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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
22 Aug 19. UK MoD Further Details Interim Anti-Ship Missile Need Through Contract Notice. In a recent announcement, the UK Ministry of Defence Torpedoes, Tomahawk and Harpoon (TTH) Project Team further detailed its requirement to implement an interim surface to surface guided weapon to replace the existing Harpoon missile. This follows a prior information notice (PIN) issued by the same TTH project team in March, as reported by Naval News. A major new requirement emerged however with the contract notice issued on August 19 compared to the PIN: A terrain following precision maritime land attack capability.
The TTH project team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, hereafter referred to as the authority, has a requirement for the provision and introduction into service of the I-SSGW system as an interim replacement for the existing system that is going out of service.
The I-SSGW is to provide a ship launched over the horizon precision anti-ship capability and a terrain following precision maritime land attack capability.
It is anticipated that the I-SSGW capability will operate on X 5 Type 23 (Towed Array) frigates capable of concurrent Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and Anti Surface Warfare (ASuW) operations in protection of a formed Maritime Tasking Group, for a 10-year period.
UK Ministry of Defence, Weapons, Torpedoes, Tomahawk and Harpoon (TTH) Project Team’s contract notice issued August 19, 2019.
The «terrain following precision maritime land attack capability » virtually disqualifies a number of anti-ship missiles avaiable off the shelf, including Boeing’s Harpoon, South Korea’s C-STAR or MBDA’s Exocet. These three missiles only feature a limited way-point guidance capability and limited coastal (shore based) target capability. But they lack the, now key, terrain following capability.
With this new requirement in mind, likely remaining bidders for the the SSGW requirement include Lockheed Martin with the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), Kongsberg with the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) and Saab’s RBS15 Mk4 , three anti-ship missiles of the latest generation. It is not clear whether Turkey’s Atmaca or Israel’s Gabriel V anti-ship missiles feature terrain following capability but this seems unlikely.
According to the contract notice, the I-SSGW solution is set to fill a gap for a 10-year period. First delivery of the ship installed equipment would be required by December 2022 and first delivery of missiles would be required by December 2023. The potential contract will be for 4 years, with the potential of option years to follow (up to 9 more years). This should answer the Royal Navy’s needs until the early 2030’s and the implementation of the UK-French FC/ASW missile program.
Following the Lancaster House agreement of 2010, France and the United Kingdom launched in 2017 a joint program with the goal to replace their cruise and anti-ship missiles circa 2030. (Source: News Now/https://www.navalnews.com)
EUROPE
22 Aug 19. Czechs pick Bell for $622m army helicopter deal. The Czech Republic will buy 12 military helicopters from U.S. maker Bell in a deal priced at 14.5bn crowns ($622m), Defence Minister Lubomir Metnar said on Thursday. The Czech Republic, a NATO member, has pledged to raise defence spending to 1.4% of gross domestic product in 2021 and 2% by 2024, from 1.2% this year. The deal includes the utility Venom aircraft and the attack Viper aircraft, which share most of their parts. Bell is a unit of Textron. The Czech Army was choosing between Bell and Lockeed Martin’s Sikorsky in the deal which also includes weaponry and ammunition shipments.
“It will be eight Venoms and four Vipers,” Metnar told reporters on a trip to a military base, in remarks broadcast on Czech Television.
