INTERNATIONAL PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES

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EUROPE

27 Mar 19. Four companies bid in Romania’s anti-ship missile tender. Romania’s Ministry of Defence has launched the final phase of its €137m (US $154.4m) tender to purchase anti-ship missile systems that are to be deployed along the country’s Black Sea shore. The procedure was suspended in late 2018, but the ministry recently announced it was awaiting final offers from manufacturers, according to the information obtained by local news site Hotnews.ro. Four defense groups have obtained the required security clearances and are bidding to supply their missile systems to Bucharest: MBDA, Boeing, Saab, and Kongsberg. Under the plan, the contract is to be financed by 2023.

Concern over Russia’s increased military activities in the Black Sea, initiated by its annexation of the Ukrainian Crimean peninsula in 2014, has spurred efforts by a number of countries in the region to enhance their navies’ capabilities and acquire new vessels and weapons. The acquisition is part of Romania’s larger naval modernization program under which Bucharest is aiming to purchase four new corvettes, upgrade its two Type 22 frigates, and buy three new submarines, among others. (Source: Defense News)

27 Mar 19. PGZ, Lockheed Martin sign offset agreements for PAC-3.  Lockheed Martin has signed offset agreements valued at PLN724.8m (USD190.8m) with Poland’s PGZ in support of the Polish acquisition of the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) Patriot ground-based air-defence system under the country’s Wisla programme. The agreements cover commitments over 15 projects, primarily involving the transfer of technology to Poland to produce PAC-3 MSE missile and launcher components, the servicing of launcher components, and additional capabilities for the Polish Air Force to maintain their fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. PGZ will also create a laboratory in conjunction with Lockheed Martin for the testing and simulation of missiles. (Source: IHS Jane’s)

25 Mar 19. Bids in for Swiss air-defence programme, Rafael withdraws. The Swiss government’s defence procurement agency, Armasuisse, announced on 25 March that two of the three candidates for the country’s Bodluv long-range ground-based air-defence programme, had submitted their bids. Raytheon had submitted the PAC-3 Patriot and Eurosam the SAMP/T system, using the Aster 30 missile. Israel’s Rafael, which had been offering the David’s Sling surface-to-air missile, failed to submit a bid, and effectively withdrew from the competition. With the bids now received, the Swiss government will begin a rigorous testing and evaluation process. According to Armasuisse, this will involve teams from the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sport assessing the maintenance and training of the systems between May and July, with sensor systems to be tested between mid-August and September. (Source: IHS Jane’s)

23 Mar 19. German Air Force jumping on passive radar. The German Air Force has created a formal acquisition track for passive sensing technology, joining a global military equipment trend that could reshuffle the cat-and-mouse game of radar versus stealthy aircraft. A defense acquisition spokesman told Defense News that the service is working on an “FFF” analysis for passive sensor systems, a technical acronym from deep inside the military-acquisition bureaucracy. Short for “Fähigkeitslücke und Funktionale Forderung,” the process serves to describe a capability gap, derive requirements and eventually tee up an actual investment program. Information about the acquisition status came in a response by the Defence Ministry to Defense News about an event in November that showed the military’s keen interest in passive radar.

The Luftwaffe and the ministry’s defense-acquisition organization had staged a weeklong “measuring campaign” in southern Germany aimed at visualizing the entire region’s air traffic through TwInvis, a passive radar system made by Hensoldt. Queries about the results of the demonstration were left unanswered. Passive radar equipment computes an aerial picture by reading how civilian communications signals bounce off airborne objects. The technique works with any type of signal already present in a given airspace, including radio or television broadcasts as well as emissions from mobile phone stations. In contrast, traditional radar works by emitting radar waves and then tracking their path.

Passive radar technology is essentially covert, meaning pilots entering a monitored area may be unaware they are being tracked. That could even be the case for pilots flying stealthy aircraft like the F-35, experts say, though there is no publicly available data pitting passive radar against low-observable aircraft designs and their radiation-absorbing coatings.

With German defense officials so tight-lipped about the technology, it is difficult to discern what role the demonstration last fall played in the Luftwaffe’s thinking, especially if the event triggered the FFF phase or whether that had begun previously. What is clear, however, is that the service is formally engaged in a technology area that could challenge existing assumptions on stealth as a key organizing principle for air warfare. There are a number of additional applications for passive radar, including as an undetectable guidance system for missile defense or covert surveillance of borders and whatever lies beyond them, Hensoldt officials have said. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)

USA

28 Mar 19. CBP Considers Contractor Owned And Operated Aircraft For Surveillance And Recon. Taking a page out of the Coast Guard’s playbook, Customs and Border Protection is considering acquiring contractor-owned and operated aircraft services for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The Coast Guard currently contracts with Boeing’s [BA] Insitu business unit for the company to operate its ScanEagle small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) aboard the service’s growing fleet of high-endurance National Security Cutters. The ScanEagles are used for a range of ISR missions. The $117m contract to Insitu was awarded last year. CBP on March 26 issued a Request for Information (RFI) for contractor-owned, contract or operated manned/unmanned aircraft services in support of law enforcement operations conducted by the agency’s Office of Air and Marine Operations. The RFI says it expects it will eventually award contracts worth up to $250m in total over five years to two contractors for the services. Under the contractor provide services, CBP wants “near-continuous” ISR operations, defining this requirement as 24 hours per day for five straight days “over the designated operation area.” Overall, the agency is seeking 6,000 flight hours annually. CBP also expects the contractor to provide related technology and sensors and transmit data and imagery in real-time to the agency in a specified format. Some of the operations requirements are specific and others less so. CBP says it wants “longrange, persistent remote sensing” ISR, the use of active and passive sensors for “flexile reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition, flexibility and versatility in configuring the system, transit speed of 240 knots and loiter speed of 120 knots, and the ability to operate up to 25,000 feet.

