UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
04 Dec 21. Government levels playing field for SMEs on Small Business Saturday. In support of Small Business Saturday, the government has published a ‘Selling To Government Guide’ which will give small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) essential information on how to bid for and win government contracts.
his government is intent on giving smaller businesses better access to the £50bn worth of public contracts, which can include anything from supplying hospital equipment to providing public sector pensions, which are tendered each year.
The guide includes advice on where business owners can look online for Government contract opportunities and also includes tips on how SMEs can make sure they are showcasing their strengths during the bidding process. This will be backed up by online webinar sessions for small businesses.
The guide also gives guidance on how businesses can secure work through supply chains by working with larger companies to help deliver things such as long-running IT or catering projects.
It also goes a step further, advising how the government considers Social Value when choosing suppliers. This will then allow agile, smaller enterprises to highlight the work they do in their communities and ultimately offer them a better chance of winning government contracts.
Cabinet Office Minister Lord Agnew said:
In the most recent figures, SMEs won more than £15bn in government contracts.
But we want it to be easier for them to work with government and this guide, published in support of Small Business Saturday, will help small businesses navigate what can be a complex world of public procurement.
That’s why we’re also bringing in sweeping procurement rules changes, to make it easier and more flexible for SMEs to win government work.
The Cabinet Office has previously announced other measures which aim to level the playing field for SMEs in the Transforming Public Procurement green paper. The changes contained in the paper will completely overhaul the current EU rules, removing barriers for smaller suppliers by getting rid of unnecessarily complicated regulations. Bureaucratic rules can put SMEs off bidding for contracts so the new reforms will open the door to public procurement for small and medium-sized companies.
We are simplifying the bidding process to make it easier for SMEs to secure contracts by creating one single central platform which suppliers have to register on, so they only have to submit their data once to qualify for any public sector procurement.
Small Business Crown Representative, Martin Traynor OBE said:
Smaller organisations can offer excellent value for money and a rich source of innovation, as well as a more agile business model than larger suppliers. They play a vital role in helping government to deliver efficient, effective public services that meet the needs of our citizens.
We are fully committed to breaking down barriers for SMEs who want to supply to the Government either directly or in the supply chain. I welcome the publication of this guide as part of the support on offer.
Small Business Minister Paul Scully added:
From the pubs, restaurants and shops that make our high streets tick to personal care services like hairdresser, small businesses are at the heart of our way of life.
I urge everyone to back their local businesses on Small Business Saturday. The Government is leading the way, supporting firms with this new handbook as well as ground-breaking schemes like Help to Grow: Digital which will help businesses to level up with discounted software and free tech support.
As well as the £352bn in support provided to firms to help them through the pandemic, the government is also helping small businesses to level up through the Help to Grow schemes.
Help to Grow: Digital will provide business leaders with the advice and funding they need to embrace digital technology and help their business grow through discounted software and free advice and support, while Help to Grow: Management offers business leaders management and leadership training. Designed to be manageable alongside full-time work, businesses receive 50 hours of training across 12-weeks as part of the Help to Grow: Management course provided at participating business schools. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
EUROPE
10 Dec 21. Finland Selects F-35 Lightning II as Its Next Fighter. F-35 ranked as the most capable, survivable and affordable solution in Finland’s HX fighter program The Finnish Government has announced Lockheed Martin’s 5th Generation F-35 Lightning II is the aircraft selected from its HX Fighter Program. By selecting the F-35, Finland gains a significant capability to ensure stability in the region.
“We are honored the Government of Finland through its thorough, open competition has selected the F-35, and we look forward to partnering with the Finnish Defence Forces and Finnish defence industry to deliver and sustain the F-35 aircraft,” said Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin’s vice president and general manager of the F-35 Program. “The F-35 will provide Finnish industries unique digital capabilities that leverage 5th Generation engineering and manufacturing. The production work will continue for more than 20 years, and the F-35 sustainment work will continue into the 2070s.”
The Finnish Air Force will receive 64 F-35A multirole stealth fighters, a robust weapons package, a sustainment solution tailored to Finland’s unique security of supply requirements, as well as a comprehensive training program.
The F-35’s advanced capabilities transform the way air forces conduct operations. It is the most advanced, survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world, giving pilots an advantage against any adversary and enabling them to execute their mission and come home safe.
Its interoperability facilitates seamless information exchanges with surface and air platforms, strengthening interoperability between the different branches of the Finnish Defence Forces.
