UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
06 Jul 21. Procurement Notices. From September 2021, the UK Government will require suppliers bidding for major government contracts to commit to achieving Net Zero by 2050 and publish a ‘Carbon Reduction Plan’. Further details of the latest Procurement Policy Note 06/21 and guidance for completing a Carbon Reduction Plan are available on the UK Gov website here. For further details please email the MOD Defence Commercial department.
The MOD recently created the Heavy Lift Challenge (HLC) Procurement Framework to accelerate the development of a range of autonomous Heavy Lift Uncrewed Air Systems for use predominantly, but not exclusively, in the maritime domain. The Authority is inviting tenders for this competitive framework which will facilitate an environment whereby suppliers are able to demonstrate current capabilities, set out product development and commercial exploitation roadmaps to accelerate pace of development and reduce time to market. Suppliers are invited to respond to the procurement tender no later than 26 July 2021, 12:00pm; details of the Procurement (Reference: 2021/S 000-014466) are available on the Gov website here. (Source: Team Defence)
EUROPE
08 Jul 21. Babcock Builds Greek Supply Chain for Hellenic Frigate Programme. Babcock, the aerospace, defence and security company, is gearing up to showcase its comprehensive frigate design, build and support credentials during Defence Exhibition Athens (DEFEA) being held 13-15 July as it continues its engagement in Greece around its bid to deliver the Hellenic Navy’s new frigate modernisation programme.
Supported by the UK Government, Babcock has been fine-tuning its comprehensive and compelling programme to provide the Hellenic Navy with a Hydra Class upgrade programme, an interim frigate capability and four Babcock Arrowhead 140 frigates.
Babcock’s industrial strategy would see it support the modernisation of Greek shipyard facilities, underpinned by partnering proposals with Greek industry to develop local workforces and transfer knowledge and technology within the wider domestic shipbuilding and ship repair supply chain – all undertaken as part of the company’s commitment to Greece.
Over the last three months Babcock has engaged more than 100 suppliers and following recent meetings led by the British Company’s Group Chief Executive, David Lockwood, at both the Skaramangas and Elefsina shipyards, Babcock has continued its previous in–country supplier engagements. In all, one-to-one discussions have been held with more than 20 Greek companies.
These discussions, covering detailed scopes of supply, technical requirements, commercial processes and strategic alignment, are part of a coordinated programme of industry participation with Thales in the UK and MBDA UK, and are at an advanced stage with Supplier Agreements expected to be in place imminently.
Senior members of the Babcock team will be at DEFEA, the international defence and security exhibition, to speak with delegates about the company’s global frigate experience that is perfectly aligned to Hellenic Navy’s requirements.
This includes the development of the Arrowhead 140 as the UK Royal Navy’s new Type 31 frigate, more than a decade of design, build and support to the UK’s Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier programme, the development of Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Irish Naval Service and a wide range of international projects for small to medium sized vessels.
Babcock will also outline its through life support expertise including its responsibility for the UK Royal Navy’s Type 23 Class frigates life extension programme and services to the Royal Australian Navy Meko frigates, credentials that will enable a successful Hydra Class upgrade and increased ship availability and readiness for both the Meko and the British interim frigate solution.
In addition the new Arrowhead 140 frigate offers a configuration for the Hellenic Navy that meets all of the capability requirements at a highly-competitive cost.
Will Erith, Chief Executive Marine, Babcock said: “Babcock will bring a wide-ranging programme of technology transfer and focused support options to enable Greek industry to construct the Arrowhead 140 frigate in Greece. Our team are passionate about this project and we have first class support from the UK Government and our partners, alongside real enthusiasm from Greek industry to work with us should we be successful in our bid. DEFEA provides a fantastic platform for us to continue these discussions and to build our burgeoning industrial base for this project. We are looking forward to the exhibition”
07 Jul 21. Finland offered partner status in Eurofighter. Finland is being offered partner status in the Eurofighter programme as part of the consortium’s bid for Finland’s HX fighter procurement, BAE Systems representatives revealed on 6 July.
“Some of the capability that we’re transferring [to Finland] is going into the FDF [Finnish Defence Forces] but also to make that possible the combined Eurofighter partner nations have offered Finland participation in the programme. In order to enable that access, and to be that first tier – the same as the UK, Germany, Spain, and Italy – the partnership has been offered to Finland,” John Rossall, HX Director, BAE Systems, said.
As part of their industrial participation offering for the HX programme, BAE Systems has said that final assembly and check-out (FACO) of the aircraft is being offered as a “fully exercisable option” in their bid, should Finland choose to take advantage of the proposal.