In the RFI, CBP doesn’t say what its next steps in a potential procurement will be. At the annual Border Security Expo this week in San Antonio, Texas, CBP officials said they are looking for new ways of doing business. Kelly Good, deputy executive director for the Border Patrol’s Program Management Office, said the Border Patrol wants to acquire capabilities more rapidly using non-traditional methods to adapt to changing threats (Defense Daily, March 27). Good told attendees not to expect a Request for Proposals all the time and that through RFIs, industry engagement, and vendors being on existing contracting vehicles such as those managed by the General Services Administration (GSA) and other federal agencies, companies are in a position to understand the solutions that the Border Patrol needs and his agency is in a position to acquire systems that it can test and evaluate and then determine if it wants to buy more of them to deploy. The Border Patrol has been acquiring sUAS using Defense Logistics Agency contracting vehicles without conducting a formal acquisition, Good said. CBP’s Air and Marine division operates a small fleet of General Atomics-built Predator drones that can operate up to 50,000-feet and stay aloft for nearly a full day. Diane Sahakian, assistant commissioner for the Office of Acquisition at CBP, said that for years there were limitations at the Department of Homeland Security on the kinds of contract vehicles the department’s components could use. That was also limiting for industry, she said. Now that components have access to “best in class” contracts, she said “I think you’ll see CBP using [contracting] vehicles from other organizations.” She also told vendors if they aren’t on the GSA contracting schedules already “get on GSA,” pointing out later that “the whole purpose of GSA is to make you do things faster.”

Sahakian said that CBP has “pretty much moved” to using a statement of objectives in its procurements and away from a statement of work. A statement of objectives in government acquisition parlance emphasizes outcomes and desired results at a detailed level, whereas a statement of work defines needed tasks in more specific terms. CBP wants responses to its RFI by April 12. (Source: Defense Daily)

28 Mar 19. Martin UAV LLC,* Plano, Maryland (W911QY-19-D-0032); and Textron, AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Maryland (W911QY-19-D-0033), will compete for each order of the $99,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of non-developmental tactical unmanned aerial systems. Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 27, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

27 Mar 19. NNSA Again Seeks Substantial Increase for W80 Refurb. Proportionally or by raw dollars, the W80-4 life-extension program would get the biggest increase of any active Department of Energy warhead refurbishment in 2020, if the Trump administration’s budget request became law. The Lawrence Livermore Laboratory-led life-extension program already got an enormous budget increase in 2019 to pace the warhead’s refurb with development of the Long Range Standoff (LRSO) missile that will carry it, and DoE wants an even bigger one this year: an increase of more than 35 percent, or nearly $245m, to about $900m.

That is hundreds of millions of dollars more than the $714m DoE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), in the 2019 budget request it released last year, forecast it would seek for the W80-4 life extension in 2020. NNSA has not yet explained why its 2019 estimate was so far off the mark. In the detailed 2020 budget request it released Monday, the semiautonomous DoE agency said it was upping its ask for W80-4 in light of the Weapon Design and Cost Report the agency completed for the weapon in December. The Pentagon is procuring LRSO to replace the 80s-vintage, nuclear-tipped Air Launched Cruise Missile. Boeing [BA], under a contract announced this month, will kit out the B52-H bomber to carry LRSO. The 2018 Nuclear Posture Reviews says the United States will for now maintain 46 nuclear-capable B-52H aircraft. The Air Force has said it plans to buy around 1,000 LRSO missiles. The Air Force plans to deploy the missile in the late 2020s. Meanwhile, the budget for the LRSO itself would rise about seven percent, or almost $50m, if the Defense Department’s 2020 budget request becomes law. Raytheon [RTN] and

Lockheed Martin [LMT] are maturing competing designs for the missile under four-and-a-halfyear contracts awarded in 2017 and worth about $900m each. The extra money the Pentagon is seeking for LRSO for the fiscal year that begins in 2020 would go right into those contracts, according to the Air Force’s detailed 2020 budget justification. Also in 2020, the Air Force plans to “[c]ontinue efforts to conduct parallel development, design, and test activities with the DoE to ensure the LRSO adequately integrates the DoE designed warhead into the system.”

The National Defense Authorization Act for 2019 called on the Pentagon to find some way to speed up development of LRSO, though it is up to the Air Force to decide exactly how. (Source: Defense Daily)

27 Mar 19. The Army is expected to release the final request for proposals on Friday for its Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OFMV), the program to replace its Bradleys, a lead official told reporters here on Wednesday. Brig. Gen. Ross Coffman, director of the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle cross-functional team, confirmed the Army will open its OMFV competition this week after a series of industry engagements to inform requirements, with plans to accept proposals in October and downselect for prototype awards in FY ’20.

“That is the goal, and we are making every effort to get that on the street by the last work day of this quarter,” Coffman told reporters at the AUSA Global Force Symposium. “We want the latest and greatest technology in the hands of our soldiers now, and we’ve written requirements to get them.”

