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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
14 Apr 22. XTEND pitches UAS capabilities to FCG. XTEND has pitched its Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) capabilities for the UK Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) Future Capability Group (FCG) Human Machine Teaming (HMT) nano UAS (nUAS) programme. Speaking to Janes at SMi Military Robotics and Autonomous Systems 2022 (SMi MRAS 2022) conference in London, Ido Bar-On, vice-president of business development and sales at XTEND, said that the company had pitched its UAS capabilities, including the Xtender, Wolverine, and their generic Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) operating systems to the FCG nUAS project. The FCG nUAS project comes under the British Army’s RAS programme, which seeks to exploit emerging technologies to prepare the British Armed Forces for future challenges. According to Bar-On, XTEND’s UAS capabilities were more technologically advanced for spiral four and five of the nUAS programme, therefore the company profiled their products more generally to the FCG. The FCG subsequently expressed an interest in their systems and a ground demonstration is planned, Bar-On said. (Source: Janes)
EUROPE
22 Apr 22. Netherlands to modernise electronic warfare capabilities. The Royal Netherlands Army is modernising it mobile electronic warfare (EW) capabilities under the Joint Electronic Attack project. According to the Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD), the in-service Fuchs-EOV EW vehicles are technically and operationally obsolete, with several components either no repairable or available. This leads to higher operating costs and reduces deployability, the MoD noted. Boxer armoured vehicles will be acquired and fitted with new electronic attack (EA) equipment to replace the Fuchs-based capability. The army operates 200 Boxers in other roles. The Dutch Defence Materiel Organisation is to lead the ‘Joint Electronic Attack project, which is expected to cost EUR100–250m (USD108-270m). Beginning this year, the project will be completed in 2029, with the first systems planned to be delivered to the Dutch Army Command from 2027, the MoD said. (Source: Janes)
22 Apr 22. Poland to choose between Apache and Viper for attack helo requirement. Poland is to choose between the Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian and Bell AH-1Z Viper to fulfil its attack helicopter requirement, the government said on 21 April. The two US types have been shortlisted to fulfil the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND) Kruk (Raven) requirement to replace the army’s ageing Mil Mi-24 ‘Hind’ helicopters.
“We have two offers on the table for attack helicopters – one from Boeing and [one from] Bell. We will choose the best offer. We want such weapons to be placed on the equipment as soon as possible,” Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said.
Poland is in the midst of a helicopter recapitalisation effort to replace its Warsaw Pact-era inventory, with the recent emphasis having been on acquiring the Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk as a new special forces type to replace its ageing Mil Mi-8/17 ‘Hip’ platforms, as well as Leonardo AW101 Merlin anti-submarine warfare helicopters to replace the Mil Mi-14 ‘Haze’. With the announcement from Błaszczak, the emphasis shifts to replacing the Mil Mi-24s. (Source: Janes)
21 Apr 22. Lithuania launches talks to buy more than 120 Boxer military vehicles. Lithuania’s Defence Ministry has kicked off negotiations to purchase more than 120 Boxer infantry fighting vehicles, with a signed contract expected this summer. Deliveries would take place between 2023 and 2024, the ministry said in a statement.
Deputy Defence Minister Vilius Semeška said the decision was made after Vilnius evaluated lessons larned from the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Lithuania borders Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave, and has provided Ukraine with weapons to support the country’s struggle against Russia’s invasion. The planned procurement could more than double the Lithuanian military’s modern fleet of infantry fighting vehicles.
“The decision to keep the same platform for infantry fighting vehicles is rational, and it will allow for an efficient use of the resources allocated to national defense,” Semeška said.
Lithuania is a member of the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation, or OCCAR, which supervises the supply of the Boxer vehicle to several European states, including Germany, the Netherlands and the U.K.
In 2016, Lithuania signed a deal for 88 infantry fighting vehicles with the German-Dutch consortium Artec, which is made up of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, Rheinmetall Landsysteme and Rheinmetall Defence Nederland B.V. The contract was worth €385.6m (U.S. $417.7m).
The government did not disclose the value of this latest planned deal.