The F-35 selection will deliver economic and technical advantages to Finland for decades to come. Finnish industry will have many first-of-a-kind opportunities to work directly on F-35 production and sustainment. Through indirect industrial participation projects outside of F-35 production, Lockheed Martin will build industry partnerships with Finnish companies and academic institutions that offer opportunities focused on developing and advancing security partnerships far into the future.
To date, the F-35 operates from 21 bases worldwide, with nine nations operating F-35s on their home soil. There are more than 730 F-35s in service today, with more than 1,535 pilots and 11,500 maintainers trained on the aircraft.
08 Dec 21. Norway considers NH90 alternatives to meet coastguard requirements. Norway has issued a request for information (RFI) for alternatives to its NHIndustries NH90 helicopters that are not able to meet all of the requirements of the country’s coastguard. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) told Janes on 7 December that is gauging market interest should it decide to move forward with acquiring a long-term supplemental capability to the NH90s, by leasing an embarked helicopter capability from a commercial vendor.
“The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) is exploring opportunities to procure leased aircraft services in support of coastguard operations within the Norwegian maritime area of responsibility focusing on the igh orth the northern Atlantic, the Barents Sea, Svalbard, Jan Mayen,” the RFI stated. “The leased aircraft service will need to provide reliable and efficient embarked support to the coastguard vessels throughout the year during peacetime”
TheRoNAF has to date received 11 of 14 NH90 NATO Frigate Helicopters (NFHs), eight of which plans to operate on behalf of the Norwegian Coast Guard (NoCG) with the type being embarked on NoCG vessels. The MoD told Janes that a commercial leasing option would not see the NH90s being replaced, though it noted that it is considering a long-term solution to supplement the type in service. The RoNAF also operates 10 Leonardo AW101 Merlin helicopters in the land-based search and rescue (SAR) role. (Source: Janes)
REST OF THE WORLD
10 Dec 21. Australia eyes Black Hawks to replace troubled Taipans. The Commonwealth government is pushing to replace Army’s Taipan fleet with up to 40 Black Hawk helicopters, tipped to save Defence billions of dollars. Defence Connect can confirm that the Commonwealth government has sent a letter of request to the United States for the purchase of up to 40 Sikorsky-built UH-60 Black Hawks to replace the Australian Army’s fleet of 47 Airbus-built MRH-90 Taipan helicopters. The request has been made as part of a provisional assessment process designed to inform a prospective purchase. Representatives from Sikorsky Australia – a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin – have informed Minister for Defence Peter Dutton during preliminary discussions that six Black Hawk helicopters could be available from the company’s 2022 global production line, with the remaining helicopters potentially delivered by 2026. This comes amid ongoing concerns over the troubled MRH-90 Taipan fleet, currently in service as Army’s utility aircraft. The MRH-90 Taipan fleet is used for Special Operations and to provide maritime support capability for the Royal Australian Navy. The fleet is deployed on a range of missions, including humanitarian aid and disaster relief both within Australia and in the Indo-Pacific more broadly, and for key combat operations.
However, the Taipan project has not met contracted availability requirements in light of a series of technical shortcomings.
In June, Defence suspended flying operations of its 47 Taipan helicopters as a “safety precaution” after an issue relating to the aircraft’s IT support system was identified.
This was the latest in a series of technical incidents associated with the Taipan’s operation.
In 2019, a tail rotor vibration forced the MRH-90 helicopters based at HMAS Albatross to be grounded.
This followed a precautionary landing on HMAS Adelaide from an Army MRH-90 a fortnight earlier, prompting officials to temporarily suspend the entire fleet.
The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) again listed the MRH program (AIR 9000 Phase 2, 4 and 6) as a “project of concern” in its 2019-20 Defence Major Projects report.
The program has also exceeded operational cost expectations ahead of its planned withdrawal from service in 2037.
Initially, the annual sustainment cost of approximately $123m (2021 AUD outturned) was anticipated, however this has now more than doubled to approximately $300m.
Costs are also expected to increase with scheduled upgrade programs for the global fleet to address operational and obsolescence issues.
This would have taken the total cost of operating the fleet until 2037 to $9.5 bn when including a mid-life upgrade.
Switching to Black Hawks is expected to save the Commonwealth government $2.5bn, with acquisition and sustainment costs estimated to total $7bn between 2022-37.
Minister Dutton reflected: “The performance of the MRH-90 Taipan has been an ongoing and well-documented concern for Defence and there has been a significant effort at great expense to try to remediate those issues.