OMFV is the Army’s top future combat vehicle effort, with plans to replace its Bradleys with a new platform designed to move toward more autonomous operations, integrating advanced sensors, eventually incorporating a 50mm cannon and running on fuel cell technology. The Army released a draft RFP in the beginning of February, which clarified plans to begin fielding OMFV in 2026 (Defense Daily, Feb. 1).

Coffman said the draft RFP was “very, very aggressive” and included the Army’s reach goals that were not “attainable in [their] entirety” to push industry to engage with officials on where technology currently stands and help inform requirements.

“We wanted to see, perhaps, what [independent research and dollars] have been put toward technology from different companies, so that they may be able to reach our stretch goals,” Coffman told reporters.

Coffman specifically highlighted discussion with industry on going for 2nd generation FLIR over next-generation 3rd generation as an initial objective requirement, as well as including a threshold requirement for a 30mm cannon with the goal of building in capacity to accept a 50mm capability.

“We really want the 50mm. We think that gives us a marked advantage on the battlefield. But because we’re so fast, industry can absolutely do it, but what do they have today and they have to show us the path to 50mm,” Coffman said.

Discussions with industry also included transportability of the new platform and the goal to meet the CFT’s effort to carry two OMFVs on a C-17 while meeting the entire range of requirements for lethality and survivability.

“In each of those areas, the collective industry has said we can do anything that you’ve asked in this draft RFP individually, but when you put it together we’re not going to be able to meet the transportability of this system,” Coffman said. “If you push the survivability standard so high that you need incredible armor protection, you need incredible height of the vehicle, we’ve had to really sharpen the point on those areas to ensure that it meets the weight that we can move these vehicles wherever in the world we need them with the appropriate assets.” BAE Systems’ CV90, General Dynamics’ [GD] Griffin III and Raytheon’s [RTN] Lynx vehicle developed in partnership with Germany’s Rheinmetall, and an SAIC [SAIC] model based off its offering for the Army’s Mobile Protected Firepower program, have all been proposed as potential options for OMFV. (Source: Defense Daily)

27 Mar 19. ArmyAviation Leader: Time to Choose a Future Long-Range Assault Helicopter. The Army is itching to leave the demonstration phase and in 2019 launch its official competition for a high-speed, long-range UH-60 Black Hawk replacement, according to service aviation officials. If all goes as planned, 2019 could be the year Army aviation zeroes in on a future long-range assault aircraft (FLRAA) that eventually will replace the Black Hawk and see service with both the Navy and Marine Corps as well. There is no specific timeline for choosing an aircraft design or awarding a contract, but the Army is “looking for every opportunity” to speed up acquisition of the new assault rotorcraft, according to Maj. Gen. Walter Rugen, director of the Army’s Future Vertical Lift Cross- Functional Team.

“Really, this is the year for FLRAA, because it’s all kind of culminating,” Rugen said March 27 during a discussion with reporters at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force

Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama. A formal request for proposals for the aircraft spelling out the Army’s requirements is due “shortly” and an analysis of alternatives should be finalized early in the second quarter, which begins April 1.

“It really is the furthest along of any of our efforts,” Rugen said.

With two operational aircraft demonstrators flying — Bell’s [TXT] V-280 Valor advanced tiltrotor celebrated a year of flight in December, while the SB-1 Defiant built by a Sikorsky [LMT]-Boeing [BA] team flew for the first time last week — the Army already has a wealth of data on what futuristic vertical lift technologies are available, Rugen said. That work, done through the Joint Multirole Technology Demonstration (JMR-TD) program, will inform requirements for the FLRAA and should allow speedier-than-usual decision making, Rugen said.

“With FLRAA, we certainly are looking at every opportunity to fully leverage the success of JMR,” he said. “It’s a multi-service program that is Army-led, so it’s a bit more complex. … We have to have OSD allow us to proceed with any opportunities.”

“We do have more work to do once we bridge into the competitive environment to understand and down-select appropriately,” he added. “The competition must be full and open.”

The Army has been granted $20m to continue that work — Karem Aircraft and AVX also are involved — in its fiscal 2020 spending plan and included $75.6m more on its list of unfunded priorities that would “expand” JMR and possibly quicken entry to a FLRAA competition. Once the RFI is published, the Army plans to choose up to three manufacturers to build competitive prototypes. Neither Valor nor Defiant are considered prototypes by the Army, which considers JMR-TD as a learning exercise to determine what vertical lift capabilities industry can provide in the nearterm. Now, Rugen and the Army Aviation Program Executive Office are eager to begin the formal competition, which should be music to industry’s ears as some JMR competitors have voiced concerns that funding for the demonstration could dry up. “Ultimately, we want to get out of this non-competitive technology interface agreement that we’re in with JMR — it’s an S&T effort … and get into a competitive environment,” Rugen said.

“We want to squeeze every bit out of the JMR, leverage it fully, because we view it as very successful.”

Defiant lagged behind Valor in achieving first flight by more than a year, but Rugen said that would not necessarily hamper the SB-1 team’s chances. The Army has collected substantial data on the compound helicopter during its development and also has observed its smaller cousin, the S-97 Raider, in extensive flight test.

“Even though one just flew, we learned a ton on the lead up to that,” he added. “We know a lot about that compound design already. It doesn’t necessarily need to fly as much. With S&T, it’s about knowledge and knowledge points. With JMR, we’ve got the majority of our knowledge across the designs already.”

