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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
04 Sep 19. Babcock poised as winning bidder for Type 31e? Sources close to BATTLESPACE suggest that Babcock’s design for the Type 31e frigate will be selected as the Preferred Design as early as Wednesday next week, during DSEI. The other teams bidding were Atlas Elektronik UK, and BAE Systems. All teams were each awarded competitive design phase contracts, worth GBP5m (USD6.37m) apiece, to mature their candidate design, build strategy, and commercial proposals over a seven-month period. Bids for the design and build phase were received by DE&S on 24 June. Forming the centrepiece of the government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, the Type 31e programme calls for the acquisition of a class of five globally deployable general-purpose frigates geared towards forward-deployed maritime security, presence, and defence engagement operations. Babcock had selected Harland & Wolf and Ferguson Marine as partner yards for its bid, however both of these are in doubt with Harland 7 Wolf in receivership and Ferguson having been nationalised by the Scottish Government. One pall hanging over all naval shipbuilding bids and other areas of high tech engineering is the looming lack of expertise in such areas as heavy electrical engineering in nuclear and non-nuclear projects. This should have been addressed by the government at least five years ago.
05 Sep 19. UK DASA launches Phase I of military waste recycling competition. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has invited companies to pitch innovative ideas to help with the recycling of military waste, oils, fuel and other liquid chemicals. The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) has called for proposals for novel approaches to enable the development of a Bioprocessing Prototype System across MoD sites. The prototype should have the potential for further development into a permanent system. The idea is to convert military waste obtained from MoD sites into reusable by-products. Through the competition, the ministry wants to have its own waste management mechanism by establishing bio processors at its sites. The approach will do away with the existing setup of disposing of military waste by external companies and yield cost benefits.
In a statement, DASA said: “DASA seeks proposals that can develop a bioprocessing system capable of breaking down waste materials into reusable products, for example, water which can be reintroduced into the water course or reused on-site, CO₂ to be captured and reused in innovative ways, and the residue organic matter which could be used as fertiliser.”
The competition is open to academics, small and medium-sized enterprises and larger companies. Under the first phase of the military waste recycling competition, DASA will provide funding of around £1m for up to five proof-of-concept (prototype) solutions. Later phases of the competition will unlock additional funding. DASA will conduct an Industry Day event at RAF Brize Norton on 1 October to brief the industry about the problem space and gather feedback. Interested companies can submit ideas by 30 October. Bidders should submit proposals focused on the development of an energy-powered bioprocessing system to break down the waste. Other focus areas include the development of microbe mixes and identifying the recycling potential of by-products for reuse. (Source: army-technology.com)
EUROPE
04 Sep 19. Poland asks US for anti-tank missiles, military transport planes. Poland has filed two letters of request to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency to acquire FGM-148 Javelin man-portable anti-tank missile systems and five Lockheed Martin-made C-130H Hercules transport aircraft, according to Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak. The announcement was made at the MSPO defense industry show, where Blaszczak took part in the official signing ceremony for the two letters on Sept. 3. Under the plan, Poland is to acquire 60 launchers and about 185 missiles. The gear would be supplied to the country’s Territorial Defence Forces. The Javelin is made by a joint venture formed by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. Should Poland acquire the five C-130Hs it’s seeking, the aircraft would be handed over to the Air Force under the excess defense articles procedure. That procedure allows gear that is declared as excess by the U.S. military to go to allied countries as a grant or at a reduced price. The Polish Air Force currently operates five Hercules C-130E aircraft. (Source: Defense News)
04 Sep 19. With $414m helicopter deal inked, Leonardo preps for another sale to Poland. Following Leonardo’s deal in April with Poland under which the country ordered four AW101 helicopters, the company aims to secure a deal for the supply of AW249 helicopters under the country’s much-awaited combat helicopter tender.
The Italian firm’s AW101 deal is worth about 1.65bn zloty (U.S. $414.65m), and it hopes its manufacturing presence in Poland, where it operates a facility in Swidnik, will give it an advantage toward obtaining a larger contract for combat helos, which would be purchased under the Kruk (Crow) program.
“We’re committed to delivering the ordered AW101s in 2022, and we’re considering the possibility of expanding the contract by further helicopters for the Polish Navy,” Marco Lupu, the president of local subsidiary Leonardo Poland, told Defense News at the MSPO defense industry show.
“For the Kruk program, we’d like to offer the AW249. [Its development] was funded by the Italian Ministry of Defence to replace the A129 Mangusta. It’s expected to have its first flight in 2020 to 2021, and reach full operational capacity by 2025,” Lupu added.
Under the Polish Defence Ministry’s technical modernization program, the country’s Air Force is to acquire an estimated 32 combat helos in the coming years. The first squadron of aircraft is expected to be delivered by 2026.