Lithuania ordered its Boxer vehicles in the Vilkas (Wolf) variant, which includes a Samson Mk II remote controlled weapon station, a Spike LR anti-tank missile system, a 7.62mm machine gun and a Bushmaster Mk44S 30mm chain gun, according to data from OCCAR. Delivery was initiated in 2019. (Source: Defense News)
19 Apr 22. Serbia interested in new, surplus Eurofighter Typhoons from UK. Serbia is in discussions with the United Kingdom to acquire both newbuild and surplus Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft as part of a wider effort to modernise the country’s air force. Serbian Defence Minister Nebojša Stefanović said on 16 April that the Serbian Air Force and Air Defense (Ratno vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazduhoplovna odbrana: RV i PVO) is in the market for the Typhoons as it continues discussions with France for the Dassault Rafale. He added that he is seeking an unidentified missile type that can be carried by both the Eurofighter and the Rafale as part of the deal, and that the willingness of either France or the UK to sell the missile could be a factor in any procurement decision. (Source: Janes)
19 Apr 22. Dutch NH90s to receive mid-life upgrade. The Netherlands is to implement a mid-life upgrade (MLU) to its entire fleet of NHIndustries NH90 helicopters, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 15 April.
All 11 NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH) and eight marinised Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) NH90s will go through the process that is designed to remove obsolescence issues from the platforms that were received from 2010, but which date back to the 1990s.
“All 19 NH90 maritime combat helicopters are getting a major makeover,” Dutch State Secretary for Defence Christophe van der Maat said. “This so-called mid-life update is necessary to keep the devices operationally relevant.”
The Netherlands employs the NH90s across a range of roles, including shipborne combat support and reconnaissance, counter-narcotics, and anti-piracy missions, as well as humanitarian disaster relief.
According to the MoD, the MLU, which has been drawn up with other NH90 operators, will include an upgrade to the aircraft’s software, modernisation of the sensors and navigation and communication systems, and improvements to the logistics and training systems, including the flight simulator. (Source: Janes)
19 Apr 22. Sikorsky-Rheinmetall team details its bid for Germany‘s CH-53 replacement. Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky, and Rheinmetall have detailed the latest state of their bid for Germany‘s Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH) heavy transport helicopter project to replace the Luftwaffe’s existing CH-53G/GS/GA/GEs. Sikorsky-Rheinmetall‘s STH team briefed German defence media and Janes in Bonn on 12 April, announcing that the US government had on 8 April submitted updated information and the possible delivery plan for the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of the CH-53K to Germany. Sikorsky and Rheinmetall said they could deliver the first CH-53Ks starting in 2025, with the US Marine Corps, as the main user of the helicopter, able to provide training to convert German crews from the CH-53G, enabling the ageing helicopters‘ retirement in 2030 as planned.
(Source: Janes)
USA
21 Apr 22. Pentagon budget 2023: US Navy considers divesting Growlers, RQ-21As. The US Navy (USN) and US Marine Corps’ (USMC) fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget request totalled USD230.8bn, but the services are looking at divesting several air assets to save money, according to documents released on 14 April.
“Divestment decisions are made to retire less capable platforms, reduce costs, and realign funds to source higher priority efforts,” the navy noted in its highlights budget document.
The USN plans to divest all of its non-carrier-based EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft, which includes five Growler squadrons (or 25 aircraft). End strength will be reduced by 50% in FY 2024 and fully by FY 2025, according to the documents. Half of the aircraft will be sent to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, in FY 2024 and the rest in FY 2025. The service does not expect any cost savings in FY 2023, but sees a savings of USD807.8m across its five-year budget plan, known as the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP). (Source: Janes)
18 Apr 22. US Army seeks C-UAS industry support for strategic NGIA programme. The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), Program Manager Special Programs (PMSP) has issued a tender for for state of the art technologies and capabilities for the Next Generation Identification and Awareness Initiative (NGIA). NGIA is established to meet requirements in the following focus areas:
Focus Area 1: TAGGING, TRACKING AND LOCATING (TTL): Having knowledge of when, where and what the enemy is doing is crucial to mission planning and eventual success. USASOC is looking to fill technology gaps in special technical capabilities for Tagging, Tracking, and Locating of High Value Individuals and Targets (HVI&T). Tailored solutions should provide Over The Horizon (OTH) and Line of Sight (LOS) day and night target tracking capabilities for extended periods, in all terrain/weather conditions, using ground based, airborne, or satellite receive methods. Specific desired characteristics include LPI/LPD communications, non-traditional means of exfiltration, and ability to survive in austere, near/peer operational environments.