In total, the Army has $4.7bn programmed over the next five years —$800m in fiscal 2020 — for its Future Vertical Lift effort, which includes the Future Tactical Unmanned Aerial System and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA), both of which are in source selection. FTUAS is envisioned as a replacement for the RQ-7 Shadow drone, which requires more than two C-130s to transport, among other impediments to expeditionary deployment. The Army wants FTUAS and its control station to fit in one Chinook. A competitive fly-off is planned for fiscal 2020.

A selection of up to six FARA proposals is in the offing and should come no later than June, Rugen said. In March 2020, that list will be whittled to two companies that will then build competitive prototypes to participate in a government-sponsored fly-off in 2023. FARA will replace the AH-64 Apache gunships currently filling in for the retired OH-58D Kiowa Warrior on scout recon duty in the Army’s 11 heavy attack recon squadrons, Rugen said. On Capitol Hill this week, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told Senate defense committee members FARA is “a moving target with industry because we want to see prototypes and we want to do a proof of principle on some of the technologies.” (Source: Defense Daily)

26 Mar 19. USCG highlights need for OPCs and polar security cutters. The US Coast Guard (USCG) fiscal year 2020 (FY 2020) budget proposal underscores the importance of the service’s offshore patrol cutter (OPC) and heavy polar security cutter (PSC) acquisition programmes.

“Our planned program of record for 25 OPCs will be the backbone of the Coast Guard’s strategy to project and maintain offshore presence,” Admiral Karl Schultz, USCG commandant, said on 26 March in testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee On Homeland Security.

He also testified, “Last year, we released a request for proposal [RFP] and later this spring we plan to award a detail design and construction [DD&C] contract for the construction of three heavy Polar Security Cutters.” (Source: IHS Jane’s)

27 Mar 19. Navy’s $7.8bn Destroyer Now Due for Delivery 5 Years Late. The first ship in the U.S. Navy’s $23bn program to build a new class of destroyers is scheduled for a September delivery — more than five years later than originally scheduled and 10 years after construction began on the stealthy vessels built by General Dynamics Corp. Delivery plans for the Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyer have been a roller-coaster of changing milestones, most recently moved from May of this year to September, according to budget documents confirmed by a Navy spokeswoman. The ship isn’t expected to have an initial combat capability until September 2021, at least three years later than planned.

The latest delay for the first $7.8bn vessel, designated the DDG-1000, may add to doubts that the Navy can build, outfit and deliver vessels on time and within cost targets. The service is seeking public and congressional support for plans to reach a 355-ship fleet by 2034 from 289 today, a 20-year acceleration over last year’s plan to reach that goal.

“The new information underscores the risks that we have reported on for many years: When the Navy pushes forward on lead ships without realistic cost, schedule and performance expectations, the result is ships that are late, over cost, and incomplete,” Shelby Oakley, the Government Accountability Office’s supervisor for naval systems reviews, said in an email.

The destroyer’s delay may be discussed at a hearing Wednesday of the Senate Armed Services seapower subcommittee.

‘Technologically Advanced’

General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works in Maine began construction on the DDG-1000 in February 2009. The first ship in a class billed by the Navy as “the largest and most technologically advanced surface combatant in the world” arrived at its San Diego home port in December 2016.

Asked about the delays, David Hench, a spokesman for Bath Iron Works, said in an email, “Thanks for reaching out but we won’t be able to help or comment for your story.”

Colleen O’Rourke, a Navy spokeswoman, said the new delivery delay “is driven by a combination of ‘first-of-class’ construction challenges, a limited capacity of labor in specialized fields and the unexpected complexity of completing industrial work” while not disturbing crew quarters.

The program’s procurement cost also keeps increasing — by $160m in fiscal 2020, the 11th straight year of increases that cumulatively total more than $4bn since 2010. The basic cost for procuring the three ships now planned has risen to just over $13.2 bn, according to newly filed budget documents and the Congressional Research Service. The $23bn program also includes about $10 bn in research and development.

The DDG-1000 has a radar-evading stealth design. Raytheon Co. provides the vessel’s combat electronics.

From 32 to 3

The Zumwalt class started out as a 32-ship program with the primary mission of providing gun support to troops and Marines ashore, much like battleships during World War II. The Navy assumed that it would buy 20,000 “Long-Range Land Attack Projectiles” over the program’s life that were to fire 62 nautical miles from its twin 155mm “Advanced Gun Systems” made by BAE Systems Plc.

The program was reduced to just three vessels and the Navy planned to buy 2,400 projectiles — raising the estimated cost for each munition to as much as $566,000, according to the Naval Sea Systems Command.

The price tag contributed to the Navy’s decision in December 2017 to change the destroyer’s mission from shore bombardment to surface warfare against other vessels, aimed with longer-range missiles. The Navy is still searching for options.

So the DDG-1000 will be delivered with its two guns “in an inactive state, pending selection of a suitable and affordable munition,” Navy spokesman William Couch said in an email. The Navy spent $505m on the weapons.

With just three ships, the gun would require a “very expensive bullet” that doesn’t go as far as weapons now planned for a longer strike, Captain Kevin Smith, the destroyer’s program manager, said in an interview. But he said the destroyer can still be “a game-changing warship in the Pacific.”