Earlier this year, the ministry inked a deal to acquire four S-70i Black Hawk helos from Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky for the Polish special forces.
In 2015, the government decided to order 50 H225M Caracal helicopters from Airbus, but the contract was canceled the following year after a change of government leadership. (Source: Defense News)
04 Sep 19. Saab, Diehl Defence team up to offer missiles to Romanian, Bulgarian navies. As Romania and Bulgaria intensify efforts to boost their capabilities in the Black Sea, Swedish company Saab and its German partner Diehl Defence are teaming up to offer systems in the countries’ two missile tenders.
In March, Romania’s Ministry of Defence announced the final phase of its €137m (U.S. $150m) tender to acquire anti-ship missile systems. The missiles are to be deployed along the country’s Black Sea shore as a response to Russia’s increased military activities in the region. Other industry players invited to bid for the tender include MBDA, Boeing and Kongsberg.
“We have received tender documentation in Romania, and we are offering the RBS15 missile,” Björn Bengtsson, the director of business management for missile systems at Saab, told Defense News at the MSPO defense industry show. “Romania is seeking ship-loaded missiles and coastal defense missiles. Bulgaria is also seeking ship-loaded missiles for its Navy, but this program is at an earlier stage.”
Bengtsson said Diehl Defence is the leading entity in both tenders.
“Our product offers a coastal missile battery with a long range. It has an all-weather capability and a robust navigation system. Finally, it’s fitted with [a] large warhead, ensuring that one missile can destroy one ship,” Bengtsson added. (Source: Defense News)
03 Sep 19. Lockheed makes its pitch to Polish industry in exchange for F-35 deal. American defense company Lockheed Martin is vying for a contract to supply 32 F-35 fighter jets to Poland by offering to deliver new-generation Block 4 versions and ensuring that selected components for the jets are produced by Polish manufacturers.
“If Poland decides to buy the F-35, it will receive Block 4 aircraft. This version will include a new computer, additional weapons and systems, and it will be able to be fitted with six missiles instead of four,” Greg Ulmer, the vice president and general manager responsible for the F-35 program at Lockheed Martin, told Defense News at the MSPO defense industry show.
The company official said Polish defense industry players are already part of the aircraft’s global supply chain, and deliver components for F-35s.
“So far, we’ve delivered 425 F-35s, and we’re on track to deliver 131 this year. In 2018, we delivered 91 fighters; and in 2017, 66 fighters. The peak in deliveries is expected to come in 2024,” Ulmer said. “By 2030, we expect there will be 500 F-35s in Europe. Once Polish companies are approved as our supplier partners, they could make parts not only for the Polish aircraft, but also for those supplied to other countries, such as the U.S. or Japan.”
In May, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said his ministry sent a letter of request to the U.S. regarding Poland’s plan to acquire the F-35. Warsaw aims to replace its Air Force’s outdated, Soviet-designed Sukhoi Su-22 and Mikoyan MiG-29 jets with fifth-generation fighters.
03 Sep 19. Kongsberg reveals planned bid for Hungarian air defense contract. In response to Hungary’s plan to purchase a medium-range missile system to upgrade its air defense capabilities, Kongsberg plans to offer the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, jointly developed with Raytheon. Kongsberg hopes its previous sale of the system to Lithuania will help it secure a contract from Budapest.
In May, Hungarian Defence Minister Tibor Benkő told local broadcaster Radio Kossuth his ministry planned to invite bids from MBDA with its Aster systems, Israel Aerospace Industries with the Arrow missile, the MEADS international consortium with the Medium Extended Air Defense System, and Kongsberg and Raytheon with the NASAMS.
“We have an ongoing activity in Hungary, and we are pursuing a contract there by offering the NASAMS,” Dag Løvås, the senior manager for business development at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, told Defense News at the MSPO defense industry show.
The NASAMS has been supplied to the Eastern European country of Lithuania, and earlier this year that deal was expanded to include additional missiles.
“We hope that what we have accomplished in Lithuania will strengthen our position,” Løvås said.
Løvås added that, to date, 11 states have acquired the NASAMS, and Kongsberg is “pursuing different countries within Eastern Europe” for further contracts. Within the region, the company has also delivered its Naval Strike Missile systems to neighboring Poland. (Source: Google/Defense News)
02 Sep 19. The Acquisition of New Swiss Combat Aircraft Supported in Committee. The terms and conditions for the acquisition of new fighter jets will be debated in Parliament this fall, but the Security Policy Committee of the Council of States does not want to downgrade the requirements for compensatory cases. The commission unanimously agreed to discuss the draft presented by Defense Minister Viola Amherd. It welcomed that the draft decision will be challengeable by referendum, committee chairman Josef Dittli (PLR / UR) told reporters Monday night.