Focus Area 2: RECONNAISSANCE & SURVEILLANCE (R&S): USASOC must provide operators with the ability to gain intelligence in areas that are not easily accessible due to terrain/weather restrictions, political sensitivities, and hostile forces. Special, unattended ground base sensors will provide, “orbits without orbits”, giving commanders situational awareness where traditional ISR systems are either non-existent or units are operating in unfamiliar environments where traditional collection may fail. Specific efforts that include OTH Audio/Video sensors, novel sensor modalities, and passive audio, machine vision object recognition sensors and can bypass adversarial countermeasures are highly desirable.
Focus Area 3: UNMANNED SYSTEMS (UMS): Remotely controlled ground and aerial based systems have become a significant contested technology focus area for USASOC. Multiple solutions are required for the US military to win in the next fight. The solutions include the creation of denied/degraded GPS, anti-RF C2 link jamming capabilities that are manufactured by US companies using parts, and able to be integrated on group 1 and/or group 2 UAS. Additionally, we require the ability to manage and reduce the RF control link signature in order to protect the UAS from opposition EW exploitation. Autonomy is increasingly important and will allow operators to keep focus on mission tasks and decrease the amount of “eyes on screen” time required to operate remotely controlled drones, reducing troop to task requirements. With the increased proliferation of commercial and enemy drone platforms, the ability to deny, control, exploit and counter those platforms is required to survive in the current and future operating environment.
The NGIA’s purpose is to form a sphere of technological excellence made up of participants from industry, non-profit organizations, and not-for-profit entities able to rapidly and efficiently propose and carry out, the development of prototype solutions that sustain and expand strategic superiority within broadly stated special operations focus areas of interest. It is intended that participants will perform a strategically important role in developing systems focused on the development, demonstration and transition of resilient and dynamic technological capabilities critically necessary for the Nation’s special operation forces. Prototype projects awarded as a result of this announcement may result in follow-on production Other Transaction Agreements or Contracts in the quantities specified within any particular project announcement released within the NGIA competitive environment.
Deadline: April 1, 2025
Tender number: W911SR-22-S-NGIA
Responsible organisation: US Army
For more information: https://sam.gov/opp/42397f9cd1e74fa7b66ebf24ed511aad/view
(Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
18 Apr 22. US Navy seeks C-UAS capabilities at part of JCREW protection programme. The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC), Expeditionary Missions Program Office (PMS 408) has issued a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) Increment One Block One (I1B1) and DRAKE.
The JCREW I1B1 system, which includes three different form factors (mounted, dismounted, and fixed site), provides long term protection to U.S. forces against Radio Controlled IEDs, and a variant referred to as DRAKE provides a Counter–Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) capability to afloat and ashore forces.
JCREW utilizes an open architecture System of Systems design, with common hardware and software. JCREW fulfills the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC), Naval Beach Group (NBG), United States Air Force (USAF), Foreign Military Sales (FMS), and other agency requirements to replace legacy CREW systems that lack worldwide applicability. DRAKE expands the Navy’s C-UAS capability to high priority Navy installations and ships under U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Military Sealift Command and Strategic Systems Programs.
Deadline: May 4, 2022
Tender number: N00024-22-R-6427
Responsible organisation: US Navy
For more information: https://sam.gov/opp/617b2515a9eb43b890dba339c6ebdcea/view
(Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
19 Apr 22. Special Operations Command Targets Vehicle Upgrades. New vehicle upgrade opportunities are available for industry seeking to work with Special Operations Command.
“We have a pretty unique fleet out here in SOCOM that kind of touches different programs,” said Marine Corps Lt. Col. Alfredo Romero, program manager for Special Operations Command’s family of special ops vehicles.