Despite the latest delay in delivering the finished destroyer, the Navy let the DDG-1000 sail to British Columbia this month to link with the Royal Canadian Navy, according to a Navy press release. That allowed for the crew “to experience the hospitality of the Canadian port, as well as showcase the U.S. Navy’s newest class of destroyers.” (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Bloomberg)

25 Mar 19. US Navy to hold events to seek acquisition solutions from small firms. The US Navy is set to conduct three events next month in Lowell, Massachusetts, to seek acquisition solutions from innovative small businesses and research companies. The outreach events are planned to be held between 08 and 11 April through the Navy’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programmes.

SBIR involves the investment of federal research funds to encourage small businesses to pursue scientific excellence and technological innovation with the potential for commercialisation. The initiative provides the US Navy with innovative technology developed by small firms.

STTR is responsible for transitioning the products developed by both small firms and research institutions to the Navy and Marine Corps.

Both of these programmes are located at the Office of Naval Research.

This year, the events will focus on New England’s regional technology corridor.

Academic institutions, research centres, laboratories and science and defence-focussed companies in the region will have the opportunity to present their solutions.

SBIR director Bob Smith said: “Outreach events like these help foster collaboration to enhance the innovation network and pipeline, and accelerate the delivery of needed technologies to the Navy and Marine Corps.

“It’s part of a new naval effort to deliver capabilities to warfighters faster by expanding relationships with regional technology hubs. This year, New England is the first stop.”

The events include Partnering Summit, Navy Forum for SBIR/STTR Transition (FST) and Accelerated Delivery and Acquisition of Prototype Technologies (ADAPT) Workshop.

At the summit, various stakeholders will gather to discuss naval priorities, share best practices and learn about partnership opportunities with SBIR and STTR.

The Navy FST event is an innovation marketplace conducted every year to match Navy needs with small business-technology solutions.

The ADAPT workshop brings to the table a new approach to match non-traditional small businesses with naval needs. The approach also focusses on quick research-and-development funding.

Attendees will be able to take part in technology briefs on pre-released areas of interest from a Navy shipyard. The half-day workshop will also involve discussion about the proposal process and contracting. (Source: naval-technology.com)

REST OF THE WORLD

29 Mar 19. Global wrap-up: Belgium approved for SkyGuardian RPAS, Morocco orders new F-16s. This global wrap-up provides updates of industry developments across the globe, including new procurement deals, capability introductions and key announcements.

Asia Pacific:

• The People’s Liberation Army Navy and Russian Navy have announced they will conduct a series of naval exercises in late April and early May. Exercises will include naval artillery fire maneuvers against naval and air targets, search and rescue operations and will include Chinese naval aviation and submarines from both Navies.
• The Japanese Ministry of Defense has announced plans to enhance the ASM-3 long-range cruise missile to include an extended range with supersonic speeds to counter the area access denial capabilities of the Chinese Navy and Air Force.
• South Korea has committed to a major upgrade of Camp Humphreys, the major US base outside of Seoul, with Korea expected to foot almost the entire US$10.7bn expansion of the facility.
• The Indonesian Navy’s newest Martadinata-class frigate, the KRI Gusti Ngurah Rai, has commenced patrols around Sulawesi. The Dutch-designed vessel is part of a planned six vessels built at the PT PAL shipyard in Indonesia.
• The Indian Navy has inaugurated the service’s new Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Training Facility at the INS Shivaji naval base. The facility will provide realistic training to naval personnel in detection, protection against, and decontamination of nuclear, biological and chemical agents.
• The Indian Air Force officially accept the first four Boeing CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters with the remaining 11 Chinooks to be delivered progressively by March 2020. The Chinooks will be deployed in the northern and eastern regions of the country, with a focus on supporting military operations in remote locations.

Middle East:

• The Royal Moroccan Air Force has been approved a series of foreign military sales (FMS) by the US Department of State including a US$985.2m deal to upgrade the existing 23 Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft to the F-16V Viper variant. This deal was supported by the approval of a US$3.8bn to secure an additional 25 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 72 aircraft.
• The Israeli Army has signed a US$127m deal with Elbit Systems to develop next-generation artillery cannons over the next 12 years with a focus on improved effectiveness and efficiency, requiring fewer soldiers to operate and costs significantly less to maintain than the current cannons.
• The UAE Army has signed a US$661m deal with Turkish company Otokar Land Systems UAE for the purchase of ARMA 8×8 armoured vehicles.

Europe:

• Belgium has secured a US$600m FMS from the US to acquire four MQ-9B SkyGuardian remotely piloted aircraft. The package includes an Initial Spares Package and Readiness Spares Package to support a five-year period of performance; spare and repair parts; support and test equipment; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; US government and contractor engineering; technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support.
• The Royal Air Force has signed a US$1.89bn deal to acquire a fleet of five Boeing E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control capability to replace the ageing E-3 Sentry fleet.
• The Royal Navy has committed to establishing the Naval Combat Management Centre to support the £1.2bn Type 31e frigate program in partnership with Thales.
• Northrop Grumman secured a US$713m deal to provide Poland with an Integrated Air and Missile Defence Battle Command System for the first phase of Poland’s WISŁA air and missile defence program.
• The German Bundeswehr has issued a tender notice to replace the 70 incumbent Sikorsky CH-53G/GS/GA/GEs with the Boeing CH-47E and Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion “appearing to be appropriate”.
• Airbus has released a new Mission Support System into service to support the Luftwaffe’s fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.
• The Russian Navy is expected to have over 180 warships by 2027 with 15 major warships and 20 logistics support vessels to be delivered in 2019.
• The Russian S-300 and S-400 air and missile defence systems have successfully destroyed eight targets simulating a notional enemy’s cruise and tactical missiles and aircraft at the Ashuluk practice range in the Astrakhan Region in south Russia.

