Sponsored by American Panel Corporation
http:// http://american-panel.com/
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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
09 Jan 19. UK MoD kicks off electric vehicle drive study. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has released an initial request for information (RFI) to evaluate hybrid and fully-electric drive technologies for its fleet of wheeled platforms, with the aim of eventually demonstrating the emerging technology on an in-service vehicle. The December 2018 RFI said the programme’s first phase would include a “capability investigation” into electric drive (E-drive) technologies, leading to a follow-on phase 2 that would concentrate on risk reduction and demonstrating the maturity of the automotive technology on an existing vehicle. Objectives for the programme include reviewing the applicability of different E-drive configurations on various platforms and identifying benefits and constraints, such as susceptibility to electronic attack. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
EUROPE
09 Jan 19. Bulgarian Government to Ask Parliament to Approve Starting Negotiations with US on Getting F-16s. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s coalition Cabinet decided on January 9 to ask the National Assembly to approve the opening of negotiations with the United States on the acquisition of F-16 fighter jets for the Bulgarian Air Force. Earlier, on December 21, a military and political committee recommended the F-16 option, over the bids by Sweden to supply new made-to-order Gripens, and an offer from Italy of second-hand Eurofighters. The committee said that its decision was based on the US having offered to deliver a complete package, of fighter aircraft with armaments and equipment fitted, unlike the other two offers.
Speaking after the Cabinet meeting, Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov said that the decision was about starting negotiations, not about a purchase.
The government also wants the National Assembly to agree to deviating from the financial parameters that Parliament previously approved, of 1.8bn leva for the fighter jet acquisition. The US offer exceeds the approved price parameters but Washington has indicated it may be willing to amend its offer.
“The United States remains committed to working with the Bulgarian government to tailor the final scope of its potential F-16 to its budget and operational requirements, while still offering superior capabilities,” the White House said in a statement on the eve of the Bulgarian Cabinet’s January 9 meeting. (Source: defense-aerospace.com/The Sofia Globe)
08 Jan 19. US Blocks Israeli Sale of F-16s to Croatia: Deal All But Dead. A major arms sale between two close American allies is probably dead after the State Department objected to the transfer of sensitive technologies from Israel to Croatia, US and European officials tell Breaking Defense. Croatia, a NATO member, was preparing to buy 12 used F-16 Barak fighters from Israel for $500m. The Israelis want to offload the F-16s to make room for the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which will carry most of its combat load in the years to come. For Croatia, the deal would give it a modern warplane to replace its aging fleet of MiG-21s, a Soviet design that originally entered service in 1959.
The rejection comes as NATO allies are pumping tens of billions into defense programs, with a slew of NATO members — Britain, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Turkey (plus potentially Belgium) — and several non-NATO allies including Finland, Israel, Japan, and South Korea, joining the program. Talks began between the two countries last year, and were joined by the US in June, as Washington must agree to any third-party sales of US-made equipment. Negotiations proceeded until December, when the State Department stepped in to block the sale over concerns that Israel was planning to hand over technologies it wasn’t authorized to transfer. The US has said Israel must strip the jets of the upgrades it has made over the years before transferring the aircraft. (Source: defense-aerospace.com/Breaking Defense)
04 Jan 19. Croatia Sets Israel Deadline Over F-16 Delivery. The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia has given the State of Israel a deadline on its capability to deliver the aircraft offered at the international tender and chosen by the Republic of Croatia in a transparent procedure by 11 January 2019. The State of Israel is responsible for obtaining the approval from the United States for the supply of the aircraft configured as agreed by the Republic of Croatia. Upon receipt of the official stand from the State of Israel, the Ministry will inform the Croatian public without delay. In the event that due to disagreement between the State of Israel and the United States the Republic of Croatia does not obtain the aircraft, the Government of the Republic of Croatia will annul the decision on the procurement of the chosen multirole fighter aircraft (dated 29 March 2018). Croatia has managed the project in a systematic, professional and transparent way, acting in the national interest. (Source: defense-aerospace.com/Croatian Ministry of Defence)
06 Jan 19. Bulgarian President, Defence Ministry Remain At Odds Over Fighter Jet Acquisition Process. In Bulgaria, January 6 is traditionally the day for a church blessing of the battle flags of the military, a ceremony attended by state and government leaders and top officers. In 2019, it was also the day for the now-traditional opposing views of the President and the Defence Ministry leadership on the fighter jet acquisition process. On January 9, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s coalition Cabinet is expected to give the go-ahead for negotiations to take forward the process. On the table is a recommendation to acquire US-made F-16s, an option proposed over the offer by Sweden to supply new made-to-order Gripens and the offer from Italy of Eurofighters. President Roumen Radev, who was Air Force commander before resigning to stand for election as head of state, described the contest as “flawed” and the move as a “blow to Bulgaria”. Radev, a frequent critic of Borissov’s government, said that he had insisted that the procedure and the financial framework for the fighter jet acquisition should be respected, “which is the guarantee of optimal choice regardless of the type of aircraft”. “The government did the opposite – declared the winner in violation of its own rules and those of the National Assembly,” Radev said. (Source: defense-aerospace.com/The Sofia Globe)