The Swiss will not vote to choose an airplane type, but only on the principle of the purchase. The Federal Council will decide on the type of jet after the popular vote, which should take place in September or November 2020. The commission also supports the financial volume of the acquisition, a maximum envelope of 6bn francs, noted Mr. Dittli. But by 8 votes against 3 and 2 abstentions, it differs from the proposals of the Federal Council on countervailing (offset) measures. Foreign companies entrusted with mandates in connection with the acquisition of the jets will have to compensate 100% of the contract value by granting mandates in Switzerland. The government planned 60%, of which 20% directly program-related and 40% indirectly in the field of the technological and industrial base related to security.
Eleven more industry areas
The committee proposes to add 40% for eleven additional areas. These include the machinery industry, metallurgy, electronics, optics, watchmaking, vehicle and wagon construction, rubber and plastic products, chemicals, aerospace and space, computer science and cooperation with universities and research institutes.
For the majority, 100% compensation is a proven practice, explained Dittli. A minority wants to stick to the 60% of the Federal Council. It also calls for an appropriate division of mandates between the different regions.
By 10 votes to 2 and 1 abstention, the committee also wants to include a distribution of compensatory cases in the regions. This would be shared by 65% in German-speaking Switzerland, 30% in French-speaking Switzerland and 5% in Ticino. This compromise is more likely to come before the people, according to the majority, said Dittli.
Ground-to-air system excluded
The commission agrees to exclude the purchase of a long-range ground-to-air defense system from the project. The Federal Council wants to include it in the framework of ordinary weapons programs. The order specifies, however, that the acquisition of the jets will be coordinated, from a technical and calendar point of view, with the ground-to-air defense.
By 10 votes to 3, the committee rejected a proposal for referral to the Federal Council for the program to include ground-to-air defense. The socialist minority also wanted the volume of funding to cover the purchase of new fighter jets and this new defense system.
By 2030
The delivery of the new fighter planes is to be completed by the end of 2030. Their acquisition is proposed to the Federal Assembly as part of an annual armaments program.
Four jets were evaluated between April and June in Payerne (VD) to replace the Tigers and F / A-18 of the air force. The French Rafale (Dassault), the European Eurofighter (Airbus) and the two American planes: the successor of the FA-18, the Boeing Super Hornet, and the F-35A Lockheed-Martin. Sweden’s Saab has withdrawn the Gripen E from the evaluation.
The current fighter planes will reach the end of their service life at the latest by 2030. If they are not replaced in time, the armed forces will no longer be able to fulfill their mission. The proposed acquisition process will take more than ten years. The last two jet purchase projects were marked by a popular vote. The acquisition of F/A-18 was made possible after the failure in 1993 of the popular initiative opposing it. The purchase of Gripen was rejected in 2014 after a referendum voted against the fund that should have been set up to finance it. (Unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com) (Source: defense-aerospace.com/Swissinfo)
30 Aug 19. Poland reopens tender for combat training systems. Poland’s Armament Inspectorate (AI) reopened on 26 August a tender for tactical training systems for its land forces. The first tender announced in December 2015 was cancelled on 19 August after it exceeded its procurement budget. Poland is seeking a combat training system, four laser live fire training systems, and five tactical battlefield simulators for armoured and mechanised units. The system should include sensors and laser transmitters mounted on military equipment, weapons, and vehicles, as well as devices and software for communication, co-ordination, and archiving and displaying the exercise. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
USA
04 Sep 19. Navy Contractors Feud Over Who Pays for Fixes to Troubled $13bn Warship. Almost two years after the U.S. Navy’s costliest warship was first hobbled by manufacturing defects with its propulsion system, the two companies at the center of the breakdown are haggling over who will have to pay back taxpayers for fixing the problem.
Aircraft carrier-builder Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. and subcontractor General Electric Co. are in talks over who will pay the Navy for fixes it made on the propulsion system of the troubled $13bn USS Gerald R. Ford. The service last month declared the system finally fixed, though the carrier still has a number of other shortfalls.
Those talks are sensitive enough that the Navy won’t comment publicly on how much taxpayers have spent so far fixing the issue. “Publishing interim cost information could jeopardize the pending negotiations,” Captain Danny Hernandez, a Navy spokesman, said in an email, declining to comment further.
The dispute over repayment “demonstrates the importance of the Navy evaluating options for warranties in its shipbuilding contracts to better protect itself and the taxpayer,” said Shelby Oakley, a Government Accountability Office director who monitors Navy shipbuilding programs, said in an email.
Flawed Systems
The propulsion problem, which forced the carrier back to port during sea trials in January 2018, is just one of many issues the next-generation warship has faced. The electromagnetic system to launch planes and the arresting gear to catch them when they land have caused repeated delays in the ship’s readiness, and it was delivered to the Navy without operating elevators needed to transport munitions from storage bays to the flight deck.