North America:

• QinetiQ North America secured a seven-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, valued up to $164,487,260, for the delivery of small ground robots. It includes a Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) phase worth approximately US$20m over one to two years, followed by a series of annual production releases. QNA has been awarded a US$4,051,837 initial order as part of the LRIP phase.
• Boeing has been awarded a US$250m indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Long Range Stand-Off Cruise Missile weapon system integration. This contract provides for aircraft and missile carriage equipment development and modification, engineering, testing, software development, training, facilities and support necessary to fully integrate the Long Range Stand-Off Cruise Missile on the B-52H bomber platform.
• General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems was awarded a US$58,911,077 modification to procure 120mm M1002 new production cartridges and 120mm M865 recap cartridges for 120mm tank training ammunition.
• Lockheed Martin has been awarded a US$$264,655,025 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract for additional operation and technical services in support of the government of Korea’s F-35 Lightning II program.
• Northrop Grumman secured a US$322.5m cost-plus-incentive-fee contract to provide for the engineering and manufacturing development of the AGM-88G, Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range.

Australia:

• Raytheon Australia announced the development of a A$50m production facility in South Australia and the selection of the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System has been selected for the Australian government’s Short Range Ground Based Air Defence program, known as LAND 19 Phase 7B.
• Australia has announced its commitment to the acquisition of its second Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton remotely piloted aircraft as part of the AIR 7000 program.
• Defence Minister Christopher Pyne and Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds announced that the completion of a major capability upgrade to the Hobart Class Destroyers will allow NUSHIP Sydney to enter into operation one year ahead of schedule.
• Lockheed Martin Australia will be supported by NEC Australia and Calytrix Technologies to provide more simulation-supported training events on a broader scale and ensure that simulation-enabled collective training is conducted in secure and realistic environments as part of JP9711.
• Lendlease secured a A$286m program of works to deliver a series of infrastructure upgrades at Fleet Base East, Garden Island.
• In a first for Australia’s defence industry, CHAMP Private Equity will take a majority stake in Victorian-based Marand Precision Engineering, alongside the defence SME’s founding Ellul family.
• The Royal Australian Navy’s Arafura class offshore patrol vessels reached a major milestone with the first keel successfully constructed on time and on budget at ASC’s Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.  (Source: Defence Connect)

29 Mar 19. Lockheed Martin Australia announces Future Sub R&D grant winners. Lockheed Martin Australia has announced a series of research and development grants to support local academic and industry partners to develop advanced technologies for the $50bn Future Submarine Program.

The R&D seeding grants for an investment in excess of $900,000 will help local academic and industry partners to develop advanced technologies for the Future Submarine Program.

The recipients have been selected after a competitive process, and two recipients attended a ceremony at Lockheed Martin Australia’s state-of-the-art Combat System Laboratory in South Australia to acknowledge their participation in the R&D program.

The program is representative of the long-term, multim-dollar investment in R&D to provide a roadmap for future-proofing the advanced technologies needed to deliver and maintain regional superiority.

Vince Di Pietro, chief executive of Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand, welcomed the announcement, saying: “We are very proud that nine of the 10 organisations selected are Australian SME organisations and universities, and this is an important realisation of Lockheed Martin Australia’s commitment to develop and deliver the Future Submarines as a sovereign capability.”

Under the first phase of the program, Lockheed Martin Australia will be awarding $75,000 seeding grants to these organisations – for a total investment of more than $900,000.

Some organisations have secured multiple grants, with 13 R&D concept papers to be developed. Recipients already under contract include:

• Acacia Research
• L3 Ocean Systems and L3 Oceania
• Flinders University
• The University of Melbourne
• 3D at Depth

The announcement has been welcomed by Flinders University – which has been selected as a research partner for the topic: Identification of novel operational concepts associated with the use of uninhabited and autonomous systems by a submarine.

Professor Colin Stirling, Vice-Chancellor of Flinders University, was elated with the announcement, saying: “I am delighted that Flinders University has been selected by Lockheed Martin Australia to develop advanced technologies for the Future Submarine Program.

“Research and development is an essential element of building sovereign capability. This announcement further demonstrates Flinders University’s growing national and international reputation as a defence industry partner of choice,” he added.

Also in attendance at the LMA announcement were L3 Oceania who had been selected to develop two white papers for the research topics: Methods and technologies to improve communications with and between submarines; and Improving the performance of video communications for use between a submarine and emergency rescue forces.

“We’re very pleased to be selected as an R&D industry partner to Lockheed Martin Australia for the Future Submarine Program. This grant will enable us to explore advanced and innovative technologies to improve communications with above-the-water platforms and between submarines, including the enhancement of video communications for submarines at depth to enable emergency rescue operations,” Scott Elson, sales and marketing director for L3 Oceania, said.

Di Pietro finished by saying, “Initiatives such as our R&D program for the future submarines demonstrates our commitment to work with Australian academia and industry to discover and evolve the best of breed technology not just for Australia but also potentially to a global audience.”

