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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
30 May 22. Innovation fund launches to support Ukrainian armed forces.
The brightest minds in the UK Defence industry are being encouraged to continue developing more battle-winning ideas to help Ukraine
- Campaign launched to bolster Defence innovation in support of Ukraine’s Armed Forces
- At least £25m of funding available for successful proposals to tackle specific needs
- Focus on rapidly delivering from innovation to battleground
Defence Ministers are calling on UK industry to accelerate the development of equipment for the Ukrainian armed forces, launching a £25 m campaign fund for the design and delivery of equipment to the country across the coming months.
The competition will be focused on bolstering the existing provision for artillery, coastal defence and aerial systems.
The Government believes drawing on UK expertise across the defence industry, including from innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), could provide battle-winning solutions for the Ukrainian forces.
Defence Procurement Minister, Jeremy Quin said: “Since Russia’s brutal invasion UK defence suppliers with active support from MOD and DE&S have taken equipment from desktop ideas to the front line. This £25m plus fund is designed to capture ongoing work and support innovative ideas to meet Ukrainian defence requirements.
Recent months have shown the ingenuity and innovation of the UK defence sector. We want to ensure ongoing creativity is harnessed and directed at key requirements and all companies with a capability that can help are aware of the challenge.
Working closely with industry we have already seen innovative ideas quickly reaching Theatre. This includes capabilities such as heavy lift Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and anti-tank loitering munitions, as well as adapting existing weapons systems such as integrating Brimstone for use as a ground launched weapon.”
The requirements fall into four categories:
- Artillery – Procurement and manufacturing proposals to support the resupply of ammunition and the maintenance of Soviet calibre 152mm and 122mm weapon systems.
- Coastal defence – Supporting the deterrence of hostile naval forces, persistent surveillance, and delivery of attacks at range, including from autonomous or remotely-controlled vehicles.
- Military logistics and resupply – Maintenance and development of infrastructure for supply lines by sea and land, including waterways, overbridging and general Ukrainian engineering capability.
- Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) – The provision of UAS capabilities across a broad spectrum of capabilities, from lethal effects to surveillance, electronic warfare and heavy lift.
The UK has already committed more than £2.8 bn to support Ukraine through humanitarian aid and grants, as well as military kit including 120 armoured vehicles, air defence systems and more than 6,500 anti-tank missiles.
Industry organisations will need to submit proposals by June 10th, when a sift will take place to access the funding, with at least £25 m available.
The initial focus is on equipment that can be sourced and supplied in the next four months, with longer-term capability development in scope where applicable. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
EUROPE
01 June 22. Boeing Statement on Germany’s STH Heavy-Lift Helicopter Program. The German Government today announced that Boeing’s [NYSE: BA] CH-47F Chinook has been selected for its heavy-lift helicopter requirements (STH) for the German Bundeswehr.
“Boeing is honored the German government has selected the CH-47F Chinook for its future heavy-lift helicopter requirements. We look forward to working with the U.S. and German governments to finalize this sale under the Foreign Military Sales process. Together with our Chinook Deutschland Industry Team – AERO-Bildung GmbH, Airbus Helicopters Deutschland, CAE GmbH, ESG Elektroniksystem-und Logistik-GmbH, Honeywell Aerospace, Lufthansa Technik AG, and Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd. & Co.KG – we are committed to delivering maximum operational availability to the German Bundeswehr for decades to come.”
31 May 22. Turkey sends Rolls-Royce another pitch to co-produce engines for the TF-X jet. Turkey has sent Rolls-Royce a request for proposals as it seeks a deal to co-produce an engine for the country’s indigenous fighter jet, the TF-X, according to the government’s chief procurement official.
Ismail Demir and Air Force Commander Gen. Hasan Küçükakyüz led two senior Turkish delegations in a visit to the U.K. in May for a new round of talks. Turkey is now waiting for the British engine maker’s assessment and reply.
“We must find common ground at a point that makes sense for both parties,” Demir said. “It is imperative for us that the engine be produced in Turkey … that Turkey should possess intellectual property rights.”
Demir described the U.K. government’s approach to the plan as “generally positive.”
One aspect of the potential deal, he said, involves the ability to export the engine to other countries. “For that reason we don’t want any export restrictions,” he explained.
In October 2016, Rolls-Royce offered a joint production partnership to Turkey to power planned Turkish platforms and support potential sales to third parties. The company’s proposal involved a production unit in Turkey to manufacture engines for the TF-X, as well as for helicopters, tanks and missiles.