USA
07 Jan 19. US Army seeking contractor to build 155mm smoke projectiles. The US Army is asking contractors to step forward with their proposals to build 155mm M116A1 and M825A1 smoke projectiles to obscure opponents’ vision. In a recent solicitation posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website, the service asked contractors to submit their bids by 4 February for a contract valued up to USD99m to build the smoke weapons. The M116A1 is a 155mm smoke canister projectile body with a curved exterior that is made from hot forged carbon steel, weighs approximately 60lb (27.2kg), and is 24 inches long (610mm). After the contract is awarded, the vendor will have 330 days to deliver First Article Test (FAT) samples. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
REST OF THE WORLD
09 Jan 19. Indonesia orders additional medium-lift helos. Indonesia has ordered 17 additional medium-lift helicopters for the armed forces, the country’s primary defence contractor announced on 9 January. PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) disclosed on its official Twitter page that the contract comprises eight Airbus Helicopters H225Ms for the Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara: TNI-AU) and nine Bell 412EPIs for the Indonesian Army (Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Darat: TNI-AD). The disclosure did not include contract values or delivery timelines. As with previous national contracts for the same or similar helicopter types, the new H225Ms will likely first be delivered to PTDI for mission equipment outfitting and customisation before being handed over to the armed forces, while the 412EPIs will be licence-built in Indonesia. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
08 Jan 19. Enhancing defence global competitiveness grants. The Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC) is seeking applications for Defence Global Competitiveness Grants to support the development of Australia’s defence industry, as part of the Defence Export Strategy. The Defence Global Competitiveness Grants will help to build a stronger, more sustainable and globally competitive Australian defence industry. These grants match eligible SMEs with funding grants of up to $150,000 to invest in projects that build defence export capability.
To be eligible for the Defence Global Competitiveness Grants, companies must:
- Be an SME with less than 200 employees;
- Have an Australian Business Number (ABN);
- Provide evidence from your board (or chief executive or equivalent if there is no board) that the project is supported, and that you can complete the project and meet the costs of the project not covered by grant funding; and
- Provide an external accountant declaration that confirms you can fund your share of the project costs.
Additionally, applicants must also be:
- A company, incorporated in Australia; or
- An incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust.
Applications will be assessed against a range of eligibility and merit criteria, on a points basis, including:
- Merit criterion 1: The extent that your project will help your business to build defence industry export capability (50 points);
- Merit criterion 2: Your capacity, capability and resources to deliver the project (30 points); and
- Merit criterion 3: The impact of grant funding on your project (20 points).
Defence Global Competitiveness Grants, announced in the 2018 Defence Export Strategy, are a dedicated annual grants program of up to $4.1m each year supporting eligible Australian SMEs.
The grants will build the export capability of Australian SMEs by assisting in overcoming barriers to accessing export opportunities, including achieving international accreditations and procuring capital items. (Source: Defence Connect)
04 Jan 19. Canada Could Be Flying Australia’s Used F-18 Fighters This Summer. The Canadian government has completed a deal to purchase Australia’s old F-18 fighter jets and the first of the 25 used jets should arrive this spring, the Department of National Defence confirms. The Trudeau government announced back in 2017 that it would buy 18 used Australian F-18s as an interim measure to bolster the air force until the entire Canadian fleet of CF-18s is replaced, beginning in the mid-2020s. The other seven Australian jets it bought will be used for testing and spare parts. The Australians had to get permission from the U.S. to sell the planes because they were manufactured in the States, but officials with Defence said the deal between Canada and Australia was finalized in November. (Source: defense-aerospace.com/CBC News)
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American Panel Corporation
American Panel Corporation (APC) since 1998, specializes in display products installed in defence land systems, as well as military and commercial aerospace platforms, having delivered well over 100,000 displays worldwide. Military aviators worldwide operate their aircraft and perform their missions using APC displays, including F-22, F-18, F-16, F-15, Euro-fighter Typhoon, Mirage 2000, C-130, C-17, P-3, S-3, U-2, AH-64 Apache Helicopter, V-22 tilt-rotor, as well as numerous other military and commercial aviation aircraft including Boeing 717 – 787 aircraft and several Airbus aircraft. APC panels are found in nearly every tactical aircraft in the US and around the world.
APC manufactures the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Large Area Display (LAD) display (20 inch by 8 inch) with dual pixel fields, power and video interfaces to provide complete display redundancy. At DSEI 2017 we are exhibiting the LAD with a more advanced design, dual display on single substrate with redundant characteristics and a bespoke purpose 8 inch by 6 inch armoured vehicle display.
In order to fully meet the demanding environmental and optical requirements without sacrificing critical tradeoffs in performance, APC designs, develops and manufactures these highly specialized displays in multiple sizes and configurations, controlling all AMLCD optical panel, mechanical and electrical design aspects. APC provides both ITAR and non-ITAR displays across the globe to OEM Prime and tiered vetronics and avionics integrators.
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