Following a further RFI process, another round of seeding grants are expected to be announced later in 2019. (Source: Defence Connect)

28 Mar 19. Russian Navy to receive 180 naval platforms through 2027. The Russian Navy (VMF) will receive 180 naval vessels under the State Armament Programme for 2018–27, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 27 March. “The service will receive 15 combat platforms, including ships and boats, and 20 logistics vessels this year,” he said. Shoigu also launched discussions of the draft programme to modernise the VMF’s sea bases and moorings. “We have the task of creating modern moorings and infrastructure for the bases of the [Project 885] Yasen-class and [Project 955] Borei-class nuclear-powered submarines, multipurpose blue-water frigates, and ships armed with long-range high-precision weapons,” he said. (Source: IHS Jane’s)

28 Mar 19. India concludes price negotiations to acquire 62 C295 transport aircraft. India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has concluded price negotiations to acquire a total of 62 Airbus Defence and Space C295 medium transport aircraft (MTA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). IAF sources told Jane’s on 28 March that the MoD’s Contract Negotiation Committee (CNC) concluded consultations with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) – which is in a joint venture (JV) with Airbus for the MTA programme – to procure the 62 platforms for around EUR2.8bn (USD3.15bn). They said the aircraft deal – which would include 56 platforms for the IAF to replace the service’s ageing fleet of Avro 748M transports, and six for the ICG – is expected to be signed after a new Indian government assumes office following general elections set to begin on 11 April. The MTA programme envisages the direct import of 16 C295s and the local assembly/licence-building of the remaining 46 aircraft at a facility set up by the JV near Bangalore. In keeping with the 2013 MTA tender, 24 of these will be imported in kit form for local assembly and include a 30% indigenous content. The level of indigenous content is then expected to double to 60% in the remaining 22 platforms.

Delivery of the first locally assembled C295 is expected to begin within 60 months of the contract being signed, industry sources said.

Senior IAF officers said that while the IAF’s C295 version will fulfil its requirement for a tactical airlifter, the ICG variant is expected to operate as a multimission maritime aircraft. (Source: IHS Jane’s)

28 Mar 19. Business Continues to Grow as LIMA 2019 Sees RM4b in Deals Inked. More than RM4bn in deals have been struck during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition 2019 (Lima’19). It represents a slight increase from the previous edition two years ago at RM3.8bn. The vast majority of the deals involved the government, in particular the Defence and Transport ministries. A total of RM3.67bn worth of procurement contracts were signed in a ceremony today, a large amount of which was for the purpose of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for existing strategic defence assets.

The contracts signed were with:

— Global Komited Sdn Bhd for the supply, delivery and commission of Starstreak Air Defence System;

— Boustead DCNS Naval Corporation Sdn Bhd for the refit of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s two Prime Minister class submarines;

— Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace for the provision of surface-to-surface missile launching systems and related services for the RMN’s second-generation patrol vessels with littoral combat ship capability; and

— Kongsberg again for the supply of the missiles. (Source: defense-aerospace.com/The New Straits Times)

28 Mar 19. Defence Industry Minister announces new participation plan. Minister for Defence Industry Linda Reynolds has officially launched the next stage of the government’s long-term plan to support the development of Australia’s defence industry. Announcing the policy at the successful defence industry small business Blacktree Technology in Belmont, Western Australia, Minister Reynolds said Defence was focused on providing the best capability possible to the service men and women who serve our nation while also maximising opportunities for competitive Australian industry participation at a national and local level.

The policy builds on the success of the government’s Australian Industry Capability Program and Local Industry Capability Plan initiative but extends the requirement to consider opportunities for Australian industry to all Defence procurements of $4m and above ($7.5m for construction).

Minister Reynolds said the launch of the policy represents the next step in the government’s ambitious and multifaceted defence industry policy agenda.

“The policy will make it easier for any business – particularly small to medium enterprises – to compete for Defence work by providing a consistent approach to consideration of Australian industry in Defence procurement.”

The 2019 Defence Policy for Industry Participation will provide more opportunity for Australian companies to compete for work with Defence, and represents the next step in the Australian government’s multifaceted Defence industry policy agenda.

“The government recognises there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to Defence procurement, and the application of the policy needs to be pragmatic and flexible,” Minister Reynolds added.

The policy provides a more consistent approach to the consideration of Australian industry at the national and local levels across Defence procurement. This will assist in addressing the requirements to consider the broader economic benefits of such procurements under the Commonwealth Procurement Rules.

Minister Reynolds explained, “This is a truly national endeavour. We are relying on businesses all over Australia, large and small, to help us meet the needs of the Australian Defence Force, today and into the future. This new policy supports the government’s long-term vision for an Australian industry that is positioned to meet Defence’s requirements and generate economic growth and greater employment across Australia.”

Defence will apply the requirements of the policy through a staged implementation process over 2019 to both new projects and new phases of existing projects. This will provide industry with time to become familiar with, and prepare for, the new requirements. (Source: Defence Connect)

25 Mar 19. Morocco cleared for massive F-16 fighter buy. The U.S. State Department has cleared Morocco for a major increase to its F-16 fleet, including both sales of new planes and upgrades to older models. The two potential deals cover the purchase of 25 F-16C/D Block 72 fighters, estimated at $3.787bn, as well as upgrades to the country’s existing 23 F‑16s to the more advanced F‑16V Block 52+ configuration, estimated at $985.2m. Combined, the two sales could net American contractors roughly $4.8bn. The new F-16 request represents the single largest notification of fiscal 2019. It is also the second largest purchase requested by Morocco, which in November requested new Abrams tanks. In addition to the 25 new jets, the larger package includes 29 Pratt & Whitney F100-229 engines; 26 APG-83 active electronically scanned array radars; 26 modular mission computers; 26 Link 16 systems; 40 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems; 30 M61 Al Vulcan 20mm guns; 40 AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles; 50 GBU-49 bombs; 60 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs; and assorted other equipment. The upgrade package includes much of the same equipment, with similar quantities of AESA radars, Link 16 systems and weapons. The configuration improves the radars and avionics on the older jets.