The Ford’s repeated setbacks have drawn the ire of lawmakers. In July, Senate Armed Services Chairman James Inhofe complained to President Donald Trump’s nominee for chief of naval operations, Vice Admiral Michael Gilday, about the holdups. Gilday has since been confirmed for the post as a full admiral.
“The ship was accepted by the Navy incomplete, nearly two years late, two-and-a-half billion dollars over budget, and 9 of 11 weapons elevators still don’t work with costs continuing to grow,” said Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican.
Vice Admiral Thomas Moore, head of the Naval Sea Systems Command, told reporters in February that the Navy was paying for the repairs “until GE and Newport News figure out who has the liability for it. At some point you’ve got to pay them to get the work done.”
The Navy’s carrier program office said in an March 8, 2018 assessment to Congress that an inspection of the carrier’s four main thrust bearings after the January failure revealed “machining errors” by GE workers at a Lynn, Massachusetts, facility during the original manufacturing as “the actual root cause.”
Return to Port
The bearing overheated and “after securing the equipment to prevent damage, the ship safely returned to port.” The bearing is one of four that transfers thrust from the ship’s four propeller shafts.
According to the Navy’s statement last month, Huntington Ingalls’ Newport News unit said the propulsion problems were “due to a manufacturing defect (not improper operation) in the propulsion train component that affected the same component in the other propulsion trains.”
Huntington Ingalls spokeswoman Beci Benton said “we continue to work with appropriate stakeholders to support resolution of this situation.”
GE said in a statement last month that “we continue to work closely with Newport News Shipyard and the U.S. Navy to resolve the issue. We are monitoring the situation, and if circumstances change in a manner that requires disclosure as a material event” in SEC filings “we would certainly do so.”
04 Sep 19. The US Army faces struggles working with small businesses. The U.S. Army faces problems on multiple fronts when it comes to sending more of their business to small companies, the head of Army Futures Command said Wednesday.
Gen. John Murray said small businesses struggle under a procurement system that can take years, and then struggle to scale their business to meet the Army’s needs.
“There is a lack of trust [on the part of small businesses] that the government can sustain in small-business model,” Murray told the audience at the third annual Defense News Conference. “The way we do budgeting, POM cycles and all that, a small business can’t survive. We’re going to have to prove to small businesses that we can adjust our POM cycles to meet their needs.
“And from the small business perspective, there are only a few ways that they can scale to the size we are talking about in terms of production, one of those ways is partnering with a traditional [defense contractor] so that’s going to be a challenge going forward.”
Murray’s comments come at a time when the Army is looking to engage with a range of partners – from universities and small businesses to the traditional prime contractors such as Raytheon and General Dynamics – to find ways to integrate new technologies into the force.
The outreach to small businesses at Army Futures Command is about finding new ways to get after the challenges the service faces, Murray said, but it comes with challenges.
“This outreached to small business is not because there is anything wrong with traditional defense primes, it’s really an outreach to find new ways to solve our problems,” he said. “I’ve been in the Army 37 years and I think about solving our problems a certain way. I guarantee a lot of these small businesses think about how to solve problems a different way.
“Part of the challenge I have with small business is comfortably describing our problem to them. I can’t talk in acronyms, I can’t talk with 37 years of experience, I need to talk very clearly and very plainly.”
Murray said his teams have staged events, such as a recent one where they had startups come in and figure out how to move artillery shells 250 meters using autonomous unmanned systems. And those events have been instructive, he said.
Ultimately, however, the Army is going to go with the business that can best meet the requirements the service lays out, he said.
“What it really comes down to is what are our problems and where is the best place – whether that’s small business or a university or a traditional prime – where is the best place to solve that problem?” Murray said. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
03 Sep 19. US Army again seeking ‘suicide drone’ proposals. The US Army is once again looking to equip small tactical units with a shoulder-launched loitering munition, also dubbed a ‘suicide drone’, to kill human targets and light-duty vehicles.
In late August, the service posted a request for information on the Federal Business Opportunities website for a Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) to meet an urgent requirement. Accordingly, the service is asking industry to submit their proposals for existing, “low cost” LMAMS hardware solutions.
“The LMAMS is envisioned to be a precision-guided system, organic at the small unit level that enables engagement of enemy combatants without exposing the warfighter to direct enemy fires,” the army wrote. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
30 Aug 19. US Army Picks Gunmakers for Next Test Phase of Future Infantry Weapons. The U.S. Army has selected three firms to advance to the next phase of testing to select the service’s Next Generation Squad Weapon.
