guide, it could be several months before an agreement is inked. When the two parties reached a similar handshake agreement for lots 15-17 in July 2022, the contract was not finalized until December of that year.

Asked when Lockheed planned for the 18/19 deal to become official, a company spokesperson referred Breaking Defense to comments from Chief Financial Officer Jay Malave during the firm’s third quarter earnings call in October. Malave said then that company officials anticipated the lot 18/19 contract will be awarded this year. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)

25 Nov 24. The U.S. Commerce Department said on Monday it is finalizing nearly $60m in government subsidies for BAE Systems to build chips used in jets and satellites, and for Rocket Lab to build compound semiconductors used in satellites and spacecraft. The department is finalizing $35.5m to BAE (BAES.L) to quadruple production in New Hampshire for key semiconductor chips used in F-35 fighter jets and commercial satellites. The investment will cut the company’s planned modernization timeline in half, Commerce said. The Pentagon plans to spend $1.7trn on the F-35 program including buying 2,500 planes in the coming decades. The chips are critical to F-15s and F-35s. The Commerce Department is also finalizing $23.9m for Rocket Lab unit SolAero Technologies Corp, which the government said would boost the company’s production of solar cells by 50% over the next three years. Rocket Lab (RKLB.O) founded in 2006 by New Zealander Peter Beck, is one of two U.S. firms specializing in the production of highly efficient, radiation resistant compound semiconductors called space-grade solar cells. (Source: Reuters)

25 Nov 24. The Office of Management and Budget today delivered a request to Congress for approximately $5.7bn in emergency funding to account for unexpected “shortfalls” in the Navy’s Virginia-class fast attack submarine program, according to a senior Navy official. The emergency funding request was accompanied by a separate “anomaly” that would permit the service to continue funding the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program in the event lawmakers pass a continuing resolution prior to when government funding is set to expire on Dec. 20. (Anomaly is the term the Defense Department uses when it seeks permission from Congress to spend money outside the traditional constraints of a continuing resolution.)

“Our Virginia-class fast attack submarine program is not where it needs to be right now. The program and the shipyards are not producing submarines at the rate that our national security strategy and the national defense strategy require,” the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told reporters. The Navy’s stated goal for its submarine programs is the so-called “2+1” cadence, which refers to two Virginia-class subs and one Columbia-class submarine built per year. The service’s historical record for Virginia-class submarines is closer to 1.2 to 1.3 boats per year.

The official said roughly $2bn would go towards addressing funding “shortfalls” for the two fiscal 2024 Virginia-class submarines and $1.5 bn would go towards a similar anticipated shortfall for the one Virginia-class boat in the FY-25 budget.

The rest of the funding would be split between submarine prime contractors General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding for increased wages and “other productivity enhancements,” the official said.

Both General Dynamics and HII in their most recent earnings calls have expressed concerns about the state of the post-COVID supply chain as well as the financial pain it has put on them. While speaking to reporters, the senior Navy official said the service has had numerous conversations with those companies and sees the emergency funding as a way to address the issues raised during those talks.

“The phasing of these investments is focused on improving shipbuilder capability, capacity and efficiency and thereby reducing submarine construction delays and hope and ultimately controlling costs of future submarines,” the official said. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)

REST OF THE WORLD

28 Nov 24. Hanwha Ocean, Babcock to team up for submarine exports. South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean Co. said on Friday it signed a strategic partnership with the UK-based global defense industry giant Babcock International Group to expand its joint presence in global naval markets, including submarine exports. Babcock secured a frigate project in Poland in 2022 and managed maintenance for four Victoria-class submarines in Canada under a contract since 2008. Under the agreement, Hanwha Ocean and Babcock will jointly pursue submarine exports to Canada and Poland. The two companies also plan to provide customized solutions for other global naval export projects. Babcock Group CEO David Lockwood visited Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje Shipyard. Lockwood was accompanied by Nick Hine, CEO of Babcock Marine and a former Royal Navy Admiral, and Mark Goldsack, Director of International Collaboration at Babcock and former head of UK Defence and Security Exports. In June 2023, Hanwha Ocean signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with Babcock Canada for submarine projects. In February, it entered a Teaming Agreement (TA) with Babcock in Poland to strengthen cooperation in global submarine projects. (Source: Google/https://www.kedglobal.com/)

27 Nov 24. Lockheed ‘hopeful’ JP9102 could return in new form. Lockheed Martin’s most senior space leader in Australia has said his company is “hopeful” JP9102 contracts could return after its surprise axing earlier this month.

Speaking at the Space & Earth conference in WA on Tuesday, David Ball told the audience the prime was going to “employ a lot of people in Melbourne” to fulfil the deal and urged the federal government to continue to invest in local companies.

The intervention from Lockheed Martin Space’s regional director is believed to be the first public comment from the prime since the $3 bn project to deliver a new military satcom capability for Australia was effectively cancelled.

The Australian, which broke the story, claimed the decision was due to a lack of budget, but multiple officials subsequently insisted the money is still there, and only the tender with Lockheed was ripped up.

Defence Minister Richard Marles then argued the decision was actually taken because multiple low-Earth orbit satellites are more secure from attacks than a single geostationary spacecraft, as planned by Lockheed.

“We had a great lineup of Australian companies [for JP9102] to come and help us build the network, sustain the network, and operate the network, and we’re hopeful that will come around again as government reforms its thinking within those areas,” Ball said on stage.

“It’s really important that we participate here… we were going to employ a lot of people in Melbourne, around the engineering centre for JP9102.

“From a Lockheed Martin perspective, we employ about 1,600 people across Australia today, everywhere except Tasmania, and that’s going to probably double in the next three or four years, given the amount of work we have on with other capabilities that the government has acquired.

“So it’s really important to act locally, even though we’re a big global company. We’re here for a reason, and really, that reason is to embrace Australian industry and see how we can go forward.”

It comes after Defence’s Director General of Space Capability told an audience in Canberra earlier this month that JP 9102 would be replaced. Speaking at MilCIS, Air Commodore Peter Thompson insisted the project was “not dead” and argued that the threat from adversaries had evolved.

“The only thing that changed was our potential procurement activity with Lockheed Martin,” he said on stage. “The capabilities have changed immensely since first pass. The threat is changing as well.

“Defence isn’t going to waste money on something that is no longer the best use of our money that we’ve got.”

JP 9102 was only signed off just 18 months ago, with prime contractor Lockheed Martin beating big hitters including Boeing, Northrop Grumman Australia, and Optus to become the “preferred tenderer”.

If approved, JP 9102 would have created more than 200 direct jobs, while Lockheed itself pressed ahead with making key appointments for its staff to oversee it.

Speaking to the ABC after Defence released a 187-word statement confirming the changes to JP 9102, Marles said that since the tender was announced eight years ago, industry has created technology that can “literally shoot satellites out of the sky”.

“But we’ve also seen technologies develop where you have thousands of microsatellites in a much more distributed way providing the same effect,” he said.

“We believe we can do that in this way faster and more cost-effective. So, this is frankly moving with the times and making sure that we have the capability that we need which meets the threats and the opportunities that we have in the future.” (Source: Space Connect)

27 Nov 24. Conroy puts OneSKY-CMATS under projects of concern spotlight. Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery and Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy MP addresses the National Press Club in Canberra. Photo: DefenceMinister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy has convened a Projects of Concern Summit to discuss the Civil Military Air Traffic Management System (CMATS) Project. Conroy attended the summit in Canberra with government officials and industry representatives to discuss OneSky-CMATS and how to remediate the delivery of the important capability. These summits are an important forum for senior stakeholders to meaningfully engage and agree on remediation activities. Following the collaborative development of a project remediation plan throughout 2023, a revised delivery strategy for the project is now being executed.

“I thank industry representatives, Defence and government officials for their attendance today. Top-level focus is critical to getting this project back on track,” Minister Conroy said.

“I’m pleased to say there is strong commitment from all parties to move forward and resolve outstanding issues.

“The actions we are taking to provide leadership and oversight of project delivery will ensure the Australian Defence Force gets the capability it needs.

“When we came to government, we inherited at least 28 projects running a combined 97 years behind schedule. Regular summits are one part of our approach to cleaning up the mess left by the former government.”

This is the seventh Projects of Concern Summit held since the Albanese government came to office just two-and-a-half-years ago. Conroy said this approach is in stark contrast to the record of the former Coalition government, which held only four Projects of Concern Summits during almost a decade in office. The increasing frequency of these summits demonstrates the government’s commitment to take action and address problems arising in the delivery of complex projects. It is part of the government’s plan to strengthen and revitalise Defence’s projects of concern process. (Source: Defence Connect)

26 Nov 24. US Pitches F-16s to Replace Colombian Air Force’s Israeli Kfir Jets. The US has proposed a deal to supply F-16 Fighting Falcons as replacements for the Colombian Air Force’s Israeli-made Kfir combat aircraft. The potential deal stipulates up to eight of the Lockheed Martin jets and could cost around 2.5bn Colombian pesos ($566.4m), according to Bogotá-based news agency Blu Radio.

In addition to the fleet, the package will incorporate spare parts, logistics support, ground equipment, sustainment services, training, and simulator solutions.

The report claimed that the US government is also considering giving 24 F-16s to the Latin American nation during the acquisition process on top of the procured units.

Part of the overall pitch is the construction of a facility to complement the incoming fleet at a military air base in Palanquero.

Earlier in November, Swedish defense company Saab confirmed an offer to provide its JAS 39 Gripen light attack aircraft for Colombia’s Kfir replacement program.

The same month, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that the South American government had already selected the industry partner for the initiative, adding that the sale would deliver related services in exchange for the purchase decision.

The ‘Lion Cub’ Aircraft

Developed by Israel Aircraft Industries, the Kfir (Lion Cub) aircraft is a combination of the French Dassault Mirage 5 supersonic fighter airframe and Tel Aviv’s version of the American General Electric J79 turbojet engine.

The Kfir first entered service under the Colombian Air Force in the early 1990s, with the initial tranche sourced from the Israeli Defense Forces’ stockpile.

Since then, the aircraft has received upgrades to match the evolving battlespace. Most of the Colombian Kfirs have been deployed for counter-insurgency and ground-attack assaults.

Around 20 Kfirs are operational in the country.

The Kfir has a length of 16 meters (52 feet), a wingspan of 8 meters (27 feet), and a weight of approximately 7,400 kilograms (16,310 pounds).

It has a top speed of 1,320 knots (2,445 kilometers/1519 miles per hour), a range of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), and an operational altitude of 17,680 meters (58,005 feet).

The plane can be armed with revolver cannons, air-to-ground rockets, air-to-air missiles, and standard, cluster, and laser-guided bombs.

(Source: Google/https://thedefensepost.com/)

25 Nov 24. Algeria Poised to Be the First International Operator of Russia’s Su-57 Fighter Jet. Russia’s Su-57 “Felon” stealth fighter may soon secure its first international buyer, with Algeria emerging as the leading candidate. Rosoboronexport, Russia’s arms exporter, recently announced a contract with an unnamed foreign operator, fueling speculation about Algeria’s involvement.

A key Russian defense client, Algeria has acquired platforms like Su-30MKAs, MiG-29M/M2s, T-90S tanks, and S-400 systems, relying on Moscow for advanced military technology. Beyond hardware, Algeria’s relationship with Russia extends to joint training programs and exercises. Algerian personnel regularly train in Russian academies to operate and maintain sophisticated systems.

Speculation has also suggested Iran or India as potential buyers, but Algeria appears the most plausible candidate. Iran faces economic struggles and international sanctions that hinder its ability to acquire and integrate systems like the Su-57. Meanwhile, India, though a longtime Russian defense partner, has diversified its procurement and relies less on Moscow for advanced technology.

The Su-57 features composite materials for reduced radar visibility, AESA radar technology, and advanced electronic warfare systems. Its twin engines allow for supercruise capabilities, while internal weapons bays allegedly enhance its stealth profile.

The fighter has seen limited combat use, including deployments in Syria and Ukraine, which have tested its sensors, precision-strike capabilities, and networked operations.

A potential Su-57 deal reportedly aligns with Algeria’s ongoing 2021–2027 defense modernization plan, which prioritizes acquiring state-of-the-art systems, including fifth-generation aircraft.

(Source: https://www.sofx.com/)

25 Nov 24. The Israeli Ministry of Defense has approved a major new procurement deal to acquire five new corvettes for the Israeli navy and “hundreds” of new Joint Light Tactical Vehicles for the ground forces. Israel has not specified how much each deal is worth, but in a statement described the two packages as a “multi-bn Shekel” expenditure. The Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 has led to the fast-tracking of a number of procurement deals, but this most recent announcement is the first to come from the Nagel Committee, a commission stood up in August. Chaired by Prof. Jacob Nagel, the commission was established by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the goal of “formulating recommendations on the force building needs and the security budget in the coming decade.” The Israel Military Procurement Ministerial Committee approved the two acquisitions. They will now be submitted to the Knesset’s Joint Committee for the Defense Budget; however, the government did not give a timeline for when the Knesset submission and subsequent vote will happen

The new “next generation” advanced missile ships will be built by Israel Shipyards, and dubbed the Reshef-class, named after one of the older Sa’ar 4 class ships that have since been retired. The new Reshef-class frigates will replace the Sa’ar 4.5-class missile boats which Israel has used since the 1980s. These eight ships, which were launched between 1981 to 2003, are set to be decommissioned.

Plans for the new Reshef class ships go back several years. Naval News reported in July 2023 that the ships will include a main gun at the bow, as well as the new C-Dome air defense system, which is the naval version of Iron Dome.

The Israeli navy has undergone a major expansion in the last decade, with four new Sa’ar 6 naval ships that began to be commissioned in 2022, as well as new submarines. The Israeli navy currently has four active Sa’ar 6 ships, which first saw action in the recent war against Hamas in Gaza. It also has three Sa’ar 5 corvettes as well as eight of the Sa’ar 4.5. Meanwhile, the IDF held a naming ceremony for its sixth submarine in Germany on Nov. 12. The Israeli navy was also bolstered by two new landing craft that began arriving in 2023.

The overall cost of the five ships was not revealed. However, the Sa’ar 6 cost more than $400m each.

Israel Shipyards built the original Reshef class Sa’ar 4 back in the 1960s. The company describes itself as the “first in the Western world to design and build a fast-attack missile boat. … At that time, it was a new concept to use relatively small, fast missile-equipped craft to meet threats in the naval arena.”

The Shipyards currently offer a 72 meter and 80 meter version of the Sa’ar series of ships, which they call Sa’ar -72 and Sa’ar-80 respectively. A report in 2022 said the Sa’ar 80 would be the export version of the new Reshef class; the firm that year said that “The S80 will be the flagship of the Israel Shipyards for the next decades and she will serve the Israeli Navy and many other navies around the world.”

In addition to the ships, Israel is procuring hundreds of new JLTVs. Oshkosh is the current procurer on the JLTV, but AM General in 2023 won the right to produce the US Army’s next-generation of vehicles. Which company’s version Israeli would receive could depend on when an order is officially placed.

“These armored combat mobility vehicles will be supplied to the IDF’s maneuvering forces in the coming years,” the Defense Ministry noted in a post on social media. The vehicles, which first entered service in the US in 2019, will bolster Israel’s ground forces by giving new options in place of aging Humvees, which have been used widely in the 2024 war.

In December 2023 Oshkosh Defense said it would fulfill two Israeli orders for a total of seventy-five of the 4X4 JLTVs. In 2020 Rafael Advanced Defense Systems showcased its Spike LR on a JLTV in Slovenia and Elbit has equipped weapon stations on JLTVs for Montenegro. The CH-53K which Israel is also acquiring can lift JLTVs, a point Lockheed Martin highlighted in a 2018 Hebrew statement about the heavy lifter.

(Source: Breaking Defense.com)

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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

21 Nov 24. DASA Announces Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Defence Innovation. DASA appoints IoT Tribe to deliver business acceleration services supporting NATO’s DIANA initiative and UK defence innovation, boosting defence capabilities.

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) has today announced the appointment of IoT Tribe as its delivery partner for business acceleration services, operating from DASA’s London hub.

IoT Tribe will lead a group of specialist organisations, operating under the name ‘Janus’, reflecting the dual-use nature of technologies that will advance both defence and commercial applications. Janus will work alongside DASA to offer a UK defence Accelerator, strengthening the UK’s position within NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) initiative.

Anita Friend, Head of DASA, said: “We are excited to work with IoT Tribe and their partners who are bringing world-class expertise to deliver the UK’s Accelerator as part of our commitment to NATO DIANA. At the same time this collaborative partnership will deliver new services for DASA and represents a significant step in supporting our innovators in pulling through innovative solutions to our most pressing defence and security challenges.”

Tanya Suarez, CEO of IoT Tribe, said: “We have brought together technology acceleration, investment, and defence sector knowledge to deliver a best-in-class accelerator for both NATO DIANA and DASA and we’re committed to helping innovative companies navigate the complex journey from concept to defence-ready solutions.”

IoT Tribe will work with three specialist partners to form the Janus Consortium:

Atmos VC: A deeptech investor managing £1 bn in investments
The SETsquared Partnership: The UK’s top-ranked start-up hub and third in Europe
Arrow: A £30bn electronics firm specialising in defence and security supply chains

DIANA, NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, is a ground-breaking initiative that connects defence personnel, innovative start-ups and industry across the Alliance to solve critical defence and security challenges. It provides a platform for innovators to develop, scale and test dual-use emerging technologies that address both military requirements and civilian applications.

The Janus Consortium will enhance DASA’s capabilities by supporting companies working on pressing defence and security challenges, helping them grow into robust suppliers for the defence sector. This approach will create a new generation of innovative suppliers while strengthening the defence industrial base.

The programme will deliver:

Dual-use innovations serving both defence and civilian markets
Expert technical support
Access to investment opportunities, including the NATO Innovation Fund
Connections within the pan-NATO ecosystem
Tailored business acceleration support through a three-month programme at the White City facility
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

20 Nov 24. Global Combat Air Programme Joint Statement. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, Japanese Defense Minister NAKATANI Gen and UK Defence Minister John Healey have welcomed recent progress made on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, Japanese Defense Minister NAKATANI Gen and UK Defence Minister John Healey have welcomed recent progress made on the GCAP, which was outlined by the Prime Ministers of the three countries who met in the margins of the G20 Summit in Brazil on 19 November 2024.

Acknowledging the progress made since the launching of the GCAP in December 2022, the Defence Ministers from Italy, Japan and the UK welcomed the approval by all three parliaments of the “CONVENTION ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GLOBAL COMBAT AIR PROGRAMME – GCAP INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION”. The convention lays a solid basis for delivering a next-generation fighter aircraft by 2035 and for further enhancing the defence industrial base of each country.
The three ministers concurred that the headquarters of the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO) will be in the UK, and will stand up imminently. In view of the spirit of equal partnership among the three countries that has characterised the programme from the outset, the first chief executive of the GIGO’s GCAP Agency will be from Japan, and the first leader of the proposed Joint Venture – which is being established by industry partners – will be from Italy. Mr. OKA Masami is the Japanese government’s nominee for the GCAP Agency Chief Executive.
The three ministers also welcomed the progress made by industry partners who will soon sign a Joint Venture Agreement to create the new company that will lead GCAP delivery. The proposed Joint Venture will be headquartered in the UK with the GIGO to achieve maximum alignment. Both entities will work together with teams from across the three nations to support capable, affordable and timely programme delivery, including the 2035 in service date.
The three ministers have reaffirmed their strong commitment to the programme, to deepening trilateral cooperation for the shared objectives of GCAP and ensuring its continued success. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

EUROPE

21 Nov 24. Romania Becomes the 20th Member of the F-35 Global Alliance. The Government of Romania confirmed today its intent to procure 32 Lockheed Martin 5th Generation F-35 Lightning II aircraft by signing a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) through a U.S. government Foreign Military Sale. This decision marks a significant milestone in Romania’s defense strategy and its commitment to maintaining a robust and advanced military force.

“We are pleased to welcome Romania into the F-35 enterprise,” said Lt. Gen Mike Schmidt, director and program executive officer of the F-35 Joint Program Office. “The integration of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft into the Romanian Air Force will significantly strengthen NATO’s deterrence capabilities by providing unmatched strategic, operational, and tactical advantages. The F-35 Joint Program Office is dedicated to continuing a strong relationship with Romania, ensuring a successful transition and providing comprehensive support for their pilots and maintainers as we move forward together on this great effort.”

The F-35 plays a crucial role in 21st Century Security® by deterring threats and disrupting adversaries’ plans. By its very presence, the F-35 enhances the safety of nations operating it and protects freedom around the world.

“For nearly 30 years, Romania and Lockheed Martin have been defense and security partners,” said Bridget Lauderdale, vice president and general manager, F-35 Lightning II Program, Lockheed Martin. “The acquisition of the F-35 further fortifies Romania’s national security and deterrent capability.”

“The F-35’s growing presence across Europe demonstrates alliance-based deterrence and is setting the foundation for NATO and allied nations’ next generation air power capability,” said Mara Motherway, vice president, Strategy and Business Development, Lockheed Martin.

The F-35 offers the most cost-effective solution for Romania, combining unprecedented operational capability with an affordable and efficient global sustainment network. This partnership promises technological advancements, reinforcing Romania’s position in the global defense landscape. It also represents a significant leap in defense technology and international collaboration.

The Romania Air Force’s F-35s will integrate seamlessly with existing F-16 fleets, enhancing the unique, powerful capabilities of each aircraft and establishing a fortified defense profile. Last year, Lockheed Martin and the governments of Romania and the Netherlands established the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC) in Romania. The partnerships in place at the EFTC deliver tailored training at an accelerated pace, ensuring Romanian pilots are fully prepared to execute their missions safely and effectively.

The F-35 is the most advanced, connected fighter aircraft in the world, providing unmatched 5th Generation capabilities and strengthening allied deterrence for the U.S. and its allies. To date, 20 global customers have chosen the F-35 for its advanced, connected capabilities to strengthen 21st Century Security®, enhance global partnerships and power economic growth. More than 1,000 F-35s are currently operational around the globe, generating more than 940,000 flight hours. F-35s operate from 33 bases worldwide, including 10 nations operating on home soil. As adversaries advance and legacy aircraft age, the F-35 is critical to maintaining air dominance for decades to come.

19 Nov 24. France, Germany, UK, US make Norway’s billion-dollar frigate shortlist. Norway has narrowed the choice of possible partner countries for its future frigate program to France, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S., and plans to start talks with those countries’ governments about setting up a strategic partnership.

The program to buy at least five and possibly six frigates will represent Norway’s biggest defense investment ever, surpassing the acquisition of F-35 fighter jets, Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram said in a briefing on Tuesday. The country plans to make a final decision on a future strategic partner in 2025.

Norway is looking to join an existing frigate program to speed up fielding, thereby obviating upgrade investments in the country’s existing Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates. All major naval forces within NATO are in the process of adding new frigates, and Norway said it wants to establish a strategic partnership with a close ally rather than just buy a stand-alone vessel type.

“The new frigates represent the largest acquisition planned for the Norwegian armed forces in the coming years,” Gram said.

The country plans to invest several hundred bn Norwegian kroner in its navy, as well as significantly increase operating budgets and personnel, according to Gram. One hundred bn kroner is equivalent to around US$9.1bn.

Norway is an important maritime state within NATO, and the High North is the country’s most strategic area of interest, important to both Norway and the alliance, Gram said. The ambition is for the Royal Norwegian Navy to be able to operate continuously in the ocean areas off Norway, according to the minister.

Defense officials envision a strategic frigate partnership that includes joint acquisition, operation and maintenance, as well as continuous development and upgrades of the ships during their service life. Gram said the new vessels will require upgrade and support for several decades, and Norway is looking for a partner that will commit for the entire service life of the future frigates.

The country isn’t just considering the capabilities of each potential partner country, but also coinciding strategic interests, including in the High North, according to the minister.

France started sea trials of its first Defense and Intervention Frigate this year, with another four ships planned, while Germany laid the keel for the first of four F126 frigates. The U.S. is constructing its first Constellation-class frigate, based on the French-Italian FREMM multi-mission frigate, although that program has run into delays. Meanwhile, the U.K. has seven frigates under construction, including four Type 26 anti-submarine warfare vessels and three Type 31 frigates.

The four countries are working on significantly different-sized vessels, from France’s brand-new FDI frigate displacing 4,500 metric tons, to Germany’s F126 frigate that will displace around 10,000 tons. Norway’s current Fridtjof Nansen-class warships, built by Spain’s Navantia, displace around 5,200 tons fully loaded.

Norway has a longstanding maritime cooperation with France, and while the French have a more global focus than the Norwegians, they’ve shown increasing interest in the High North, the defense minister said. The U.K. and Norway also have particularly close security and defense ties, and the Royal Navy has long been a main partner for the Norwegian forces, according to Gram.

The Nordic country also has security ties with Germany, with cooperation traditionally mainly within the land domain, though the countries are cooperating on submarines and anti-ship missiles, Gram said. Meanwhile, the U.S. is Norway’s most important ally, cooperating in all domains with a focus on the North Atlantic, according to the minister.

A key consideration in the final decision will be the ability for Norwegian technology and industry to contribute to both development and sustainment of the future frigate, according to Gram.

The Norwegian government in 2023 reached out to 11 countries with frigate programs, which in addition to the four nations picked for further talks included Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and South Korea, according to Gram. The frigate program was included in the country’s long-term defense plan proposed in April. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)

USA

15 Nov 24. US State Department bureau seeks drone detect and defeat systems. The United States Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is conducting market research on the current availability and technological capabilities of detect and defeat systems to address current and future threats and gaps regarding uncrewed aircraft systems. INL is interested in obtaining information on systems capable of detecting, identifying, classifying, tracking, and mitigating UAS threats. Responses are invited by November 27.

A notice posted on the US government procurement portal SAM.gov states: “The Department’s Office of Global Acquisition is considering awarding IDIQs, BPAs, or similar ordering mechanisms to fulfil recurring needs and to streamline the acquisition process for detect and defeat systems and associated services. If awarded, it is anticipated that orders under these contracts/agreements will not be limited only to INL needs.”

Via the procurement portal, INL has issued a preliminary list of interest areas and technologies, which includes handheld or man-portable detect and defeat systems, portable (e.g. vehicle-mounted) detect and defeat systems, fixed or static detect and defeat systems, and kinetic counter-drone systems.

“The Department is looking for companies with mature systems and manufacturing capabilities and industry leading quality standards. Companies must possess all required licences and approvals to ship (including applying for any export licence that may be required) systems overseas,” the notice states.

Companies may also be required to provide training and to perform installation, integration, testing, repairs, and similar services. This could include work overseas in remote and high threat environments.

For more information: INL notice on SAM.gov (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

REST OF TE WORLD

25 Nov 24. Australia announces general purpose frigate down-select contenders. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Minister Pat Conroy have formally announced the two preferred shipbuilders, slated to deliver Australia’s $10bn fleet of general purpose frigates.

Defence Connect can confirm the down-selection of the government’s two preferred shipbuilders, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.

As part of the next stage, Defence will now work with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, and Australian industry partners to further develop the proposals for the Mogami and MEKO A-200 frigates.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles said: “Navy’s future fleet will constitute the largest number of surface combatants since World War II and will be integral to ensuring the safety and security of our sea lines of communication and maritime trade.”

The government acknowledges the high-quality proposals put forward by each of the five exemplary shipbuilders. The proposals reflect the sophistication and maturity of the companies involved and the defence industries of Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Spain.

“We extend our gratitude to Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Spain for their efforts in support of this activity. We view their commitment to this process as a reflection of the strong relationships between our nations,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

The Albanese government is investing up to $55 billion over the decade, including up to $10 billion for the general purpose frigates, as part of a plan that will more than double the size of the Navy’s surface combatant fleet compared to the plans announced as part of the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and 2020 Force Structure Plan.

Initially proposed as part of the findings of the government’s Independent Analysis of Navy’s Surface Combatant Fleet, the general purpose frigates will fulfil the “Tier Two” surface combatant role, providing the Royal Australian Navy with a significant boost to the number of hulls it has in the water, easing the burden on the “Tier One” surface combatants, like the Hobart and future Hunter Class vessels.

Recognising this, the Surface Combatant Review stated the government’s plans to acquire “at least seven, and optimally 11, Tier 2 ships, optimised for undersea warfare, to operate both independently and in conjunction with the Tier 1 ships to secure maritime trade routes, northern approaches and escort military assets. Consistent with the DSR and our terms of reference.”

The proposed fleet of new general purpose frigates will replace the Anzac Class frigates and will be equipped for undersea warfare and local air defence in order to secure maritime trade routes and the nation’s northern approaches.

As part of a wide-reaching mission set, the government has required that the successful “Tier Two” design will have the capacity to:

Operate an MH-60R Romeo Maritime Combat Helicopter.
Provide undersea warfare through a depressed active/passive towed array.
Sonar and have the ability to store, handle and employ lightweight torpedoes.
Provide air defence through a limited number of point and self-defence systems.
Provide maritime and land strike.
Provide force protection.

Additionally, the government’s plan stated that the “Tier 2 acquisition timelines were adapted to address the deteriorating material state of the Anzac Class frigates and to reduce the risk of a potential capability gap”.