In January 2017, U.K.-based company BAE Systems and Turkish Aerospace Industries signed a deal worth more than £100 m (U.S. $126 m) to develop the Turkish fighter jet. “We work with Turkish Aerospace to bring know-how and engineering expertise to the TF-X programme,” BAE tweeted Feb. 15, 2022.
In a March 5 television interview, Demir said the Turkish government would negotiate a possible engine deal with Rolls-Royce. “We had some issues [with Rolls-Royce] before,” he said. “These have been resolved. I think we are ready to work together.”
Following his most recent visit to the U.K., Demir confirmed work with BAE is ongoing, but that the government needs to further define the company’s role in the FX-X program.
31 May 22. Multi-purpose mission: European NATO members search for improved maritime patrol capability. Contemporary maritime patrol aircraft (MPAs) reflect a broader trend among maritime military forces – creating platforms that are more multi-purpose in nature.
This trend is driven by two parallel tracks. First, reductions in procurement budgets during the last two decades forced the development of previously single-role types into multirole platforms. Second, increased security risks at sea during the last two decades have required individual platforms to be developed with capability to address many or all such risks. The last two decades have also told a specific story regarding the development of MPA capability. In the immediate post-Cold War period, the reduced threat at sea, increasing interventions ashore, and the desire to cash in on the post-Cold War ‘peace dividend’ saw MPA capability reduced and refocused, in the latter instance incorporating overland intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability requirements. (Source: Janes)
30 May 22. Romania considers options for SHORAD and VSHORAD. Romania is preparing to open a tender for the acquisition of short-range air-defence (SHORAD) and very short-range air-defence (VSHORAD) systems, under a programme that was originally launched in 2017 with a total requirement of 21 batteries. MBDA is offering the VL MICA and the Mistral 3 systems for the SHORAD and VSHORAD components, respectively, Julien Watelet, group head of Media at MBDA, told Janes at the BSDA 2022 exhibition in Bucharest. The Mistral configuration shown was the vehicle-based Mistral ATLAS, armed with the Mistral 3 missile. Watelet and other MBDA representatives explained that the company’s proposal was for both systems to be capable of operating as an integrated two-layer air-defence system, or as standalone systems depending on the requirements of the tactical scenario. The MBDA representatives added that the command-and-control (C2) systems of the two – Tactial Operation Centre (TOC) in the case of VL MICA, and Licorne in the case of Mistral – used very similar software to simplify interoperability among crews. (Source: Janes)
USA
27 May 22. US Special Operations seeks electronic counter drone technology with multimission capability. US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is seeking a device that can both jam radio frequencies to neutralise drone threats and stop roadside bombs from exploding says a report published by Defense News.
The article referenced the recent Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, hosted in Florida by the National Defense Industrial Association, when a lieutenant colonel who serves as SOCOM’s programme manager for counterproliferation described the need for a next-generation multimission electronic countermeasure device.
The article also referenced a second official: “Army Col. Anh Ha, who leads the command’s warrior-focused office, said a major initiative is ensuring an operator working in an isolated area — far from command infrastructure and with limited resources and power — can still have a shared, common operating picture with higher headquarters.”
Referencing a report by C4ISRNET, the article went on to say the US Army’s 2021 research budget emphasized tactical architecture for electronic warfare, including “a request to increase spending for the Multi-Function Electronic Warfare effort, the Terrestrial Layer System—Brigade Combat Team program, the Electronic Warfare Planning and Management Tool, and the Terrestrial Layer System—Echelons Above Brigade effort.”
Defense News quoted the counterproliferation Army lieutenant colonel at SOFIC focus on a smaller package: “Counter-unmanned systems: This consumes the bulk of our energy in the program office.” The office stood up the counter-UAS program this past fall, he noted, and although the current focus is on aerial threats, the office is looking for ground and maritime counter-drone options, too.
“His team wants to find portable, dismounted and fixed expeditionary site options for the next-generation multimission electronic countermeasure gear. The Marine Corps and SOCOM have an existing system called Modi, made by the Sierra Nevada Corporation and used by the Army and Marines.
“The next-gen version needs to hit those other domains and be more portable. The current dismounted system weighs 40 pounds.