News agency CTK said Metnar expected to sign a contract by the end of the year and delivery was due in 2023. The country’s defence spending plan includes accelerated replacement of Soviet-era equipment. In the largest tender announced so far, worth an estimated $2bn, the army is also choosing the supplier of 210 infantry fighting vehicles. Czech troops are currently deployed in several missions abroad, including in Afghanistan. (Source: Reuters)
22 Aug 19. Portuguese Army Requires Small UAS. The Portuguese Army is looking to acquire additional NATO Class 1 (under 150 kg) hand-launched unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to enhance tactical situational awareness of its troops. The Force Planning Division at the Army High-Staff has initiated a study with the aim to acquire mini fixed-wing UAS weighing less than 15 kg, up to 5,000 ft operating altitude above ground level (AGL), and maximum 50 km line-of-sight (LOS) range, as well as rotary-wing micro-UAS systems with less than 66 joules energy state, up to 200 ft operating altitude AGL, and a maximum 5 km LOS range. The study is scheduled to be finalised in 2020, the Force Planning Division told Jane’s. (Source: UAS VISION/Jane’s 360)
20 Aug 19. French Army seeks new utility trucks. After production began for the VT4 4×4 light tactical vehicle (LTV) for the French Army at Arquus’s facility in Saint Nazaire, the French Direction generale de l’armement (DGA) is expected to issue a request for proposals (RFP) later in 2019 for a new fleet of tactical military vehicles (TMVs) at the higher end of the load carrying spectrum, as well as more specialised models. According to French industry sources, up to 7,700 trucks are expected to be procured in three basic configurations to potentially replace some currently deployed vehicles. DGA issued a request for information (RFI) in 2018 for the procurement. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
14 Aug 19. Bulgaria makes F-16 payment. The Bulgarian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on its website on 12 August that it had transferred USD1.2bn to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 8 August for the procurement of F-16 Block 70 combat aircraft.
The ministry said the DSCA’s confirmation of receipt marks the related contracts’ entry into force and the beginning of their implementation. The contracts, which cover the US Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of eight F-16 Block 70 fighters and related equipment, maintenance, and services to Bulgaria, were signed by Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov on 11 July and approved by parliament on 19 July. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
USA
22 Aug 19. US Army warns that FARA, FLRAA at risk if service cannot end Chinook Block 2 programme. Key Points:
- A US Army official warns that the acquisition of next-generation rotorcraft is at risk if the service is not allowed to cancel the Chinook Block 2 programme
- Cancelling the Chinook Block 2 effort is a small move compared with the larger budget reprioritisation that will take place in future years
The US Army’s acquisition of new attack reconnaissance and long-range assault helicopters will be at risk if Congress does not let the service end the Boeing CH-47F Block 2 Chinook heavy lift helicopter programme, according to Acting US Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy.
“It would give us a hard time to finance our ambition,” he told reporters on 20 August.
The US Army had proposed in its fiscal year 2020 (FY 2020) budget request to end the Chinook Block 2 acquisition to focus on new priorities, including the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) aircraft. Of the five FVL aircraft, the army wants to first procure the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) and the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA).
McCarthy left open the possibility of buying Chinooks in the future, despite wanting to end the Block 2 programme. He said by halting the programme now and maintaining a robust supply chain due to a large number of Foreign Military Sale (FMS) orders, the army could “turn something like that back on” if it had to make an adjustment. McCarthy noted that the Chinook helicopter is the youngest in the US Army’s helicopter fleet.
“That is why we are working very hard with Congress for them to clearly understand the investments we are going to make because we are bringing on two new helicopters,” McCarthy said. “That will be expensive and it will be hard.” (Source: IHS Jane’s)
16 Aug 19. US Air Force seeks information on sUAS supply chain investment roadmap.
Key Points:
- The US Air Force seeks information on creating financial incentives to shore up the US small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) supply chain
- The US sUAS industrial base has not been able to successfully compete with dominant foreign competition
The US Air Force (USAF) seeks information from industry to help formulate an investment roadmap to create commercial solutions for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) and their components that support the development and integration of a common system architecture. The domestic sUAS industrial base and innovation ecosystem have not been able to successfully compete with dominant foreign competition, according to a 9 August request for information (RFI) posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
16 Aug 19. MDA issues RfI for THAAD ‘Advanced Capability Development.’ The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has issued a request for information (RfI) for continued development of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) globally transportable, rapidly deployable ballistic missile defence weapon system.