The Eurofighter consortium is offering partner status to Finland as part of the bid for the country’s HX fighter procurement programme. (BAE Systems)
The FACO offering builds on the wider maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) package being offered to Finland, as work and component manufacture is localised to ensure security of supply.
“This is the most comprehensive maintenance, repair, and overhaul package we’ve ever developed for any customer,” Ross Dickson, HX Industrialisation Lead for BAE Systems, said. “For the next 30 years, the touch point for MRO is not going to be the UK, Germany, Italy or Spain, the first touch point is going to be Finnish industry. (Source: Jane’s)
01 Jul 21. Switzerland selects F-35 and Patriot for Air2030 requirement. Switzerland has selected the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and the Raytheon Patriot ground-based air defence systems (GBADS) to fulfil its Air2030 requirement. The Federal Council announced the selections on 30 June, noting that it is proposing that the country procure 36 F-35As and five Patriot GBADS based on the highest overall benefits for the lowest overall costs.
“The Federal Council is confident that these two systems are the most suitable for protecting the Swiss population from air threats in the future,” the council’s announcement stated.
As noted by the council, its decisions were based on a comprehensive technical evaluation of four new fighter aircraft candidates. For the fighter element of Air2030, the competing entries came from Germany’s Airbus for the Eurofighter Typhoon, France’s Dassault for the Rafale, and the United States’ Boeing and Lockheed Martin for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-35A respectively. For the GBADS requirement, Air2030 considered an offer from France for the Eurosam SAMP/T and the US for the Patriot.
The selections pave the way for parliamentary approval for both systems and funding in 2022, with deliveries to follow from 2025.
The F-35A will replace the Swiss Air Force’s ageing Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II and Boeing F/A-18 Hornet fleets that are both set to be retired in 2030, while the Patriot is being acquired to fulfil a requirement for an extended-range GBADS capable of covering at least 15,000km 2. The competing companies were asked to submit the most advantageous offer for Switzerland, with the aircraft deal capped at CHF6bn (USD6.52bn) and the GBADS deal at CHF2bn. (Source: Jane’s)
USA
01 Jul 21. Bell, Sikorsky-Boeing preparing for competition portion of FLRAA. Bell and Sikorsky-Boeing are preparing for the competitive demonstration and risk reduction (CD&RR) phase of the US Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) programme, where the competitors will refine their offerings as the US Army specifies its requirements.
Bell has retired the V-280 Valor tiltrotor that it developed under the US Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) programme. The V-280, in three years of flight test, accumulated more than 214 hours of flight, according to a 24 June company statement. The aircraft completed all planned key performance parameters (KPPs) including low-speed agility, long-range cruise, 305 knot high-speed flight, and rapid mission systems integration during this test period.
Five US Army experimental test pilots have flown the V-280 in over 15 sorties. Ryan Ehinger, Bell vice president and programme director for FLRAA/V-280, told Janes on 28 June that the aircraft also had 386 rotor turn hours, 173 flights, and over 2,200 test conditions.
Bell, with the V-280, is competing against the Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant X rigid co-axial rotorcraft in FLRAA. Sikorsky-Boeing developed the SB>1 Defiant under JMR-TD.
Bell is upbeat about the V-280’s gearbox and rotor system reliability, as Ehinger said these are historically two of the largest cost drivers for rotorcraft. According to him, the company has not had any issues with the gearbox and rotor systems, as these have been tested to full power and put through the gamut of engineering manoeuvres and tests at both low and high speeds. (Source: Jane’s)
REST OF THE WORLD
06 Jul 21. Indian Air Force releases RFI to procure ten CUAS systems. The service expects the delivery of the anti-drone systems to complete within 12 months of singing the deal. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has reportedly floated a request for information (RFI) for the procurement of counter-unmanned aircraft systems (CUAS). Eligible companies based in India are invited to participate in the process. According to the RFI, the selection and procurement process will commence in the third quarter of 2021. The IAF is planning to acquire a total of ten systems that will be deployed at various airbases in the country. Participants are required to provide delivery dates in their applications as the service aims to take receipt of all the units within one year of signing the contract.
The IAF is seeking a ‘multi-sensor, multi-kill’ CUAS solution equipped with active phased array radars with 360-degree coverage, Global Navigation Satellite Jammer System (GNSS), Radio Frequency (RF) sensors and more advanced technologies.
In the RFI, the IAF stated: “The CUAS is intended to detect, track, identify, designate and neutralise hostile UAS. Laser-Directed Energy Weapons (Laser-DEWs) are essentially required as a kill option.”
“It should provide a multi-sensor, multi-kill solution to enforce effective no-fly zones for unmanned aircraft while inflicting minimal collateral damage to the surrounding environment. It should generate a composite air situational picture for the operator and generate alerts based on user-defined parameters.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)