“The program manager said “ideally” the office expects to select a system by fiscal 2024 and begin production in fiscal 2025. And SOCOM would like to run these systems as smoothly as they can in order to “reduce burden to our operators and incentivize autonomy as much as possible,” concluded the Defense News article. For more information visit: www.defensenews.com (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
REST OF THE WORLD
01 June 22. Boeing Teams with Canadian Industry to Offer P-8A Poseidon.
- P-8 offers proven, unmatched capability to defend Canada’s northern and maritime approaches
- An environmental leader for military aircraft, P-8 is ready today to operate on a 50% blend of sustainable aviation fuel
- Team Poseidon will deliver additional jobs and local prosperity to companies across Canada
Boeing [NYSE: BA] and several Canadian industry partners announced today their intent to collaborate to provide the capability and sustainability of the proven P-8A Poseidon for the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) requirement.
Team Poseidon, consisting of CAE, GE Aviation Canada, IMP Aerospace & Defence, KF Aerospace, Honeywell Aerospace Canada and Raytheon Canada, forms the cornerstone of a Canadian P-8 industrial footprint. The team builds on 81 Canadian suppliers to the platform and to more than 550 Canadian suppliers across all provinces contributing to Boeing’s annual CAD $5.3 bn in economic benefit to Canada, supporting more than 20,000 Canadian jobs.
The Boeing P-8A is a proven military off-the-shelf solution with nearly 150 aircraft delivered to five nations to date. The P-8 will improve Canada’s capability to defend its northern and maritime borders while ensuring interoperability with NORAD and NATO allies. As a leading platform for reducing the environmental impact of military aircraft, the P-8 can operate on a 50% blend of sustainable aviation fuel today with aspirations to move toward 100% with investment in new technology.
“As a dedicated partner of Canadian industry for more than a century, Boeing is proud to bring together a world-class team of companies in support of our P-8 offering to Canada,” said Heidi Grant, president, Business Development, Boeing Defense, Space & Security and Government Services. “Together, we will bolster Canada’s aerospace and defense industry through a 100% Industrial and Technical Benefits commitment if awarded the CMMA contract.”
The P-8A Poseidon offers advanced anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and search and rescue capability, and is the only in-service, in-production multi-mission aircraft that meets all CMMA requirements. The P-8 also has the added distinction of strengthening the connection between national security and environmental stewardship.
“The P-8A Poseidon offers a unique opportunity for the Royal Canadian Air Force today in that all of the development costs have been paid by other P-8 customers,” said Sean Liedman, director of International Business Development for Mobility & Surveillance aircraft, Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “By its non-developmental nature, P-8 offers an affordable solution that will defend and protect Canadian security for future generations. With Canada at the forefront of cleaning and greening, it’s fitting that Team Poseidon is elevating long-term environmental sustainability as an integral part of national defence.”
Having executed more than 450,000 collective mishap free flight-hours, the P-8A Poseidon has proven its capability to operate around the globe in the harshest flight regimes including extended operations in extreme cold weather and icing environments.
Current Boeing P-8 customers include the US Navy, Indian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Air Force, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Republic of Korea Navy and Germany Navy.
Built on the proven 737 Next-Generation airframe, P-8’s 86% commonality with more than 4,000 in-service 737NGs delivers lower life-cycle sustainment costs due to large economies of scale. (Source: ASD Network)
02 June 22. Elbit Systems and Rheinmetall Canada Team Up for Canada’s Joint Fire Modernization Project. Elbit Systems and Rheinmetall Canada have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation on proposing a solution for Canada’s Joint Fire Modernization (JFM) project. The JFM project intends to enable a near real-time sharing of tactical, operational and strategic fires and effects information through a digital network allowing instantaneous sharing of the Common Operating Picture (COP) including targets, friendly locations and Command and Control information.
With Rheinmetall Canada’s strong local presence and leadership of the Canadian Integrated Soldier System (ISS) project, and Elbit Systems UK leadership of the British Dismounted Joint Fires Integrators (D-JFI) program and involvement in Canada’s Airspace Coordination Centre Modernization (ASCCM) project, the two companies are well positioned to offer a superior solution for the JFM project.
Haim Delmar, General Manager of Elbit Systems C4I and Cyber, said: “We are pleased to team up with Rheinmetall Canada on pursuing this opportunity. I believe that developing a joint fires solution for Canada that draws on the experience that both companies acquire in Canada and in the UK will enable us to offer a higher level of technological maturity, clear growth path and robust Five Eyes compatability.”
Stéphane Oehrli, president and CEO of Rheinmetall Canada, commented: “Rheinmetall Canada is pleased to partner with Elbit Systems. With their combined expertise in command, control, communications, and tactical equipment, Rheinmetall and Elbit are ready to deliver dismounted and mounted digital joint fire solutions enabling the Department of National Defence to deliver responsive and accurate joint fire support. Rheinmetall Canada has been successful in winning major contracts due to its agility, capability and drive to innovate. Working with Elbit Systems to develop a flexible, robust, and responsive digital joint fire solution would effectively and comprehensively protect the men and women of the Canadian Army.”