As part of an accelerated delivery timeline, the first three general purpose frigates will be built offshore, and successful and timely consolidation of the Henderson Precinct will enable the remainder of the build to be constructed locally at Henderson.

Following this, the construction of general purpose frigates at the Henderson Defence Precinct is part of the Albanese government’s plan to invest tens of billions of dollars in defence capabilities in Western Australia over the next two decades, supporting in the order of 10,000 well-paid, high-skilled local jobs.

Minister Conroy said: “The rapid, accelerated work of the general purpose frigate program to date underpins the next stages of the acquisition to ensure this capability is delivered this decade, providing our Navy with enhanced anti-submarine and anti-air warfare capabilities.”

Defence will engage closely with the down-selected shipbuilders to progress this program and ensure Australia’s first general purpose frigate is delivered this decade. The decision to progress the Mogami and MEKO A-200 designs was informed by a rigorous evaluation by Defence that identified these designs as likely to best meet Australia’s capability requirements.

(Source: Defence Connect)

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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

14 Nov 24. British-made Typhoon jet production ‘essentially stopped’ as orders dry up. Union chief warns over ‘hammer blow’ to British aircraft industry as RAF eyes American-built jets

Workers at a British fighter jet factory have warned that production has “essentially stopped” amid fears that the Royal Air Force (RAF) will in future buy US-made aircraft instead.

The BAE Systems plant in Warton, near Preston, was until recently assembling Eurofighter Typhoon jets for Qatar following a £6bn order placed by the country seven years ago.

But with that work now winding up, and no similar orders outstanding, “essentially production has stopped for British-built Typhoon aircraft”, union chiefs have warned.

The factory, which is part of the Eurofighter consortium, still makes front fuselages for jets ordered by Germany, Spain and other countries, but these are sent abroad for final assembly of the aircraft in Europe.

At the same time, workers have been left rattled by reports that UK officials are currently leaning towards buying more F-35 stealth jets from US giant Lockheed Martin instead of ordering more Typhoons.

In a letter to MPs on the defence select committee, Steve McGuinness, a Unite executive council member, said: “As it stands, there are currently no Typhoons being final-assembled at Warton site and no orders for any future aircraft.

“Essentially production has stopped for British-built Typhoon aircraft.

“We are becoming increasingly concerned with reports that the Typhoons being retired from active RAF service are to be replaced with American-built F-35A aircraft.

“This would be a hammer blow to the British aircraft industry and potentially could end the design, manufacture and assembly of fast jets in this country, seriously damaging our sovereign capability.”

The warning comes after defence trade publication Janes reported that UK officials were “inclined to increase combat aviation forces through a follow-on buy of the Lockheed Martin F-35B rather than acquiring more Eurofighter Typhoons”.

It quoted an official who said: “We have a foot in both [the F-35 and Eurofighter] camps, and for the RAF I very much see that the F-35 is where we are looking to add combat mass.”

Publicly, ministers have remained tight-lipped about their future procurement plans while a strategic defence review rumbles on. That is not expected to conclude until the spring.

But Mr McGuiness said the Government should instead urgently “commit to ordering a squadron of 24 Typhoon jets”, adding that the UK was currently the only member of the Eurofighter consortium with no new aircraft on order.

Germany said it was ordering an additional 20 Eurofighter jets in June, adding to 38 it already has in the pipeline, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Those will be assembled by Airbus on the Continent.

Britain should follow suit to bolster its own air force and retain skills needed to develop the next-generation “Tempest” fighter, also known as the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), Mr McGuinness argued.

(Source: Daily Telegraph)

12 Nov 24. UK modernise strategic SATCOM with land and sea terminals.

Strategic Command explore possibilities in industry to update the Armed Forces’ SKYNET communications terminals on land and at sea.

Signal Regiment Reacher Large creates a Large High-Capacity data stream, which can provide the main data feed site to site globally. Credit: Crown copyright/UK Ministry of Defence.

UK Strategic Command is beginning to update its terrestrial satellite communication (SATCOM) terminals on land and at sea.

A request for information (RFI) was released calling for industry offerings in the sphere of Maritime Military SATCOM Terminals at the end of October 2024.

Less than a week later, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed it is also looking to replace the current High Resilience Military Satellite Communication Land Terminals through what it calls the Next Generation Land Terminal (Strategic) project.

Crucially, these terminals act as a channel for the British military’s global communications via its most significant space asset to date: the SKYNET constellation. SKYNET 5 are the most recent generation of military satellites; although the first of the next generation SKYNET 6A satellites is scheduled for launch in 2026.

Pursuing flexibility in the electromagnetic spectrum

The government believe that as SKYNET 6 advances so should the capability of the military’s terminals.

While these stations already operate in a congested electromagnetic environment (EM) amid high vibration and shock conditions, the RFI touches on certain areas for improving Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary communications:

Increased performance in resilient X-band frequencies;
adoption of dual band systems (X and Ka) simultaneously;
and duplex operation (sending and receiving data between different systems simultaneously) in left and right hand circular polarisation.

These criteria explore ways for the services to operate flexibly across the EM spectrum. Services need to use more data in the battlespace than ever before, and this means they need to be able to manage the throughput with greater ease more quickly.

Electronic warfare (EW) in the EM spectrum is a decisive mode of operations as the Russians can attest. The use of EW capabilities by invading Russian forces against Ukraine have generated significant consternation among Western military officials, according to GlobalData intelligence. The comparative lack of investment and innovation has enabled the Russian state to gain a strategic advantage over its geopolitical rivals.

Whereas, the government has not expressly stated any specific guidelines for the new land terminals under the Next Generation Land Terminal (Strategic) project. However, the MoD have announced a market day on 3 December in Wiltshire, where it will relay its requirements.

Existing terminals

The Royal Signals is responsible for the provision of all of the British Army’s tactical satellite ground terminals, providing strategic and operational SATCOM for all land-based headquarters.

Reacher is the cornerstone of British Army SATCOM with mobile terminals delivering a range of services through robust, secure communciation links. There are three variants: Large, Medium and Royal Marine terminals. Large and Medium terminals are mounted on the Mowag Duro 3 vehicle. Likewise, there is also Talon, a lightweight deployable terminal.

Meanwhile the Navy uses the X-band SCOTPatrol 0.8m maritime satellite terminals. These are said to be deployed from the service’s minesweeper vessels. (Source: army-technology.com)

12 Nov 24. NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) issues RFP for modular air defence programme. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has released the first Request for Proposal (RfP) related to the Modular Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD) project.

“The objective is to explore potential system architectures and future solutions to implement the Key User Requirements,” says the agency. “The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) is executing the Modular GBAD Concept Stage on behalf of the participating Nations. The Agency, in cooperation with industry, will explore the matching of Nations’ requirements with state of the art technology to fulfil the challenges of interoperability between individual modules for both future and legacy GBAD systems.

“This Concept Study #1 is aimed at an initial identification of Modular GBAD architecture solutions. In order to promote innovation and maximize technical and operational value, Contractors will be selected based on “best value” criteria. Companies will be invited to submit their proposals before 10 January 2025.

“After a first evaluation aiming to select up to five compliant bids, the selected Contractors will be requested to produce a set of deliverables presenting in details their proposals of Modular GBAD system architectures. Subsequently, a second evaluation will take place in order to keep two Contractors in order to further define and specify their respective architectures and thus support the Modular GBAD Concept Stage via complementary Concept Studies and technical services.

“A Bidders’ Conference will be held on 25 November 2024 at NSPA Headquarters in Capellen (Luxembourg). The purpose of this Conference is to provide interested bidders with detailed information about the project, clarify any technical aspects of the scope, and answer questions to ensure that all participants have a thorough understanding of requirements and expectations.

For more information: https://www.nspa.nato.int/news/2024/nspa-releases-first-rfp-for-modular-groundbased-air-defence-gbad- (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

11 Nov 24. Negotiations begin for UK’s small modular reactor programme. Great British Nuclear (GBN) has today started detailed negotiations with the final four shortlisted bidders into the UK’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR) programme. The four companies, GE Hitachi, Holtec, Rolls Royce SMR and Westinghouse, have been shortlisted following two rounds of assessment by GBN, the government’s expert nuclear delivery body. GBN will negotiate with all four before final tenders are submitted, with final decisions to be taken in the spring. To reach this stage, each of the four designs was subject to a robust analysis. GBN has evaluated each technology, including aspects such as safety, deliverability, and their ability to support development of a fleet of SMRs. GBN considers the designs, each of which is proceeding through the UK’s regulatory process, are viable options for development. Subject to negotiations, GBN consider any one of these designs would be fit to use in the UK nuclear programme.

GBN’s Chair, Simon Bowen said, ‘This is a significant moment for the SMR programme. Our technical experts have assessed each design in detail and are very confident these SMRs could play a key role in the UK’s future energy mix. The negotiation phase will enable us to select the absolute best technologies on the best terms for the UK.’ (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

EUROPE

14 Nov 24. Germany took step toward clearing Turkey’s Eurofighter jet buy, Turkish official says. Germany has mandated its sales authority to work on the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey after initially being opposed to the move, a Turkish defence ministry source said on Thursday, but added this did not mean the process was concluded.

Last year, Ankara said it was in talks with the Eurofighter consortium members Britain and Spain to buy 40 Typhoons, though Germany objected to the idea. It has since complained of a lack of progress on the issue over Berlin’s reluctance.

Speaking at a briefing, the source said Germany had mandated its “Temporary Sales Authority” to work on the potential sale to Turkey, adding Ankara believed this will speed up the process of procuring the jets.

“Technical work is continuing regarding the procurement of the Eurofighter Typhoon jet, which can be an alternative to meet the operational needs of our Air Force,” the person said, adding the issue would be on the agenda during British Defence Minister John Healey’s visit to Ankara on Thursday. (Source: Reuters)

11 Nov 24. Sweden selects Embraer cargo plane, Brazil plans to buy more Saab fighters. Sweden has selected Embraer’s (EMBR3.SA) C-390 Millennium as its next military cargo aircraft, while Brazil intends to buy more Gripen fighter jets from Swedish defense company Saab , the European country’s government said. The letter of intent signed on Saturday comes after lengthy talks between the countries for Brazil to increase its existing Gripen orders and Sweden to tap the Embraer plane as replacement for its aging fleet of Lockheed Martin’s (LMT.N) C-130. Brazil signed a contract in 2010 with Saab to buy 36 JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets. It now plans to extend the contract by 25%, the Swedish government said. In return, Sweden has selected Embraer’s C-390 Millennium as its new military cargo aircraft and will now start the process of buying it. “Sweden carried out a very in-depth analysis, evaluated several competitors and interacted with current C-390 operators and customers. We are very happy,” Embraer’s defense head Bosco da Costa Junior told Reuters in an interview. (Source: Reuters)

08 Nov 24. Airbus reportedly wins France’s Maritime Patrol Aircraft program over Dassault. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the French Ministry of the Armed Forces has chosen Airbus Defence & Space over Dassault Aviation for its future maritime patrol aircraft (Patmar) program, according to information from La Tribune.

Supposedly, this decision has been communicated to both manufacturers, but it has yet to be publicly announced by official authorities.

The Patmar program aims to replace France’s fleet of 18 Atlantique 2 (ATL2) maritime patrol aircraft by 2030.

The Dassault-Breguet ATL2 entered service in 1992 in the Marine Nationale, though it is based on the Breguet Atlantic, an airframe developed in the 1960s. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Tyne engines, the aircraft has a maximum speed of 600 kilometers per hour and a range of over 7,300 kilometers. It can carry up to 3.5 tons of armaments, including depth charges, mines, and torpedoes, and fire MBDA AM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles.

Two proposals were in competition for this contract: Airbus Defence & Space submitted a military variant of the A321XLR (Extra Long Range), while Dassault Aviation offered a modified version of the Falcon 10X business jet.

The A321XLR was certified in July 2024 and entered service with Iberia on November 6, 2024. The aircraft boasts an 11-hour flight endurance and offers significant payload capacity, enabling it to carry an extensive array of equipment for the French Navy’s missions once converted.

This future A321MPA was first presented at the Euronaval 2024 trade show, held in Paris between November 4 and 7, 2024. The main modification visible on the presented model was a long ammunition bay located underneath the fuselage. Thales is set to supply the sensor suite for this aircraft.

In contrast, Dassault emphasized the speed and agility of its Falcon 10X, which should enter service in 2025. The manufacturer also highlighted its experience in the domain. Militarized versions of the Falcon 10, 20 (200 Gardian), and 50 participate in surveillance and rescue missions within the French maritime territory, pilot training, and the transportation of authorities. Seven Albatros maritime surveillance and intervention aircraft based on Dassault’s Falcon 2000LXS business jet should be delivered to the French Navy in 2025.

However, it appears that ultimately the French authorities favored the A321XLR based on its superior payload capacity, which better aligns with operational needs despite its higher cost. The ministry has reportedly allocated €89 m to the program, including €8 m earmarked for 2025. (Source: Google/https://www.aerotime.aero/)

USA

14 Nov 24. DOD Releases Final Nine Awards for Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program. The Department of Defense today announced the remaining nine awards to bioindustrial firms under the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP). This announcement completes the first phase of DBIMP investment at 34 total awards worth over $60m. The awardees include Amyris, based in Emeryville, California; Cauldron Molecules, based in in Australia and the United States; Checkerspot, based in Alameda, California; DSM Nutritional Products, based in Plainsboro, New Jersey; EVERY Company, based in Daly City, California; The Fynder Group, based in Chicago; Liberation Labs, based in New York City; Perfect Day, based in Berkeley, California; and Solugen, based in Houston.

The program executes the White House’s Executive Order 14081, “Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy,” aimed at bolstering America’s bioeconomic strengths while helping the Department achieve advanced defense capabilities.

“The next industrial revolution will be a biomanufacturing revolution. DoD is keenly aware of that reality,” said Heidi Shyu, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. “DBIMP’s investment in a diverse set of companies will help transition U.S. bioindustrial manufacturing from the laboratory to a network of large-scale production facilities, able to fortify defense supply chains for critical chemicals and novel materials while positioning the U.S. bioeconomy for surging growth.”

Through these agreements, companies will receive funding to produce business and technical plans that detail construction of domestic bioindustrial manufacturing production facilities under the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), a contract vehicle awarded and overseen by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. These proposals will be eligible to receive follow-on “build” awards providing access to up to $100 m to construct U.S.-based bioindustrial manufacturing facilities.

“The introduction of new investment and funding strategies aligned to the National Defense Industrial Strategy offers the DoD rapid access to commercial solutions for defense requirements,” said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy within the Office of the Under Secretary of

Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. “The DIBC OTA provides DoD with new paths for innovation through industry and ensures continued U.S. competitiveness.”

The department announced the first award for the DBIMP in July 2024. The final set of projects announced today are as follows:

Amyris, based in Emeryville, California, was awarded $1.93 m to develop a plan to retrofit an existing facility that would enable cost-competitive domestic production of terpenes and related molecules for use as solvents and fuels for defense systems. The facility location is yet to be determined.
Cauldron Molecules, based in in Australia and the United States, was awarded $1.76 m to plan a commercial-scale facility. This facility will use hyper-fermentation to produce precision-fermented products ranging from food proteins to fuels and chemicals at a lower cost than traditional production methods. The company is considering U.S.-based sites for the facility.
Checkerspot, based in Alameda, California, was awarded $3.19 m to plan a facility that would produce lubricants free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and triglyceride oils as food ingredients. The facility location is yet to be determined.
DSM Nutritional Products, based in Plainsboro, New Jersey, was awarded $2.07 m to plan a facility that will expand domestic production of omega-3 fatty acids for food supplies, which increasingly has been sourced from foreign producers. The facility location is yet to be determined.
EVERY Company, based in Daly City, California, was awarded $2.0 m to plan a facility for producing performance protein products for human nutrition. These proteins have unique features such as high solubility and increased protein density that can be easily incorporated into a range of form factors – high-concentration protein gels, hot and cold beverages, and meal rations. The facility location is yet to be determined.
The Fynder Group, based in Chicago, Illinois, was awarded $1.38 m to plan a bioproduction facility for fungi-based proteins that can be incorporated into military ready-to-eat meals. The facility location is yet to be determined.
Liberation Labs, based in New York, New York, was awarded $1.4 m to develop plans for scaling up operations of its new facility in Richmond, Indiana. The flexible, industrial-scale infrastructure of this facility would address the growing need for precision-fermented bioproducts within the defense application areas of food, operational fitness, and fabrication.
Perfect Day, based in Berkeley, California, was awarded $1.24 m to develop plans for a commercial facility to produce whey protein with fermentation. This biobased whey can be used to supplement military ready-to-eat meals and provide a safe source of protein for service members with dairy allergies. The facility location is yet to be determined.
Solugen, based in Houston, Texas, was awarded $2.0 m to plan a multi-use modular facility to establish cost-effective production of dual-use precursors that cannot be sourced domestically. Production is expected to occur at the company’s Houston-based facility or new facility in Marshall, Minnesota.

About the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program

Following a competitive evaluation of proposed solutions, the Department entered negotiations with more than 30 selectees for business and technical planning efforts across focus areas for defense materials: fabrication, firepower, fitness, food, and fuel. Upon completion of planning efforts, businesses are eligible to enter negotiations to proceed to the next phase of the DBIMP under the DIBC, wherein the DoD will support building bioproduction infrastructure that increases the domestic supply of critical materials. (Source: U.S. DoD)

09 Nov 24. Next-gen stealth tanker may be unaffordable, Air Force secretary fears. The Air Force worries it will be unable to afford a next-generation refueling tanker, as the service struggles with how to pay for a bow wave of modernizations. (Alexis Morris/U.S. Air Force)

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall raised a warning flag on the service’s ability to afford a next-generation refueling tanker at a mobility conference Nov. 1.

The Air Force says that tanker — referred to as the Next-Generation Aerial Refueling System, or NGAS — is necessary to modernize the Air Force’s ability to fight a war against China, along with a sixth-generation fighter known as Next Generation Air Dominance and accompanying drone wingmen known as collaborative combat aircraft, or CCA.

But the service is facing a budget crunch — one that may place its ability to procure all three new systems in doubt, Kendall said at the Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium in Grapevine, Texas.

“Right now, given our commitments, our resources and strategic priorities, it’s hard for me to see how we can afford any combination of those new designs,” Kendall said. “What I worry about the most is the adequacy of our resources.”

The Air Force hopes to field NGAS around the mid-2030s, to provide a more defensible way to refuel fighters and other aircraft during a fight with a major adversary such as China. This would be particularly necessary in a war in the Indo-Pacific region, which would require Air Force planes to fly over vast expanses of ocean and need multiple aerial refuelings.

NGAS could have stealth capabilities, and the Air Force has considered a blended wing concept as a possible design. Kendall previously said NGAS would likely have a unique design, not based on an existing commercial aircraft.

But a wave of modernizations — including the acquisition of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber and early work on the LGM-35A Sentinel nuclear missile — is hitting the Air Force concurrently, stretching its resources extremely thin and forcing it to reconsider what is financially realistic.

Tightening budgets and high anticipated costs first threw NGAD’s future in doubt this summer. The service is now in the midst of a four-month review of its air superiority strategy that considers how to change NGAD’s design to bring its costs down, as well as how the future fighter might work in concert with other systems — namely the second iteration of CCAs and NGAS — to control the airspace in conflict zones.

Much has changed since the Pentagon laid the groundwork for NGAD a decade ago, Kendall said, including the potential threats the United States faces, technology, and how the military services plan to jointly fight a war side-by-side and with allies. Those changes are also prompting the Air Force to take another look at what the best strategy might be for a future refueling tanker. (Source: Defense News)

10 Nov 24. Funding Concerns Cloud Future of Air Force’s Next-Gen Tanker and Fighter Programs. An F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 92nd Air Refueling Wing during an aerial refueling mission, over Utah, Aug. 15, 2024. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Clare Werner)

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At a recent mobility conference, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall raised concerns over the budget required to develop the Next-Generation Aerial Refueling System (NGAS) and other high-tech programs like the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter and Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drone wingmen.

Speaking at the Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium in Grapevine, Texas, Kendall expressed doubts about the Air Force’s ability to afford all three programs, citing tight budgets and competing modernization priorities. Kendall noted that the Air Force is in a challenging position as it attempts to finance several large-scale projects simultaneously.

The NGAD, intended to be a sixth-generation stealth fighter, cost around $300 m per airframe—over three times the cost of the F-35 fighter.

Kendall acknowledged that cost concerns are driving a review to consider reducing NGAD’s roles or potentially integrating it more with other systems, like the CCA drone wingmen, which are designed to support manned fighters in complex missions.

Kendall also admitted that funding NGAS alongside other major projects may be challenging.

The NGAS is being developed to address refueling needs in highly contested environments, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region where distances are vast. The uncrewed, potentially stealth-capable NGAS would support U.S. fighters closer to enemy territories, allowing them to operate further from traditional bases.

Lockheed Martin’s concept images for the NGAS, displayed at the conference, show a small, autonomous tanker that could blend with stealth fighters, such as the F-35, while avoiding radar detection.

The Air Force’s review of the NGAD, NGAS, and CCA programs is expected to conclude in 2024, with Kendall stating that the affordability of these systems will be a central factor in the decision. Some experts have suggested that even a proposed military budget increase would not fully address the Air Force’s needs, highlighting the difficulty of funding these advanced technologies. (Source: https://www.sofx.com/)

08 Nov 24. USMC seeking dismounted C-UAS tech for urgent release. After industry demonstrations at Twentynine Palms, California, the US Marine Corps is evaluating counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) solutions from 17 companies through an urgent needs process and for an eventual programme of record, an official with the Ground Based Air Defense (GBAD) programme office told Janes in an interview on 5 November.

The selected system is anticipated to be in the hands of marines by at least the end of boreal summer 2025 but it could be as soon as a couple of months, Major Jason Dempsey, C-UAS and GBAD capabilities integration officer, told Janes. The GBAD programme office plans to have firmed up the requirements document for the programme of record at some point in 2025, he said.

A request for information released in July 2024 led to more than 60 companies submitting technology for the industry day. From that pool, 17 technologies, which ranged from enhanced optics to artificial intelligence-guided fire controls, were selected.

Some were kinetic-based solutions but most were non-kinetic detect, track, and identify solutions like jamming systems. Because an interim solution is needed quickly, marines took notice of some companies that had 50–100 systems already on the shelf, Maj Dempsey noted. (Source: Janes)

08 Nov 24. F-35 TR-3 configuration delivery is back on track after delays. Some of the hardware was not ready to implement the full Technology Refresh-3 capability, leaving Lockheed Martin with around a 90% solution. Lockheed Martin has reached about 90% of the Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3) software and hardware upgrade for the F-35 Lightning II but the prime is nearly back on track to delivering the full capability after some delays. The aerospace prime began deliveries of the first TR-3 configured F-35s on 19 July 2024. At the time, the company said it expected to produce at a rate of 156 units per year thereby delivering between 75 and 100 aircraft in the second half of 2024, primarily in the new TR-3 configuration. These expectations were stymied by supply concerns and enduring technical issues. As a result, the company released a truncated version of the TR-3 configured aircraft since August. Although, this comprises a training capability as opposed to the full capability. Now the company aims to deliver the full capability over the next 12 to 18 months, Gary North, vice president for customer requirements, Lockheed Martin, confirmed. He added that all of the prime’s hardware suppliers were late to deliver hardware systems which “exposed several things” in its supply chain including, it was noted in passing, the “Covid hangover.” These details were relayed to a gathering of global combat air specialists – many of whom operate the world’s most sophisticated fighter jet – during the International Fighter Conference, hosted by DefenceiQ, in Berlin on 6 November 2024.

F-35 modernisation issues

TR-3 provides software and primarily hardware upgrades that improves the computational power needed to support Block 4 capabilities on F-35 aircraft.

“This is the most ambitious upgrade of a fighter that’s happened in history,” the speaker noted, and it has been “harder than we expected.”

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More than 80 major upgrades come under Block 4 modernisation. The programme will improve the platform’s sophisticated sensor suite and electronic warfare capabilities, the interconnectivity, and increase capacity to carry more weapons at the same time.

Originally due to be completed in 2026 and determined to cost $10.6bn, the Block 4 programme has risen to $16.5bn and is now estimated to conclude in 2029. The US Government Accountability Office found there to be a lack of clarity with the timeline for the programme, already having voiced concern in May 2023.

Problem of sustainment looms over future conflict

The global security environment is growing more unstable. The US and its allies will soon confront adversaries in different theatres around the world before the end of the decade. As part of their new force posture for peer-on-peer conflict with Russia in Eastern Europe and China in the Indo-Pacific there is a new demand for a range of military equipment and resources.

A significant demand is placed on aircraft parts which the former commander, US Air Combat Command, General Mark Kelly, said has increased tenfold in this new era of strategic competition.

In his conference update, North pointed to Israel, a country that purchased 25 more F-35s for a new squadron in June, as an example of the growing flying times combatants face in modern conflict.

Two Israeli F-35 ‘Adirs’ fly in formation and display the U.S. and Israeli flags after receiving fuel from a Tennessee Air National Guard KC-135, 6 December 2016. Credit: DVIDS.

“Israel has been engaged in significant combat operations since the 7 October. What they’ve done on the airplane is truly amazing but I want to focus on the maintenance of the aircraft.

“They have been flying at five times their normal sortie rates [and] normal flying colors, and the average mission capable rate of those airplanes during that time period has been at 88% which shows that the global sustainability system, when properly fed, is able to keep those airline admission gateways that allows combat operations.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)

08 Nov 24. NorthStar and Modern American Recycling Services form Team to Pursue Dismantlement of Navy’s Defueled Ex-Enterprise in Mobile, AL

Leading Nuclear Industry and Ship Decommissioning Specialists Synergize for Navy’s Novel Project.

NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Services, LLC, a subsidiary of NorthStar Group Services, Inc. (NorthStar) and Modern American Recycling and Radiological Services, LLC (MARRS), a subsidiary of Modern American Recycling Services (MARS) have formed a team to dismantle and dispose of decommissioned United States Navy nuclear aircraft carriers at the Port of Mobile, Alabama. This team matches NorthStar’s extensive experience decommissioning U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-regulated facilities with the MARS’ ship recycling and decommissioning specialists working together at the accessible and spacious MARS Deepwater facility in Mobile.

The NorthStar/MARS team will initially compete to win the US Navy contract for dismantlement of the historic USS Enterprise, now known as the ex-Enterprise (CVN-65). The ex-Enterprise was the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, serving the U.S. Navy for over 55 years before its decommissioning in 2017. Pursuant to an August 2023 Record of Decision, the Navy announced that it would utilize a novel commercial dismantlement approach for the ex-Enterprise, with the NRC providing additional oversight of the successful contractor’s compliance with NRC standards for radiological work.

NorthStar has successfully pioneered nuclear decommissioning approaches under NRC supervision with its ongoing, on-budget, ahead-of-schedule work at the former Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station in Vernon, VT earning praise from NRC officials as the “best in the country.” NorthStar is also currently leading decommissioning work at Duke Energy’s Crystal River 3 nuclear complex, in Citrus County Florida and the GE Vallecitos Nuclear Center in Vallecitos, California, having previously completed several safe decommissionings of Department of Energy and university research reactors.

“Working with MARS, the most experienced maritime recycler in the U.S., competitively positions NorthStar for the opportunity to dismantle the ex-Enterprise,” said Scott E. State, P.E., CEO of NorthStar. “We look forward to applying our well-honed commercial industry practices to this first-of-a-kind project and look forward to a long relationship with MARS and the Mobile community.”

MARS’ skilled maritime workforce has a demonstrated capability handling major challenges in vessel salvage and recycling. MARS was a lead participant in the 2020-2021 effort to salvage and recycle the 660-foot, 34,000 metric ton car carrier MV Golden Ray following its capsizing and total loss, the largest such salvage operation in U.S. maritime history. MARS is also in the process of dismantling and recycling the 1,280-foot, 51,000 metric ton Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel Fluminense under a contract with Shell Brasil. MARS’ high-capacity Deepwater facility in Mobile, consistently recognized by the Shipbuilder’s Council of America as one of the safest shipyards in the United States, is an ideal venue to bring this experienced team’s expertise to bear on the ex-Enterprise project.

“MARS is excited to partner with NorthStar on this historic endeavor,” added Dwight “Butch” Caton Sr., CEO and President of MARS. “Together, we will ensure that the legacy of the ex-Enterprise is honored through a safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible dismantling process.”

Key Highlights of the Project:

Collaboration of Best-in-Class Companies: The NorthStar/MARS team brings together decades of expertise in nuclear decommissioning and over 50 years of maritime recycling. This partnership leverages commercial best practices from both industries to ensure a safe, timely, and cost-effective dismantling process.
Increased Workforce and Capabilities Support Navy Requirements: The addition of the NorthStar/MARS team to the pool of Navy support contractors will free up existing Navy shipbuilders and maintainers to do what they do best.
Environmental Responsibility: The NorthStar/MARS team is committed to the highest standards of safety and environmental protection throughout the dismantling process. The nuclear fuel was already removed from the reactors and sent to storage in 2017. All removal of other radioactive and hazardous materials will be conducted in fully-enclosed areas to eliminate any possible contact with the public or the environment. Comprehensive safety protocols and advanced recycling techniques will be employed for the responsible management and off-site disposal of all materials.
Community Engagement: The NorthStar/MARS team will work closely with local authorities and community stakeholders to ensure transparency and address any concerns throughout the project.
Economic Impact: The project will create jobs in the Mobile area, boosting the local economy and providing valuable opportunities for skilled workers. The presence of the Enterprise on the waterfront in the Port of Mobile is also likely to create a unique opportunity for folks to visit Mobile wanting to see this noteworthy ship one last time.