According to a Sources Sought notification released on 11 August, the MDA THAAD Project Office “is conducting market research to determine industry interest and capability to provide development, support flight and ground test programs, and provide responsive support to requirements identified by the Warfighter for the fielded THAAD Weapon System. This includes the THAAD Launcher, THAAD Fire Control and Communications, the Interceptor, Peculiar Support Equipment, and the integration and testing of all these THAAD Components into an Element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System, to include Multinational Systems.” (Source: IHS Jane’s)
REST OF THE WORLD
21 Aug 19. Japan’s Domestic Stealth Fighter Sought As F-2’s Successor. The fiscal 2020 national budget is likely to include funding to develop a successor to the Air Self-Defense Force’s F-2 fighter, multiple government sources said. The goal is for Japan to lead the development process, which at present is estimated to cost at least ¥1.5trn ($14bin). The government wants the new fighter to be ready by the mid-2030s, when phaseout of the F-2 is scheduled to begin. With deterring China’s increasing aggressiveness at sea a major concern, the leading proposal within the government is for the successor jet to be the first domestically produced stealth fighter and be equipped with advanced air combat capabilities. Another proposal is to equip the fighter with long-range cruise missiles and robust anti-ship capabilities in addition to the advanced air combat capabilities. Plans are proceeding based on an assumption that the ASDF would receive about 90 of the new fighters, similar to its current F-2 force. The development costs are expected to be listed as a “required item” in the budgetary request. Yen amounts are not disclosed for such items. The fighter’s concept is expected to be finalized and its cost calculated before work on the next fiscal year’s budget begins at the end of this year. The government believes that because of factors such as the high cost and the need for systems that can share information with the U.S. military, it will be difficult for the fighter to be wholly domestically produced. Some foreign technology is expected to be included.
Click here for the full story, on The Japan News website https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005952820 (Source: defense-aerospace.com/ The Yomiuri Shimbun)
16 Aug 19. DK “Ukroboronprom” winner of An-178 tender. DK “Ukroboronprom” was the winner of the tender announced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Peru for the purchase of a certain number of military transport aircraft. As a result, the Ukrainian transporter An-178 will replace our same An-32B in this Latin American country. This was announced by the General Director of DK Ukroboronprom Pavel Bukin.
According to him, in the Peruvian tender Ukrainian An-178 won the C-27 Spartan (USA-Italy) and C-295 (Airbus).
“Peru can be the first export ground for a new aircraft created at Antonov. In our case, both the professionalism and perseverance of the contractors of Ukroboronprom and the legendary reliability of the Antonov brand played out,” Bukin said.
According to him, the tender was carried out by the state-owned enterprise SPZTECHNOEXPORT, which is a part of the state concern. In the competition, which evaluated performance, delivery times, extended warranties, personnel training, social and production preferences, the An-178 outpaced all competitors. The multipurpose An-178 transport aircraft was developed at Antonov, which is part of Ukroboronprom. About 200 companies from 15 countries are involved in production cooperation under the AN-178 program. The AN-178 is a further development of the AN-148 / AN-158 family of regional jet aircraft. Its altitude – 12 km, range – 5500 km, top speed – 825 km / h. The aircraft has a modified fuselage shape, a ramp for loading and unloading oversized cargo and is capable of carrying up to 18 tons of cargo, including heavy-duty offshore containers. The aircraft can [land] and take off from any aerodrome, including [dirt strips]. The AN-178 made its first flight on May 7, 2015 and is in the process of certification. In July 2018, Ukroboronprom presented the An-178 at the Farnborough Airshow International Aerospace Show where the aircraft performed a demonstration flight.
(defense-aerospace.com Aerospace.com EDITOR’S NOTE: The tender won by Ukraine covers a single An-178 intended to replace an An-32B being retired by the Peruvian police. It is however suggested that the Peruvian air force could also replace its remaining An-32s with the An-178. The selection process was managed by Peru’s Committee for the Evaluation of Foreign State Contracting (CECEE), according to the Spanish website Defense.com, which evaluated three competitors. All three aircraft were offered by their respective governments. The committee awarded 80.02 points to the An-178, which won, and was followed by the Leonardo C-27J Spartan with 66.22 points and the Airbus C-295M with 58.60 points. The An-178 and C-27J were both offered at a unit price of $65m, Defesa.com reported, with the C-295M priced at $55m.)
(Source: defense-aerospace.com Ukroboronprom)(Unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com)
20 Aug 19. Global wrap-up: Japan confirms F-35B plans, Germany begins acquisition of future fleet oiler. This global wrap-up provides updates of industry developments across the globe, including new procurement deals, capability introductions and key announcements.
Asia-Pacific:
- The Japanese Ministry of Defense has officially confirmed its decision to acquire a fleet of 42 F-35B Joint Strike Fighter aircraft with a reported unit cost of US$130m per air frame – it is expected that aircraft will operate from the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s two Izumo Class vessels, the Izumo and Kaga.