Per the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the potential sales “will improve interoperability with the United States and other regional allies and enhance Morocco’s ability to undertake coalition operations, as it has done in the past in flying sorties against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Morocco already operates an F‑16 fleet and will have no difficulty absorbing this aircraft and services into its armed forces.”

Work will be performed primarily by Lockheed Martin, and any industrial offsets “will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor.” As with all DSCA announcements, the sale must pass through the Senate, at which point negotiations can begin; total quantities and dollar totals often change from the original DSCA announcement and final sale. (Source: Defense News)

26 Mar 19. Destroyer upgrade to maintain Osborne industry capabilities. Australian Defence Minister Christopher Pyne and Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds have announced that the completion of a major capability upgrade to the Hobart Class Destroyers will allow NUSHIP Sydney to enter into operation one year ahead of schedule.

Minister Pyne said Defence was able to streamline a technical upgrade to the third ship of the Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyer during its build at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia and fast-track its operational schedule.

“Structural modifications to accommodate the MH-60R ‘Romeo’ helicopter into the Hobart Class were planned to be completed after operational acceptance trials, but an opportunity was identified to bring the aviation upgrade forward,” Minister Pyne said.

The ship, alongside HMA Ships Hobart and Brisbane, will primarily provide air defence for accompanying ships, in addition to land forces and infrastructure in coastal areas.

Australia’s Hobart Class guided missile destroyers (DDG) are based on Navantia’s F100 Alvaro De Bazan Class of frigates and incorporate the Lockheed Martin Aegis combat management system with Australian-specific equipment to ensure that the RAN is capable of defending Australia and its national interests well into the next two decades.

The Hobart Class’ Spanish counterparts entered service with the Spanish Navy beginning in the early 2000s, working alongside key NATO and US maritime assets.

Minister Pyne added, “The upgrade to the ship’s infrastructure to support the Romeo, the Royal Australian Navy’s next-generation maritime combat helicopter, will make it Australia’s most advanced warship.”

The Hobart Class Combat System is built around the Aegis Weapon System, incorporating the state-of-the-art phased array radar, AN/SPY 1D(V), will provide an advanced air defence system capable of engaging enemy aircraft and missiles at ranges in excess of 150 kilometres.

Minister Reynolds said carrying out the aviation upgrade during the ship’s build presents significant value for money.

“The opportunity for the AWD Alliance to complete the work while the ship is still in-build is testament to the skill and efficiency of the 400-strong shipbuilding workforce at Osborne,” Minister Reynolds explained.

The MH-60R Seahawk is the RAN’s next-generation submarine hunter and anti-surface warfare helicopter and will form a very important part of its operations for years to come.

The MH-60R is equipped with a highly sophisticated combat system designed to employ Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and the Mark 54 anti-submarine torpedo. The primary missions of the ‘Romeo’ helicopter is anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare. Secondary missions include search and rescue, logistics support, personnel transport and medical evacuation.

“It will deliver operational capability to the Royal Australian Navy 12 months ahead of schedule and is another way in which the Australian government is strengthening Defence capability and assuring jobs for Australians,” Minister Reynolds said.

NUSHIP Sydney is part of the largest regeneration of the RAN since the Second World War. It complements the $90bn commitment in the 2016 Defence White Paper to further enhance Navy’s capabilities with the Arafura Class offshore patrol vessels, the Hunter Class frigates, and 12 regionally superior submarines, the Attack Class, all to be built in Australia, by Australian workers. The MH-60R and its mission systems replaced the fleet’s S-70B-2 Seahawk aircraft, which retired from service on 1 December 2017. The Australian government approved the acquisition of 24 MH-60R Seahawk ‘Romeo’ naval combat helicopters at a cost of over $3bn. The helicopters are largely military off-the-shelf built by Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin and were acquired through the foreign military sales process from the US Navy. (Source: Defence Connect)

25 Mar 19. General Atomics pursues Reaper opportunity in Malaysia. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) is positioning its MQ-9 Reaper medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to meet a requirement in Malaysia to boost maritime surveillance capability. Terry Kraft, GA-ASI’s regional vice-president for international strategic development in Southeast Asia, told Jane’s that the company is in “ongoing discussions” with the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) about a possible programme. Speaking ahead of the 2019 Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition in Malaysia, which commences on 26 March, Kraftsaid the Malaysian government has asked for a total of “nine aircraft” but did not elaborate. He added that GA-ASI is offering Malaysia the MQ-9A Guardian and MQ-9B SeaGuardian variants of the system. (Source: IHS Jane’s)

22 Mar 19. Indian MoD approves INR2.5bn worth of procurements. India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) approved procurements and projects worth INR2.5bn (USD36.4m) for the Indian armed forces on 20 March. Official sources said the bulk of the allocation by the MoD’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), which is headed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, included the purchase of a million multimode hand grenades for the army. Developed by India’s state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation, these grenades are to be manufactured by local private-sector companies. The remaining funds will be assigned for the modernisation of the Indian Navy aircraft yards and bases on India’s western seaboard. (Source: IHS Jane’s)

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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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