The dismantling of the ex-Enterprise is scheduled to begin following contract award in 2025 and is expected to take several years to complete.

About NorthStar

NorthStar is the leading U.S. company in large-scale facility decommissioning and demolition. Recent projects include decommissioning the Vermont Yankee and Crystal River Unit 3 nuclear power plants, large refineries, and complex urban facilities including skyscrapers. NorthStar is the world’s most comprehensive facility and infrastructure solutions company and the premier provider of environmental and technical services, known for its expertise in demolition, remediation, and emergency response. With a team of highly-skilled professionals and a commitment to innovation, NorthStar delivers comprehensive solutions that address the most challenging projects. For more information, visit www.northstar.co

About MARS

MARS, the premier ship recycling and decommissioning provider in the U.S., owns and operates 5 ship recycling facilities on the U.S. Gulf Coast and in Europe. MARS has a rich legacy of 53 years in the industry, and in 2020 MARS proudly inaugurated an EU-approved maritime recycling facility in Frederikshavn, Denmark, demonstrating ongoing commitment to sustainable practices. Specializing in the complex recycling of vessels and assets contaminated with hazardous materials, MARS leverages extensive experience and tailor-made procedures to ensure the safe and environmentally responsible recycling of these resources. For more information, visit www.modernamericanrecyclingservices.com

REST OF THE WORLD

13 Nov 24. Government, industry come together to kick-off SSN-AUKUS preparatory works. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher have announced the formalisation of a “tripartite” agreement between the Australian Submarine Agency, ASC and BAE Systems for the build of Australia’s SSN-AUKUS submarines.

This agreement follows the announcement in March of this year, where the government announced ASC and BAE Systems as the nation’s sovereign submarine partners to build Australia’s SSN-AUKUS submarines at the Osborne Naval Shipyard.

Through these arrangements, ASC and BAE Systems will:

Develop critical plans and schedules for the mobilisation of the SSN-AUKUS build program.
Invest in developing and growing the submarine workforce.
Procure long lead items.
Undertake risk-reduction activities, initially through validating infrastructure requirements, configuring production, test and evaluation processes and conducting prototyping activities.

The Deputy Prime Minister said, “Today’s announcement is another major milestone towards the construction of Australia’s SSN‑AUKUS submarines in South Australia.”

Today, these world-leading companies have entered into a collaborative mobilisation agreement which will enable planning, workforce development and procurement activities that will set the foundations for this complex, yet vital project.

“Construction of Australia’s first SSN-AUKUS submarine will commence in Australia by the end of this decade and the work to deliver this capability is already well underway. This will be a whole-of-nation undertaking, one which will provide Australia with robust and resilient supply chains that enhance our national security,” Minister Marles said.

The Albanese government’s commitment to an Australian-built nuclear-powered submarine for the Australian Defence Force will not only keep Australians safe but will also develop and expand our local industrial base and supply chains, supporting Australian jobs, businesses and infrastructure.

Finance Minister Senator Katy Gallagher expanded on the comments from the Deputy Prime Minister, saying, “This is a significant day for Australia’s shipbuilding capacity and the future of our domestic industry.

“Developing program time frames, investing in workforce development, and planning for future procurement are all critical steps towards ensuring our sovereign submarine partners can deliver the next generation of Australia’s naval defence capability,” Senator Gallagher said.

Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy added, “The enduring partnership between ASC and BAE Systems solidified today is a monumental strategic asset for Australia and one that will provide decades of certainty for our defence industrial base and financial security for thousands of workers.”

ASC and BAE Systems – and once established, the Joint Venture – will continue to work collaboratively within the wider submarine enterprise as Australia progresses towards its most historic defence capability acquisition yet.

“This agreement enables critical scopes of work, including the development of the Australian shipbuilding workforce and supply chain, and underscores the Albanese government’s commitment to a future made in Australia,” Minister Conroy said. (Source: Defence Connect)

13 Nov 24. Armscor seeking fast ferry boats for Special Forces.

A Veecraft workboat previously delivered to the SA Special Forces for use at Langebaan.

The South African Special Forces are looking to acquire two fast ferry boats, with Armscor issuing a tender for these on their behalf.

Bid EWSD/2024/111, issued on 11 October, states that 4 Special Forces Regiment requires two fast ferries, one trailer, and two cradles to transport passengers to and from the jetties at Langebaan, Flamingo and Donkergat and also to support training activities in the Langebaan lagoon.

Each vessel should not exceed ten metres in length and must be powered by two Yamaha 200 hp engines for a maximum speed of at least 30 knots when fully fuelled and loaded with two crew and eight passengers plus luggage. The fast ferries need to be able to operate in conditions up to sea state 4 and be able to get home safely on one engine in sea state 3 conditions.

The vessels must be based on a well proven existing design and feature a deep V hull as well as an extended semi-closed canopy for weather protection. The hull and canopy need to be made of glass-reinforced plastic and/or marine grade aluminium. Fuel tanks must contain at least 400 litres of fuel. Other requirements are the fitment of a searchlight and Furuno Plotter with GPS and Map View. No communications systems are required.

Bids close on 18 November.

The Special Forces has acquired other workboats in recent years, notably taking delivery of two 11 metre long workboats from Veecraft Marine in 2017 to support their activities on the Langebaan lagoon. The boats were acquired to provide support for diving operations as well as the servicing of anchor buoys. Three years later, in 2020, Veecraft delivered a 20 metre workboat, Inkanyamba, to the Special Forces. In November 2022, Veecraft Marine as well as Nautic South Africa were placed into voluntary liquidation and their assets sold off. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)

13 Nov 24. BMA seeking boarding/reaction boats. Namacurra on anti-abalone poaching patrol off the Overberg.

The Border Management Authority (BMA) is looking to acquire ten boarding/reaction boats as well as trailers and launching dollies, with Armscor issuing a tender for the new vessels.

Bid ENLS/2024/103 calls for ten boats, six road transport trailers, ten launching dollies, ten cradles, and four sets of boarding equipment. It is also seeking training and documentation as well as support for 24 months.

The boats, with a length no greater than nine metres, need to be built in South Africa and adhere to South African Maritime Safety Authority and other regulations. The successful bidder needs to have build similar vessels within the last ten years and supply a boat for testing (the boats need to be based on a proven existing design).

The bid document states the boats will be deployed for coastline protection and boarding missions within the territorial zone of South Africa (up to 12 nautical miles offshore). “The only threat identified and addressed in this specification is the environmental conditions which the RB/BB will be exposed to.”

The boats will be deployed around places like Saldanha Bay, Cape Town, Mossel Bay, Gqeberha, East London, Durban, Richards Bay, Gansbaai, Coffee Bay, and Hermanus. As such, they will need to conduct operations in sea states up to 4, in day and night conditions.

Sprint speed is specified as 40 knots in sea state 2 when fully fuelled and loaded with two crew and six passengers. Endurance needs to be at least four hours, and the boats need to return home safely on one engine. Full load displacement should not exceed four tons, excluding crew.

Operational life expectancy needs to be at least 15 years, with a hull of glass reinforced plastic/composite or marine grade aluminium. Other requirements are the six passenger seats need to be removeable for additional deck space; the boats be powered by two Yamaha outboard engines; and be fitted with a searchlight, electronic chart display system, VHF radios, GPS and Furuno radar. Boarding equipment will comprise a boarding ladder and a telescoping placing pole for boarding.

Tender ENLS/2024/103 opened on 19 September, with bids closing on 18 November 2024.

BMA Commissioner Dr Mike Masiapato said earlier this year that BMA Coastal Guard units have been deployed to eight sites along the South African coastline, with an initial personnel strength of 50.

The Coast Guards have been deployed at the various maritime ports of entry (main harbours like Durban, Cape Town and Gqeberha) and are also protecting marine resources. “Coast Guards conduct maritime border law enforcement functions such as preventing and combating of human trafficking and the illegal movement of vessels,” the BMA said.

The BMA added that, “the role of the Maritime Border Guards will not clash with that of the SA Navy of border safeguarding and defending the territorial integrity of South Africa.”

The BMA has cooperation agreements in place with the South African National Defence Force, South African Police Service (SAPS) and SA Revenue Service (SARS) to strengthen the safeguarding of the country’s borders, with the SANDF responsible for monitoring vulnerable sections of the borderline.

The Border Management Authority is getting a range of new equipment for its border guards. Funding from the Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA) is being used to acquire “critical security and ICT equipment,” which includes unmanned aerial systems, body cameras, and speed boats, with procurement being done through Armscor. Tenders have already been issued for gloves, body armour, and other kit. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)

11 Nov 24. Australia shortlists designs for A$11bn general purpose frigate contract. The two designs comprise Japan’s upgraded Mogami 30FFM and Germany’s MEKO A-200. It features a modular design that can easily adapt to meet Australian requirements and is expected to be cheaper than Japan’s initial proposed price. The latest version of the Mogami frigate is considered one of the world’s leading warship designs.

Earlier this year, RAN chief vice-admiral Mark Hammond commended Japan’s shipbuilding capacity, but many within the service prefer sticking with German-built vessels, with which Australia is already more familiar.

As part of the SEA 3000 programme, Australia plans to take delivery of its first overseas-built GPF in 2029, with the project budgeted to cost between $7bn and $11bn over the next decade.

It has been nearly 50 years since Australia last built a warship outside of its shipyards. According to defence sources, discussions are underway to potentially build six GPFs overseas. (Source: naval-technology.co

11 Nov 24. Russia adds new Felon fighters to air fleet. Russia has delivered another batch of Su-57 (NATO reporting name: Felon) fifth-generation fighter jets to the Russian Aerospace Forces, reportedly increasing the fleet by three aircraft.

This delivery is part of Russia’s ongoing efforts to enhance its advanced air capabilities amid ongoing defense challenges. The addition brings the total number of Su-57s in service to around 30 by January 2025, according to reports from Russian defense sources.

Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov previously stated, “By the end of this year, another batch of Su-57 aircraft and Su-35S fighters will be delivered. The aircraft are at different stages of production and testing.” This indicates the steady pace of production and the push to ensure both Su-57 and Su-35S fighters bolster VKS capabilities.

The newly delivered Su-57 jets feature AKU-58U launchers on external pylons, significantly broadening the aircraft’s capacity to deploy various types of Russian-made air-to-surface munitions. These include cruise missiles such as the Kh-59 series, which are not designed for release from internal weapons bays. The presence of these missiles on external pylons was previously observed during earlier test flights of the Su-57.

However, while these external munitions increase the Su-57’s tactical versatility, they also have implications for the aircraft’s stealth profile. Utilizing weapons on external pylons, like the Kh-59 cruise missiles, diminishes the low observability factor that is central to the Su-57’s stealth capability. The compromise between armament versatility and stealth highlights the operational flexibility that Russian forces are willing to balance in their current defense strategy.

The Su-57, touted by Moscow as its answer to other fifth-generation fighter jets, is equipped with a combination of advanced avionics, stealth features, and multi-role capabilities. Designed for air superiority as well as strike operations, the Su-57 is intended to counter both air and ground targets effectively, providing the Russian Air Force with a versatile platform to address diverse mission profiles. (Source: Google/https://defence-blog.com/)

09 Nov 24. Taiwan is considering buying a big package of US weapons, including the Aegis destroyer, to show the incoming administration of Donald Trump that it is serious about boosting its own defences against China. Several people familiar with the situation said Taipei would probably request the Lockheed Martin vessels and Northrop Grumman’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, an airborne radar system. It also wants more Patriot missiles and may request F-35 fighter jets, which would be controversial in Washington. “Taiwan is thinking about a package to show that they are serious,” said one former Trump administration official. “Assuming they follow through, they will go to the US national security adviser when they are named and present a very aggressive package of American hardware.” The deliberations come as countries consider how to avoid becoming a target of the new administration given the emphasis Trump has put on the need for allies to spend more on defence. Elbridge Colby, a former Pentagon official and candidate for a top job in the Pentagon or on the National Security Council, has been vocal in urging Taiwan to spend more. “Those who care about Taiwan should be super clear they need to dramatically step up. Their fate hangs in the balance,” he recently wrote on social media platform X. A senior Taiwanese national security official said there had been “informal discussions” with the Trump team about what kind of arms package would demonstrate Taiwan’s determination to invest in its own defence. “There are quite a few big platforms and other items that our armed forces have had their eyes on for a long time but have not been able to acquire, so there’s a lot to choose from,” the official said. A second Taiwanese official said Aegis would be near the top of the list. But officials and defence experts said there were other more expensive items Taiwan needs that would leave a bigger impression. “If you are talking about a wish list, this is the time to ask for F-35s,” said Su Tzu-yun, a senior official at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, the Taiwanese defence ministry’s think-tank. He added that Taiwan would probably request retired Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Perry-class frigates.

(Source: FT.com)

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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

04 Nov 24. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has issued a Voluntary Transparency Notice (VTN) indicating its intent to award a £15.5m contract to Lockheed Martin UK Ampthill for the continued support of the Land Environment Air Picture Provision (LEAPP) capability. According to the MOD, the contract will commence on 1 April 2025 and extend over a 3-year and 9-month period, focusing on in-service support for this essential air situational awareness technology.
LEAPP, operational since 2014, provides shared air situational awareness across land-based platforms, enhancing the MOD’s ability to detect and manage air threats, coordinate air activity, and de-conflict airspace. The MOD’s VTN outlines the critical role of LEAPP, stating that it “improves the warning and management of air threats, coordination of air activity and de-confliction of airspace, resulting in greater combat effectiveness.”
Lockheed Martin UK Ampthill, as the original system integrator and design authority, is noted by the MOD as possessing the unique technical know-how required to support LEAPP.
The notice further clarifies, “Only the Contractor has the specific know-how and tools to achieve the integration and interface of this software with the corresponding land-based platforms to the required safety and performance standards.” This experience, combined with the proprietary design authority, makes Lockheed Martin UK Ampthill the only viable choice for continued LEAPP support, according to MOD officials.
The MOD added that awarding the contract without prior publication aligns with regulatory allowances, as “the single source procurement…falls within the circumstances set out in regulation 16 (1)(a)(ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011.”
This non-competitive approach is deemed necessary to safeguard the operational integrity and continuity of the LEAPP system, which remains crucial for UK air situational awareness and overall combat readiness.
(Source: MakeUK Defence)

EUROPE

06 Nov 24. French, UK naval chiefs urge dramatic changes in warship design. The pace of change in maritime warfare requires Western navies to innovate faster and work more intimately with industrial partners to defeat evolving threats, the heads of the French and U.K. navies said. Navies can no longer count on ships staying relevant over their 40-year lifespan, and weapon systems will change “dramatically” over such a period, French Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Nicolas Vaujour said at the Euronaval industry conference outside Paris on Monday. Weapon systems may need to be adapted as frequently as every year, requiring ship architecture that allows for systems to be plugged in and changed when needed, Vaujour said.
“We have to build adaptable by design,” Vaujour said. “You must build the ship to be adaptable during 40 years, which is quite tricky.”
Navies from the U.S., China and Russia, as well as France and the U.K., have been testing maritime weaponry ranging from swarming drones and lasers to hypersonic anti-ship missiles and rail guns in the past three years, while progress in artificial intelligence has allowed for increasingly autonomous unmanned vehicles.
Generational technology change is happening much faster than the time it takes to construct a ship, meaning navies need to implement new capabilities “far quicker than the speed at which we can build a hull,” according to Adm. Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff of the U.K.’s Royal Navy.
“So you have to detach the operational capability from the platform that’s going to take you there,” Key said. “That is quite a mindset change for us.”
Ukraine has been using missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and seagoing drones to deny Russia access to much of the Black Sea, despite having little navy to speak of. In the Red Sea, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have targeted commercial vessels with drones and ballistic missiles, prompting freight traffic from Asia to Europe to reroute around Africa.
“If you stay with your old doctrine, you will be dead very rapidly,” Vaujour said. “What we saw in the Red Sea is that we have to adapt very quickly our system.”
The response of the French and British navies to the Houthi threat showed how learning accelerated when the urgency was understood, according to Key.
Both navies worked with MBDA to improve missile performance and software, and “learning time had to be dramatically reduced, because this was no longer a science project being done in the sea off Toulon or in the waters off Plymouth,” Key said.
The lesson was that forces need to be “much sharper” about focusing on the factors that really matter, rather than seeking a perfect solution that will be late, according to the British admiral. That will be a challenge, “because we’ve been brought up in the pursuit of perfection, and actually, we haven’t got time for that,” Key said.
Maritime warfare is experiencing a moment similar to the end of the Age of Sail, when engineers and deep-gunnery specialists became more important on board than the master of sail, according to Key. Going forward, key crew on board will be those able to tap into digital opportunities and needs, the British navy chief said.
“We’re living through kind of one of those moments of really significant change in the way we have to think about the application of power at sea, or maritime power,” Key said.
For the French, one lesson from the Red Sea was that facing a constant threat is “really hard” on crews, and the navy probably needs more people on board, according to Vaujour. “We make the bets to reduce the crew, and I came back from that.”
Systems will be used in ways outside of their design, and crews need “a lot of innovation bias” to come up with untested solutions, according to Vaujour. He cited the use by the French frigate Alsace of a helicopter to shoot down a Houthi drone in March, a scenario that had been tested just weeks earlier in Toulon.
Speeding up innovation will require closer cooperation with industry, according to both admirals. The French navy in coming weeks will start to bring industry engineers on board, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, to help industrial partners understand the onboard needs and to accelerate innovation, Vaujour said. The admiral is also considering having a vessel dedicated for cutting-edge applications.
As the pace of equipment development accelerates, the U.K. navy is looking to its industrial partners to provide training, as well as for more risk sharing between both sides, Key said.
“What we’re seeing in the Black Sea, what we’re seeing in the southern Red Sea, the speed of development that we’re seeing by some of the navies further afield, requires us to have a much more agile mindset about the way we develop our capabilities,” Key said. (Source: glstrade.com/Defense News)

06 Nov 24. Europeans start work on next-generation combat ship for the 2040s. The European Union has started work on a next-generation combat vessel that could enter service somewhere in the 2040s, and the bloc’s defense ministers may sign a letter of intent to pursue the project at a meeting in two weeks, the head of the maritime unit of the European Defence Agency said.
Six EU member states are “very much interested,” including four with bigger navies, Jürgen Scraback, who heads the maritime domain unit at the EDA, told Defense News at the Euronaval conference here, after participating in a panel discussion about the plans.
EU countries are estimated to need at least thirty combat ships in the future, though Scraback said he doesn’t believe all of those would be built within the European Combat Vessel program. The EDA official expects the program budget could exceed €20 bn ($22 bn) in 2024 prices.
“This new generation of vessels will be completely different from the vessels that we have now, because the naval warfare scenario is changing a lot,” said Fernando Miguélez García, chairman of the European Naval Industry Group (ENIG) within the European Aerospace, Security and Defence Industry Association, who was part of the panel discussion.
Design changes would likely entail having a mothership-type capability to carry drones into combat, he added.
EU defense ministers in May tasked the EDA to come up with a concrete project proposal to discuss in November, according to Scraback. The agency held an initial meeting in July to gauge member states’ appetite, followed by a workshop in September to hammer out the high-level requirements for the future vessel.
The future vessel will need to be a compact ship capable of countering “a full spectrum of threats,” including new ones from small UAVs to hypersonic anti-ship missiles, said Ignacio Cuartero, director of the EU Military Staff Concepts and Capabilities directorate within the European External Action Service.
EU defense ministers will meet on Nov. 19 to discuss the project, “so in two weeks’ time, we will get a clear indication what the member states want,” Scraback said. He said Spain and Italy are interested in signing on, while France is not sure yet.
Requirements for the future vessel include a reduced crew, and therefore a high degree of automation, as well as unmanned systems in a range of sizes, according to Scraback.
Based on feedback from member states, the requirement could be for a vessel with a displacement of 8,000 metric tons or more, Scraback said. That’s based on factors such as modularity, the need to embark containerized payloads as well as the ability to equip many small as well as big unmanned systems, according to the EDA official.
By comparison, France’s brand-new FDI defense and intervention frigate displaces 4,500 tons, while the displacement of the French-Italian FREMM frigates is around 6,000 tonnes. The anti-submarine warfare frigates ordered by the Netherlands will have a displacement of 6,650 tons, and Germany’s future F126 frigate will displace around 10,000 tons.
The next generation of combat vessels will have to be “smart ships” that incorporate technologies such as artificial intelligence and a naval combat cloud, according to Cmdr. Alfonso Carrasco of the Spanish Navy’s plans division. Modularity will be important to allow ships to switch between tasks, Carrasco said.
Hypersonic threats will require increased automation and AI to “drastically” reduce reaction time, as well as interconnectivity with other vessels and drones to increase detection capabilities, according to Miguélez García, the ENIG chairman, who is also representative to the EU and NATO for Spanish shipbuilder Navantia.
New directed-energy weapons such as lasers and rail guns will require different types of power generation onboard, including fast energy generation to power those weapons, he said. The future combat vessel will need to be built using new materials such as composites for stealth purposes.
The European naval industry is working to define its technological capability gaps, with the next step seeing how firms can collaborate to close those gaps, according to Miguélez García. The EU industry has “clear gaps” in areas including weapons and sensors, he said.
Companies specialized in weapons are working together to try to define the new types of armaments needed, and how to defend against those weapons, while another group is working on defining the digital architecture and the energy plan required, he said.
The EDA and member states are considering whether to make the future combat vessel a project within the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) framework, which would lock in a commitment by heads of state, Scraback said. (Source: glstrade.com/Defense News)

06 Nov 24. European High-Tech Consortium Submits Proposal for EDF Call to Develop Multipurpose Unmanned Ground Systems. The consortium that successfully delivered the groundbreaking iMUGS (Integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System) project in 2023 has submitted the iMUGS2 proposal, together with new consortium members, in response to the European Defence Fund’s (EDF) call to develop next-generation Multipurpose Unmanned Ground Systems (UGS). Building on the success of iMUGS, the production-capable Consortium is set to revolutionize European military capabilities, enhance battlefield effectiveness and enable the fielding of European unmanned ground systems.
Brief summary:
• The first iMUGS project laid the foundation by enhancing robotic capabilities on the battlefield. The iMUGS2 consortium has expanded to 29 partners from 15 EU member states, including all partners from the first iMUGS project.
• IMUGS2 will transition experimental UGS technology into a cost-effective System-of-Systems (SoS) solution that delivers practical deployable defence capabilities and is mature for national procurement and force integration by 2030.
• iMUGS2 aims to deliver combat-ready Unmanned Ground Systems, operational concepts at the battalion level, enhanced modular architecture for UGS and optionally manned ground platforms and a 72-hour operational trial to demonstrate the solutions’ operational capacity.
Continuing the experience gained from iMUGS, which was successfully carried out and delivered between 2020 and 2023, the Consortium’s recent proposal to the European Defence Fund EDF-2024-DA-GROUND-UGS-STEP call seeks to develop and field cost-effective modular unmanned systems capable of supporting dismounted, mechanized, and motorized infantry across all European environments, including GNSS denied environments and adverse climate conditions. The Consortium has named the project iMUGS2.
Unmanned vehicles (UxVs) have become one of the most significant innovations in modern military operations, as demonstrated during the war in Ukraine. Effective cooperation between UxVs, manned vehicles, operators, and soldiers is essential for increasing combat effectiveness. This collaboration intends to reduce the loss of life, minimize collateral damage, and lower the cognitive burden on warfighters.
The first iMUGS project laid the foundation by enhancing robotic capabilities on the battlefield. Its key achievements included developing a System-of-Systems (SoS) open architecture, advancements in autonomous functions, cyber security measures, communication technologies, and improved command and control systems. Progress was also made in collaborative behaviours like swarming and homogeneous teaming.
iMUGS2 aims to enhance intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities, survivability, situational awareness, mobility, lethality, logistics, and training.
“By leveraging the outcomes of iMUGS, the iMUGS2 project represents a significant leap forward in developing and fielding advanced, cost-effective and combat-ready autonomous ground systems,” said Raul Rikk, Capability Development Director at Milrem Robotics, the consortium lead. “Our goal is to enhance European defence capabilities and develop solutions that are ready for procurement and integration by 2030,” Rikk added.
Using outputs from iMUGS and other European-funded initiatives, iMUGS2 aims to expedite research and move rapidly towards practical, deployable solutions. The enhancement of operational capabilities will be demonstrated through trials with military tactical units. The project will also focus on developing interoperability among European nations and incorporate lessons from recent conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, where several Consortium member systems are deployed.
iMUGS2 has three main outcomes. First, it aims to develop, validate and demonstrate cost-effective, combat-ready UGSs that support dismounted troops at various operational levels and provide practical value in different operations. Second, the project will develop operational concepts demonstrating how UGS and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) can enhance infantry battalion and cross-domain operations capabilities. Third, the project will enhance the modular and open architecture and Through Life Capability Management (TLCM) framework that enables efficient integration of autonomous functionalities with legacy and new systems across unmanned and optionally manned ground platforms, including conversion of manned vehicles.
iMUGS2 aspires to become a European standard due to the collaboration of numerous member states working towards a sovereign modular open architecture.
“It speaks volumes that all participants, member states and companies alike, of the first iMUGS project, have decided to continue with iMUGS2. Furthermore, the iMUGS2 Consortium is twice as large as it was during the first project, now including 29 partners, 15 member states, and numerous subcontractors,” said Rikk.
The Consortium’s efforts reflect a commitment to strengthening Europe’s defence industry, reducing dependency on non-European suppliers, and enhancing interoperability between EU member states’ military forces.
About the Consortium:
The iMUGS2 consortium has expanded to include 29 partners from 15 European Union member states and associated countries, including all initial project partners. The team comprises large industries, mid-sized companies, SMEs, and research organizations. Each partner brings leading expertise in their respective fields, fostering a comprehensive vision throughout the project lifecycle. This diversity enables the consortium to address potential challenges and deliver strategic and efficient solutions.
The iMUGS2 Consortium consists of the following entities: AVL List, Bittium Wireless, Czech Technical University in Prague, Cybernetica, Delft Dynamics, Diehl Defence, dotOcean, Elettronica, Escribano Mechanical and Engineering, FN Herstal, GMV Aerospace and Defence, Huta Stalowa Wola, Insta Advance, Integrated Systems Development, John Cockerill Defense, KNDS France, KNDS Germany, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Latvijas Mobilais Telefons, Łukasiewicz – PIAP, Milrem Robotics (project coordinator), Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, the Royal Military Academy of Belgium, Safran Electronics & Defense, Secura, Svensk Konstruktionstjänst, Systecon Konsult, Talgen Cybersecurity.
About the first iMUGS
The 32,6 MEUR integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System (iMUGS) project created a European-wide architecture for ground and aerial platforms, command, control, and communication equipment, sensors, payloads, and algorithms. The project addressed challenges for interoperability, perception, and decision-making.
It began in late 2020, and all contractual activities, tasks, and operative and technical objectives were reached in May 2023.
Progress was shown in periodic events arranged in all participating Member States: Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain.
The project and the technology developed have given the European Union a pathway to improving its ability to respond to emerging military threats and challenges.