“It is critically important there is a safe, reliable and capable utility helicopter available for our service men and women into the future, with reasonable and predictable operating costs.”
Meanwhile, the UH60 Black Hawk is billed as the most widely used utility helicopter variant in the world, with the UH60M variant in service with the US Army and other nations for over a decade.
“The Australian government is exercising its right to understand what options are available to provide the necessary capability at a reasonable cost into the future,” Minister Dutton added.
Procurement options will be subject to government consideration once all the relevant information is made available. This news comes just two months after the US State Department greenlit the Commonwealth government’s request to purchase an additional 12 MH-60R Multi-Mission (Seahawk) helicopters, also built by Sikorsky.
The deal, expected to cost an estimated US$985m ($1.3bn), will take the total size of the fleet to 36. The bolstered Seahawk order was also considered as a response to issues associated with operating the Taipan fleet. (Source: Defence Connect)
07 Dec 21. A total of P62bn fund has been set aside for the purchase 32 Black Hawk helicopters and six offshore patrol vessels to augment the Philippine military’s operations, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Tuesday. In a Viber message, Lorenzana informed reporters that the Black Hawk helicopters will be sourced from PZL Mielec, Poland while the vessels will be from Austal, an Australian-based ship building firm.
“Newly approved funding for capital assets acquisition: 32 units Blackhawk helicopters- P32B. [Six] units OPV – P30B,” Lorenzana said.
He said that there was still no contract for these additional assets, adding that it was “still under negotiation.”
Lorenzana also said the government was looking to sign the contract before President Rodrigo Duterte finished his term in 2022.
“I’m very happy that before his term ends, we will be able to sign the contract for the 32 additional Black Hawk helicopters,” Lorenzana said.
During his speech in the turnover at the Philippine Air Force, Lorenzana said the government was acquiring more helicopters to assist in the Infantry operations.
“Kung marami tayong helicopters, mas madali ang trabaho ng mga infantry na katulad ko, hindi na kami maglalakad ng malayo, lilipad na lang kami run. Hindi na kami magdadala ng maraming pagkain dahil meron kaming resupply so it all boils down to this synergy of our forces,” Lorenzana said, reacting to queries of some air force generals on the additional assets of the military.
(If we have helicopters, it will ease up the job of the infantry, I don’t have to walk far, I will just use a helicopter. We don’t need to bring food because we have resupply.) (Source: NB, GMA News)
08 Dec 21. Lockheed Martin India recognises TLMAL as fighter wings co-producer. A ceremonial event was held at TLMAL’s facility to mark the manufacture of the first fighter wing prototype. Lockheed Martin India has formally recognised Tata-Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL) as a potential future fighter wings co-producer. The announcement was made at a fighter wing qualification ceremony that was attended by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Global Business Development executives, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and TLMAL leadership, alongside other government dignitaries. The recognition follows after TLMAL demonstrated its manufacturing capabilities by developing a fighter wing prototype at its facility in Hyderabad, India.
Lockheed Martin India said on Twitter: “Another achievement added to the partnership between the US and India with the successful qualification of the fighter wing shipset prototype project at TLMAL.
“Production of fighter wings in India further supports the F21 offering for procurement of 114 new fighter aircraft exclusively by proving additional indigenous production capability.”
TLMAL is a joint venture (JV) between TASL and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics that was formed in 2010.
In September 2018, TASL signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin to begin the wing production for the F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft in India.
At TLMAL fighter wing qualification ceremony, Indian state Telangana IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao said: “TLMAL fighter wing echoes Lockheed Martin’s confidence in Indian manufacturing capabilities and its commitment to support India’s defence manufacturing goals.”
The production of fighter wings will support increasing indigenisation and help create thousands of new jobs.
TLMAL has recently delivered the 150th C-130J Super Hercules empennage from its manufacturing facility. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
07 Dec 21. Turkey hints at potential Hurkus aircraft sale to Azerbaijan. Turkey’s Caucasus ally Azerbaijan will likely become the second foreign customer of the Hurkus, a Turkish-made basic trainer and light-attack aircraft.
Ismail Demir, Turkey’s chief procurement official and head of the Presidency of Defense Industries, said Dec. 4 that there is strong interest in the Hurkus in Azerbaijan. “We will soon see important developments [about exporting the aircraft to Azerbaijan],” Demir said.