The Army chose General Dynamics-OTS Inc., AAI Corporation Textron Systems and Sig Sauer Inc. — which makes the service’s new Modular Handgun System — to deliver prototypes of both the automatic rifle and rifle versions of the NGSW, as well as hundreds of thousands of rounds of special 6.8mm ammunition common to both weapons, according to an announcement posted Thursday night. The service awarded all three companies with other transaction authority (OTA) prototyping agreements but did not specify the award amounts. The companies are scheduled to deliver both versions of the NGSW and ammunition within 27 months, according to the announcement. OTA is a spending authority designated for research and prototyping efforts.
Army Contracting Command did not respond to a query by press time.
The Army’s goal is to select a final design for both weapons from a single company in the first quarter of 2022 and begin replacing both M4s and M249s in an infantry brigade combat team in the first quarter of 2023, Brig. Gen. David Hodne, director of the Army’s Soldier Lethality Cross Functional Team, told Military.com in July.
The service down-selected from several companies that participated in the Army’s second prototyping opportunity notice, released in January, that directed gunmakers to develop prototypes of both the rifle and auto rifle versions of the NGSW to ensure both work with the common 6.8mm projectile.
Army officials have not released the names of the companies that participated in the second prototyping effort.
The new prototyping agreements call for each vendor to deliver 43 NGSW automatic rifles and 53 NGSW rifles, as well as 845,000 rounds of 6.8mm ammunition, according to the original solicitation.
Textron announced Friday that it will lead a team that includes Heckler & Koch for its small-arms design, research and development, and manufacturing capabilities; and Olin Winchester for its small-caliber ammunition production capabilities, according to a Textron news release.
“We have assembled a team that understands and can deliver on the rigorous requirements for this U.S. Army program with mature and capable technology, reliable program execution and dedicated user support,” Wayne Prender, Textron Systems’ senior vice president for Applied Technologies and Advanced Programs, said in the release.
Military.com reached out to Sig Sauer and General Dynamics OTS for comment but did not receive a response by press time.
Once a single vendor is selected, the follow-on production award may include an order of 250,000 total weapons systems and 150,000,000 rounds of ammunition, according to the original January solicitation, which estimates the deal’s value to be $10m in the first year and up to $150m a year during higher production rates. (Source: Military.com)
REST OF THE WORLD
06 Sep 19. Opportunities galore for SMEs with launch of $160m fund. The federal government has announced the launch of the Manufacturing Modernisation Fund, which it said will help small and medium sized Australian manufacturers to invest in new technology, grow and create new jobs. Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the $160 m fund would help manufacturers become more competitive by co‑funding investments in new technologies.
“Strengthening our core and emerging manufacturing industries is a key part of the government’s economic plan to create 1.25m new jobs over the next five years,” Minister Andrews said. “This delivers on the Morrison government’s commitment to help manufacturing businesses innovate and develop competitive advantage so they can thrive globally.
The Manufacturing Modernisation Fund will include $50 m from the government and will be matched by at least $110 m from industry.
The fund will have two types of grants:
- $20m will be for matched grants of between $50,000 and $100,000 for smaller scale technology investments; and
- $30m for larger-scale grants of up to $1m, on a three to one funding basis with industry, to support transformative investments in technologies and processes.
“Investing in technology can transform businesses, enabling them to become more productive, manufacture new products and create new jobs,” Minister Andrews said.
“The fund will provide grants to small and medium manufacturing businesses so they can invest in capital equipment and new technologies to modernise and employ more Australians. It will also support businesses to upskill workers to maximise the benefits of technology.” (Source: Defence Connect)
05 Sep 19. On Point: Race for Australian LAND 4503 program heats up. With three main solutions leading the race for Defence’s LAND 4503 Helicopter Replacement Program, one of the competitors, Bell Flight, joined Defence Connect to give a rundown of its offering: the AH-1Z Viper. With the Australian Army looking to replace its current fleet of EC665 Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters (ARH) over the next decade, Bell Flight believes it is best positioned to fill the capability. LAND 4503’s program of delivery aims to support the Australian Army and is designed to contribute to the creation of the modernisation and development of a ‘networked and hardened’ Army, the acquisition is broken down into three delivery stages beginning with projected IOC in 2026 and FOC in 2028, including:
- Up to 24 aircraft would be based at one primary location and another five are intended at a training location. The aircraft fleet may also be co-located in one primary location, however this is yet to be determined.
- IOC for LAND 4503 is based on a squadron of up to 12 aircraft. This organisation would be capable of generating a deployable troop of four aircraft, continued force generation of four aircraft, and an initial build-up training element of four aircraft. IOC will be supported by trained personnel and support systems.
- FOC for LAND 4503 is based on a regiment of up to 24 aircraft. This organisation would be capable of generating multiple concurrent deployed forces of up to squadron size. FOC will also be supported by a mature training system of up to five aircraft, with trained personnel and support systems.
Bell, a subsidiary of Textron, is presenting the AH-1Z Viper, currently in service with the US Marine Corps, which has been designed and built to support the expeditionary and maritime-centric focus of operations conducted by the US Marines.