06 Nov 24. Fassmer and A&R join forces for German Navy support ship replacement programme. German companies Fassmer and Abeking & Rasmussen (A&R) are to team up to pursue an upcoming German Navy programme for new MUsE (Mittlere Unterstüzungseinheit schwimmende Einheiten) support ships, the companies announced at the Euronaval 2024 exhibition, held in Paris from 4 to 7 November.
The MUsE is a multi-purpose support ship, which will replace the six Elbe-class Type 404 tenders commissioned in 1993/94 by the 2035 timeframe.
A final requirement document is pending; however, the navy’s intention outlined in the Zielvorstellung Marine 2035+ future capability plan includes logistic and operational support capability, as well as surveillance capability.
Capabilities are further expected to encompass command, deployment of unmanned systems, medical evacuation, and embarkation of forces. With the selection of the Boeing CH-47 Chinook by the German armed forces to succeed the CH-53 fleet, one driver is also likely to be the flight deck size.
According to Fassmer and A&R, this partnership will benefit from the experience of a successful teaming arrangement for a 105 m oceanographic vessel for the Indonesian Navy, which has recently seen transfer of the hull from Indonesia to Germany for outfitting and completion.
The companies also point to their combined experience building naval and governmental vessels, which include offshore patrol vessels, mine-countermeasuresvessels, and multi-purpose ships for the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. (Source: Janes)

06 Nov 24. Eurofighter, Spain to finalise Halcon II buy as negotiations conclude. The consortium is now in the final stages of closing out a follow-on Halcon II buy with Spain, as it looks to chase down further global sales opportunities. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
Eurofighter and Spain have concluded negotiations for the Halcon II follow-on buy of the Typhoon (C.16 in Spanish service), with a deal now set to be signed as part of a wider international sales push for the multirole combat aircraft.
Speaking at the IQPC International Fighter Conference (IFC) 2024 in Berlin on 5 November, Stephan Miegel, chief operating officer programmes at Eurofighter, said that contractual terms for the 25 new Halcon aircraft that were announced in 2023 had now been agreed, ahead of the formal signature between the consortium and the NATO Eurofighter 2000 and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) that manages the programme on behalf of the partner countries.
“Spain is about to order another 25 [Eurofighters]; we have finished the contract negotiations on that one,” Miegel said.
The Spanish Air Force (Ejército del Aire Español: EdAE) now fields 17 Tranche 1, 32 Tranche 2, and 19 Tranche 3 Eurofighters. It has already contracted 20 Tranche 4 jets under Halcon I to be delivered from 2026, with the 25 Tranche 4+ Halcon II aircraft to follow as a partial replacement for the EdAE’s 91 EF-18A and EF-18B Hornet aircraft. Added to these, it may be that a further Tranche 5 Halcon III buy is forthcoming, or the EdAE may acquire the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II in line with its long-standing tradition of operating both a European and a US aircraft type in tandem. (Source: Janes)

04 Nov 24. idD Portugal Defence teams with Damen Shipyards to support Portuguese naval industry. Portuguese state-owned multidomain defence company idD Portugal Defence is working with Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Group to win foreign contracts for the country’s naval industry. The two companies signed a letter of intent (LoI) on 18 October to boost collaboration in shipbuilding and maritime technologies and further integrate the Portuguese defence technological and industrial base (DTIB) into Damen’s supply chain.
This would enable Portuguese firms to enter a supply chain network supporting diverse commercial projects internationally, with the potential to develop long-term export opportunities, according to Damen.
idD, which is jointly subordinated to the Portuguese Ministry of National Defence and Ministry of Finance, is involved activities such as the demilitarisation and deactivation of energy materials, supporting research, development, and innovation projects by local companies, and promoting the Portuguese DTIB. The company also manages the shares that the Portuguese state holds in Arsenal do Alfeite, EMPORDEF – Tecnologias de Informação (ETI), Navalrocha Shipyard, OGMA (Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal), Thales Edisoft Portugal, Explosivos da Trafaria (EXTRA), and EID. In addition, idD has led defence initiatives such as the Defence4Tech Hub, Smart Defence, Cyber Academia and Innovation Hub (CAIH), and Academia do Arsenal, and is responsible for implementing NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) in Portugal. Damen is building the NRP Dom João II (A5209) multi-purpose support vessel for the Portuguese Navy under a November 2023 contract. The ship is scheduled to be commissioned in 2026, Chief of Staff of the Navy Admiral Henrique Eduardo Passaláqua de Gouveia e Melo told Janes. (Source: Janes)

01 Nov 24. EC report proposes a European defence shield against UAS and other airborne threats. The European Commission (EC) has published a defence and security preparedness report by special adviser to the EC and former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö. “We need preparedness and strength not to wage war, but to maintain peace,” Niinistö says in the report, adding that “the risk of Russian aggression beyond Ukraine cannot be excluded”.
“The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has brought the potential of drones to the forefront,” the report notes, adding that sometimes, counter-measures have been produced within weeks of lessons learned on the battlefields, requiring “a more agile procurement and development approach than is customarily pursued in the defence sector”.
In addition, drones that make use of relatively low-level technologies and components are readily accessible to a growing number of non-State actors, making them weapons of choice for attacks against critical infrastructure.
European air defence shield an “urgent and critical requirement”
Niinistö proposes developing a European air defence shield to protect against missiles, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and other threats in and from the air domain, saying such a system is “a critical requirement”. This large-scale project, if approved by Member States, would integrate air defence systems across borders, strengthening operational readiness.
“We see in Ukraine daily how an effective air defence system saves lives and protects critical infrastructure, but also how damaging successful attacks are. Beyond adversarial State actors, non-State actors such as the Houthis in Yemen are developing their capacity to strike with drones at strategic distances, even reaching the southern parts of the EU. And with the lowering threshold other non-State actors, such as terrorist organisations, can potentially use these vehicles as weapons,” the report states.
Niinistö believes Europe has an urgent need to build and sustain an “anti access and area denial” capability for the air domain. The EU has already identified air and missile defence among key priorities that need to be addressed, with various proposals recently made by European governments alongside different ongoing projects. “Air defence is an area where a comprehensive system architecture is needed, with different layers and system modules allowing for multi-stakeholder contributions,” the report notes. “The different ongoing and proposed Member State initiatives in this field could mutually complement each other.”
Contested and congested space
The safety and security of space systems and digital services against growing contestation and threats is another key element of the report. “Space is increasingly congested. The risk of collisions is developing rapidly and can have a catastrophic and cascading effect: More than 1 m pieces of debris larger than 1 cm are currently orbiting the Earth, in addition to an increasing number of satellites, with more than 50, 000 additional satellites expected to be launched over the next decade.”
Niinistö says the ability to autonomously detect and track space objects of interest is limited due to gaps in the sensor network and to the low sensitivity of available sensors. Space is also an increasingly contested domain. “The ability to detect threats in space should be enhanced at the EU level, including through capability development for space situational awareness,” the report notes, citing potential threats from Russia and China in particular. “The EU must be able to respond to threats in space as a global actor.”
In the event of a crisis in space severely impacting the delivery of EU space-based services, Niinistö says the EU would face important capability gaps. More generally, he says the EU needs to be prepared for potential crises in space that are likely to arise in the near future. “The EU should leverage its regulatory power to set up common rules for the resilience, safety and sustainability of space activities in the EU.”
In closing, Niinistö calls for a European-wide ‘preparedness and readiness investment framework’ to jump start these and other European defence and security priorities outlined in the report.
The findings and recommendations of the report will contribute to the work of the EC by providing guidance for various upcoming initiatives, including the Preparedness Union Strategy and the White Paper on the Future of European Defence. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

04 Nov 24. Initial Consortium Agreement for EDF ‘Call 2’ of the Modular and Multirole Patrol Corvette Project signed today at Euronaval.
On the sidelines of the Euronaval exhibition in Paris and following the selection by European Commission in May 2024 of the proposal submitted on November 22nd 2023 by a Consortium of three European shipyards, Navantia (ES), Fincantieri (IT) and Naval Group (FR), together with Naviris (FR/IT), the CEOs of the four Companies have met today for the signature of the Initial Consortium Agreement which aims to rule the execution of the second phase (Call 2) of the Modular and Multirole Patrol Corvette (MMPC) Project. This Consortium is expected to be joined by the Greek engineering company HYDRUS. The Grant Agreement relevant to the Call 2 will be discussed with OCCAR-EA, delegated by the European Commission.
Building on the foundational MMPC Call 1 project (2021) and in the PESCO framework, the commitment by Industry is intensified in MMPC Call 2 and supported by the selection of the proposal by the European Commission (EC) for the maximum EDF budget of 154,5 M€. As identified by the EC, this next step is to be managed by OCCAR-EA, on behalf of the EC.
For this new step, the co-financing commitment of Italy, Spain, France and Greece will reflect a shared investment in the common security and defence objectives outlined by PESCO and the European Commission.
The second phase of the MMPC Project aims at completing the design of the Corvettes and integrating innovative technological bricks which will enable the vessels to host several systems and payloads and perform a broader range of tasks and missions. Furthermore, the second phase of the project will encompass the start of the production of the two first prototypes of the Corvettes: one Long Range Multipurpose version (LRM) and one Full Combat Multipurpose version (FCM) that will make up a base for the future national fleets of advanced corvettes with the final goal of expanding the level of commonality, interoperability and standardisation between the different Member States’ Navies and contributing to five key elements for European autonomy: Economy, Defence, Technology, Industry and Security.

USA

07 Nov 24. NGAD demise has been “grossly exaggerated,” says USAF chief. More thought is needed on what the network will look like before allocating tens of billions of dollars to such an ambitious concept.. Contrary to public misgivings, the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme is still very much alive. Lieutenant General David Tabor, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, US Air Force (USAF), claimed that rumours of NGAD’s demise are “grossly exaggerated” during DefenceiQ’s International Fighter Conference in Berlin on 5 November 2024. The NGAD programme will provide a sixth-generation fighter to replace the stealth F-22 Raptor, but that is just one part of the project. NGAD is a network of different systems: it includes a sixth-generation fighter jet alongside several autonomous collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs). This hybrid structure enables air superiority through mass. So far, Anduril and General Atomics are the two competing vendors in the CCA portion of NGAD.
During the summer of 2024, senior US Air Force officials revealed that they wanted to “pause” the programme, citing cost concerns.
While the service is still pursuing the concept, the initial assumptions about what this future combat air network will look like still needs to be reconsidered in light of changes over the last six years.
“We are at a point where we must re-evaluate exactly what [NGAD] becomes before making an investment worth several bns of dollars,” Tabor reassured his international colleagues.
“The reality is that the NGAD platform was conceived in about 2018 and as it has developed, there have been some changes, but certainly the environment has changed greatly, the assumption has changed greatly. So it’s imperative for us to reassess what that looks like, what is incorporated on it.”
Work continues on NGAD
Looking to hone the autonomy of CCAs, the USAF implemented the VENOM-AFT programme to accelerate testing of autonomy software on crewed and uncrewed aircraft.
As part of this endeavour, F-16s were modified as test platforms to rapidly evaluate autonomous capabilities. During these tests, the pilots operated in the cockpit to monitor the autonomy and to ensure flight and mission systems test objectives were met.
The goal of VENOM is for the Air Force to rapidly iterate and expand the body of knowledge for potential autonomy and payload solutions.
It is also worth noting that the Biden administration has requested $2.75bn for research and development for an NGAD platform and $557m for CCA for the fiscal year (FY) 2025. This amount is projected to rise in the outyear estimates to $5.72bn by FY2029.
Alongside NGAD, the USAF is also pursuing a number of major programmes including Block IV modernisation in the F-35 programme; B-21 Raider bomber; Minuteman III ICBM replacement; and the LGM-35 Sentinel among others.
Tabor concluded: “I’m certainly concerned about appropriate funding for all of this change that’s happening simultaneously across a series of major programmes.” Nevertheless, he added, “we have a compelling narrative.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)

REST OF THE WORLD

07 Nov 24. EDGE signs MoU with Brazilian Navy. It focuses on deepening technical, operational, and logistical cooperation to develop advanced counter-drone defence systems.
The preliminary agreement was formalised by Brazilian Navy and EDGE representatives. Credit: © EDGE PJSC Group.
EDGE has reached a partnership agreement with the Brazilian Navy, setting the stage for joint efforts in developing autonomous surface and aerial defence systems, aimed at enhancing mutual strategic capabilities.
The two companies signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at EURONAVAL, a naval exhibition currently taking place in Paris.
The MoU focuses on deepening technical, operational, and logistical cooperation to jointly develop and deploy anti-drone systems for use in naval operations.
The preliminary agreement was formalised by Brazilian Navy Material director general Edgar Luiz Siqueira Barbosa and EDGE managing director and CEO Hamad Al Marar.
Edgar Luiz Siqueira Barbosa said: “This preliminary agreement to pursue the joint development and delivery of sophisticated counter-drone technologies and solutions will not only ensure that both parties benefit from the sharing of knowledge and innovation but will also enable us, as partners, to become leaders in the field, meeting sovereign needs and eventually those of other export markets in the face of modern naval and airborne threats.”
EDGE said that counter-drone systems incorporates advanced, integrated technologies, enhancing naval defence.
These systems combine high-value sensors, such as radars and electro-optics, with signal-jamming capabilities to neutralise drone threats by disrupting control signals.
Hamad Al Marar said: “Counter-drone technology is a vital solution required worldwide, addressing the increasing presence of unmanned vehicles in modern defence scenarios.
“These systems bring advanced capabilities in detecting, tracking, and neutralising evolving threats, and we are focused on furthering this development to deliver a truly cutting-edge system to market.”
In September 2024, EDGE Group signed a strategic partnership with the Brazilian Navy to complete the development of the Navy’s National Anti-Ship Missile (MANSUP) by the end of 2025.
EDGE Group, in collaboration with SIATT, will provide the necessary resources to ensure the MANSUP missile system is delivered on schedule for integration into the Brazilian Navy’s Tamandaré class of stealth frigates. (Source: naval-technology.com)

04 Nov 24. Indonesia secures facility to fund acquisition of Italian PPAs. Indonesia has secured a loan facility to fund the acquisition of two multirole offshore patrol ships (Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura: PPA) from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, sources close to the matter have confirmed to Janes. Loan syndication process for the USD1.25bn facility was led by BNP Paribas with the involvement of Crédit Agricole and supported by Italian insurance-financial institution SACE, according to documents provided by the sources.
These documents also reveal that the Indonesian government will name its two PPAs KRI Brawijaya and KRI Prabu Siliwangi with pennant numbers 320 and 321 respectively.
Accordingly, these vessels will be applied with the flight deck markings of BWJ and PBS respectively, the documents reveal.
A formal signing ceremony for the facility is expected to take place between the Indonesian Ministry of Finance and the joint lenders before the end of 2024.
Fincantieri disclosed in March 2024 that it has signed a EUR1.18bn (USD1.29) contract for two PPAs with the Indonesian Ministry of Defense.
The PPA is a class of 143 m warships that can be configured for a wide spectrum of missions ranging from ‘light’ low-tempo maritime surveillance operations to ‘full combat’ higher-end warfighting scenarios.
Depending on the configuration, the vessels displace between 5,800 and 6,300 tonnes each.
Thus far, the Italian Navy has commissioned three of the vessels as its Thaon Di Revel class, and these ships were inducted between March 2022 and September 2023.
For the contract it signed with Indonesia, the PPAs that will be supplied were originally destined for the Italian Navy, Fincantieri said in its statement, and will likely be supplied in the ‘light plus’ configuration.
(Source: Janes)

04 Nov 24. $3bn Australian JP9102 satcom project to be axed, claims report. The federal government is set to sensationally axe the ‘JP 9102’ project to deliver a new military satellite communication capability for Australia, according to a new report.
The Australian claims the $3 bn deal, arguably the biggest and most significant in the sector, has been shelved as Defence doesn’t have enough money to complete the project.
It significantly comes after Labor made a series of wide-ranging cuts to space last year, including a $32.3m pledge to help Australia’s spaceports and abolishing the $1bn National Space Mission for Earth Observation (NSMEO).
JP 9102 was only signed off just 18 months ago, with prime contractor Lockheed Martin beating big-hitters including Boeing, Northrop Grumman Australia, and Optus to become the “preferred tenderer”.
However, it’s unknown whether Lockheed formally had the final contract signed after it entered the last formal stages of negotiation.
If approved, JP 9102 was set to create more than 200 direct jobs, while Lockheed Martin itself pressed ahead with making key appointments for its staff to oversee it.
The plan would have seen the launch of a new geostationary satellite alongside multiple ground stations and an advanced satellite management system, creating secure communications that the ADF would have used.
“There is no money. There needs to be money to actually start the program,” a defence source told the newspaper.
If true, the news would be a huge blow to the space sector, already reeling from last year’s cuts.
The separate axing of the $1bn NSMEO led to Swinburne University professor Alan Duffy telling journalists the cuts had a “chilling” effect on the industry, while Equatorial Launch Australia CEO Michael Jones argued the sector was a low priority for the government.
“Call it what it is: the lack of federal government support with the change in government makes me nervous, and it makes the job really hard,” said Jones last year.
He hinted he believes space is now an afterthought for the Department of Industry, Science and Resources and quipped you had to “look hard” on its website to even spot the Australian Space Agency.
“Poor Enrico [Palermo, head of the ASA] is three or four levels down in that organization, and that really worries me. As an industry, we had claims last year that we’re looking for 20,000 jobs and $20 bn of economic stimulus in the future. We’re not going to get there if we don’t support the industry.
“Because as we travel around the world trying to get rocket companies to come to Australia, there are a number of impediments for them that we have to design strategies to overcome.
“We’re also competing against sovereign entities almost everywhere, who are supporting the industry in very, very financial and demonstrable ways, which make it hard for us to compete.”
(Source: Space Connect)
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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

26 Oct 24. MoD denies Tempest jet project cuts amid £160m underspend. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has recently clarified that a £160 m reduction in projected in-year expenditure for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is not a reflection of scaling back military capability or commitment to the programme.

Responding to parliamentary queries from Conservative MP James Cartlidge, Defence Minister Maria Eagle explained that the underspend results from various factors, including shifts in accounting treatment and early progress on the combat aircraft demonstrator project.

“The reduced in year expenditure is not a result of changes to the military capability being developed by the FCAS/GCAP programme,” Eagle stated. “It is a combination of an accounting treatment change, work on the combat aircraft demonstrator project that was carried out ahead of schedule in the previous financial year and revised plans for the delivery of infrastructure and other programme enablers.”

The clarification came after Cartlidge questioned whether the MoD’s reduction signalled a downgrading of the ambitious project at a time when defence budgets are under close scrutiny. The Ministry previously indicated that while the initial budget for this financial year was set at £1.46bn, adjustments were made to £1.3bn in response to updated industry timelines and financial processes. This recalibration, according to MoD sources, was primarily based on industry-revised estimates of programme activity, not on a reduction in commitment or long-term funding.

Critics, however, argue that even perceived reductions in budget allocations could impact the UK’s standing with its allies, particularly in defence manufacturing collaborations. Cartlidge, who labelled the move as a “cut,” highlighted the potential for mixed signals to adversaries regarding the UK’s defence priorities.

Yet, MoD officials have maintained that the adjustments are consistent with typical project cycles and reflect an approach that allows for resource reallocation in line with project advancements and actual industry timelines.

Furthermore, the current budget still accounts for the programme’s extensive goals, which encompass developing next-generation air combat capabilities. “At the start of this financial year, it was expected that the Ministry of Defence would spend up to ~£1.46 bn on FCAS/GCAP. The forecast was reduced to £1.3bn due to revised estimates of programme activity from industry throughout the year,” noted Eagle in her response.

The MoD has also highlighted the importance of the broader FCAS/GCAP initiative for the UK’s future military capability, explaining that project timelines, fiscal oversight, and reallocation practices are carefully aligned to ensure progress without compromising capability.

Notably, the programme is expected to see further investment and phases of development in the coming years.

What is Tempest?

The Tempest/Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is a collaborative project between the United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy, aimed at developing a sixth-generation stealth fighter. This aircraft is intended to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon for the Royal Air Force and Italian Air Force, as well as the Mitsubishi F-2 for Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force.

The joint programme began in December 2022, merging separate initiatives from the UK, Italy, and Japan into a single development effort for the new fighter jet.

The UK has already made significant strides in the development of GCAP, with initial test flights conducted on simulators and progress reported on key technologies like stealth features and weapon bay integration. Rolls-Royce is heavily involved in the engine development, working alongside Italian and Japanese companies to ensure compatibility and innovation in the propulsion systems.

The demonstrator aircraft, featuring advanced avionic systems, is expected to showcase cutting-edge capabilities by 2027.

While the focus of GCAP is on the fighter jet itself, future developments could include unmanned systems and other assets to support the aircraft in a “system of systems” approach. However, unlike similar programmes in Europe, GCAP remains focused primarily on the development of the fighter, leaving broader air combat capabilities as potential future projects. (Source: News Now/https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)

EUROPE

31 Oct 24. Turkey set to conclude Eurofighter aircraft negotiations soon. Turkey is on the brink of finalizing negotiations for the acquisition of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, according to a report by Habertürk, citing sources within the Turkish Ministry of National Defense. Ongoing discussions involve Great Britain and representatives from the consortium that produces the Eurofighter. One source expressed optimism about achieving positive outcomes in the near future.

In addition to the Eurofighter talks, Turkey continues its technical discussions with American authorities regarding the procurement of F-16 fighter jets. The Turkish Ministry of Defense has confirmed that the first payment related to this agreement has already been made. Back in October 2021, Turkey requested 40 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft and 79 kits to upgrade its existing fleet to the Block 70 standard.

For years, Turkey has aimed to modernize its air force, initially setting its sights on acquiring F-35 fighter jets from the United States. However, this plan changed dramatically in 2019 when the U.S. expelled Turkey from the F-35 program due to Ankara’s decision to purchase the Russian S-400 air defense system. This move raised concerns about compatibility with NATO standards and posed potential security risks. Consequently, Turkey was left seeking alternative solutions to enhance its aerial capabilities.

With the F-35 option off the table, Turkey shifted its focus to the Eurofighter Typhoon, a fourth-generation fighter jet that is already in service with several NATO countries. The Typhoon, developed by a European consortium, emerged as a viable alternative, boasting significant combat capabilities and compatibility with NATO’s existing infrastructure. This pivot signifies a critical juncture in Turkey’s military strategy, showcasing its determination to avoid technological isolation and secure modern combat capabilities through European collaboration.

As negotiations advance, Turkey is optimistic about securing a deal for the Eurofighter Typhoon, which would serve to fill the gap left by the F-35 and bolster its regional defense capabilities. The anticipated agreement would not only support Turkey’s air force modernization efforts but also affirm its strategic role within NATO, despite facing numerous challenges and sanctions in acquiring new fighter jets.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a versatile fourth-generation multirole fighter aircraft produced by a consortium consisting of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Its design features advanced aerodynamics and composite materials, resulting in a robust yet lightweight frame that enhances durability and operational performance.

Equipped with two Eurojet EJ200 turbofan engines, the Typhoon offers exceptional agility and rapid acceleration, reaching speeds of up to Mach 2. Its operational range extends to approximately 1,800 miles [2,900 km] without requiring midair refueling, allowing for versatile deployment options, including takeoffs and landings on short runways.

The aircraft’s avionics architecture utilizes an open-system format, facilitating easy upgrades and integration of new technologies. Among its key features is the versatile Captor-M radar system, which enables the detection, tracking, and targeting of both air and ground threats. Advanced models include the Captor-E radar, which employs active electronically scanned array [AESA] technology, enhancing both accuracy and operational range. This cutting-edge radar can track up to 20 targets simultaneously and functions effectively in challenging weather conditions. The Defensive Aids Sub System [DASS] includes missile detection countermeasures, infrared search and track [IRST] systems, and electronic warfare capabilities for jamming and intelligence gathering.

For combat operations, the Typhoon is armed with a wide array of weaponry suitable for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. In air-to-air engagements, it can deploy long-range MBDA Meteor missiles, AIM-120 AMRAAMs, and IRIS-T missiles for close-quarters combat. For air-to-ground missions, it utilizes Brimstone and Storm Shadow missiles, in addition to laser-guided bombs like the Paveway IV and GBU-24. A 27-mm Mauser BK-27 cannon is also mounted on the left side of the fuselage, and the aircraft’s weapon control systems are fully integrated, featuring digital controls for streamlined operation.

The Typhoon’s flight control systems are backed by advanced computer technology and sensors, which enhance navigation and facilitate real-time communication with allied forces. Pilots benefit from a Helmet Mounted Display System [HMDS], allowing them to access critical data and target weaponry simply by moving their heads. Additionally, the aircraft boasts a quadruple-redundant fly-by-wire [FBW] control system, which significantly improves stability and control during complex maneuvers, thus ensuring pilot safety and enhancing operational precision.

As Turkey moves closer to concluding negotiations for the Eurofighter Typhoon, this acquisition could not only elevate its military capabilities but also reaffirm its commitment to participating actively in NATO’s collective defense efforts. Such advancements underscore Turkey’s strategic resolve to maintain a modern air force amidst evolving geopolitical challenges, demonstrating its role as a pivotal player in regional security dynamics.

An interesting aspect to note is the growing trend among various nations to diversify their military procurements and strengthen defense partnerships in response to shifting global threats. This approach emphasizes the importance of flexibility and innovation in defense strategies, particularly for countries like Turkey that are navigating complex international relationships. (Source: News Now/https://bulgarianmilitary.com/)

25 Oct 24. France, Germany to hammer out next steps for delay-prone FCAS warplane. France, Germany and Spain will refine the scope of their future sixth-generation fighter jet and its associated combat systems at a summit in December, before the joint project moves to the demonstrator phase, the head of the French armaments office said.

France has included funding for the second phase of the Future Combat Air System in its 2025 defense budget, Emmanuel Chiva, the head of the General Directorate for Armament, told lawmakers in the National Assembly’s defense on Wednesday, though he hinted at possible delays for the program.

“I can’t guarantee that this date will be met, as it will depend in particular on the electoral deadlines of certain state partners,” Chiva said. Program partner Germany is scheduled to hold federal elections in September next year.

FCAS has previously seen negotiations on Phase 1B of the program drag on for most of 2022 due to squabbling between Dassault Aviation and Airbus, two of the three main partners. Dassault Aviation makes the Rafale fighter in use with the French Air and Space Force, while Airbus builds the Eurofighter that equips the German Air Force.

The French armaments directorate said last year it expected Phase 2 to start early 2026. Dassault Aviation represents France in the FCAS program, while Airbus represents Germany, with Indra the Spanish partner.

French doctrine requires the future fighter to be able to carry nuclear weapons as part of the country’s deterrence program, as well as be able to operate from an aircraft carrier, and have export potential, Chiva said.

France earlier this month kicked of development of the future F5 standard for the Rafale fighter, which includes an air-combat drone that will serve as an uncrewed wingman, and capability to carry the future hypersonic nuclear missile SNA4G.

“Today, the FCAS is an object that has yet to be defined,” Chiva said. “In any case, there will be a successor to the Rafale F5, since our deterrence needs and those of the new airborne component, the SNA4G, will have to be taken into account.”

The French-German project to develop a future land combat system based around a main battle tank, called the Main Combat Ground System, is also facing some delays, according to Chiva.

Setting up the joint project company between KNDS Germany, KNDS France, Rheinmetall and Thales “is taking a bit of time,” Chiva said. That means the first development orders, which had been expected early 2025, will “no doubt” be later next year, according to the directorate head, who didn’t say what is causing the delay.

Meanwhile, France is willing to act as a backstop for shipbuilder Naval Group that would allow the company to target export markets with its defense and intervention frigate, Chiva said. The directorate is working on a “bare hull” strategy that would allow Naval Group to keep its workforce at its yards in Lorient occupied by building two frigates a year there, when France would be happy with one frigate a year.

“We’re ready to work with the manufacturer, for example, to bring forward the order of certain frigates for France, betting on export, and thinking that these frigates can be delivered to the various countries that are interested today,” Chiva said.

The French Navy is scheduled to take delivery of the first defense and intervention frigate, the Amiral Ronarc’h, in 2025, with hulls 2 to 5 following in 2027, 2028, 2031 and 2032, respectively.

France is currently in the process of negotiating the price tag for its future aircraft carrier with Naval Group, Chantiers de l’Atlantique and TechnicAtome, though Armed Forces Minister Sebastian Lecornu has already said the future carrier will be in the €10 bn euro range. The armament directorate expects to order the next-generation ship toward the end of 2025.

The current carrier Charles de Gaulle is scheduled for a major overhaul in 2027-2028, and France will use the maintenance stop to inspect the nuclear-propulsion boilers. The Navy will also study at that time whether it would be possible to prolong the life of the vessel beyond 2038, should that be necessary due to some setback with the future carrier project, according to Chiva. (Source: glstrade.com/Defense News)

USA

31 Oct 24. The United States Navy has announced a service extension for twelve Arleigh Burke-class Flight I destroyers, pushing them beyond their anticipated 35-year service life. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro shared the decision on October 31, describing it as part of the Navy’s strategy to keep “more ready players on the field.” Following a thorough review of each destroyer’s hull condition, combat capabilities, and maintenance needs, the Navy determined these vessels could continue in service, collectively adding 48 ship-years from 2028 to 2035. This extension reflects the Navy’s confidence in the Arleigh Burke class as a versatile and robust asset, particularly given its operational resilience in contested areas like the Red Sea.

“Extending these highly capable, well-maintained destroyers will further bolster our numbers as new construction warships join the Fleet,” Del Toro noted. “It also speaks to their enduring role in projecting power globally.” Funding for these extensions is included in the fiscal year 2026 budget proposal, aligning with the Navy’s broader shipbuilding strategy to maintain force readiness. Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Chief of Naval Operations, supported the decision as part of the Navy’s NAVPLAN, stating, “Today’s budget constrained environment requires the Navy to make prioritised investments to keep more ready players on the field.” (Source: News Now/https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)

31 Oct 24. Pentagon rolls out JWCC cloud accelerator initiative. The US Department of Defense (DoD) directorate, tasked with executing the Pentagon’s Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC), is initiating a cloud accelerator initiative, designed to rapidly introduce secure commercial cloud services to the US armed forces down to the tactical level.

Announced in December 2022, the JWCC was designed to “provide the DoD the opportunity to acquire commercial cloud capabilities and services directly from” cloud service providers (CSPs) to facilitate global accessibility to cloud-based capabilities through a centrally managed data distribution process and allow secure network access via tactical edge devices. The JWCC was developed after Pentagon officials scrapped the controversial Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) cloud computing programme in July 2021.

Two years into the JWCC programme, which has cost the Pentagon roughly USD9 billion thus far, officials from the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) have partnered with CSPs at Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle, JWCC Program Manager Alee Long said. Those partnerships have allowed the US DoD to have “a direct relationship with those CSPs, [and] we are able to bring to our DoD partners the same commercial [services] but in a secure, sovereign cloud” network, Long said during a 24 October briefing.