- Boeing has started upgrade work on the first of the Japanese Air Self-Defence Force’s four E-767 airborne early warning aircraft – the project is to be managed by the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Centerat Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts. The upgrade provides an improved mission computer and other systems to the four E-767s and their associated ground equipment. Work is being conducted at the Kelly Field Annex, formerly the San Antonio Air Logistics Center, at Lackland AFB and is due to be completed by the end of 2022.
- The Royal Thai Navy has launched the second of its Krabi Class offshore patrol vessels. The ship, which will be in service as HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan (552) once commissioned, underwent its ceremonial launch at the RTN’s Mahidol Adulyadej Naval Dockyard in Sattahip, Chonburi. Like Krabi, Prachuap Khiri Khan was built by state-owned Bangkok Dock under a technology-transfer agreement signed with BAE Systems. It was laid down in June 2017 and first took to the water in late August 2018.
- The People’s Liberation Army Air Force has welcomed an updated variant of the Xian JH-7 fighter-bomber into service – the new aircraft is a two-seat, twin-engine aircraft that entered service with the PLANAF and the PLAAF in 2004. The original JH-7 first flew in 1988. A key role of this aircraft type, which is capable of carrying four anti-ship missiles along with other external stores, is maritime strike.
- China’s state media has confirmed the first operational tasking of a Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-20 fifth-generation fighter aircraft, with aircraft 62001 based along with three other aircraft based at Wuhu Air Base as part of the PLAAF’s 9th Air Brigade, replacing the unit’s Su-30MKK.
- The Indian Ministry of Defence has approved the acquisition of BrahMos missile batteries for Next Generation Maritime Mobile Coastal Batteries (NGMMCBs) – the contract for an undisclosed number of NGMMCBs fitted with the BrahMos surface-to-surface supersonic cruise missile would be deployed along India’s coastline, but did not elaborate on the precise location.
- The Indian Air Force officially took delivery of its second batch of AH-64E(I) Apache Guardian attack helicopters – the four twin-engined rotorcraft, which are part of a US$2.02bn order placed by the service for 22 of these platforms in 2015, were flown from the US to India aboard an Antonov An-124 ‘Condor’ strategic airlifter and have joined an equal number of Apache Guardians that were similarly delivered to the same location on 27 July.
Europe:
- The German Navy has identified plans for the acquisition of its next-generation Type 707 Fleet Oilers – the two vessels will have a length of 170 metres, with an increased capacity, being able to carry 15,000 cubic metres of fuel. An option for the embarkation of up to 20 containers is also included. The new fleet tankers will also have a civilian crew. However, the size of the crew will decrease from 42 to around 20 people. The two double-hull tanker vessels type 707 are planned to stay in service with the German Navy fleet beyond the 2050s.
- The German Navy has selected the NHIndustries NH90 NATO Frigate Helicopter to replace its fleet of ageing Westland Mk 88A Sea Lynx anti-submarine warfare/anti-surface warfare (ASW/ASuW) helicopters. Having previously selected the German-specific Sea Lion variant of the NH90 NFH to replace its Westland Mk 41 Sea King maritime helicopter, the German Navy is to now receive a German version of the French NFH Caiman, named Multi-Role Frigate Helicopter (MRFH).
- The first roadworthy prototypes of the French Army’s new 4×4 Vehicule Blinde Multi-Role – Light (VBMR-L) Serval armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) are now undergoing performance trials and more prototypes are slated for delivery later this year. Serval will have a combat weight of 17 tonnes and, in addition to its crew of two, will carry eight dismounts. One of the dismounts will operate the roof-mounted remote weapon station (RWS) armed with a stabilised machine gun (MG).
- The Russian Navy has officially welcomed the first-in-class Project 20385 corvette Gremyashchiy to service at the Russia’s Navy Day parade in St Petersburg. The corvette represents a further development of the Project 20380 Steregushchiy Class, from which the Gremyashchiy’s sensors, communications, and fire control systems are not thought to be significantly different, if at all. The key difference is in the Project 20385’s missile armament. Gremyashchiy is fitted with the latest iteration of the Agat Concern’s 3S14 modular VLS and 16-cell Redut SAM VLS.