Bell Flight’s international military campaign manager, Javier “NERF” Ball, and LAND 4503 capture team lead Rowan Tink joined the Defence Connect podcast to discuss the Viper platform.
Can you tell us a little bit about this asset? How does it differ from the other offerings for the LAND 4503 program?
Ball: The AH-1 Zulu (AH-1Z) is designed from the get go to fly off ship.
It’s designed to operate in those harsh environments that the Marines are going to be in, so when we talk about the design in the aircraft, that goes more than just cruise and control.
We do wet lay up, we do all the seals. The blades have a semiautomatic blade folding, so that way we can maximise all the space on the ship.
But then, all the avionics, all the systems, all the ordnance is optimised to not interfere with the ship systems.
So, the way we look at it is, if I can build it to the hardest environments that it’s going to be in, which is salt air, salt spray, and it can operate there, then it’s easier to take it, an amphibious aircraft, and put it in an expeditionary environment where I have to operate either in the snow, or in the jungle, or in the sand, or the mountain area.
Rowan, when you think about the utility of these platforms running off our landing helicopter decks (LHD), and now you’ve had some experience with the LHD, how do you think that would interface in?
Tink: That will integrate very smoothly into the LHD. They can operate off a whole range of the Australian Navy ships, an LHD, LSD for example, and even smaller ships if necessary.
So yeah, in terms of a capability, they are unique and just adding to Nerf’s part.
The Australian Army, for example, will focus on the hardest part of operations, [which is] arguably in the jungle environment, and the helicopter is very much the same.
It’s designed for the hardest environment, and anything less than that, it’s still more than capable of achieving that outcome. And the marinisation, for example, will provide all the same benefits in the desert. And indeed the Zulu has operated in Afghanistan and has operated in Iraq, and did so beautifully.
How would a helicopter like this be used operationally for Australia?
Ball: Australia has a couple options with us and that’s one of the things I’d like to talk about. When you get an aircraft that is marinised from the get go, designed to operate off ship, now you provide options to government.
You can use it in an expeditionary environment, where it’s rapidly deployable via C-17. You can use it in a jungle environment, or you can move it and operate it off ship, with no degradation capability. Because it’s designed to fold up, it’s designed to withstand the rigours of the salt spray, the salt sea.
When you have options like that, you decrease costs to government. And because of the way it’s built and designed for ease of maintenance, you don’t have a large contractor footprint that has to do maintaining on it.
Your average digger can actually work on the airplane, and the cost per flight hour for the Zulu is right at about $4,000 per flight hour, US dollars.
Our nearest competitors are upwards of $5,100/$5,200 US dollars, and that’s even before they go on ship. Ours is calculated both with flow and ashore combined. So, in the long term, over the life of the program, there’s going to be significant cost savings to the Australian tax payers. You can use that money for something else. (Source: Defence Connect)
03 Sep 19. Sweden’s Saab undecided on whether it will participate in Canadian fighter-jet competition. Days after Airbus Defence and Space pulled out of the $19bn race to replace Canada’s aging fighter jets, the only European firm still eligible to compete says it has not decided whether it will.
Saab Canada president Simon Carroll says the Swedish firm is interested in entering its Gripen jet against its two remaining competitors, both of which are from the United States: Boeing’s Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin’s F-35.
However, Mr. Carroll told The Canadian Press on Tuesday that his company is still analyzing the competition’s nitty-gritty details – including a security requirement that forced out two other European jet makers.
All bidders are required to explain by Sept. 20 how they plan to ensure their planes can integrate with the top-secret Canada-U.S. intelligence network known as “Two Eyes,” which is used to co-ordinate the defence of North America.
But in announcing its withdrawal from the competition on Friday, Airbus said meeting the requirement would place “too significant of a cost” on non-U.S. aircraft. French firm Dassault cited the same requirement when it pulled its Rafale jet in November.
“We are still looking at that security assessment side of things from the Two-Eyes perspective,” Mr. Carroll said.
“We don’t see any major issues with it as this point in time. Having said that, we’re still reviewing everything through the whole [request for proposals] at this point in time and we will reserve the right to make our judgment on whether or not we provide a bid.”
Airbus also raised concerns about changes to a long-standing policy that requires bidders on military contracts to legally commit to invest as much money in Canadian products and operations as they get out of contracts they win.
Bidders can now instead establish “industrial targets,” lay out a plan for achieving those targets and sign non-binding agreements promising to make all efforts to achieve them. Such bids do suffer penalties when the bids are scored, but are not rejected outright.
That change followed U.S. complaints the previous policy violated an agreement Canada signed in 2006 to become one of nine partner countries in developing the F-35. The agreement says companies in the partner countries will compete for work associated with purchases of the planes.