The command’s inventory includes joint light tactical vehicles, purpose-built non-standard commercial platforms, light tactical all-terrain systems, ground mobility vehicles and more. There are platforms currently in concept, production and sustainment stages, Romero said during the National Defense Industrial Association’s annual Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Conference in Norfolk, Virginia.
One vehicle in the concept stage includes the purpose-built non-standard commercial vehicle, which is being pursued through an other transaction authority prototyping effort, Romero said.
“The idea of this vehicle platform was to build a vehicle from the ground up on the chassis, with the ability to change out the skins,” he said.
The command is designing the platform to have an extended service life with the ability to traverse longer distances.
Special Operations Command has recently completed some tests with the vehicle and is currently waiting for the results to come in before making its next move, Romero said.
Meanwhile, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV — which is being developed through a joint program office for the Army and Marine Corps — is another project in the concept stage. The platform is a service-common vehicle being provided to SOCOM components, Romero said. In fiscal year 2023, the command will begin applying special operations forces-specific modifications.
Part of Special Operations Command’s acquisition strategy is to leverage platforms from the services, he said.
Whatever the Army and Marine Corps provides is “good enough for SOF,” Romero said.
The command then applies SOF-peculiar modifications to the platforms which offers users greater flexibility, he added.
Upcoming milestones include a SOF command, control, communications, computers, cyber and intelligence, or C5I, integration kit which will be tested in fiscal year 2022, according to slides shown during Romero’s presentation.
The JLTV will be one of SOCOM’s newer vehicles and will be a workhorse in the fleet, he said.
The command is also pursuing a hybrid-electric ground mobility vehicle 1.1 system. A prototype platform is expected to be completed by July and the command will then commence testing, Romero said.
Meanwhile, platforms in production include the light tactical all-terrain vehicle, which is a SOF-modified commercial-off-the-shelf system that can be internally air transported via V-22, H-53 and H-47. The platform includes two- and four-seat variants. It can perform missions such as offset infiltration, reconnaissance and medical evacuation.
The command is using Polaris’ MRZR Alpha for the vehicle, Romero said. The program is a collaborative effort between Special Operations Command and the Marine Corps.
“We are sharing the same common vehicle baseline,” he said. The platform is known as the ultra-light tactical vehicle within the Corps, he added.
“It’s an overall nice vehicle,” Romero said. “The user community here really likes this platform.”
Moving forward, areas of interest for the vehicle include integrating autonomy packages, signature management systems and inserting a communications suite, he said. There is also interest in electrifying the platform.
The LTATV was slated to complete performance testing in March, according to Romero’s slides.
Meanwhile, the service is sustaining its fleet of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles as well as its ground mobility vehicle 1.0 and 1.1 platforms, he said.
In general, as SOCOM looks forward, it is seeking lightweight armor for its vehicle fleet, he said. Current armor solutions are heavy and limit the available payload for users, as well as decrease the platform’s durability.
The command is also looking for new signature management technologies, he said.
“That is a big topic for us,” Romero said. “How do we do signature management on the move?”
Hybrid-electric technology is another area of interest, he said. “Anything that we can do to create that extended range and also that silent watch … we’re all in on that.”Autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicle technology — as well as augmented reality maintenance capabilities — are also areas that SOCOM is eyeing, Romero said. By Yasmin Tadjdeh
REST OF THE WORLD
21 Apr 22. SA Defence enterprise development fund moves forward.
The defence industry Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) fund has been established as an initiative of the Defence Sector Charter Council (DSCC) to improve the state of black-owned defence companies.
The DSCC on 12 April announced that the ESD Fund had been established, with the aim of enabling and supporting the economic transformation of the South African defence industry (SADI).
“The aim of this initiative is to transform and revitalise the defence industry by enabling effective and sustainable economic participation of Black people in the SADI value chain [and] to encourage innovation, manufacturing, development and growth of SMMEs [small, medium and macro-sized enterprises] in the defence industry, to enable a sustainable defence industry and ensure active involvement of ‘Black Designated Groups’ (Unemployed, Youth, Persons with disabilities, Military Veterans, people living in underdeveloped areas and Women),” the DSCC stated.