01 June 22. Cormorant continues to fly high. Leonardo remains fully engaged with the Canadian Government in relation to the upgrade of its CH-149 Cormorant Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopter fleet. After distinguished 20-years of service life, the CH-149 Cormorant fleet requires a mid-life upgrade which is being proposed by Team Cormorant, a collaboration of Leonardo, together with its Canadian partners, IMP Aerospace and Defence, CAE, GE Canada, and Collins Aerospace Canada.
The Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade (CMLU) Project will address obsolescence issues, ensure compliance with emerging airspace requirements, extend the life expectancy of the fleet to 2042+ and provide the option to augment the fleet, enabling the return of Cormorant helicopters to the Main Operating Base (MOB) Trenton. The majority of the CMLU work will be performed in Canada, primarily at IMP’s Halifax, N.S. facilities.
July of this year marks the first operational flight anniversary of the Cormorant, which took place in 2002. It involved a medical evacuation of a sailor from a freighter 200 km (110 nm) off the coast of BC.
Since the first delivery of the CH-149 Cormorant helicopters in October 2001 to Comox, BC; the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has been performing thousands of life saving missions throughout Canada, from the peaks of snowy windswept mountains, the east and west maritime coasts, to the high Arctic as well as internationally – providing humanitarian support. The fleet has now achieved in excess of 100,000 flight hours.
The Cormorant helicopter and its RCAF crews have served Canadians with exemplary service over the past 20-years, and this continues as evidenced during recent missions, such as the rescue of 31 people from a sinking offshore scallop dragger off the coast of Nova Scotia in 2021. The Cormorant was part of a fixed- and rotary-wing team that supported this critical rescue operation.
Further testament to the RCAF crews and Cormorant helicopters is the SAR mission conducted by three CH-149 helicopters from MOB Comox in November 2021. Following unprecedented landslides that occurred near Agassiz, British Columbia, hundreds of travellers were stranded and required immediate airlift evacuation. With expert coordination, the Cormorant crews orchestrated multiple landings on a congested and debris-covered Highway 7 in deteriorating weather with gale force winds. With daylight waning, the evacuation of 311 people, 26 dogs, and 1 cat was successfully undertaken. From the first mission in 2001 to 2022 SAR operations, operational success is only possible due to the ever-evolving capabilities of the Cormorant alongside the hard-working crews who operate and support the multi-role medium-heavy three-engine helicopter.
The CMLU Project will transition Canada’s AW101/CH149 “Cormorant” SAR helicopter fleet to the latest standard currently being delivered for SAR in Norway and arguably the best search and rescue helicopter in the world.
The CMLU Project will include; state-of-the-art avionics, a new glass cockpit, more powerful digitally-controlled engines, wireless in-cabin communications, the latest SAR sensors including; Electro Optical Infra-Red device and Mobile Phone Detection Location System –enabling less search and more rescue – and a CAE provided synthetic training solution.
30 May 22. Rheinmetall announces its Canadian partners and reveals its team name for the LVCTS project: FORC3. The partnership between Rheinmetall and Lockheed Martin in pursuit of the Canadian Army’s Land Vehicle Crew Training System (LVCTS) project has a new name—FORC3—and a lineup of Canadian suppliers to fulfill its mission.
First announced in June 2020, the strategic partnership led by Rheinmetall Canada includes Lockheed Martin Canada, Rheinmetall Electronics (Bremen, Germany), and Lockheed Martin Training and Logistics Solutions (Orlando, Florida). The agreement created an international alliance with unrivalled experience and expertise in the design, development, and implementation of world-class combat vehicle virtual simulation centres used by Canada’s most important allies.
Pietro Mazzei, Vice-president, Rheinmetall Canada, explains, “The name FORC3 is all about promoting a partnership between Rheinmetall, Lockheed Martin, and the Department of National Defence (DND), united through excellence to enable training for adaptive dispersed operations.”
Together with the leading Canadian defence, service, infrastructure, and simulation companies, FORC3 has secured the domestic capabilities to build and operate five state-of-the-art LVCTS simulation centres across the country. The Canadian team comprises Rheinmetall Canada (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu), Lockheed Martin Canada (Ottawa), the ADGA Group (Ottawa), Bluedrop Training and Simulation (Halifax), EllisDon Construction and Building Services (London), Paladin AI (Montreal), and REDspace Incorporated (Halifax).