While Saab has previously raised its own concerns about the change, saying it would shortchange Canadian taxpayers and industry, Mr. Carroll said it was “not a hurdle” and that “we think we have a very good offering for what we can offer in Canada.”
Even participating in the competition is not a cheap proposition for fighter-jet makers; while Carroll would not speak to the potential cost to Saab, analysts have previously pegged the cost in the millions of dollars.
While companies are expected to submit their plans to meet the Two Eyes security requirement on Sept. 20, the government has said it will provide feedback and let bidders amend their submissions.
Final bids aren’t expected until next winter, with a formal contract signed in 2022. The first plane won’t arrive until at least 2025. Successive federal government have been working to replace Canada’s CF-18s for more than a decade.
Mr. Carroll praised the government for being transparent as it has worked for years to launch the competition, which followed an aborted attempt between 2010 and 2012 to buy F-35s without a competition.
“We’re supportive of the government processes and what they’ve done moving forward,” he said.
“The transparency from the government has been very good. They’ve given ample opportunity for us to review documents. They’ve been very open in saying that these are the dates and these are the times.”
(Source: defense-aerospace.com/https://www.theglobeandmail.com)
30 Aug 19. Russia unveils export variant of Su-57. Rostec’s Rosoboronexport unveiled the Su-57E, an export variant of its only fifth-generation fighter aircraft, at the 2019 MAKS international airshow being held in Zhukovskiy near Moscow on 27 August-1 September. A Sukhoi Su-57E was displayed publicly for the first time with few details of its specifications or performance. Demonstration flights are being performed by baseline Su-57 aircraft.
A Rosoboronexport representative told Jane’s that the Su-57E has state clearance for export and the latest aircraft is a priority in its business plans. Rosoboronexport is now hoping to begin initial discussions with undisclosed potential foreign customers. However, there are no formal requests to buy the aircraft from any countries so far, he added. He refused to comment further on programme status, aircraft weapon systems, specifications, and performance.
The single-seat Su-57E is a multirole fighter aircraft designed for a wide range of combat missions against air, ground, and maritime targets in all weather, day or night, and in a severe jamming environment. Its main features are multifunctionality, stealthy design, and automation. It has an improved passive and active protection and countermeasures system.
The twin-engine aircraft has extended supersonic flight mode with great manoeuvrability and can carry a wide range of weapons, including precision munitions. It has a short take-off and landing capability.
The Russian Air Force signed the first contract for the initial production batch of Su-57 (baseline or domestic variant) fighters in 2018. The first production unit is likely to enter service in the Russian Air Force in 2019-20. Russia says Su-57 weapons and subsystems have been tested in combat in Syria. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
02 Sep 19. South Australian hub to support delivery of Navy’s Arafura class. Noske-Kaeser and ENGIE Axima have officially opened their new manufacturing facility in South Australia, adding to the suite of national and international companies from across the defence sector choosing South Australia to establish their Australian presence.
The facility is producing air conditioning and ventilation systems for the 12 Arafura Class offshore patrol vessels. Seven workers are employed at the facility, and the company hopes to double the workforce in the next 12 months.
Premier Steven Marshall, who officially opened the new facility at Salisbury North, said the decision to locate themselves in South Australia shows the confidence major companies have in the state’s booming defence industry.
“When I see this sort of investment in our state, it fills me with confidence about where our defence industry is currently at, and the direction in which it’s heading. This facility will undertake critical work, manufacturing the HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) systems for the Arafura Class offshore patrol vessels being built at Osborne,” Premier Marshall said.
Vice president of international business development for ENGIE Axima, Guillaume Weisrock, said ENGIE Axima’s investment in its Adelaide production and testing facility clearly marks the commitment to being part of Australia’s current and future naval programs.
“ENGIE Axima’s investment in an Adelaide production and testing facility marks our commitment to becoming a trusted and long-term participant in Australia’s current and future naval programs,” Weisrock said. (Source: Defence Connect)
02 Sep 19. Australian LAND 4503 contenders lined up to present Tiger replacement. A group of diverse contenders have launched their final bids to replace and, in some cases, enhance the Australian Army’s armed reconnaissance helicopter capability.
The Australian Army is planning to replace the current fleet of EC665 Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters (ARH) from the mid-2020s as identified in the 2016 Defence White Paper: “The government will replace the 22 Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters with a new armed reconnaissance capability from the mid-2020s.”
The acquisition strategy aims to reduce operational and in-service risk, and to allow the Australian Army to rapidly achieve operational milestones for the replacement armed reconnaissance capability, while achieving value for money.
LAND 4503’s program of delivery aims to support the Australian Army and is designed to contribute to the creation of the modernisation and development of a ‘networked and hardened’ Army, the acquisition is broken down into three delivery stages beginning with projected IOC in 2026 and FOC in 2028, including:
- Up to 24 aircraft would be based at one primary location and another five are intended at a training location. The aircraft fleet may also be co-located in one primary location, however this is yet to be determined.