DoD officials have also pushed commercial CSPs to provide “tactical edge offerings”, such as secure end-user devices and data centres, to the US armed forces, she explained. Getting those services down to the battlefield with low latency or network interference has been a key priority for newly minted DISA Director US Army Lieutenant General Paul Stanton, who took command of DISA in October. (Source: Janes)

29 Oct 24. Cuashub.com said today that the USAF seeks air launched Counter UAS solutions. The United States Air Force (USAF) released a Request For Information (RFI) on October 24 for Low Collateral Effects Interceptor (LCEI) technologies capable of combatting Group 1 and 2 sUAS threats. Led by the Counter small-Unmanned Aircraft Systems branch within the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, the RFI outlines that the LCEI must be a flight-tested autonomous aircraft with hard kill capabilities. Although initially only for planning purposes, the information garnered might subsequently be used to inform future USAF acquisition strategy and solicitation.

The focus on LCEIs represents a continuation of Pentagon strategy that places the technologies at the heart of the United States’ layered C-UAS capabilities. This started in 2021, with LCEIs the focal point of the first C-UAS technology demonstration at the Yuma Proving Ground in 2021 hosted by the USAF, the Joint Counter-sUAS Office and the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office.

The initial testing in 2021 successfully demonstrated the capacity of LCEIs developed by Xtend, Aurora Flight Sciences & ELTA North America to carry out C-sUAS mission objectives while minimizing collateral damage. As Major General Sean Gainey, then Director of the JCO stated at the time: “By focusing the first event on low collateral effects interceptors, we are addressing a key challenge when operating in complex urban environments, around sensitive sites, or in situations where the rules of engagement limits kinetic capabilities.”

LCEI’s ability to interdict hostile sUAS while minimizing collateral damage provides the user with far greater operational flexibility and increased confidence in autonomous operation. Their employment also reduces the risk that the slower speed of traditional kinetic countermeasures could be exploited by hostile forces deploying swarms of smaller and autonomous drones that are also immune from EW countermeasures.

The USAF has also developed its own LCEI, with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Paladin System due to enter operational assessment in FY25. The latest RFI demonstrates the vital role LCEIs will continue to play as the U.S bolsters its C-UAS capabilities.

https://cuashub.com/en/content/us-air-force-seeks-air-launched-counter-uas-solutions/ (Source: https://cuashub.com/)

25 Oct 24. US Air Force seeks low collateral effects interceptor to counter small drones. The United States Air Force (USAF) Counter small-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) branch is requesting information regarding Low Collateral Effects Interceptor (LCEI) technologies related to countering the threat from small drones (Groups 1 and 2). The Request for Information states that the LCEI should be autonomous aircraft with hard kill systems effective against Groups 1 and 2 uncrewed aerial systems. All interceptor systems must be hosted on air vehicles that can be determined to be air-worthy by the government. The air vehicle must be based on or derived from US components and electronics and must have sufficient flight hours and reliability data. Responses to the request are invited by November 25, 2024. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

24 Oct 24. Northrop expects next B-21 contract by year’s end. The Air Force is likely to award Northrop Grumman a second low-rate initial production contract to build the B-21 Raider by the end of the year, company officials said Thursday. In an earnings call with investors, Northrop chief executive Kathy Warden said ground and flight testing of the Air Force’s next stealth bomber is on track, and work on the first production B-21s is proceeding as planned.

The Pentagon cleared the B-21 for its first phase of production in fall 2023. Northrop expects follow-on annual LRIP awards, Warden said, “and this is the time of year when that happens.”

The B-21 — which Northrop Grumman has touted as the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft due to its improved stealth, use of open systems architecture and advanced data sharing capabilities — is expected to enter service later this decade, and will replace the aging B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers sometime in the 2030s.

The Air Force plans to field a fleet of at least 100 B-21s.

And as the service rethinks its overall approach to fighting a future air war, it could become clear whether more B-21s are in the cards, Warden said.

The Air Force this summer balked at potentially severe price tags for its proposed Next Generation Air Dominance platform, and began reconsidering what mix of air dominance assets it needs to fight and win a war against an advanced adversary.

As that force structure review wraps up in the next few months, Northrop Grumman may get a better picture on how many B-21s the Air Force will likely buy, Warden said.

Northrop expects volume on the B-21′s low-rate initial production to increase in the fourth quarter, which will help drive the company’s sales.

But the B-21′s financial road has been rocky so far for Northrop. In the fourth quarter of 2023, Northrop reported a nearly $1.6 bn charge on the B-21, which the company attributed to rising production costs and macroeconomic disruptions.

Northrop officials have also cautioned investors that the bomber will lose money at first, though the company expects that to turn around.

Warden told investors that Northrop is able to absorb those early headwinds on the B-21.

“While the B-21 is a key program in our company, it is not the majority of [aeronautics] sales,” Warden said.

The B-21 team is taking steps to bring down cost and improve productivity, Warden added, including refining training methods to quickly bring new factory employees up to speed. That new training has also benefited other, more mature Northrop programs, she said.

The B-21′s LRIP phase is expected to include five lots, and will run roughly through the end of the decade. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)

REST OF THE WORLD

30 Oct 24. South Korea eyes pathway for AUKUS Pillar II with new defense tech agreement. The defense ministers for the US and South Korea today announced a new joint defense science and technology executive committee, one that expressly will consider options for Seoul’s participation in AUKUS Pillar II.

“Based on the defense vision of the alliance, we plan to establish a vice-minister level defense science and technology executive committee within this year to explore the application of cutting-edge science and technology in the defense sector, as well as cooperation on AUKUS Pillar II,” Kim Yong Hyun, the minister from South Korea, said during comments at the Pentagon.

Kim’s announcement came on the heels of the US-Republic of Korea security consultative meeting today that included US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Tomorrow, the duo will join Secretary of State Antony Blinken and ROK Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul for a 2+2 meeting.

While North Korea’s deployment of upwards of 10,000 troops to Russia is a hot-button topic for the two nations this week, the Pentagon announced beforehand that the S&T expansion will remain a focal area, particularly in the areas of autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies.

That fits in nicely with the six technology areas identified as priorities for Pillar II: undersea, quantum, artificial intelligence and autonomy, cyber, hypersonic work, and electronic warfare. While US officials said in September that they are open to other areas of opportunities, the goal is to keep the focus on those areas as much as possible.

Ever since the creation of AUKUS, there has been a question of whether other nations would be allowed to join the tripartite agreement. Officials have made a delineation: Pillar I, which is focused on nuclear submarine technology and tighter military alliances between the US, UK and Australia, is closed. But Pillar II would offer opportunities for other countries to get involved.

That has led to some confusion about whether outside countries can “join” Pillar II. Inside the Pentagon, at least, the issue is viewed less as one of other nations “joining” and more about allowing outside parties to work on technological efforts the three core AUKUS nations are developing.

Speaking to Breaking Defense in August, Richard Marles, Australia’s defense minister, said that while he expects Pillar II to “grow,” the focus has to be on making sure “we get Pillar II into a place where there is something to, kind of, offer.

“I think what’s really important is that we get this better down amongst the three of us first, so that we really know what the architecture of our collaboration looks like, and what the specific projects are,” he said.

The first country to be formally tied to Pillar II was Japan, in an April announcement that the AUKUS nations are “considering cooperation with Japan on AUKUS Pillar II advanced capability projects.” (As an example of the confusion about how Pillar II works, that statement was followed almost immediately by a statement by Australia’s prime minister that “What is not proposed is to expand the membership of AUKUS.”)

Officials in New Zealand have had preliminary talks with Australian counterparts about participation in Pillar II, New Zealand’s defense minister told Breaking Defense earlier this year. And there have been calls for Canada to take part as well. (Given New Zealand and Canada are the two non-AUKUS members of the 5 Eyes intelligence sharing network, they both have close connections to the AUKUS partners.)

(Source: glstrade.com/Breaking Defense.com)

28 Oct 24. Financing becomes a hurdle in Argentina’s quest for new submarines. The Argentine government is moving closer to buying new submarines, eying the acquisition of three Scorpene boats from France’s Naval Group that could cost $2bn, according to military sources in Buenos Aires.

The latest development in the procurement saga is that a Letter of Intention (LoI) was expected to be signed by middle of October, but negotiations over the financial details are taking more time, these sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations.

While France is willing to grant favorable credit conditions, Argentina is having trouble satisfying loan guarantees demanded by banks involved in the deal due to the country’s troubled financial history, according to the sources.

The effort to buy new boats is driven by the fact that the Argentine Navy has virtually no serviceable submarine today. ARA San Juan, one of its two TR-1700 type boats built in Germany in the 1980s, was lost in South Atlantic waters near Cape Horn in November 2017. Meanwhile, refitting and upgrade work on sister ship ARA Santa Cruz, which started in 2016, has been suspended since 2020 and is now virtually cancelled.

ARA Salta, an aging German-built Type 209, remains in service only as a platform for basic training, as she boat cannot dive. For more advance specialist training Argentine crews are being currently sent to spend time with the Peruvian Navy.

Vicente García, an independent security and defense analyst based in Montevideo, Uruguay, says the Argentine sea service needs new submarines “without any doubt.” But the government should be mindful of cost, considering that the other military services also have modernization requirements, he added.

In that context, García said, an initial buy of pre-owned boats would make more sense.

Administrative reductions and cuts in social services pushed by President Javier Milei have yet to prove that they can grow the country’s fiscal liquidity, García added.

“Argentina’s country risk assessment remains high and with between 53% and 57% of the population under the line of poverty, there is a potential for social convulsion and political instability, which can lead to a deterioration of the economy.”

As F-16 fighter jets and P-3C maritime patrol aircraft have been recently acquired second-hand from Denmark and Norway, for the Air Force and Navy, respectively, the modernization of the fleet of TAM medium tanks of the Army has also gained momentum this year.

Besides submarines, the current shopping list also includes frigates for the Navy, wheeled armored vehicles for the Army, helicopters for the three services, and a new standard assault rifle. (Source: Defense News)

28 Oct 24. Tata Advanced Systems and Airbus inaugurate C295 Final Assembly Line in Vadodara, India. As a major milestone for India’s Aerospace & Defence industry, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus inaugurated the Final Assembly Line (FAL) complex for the Airbus C295 aircraft in Vadodara, Gujarat in India. TASL and Airbus are partnering for the pioneering ‘Make in India’ project to deliver 56 C295 aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The state-of-the-art facility was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Shri. Narendra Modi and the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón in the presence of N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.

Providing a major boost to the Government of India’s ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) programme, this is the first instance of the private sector setting up an aircraft FAL in India. The inauguration comes three years after the IAF formalised the acquisition of 56 Airbus C295 aircraft to replace their legacy AVRO fleet. As per the contract, 40 units will be manufactured and assembled in partnership with TASL at this FAL, while 16 will be delivered to the IAF in ‘fly-away’ condition from Airbus’ final assembly line in Seville, Spain. To date, a total of six aircraft have already been delivered.

Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, said, “The Tata Group is very proud in setting up this advanced facility which will manufacture the nation’s first private defence aircraft from the ground up. It will significantly enhance both defence and advance manufacturing capabilities. I am thankful to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón and the distinguished guests for joining us at this momentous occasion in India’s indigenous manufacturing journey.”

“The inauguration of this final assembly line (FAL) is a significant milestone in India’s journey towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing. The C295 India programme demonstrates Airbus’ commitment to supporting India’s vision of ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ in defence manufacturing. Aligned to this vision, this FAL will propel the advancement of the aerospace industrial ecosystem in the country, unlocking the potential for cutting-edge design, component manufacturing, aircraft assembly and services capabilities across the Indian value chain,” said Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.

The FAL will integrate manufacturing of detail parts and related tooling, sub-assemblies, major component assemblies, tools, jigs and testers. The production of components of the C295 aircraft have already started in the Main Component Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad. The parts for the first C295 aircraft to be made in India have been shipped to the Vadodara FAL, where the aircraft will be assembled and then delivered to the IAF.

The first ‘Make in India’ C295 will roll out of the Vadodara FAL in September 2026, which will be a milestone for the Indian aerospace industry; and shall ramp-up to deliver 40 aircraft to the IAF by August 2031, as required by the IAF contract.

India has become the largest customer for the C295, with the acquisition of 56 aircraft. The C295 ‘Make in India’ programme will produce more than 85% structural and final assembly of 40 aircraft along with the manufacturing of 13,000 detail parts in India, for which 21 special processes have been certified and 37 India-based suppliers, both from the private and public sectors, have been onboarded.

For Airbus, India is a strategic resource hub where the company is expanding its industrial footprint with aircraft assembly, component manufacturing, engineering design and development, MRO support, pilot and maintenance training as well as academic collaboration to foster human capital. Airbus invests more than $1 bn every year in a robust and comprehensive supply chain in India for components and services, generating more than 15,000 jobs. Additionally, Airbus India’s own engineering and digital centres in Bengaluru contribute to all the commercial and helicopter programmes of Airbus globally.

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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

24 Oct 24. Can the UK afford to pursue two medium helicopter programmes?

There will be a certain give-and-take when it comes to balancing the New Medium Helicopter and Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability programmes amid Britain’s financial constraints.

medium-lift helicopter at the Farnborough International Air Show, 24 July 2024. This helicopter is the single tender left in the UK’s New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme. Credit: Author.

Britain’s commitment to Nato’s Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) programme may contend with its sovereign New Medium Helicopter (NMH) project.

A mix of interrelated factors – including Nato, the forthcoming Strategic Defence Review (SDR) and the UK’s lethargic fiscal policy – will come together to cast some doubt on the full procurement of both programmes.

NGRC and NMH respond to two different needs in scope and timing.

NGRC, under the management of the Nato Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), aims to idenitify next generation technologies, capabilities and architectures being investigated by industry which could lead to initiatives for a medium helicopter solution only in the longer term.

France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK are all participants, having signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this month to identify a single preferred solution by the end of 2027, ready to begin development from 2030.

Meanwhile, the UK’s NMH has always been intended to meet an urgent operational need to replace an ageing fleet of multi-role, medium-lift utility helicopters which are rapidly nearing their life-cycle limit.

Left with only a single tender in what was meant to be a competitive acquisition process, the NMH programme saw the exit of the Lockheed Martin UH-60 Black Hawk and Airbus H145 helicopters. Leonardo UK, with its AW149 design, is the only supplier left in the running according to the UK government on 8 October 2024.

British finances sink

The prospect of an either/or scenario stems from the considerable strain on Britain’s public finances. The country is facing a £22bn ($28.5bn) “black hole”. The government is committed to chipping away at the deficit through stringent cost-cutting measures that will doubtless impact UK defence priorities.

However, this is unlikely to be raised in the budget statement next week. Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director general at the British security policy think tank, the Royal United Services Institute, determined that “this additional resource, even if a firm timetable is agreed in the Budget this month, will not be enough to avoid hard choices, given the threats which the UK and its allies are likely to face in the coming years.”

Their refusal to raise defence spending to this level, even if achieved over the next few years – content to straddle the line of Nato’s 2% benchmark indefinitely – leaves the country unable to pursue two different medium-lift helicopter programmes at once.

NMH meets the UK’s urgent requirements

The Labour government will present its primary concerns in the SDR, due sometime in the first half of 2025, as the country enters a volatile security environment this decade. The military needs to be prepared for what is to come over the next few years – with some analysts suggesting the UK ought to be ready by 2028 to fight the Russians.

This would place importance on the NMH as the more timely programme. The deadline to submit a tender was in August this year, and the Ministry of Defence has already moved on to review whether Leonardo UK is able to meet the national requirements.

The Leonardo bid is promising considering the company is able to manufacture 60% of the AW149 helicopter in the UK at its Yeovil facility, and could address a global market for 500 medium-sized miltiary helicopters, “potentially worth bns in UK exports,” a Leonardo spokesperson told Airforce Technology.

Leonardo is positive, not just for its bid, but for programme progression. “The opportunity provided by having a sole bidder is that the acquisition can now be accelerated, saving time/costs and delivering this urgently-required capability into the hands of our armed forces as quickly as possible.”

After this, Ministers will then determine the feasibility of the acquisition in line with the UK’s strategic priorities which will be enshrined in the SDR next year.

Nato first means give, not take

In July, Nato awarded contracts to rotorcraft manufacturers Airbus, Leonardo and Sikorsky to carry out integrated platform concept studies – also known as ‘Study 5’. These studies – each comprising up to two concepts – will be delivered in October 2025, enabling the NSPA to prepare its report to the participants.

Declaring a “Nato first” defence strategy upon entering government for the first time after a decade and a half in the political wilderness, the Labour government will need to contribute British innovation to NSPA efforts for near-future medium helicopter technologies.

“If the focus is on ‘Nato First’, this suggests a prioritisation of the capabilities needed for short-notice defence of the homeland and Nato allies against Russia,” Chalmers maintained.

While the NMH fulfils the domestic requirement when it comes to filling a gap in the rotary capabilities in the UK Armed Forces, the government must also ensure its contributions to its ‘allies against Russia’ through the NGRC are strictly within its means.

Given the NGRC programme has only just begun – effectively this month – the UK should focus on what it can provide its partners, besides what it can take from them in this NSPA project. While the British defence industry is partly lacking in the rotorcraft sector, it can still contribute avionics among other things necessary to power a common Nato platform.

Meanwhile, US and European companies are already leading the charge when it comes to integrating emerging technologies into their early concept designs.

A spokesperson from Lockheed Martin, the parent group of Sikorsky, stated that they can derive from “years of investment and rigorous flight testing with multiple X2 technology demonstrators have proven its ability to change the future airspace.” This innovation provides twice the speed and twice the range of traditional helicopters, according to a company statement. “Our X2 aircraft will feature 1LMX efficiencies and 21st Century Security technology.”

Likewise, Bell Helicopters will support Leonardo in its bid for the NGRC having signed a deal to cooperate in the field of tilt-rotor technology in February. A Bell spokesperson commented “Bell and Leonardo share a multi-decade history of vertical lift technology collaboration.”

(Source: airforce-technology.com)

22 Oct 24. UK Fleet Solid Support ship programme achieves preliminary design review milestone. The Spanish/UK industry consortium Team Resolute has successfully completed the preliminary design review (PDR) for the UK Royal Navy’s (RN’s) Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ship programme.

In a 21 October statement, Navantia said the PDR was completed during working sessions held between the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), Navantia UK as prime contractor for the programme, and BMT, which led the functional design phase.

According to Navantia, the PDR milestone confirmed the robustness and maturity of the design and enables the programme to transition from engineering functional design into the detailed design phase. The programme remains on track to start construction of the lead vessel as planned in 2025, the shipbuilder added.

Team Resolute – led by prime contractor Navantia UK, a subsidiary of Spanish state-owned shipbuilder Navantia, and including BMT and Harland & Wolff – was awarded a GBP1.6 bn (USD2 bn) contract to deliver the three-ship FSS programme on 18 January 2023 after being selected as the preferred bidder in November 2022.

The FSS ships are being procured to replace RFA Fort Austin, RFA Fort Rosalie , and RFA Fort Victoria and will provide munitions, stores, and provisions to the UK Carrier Strike Group while under way at sea. Fort Austin and Fort Rosalie were sold to Egypt in 2021, while Fort Victoria is scheduled to retire in 2028. (Source: Janes)

22 Oct 24. NSPA progresses NGRC future rotorcraft effort with MOU. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has advanced the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) programme, with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the five participating countries on 17 October.

With the NGRC concept phase due to launch in 2026, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom each signed the MOU to identify a single preferred solution by the end of 2027, thereby enabling the development of this solution in 2030.

NGRC studies

“Launched in 2020 and managed by [the] NSPA through its Support Partnership (SP), the NGRC programme aims to replace medium multirole capabilities, ending their life cycle in 2035 and beyond,” the NSPA said.

“The agency is currently managing the initial concept studies for the programme. In July 2024 [the] NSPA awarded contracts to rotorcraft manufacturers Airbus, Leonardo, and Sikorsky to carry out integrated platform concept studies – also known as Study 5. These studies – each comprising up to two concepts – will be delivered in October 2025, enabling [the] NSPA to prepare its report to the nations,” it added.

NGRC aims to develop a new medium-lift rotorcraft to replace more than 900 medium platforms that will reach the end of their life cycles in the 2035–40 timeframe, and with a required cruise speed of 220 kt, speed is the defining objective of the effort. (Source: Janes)

15 Oct 24. Delivery of UK F-35B force to reach 50% completion by end-2024. Earlier in 2024, the UK’s fleet reached 34 platforms and is expected to be bolstered by a further delivery by the end of the year.

The UK is expected to receive another batch of three F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters before the end of 2024, as the programme moves towards the 50% delivery mark for the initial commitment for 74 aircraft.

On 8 October 2024, Luke Pollard, UK Minister for the Armed Forces, stated that “against the current schedule”, it was projected by the end of the calendar year the UK will have taken ownership of 37 F-35B fighters.

Currently, the UK has received 34 fighters, operated by the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) 617 Squadron and the Royal Navy’s (RN) 809 Naval Air Squadron. A joint RAF/RN Operational Conversion Unit, 207 Squadron, also assists the joint F-35B force.

In October 2024 the first F-35Bs assigned to 809 Naval Air Squadron embarked on the RN aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales in exercises in UK waters, the first time in nearly 15 years that an RN fighter has flown from an RN flattop.

A single UK F-35B fighter crashed into the Mediterranean Sea during takeoff from the sister ship of HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Queen Elizabeth, during the previous Carrier Strike Group operations in 2021.

While the aircraft wreck was recovered by Western forces following an international scramble for its secrets, with Russia keen to get its hands on the salvage, it was unable to be returned to service.

HMS Prince of Wales will host a joint RAF/RN F-35B force in 2025 in a deployment expected to head through the Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, and into the Asia-Pacific region.

An under-strength 617 Squadron deployed onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021 for the inaugural deployment of the Royal Navy’s new carrier, with the air wing augmented by F-35Bs from the US Marine Corps.

F-35: the only game in Nato’s fighter town

As the sole tier one partner to the US-led F-35 programme, the UK has been closely aligned with the build effort and has a commitment to acquire at least 74 of the aircraft, although this figure has dipped significantly from the 138 airframes set as the initial upper limit.

The previous Conservative government stated in 2022 that Full Operating Capability (FOC) for the UK F-35B force was expected in 2025, when both squadrons would be able to operational deploy. In 2021, senior defence officials speaking at the DSEI show in London stated that 2023 was the planned FOC target.

The F-35 has been widely adopted by Nato countries and US allies around the world, having never lost a competition in which it was permitted to enter. Recent wins include Finland, Switzerland, and Germany, which will join other current or planned European operators including Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Poland. (Source: airforce-technology.com)

20 Oct 24. Global Combat Air Programme update. Defence Secretary John Healey attended the G7 Defence Ministers summit in Naples where he discussed progress on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).

Defence Secretary John Healey MP at a trilateral meeting with Japan and Italy to discuss the Global Combat Air Programme.

Defence Secretary John Healey today attended the G7 Defence Ministers summit in Naples, where he met with Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and Japan’s Defence Minister Gen Nakatani to discuss the latest progress on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).

Mr Healey congratulated Gen Nakatani on his recent appointment, and all three ministers spoke of the importance of protecting regional peace and stability in an increasingly more dangerous world.

They welcomed the excellent progress being made by the GCAP industry partners and discussed the latest on preparations for the GCAP International Government Organisation (GIGO), now that the UK has successfully ratified the international treaty.

Once ratified in all three Parliaments, the treaty will enter into force and the GIGO can be established. This will be the next major milestone for the programme, and is due to take place before the end of this year.

UK Defence Secretary, John Healey said: “This meeting of G7 allies takes place amid huge global uncertainty and growing Russian aggression. In these serious times, serious international partnerships are vital. It was a pleasure to meet my Japanese and Italian counterparts to discuss progress on our GCAP programme, including treaty ratification and other upcoming milestones.” (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

EUROPE

22 Oct 24. Portuguese Army seeks multirole helicopters. The Portuguese Army is looking to acquire new multirole helicopters, with the country’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) launching a procurement programme for EUR40.9 m (USD44.3 m). Disclosed in the Portuguese Official Gazette on 17 October, the ‘Support, Protection and Evacuation Helicopters’ (Helicópteros de Apoio, Proteção e Evacuação, HAPE) programme budget includes the helicopters, related equipment, support, and training. Portugal had previously budgeted EUR50 m to acquire multirole helicopters as part of the Military Programming Law 2023–34. The HAPE project calls for armed helicopters by 2029 to support, protect, and lift ground troops, as well as to assist in disaster relief and humanitarian aid operations. No details were provided on the number of helicopters to be purchased as part of the project. Sources have indicated to Janes that three aircraft are intended to be ordered, with an option for a fourth. (Source: Janes)

21 Oct 24. Polish government eyes Chinook buy as heavy-lift military workhorse. Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has announced the country is mulling plans to purchase heavy-lift helicopters for its armed forces, opening the door for another sizable U.S. arms export to the European nation.

Kosiniak-Kamysz said Boeing’s CH-47F Chinook is a considered option because its capabilities “are unique and immense.” He did not disclose the number of copters that would be acquired under the program.

“I believe that [the Polish military] also needs larger helicopters which could provide efficient support by transporting ‘big bags,’ or soldiers, into locations that are difficult to access,” the minister said in an interview with local news site Portal Obronny. “I have not talked about it anywhere else, but, at the ministry, we are thinking about it because … we need such gear.”

In addition to their use for military operations, the new copters could also be used by the armed forces for disaster relief operations, according to Kosiniak-Kamysz. The politician was referring to the widespread floods which hit Poland’s south-western regions last month. On Sept. 18, the Polish Ministry of National Defence announced that around 14,000 soldiers were involved in the response to the floods.

With the potential purchase in mind, Boeing, the manufacturer of the Chinook, has intensified its efforts to promote the helo in the Polish market. The company presented the aircraft at the MSPO defense industry show, the country’s largest annual industry event, which was held between Sept. 2 and 5 in Kielce, central Poland.

Should Poland decide to purchase Chinook copters for its military, this would mark another major deal to be awarded by Warsaw to Boeing. In August 2024, the Polish ministry signed a contract with the United States government to buy 96 AH-64E Apache attack copters with related gear and weapons. The deal is worth around $10bn. (Source: Defense News)

19 Oct 24. Germany says Britain taking lead on possible Eurofighters for Turkey. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that a project to possibly supply Turkey with Eurofighter jets was an effort being driven by Britain and was in the early stages.

“It is something that will continue to develop, but is now being driven forward from there (Britain),” he said when asked about potential movement on the issue at a press conference in Istanbul with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. The British government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the subject.

Ankara said last year it was in talks with Britain and Spain to buy Eurofighter Typhoons, though Germany objected to the idea. Since then, it has complained of a lack of progress on the issue and Erdogan alluded to Berlin’s reluctance until now.

“We wish to leave behind some of the difficulties experienced in the past in the supply of defence industry products and develop our cooperation,” Erdogan told reporters.

On Thursday a Turkish defence ministry official said Turkey had been conducting technical work aimed at accelerating its planned purchase of the jets.

The Eurofighter Typhoon jets are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by companies Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo. (Source: Google/Reuters)

USA

22 Oct 24. US Army seeks information on contracted helicopter pilot training, potential UH-72A replacement. The US Army has released a request for information (RFI) seeking to learn how contractors might provide initial flight training for helicopter pilots, including potentially replacing the Airbus UH-72A Lakota as the service’s primary flight training helicopter.

The RFI, issued on 8 October, requests information on both government-owned, contractor-operated and contractor-owned, contractor-operated helicopters.

“The UH-72 is [a] very capable aircraft. It might be too capable to teach a basic aviator,” Major General Clair Gill told reporters on 17 October at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, DC.

“We look at what we’ve trained on in years past – and we have been through a couple generations of aircraft; they’ve been simpler aircraft, and if that’s what trains a better aviator, then I’m interested in that,” Maj Gen Gill added, referring to the Bell UH-1 and TH-67, as well as the Schweizer TH-55, all of which were single engine; TH-55 and -67 were derived from popular civilian training models.

“The second thing that I want is an affordable model [of helicopter],” added Maj Gen Gill. “I’m agnostic about the platform, but [the UH-72] is an expensive aircraft to operate.” (Source: Janes)

REST OF THE WORLD

04 Oct 24. PMA-265 and RCAF Partnership Achieves Major Milestone With Hornet Extension Project. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) recently announced that the CF-18 Hornet Extension Project (HEP) achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC), a significant accomplishment in a five-year collaborative effort with the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265). This milestone marks the delivery of the first six HEP2 upgraded fighter aircraft to 3 Wing Bagotville, Canada. In total, 84 aircraft will be upgraded through this project, which will provide all aircraft with HEP 1 interoperability upgrades and 36 aircraft with HEP 2 combat capability upgrades.

The RCAF collaborated with PMA-265’s Canadian Foreign Military Sales (FMS) team to procure various systems and weapons for the HEP. PMA-265’s FMS team facilitated these procurements to meet the RCAF’s tight deadlines.