- BAE Systems has cut steel for the second Type 26 Global Combat Ship, HMS Cardiff, as progress on Australia’s own Hunter Class program continues to gather pace and learn from the experience of the British program.
- Industry teams led by Blue Bear Systems Research, Boeing Defence UK, and Callen-Lenz have been awarded contracts by the UK Royal Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office to complete the preliminary design of a low-cost unmanned combat aircraft that can operate alongside manned fast jets as part of future air power mix.
North America:
- Raytheon has received a US$199m contract from the US Navy for the Mk 15 Phalanx close-in weapons system (CIWS) upgrades – the contract covers Phalanx weapon systems upgrades and conversions, system overhauls and associated hardware. Fast-reaction, 20mm gun weapon system provides ships of the US Navy with an inner layer point defence capability against anti-ship missiles (ASM), aircraft and littoral warfare threats that have penetrated other fleet defences. Phalanx automatically detects, evaluates, tracks, engages and performs kill assessment against ASM and high speed aircraft threats. This contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to US$367.2m.
- The US Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin a US$56m cost-plus-incentive fee, cost-only, firm-fixed-price contract on 15 August for combat system engineering support on the Ship Self-Defense System (SSDS). Under the contract, the SSDS combat system engineering agent and software design agent primary deliverables will be SSDS tactical computer programs, program updates and associated engineering, development and logistics products.
- Work on the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) propulsion plant has been completed as the US Navy confirmed the Ford Class Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) system received the green light to recover all “props and jets” aircraft, according to the Aircraft Recovery Bulletin (ARB).
- A detachment of US Air Force F-35A Lightnings has carried out the first deployment of the stealth aircraft to a temporary operating site in the Middle East, US Air Forces Central Command (AFCENT) – the F-35As from the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (EFS) and support personnel from the 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron relocated from Al-Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates to an “undisclosed location in south-west Asia” for Exercise ‘Agile Lightning’.
- The US Marines in the I and III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) will begin receiving Oshkosh Defense’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) by the end of September after the service announced that the vehicle is ready to deploy and support operations abroad. On 2 August, the US Marine Corps (USMC) deemed that the Humvee replacement effort had reached initial operational capability (IOC), according to a recent announcement.
- Leonardo has been awarded a contract to provide its active electronically scanned array (AESA) PicoSAR ground moving target indication/synthetic aperture radars (GMTI/SARs) for new intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) drones for the Canadian Armed Forces. QinetiQ has been awarded a C$51m contract earlier this month to supply drones to the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Special Operations Forces Command to enhance the forces’ situational awareness and deliver ISTAR services.
- Thales has subcontracted two Canadian companies to provide technologies for the Royal Canadian Navy’s Joint Support Ship acquisition. The French company is a tier one supplier for the program under prime Seaspan Shipyards, and is responsible for the system integration of electronics systems for the vessels, including the communications, control and monitoring systems.
Australia:
- Cubic Defence Australia and New Zealand will be responsible for delivering a new simulation-enabled collective training capability to better prepare soldiers for chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear defence (CBRND) missions.
- Lockheed Martin Australia has announced a second round of research and development request for quotesfor industry and academic organisations to develop advanced technologies in support of Australia’s Attack Class submarine fleet.
- BAE Systems Australia has committed to deliver a cutting-edge aerospace, space and innovation research and development facility as part of a university and advanced manufacturing precinct being delivered at the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.
- Birdon Group, headquartered in Port Macquarie, has announced that its US subsidiary, Birdon America Inc, has been awarded two new contracts worth up to US$390m.
- Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price has welcomed the first contract to be awarded as part of the Commonwealth government’s Defence Export Facility to help small defence businesses get ahead in a competitive global market.
- Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan and Minister for Defence Issues Paul Papalia have responded to two studies into the Collins Class submarine full-cycle docking maintenance program, which have found significant strategic and economic benefits of moving this work to Western Australia.
- Minister Price has announced $12.4m worth of grants for small businesses that contribute to the development of Australia’s defence industry capability.
- Industry and Defence have been credited for their teamwork to upgrade the ageing fleet of Tactical Air Defence Radar Systems (TADRS). (Source: Defence Connect)
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