- IOC for LAND 4503 is based on a squadron of up to 12 aircraft. This organisation would be capable of generating a deployable troop of four aircraft, continued force generation of four aircraft, and an initial build-up training element of four aircraft. IOC will be supported by trained personnel and support systems.
- FOC for LAND 4503 is based on a regiment of up to 24 aircraft. This organisation would be capable of generating multiple concurrent deployed forces of up to squadron size. FOC will also be supported by a mature training system of up to five aircraft, with trained personnel and support systems.
Bell’s Viper prepared to strike
Bell, a subsidiary of Textron, is presenting the AH-1Z Viper, currently in service with the US Marine Corps, which has been designed and built to support the expeditionary and maritime-centric focus of operations conducted by the US Marines.
A Bell spokesperson told Defence Connect, “The AH-1Z Viper is the only marinised attack helicopter that offers:
- An increase in capability – can conduct air-to-air and air-to-ground on the same sortie simultaneously; and can operate equally well afloat or ashore without any degradation in capabilities;
- An increase in safety – specifically designed for overwater missions, and for shipboard and expeditionary environments;
- A decrease in risk – made to operate on board ship with proven capabilities and without any degradation in capability, thus providing low cost options to government; and
- A decrease in acquisition costs and total cost of ownership – significantly lowest cost per flight hour and total life cycle cost, no requirement for expensive contractor maintenance.”
Marinisation also includes all new advanced composite rotor blades and yoke style main rotor hubs that significantly outperform legacy “strap-pack” type systems, which are prone to corrosion and failure.
It also includes semi-automatic blade folding for quick stowage either on board ship or for rapid C-17 deployment, rotor brakes, ease of maintenance, electromagnetic environmental effects (E3) hardening, which provides safety against the ship’s powerful radars and other sensors from interfering with aircraft on board weapons and systems.
“The combat proven Bell AH-1Z Viper is the only marinised attack helicopter in the world that is specifically designed and built for expeditionary and maritime operations. Marinisation is more than just corrosion protection against saltwater. Unlike unproven and costly add-ons, Bell’s marinisation begins at aircraft design and is built into the aircraft at point of manufacture to ensure conformity to shipboard operations,” explained Javier ‘Nerf’ Ball, international campaign manager, Asia, global military sales and strategy.
The government has brought the LAND 4503 Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter Replacement program forward and aims to acquire a proven and mature, off-the-shelf manned armed helicopter to deliver armed reconnaissance effects in the close and deep contested battlespace in support of the Australian Defence Force.
The work horse – Boeing’s Apache
Boeing has confirmed the AH-64E Apache as its offering for LAND 4503 – Apache is flown by the US and 15 other countries, has recorded more than 4.5 million flight hours with the US Army alone. There are currently 1,180 Apaches in service today.
Terry Jamison, global sales and marketing, defence, space and security at Boeing said, “Boeing’s AH-64E Apache is known for its survivability, sustainability, interoperability and reconnaissance capability. As an Apache operator, Australia would join coalition countries, including the US and UK, and regional partners Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and the Republic of Korea.”
Boeing’s media release identified a number of benefits for the Australian government, namely the modernisation process currently upgrading the US fleet of Apache’s, which will see the platform upgraded through the late-2040s and beyond to ensure global fleet partners continue to operate the most advanced multi-role combat helicopter for decades to come.
Darren Edwards, vice president and managing director, Boeing Defence Australia, said, “The benefits of Apache for Australia are more significant than continued platform upgrades. Boeing plans to deliver support services in-country and engage local suppliers to maximise Australian industry involvement for the ARH replacement program.”
The incumbent – ARH Tiger
Airbus Helicopters is offering a cost-effective approach for taking the Tiger platform beyond 2040, in response to the Australian government’s request for information (RFI) for the Project LAND 4503 Armed Reconnaissance Capability.
Airbus is the manufacturer of the tandem seat Tiger helicopters introduced to the Australian Army in 2004. Eighteen of the 22 units were assembled at the Airbus site in Brisbane, Australia. The fleet has been supported in Australia for more than 15 years.
The Airbus Helicopters proposal will offer the Australian Army and taxpayer with more than $3bn in savings against the expected budget for LAND 4503.
Andrew Mathewson, Airbus Australia Pacific managing director, explained, “Airbus proudly delivers a strong Australian industry capability, including more than 260 local staff supporting Tiger.”
Globally, 181 Tigers have been delivered to Australia, France, Germany and Spain. First deployed by the French Army in Afghanistan in 2009, Tiger continues to demonstrate its essential role in theatres of operation as a highly versatile, stealthy and manoeuvrable attack helicopter. (Source: Defence Connect)
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