The extension project enhances the RCAF’s CF-18 Hornets with advanced weapons and avionics capabilities, ensuring the aircraft remain deployable and interoperable as it supports the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s mission to protect North America. This project is crucial for maintaining RCAF readiness as it transitions from the CF-18 fighters to the next-generation CF-35A, anticipated to be fully operational in the early 2030s.

“Achieving this milestone and ensuring the timely delivery of the first six aircraft required extensive coordination and cooperation among industry partners, PMA-265 and the Navy F/A-18 enterprise, including the Air Weapons Laboratory and radar teams at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake,” said PMA-265 Canadian and Spanish F/A-18 Program Manager Don Valentine. “By executing procurement of weapons, hardware and software products to meet RCAF’s milestones, PMA-265 has provided the necessary support that has made the RCAF Hornet program an active and significant participant in international operations.”

Looking ahead, Full Operational Capability is expected in spring 2026, when all 84 CF-18s will be delivered, upgraded and operational.

PMA-265 has partnered with the RCAF for almost 45 years. Since April 1980, PMA-265’s FMS team has supported the RCAF by facilitating aircraft upgrades through U.S. Navy-developed engineering change proposals and various efforts, including procurement, delivery and integration of the Joint Direct Attack Munition weapons system, procurement and incorporation of the Navy Aircrew Common Ejection Seat as well as upgrades to the aircrew trainer.

PMA-265 provides critical current and future capabilities in the form of total life cycle support management for the F/A-18A-D Hornet, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler weapons systems. It is responsible for acquiring, delivering and sustaining the F/A-18 and EA-18G aircraft, ensuring mission success for U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviators, as well as international partners to include Australia, Canada, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland. (Source: ASD Network)

24 Oct 24. France trades 12 Dassault Rafales for $3.2bn in oil. Iraq is set to enhance its air force capabilities with a significant procurement of 12 Dassault Rafale fighter jets from France, a deal valued at approximately $3.2bn. Reports from various Arab media outlets highlight this development, pointing to a broader trend in Iraq’s military modernization efforts. Alongside the Rafales, Iraq will also acquire a Ground Master radar system, essential for establishing a robust air surveillance network. The Iraqi Ministry of Defense is actively evaluating plans to bolster its fleet of multi-role fighter aircraft, according to French financial newspaper La Tribune. The budget for this acquisition indicates that the first instalment of $240m has already been disbursed, with the unique arrangement stipulating that Iraq will settle the payment not in cash, but through oil deliveries to France. This innovative payment method reflects both Iraq’s abundant natural resources and its strategic economic considerations. The Rafale jets will complement the existing fleet of American-made F-16s, currently the backbone of the Iraqi Air Force. Over the past two years, France has seen a significant uptick in exports of Rafale fighter jets, more than doubling its sales. This surge is largely attributed to the high quality of the aircraft, combined with favorable conditions negotiated by Dassault Aviation in collaboration with the French Ministry of the Armed Forces. In addition to the Rafale purchase, Iraq recently ordered 12 Airbus H225M Caracal transport helicopters, further enhancing its military capabilities. The Iraqi Army Aviation is expected to receive these newly built helicopters, alongside two refurbished models, marking a considerable upgrade to its operational transport capabilities. (Source: News Now/https://bulgarianmilitary.com/)

23 Oct 24. Russian state weapons giant Rostec may halt exports of its high-tech goods including jets, air defence systems and ships to fulfil the demands of Moscow’s war in Ukraine, its chief executive has warned. “Unfortunately we cannot deliver everything [for export] in time, because first and foremost it is important to supply our army,” Sergei Chemezov told senators on Wednesday. Chemezov’s comments highlight how surging domestic demand is putting pressure on Rostec, forcing it to send nearly all of its military hardware to the Russian army instead of selling it abroad. “The [Ukraine] conflict is soaking up Russian resources,” said Thomas Graham, Russia expert at the US-based Council on Foreign Relations. “It is difficult to maintain the production levels necessary to meet the military needs inside Russia, and continue to supply weapons to the export market.” Chemezov also blamed high interest rates by the Central Bank of Russia, which embarked on a monetary tightening campaign last year after the rouble started weakening and Moscow’s aggressive war spending fuelled an inflationary surge. “All profits are eaten up by the interest that we have to pay,” he said in a speech at the Russian parliament’s upper chamber. “Today, it’s a matter of us either stopping all exports of high-tech products . . . or we need to do something [else].” The CBR is expected to raise its key rate by 1 percentage point to 20 per cent on Friday, matching a peak immediately after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Rates are forecast to remain above prewar levels until 2027. Annual inflation stood at 8.6 per cent in September. Chemezov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who served alongside him in the Soviet KGB security agency in the 1980s, is the latest tycoon to criticise monetary policy, following comments by Oleg Deripaska, founder of aluminium producer Rusal, and Alexei Mordashov, chair of steelmaker Severstal. “Using borrowed funds is simply not profitable for companies,” said Chemezov. “If we continue to work like this, most companies will go bankrupt.” Tight monetary policy is not the only constraint on industrial production. In August, Chemezov said Rostec did not have the staff to fulfil the sharp rise in state orders, even though its workforce grew by 70,000 to 660,000 in 2023. The CBR has repeatedly highlighted the issue, noting that more than 70 per cent of companies are suffering labour shortages. According to an index from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a think-tank, Russia’s arms exports sales fell more than 60 per cent in 2022-2024 compared with the previous three-year period. Russia’s share of the global arms supply halved from 8.8 per cent in 2021 to 4.4 per cent in 2023. Despite its declining capacity, overseas demand for Russian defence goods remains strong. Overseas orders placed with Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state defence agency for overseas trade, exceeded $55bn in 2023, a record annual volume since the body was established 23 years ago. Recommended News in-depthWar in Ukraine Vladimir Putin revamps Russia’s creaking war machine But Rostec has retooled its production lines alongside other conglomerates to meet the Russian army’s demands. Last year the company’s tank ammunition production volumes were 30 times higher than in 2022, while artillery ammunition output increased six times, according to Chemezov. It also produced four times more drones in 2023 than a year earlier. Meanwhile, Chinese imports are filling a niche for civilian products such as trucks that used to be met by Rostec subsidiaries Kamaz and Avtovaz, prompting a call by Chemezov for government protection in August. “While Russian industrial companies are involved in the execution of government orders, China is very easily replacing them [in other areas],” said Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. (Source: FT.com)

15 Oct 24. NAF to acquire M-346 jets and AW-109 Trekker helicopters. First three units of the 24 M-346 aircraft are expected to be delivered by early 2025. The AW109 Trekker is a multi-role helicopter for various missions including patrol, surveillance, and police operations.

The meeting provided updates on the delivery schedules, confirming that the first three units of the 24 M-346 aircraft are expected by early 2025, with subsequent deliveries continuing until mid-2026.

The additional ten AW-109 Trekker helicopters are anticipated by early 2026. These aircraft are on top of the two units already procured by the NAF.

Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar recommended the establishment of a Programme Management Office to oversee the collaboration and ensure smooth project implementation.

An aerial display by the Leonardo Aircraft Division showed the performance capabilities of the M-346, demonstrating its suitability for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.

In April 2024, during a visit to the NAF headquarters, Leonardo Africa sales vice-president Claudio Sabatino reiterated the company’s strategy to delivering the M-346 fighter aircraft. (Source: airforce-technology.com)

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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

10 Oct. 24. UK confirms single tender for New Medium Helicopter “competition.”

It was anticipated that Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and Leonardo would all tender for the NMH programme in a competitive procurement process.

only Leonardo Helicopters had submitted a tender for the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme, intended to deliver a fleet of around 14 platforms to replace a range of outgoing rotary wing aircraft.

Responding to a parliamentary query on 8 October 2024, Luke Pollard, Minister for the Armed Forces at the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), confirmed that neither Airbus Helicopters UK nor Lockheed Martin UK had elected to submit a tender, with the only response coming from Leonardo Helicopters UK.

“The New Medium Helicopter competition remains sensitive, and the evaluation and approval process needs to complete before further details, including aircraft numbers, can be confirmed,” Pollard said.

The prospect of a single tender submitted for the NMH, in what is supposed to be a competitive acquisition, has raised questions over the programme. Other competitive acquisitions in the naval sector, such as with the Type 31 frigate, have had to be restarted due to an insufficient number of compliant bids.

According to the UK House of Commons library, in 2021 the MoD adopted a new approach to defence procurement in the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy. This replaced the former policy of “global competition by default” with a “more flexible and nuanced approach”.

In doing so, the MoD would use competition “where appropriate” but also consider other approaches. (Source: army-technology.com)

16 Oct 24. UK Chinook flight hours down by nearly 20% in four years.

UK Chinook flight hours are down as timeline confirmed for delivery of new Extended Range models.

The UK operates a mixed fleet of CH-47 variants, and will purchase 14 new ER models in the coming years. Credit: UK MoD/Crown copyright

The annual number of flight hours conducted by the UK’s CH-47 Chinook fleet dropped by nearly 12% in 2023/24, compared to the previous 12 months, and is down by nearly one-fifth since a high of 9,734.7 hours over the 2020/21 recording period.

Released by Joint Aviation Command in early October 2024, the data reveals a gradual reduction in flight hours between 2020/21 through to 2022/23 for the UK Chinook fleet, recording 9,283.8 hours in 2021/22 and 9,055.2 hours in 2022/23, before dropping significantly to 8,027.1 for 2023/24.

According to GlobalData inventories, the UK currently operates a mixed fleet of 59 Chinooks, comprising 37 CH-47D variants, eight marinised MH-47E models, and 14 CH-47E platforms.

This equates to an annual average of 139 flight hours per helicopter during 2023/24.

Meanwhile, the UK government has stated on 8 October that 14 new build CH-47F Extended Range (ER) variants being acquired for the country’s military were estimated to be delivered between July 2024 and July 2029.

According to official figures published in December 2023, aircraft deliveries were due to start from 2027.

Would this be the case, then all 14 new CH-47ER airframes would have to be delivered over a period a little more than two years, in what would be an unusual pace for UK defence procurement.

UK Chinook acquisition treads uneasy path

The acquisition of the 14 ‘ER’ variants, which are thought likely to be used mainly for UK Special Forces operations, was confirmed in March 2024 by the previous Conservative government delays and cost growth. Negotiations with manufacturer Boeing had reduced costs by £300m ($382m at the time).

The acquisition has not been without difficulty, with more than two and a half years going by since the UK was revealed to be intent on the acquisition of 14 CH-47ER helicopters, thought to cost in the region of £1.4bn, or £100m per helicopter.

Initial calculations forecast expected costs of 14 helicopters at £1.4bn, or £100m per platform, although later estimates put the cost of acquisition at over £2bn.

In 2023 the UK agreed to defer the delivery of the helicopters due to financial concerns resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, with a three-year delay approved in order to meet future British Army capability requirements.

The ER variant has double the range of a standard Chinook and is capable of air-to-air refuelling, with the ability to carry up to 55 personnel or 10,000kg of cargo. The twin-rotor aircraft can reach speeds of up to 300km/h. (Source: airforce-technology.com)

EUROPE

17 Oct 24. Turkey working to accelerate Eurofighter jets buy, official says. Turkey has been conducting technical works aimed at accelerating its planned purchase of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, a defence ministry official said on Thursday.

Ankara said last year it was in talks with Eurofighter consortium members Britain and Spain to buy Typhoons, though Germany objected the idea. Since then, it has complained of a lack of progress on the issue over Berlin’s reluctance.

Last month, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of United Nations general assembly. Scholz is set to meet Erdogan on Saturday in Istanbul and the jets are expected to be discussed.

“Technical level works for the procurement of Eurofighter Typhoon jets are under way. The works are aimed at accelerating the process. No conditions have been raised in these works,” the defence ministry official told reporters.

The Eurofighter Typhoon jets are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by companies Airbus (AIR.PA) BAE Systems (BAES.L) and Leonardo (LDOF.MI).

NATO member Turkey recently secured a deal to procure 40 F-16 fighter jets and 79 modernisation kits for its existing F-16s from the United States, after a long-delayed process. Ankara is also developing its own national combat aircraft KAAN. (Source: Reuters)

16 Oct 24. Cuashub.com said today that Dutch MoD to enhance air defence through CITADEL programme. The Dutch government has submitted a recommendation to Parliament, outlining plans to acquire new air defence systems as part of its comprehensive CITADEL programme. The proposal, filed on 14 October by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), seeks to enhance the Netherlands’ integrated air and missile defence capabilities by acquiring NOMADS and NASAMS systems.

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace President, Eirik Lie, highlighted the significance of the acquisition, stating:

“The Netherlands’ plans to acquire NOMADS and new NASAMS systems will significantly enhance the country’s operational capabilities. This forthcoming acquisition underscores NASAMS’ position as the world-leading medium-range air defence system, and the importance of NOMADS as an effective complement to NASAMS, offering a mobile and integrated air defence solution for NATO allies.”

The Netherlands first procured NASAMS in 2006. The proposed additions are intended to strengthen and expand the country’s ground-based air defence system. NASAMS can operate with a mix of missile types, including the AMRAAM-Extended Range and AIM-9X Sidewinder, which provide both long- and short-range coverage.

In addition to NASAMS, the CITADEL programme includes the National Manoeuvre Air Defence System (NOMADS), which offers a highly mobile air defence platform specifically designed to protect land forces in dynamic and contested environments.

NOMADS is equipped with two launch canisters containing two missiles each, a 3D radar system and a Kongsberg Protector remote weapon station. The system is fully integrated with NASAMS and NATO networks, allowing for autonomous and cooperative operations across multiple vehicles.

Kongsberg has also confirmed its intention to collaborate with Dutch industry on the project, with the delivery of these new systems expected to begin in 2028. While the company has not released further statements, the contract is anticipated to be signed later in 2024.

https://cuashub.com/en/content/dutch-mod-to-enhance-air-defence-through-citadel-programme/ (Source: https://cuashub.com/)

14 Oct 24. HENSOLDT has reached another milestone in the modernisation of the Norwegian ULA class. The technical planning and execution were successfully validated during a Critical Design Review (CDR) in Bergen. This paves the way for the modernisation of the submarines, which will significantly extend their operational capability. The contract, which was concluded with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) last October, is worth around €40 m.

The ULA class, originally equipped with SERO 14/15 periscopes, will now be upgraded with state-of-the-art HENSOLDT systems such as periscope and optronic mast systems. In total, the systems of a number of submarines will be renewed, which will significantly increase the operational efficiency and lifespan of the submarines. As part of the CDR, all design documents, including interface drawings were comprehensively reviewed. The systems have passed all design reviews.

“Norway is a long-standing and trusted partner, and we are delighted to have once again gained their trust in the modernisation of the ULA class”, said Tanya Altmann, Head of the Optronics & Land Solutions division at HENSOLDT. “This successful cooperation underlines our expertise in the life extension and modernisation of maritime systems.”

17 Oct 24. Smart Textiles, C2 and Radar: EDA Takes on New European Defence Fund Projects.

The European Defence Agency began implementing three new projects, ARMETISS, EC2 and TIRESYAS, that were selected under the European Defence Fund (EDF) 2022 call for proposals.

The EDF incentivises cooperation and supports the competitiveness of the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base. It aims at providing financial support to defence research and capability development. Following the signature of the Contribution Agreement by the European Commission, EDA is responsible for the indirect management of the projects.

ARMETISS

The project ‘smARt Multifunction tExtiles for integrated Soldier Systems’ has a duration of 36 months and will receive an EU grant of €20 m. Coordinated by NFM Group (Norway), the consortium encompasses a total of 20 participants from seven countries.

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The project will develop smart clothes and equipment for soldiers by using innovative textile technologies with smart functionalities that will enhance soldiers’ protection and improve their performance, as well as their operational capabilities during military operations.

Find more information about the ARMETISS project and the consortium here.

EC2

The project ‘European Command and Control System’ will be a continuation of the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) project ESC2. With an EU grant of roughly €30 m, the project will last 24 months. Led by Indra (Spain), the consortium encompasses 19 participants from 13 countries.

EC2 will develop a multi-domain command and control solution for the full spectrum of Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and operations. The project will contribute to enhancing the interoperability with all government actors, ensuring a proper level of security to increase the exchange of information. It will centralise all operational capabilities by creating a single access point for command and control (C2).

Find more information about the EC2 project and the consortium here.

TIRESYAS

The project ‘Technology Innovation for Radar European SYstem ApplicationS’ will complement the project ARTURO (Advanced Radar Technologies in eUROpe) that was selected in the EDF 2021 call. The €15 m project will last 36 months. The consortium is led by Leonardo (Italy), bringing together 29 entities from 11 countries.

TIRESYAS will explore innovative technologies to enhance radar performance and sensors’ resilience, with a view to advancing towards a disruptive multi-function radar system and counteracting challenging emerging threats and hypersonic missiles.

Find more information about the TIRESYAS project and the consortium here.

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://eda.europa.eu/docs/default-source/documents/tiresyas-fiche.pdf

(Source: ASD Network)

REST OF THE WORLD

11 Oct 24. Cuashub.com said today that Indian Air Force seeks a counter to drone swarm threats. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has called on the defence industry to develop a multi-domain aerial system capable of defending sensitive installations against drone swarm attacks. This request comes as drones increasingly dominate modern warfare, with swarm drones posing a critical threat.

Drone swarms can either be remotely controlled or autonomously pre-programmed to carry out surveillance or attack missions, functioning as force multipliers. When deployed in large numbers, relatively inexpensive drones can effectively overwhelm the capacity of C-UAS defences.

In the second edition of Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on October 7, the IAF outlined its need for a counter-swarm drone system, according to Indian media sources. This system must be capable of being launched through various platforms, including individuals, vehicles, tubes, aerostats, or balloons.

The IAF’s document highlights the growing threat of long-range swarm drones to vital installations, noting that their interception requires substantial infrastructure and high per-weapon costs. Drone swarms often possess distributed intelligence, with individual drones programmed for various tasks such as communication, carrying munitions or navigation.

To counter this, the IAF is seeking an autonomous swarm drone interceptor system capable of detecting, identifying, disrupting, neutralising and destroying hostile drones. The desired system should use multiple drones to disrupt communications, create confusion with smoke or optical disruptors and employ both “soft kill” and “hard kill” methods. This could involve jamming signals, disrupting navigation, or physically destroying the swarm.

The drones must be able to loiter above installations, awaiting incoming threats, and then neutralise them using various technologies such as electromagnetic pulses, sensor disruption or kinetic methods. The system is expected to operate at altitudes of 16,000 feet or higher.

The IAF also specified that the counter-drone system must be portable, able to be transported by road, rail, ship or aircraft for rapid deployment. Additionally, it s seeking a system that is compatible with existing IAF networks, ensuring seamless integration with command and control systems, communications and identification systems for distinguishing between friendly and hostile drones.=

Indian Air Force seeks a counter to drone swarm threats

(Source: https://cuashub.com/)

IEE is ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified.

IEE’s Advantage:

Direct control of critical process steps that reduce cost, decrease production lead times and improves life-cycle management

Unique advantage to serve to both smaller quantity, highly custom displays needs as well as high volume production outputs

Expert in delivering the best value in form and fit replacement by modifying existing COTS products to meet legacy requirements

Leading the next generation avionics efficiencies by leveraging open architectures and common software standards

Field-proven, pre-engineered displays minimize lead-time and non-recurring engineering costs.

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October 11, 2024 by

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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

10 Oct 24. UK confirms single tender for New Medium Helicopter “competition.”

It was anticipated that Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and Leonardo would all tender for the NMH programme in a competitive procurement process.

The UK government has gone on the record to state that only Leonardo Helicopters had submitted a tender for the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme, intended to deliver a fleet of around 14 platforms to replace a range of outgoing rotary wing aircraft.

In doing so, the MoD would use competition “where appropriate” but also consider other approaches.

Social value and UK industry presence key

The UK’s NMH programme could replace up to five current in-service platforms, including the RAF’s Puma HC2 and Bell 412, the Army Air Corps Bell 212, and the Airbus AS365 Dauphins operated by UK Special Forces.

In late-February 2024 the UK MoD published an invitation to negotiate (ITN) for the NMH programme, which saw the emergence of the expected three competitors for the deal, with Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and Leonardo.

According to the ITN details, 25% of the decision-making consideration programme was dependent on ‘social value’ and ‘UK industrial capability’.

According to the UK Government the competition will be managed by Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and proposals were to be evaluated through 2025 when, subject to approvals, a contract award was originally anticipated.

NMH: the earlier expected contenders

Responding earlier this year to the ITN notice, Leonardo confirmed it would be putting forward its AW149 platform. The company stated that more than 60% of AW149 production would take place in the UK, from its facilities in Yeovil.

Leonardo’s already established facilities have been used by the UK to help in the production of the AW159 Wildcat and AW101 Merlin helicopters in service with the country’s military.

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, a type in service with a number of militaries around the world, including the United States, was thought to be a likely offering.

In a September 2023 release Lockheed Martin stated that it estimated nearly 40% of total Black Hawk production and assembly could occur in the UK.

Additionally, Lockheed’s Black Hawk proposal would create approximately £470m ($597.3m at the time) of export opportunities for UK partners manufacturing sub-systems and components over the next ten years, equivalent to 40% of the total programme value, based on the expected export market to Black Hawk customers, the company stated.

However, a factor to consider for any UK selection of the Black Hawk would be the role that Poland’s PZL Mielec could play in limiting any potential export opportunities for UK-built platforms. PZL Mielec maintains the largest Lockheed Martin production plant outside the United States, delivering Black Hawk helicopters to 18 customers from 11 countries around the world since 2010.

The expected third option was thought likely to come from Airbus with its H175M platform, which would be assembled at the company’s UK site in Broughton.

Airbus stated in June 2023 that as well as boosting the economy by creating more than 400 jobs, a new UK production facility would be “strategically important for both Airbus Helicopters and the UK”, creating a new helicopter manufacturing line for exports.

Airbus’ focus also appears to make significant reference to developing industrial partnerships with companies in North Ireland and Wales.

(Source: army-technology.com)

08 Oct 24. DTEP Funding Announced for Three More UK SMEs.

The Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP) boosts defence innovation while supporting the technology supply chain

Congratulations to High Temperature Material Systems Ltd.; OpenWorks Engineering and Mind Foundry Ltd.
The Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) will collaborate with an experienced higher-tier partner in the defence sector
The Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP) boosts defence innovation while supporting the technology supply chain

Three UK based SMEs have been awarded funding through the latest rounds of the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP). High Temperature Material Systems Ltd.; OpenWorks Engineering and Mind Foundry Ltd. will collaborate with a higher-tier supplier who will engage with the SME and mentor them over the duration of a forthcoming defence project. They will receive a government grant worth 50 percent of the project value with the aim of developing innovative new solutions that meet UK defence challenges and increase capability in the UK defence supply chain.

DTEP, which seeks to improve the competitiveness of the UK Defence supply chain, is sponsored by the MOD’s Directorate of Industrial Strategy and Exports (DISE) and delivered through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), Innovate UK, and ADS.

Anita Friend, Head of DASA, said:

“We are delighted to announce the distribution of further DTEP funding to three more SMEs. These innovative companies, in partnership with their higher-tier DTEP collaborators, are set to play a crucial role in enhancing the UK’s defence supply chain and supporting the ongoing success of future defence and security initiatives.”

Congratulations to the latest DTEP winners

Mind Foundry Ltd.

Mind Foundry builds AI for high-stakes applications. In defence, their work is designed for deployment, combining cutting-edge AI signal processing techniques to process, analyse and enrich feeds from sensors. Together with their higher-tier partner BAE Systems, they will collaborate to develop the capability for taking multiple data inputs from multiple sensor types, and utilise their inferences to demonstrate the potential for a single system to provide a unified operating picture.”

Brian Mullins, Mind Foundry CEO said: “In multi-domain operations, operators often have to analyse information across different sensor feeds manually. This is a risk, increasing the opportunity for error and the potential to miss vital contact information. Being awarded this DTEP funding, we aim to build capabilities to solve this problem and provide operators with a fuller, more robust tactical picture compilation. We are proud to be able to deepen our partnership with BAE Systems, whose experience in deploying sensor systems in complex, operational scenarios will prove vital in guiding not only the scientific art of the possible but in the operator’s need for a solution in practice.”

High Temperature Material Systems (HTMS):

HTMS produce a high temperature, lightweight and low cost material called Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC). This type of material has multiple uses across the defence and security supply chain and has the ability to withstand temperatures of up to 1000 degrees centigrade. Together with their higher tier partner MBDA, HTMS will be scaling up the manufacturing of an innovative lower cost form of CMC which will fill a current gap in the UKs defence materials supply chain.

Dr. Richard Grainger, CTO and Co-Founder of HTMS said: “Being chosen for a DASA DTEP project is an important moment for High Temperature Material Systems (HTMS). This marks a significant milestone in our mission to revolutionise the high temperature composites market for Defence, Aerospace, Clean Transport, and other high performance industries.

This collaboration accelerates the development of our cutting edge materials, opening doors for increased funding, strategic partnerships, and deeper integration into supply chains. We’re forging a powerful alliance with one of the world’s leading defence entities, which not only strengthens our capabilities but sets a strong course for the future of high temperature composite materials.”

Dr. Danilo Di Salvo, CEO and Co-Founder of HTMS added: “DTEP paves the way for an enhanced market integration whilst empowering us to expand our expert team, bringing onboard more world class engineers and innovators. Working closely with DASA fuels our drive to deliver highly scalable, sustainable, and transformative composite materials. This is only the beginning. Our ambition is to push boundaries and create lasting impact — not just in the UK, but on a global scale. The future is here, and we’re leading the way.”

OpenWorks Engineering

OpenWorks Engineering will be working with higher tier supplier MBDA to provide an integrated counter-UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) system for the British Army to meet the current threat from drones. The project will deliver a state-of-the-art AI Optical Detection, Tracking and Targeting system which can be used against agile targets while driving at convoy speeds on unimproved roads. It will also deliver an upgraded production facility capable of manufacturing systems at 12 times the current rate with a higher level of quality and assurance.

Chris Down, Managing Director of OpenWorks Engineering said:

“We are proud to be working with DASA to develop the next generation in electro-optic tracking systems and build a fully digital manufacturing facility in the North-East. This DTEP grant will bring new technology to the defence and security forces of the UK and our allies as well as strengthening the UK’s defence supply chain and industrial base.

The grant will accelerate the fielding of new counter drone and GBAD systems. This will have an immediate impact in places like Ukraine as well as having the long-term effect of boosting the UK’s defence industry by increasing capacity in the supply chain for the high-tech equipment needed for the battlefield of the future.”

DTEP’s funding for OpenWorks Engineering, High Temperature Material Systems and Mind Foundry highlights the MOD’s commitment to fostering innovation and strengthening the UK defence supply chain through strategic SME partnerships. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

07 Oct 24. Ensuring the profit rate for non-competitive defence contracts is fair and robust. The SSRO has published the conclusions of our most recent engagement with stakeholders regarding improvements to our yearly baseline profit rate assessment process.

Each year, the Secretary of State for Defence receives a recommendation of the profit rate (known as the baseline profit rate or BPR) from the SSRO. This rate is used in the following year to set profits for contracts that the MOD awards without competition. The BPR has been applied to contracts worth over £105 bn since 2014, including over £8 bn of estimated contract profit.

The BPR is the starting point for the agreement of contract profit rates and adjustments can be applied to tailor the rate to suit the specific contract in question.

As part of determining the annual baseline profit rate, we use benchmark profit data of companies who undertake activities that are comparable to those that contribute to the delivery of single source contracts.

In July, we consulted on proposals for changes to the way we select those companies. Stakeholders responded and we have updated our methodology to rationalise the activity types and refine the scope of the activities used in our analysis.

The improvements published today further strengthen the robustness of our assessment methodology. The BPR – currently 8.24 per cent – is the first in a series of steps used by the contracting parties to derive the contract profit rate, which is typically higher than the BPR. In 2023/24 contractors reported completed contracts earning 11.57 per cent profit on average. The majority of those completed contracts achieved a higher rate than was originally agreed when pricing, as a result of good contractor performance or successful risk mitigation during the contract.

We appreciate everyone who participated in the consultation and shared their opinions with us. We continue to gratefully receive any feedback and comments on further suggestions to enhance the baseline profit rate assessment process. (Source: army-technology.com)

EUROPE

09 Oct 24. Poland secures £3bn foreign financing loan for Apache acquisition. Poland and the US continue to strengthen defence ties amid Poland’s military modernisation. In a development for the Polish military landscape, the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Poland announced on October 1, 2024, that Poland and the United States had finalised an agreement for a $3.08bn (12.1bn zlotys) Foreign Military Financing (FMF) loan.

This loan, aimed at supporting Poland’s defence capabilities, will primarily fund the acquisition of AH-64E Apache helicopters, marking a step in the ongoing modernisation of the Polish Armed Forces.

This latest agreement marks the third FMF loan extended to Poland by the US government in recent months. The previous loan, finalised on July 1, 2024, along with this new agreement, brings the total amount of US direct loans to Poland to $7.08bn, solidifying Poland’s position as the largest beneficiary of the FMF programme in recent years.

Last month, the US State Department announced a $920m Foreign Military Financing (FMF) loan to Romania to support the country’s military modernisation efforts as a Nato partner on the Eastern Flank.