Just a day before Demir’s statement, a Hurkus underwent a flight test in Azerbaijan, according to Turkey’s ambassador to Baku, Cahit Bagci. Azerbaijan’s Air Force commander, Lt. Gen. Ramiz Tahirov, was present for the event.
Earlier this year, Niger became the first foreign customer of the Hurkus.
Turkey’s Directorate of Communications had said Nov. 19 on its website that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke with his counterpart in Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, by phone about bilateral relations. “President Erdoğan stated that the TB2 drones, Hurkus aircraft, and armored vehicles that Niger would procure from Turkey would strengthen its military and security forces,” according to the directorate’s statement.
One procurement source said the Azeri government is interested in acquiring Hurkus’ Hurjet version. The armed trainer Hurjet is a jet engine version of the turboprop Hurkus, Turkey’s first indigenous basic trainer aircraft. Turkish Aerospace Industries launched the Hurjet program in 2018, with a target of having the aircraft’s maiden flight in 2022.
The Hurjet is to have a maximum speed of Mach 1.2 and can fly at a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet. The aircraft’s design is for a maximum payload of 3,000 kilograms, including ammunition, radar technology and a camera.
Hurkus-C, the armed variant of the base version Hurkus, features locally developed ammunition including CIRIT, TEBER, HGK and LGK. It can also use INS/GPS-guided bombs, conventional bombs, non-guided rockets and machine guns.
The armed Hurkus also features armored body parts, a self-protection system, a data link, laser tacking, an electro-optical and infrared pod, an external fuel tank, and advanced avionics.
With a 1,500-kilogram payload that can be used through seven external hardpoints, the Hurkus-C can perform light-attack and armed reconnaissance missions. (Source: Defense News)
06 Dec 21. India launches bid to procure guided munitions from local industry. The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued an expression of interest (EoI) in support of its planned procurement, from local industry, of 1,966 rounds of 155 mm Terminally Guided Munitions (TGMs) for the Indian Army. The EoI states that the TGMs will increase the capability of the army’s artillery systems by facilitating “precision strikes and simultaneously reducing collateral damage”. It added that the Indian Army’s artillery regiment has no TGM capability. According to the EoI, the munitions will be procured through a procurement category known as Make-II. The category outlines the procurement of local-industry funded designs and developments and is intended to support India’s import substitution drive. Make-II was introduced in 2016 and is part of India’s current Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. (Source: Janes)
06 Dec 21. SAMI launches joint ventures with French industry as aerospace sector grows. Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) announced the creation of two joint ventures (JVs) with French industry on 4 December as part of the organisation’s expansion into the aerospace industry. The first JV agreement was signed with Airbus, covering maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) and service provision for military aircraft. The JV will be 51% owned by SAMI, and will be primarily based in Riyadh, with an additional presence at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Al-Kharj. The JV is anticipated to commence operations in 2022 and will initially focus on providing support for the Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) and Airbus C295 aircraft. Support for additional platforms in the future may be considered, according to a statement from SAMI. The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) currently operates six Airbus A330-200 MRTT aircraft, while the Ministry of Interior operates four C295Ws. SAMI also announced the signing of an agreement to create a JV with French aerospace components manufacturer Figeac Aero and the Saudi Arabian Industrial Investments Company (Dussur). Figeac Aero will hold a minority stake in the company, while a partnership between SAMI and Dussur will hold the remaining majority share. Known as SAMI Figeac Aero Manufacturing, the new business will involve an investment of around USD50m to establish a facility in Saudi Arabia, which will commence production from 2024. Revenues from the first year of operation are expected to be approximately USD10m. Serving both the military and commercial markets, the facility will produce titanium and aluminium components for aircraft and helicopters. (Source: Janes)
03 Dec 21. Brazilian Army mulls loitering munitions and armed UAVs. The Brazilian Army is seeking to adopt unmanned combat tactical effectors such as loitering munitions and armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The army is conducting preliminary studies that are expected to culminate with the publication of requirements for such systems over the next few years, Lieutenant Colonel Leonardo Gomes Saraiva, Army High-Staff supervisor of the Subprogram Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (SPrg SARP), told Janes. Acquiring loitering munitions is planned for the short term, while the Category 0, 1, 2, or 4 armed UAVs with beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) capability are to be procured in a short to medium term.