The registered ESD Fund (officially Defence ESD Fund NPC) will engage in enterprise financing, encouraging entrepreneurship, capability and capacity development of diversified SMME businesses with specific focus on designated groups.
“All Measured Entities as defined under the Defence Sector Code are required to contribute to the ESD Fund 1% of their net profit after tax (NPAT) per annum. A ‘Measured Entity’ is an entity, enterprise, state organ or public entity that is subject to measurement under the Defence Sector Code,” the DSCC stated.
In November 2018 the Defence Sector Code, in terms of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Amendment Act, was gazetted, and officially launched in April 2019. This stipulates that companies doing business with the state must procure at least 60% of defence materials produced locally, as well as locally produced technologies. Private sector entities in the defence industry must sub-contract no less than 30% of any contract exceeding R30 m to companies owned by black designated groups. Furthermore, the black ownership target has been increased to 30%, which is higher than the 25% benchmark of the generic BEE codes. Foreign companies are obligated to place 75% of their contractual obligations under the defence industrial participation programme with Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE)-compliant suppliers.
The DSCC said it has appointed Cede Capital Pty Ltd to manage the ESD Fund on its behalf. The fully black-owned company describes itself as providing credit facilities to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across various sectors.
As the ESD Fund is now established and operative, the DSCC said all ‘Measured Entities’ are required to make their contribution to the ESD Fund and deposit it in the Defence ESD Fund NPC bank account.
The fund, made public in Armscor’s tender information portal last year, has an estimated value of R350 m.
The ESD Fund will fund “black-owned entities in SADI”, engage in manufacturing promotion initiatives for SADI; fund “innovative black-owned technology entities” either in or related to SADI; “promote development of intellectual property and exploitation in SADI by and in collaboration with black people” as well as support the growth of black business in the local defence industry.
The ESD Fund will oversee the receipt of funds from contributors and disburse funds as directed by the DSCC, which has a primary aim of expediting the transformation and revitalisation of the local defence industry. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
21 Apr 22. Naval Group offers to build two AIP submarines in Surabaya. French shipbuilder Naval Group has offered to build two air-independent propulsion (AIP)-capable diesel-electric submarines (SSKs) in Surabaya for the Indonesian Navy.
According to presentation documents that have been provided to Janes by an industry source, the vessels offered are a derivative of the Scorpene SSK, and Naval Group has offered to construct both submarines wholly in-country at PT PAL’s facilities.
The Indonesian Navy operates a fleet of three South Korean-built Nagapasa-class SSKs that were commissioned between 2017 and 2021, and one German-made Cakra-class submarine that was inducted in 1981. A second Cakra-class submarine, KRI Nanggala, was lost at sea in 2021.
The country also signed a contract for three more SSKs with South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) in 2019. (Source: Janes)
22 Apr 22. RoKAF’s airlift acquisition to draw diverse capabilities.
Aircraft manufacturers expected to bid for South Korea’s ‘Large Transporter Secondary Project’ (LTAP-2) are slated to offer a range of capabilities for the programme.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced the project on 25 March. The agency said that it expects three aircraft types to participate in the project: the Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules, the Airbus A400M Atlas, and the Embraer C-390 Millenium.
In a statement to Janes , Airbus said it is aware of the South Korean government’s recent communications on approval for large transport aircraft for the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF). The company said it is “keen to actively contribute” to the programme.
Airbus added that the airlifter will help bolster Korea’s strategic military capabilities through its “combination of strategic lift, tactical delivery, and front-line refuelling to fulfil diverse operational requirements”.
The new-generation A400M has contributed to missions around the world, including the Kabul airlift and the Covid-19 pandemic relief operations, according to the company. (Source: Janes)
20 Apr 22. Australian defence R&D initiative unveiled. The Commonwealth government has invested in a major collaboration between industry and academia aimed at developing advanced defence technology, including hypersonic capability.
The University of Adelaide has partnered with the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to lead a new $238m defence research and development (R&D) initiative, announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday (20 April).
The collaboration aims to fast-track the development of 100 new defence products and capabilities, with a specific focus on autonomous technologies, hypersonics and high frequency technologies.
The Commonwealth government has pledged $50 m via the Trailblazer program, with the University of Adelaide, UNSW, and their industry partners collectively committing $188 m in co-investment.