Modernising the Polish military

The AH-64E Apache, an attack helicopter, will play a role in Poland’s future defence strategy. The contract for the helicopters was signed on August 13, 2024, and this latest financing agreement will enable Poland to expedite the delivery and integration of these helicopters into its military operations.

Several countries are adopting the AH-64E Apache helicopter. South Korea recently approved a $3.5bn purchase of 36 additional AH-64E units, expanding its fleet of 36 helicopters. The UK is also enhancing its capabilities by acquiring 50 AH-64E helicopters, with 41 already delivered. Meanwhile, Australia is preparing for the arrival of 29 AH-64E helicopters.

The Apache is one of many programmes that show Poland’s dedication to the transatlantic alliance and its relatively new Western ties. GlobalData’s “Poland Defense Market 2024-2029” report highlights that the Boeing AH-64E Apache carries a 30mm M230 chain gun and usually comes equipped with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods.

At the MSPO International Defence Industry Exhibition, Boeing encouraged the Polish Armed Forces to consider the CH-47F Block II Chinook transport helicopter to complement their incoming AH-64E Apache fleet. Boeing argues that using the Chinook alongside the Apaches would enhance operational effectiveness and expand the Polish military’s mission capabilities.

Integrating the Apache helicopters is expected to enhance Poland’s defence posture and provide an asset in joint operations with Nato allies.

The emphasis on supporting Ukraine and enhancing regional security will remain central to Poland’s defence strategy and its relationship with the United States.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is reshaping the defence landscape in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), where countries historically under Russian influence are increasing military capabilities in response to perceived threats. Poland, aiming to become the largest military force in the EU by the end of 2023, has committed to raising its defence budget to 3% of GDP, with long-term goals of 5%. (Source: army-technology.com)

10 Oct 24. Türkiye expects positive signs from Germany on Eurofighters. Türkiye expects Germany to move forward with its long-discussed sale of 40 Eurofighter jets, sources said Thursday.

Ankara is expecting “positive signals from Germany” on the subject, said the sources, adding “technical talks” are still under way. The German Ministry for Economic Affairs declined to comment when asked by dpa.

Türkiye hopes to boost its defense capabilities with 40 Eurofighter Typhoons. Germany is involved in the production of the Eurofighters, and Berlin’s approval is required for an export deal.

Türkiye has been pushing for German approval for the purchase since last year. Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said at the time that Ankara already had the approval of the U.K. and Spain, the remaining contractors.

German news magazine Der Spiegel over the weekend reported that the German government may be preparing for a change of course in arms exports to Türkiye.

According to the Der Spiegel report, Berlin has approved arms exports worth several hundred m euros to NATO partner Türkiye – including 100 anti-aircraft missiles and torpedoes for the Turkish navy and material packages for the modernization of Turkish submarines and frigates.

The German Ministry for Economic Affairs did not want to confirm the report when asked.

Until the failed military coup in Türkiye in 2016, Germany approved arms exports to the country on a large scale.

German arms exports to Türkiye significantly reduced to a single-digit m range following the attempted coup and Türkiye’s counterterrorism operations against the terrorist PKK’s Syrian offshoot in northern Syria.

For the whole of 2023, there were around 17 Turkish arms import applications worth a total of €1.22 m ($1.34 m), according to the German government.

Türkiye’s interest in Eurofighters came after a prolonged process over its request to buy F-16 warplanes from the U.S. The deal was approved earlier this year after Türkiye endorsed Sweden’s bid to join NATO.

Giancarlo Mezzanatto, CEO of Eurofighter, has confirmed Türkiye’s interest in acquiring the fighter jets but revealed that Germany had obstructed the sale.

The warplanes are built by a German, British, Italian and Spanish consortium, represented by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.

Türkiye seeks to replace the aging F-16 fleet in the Air Forces Command’s inventory, which will be phased out starting in the 2030s.

Erdoğan’s chief adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç acknowledged some progress on the deal in a recent meeting with Turkish journalists, though details were not disclosed, the Middle East Eye said.

Meanwhile, Turkish and German officials are working to arrange a visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz this month, it noted.

Germany’s concerns over Türkiye’s use of German-made weapons, such as Leopard tanks, in its military operations against terrorist organizations in Syria, have long strained relations, though recent developments suggest a possible shift. (Source: News Now/https://www.dailysabah.com/)

REST OF THE WORLD

09 Oct 24. Defence exceeding $5bn worth of contracts under Indigenous Procurement Policy.

Defence has set a new benchmark for Australian government departments and agencies, exceeding $5bn worth of contracts with First Nations businesses under the Indigenous Procurement Policy.

The milestone equates to about half of the overall $10bn Commonwealth spend to date under the policy.

Since the inception of the Indigenous Procurement Policy, Defence has exceeded the targets assigned by the National Indigenous Australians Agency, engaging more than 1,180 First Nations businesses across more than 25,100 Defence contracts.

Defence Indigenous Champion and Deputy Secretary Security and Estate Celia Perkins said the milestone was a key moment. She noted that since the government established the policy in 2015, Defence had helped to close the gap by partnering with First Nations businesses.

“We know that First Nations businesses are 100 times more likely to employ First Nations people than non-First Nations businesses,” Perkins said.

“By purchasing from First Nations businesses, Defence has been supporting efforts to build a self-sustaining First Nations business sector, where First Nation Australians are able to drive their own economic futures.”

Deputy Secretary Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group Chris Deeble said the milestone demonstrated Defence’s commitment to closing the gap.

“The Indigenous Procurement Policy stimulates entrepreneurship and supports both business and economic development for First Nations businesses, as well as increases diversity within Defence’s supply chains,” Deeble said.

“We are incredibly proud of our role in supporting and delivering these important outcomes for First Nations people and businesses through the Indigenous Procurement Policy and our efforts more broadly.”

As Defence celebrated Indigenous Business Month in October, with the theme “Making our Mark”, conversations acknowledging the achievements of First Nations people in business and in leadership continued to be encouraged.

“Defence is proud to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of First Nations Australians,” Deeble said.

First Nations businesses seeking to engage with Defence should complete the Indigenous Procurement Policy questionnaire and email to (Source: Defence Connect)

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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

01 Oct 24. Royal Navy explores nuclear propulsion for surface warships.

This latest call for information, if it is currently feasible, marks a significant transition in powering surface vessels. The UK government is now looking to explore the possibility of using Generation 4 nuclear technologies to power surface ships in the fleet, accroding to a Request

The UK Royal Navy is beginning to explore the possibility of powering surface ships – auxiliary vessels and combatants – with Generation 4 nuclear technologies, according to a request for information (RFI) last month.

It is worth noting that this effort only serves to inform the service about the viability of this next-generation energy solution for the surface fleet, it does not reflect any procurement activity at this stage.

Nuclear energy has been used to power Britain’s fast-attack (SSN) and ballistic missile (SSBN) submarines since 1960; the capability ensures that boats are submerged for as long as necessary.

While nuclear power is necessary for submerging submarines at the operational level, the power source is not typically used for surface ships for various reasons. It is mainly due to the overwhelming cost of designing a specialised reactor as well as concerns about safety and subsequent restrictions on port access.

Nevertheless, this latest call for information, if it is currently feasible, marks a potentially significant transition in powering UK surface vessels.

Four generations of nuclear power

The nuclear power industry has been developing and improving reactor technology for more than five decades according to the World Nuclear Association. Several generations of reactors are commonly distinguished.

Generation 1 reactors were developed in 1950-60s, and the last one shut down in the UK in 2015.
Generation 2 reactors are typified by the present US and French fleets and most in operation elsewhere.
So-called Generation 3 (and 3+) are advanced reactors, though the distinction from Gen 2 is arbitrary. The first ones are in operation in Japan and others are under construction in several countries.
Gen 4 technologies are theoretical designs at present, though the Association notes their development will start to emerge this decade.

Existing nuclear-powered surface ships

Nuclear-powered surface ships are not a new concept. There are certain applications where the concept is worth the expense.

Nuclear propulsion has proven technically and economically essential in the Russian Arctic where operating conditions are beyond the capability of conventional icebreakers. The icebreaker Lenin was the world’s first nuclear-powered surface vessel (20,000 dwt), commissioned in 1959. It remained in service for 30 years to 1989, and was retired due to the hull being worn thin from ice abrasion.

The US Navy had built 219 nuclear-powered vessels to mid-2010. All US aircraft carriers and submarines are nuclear-powered. Meanwhile, the UK’s Queen Elizabeth-class carriers are powered by two 36 MW gas turbines driving electric motors.

Royal Navy plans for Gen 4

Firstly, the Royal Navy aim to align their requirements with the existing capabilities provided by industry.

As part of the RFI process, the service identifies two solutions available on the market today, namely micro modular reactors and larger Gen 4 reactors. Though, it acknowledges that “substantial questions remain over the integration of both… onto surface platforms.”

Secondly, the Royal Navy will map out opportunities for a system-of-systems approach to deliver Gen 4 nuclear power, while exploring ways to spirally develop the capability with the potential of making systems modular by design.

While the concept is under consideration, the cost of this endeavour will remain a lingering problem for the government. The Strategic Defence Review (SDR), due to be published in the first half of 2025, is expected to trim down excessive programmes pursued under the previous Conservative government.

Yet, the UK Ministry of Defence may still determine that nuclear-powered warships may prove to be an essential part of Britain’s defence policy, especially considering the nation’s commitment to strengthening its presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Mark Cancian, senior fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies, explained that in a prospective conflict over Taiwan, the US and its allies will be facing “contested logistics,” which is something the US has not had to deal with since 1945.

“You’re going to have to escort ships across the oceans. And that’s going to take a lot of ships,” Cancian said.

To that end, coalition navies will benefit from the unlimited range at which their warships and auxiliary vessels may travel in such a vast maritime space, if nuclear-powered.

Industrial development

Britain already has an advantage in its reliance on Rolls-Royce to provide a sovereign nuclear naval power capability. Currently, the supplier powers the Royal Navy’s Vanguard, Astute and future Dreadnought submarines.

The Vanguard and Astute classes use the second generation Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR). Current generations of PWR would enable submarines to circumnavigate the world approximately 20 times while the latest development of PWR would enable circumnavigation 40 times without refuelling.

The coming Dreadnought-class SSBNs will use the future PWR3 reactor, a next-generation propulsion capability that may be used to provide power for the future SSN-AUKUS submarines to be developed for the UK and Australia.

Likewise, the company is already well-placed to deliver such a capability to the Royal Navy surface fleet having already produced nuclear reactors for use beyond the submarine sector. In December 2023, the company unveiled a nuclear Space Micro-Reactor Concept Model as part of a UK Space Agency programme.

All space missions depend on a power source and, as a self-contained and power-dense solution, a Micro-Reactor can provide power for the habitation and exploration of a planetary surface, or power and propulsion for spacecraft.

Continuous power and efficient propulsion can also provide satellites with more flexible movement to protect and defend key orbits. Rolls-Royce plan to have a reactor ready to send to the Moon by the early 2030s.

(Source: naval-technology.com)

01 Oct 24. DASA initiative to accelerate innovative UK defence solutions. The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) has announced the launch of a new Early Market Engagement (EME) pilot initiative for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the theme of Uncrewed Systems.

This pilot aims to collaboratively curate problems alongside industry and academia to determine whether a full competition in this area is required. The initial pilot will concentrate on two critical sub-systems of Uncrewed Systems:

Position, Navigation and Timing in Highly Contested Environments
Low-cost, Fast Engines

Why is Early Market Engagement needed?

The MoD Innovation Directorate and Defence Suppliers Forum (DSF) are collaborating with industry to improve Defence’s capacity to turn innovative solutions into needed capabilities. The EME pilot will collect insights from industry experts to better understand specific problem areas. This proactive strategy aims to challenge problems and identify potential solutions that could rapidly deliver capability for defence. The DASA Early Market Engagement initiative forms part of the MoD’s overall intent to improve its engagement with industry and market early on their capability challenges.

For prospective suppliers, participating in the EME workshops will provide an opportunity to understand, engage with and contribute to the MoD’s problem challenge areas. Although this does not guarantee that a competition will take place afterwards, this advance notice enables suppliers to consider the potential development of new or enhanced existing offerings.

Who can attend?

The EME workshops welcome participants from both industry and academia. Workshop attendance is limited to one person per company and the attendee must have a good understanding of the problem space and the relevant technology that their company has. The workshops will function as open forums, and participants must be prepared to engage in discussions. Please note that these workshops will be conducted at OFFICIAL classification.

You can find further details about the pilot and full details of the problem statements in the Early Market Engagement document.

Workshop dates and registration:

The EME workshops will take place in three locations over six dates as shown below, to apply to attend a workshop visit the Eventbrite page. Applications close at 12:00 midday on 31st October 2024 (GMT).

Bristol:

Position, Navigation & Timing (PNT) – 19th November 2024

Low-cost, Fast Engines – 20 November 2024

London:

Position, Navigation & Timing (PNT) – 26th November 2024

Low-cost, Fast Engines – 27 November 2024

Newcastle:

Position, Navigation & Timing (PNT) – 12th November 2024

Low-cost, Fast Engines – 13 November 2024

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-market-engagement-pilot-uncrewed-systems (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

30 Sept 24. Looking at how well defence contractors follow the rules for reporting under the non-competitive regulatory system. The Compliance Bulletin examines how well defence contractors followed the reporting regulations for non-competitive (also known as single source) defence contracts. Defence contractors must report information about their single-source defence contracts to the MOD and the Single Source Regulations Office (the SSRO). This is performed using the SSRO’s Defence Contract Analysis and Reporting System (DefCARS). As an important part of the regulatory framework, these submissions provide the MOD with information throughout the contract duration that can be used to support purchasing decisions and management of those contracts so that they obtain the best value for money whilst paying fair and reasonable prices. In its written compliance and review methodology, the SSRO explains how it will keep an eye on how well contractors who are required to report are following the regulations. The Compliance Bulletin presents compliance statistics relating to reports expected between 1 May 2023 and 30 April 2024. Data is also presented against historical compliance records going back to May 2018.

The bulletin shows that while the majority of expected submissions are made by contractors, there is still room for improvement with regard to the data quality of initial submissions. The MOD must also make sure that the information it receives is considered and utilised appropriately, by ensuring that more submissions are accessed and reviewed in DefCARS.

The SSRO’s Head of Compliance, Reporting and IT, Akhlaq Shah, said: “The SSRO won’t only monitor compliance and report on it; but will continue to assist both contractors and the MOD in fulfilling their commitments whenever possible. We will keep investing resources to help ensure an understanding of what is needed; how industry can best offer it; and how the MOD can use the data consistently and continuously.”

Take a look at the Compliance Bulletin for more information on contractors are doing in timeliness and quality of their reporting. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

30 Sept 24. UK calls for new long-range effector under ‘Project Brakestop.’ The forthcoming industrial competition will provide the UK with a one-way effector to be launched from a mobile ground-based platform.

The photograph shows Wing Commander Dave Robertson, right, and Squadron Leader Andy Myers prior to their departure on a Tornado GR4 night mission over Iraq armed with the RAF’s stand-off precision-guided missile, Storm Shadow. While this is a long-range air-launched missile, the UK Ministry of Defence has now issued specifications for another future long-range capability for ground-based mobile platforms. Credit: Crown copyright/Corporal Craig Fryer RAF Combat Camera via MBDA.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued a notice to industry on 25 September 2024 outlining specifications for a new long-range weapon system.

Known as Project Brakestop, the forthcoming industrial competition will provide the British Armed Forces with a one-way effector to be launched from a mobile ground-based platform.

The target cost per unit must be no higher than £400,000, excluding VAT and the launcher system. Subject to potential future contract, manufacturing shall be scalable to meet operational requirements at a minimum of 20 units per month, with the ability to scale up.

MoD requirements

The new effector is anticipated to reach a range greater than 500km. This exceeds the Anglo-French air-launched Storm Shadow cruise missile, which travels up to 250km; the American-made Harpoon anti-ship cruise missile, at 240km; and the local air defence CAMM missile, at 25km—all of which feature in the British arsenal.

The MoD request that the weapon be resilient in harsh physical environments, day and night. The effector must have a low multispectral signature, be resilient in a complex electromagnetic environment, including within a GNSS-denied and degraded environment, and be resistant against targeted electronic warfare attacks and spoofing.

Furthermore, the weapon will weigh between 200 and 300kg (class payload mark 82 for reference) and travel 600km per hour.

The concept can operate at any trajectory (ballistic or low-level cruise) and could use a missile, a drone, or another technology to deliver the effect, day or night, following a pre-programmed route.

If low level cruise, it must be able to navigate in a GNSS denied environment and have some form of end stage guidance as required, to an accuracy of CEP (0.5) of 30 metres.

Sovereignty is key

Learning from Ukraine, the British government emphasised that the design of its new effector must be free from external government trade and usage restrictions.

In the past month, Ukraine has repeatedly called on the US to approve the use of long-range weapons against targets inside Russia. It is important to eliminate such targets – acting as airbases and launching sites – as they enable invading Russian forces to wage a destructive campaign against Ukraine’s civil and military infrastructure.

Just yesterday (29 September), a Russian salvo “hit ordinary residential buildings, ordinary city facilities,” confirmed Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

American components power the weapon systems in Ukrainian hands, so their unrestricted use hinges on US approval. Nevertheless, this has not stopped other Western backers, such as Britain, France, and Italy, from offering their approval for the use of their long-range weapons inside Russia.

In response to this ongoing debate, the Ukrainian industry is said to have developed an indigenous long-range weapon system that meets several of the British requirements for Project Brakestop, including a range of up to 600km.

This domestically produced missile-drone hybrid is known as the ‘Palianytsia’. In early September, Lithuania announced that it would invest €10m in Ukraine’s long-range weapon.

(Source: army-technology.com)

25 Sept 24. Future opportunity 712835450 – Project Brakestop

Ministry of Defence

F16: Prior information notice for contracts in the field of defence and security

Notice reference: 2024/S 000-030651

Published 25 September 2024, 4:11pm

Contents

one. Contracting authority/entityI. Contracting authority/entityPress escape key to exit

two. Object of the contractII. Object of the contract

six. Complementary informationVI. Complementary information

Download

PDF version

Report concerns about this procurement

Section one: Contracting authority/entitySection I: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name, addresses and contact point(s)I.1) Name, addresses and contact point(s)

Ministry of Defence

MOD Abbey Wood South, 1261, Spruce 2B

Bristol

BS34 8JH

For the attention of

DE&S

Email(s)

Country

United Kingdom

Further information

Further information can be obtained from the above mentioned contact point(s)

Section two: ObjectSection II: Object

two.1) Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority/entity:II.1) Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority/entity:

712835450 – Project Brakestop

two.2) Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performanceII.2) Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance

Services

Service category No 3: Defence services, military defence services and civil defence services

NUTS code

UK – United Kingdom

two.4) Short description of nature and scope of works or nature and quantity or value of supplies or servicesII.4) Short description of nature and scope of works or nature and quantity or value of supplies or services

This Prior Information Notice serves to inform industry about the upcoming competition for Project Brakestop. Please see the single statement of user need (SSUN) below and further details around the project including an industry day.

SSUN:

“The User requires a cost-effective, long range (>500km) One Way Effector (OWE) Heavy, capable of being safely ground launched from a mobile platform in a high threat tactical environment, navigating to and accurately striking a user-programmed target.

It shall be: operable in harsh physical environments, day and night, of low multispectral signature, resilient in a complex Electromagnetic environment (EME), including within a GNSS denied & degraded environment, and resistant against targeted EW attack and spoofing.

Subject to potential future contract, manufacturing shall be scalable to meet operational requirements at a minimum of 20 units per month, with the ability to further increase.”

Overview:

UK MOD requires the ability to deliver an 200kg – 300kg class payload (Mk 82 for reference) over a target range of 600km at a speed of around 600km/h. This must be capable of being safely ground launched from a mobile platform in a high threat tactical environment, with reduced probability of detection / high survivability with minimal take-off distance. It should be mobile via vehicle, fitted to or towed by.

This can be done via any trajectory (ballistic or low-level cruise) and could use a missile, a drone, or another technology to deliver the effect, at day or night, following a pre-programmed route. If low level cruise, it must be able to navigate in a GNSS denied environment and have some form of end stage guidance as required, to an accuracy of CEP (0.5) of 30m.

The target cost per delivery platform must be no higher than £400,000 Ex VAT and excludes the launcher system and any GFX as listed below. This requirement is for technologies that can be packaged and demonstrated rapidly, including firing in a test range. The design should be free from external government trade and usage restrictions. The design must have the ability to be spirally developed, to improve performance characteristics.

Whilst a complete solution is being sought, if you are offering part of the solution, we encourage you to participate in the industry day and to explicitly state which part of the problem you are answering within the categories of:

Propulsion system, e.g. engine,
Airframe,
Navigation and targeting,
Ability to scale,
Launcher system.

The project will be prioritising scalability over exquisite solutions.

The following will likely be government furnished (GFX):

Payload
Fuses
Testing ranges/facilities
Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) support for scaling
DSTL advice

Procurement Approach and timelines:

FCI will down select from submitted proposals using the proven 3-2-1 procurement model and invite a number of companies to a face-to-face presentation where a further down selection will be made to a small number of companies (2-5) and, subject to contract, will provide up to £5m of funding for the rapid development of those proposals. Those companies will be required to rapidly demonstrate their systems.

The aim is to deliver this product at pace, which means there is an aggressive timeline of a demonstration firing in Q2 2025 and, subject to contract, potential serial production from Q3 2025, producing a minimum around 20 platforms per month.

Industry day information:

The Authority will be holding a Project Brakestop industry day on Tuesday 8th October 2024 in London UK.

Please use the following link for further detail and to submit a request form to attend the industry day:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=7WB3vlNZS0iuldChbfoJ5XUTJJOnMC1Guv5Ej0GV_QpUOE9GWDdSMTFOT1hLVFJEQUhYMERTQVRENyQlQCN0PWcu

Please note that responses must be submitted by 15:00 (GMT+1) 2nd October 2024

Due to capacity limitations, this industry day is limited to 2 personnel from each company. In the event of the location’s capacity being exceeded, the Authority will reduce down to 1 person from each company.

two.5) Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)II.5) Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

73410000 – Military research and technology

Additional CPV code(s)

35613100 – Unmanned combat aerial vehicles
35623100 – Air/ground/sea launched cruise missiles

two.7) Additional informationII.7) Additional information

Industry day information:

The Authority will be holding a Project Brakestop industry day on Tuesday 8th October 2024 in London UK.

Please use the following link for further detail and to submit a request form to attend the industry day:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=7WB3vlNZS0iuldChbfoJ5XUTJJOnMC1Guv5Ej0GV_QpUOE9GWDdSMTFOT1hLVFJEQUhYMERTQVRENyQlQCN0PWcu

Please note that responses must be submitted by 15:00 (GMT+1) 2nd October 2024

Section six: Complementary informationSection VI: Complementary information

six.2) Additional informationVI.2) Additional information

Conditions regarding this PIN:

1) This PIN is not a call for competition and is not published to reduce time limits for the receipt of tenders;

2) The Authority reserves the right not to commence any procurement or award any contract in respect of this opportunity;

3) The information contained in this PIN may be subject to change due to the impact of governance, assurance, regulatory changes and/or the pre-market engagement outcomes. Insofar as is permitted by law, the Authority shall not be liable for any losses incurred by any party as a result of reliance on the information contained/linked herein;

4) Failure to register an interest in connection with this PIN shall not prevent an organisation from participating in any formal call for competition.

six.3) Information on general regulatory frameworkVI.3) Information on general regulatory framework

Relevant governmental Internet sites where information can be obtained

Tax legislation

DE&S

MOD Abbey Wood South, 1261, Spruce 2B

Bristol

BS34 8JH

Email(s)

Country

United Kingdom

the Ministry of Defence will be hosting an Industry Day to support Project Brakestop on 8 October 2024 in London. This event presents an excellent opportunity to engage with key stakeholders and gain further insights into this important initiative.

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

EUROPE

30 Sept 24. Dutch submarine buy from France to spark $1.1bn in offsets. The Netherlands secured spending of about €1bn ($1.1bn) on Dutch companies as part of its multibillion-euro purchase of four attack submarines from France’s Naval Group, the Dutch Ministry of Defence said.

Dutch State Secretary of Defence Gijs Tuinman and Naval Group CEO Pierre Eric Pommellet signed the contract for four submarines at the Royal Netherlands Navy home port of Den Helder on Monday, the ministry said in a statement.

That follows a memorandum of understanding between the Dutch and French governments on knowledge sharing and user rights, and an industrial cooperation deal that foresees around €1 bn in spending with Dutch companies as well as continued involvement of Dutch research institutes. Naval Group is 62% held by the French government, with French defense firm Thales owning 35% of the shipbuilder.

The Netherlands in March disclosed a budget of €5.65bn to replace its aging Walrus-class submarines, including a delta to operate the future vessels over their 30-year lifespan as well as a project-risk reserve. Naval Group is set to deliver the first two of the four submarines by 2034, with the new vessel a conventionally-powered variant of its Barracuda class.

“We are going for state-of-the-art submarines that serve the Dutch security interests and those of NATO and Europe to the maximum,” Tuinman said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. He said the new submarines will allow the Netherlands “to show our teeth and if necessary, bite hard.”

Dutch involvement in the new submarines will include hydraulic systems, air-conditioning systems, acoustic cladding, detection devices, sonar, composite structures and water-making equipment, according to Tuinman. The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs didn’t immediately respond to phone calls and text messages regarding the details of the offset agreement.

The submarines are a strategic capacity and will be equipped for intelligence gathering, as well as cruise missiles, the state secretary said. Tuinman said the Netherlands is investing in its underwater capacity because “credible deterrence” is the best defense, and war is prevented by preparing for the possibility of conflict.

The Netherlands plans to equip the new subs with Tomahawk cruise missiles for a land-strike capacity, something the current Walrus class lacks, in addition to torpedoes.

The deal is a “major step” for the naval cooperation between France and the Netherlands, French Ambassador to the Netherlands François Alabrune said in a post on X.

The Netherlands had requested proposals in November 2022 from Naval Group, Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and Sweden’s Saab Kockums in cooperation with Dutch shipbuilder Damen.

France operates a nuclear-powered version of the Barracuda class, and in 2020 the country estimated the cost of the program to build and operate six submarines in the class at €10.4bn, up from €8.6bn in 2010. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)

USA

02 Oct 24. Pentagon taps commercial vendors for low-cost, throwaway drones. Pentagon officials want to build America’s arsenal of cheap, disposable drones, staple weapons of the war in Ukraine, pinging commercial vendors for systems with mass-production potential.

The Defense Innovation Unit released a solicitation this week for one-way, uncrewed aerial systems that can fly at ranges of 50 to 300 kilometers in low-bandwidth, GPS-denied environments.

“Recent conflicts have highlighted the asymmetric impact low-cost, one-way unmanned aerial systems have on the modern battlefield,” DIU said in the notice. “The Department of Defense must be able to employ low-cost precision effects at extended ranges.”

DIU plans to hold a live flyoff demonstration as soon as December to evaluate the proposed systems.

Small, one-way attack drones have featured heavily in recent conflicts — from Ukraine to the Middle East. Since last fall, the Iran-backed Houthi militia group has targeted commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea, using aerial vehicles, uncrewed surface vessels and cruise missiles. Last week, the group launched what the Pentagon termed a “complex attack” on U.S. ships in the region.

On Monday, Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the Pentagon would focus the next round of its Replicator effort — a process for quickly fielding high-need technology at scale — on countering drone threats like these. But the department also recognizes the impact these systems can have and wants to stock up on its own supply.

“Reliable, affordable, and adaptable long-range UAS platforms that allow for employment at scale will maximize operational flexibility for the joint force,” DIU said.

A DIU spokesperson told Defense News that while the drones the department wants could perform attack missions, it’s also interested in systems that can fly electronic warfare, ISR and communications relay payloads.

According to the solicitation, the vehicles should also be hard to detect and track, have several pathways for two-way communications and be equipped with mission planning software. Critically, the department wants modular systems that can integrate new hardware or software in a matter of hours.

“Proprietary interfaces, message formatting or hardware that require vendor-specific licensing are not permitted,” DIU said.

The notice doesn’t detail how many systems the department might buy and it doesn’t set a cost target. The spokesperson said that omission was intentional because DIU’s selections won’t be based on the cost of a particular drone, but on the cost of the effect the platform achieves.

“The best way to think of what we’re targeting is a cost per effect,” the spokesperson said. “If we launch one $1M platform or ten $100k platforms and generate the same effect, then the cost per effect is the same and that’s what we want to focus on.” (Source: Defense News)

01 Oct 24. US Army seeks new industry input for Next Generation Command and Control initiative.

The PEO C3T released the RFI after the office held an industry day to provide more information on NGC2 to interested vendors.

WASHINGTON — The Army took the next step its pursuit of tech for its Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) initiative by reaching out for industry’s ideas Monday.

In a request for information (RFI) posted online, the Army’s program executive office for command, control, communications-tactical (PEO C3T) announced it is seeking input on “experimentation, pilots and, prototyping” in establishing NGC2.