The SPrg SARP, part of the Army Strategic Program Obtaining Full Operational Capability (Prg EE OCOP), is aimed at acquiring unmanned systems for roles such as intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR); electronic signals intelligence (ELINT); communications intelligence; logistics, fire support and command-and-control, and to support the Brazilian Defence Technological and Industrial Base. Final administrative activities to formally establish the SPrg SARP will occur in 2022, Lt Coronel Saraiva said.
The effort is scheduled to run from 2022–39 and covers procurement of Category 0, 1, and 2 UAVs, together with the loitering munitions and armed UAVs.
The acquisition of category 0 fixed-wing or rotary-wing UAVs to replace existing commercial systems – including DJI’s Phantom and Mavic family of rotary-wing UAVs – is scheduled for 2022. For this, Brazil is seeking a system with a maximum operation ceiling of 3,000 ft, range between 2 km and 5 km, weight of less than 10 kg, and minimum autonomy of 30 minutes. (Source: Janes)
05 Dec 21. $30,000 Indo Pacific Innovation Awards now open. Winners of the Pacific 2019 Innovation Awards which were presented by Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price. Photo: AMDA Foundation
If you have an innovation that could benefit the Royal Australian Navy or Australia’s civil or defence maritime community, you’ll get a chance to shine on an international stage at the INDO PACIFIC 2022 International Maritime Exposition, set for Sydney on 10-12 May 2022.
Entries have opened for the INDO PACIFIC 2022 Innovation Awards. Innovative Australian individuals and SMEs could win $15,000. Entries close 1 March 2022.
Awards will be presented in the following categories:
- INDO PACIFIC 2022 National Innovation Award
- INDO PACIFIC 2022 SME Innovation Award (including a $15,000 cash award)
- INDO PACIFIC 2022 Young Innovator Award (including a $15,000 cash award)
Award winners will be announced at an online event two weeks before INDO PACIFIC 2022. This will enable attendance by Awards entrants and provide time for the winners to make plans to attend INDO PACIFIC 2022 and receive their award in person.
Past winners include prominent Australian companies and organisations such as DMTC Limited, EM Solutions and DroneShield Limited, that in many cases have further developed their winning entries in to market leading products.
“The awards reflect our mission, which is to promote the development of aviation and Australia’s industrial, manufacturing and information/communications technology resources in the fields of aviation, aerospace, maritime, defence and security,” said Ian Honnery, CEO of the national not-for-profit AMDA Foundation which organises the biennial INDO PACIFIC Exposition.
“Since we launched the Awards in 2012 we have presented $425,000 in SME and Young Innovator Awards to encourage and reward excellence by our small companies and emerging engineers and scientists.”
Australia’s defence industry is now recognised by the Department of Defence as a Fundamental Input to Defence Capability (FIC) and Defence is putting ever-greater emphasis on industry innovation.
“Industry’s ability to deliver on behalf of Defence and the ADF is underpinned by its ability to innovate and bring to the market new defence products and services. That’s what our Awards seek to encourage,” Mr Honnery said.
The awards are open to Australian companies or the Australian subsidiaries of overseas parent companies. The innovation could be anything from a new product or service to a new approach to business. Entries will be judged on originality and their understanding of user needs. The Indo Pacific Innovation Awards program stands alongside the Innovation Awards which are presented biennially at the Australian International Air Show and Aerospace & Defence Exposition at Avalon Airport and the LAND FORCES International Land Defence Exposition in Brisbane.
To find out further information about the eligibility criteria or to submit an entry for the Indo Pacific 2022 Industry Innovation Awards go to: WWW.INDOPACIFICEXPO.COM.AU (Source: Rumour Control)
02 Dec 21. Canada selects Saab and Lockheed Martin as finalists for FFCP programme. The project seeks to procure 88 advanced fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force. The Canadian Government has selected two bidders as finalists for the Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP) competition. The eligible bidders are Swedish firm Saab and Lockheed Martin, which implies Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III aircraft has been dismissed. In July 2020, the Canadian Government received bids from the three firms in response to the formal request for proposals released in July 2019. The FFCP project seeks to procure 88 advanced fighter jets for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Saab proposed its Gripen E while Lockheed Martin offered its F-35 for the programme Canada’s next fighter will replace the country’s fleet of McConnell Douglas CF-18 Hornets. In a press statement, the government stated that the proposals were strictly evaluated on capability and cost aspects. Assessment of economic impact was also evaluated during the process. In the coming weeks, Canada will conclude the next steps for the process, which is also based on further analysis of the proposals raised by Saab and Lockheed. (Source: airforce-technology.com)