Among the industry partners participating in the program are BAE Systems Australia, Supashock, Greenroom Robotics, and Silentium Defence.
The initiative is tipped to generate approximately 1,000 new jobs over the next four years.
“Our national economic plan is supercharging Australia’s research and development, creating more jobs and helping build a stronger economy for a stronger future,” Prime Minister Morrison said.
“We are investing $270bn in building our sovereign defence capability, creating jobs right around the country, and through our Trailblazer program we will now back in Australia’s brightest and best to develop new defence industry technology and products.”
Acting Minister for Education and Youth Stuart Robert said the co-investment from both industry and academia is a reflection of their commitment to bolstering sovereign capability.
“The investment of industry partners, and especially by the 35 partner small businesses, shows that our homegrown defence firms are hungry to innovate and to help secure Australia in the increasingly uncertain Indo-Pacific strategic environment,” Minister Robert said.
“This project will help harness the cutting-edge defence research being done in our top universities and ensure that our defence forces have access to defence technology at the global cutting-edge, including applications of quantum materials, hypersonics and robotics.
“This Trailblazer funding means more jobs right here in Australia, a stronger economy and stronger national defence.”
BAE Systems Australia CEO Ben Hudson welcomed the opportunity to participate in the program, with the company set to leverage its national Red Ochre Labs Research and development centre.
“Collaboration across these technology areas and significant investment in R&D will have the benefit of speeding up the evolution of existing technologies where Australia is leading the world and the development of new technologies for the Australian Defence Force,” Hudson said.
“We are delighted to have partnered with the University of Adelaide and the University of New South Wales on this program.
“There is still significant work to do to ensure that some of the toughest technology challenges are solved so that we can enhance Australia’s Defence capabilities.” (Source: Defence Connect)
18 Apr 22. $381m subs upgrade as French compo talks drag on. The ageing Collins class submarines will undergo a $381m camera systems upgrade as the Morrison Government revealed compensation talks with France’s Naval Group over the scrapping of a $90bn contract to build a new fleet are likely to continue well into the next financial year.
Defence Minister Peter Dutton on Monday conceded negotiations with Naval Group about the government’s decision to tear up the contract in favour of nuclear powered submarines as part of the new AUKUS security pact were expected to drag out.
It was originally hoped the settlement between Australia and Naval Group would be finished by the end of the current financial year.
However, Dutton said it would most likely carry on into the next financial year.
“It will be after the election, it’ll take some time,” Dutton told reporters.
“The negotiations are under way at the moment, so once those figures have been settled, then we will provide that information.”
Earlier this year, a Senate estimates hearing was told termination costs as part of the previous submarine deal could be more than $5.5bn.
Taxpayers have already been slugged more than $2.5bn for Australia pulling out of the deal.
Dutton said he did not want to state the figure that was being negotiated with Naval Group.
“What happens in a commercial negotiation is if the other side knows that you’ve got a hard deadline, then they’ll hold you over a barrel,” he said.
The comments came as Dutton announced the Collins class fleet built between 1990 and 2003 will be made stealthier after the $381m upgrade to install a “cutting edge optronics system” at Osborne in Adelaide.
Replacing the existing periscope system, Dutton said optronics involves a digital camera on an extendable mast-raising system outside the pressure hull taking images and transmitting it into the submarine digitally.
HMAS Rankin will be the first submarine to undergo the upgrade from 2024, with the technology operational by 2026.
Dutton said the upgrade would ensure the diesel-electric Collins class boats “remain a potent and agile deterrent” until replaced by nuclear propelled submarines.
“The optronics system will help maintain the tactical advantage in intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance, and anti-surface warfare,” he said.
“It will make our submarines stealthier by reducing the amount of time the submarine is exposed above the surface. Stealth is vital to a submarine.”
-with AAP (Source: https://indaily.com.au/)
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Since 1946, Industrial Electronic Engineers, IEE, has specialized in the design, test, support and fielding of display products for use in demanding military and aerospace applications throughout the world. IEE has developed an extensive product portfolio that today includes enhanced flat panel displays, smart displays and handheld devices.
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