Monday’s RFI is the first one related to C2NG to come out of PEO C3T and came after the office held an industry day to provide more information to interested vendors on Sept. 16. The document was released “in accordance with the Army Futures Command (AFC) Characteristics of Need (CoN) requirement,” related to that office’s own interest in next-gen C2, which came out May 21, according to the RFI.

PEO C3T’s RFI includes questions about how industry would “design and manage a common services architecture for warfighting applications” while allowing for a “plug-and-plan” architecture, and how industry would use a common data layer to leverage capabilities to “meet war fighting needs.” Furthermore, it asks how industry sees the role of the Army’s Unified Data Reference Architecture — a broader service framework — in creating and managing NGC2.

The requirement will also include “maximizing vendor access to capabilities and users” all while aiming to bolster the relationship between industry and government.

Additionally, all services and products that are chosen to be part of NGC2 will be “heavily dependent” upon progressive software analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities to assist feedback in performance, the RFI states.

NGC2, sometimes called C2 Next, is the service’s plan to create an integrated C2 structure focusing on data centricity “at every echelon,” which will be a “system of systems,” per the RFI. It’s designed to combine intelligence, C2 and fires all in one system so commanders can have information more readily available — a key driving idea behind the Pentagon’s wide Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control effort.

The service will test out the NGC2 principle in March of 2025 at the Project Convergence capstone five event, Col Michael Kaloostian, the AFC’s networks and security director for NCC2, told Breaking Defense in August.

“We are in the S&T [science and technology] phase, and we’re still doing [research and development] on this project,” Kaloostian told Breaking Defense during an Aug. 22 interview.

“We’re going to learn [with] each step. … It’s always gonna be iterative, because technology is always going to improve,” he later added.

The RFI released Monday is currently open for comment and will close on Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. ET. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)

27 Sept 24. US Space Force looking for commercial, manoeuvrable geostationary satellites. The US Space Force (USSF) intends to contract manoeuvrable satellites in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) from commercial companies, Colonel Rich Kniseley, senior materiel leader of the service’s Commercial Space Office, told reporters on 16 September at the Air & Space Forces Association’s (AFA’s) Air, Space & Cyber conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

The Commercial Space Office contracts commercial companies to provide services for the US Department of Defense (DoD), many of which duplicate DoD capabilities to ensure greater reliability should its own satellites be disabled in conflict. Rather than purchase, launch, and operate satellites, the Commercial Space Office instead purchases services from already-launched satellites.

Col Kniseley’s office administers the proliferated low-Earth orbit (pLEO) contract, which awards commercial providers for services in LEO, including communications, radar target detection, among other roles. GEO service purchases are to be structured along the same lines, Col Kniseley said.

“We’ll build the contract similarly, where we’re going to be doing more mission areas than just commercial satcom [satellite communications]. It’ll be open to other mission areas, such as a potential PNT [position, navigation, and timing] solution [or] weather solution,” Col Kniseley said.

He said he hopes to select awardees for the first GEO services in 2025.

“We’ve already released the RFI [request for information], so we have a sense of what’s out there in industry and where industry is going,” Col Kniseley said.

USSF have already entered into a deal with California-based microsatellite maker Astranis to upgrade their latest commercial GEO microsatellite system, dubbed the Omega, to transmit across military bandwidths. USSF’s Space Systems Command (SSC) inked the USD13.2 m contract in September. (Source: Janes)

REST OF THE WORLD

03 Oct 24. Indonesia prepares to upgrade C-130s. PT Dirgantara Indonesia (Indonesian-aircraft Industries: PTDI) has announced that it will modernise nine Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules aircraft in co-operation with the air force.

According to PTDI, it signed a co-operation agreement on 2 October with the TNI-AU’s Material Maintenance Command to upgrade the aircraft. The company said the upgrade will use resources from its Center Wing Box Replacement (CWBR) and Avionic Upgrade Program (AUP) projects to modernise the aircraft. PTDI did not specify the financial value of the project.

Work on the aircraft will be conducted at the PTDI Aircraft Services (ACS) hangar in co-operation with the TNI-AU’s Maintenance Depot (Depohar) 10 at the Husein Sastranegara Airport at Bandung in West Java, PTDI said in a press statement.

Depohar 10 will begin inducting C-130s selected for the programme in October 2024, the company said, adding that the aircraft will be subsequently moved to the ACS hangar in November.

“Replacement of the centre wing boxes will take approximately five months while the upgrade of the avionics is estimated to take six months,” PTDI said.

The company added that it will manufacture composite components to repair the C-130s.

TNI-AU Air Marshal Oki Yanuar said the collaboration between PTDI and Depohar 10 will help to reduce Indonesia’s reliance on international companies for sustainment of air force aircraft.

According to AM Oki, 60% of the maintenance on TNI-AU aircraft (from combat aircraft to training platform) is conducted overseas.

(Source: Janes)

30 Sept 24. Australian Army seeks light vehicles for its littoral ambitions. As Australia’s military adjusts to recommendations contained in last year’s Strategic Defence Review, there is a demand for lighter vehicles better suited operations in coastal areas.

First out of the gate in what could be a shopping spree for such rides was manufacturer Polaris, announcing earlier in September that the company had won a contract for DAGOR light vehicles.

The A$22 m (US$14.6 m) deal entails “several variants in support of joint missions worldwide,” with an undisclosed quantity to be delivered within two years, Polaris said in a statement.

These DAGOR variants cover tactical transport, expeditionary reconnaissance and cargo missions. Australian Army special forces are the likely recipient of these diesel-powered vehicles.

Michael Cannell, a sales and operations manager at Polaris Australia, told Defense News of increased regional interest in all-terrain vehicles in the past two years.

Cannell said: “We’re proud to provide this capability for Australian personnel. The DAGOR all-terrain vehicle will allow teams to move faster, carry more and significantly reduce combat fatigue by navigating complex terrain otherwise covered on foot.”

At Land Forces 2024 in Melbourne, held Sept. 11-13, Polaris also exhibited an MRZR-A vehicle, a bare-bones, ultra-light ride that comes in variants with seats for two or four occupants, according to the company’s website.

Brigadier Doug Pashley, commander of the Australian Army’s Darwin-based 1st Brigade, told Defense News about the formation’s metamorphosis from a mechanized, heavy brigade. “As part of our transition to a littoral brigade, we’re experimenting with a lot of mobility options,” he said.

That includes Supacat HMT Extenda vehicles ordinarily utilized by special forces, since “they’re probably a bit more regionally relevant than some of the heavier stuff that we’ve had in the past year,” Pashley said.

The brigade is also toying with lighter vehicles like the Polaris MRZR. “We’re really lucky we can draw lessons from other forces that have been leading the way in terms of developing littoral capabilities, both the U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Marines,” Pashley explained. “Both have procured some light mobility vehicles, so we’re keen to leverage lessons from them.”

Polaris is not the only company seeking to cash in on changing Australian and regional requirements. Also at Land Forces 2024, local company Bale Defence debuted its RTV6 rough terrain vehicle.

This six-wheeled RTV6 joins existing RTV2 and RTV4 4×4 vehicles in its range. Bale Defence delivered 19 two-seater RTVs to the Australian Army in 2014-15, and special forces later ordered dozens of upgraded RTV2s for US$6.2m in 2021.

Martyn Jones, Chief Operating Officer at Bale Defence, lauded the RTV6′s 1.5-ton payload capacity. Such vehicles are ideal for carrying remote-controlled weapon stations, surveillance systems and counter-drone systems, he said.

Supacat was also at Land Forces 2024, unveiling its Medium Utility Vehicle (MUV) based on a Toyota Hilux platform. Both 4×4 and 6×6 configurations are available, the MUV being the fruit of collaboration between Supacat’s British and Australian arms.

Matthew Grech, a sales executive at Supacat, told Defense News the MUV’s target clientele is special operations forces, but other applications include troop carriers, weapons carrier and utility tasks. (Source: Defense News)

25 Sept 24. Australian Army notes need for defence against FPV drones. The Australian Army has called on industry for battlefield innovations to boost the “endurance, lethality and survivability” of soldiers as new threats continue to emerge on the battlefield.

“First-person-view drones continue to wreak havoc on armour and personnel in the war in Ukraine, highlighting the need for counter-drone technologies,” the Army said in a statement. Counter-drone technologies from several companies were recently the focus at Army Innovation Day 2024, held during the Chief of Army Symposium in Melbourne.

At last year’s event, Platypus Research and Development took part, leading to funding to further develop its electromagnetic pulse (EMP) drone disruption technology. The device, which the company calls Bug Zapper, is a trailer-mounted array of printed circuit boards that directs a high-powered radio frequency field into a chosen area. This ‘fries’ the drone, preventing it from re-engaging after an attack. Despite the system’s high-power output, it can operate on small-power sources, such as a car battery. The technology can be scaled down or up, providing protection against drone swarms with a broad area of effect.

Another company that secured funding at last year’s innovation day, Codarra Advanced Systems, returned this year to showcase advancements in its passive drone detection and exploitation technology. Since last year’s event, the company’s product has grown from a directional system to an omni-directional one, offering a 360-degree view for drone detection and a significantly longer range. It is designed to give a soldier the exact location of the drone, its distance, and its path, as well as an indication as to the drone’s role. The system looks at a drone’s radio signal signature, allowing it to infer details about its activity and purpose. Codarra is currently working on strengthening the hardware to withstand tough environmental conditions and improve software to simplify maintenance and updates. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

27 Sept 24. ADAS 2024: Candidates line up for Philippines fighter contest. The field of participants in the Philippines’ Multirole Fighter (MRF) programme appears to have widened with interested original equipment manufacturers presenting their offerings at the Asian Defense and Security Exhibition (ADAS) 2024 in Manila.

Saab was the only company to display a full-size mock-up at the show, which ended on 27 September, presenting its Gripen E/F.

Also promoting offerings for the Philippine Air Force (PAF) programme was Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) with its KF-21 ‘Boramae’, Leonardo with the Eurofighter, Lockheed Martin with the F-16, and Turkish Aerospace (TA) with its Hürkuş, Hürjet, and fifth-generation Kaan. Dassault Aviation, which is also understood to be participating in the programme with its Rafale, was not present at ADAS.

The PAF’s quest for an MRF has been long-running but in August the Department of National Defense (DND) reiterated its intention to purchase up to 40 aircraft in a programme worth up to about USD7 bn. The PAF is looking to augment its fleet of KAI FA-50PHs at a time of increasing tension with China.

Saab’s Gripen E/F mock-up was presented with a series of accessories and weapons including Diehl’s IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missile (SRAAM), MBDA’s Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM), Diehl and Saab’s RBS15 Gungnir air-to-surface missile, and Mauser’s BK-27 cannon. The mock-up also displayed an external drop tank.

Speaking to Janes at ADAS 2024, a Saab spokesperson said the DND’s process to acquire a new MRF remained “ongoing”, confirming the company is ready to deliver “as soon as required”. (Source: Janes)

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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO

27 Sept 24. UK organisations selected in first AUKUS Innovation Challenge. Projects from 4 UK organisations will share £2m in the inaugural AUKUS Pillar 2 Electronic Warfare (EW) Innovation Challenge.

Through AUKUS Pillar 2, Australia, the UK and the US are pooling the talents of their defence sectors to develop at pace the delivery of advanced capabilities. Four UK companies have been selected by the UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) to receive a share of the funding to develop solutions in electromagnetic targeting and protection.

The competition was run to find low cost, disposable, high volume and highly autonomous electromagnetic technology that can detect enemy actions or protect against them.

The four successful UK organisations to receive research funding are:

Amiosec Ltd
Autonomous Devices Ltd
Roke Manor Research Ltd
University of Liverpool

The trilateral AUKUS EW Challenge was run as 3 individual competitions by DASA in the UK; the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA), in Australia; and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) in the US. The EW competition was the first in what will be a series of AUKUS Innovation Challenges, setting the template for future advanced defence technology competitions run by the 3 partners.

National winners of the 3 EW Challenge competitions were announced at the AUKUS Defence Ministers’ Meeting on 26 September in London by UK Secretary of State for Defence, the Right Honourable John Healey MP; Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Honourable Richard Marles MP; and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. The three Defence Ministers together emphasised the value of the collaboration to a free and open Indo-Pacific, with the potential to enhance joint defence capabilities, ensuring national, regional and global stability.

The 3 innovation competitions called for proposals to identify electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) technology solutions to help give the AUKUS nations a strategic edge in targeting and to provide protection against adversarial electromagnetic-targeting capabilities. EMS is a heavily congested, contested, complex and competitive environment and there is an increasing need for low cost, disposable, high volume and highly autonomous capabilities to achieve advantage.

In total, across all 3 national innovation challenges, 173 qualified suppliers applied, in a show of strength of the AUKUS nations’ defence innovation capabilities.

The winning UK supplier organisations:

Amiosec Ltd: This project is seeking to create fake radio activity, masking the true location of friendly military forces to support missions. The research will focus on extending previous work on AI-generated traffic to boost realism to defeat adversary EW systems. It will be delivered by Amiosec in conjunction with its Australian defence technology partner, Penten.
Autonomous Devices Ltd: Is developing and flight-demonstrating the novel combination of an EW payload and a small Uncrewed Air System platform.
Roke Manor Research Ltd: The ability to transmit and receive on identical frequencies simultaneously has been an operational and technical challenge for decades. The Smart STAR Jammer project sets out to combine a Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (STAR) Transceiver jointly developed by Roke and the University of Bristol.
University of Liverpool: This project aims to improve the ability to detect multiple individual faint signals in close geometric proximity to one another. This will be achieved using a combination of machine learning and statistics.

AUKUS is a landmark security and defence partnership to support a free and open Indo-Pacific by strengthening regional global security. A major part of the partnership, named Pillar 1, is helping Australia to acquire its first conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine fleet.

Through AUKUS Pillar 2 which includes advanced capabilities such as Artificial Intelligence, autonomy, quantum technologies and electronic warfare – the 3 national partners seek to strengthen trilateral capabilities in cutting-edge military technologies, increase interoperability, and drive knowledge-sharing and innovation. One of the aims of Pillar 2 is to “foster deeper integration of security and defence-related science, technology, industrial bases, and supply chains”. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

26 Sept 24. UK shortlists four developers including Rolls Royce for small nuclear projects. Britain has short-listed four companies including Rolls Royce and GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy for the next stage of its competition to develop small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), the government said on Thursday.

Britain’s new labour government has said small nuclear plants will play an important role in helping the country meet its net zero targets and has a competition to decide which technology it should choose.

The other two companies which will go to the next stage, which involves negotiating with the government on possible deployment of units, are Westinghouse and Holtec Britain.

Two companies are likely to be ultimately chosen with the aim of deploying projects in the 2030s.

Large new nuclear projects with high upfront costs have struggled to attract financing and the government hopes some older plants could be replaced by a fleet of SMRs that can be made in factories with lower costs and faster construction. (Source: Reuters)

EUROPE

26 Sept 24. 20 years of Eurofighter service directly at the customer’s site. The Technical Diagnostic Cell (TDC) in Laage near Rostock has been in existence for 20 years this year. Based directly at the German Air Force base, HENSOLDT Services helps to keep the German Eurofighter fleet operational. In particular, customer proximity has created trust and long-standing relationships over the years. The use of automated diagnostic procedures and advanced tools, combined with customer proximity, was uncharted territory at the time.

The multi-role combat aircraft Eurofighter has been in service in Europe and numerous export nations since 2003. However, the TDC in Laage is of particular importance here, because it allows all components of the radar and the self-protection system to be repaired on site within a very short time and approved for flight operations. The model served as a blueprint for all subsequent TDCs: just six months later, the Technical Diagnostic Cell in the UK was set up using the same model, followed by Spain and Italy. The Technical Diagnostic Cell concept is also being applied outside of Europe. Within Germany, another TDC was set up in Neuburg an der Donau in 2011 to support the country’s ever-growing aircraft fleet with the same standards of efficiency, service quality and customer focus.

More specifically, the TDCs of Hensoldt Services act as a direct partner of the German Air Force on-site and take over a malfunctioning device removed from the aircraft via the shortest route for fast and targeted repair. Our technicians in the TDCs are supported by Hensoldt’s own diagnostic and test systems. In the background, logistics teams, technicians and engineers from Ulm work to supply the TDCs with spare parts and continuous technical expertise. In this way, we support the on-site staff in carrying out even complex repairs efficiently and with consistently high quality. In tandem, the two TDCs in Laage and Neuburg an der Donau support the entire German Eurofighter fleet.

In total, there are about 20 radar and ESM/ECM-related line replaceable items (LRIs) in the Eurofighter, that is, main assemblies that are repaired in our local workshops. From the outset, the key to the success of the model was the rapid repair of LRIs. The targeted replacement of defective subassemblies from the LRIs makes it possible to reduce aircraft downtime to a minimum while also reducing costs. This method is particularly advantageous for large and complex assemblies such as the CAPTOR radar or the PRAETORIAN self-protection system, and it conserves resources because only small subassemblies have to be transported for more extensive repair. The service staff in the TDCs not only repair HENSOLDT LRIs, but also the LRIs of the partner companies Indra, Elettronica and Leonardo, which are also participating in the CAPTOR and PRAETORIAN joint projects. The defective LRIs identified during the repair process are always returned to the respective manufacturer for repair.

Depending on how critical the situation is – for example, on the eastern border – the use of the German Eurofighters increases and with it, of course, the need for repairs. The high level of commitment of TDC employees makes it possible to react flexibly to such changes. This flexibility was proven during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the TDC was never closed. Defects include electrical faults, damage, mechanical damage and corrosion.

The 20th anniversary is a milestone in the support of complex systems such as the Eurofighter. What once began as a novelty has developed into a frequently adapted concept. The efficiency that was made possible by the rapid exchange of subassemblies continues to have staying power: upgrades such as the DP4 package on the Praetorian self-protection system, the extension to an E-scan radar or even the possibility of supporting further systems, underpin the TDC’s concept for the future.

25 Sept 24. Dutch Navy to buy armed sidekick ships for its air-defense frigates. The Netherlands plans to buy two support vessels that will act as sidekicks to its air-defense frigates, packing additional missiles to defeat swarms of anti-ship missiles and drones, for an investment in the range of €250m to €1bn (US$279m to $1.1bn).

The support vessels will also be able to provide fire support for amphibious operations using long-range loitering munitions, as well as equip underwater drones to track and identify suspicious activity in the North Sea, Dutch State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman said in a letter to parliament on Tuesday.

The Royal Netherlands Navy needs to strengthen its air defenses and firepower for operations in the “higher violence spectrum,” as well as capabilities to protect critical North Sea infrastructure such as drilling platforms and data cables, according to the Ministry of Defence.

“These vessels are needed to better protect the Netherlands and allies in the event of a threat,” Tuinman said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, describing the two future support vessels as “sailing toolboxes” for the lead vessel. “The ships are capable of carrying a lot of equipment, such as additional firepower and long-range anti-aircraft missiles.”

Dutch shipyard Damen will build the vessels, with Israel Aerospace Industries supplying its Barak ER surface-to-air interceptor, Harop long-range loitering munition as well as electronic-warfare equipment. Buying the missiles, long-range munitions and EW equipment from a single supplier will simplify integration work, the defense ministry said.

The vessels will have a length of about 53 meters and a beam of 9.8 meters, for a displacement of 550 tons, a MoD spokesman told Defense News. That compares to a length of around 144 meters and displacement of more than 6,000 tons for the De Zeven Provinciën-class air-defense and command frigates operated by the Dutch Navy.

The service’s air-defense frigates will continue to be equipped with RTX’s SM-2 surface-to-air missile, and the frigate’s radar and fire-control systems will handle launch and targeting for the missiles on the support vessels.

The support ships will each have a crew of at least eight sailors. While current technology isn’t sufficiently mature for fully autonomous vessels, the new ships will provide the Navy with experience in operating with small crews, as a first step toward unmanned vessels, Tuinman said.

The first iteration will be available for the North Sea in 2026, and both vessels will be fully operational in 2027. Equipment on the support vessels will be packed in containers, meaning air-defense kit can be swapped out for long-range munitions based on the specific needs of the mission, according to the letter.

The Barak ER air-defense missile that will equip the support ships has a range of up to 150 kilometers and can target anything from fighters to tactical ballistic missiles and glide bombs, with eight missiles packed in a vertical launcher, according to the company’s spec sheet.

The Netherlands also looked at MBDA’s Aster missile, which the minister said can’t be fired from a container, while Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ Stunner missile didn’t entirely fit the Dutch requirements.

The Netherlands needs to be prepared for swarming tactics, with massive and simultaneous attacks of anti-ship missiles and drones, which require larger stocks of missiles, Tuinman told parliament. Additionally, RTX is halting production of the SM-2, and the successor missile SM-2 Block IIICU isn’t compatible with the fire control on the Dutch air-defense frigates, the minister said.

Adversaries in coastal areas increasingly have access to advanced sensors and long-range weapons, which is changing doctrine for amphibious operations to a larger number of simultaneous landings, according to Tuinman. The IAI loitering munitions have a range of several hundreds of kilometers, and will be able to linger in the target area for some time before use, he said.

Meanwhile the threat to Dutch infrastructure in the North Sea remains undiminished, with Russia continuing to map the infrastructure in what appear to be preparations for disruption and sabotage, the minister said. The Navy escorted a Russian research vessel in June and July that spent several days in the Dutch part of the North Sea, with intelligence services suspecting the Russians were investigating opportunities for potential future sabotage.

The Ministry of Defence plans to buy off-the-shelf underwater drones equipped with long-range sensors to spot suspicious activity, while the support vessels will also be fitted with sensors to record suspicious vessels. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)

25 Sept. 24. US, Romania to sign $920m defence loan agreement. The United States will sign a $920m direct loan agreement with Romania on Wednesday to support its defence modernisation program, the Romanian government said. The deal comes as Romania seeks to boost its defence purchasing plan following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Romania, a member of NATO and the European Union, aims to spend 2.5% of its GDP on defence.

Romania shares a 650-km (400-mile) border with Ukraine and Russian drone fragments have repeatedly strayed into its territory over the past year. Some areas are also close to Ukraine’s Danube River ports which are frequently targeted by Russia.

Under the loan agreement, the defence ministry will directly access $700m, while up to $220m will go towards state-owned ROMARM, which controls 15 companies that manufacture weapons and ammunition ranging from gunpowder to guided missiles.

The loan, granted by the United States through its Foreign Military Sales (FMS) mechanism, has a 12-year repayment plan.

In August, the Romanian government allowed the country to tap a total of $4bn in direct loan agreements through FMS, as well as up to $8 bn from the financial markets with U.S. government guarantees.

(Source: Reuters)

24 Sept. 24. Italy plans to spend 1.6bn euros on new aerobatic aircraft. The Italian government has proposed spending around 1.6bn euros ($1.78bn) on new jets for its aerobatic display team, a parliamentary document showed on Tuesday. The purchase of the 20 T346 jets built by defence group Leonardo (LDOF.MI) will run until 2038 and includes five aircraft for training purposes.

Parliamentary committees are due to give their opinion by next month on the plan, which is part of a three-year defence spending programme as Italy looks to increase its military budget.

“The programme also includes technical and logistical support, in order to ensure the maintenance of the 20 aircraft,” as well as courses to train pilots and personnel, the document said.

The Frecce Tricolori, the aerobatics team of the Italian Air Force, perform at public ceremonies where they fly in formation, leaving behind a trail of smoke in the red, white and green colours of the national flag.

Under the 2024-26 defence spending plan Italy is also looking to buy an additional 25 F35 Lockheed Martin Corp fighter jets by 2035, at a cost of around 7bn euros, bringing the national fleet to 115 aircraft.

In July, the government submitted to parliament a request to boost armaments on those F35s that are already operational, at a cost of some 680m euros.

Rome is also planning to spend just under 7.5bn euros over the next 11 years on 24 new Eurofighter jets.

Italy’s defence spending makes up around 1.5% of GDP — below a 2% NATO alliance target. Other European nations have sharply increased their defence budgets since Moscow launched an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. ($1 = 0.8985 euros) (Source: Google/Reuters)

USA

26 Sep 24. Cuashub.com said today that the U.S. Army seeks radar modules for remote weapon systems. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, on behalf of the Product Director for Crew Served Weapons at Picatinny Arsenal, has issued a request for information (RFI) to identify companies that can provide C-UAS radar modules designed for remote weapon systems (RWS). This initiative aims to enhance the Army’s ability to detect, track and neutralise sUAS with minimal modifications to existing technologies.

The Army’s inquiry seeks mature radar technologies capable of rapidly integrating with RWS to address increasing threats posed by class 1 and 2 unmanned systems, which include low, slow and small drones. The Army emphasises its need for radar systems with multi-target tracking capability and the ability to detect sUAS targets up to 2km away.

Key requirements for radar modules

Radar Module Design: The U.S. Army is seeking a system compatible with RWS applications requiring minimal design changes for integration. Providers are expected to submit detailed radar characteristics, including system growth potential, operating frequency bands, control system types and system dimensions. A specific form factor is required, as the radar will need to physically mount on an RWS.
Interface and Interoperability: The radar system must interface with existing communication protocols, including ethernet, RS232 or RS422. Data transmission and seamless integration into the RWS architecture are critical components of the system’s expected performance.
Environmental and Power Specifications: The radar must comply with stringent environmental standards and power requirements and capable of functioning in extreme temperatures. The U.S. Army also seeks a a 15-year procurable life, with a mean time between failures of 15,000 hours.

Meeting the growing C-UAS challenge

The request highlights the growing importance of C-UAS technologies as small drones become increasingly integrated into modern warfare, with sUAS being regularly deployed in Ukraine for surveillance and offensive capabilities. The radar module must enable RWS to detect and respond to such threats autonomously or with minimal human intervention.

Given the rapid advancement of UAS technologies, particularly from near-peer adversaries, the U.S. Army’s search for innovative radar solutions reflects its need to modernise and enhance its defensive capabilities. Drones used for reconnaissance and attacks pose an increasing risk to military operations, and systems that can effectively identify and neutralise these threats are a priority.

https://cuashub.com/en/content/u-s-army-seeks-radar-modules-for-remote-weapon-systems/ (Source: https://cuashub.com/)

23 Sept. 24. Protest puts US Army’s $990m loitering-munition contract on hold. The month-old sole-source award went to AeroVironment for its Switchblades.

The U.S. Army has stopped work on an up-to-$990m contract to buy AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munitions after a second company lodged a protest, according to an AeroVironment filing published Monday.

The protest was filed by Mistral, according to one industry executive speaking on background. The U.S. Government Accountability Office is to issue a decision on the protest by Dec. 16.

The Army awarded AeroVironment the five-year, sole-source contract on Aug. 27 to fill a need for “organic, stand-off capability to dismounted infantry formations capable of destroying tanks, light armored vehicles, hardened targets, defilade and personnel targets.” At the time, AeroVironment said it would begin filling the order for Switchblades within months.

In a research note cited by MarketWatch, analysts at William Blair wrote that the original contract winner generally retains 95 percent of these types of protests.

The award serves the Army’s lethal unmanned systems, or LUS, requirement, according to AeroVironment. More specifically, it is part of the Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance, or LASSO, program, which seeks to supply infantry brigade combat teams with loitering munitions to take out tanks, an Army spokesperson told Janes.

Switchblades are used by, among others, newly created units in the 101st Airborne’s second brigade such as the LUS platoon and the Multi-Functional Reconnaissance Company. The United States has also sent AeroVironment’s Switchblade 300 and 600 systems to Ukraine. The larger Switchblade 600 is designed to take out hardened targets, like tanks.

In May, the Defense Department announced that it would “accelerate fielding” of the Switchblade 600 to U.S. troops under the Replicator program. The program is an effort to field multiple thousands of affordable autonomous systems such as drones by August 2025.

“U.S.-supplied Switchblade drones have already demonstrated their utility in Ukraine, and this system will provide additional capability to U.S. forces,” the Defense Department said. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense One)

REST OF THE WORLD

26 Sept 24. Details emerge on Lockheed Martin’s F-16 offsets proposal to Thailand. Lockheed Martin has proposed technology upgrades and direct industrial investment as part of offsets in its proposed sale of F-16V Block 70/72 fighter aircraft to the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), according to a source familiar with the situation.

The RTAF seeks to procure an initial batch of four fighter aircraft to partially replace ageing F-16A/B Block 15 Fighting Falcons operational with 102 Squadron at Korat airbase. The new aircraft are to be acquired from 2025 to 2034.

Janes understands that to support its F-16V offer to the RTAF, Lockheed Martin has proposed installing onto F-16A/B aircraft that will remain operational the Link 16 secure datalink system and Mode 5 identification friend-or-foe (IFF), a radar-based identification system.

This will render F-16A/Bs compatible with the new F-16V Block 70/72 aircraft, according to the source. Combining Link 16 and Mode 5 IFF systems together “creates an interoperability solution which will enable both [F-16] fleets to talk to each other,” the source added.

Lockheed Martin submitted its updated offsets proposal to Thailand in late August. The company has valued its offsets proposal at USD1.7 bn, according to the source.

The upgrade is also expected to enhance the interoperability of RTAF legacy F-16A/Bs in deployments with aircraft from other regional air forces similarly equipped with the Link 16 system, the source said.

Other elements of the proposed offset package include offers to upskill through university partnerships and to invest in Thailand’s aviation industry, the source said. (Source: Janes)

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