FORC3 will draw upon its partners’ global experience and cutting-edge technologies to fundamentally transform operational training for the Canadian Army. Each proposed simulation centre will create highly realistic synthetic environments that replicate the future land operating environment. Canadian forces will train as they will fight and where they will fight, encountering virtual adversaries posing a full range of hybrid, conventional, and emerging threats. Within these simulated operational scenarios, Canadian soldiers will have access to sophisticated analytical tools to exploit training to the fullest. The LVCTS will become a key enabler in training for adaptive dispersed operations, the Canadian Army’s capstone operating concept.
With FORC3’s team, the LVCTS program’s benefits will be felt across Canada. The project will bring modern technologies to the nation’s industries and create new and enduring high-quality jobs at the five simulation centres. As a member of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), Rheinmetall Canada is committed to including Aboriginal businesses in its supply chains for the project. Additionally, the LVCTS project offers significant environmental benefits as traditional field training makes way for simulated operations hosted in carbon-neutral buildings.
Says Mazzei, “FORC3 is about Canadian industries uniting with DND to effectively and comprehensively prepare the Army’s women and men for the challenges they will face in the coming decades.”
The five custom-built simulation centres will enable progressive training at the individual, crew, platoon, and higher echelon levels using high-fidelity trainers, medium-fidelity reconfigurable trainers and standard trainee workstations combined with a robust virtual environment and comprehensive instructional system.
About the ADGA Group
For more than 50 years, ADGA has built a reputation for empowering our partners to keep Canadians safe in mission-critical, time-critical, and budget-critical situations. ADGA’s Defence Division has supported the Canadian Armed Forces with field-proven software development and systems integration in C4ISR, reliable fire support systems, leading-edge simulation systems, and secure networking solutions for all operating environments.
About Bluedrop Training & Simulation
Bluedrop Training & Simulation designs, develops, and integrates advanced training solutions including state-of-the-art training and simulation products and highly interactive courseware and technical documentation. The company’s approach meets the demands of today’s modern armed forces providing blended training solutions from the classroom through to simulated virtual environments aimed at improving safety, productivity, and efficiency. Bluedrop has developed a unique suite of cutting-edge virtual rear crew and hoist mission training systems and armoured vehicle simulators. Bluedrop Training & Simulation is a small to medium-sized enterprise providing a strong value proposition offering 100% Canadian designed and developed solutions.
About EllisDon Construction and Building Services
EllisDon is a world-leading construction and building services company that completes in excess of 5 bn dollars worth of contracts annually, in every market sector and across the globe. The company’s ability to successfully manage design and to deliver unique and challenging projects has placed its services in the spotlight. With over 2 bn dollars of completed or ongoing defence projects across Canada, EllisDon is recognized as both industry and defence sector leaders.
About Paladin AI
Paladin AI is a Montreal-based high-tech company deploying artificial-intelligence-powered training analytics solutions for immersive training environments. Its platform, InstructIQ™, accelerates training, standardizes instruction, and objectively assesses trainee performance. The company’s founders believe that the future of training should be adaptive, personalized, and equitable.
About REDspace Inc.
REDspace is a full-service digital engineering firm specializing in cloud, platform, and enterprise systems integration solutions across the Canadian defence and international media and entertainment markets. REDspace is a Canadian-based, small and medium enterprise with 20 years of experience providing development capabilities and innovation supporting the evolution of Canada’s defence sector. REDspace is an industry-thought leader and has designed and built highly integrated, performance-based solutions for some of the world’s largest organizations with information systems that reach ms of concurrent users globally. REDspace is bringing this capability to the LVCTS community.
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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.
From rapid prototyping of custom designs to full-scale production runs, IEE, produces displays with advanced features like low-latency video processing, high-bright and NVIS backlighting, and lightweight rugged enclosures. Their SWaP-C products employ the latest lightweight composite materials; low power, high performance integrated ARM processors; standard Ethernet and USB communication, in a low cost, highly producible design.
In-house California facilities include optical bonding, clean rooms for display assembly, a dark room for optical measurements and environmental chambers for pre-compliance and customer acceptance testing. On-site manufacturing includes PCB assembly and flow soldering. IEE has manufactured handheld, in-vehicle, airborne and naval LCD displays for all military branches as well as leading aerospace firms both domestically and internationally.
IEE is ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified.
IEE’s Advantage:
- Direct control of critical process steps that reduce cost, decrease production lead times and improves life-cycle management
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- Field-proven, pre-engineered displays minimize lead-time and non-recurring engineering costs.
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