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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
02 Dec 22. Japan, Britain and Italy to announce joint fighter project as early as next week – sources. Japan, Britain and Italy will announce a groundbreaking agreement as early as next week to jointly develop a new advanced jet fighter, two sources with knowledge of the plan told Reuters.
For Tokyo and London it represents the culmination of ever closer defence ties, which in turn give Britain a bigger security role in Asia and provide Japan with new security partners that can help it counter neighbouring China’s growing military power.
The push to merge the British led Tempest jet fighter project with Japan’s F-X fighter programme was first reported by Reuters in July. It will be the first time that Japan has collaborated with countries beyond the United States on a major defence equipment project.
The announcement will come before Japan releases a new national security strategy and military procurement plan around mid December, the sources said.
That arms build up, which could double the country’s defence budget to around 5% of gross domestic product(GDP) over the next five years, will pay for new weapons including long-range missiles designed to deter China from resorting to military action in and around the East China Sea.
Talks between Japan, Britain and Italy on the new jet fighter, which will be led by BAE Systems Plc (BAES.L) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7011.T), will continue next year to hammer details of the project, such as work share and the designs of variants that each partner will deploy, the sources said. Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is also looking at proposals to relax its military export rules so that the joint jet fighter could be exported, Itsunori Onodera, a former Japanese defence minister and influential lawmaker said in an interview last month. (Source: Reuters)
30 Nov 22. UK drops funding of future Type 32 Frigate and Multirole Support Ships, for now.
“In July 2022 Navy Command withdrew its plans for Type 32 frigates and MRSS because of concerns about unaffordability,” said the UK’s National Audit Office. “The revised costing profile is likely to be significantly higher.”
The UK Royal Navy command formally “withdrew” an equipment plan to fund and develop its nascent Type 32 Frigates and Multirole Support Ships (MRSS) judging them to be “unaffordable,” a National Audit Office report has revealed, at least for now.
The decision was made in July 2022, but only made public on Tuesday upon release of the watchdog’s “Defence Equipment Plan 2022-2032” document. The annual report reviews the MoD’s long-term financial planning by examining procurement, infrastructure and operational costs — in some ways similar to the US Government Accountability Office.
The report warns the Royal Navy that the decision to drop Type 32 funding will “result in a revised costing profile… likely to be significantly higher,” than originally planned. That language suggests funding has been postponed and that the program hasn’t been scrapped altogether.
The next generation Type 32 was first mentioned by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2020 and was then described in the UK’s latest defense review as a “new class of surface warship” designed to protect territorial waters and provide persistence when deployed overseas in the next decade.
A concept phase for the program commenced in September 2022 ahead of the MoD set to deliver an outline business case, according to a Oct. 17. parliamentary statement from Alec Shelbrooke, UK minister for defense procurement. The outline business case typically covers approvals for costs, production and delivery schedules, but how that now shakes out in light of funding being postponed is unclear.
BAE Systems has already put forward the Adaptable Strike Frigate concept as it bids to secure a Type 32 production contract. Company literature from the manufacturer notes that the concept includes a “modular system of systems” approach that will enable the frigate to be cost effectively reconfigured for a “wide range of operations.”
Beyond the Type 32 matters, the MRSS funding postponement will potentially force future operations to be more constrained as those ships are in line to support littoral strike campaigns from the early 2030s onward.
Support equipment from the Mine Hunting Capability Block 1 and 2 programs have also been left unfunded by the MoD, although the NAO does not offer any explanation behind the decision.
Similarly, funding for the future Type 83 destroyer, set to replace Type 45 vessels has also not been included in UK equipment plans.
The NAO does point out, however, that because the older destroyers are due to be replaced between 2035 and 2038, funding of a replacement is “unlikely” to be required before 2032.
Regarding land based procurement, funding for 1,016 Boxer vehicles from a full requirement of 1,305 has been approved, alongside 61 of 75 M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) and eight out of 10 recovery vehicles.
For the moment, no additional A400M aircraft will be procured after Air Command assessed such an option to be “unaffordable.” The Royal Air Force is to instead focus on improving availability rates of the military transporter. (Source: News Now/Breaking Defense.com))
30 Nov 22. UK scraps additional A400M buy as ‘unaffordable.’ The United Kingdom has scrapped plans to acquire additional Airbus A400M Atlas airlifters, saying it is no longer affordable. The National Audit Office (NAO) made the disclosure in its ‘The Equipment Plan 2022 to 2032′ report, published on 30 November, reversing the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) announcement in February that it was seeking to add to the 22 aircraft already contracted.
“An option to purchase additional A400M aircraft was assessed as unaffordable. Air Command is developing an affordable choice to improve A400M availability. Some funding is held centrally,” the report said.
Although costings were not included in the equipment plan report, the NAO had previously said that the additional purchase will be valued at GBP750m (USD899bn). This would likely equate to eight aircraft to bring the fleet up to 30 A400Ms. (Source: Janes)
25 Nov 22. UK MoD issues PQQ for ISR space project. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) for Project Oberon, a programme that seeks high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites.
According to the PQQ released by the MoD on 24 November, the contract will involve a cluster of three satellites equipped with an active SAR payload and, at a lower priority, passive radio frequency (RF) functionality, which the supplier will be required to operate.
The main contract is expected to demand a “full end-to-end solution including inter alia; design, development, manufacture, assembly, integration, test, launch, commissioning, operations, and eventual disposal”, the PQQ stated.
Up to GBP70 m (USD84.7 m) has been earmarked for the 36-month contract.
A further contract option is expected as part of the project – this will require a supplier to deliver mission operations, training, and support (per year) for a further six years, as well as mission integration and implementation into the ground architecture of the multisatellite intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) ‘ISTARI’ programme, the MoD detailed. (Source: Janes)
EUROPE
01 Dec 22. Airbus, Dassault reach deal on FCAS jet programme. Airbus (AIR.PA), Dassault (AM.PA) and other partners have reached an agreement on launching the next phase of a new generation of European fighter jets, the two companies said on Thursday, settling a long-running dispute between the pair.
The Future Combat Air System (FCAS), first announced in 2017 by French President Emmanuel Macron and then German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is designed to replace the Eurofighter and Dassault’s Rafale with a combination of manned and unmanned aircraft from 2040.
The industrial partners in the aircraft programme are Airbus (AIR.PA) on behalf of Germany, France’s Dassault and Indra of Spain but the project had been stuck in a stalemate between Airbus and Dassault.
“This overall industrial agreement represents a big step forward for this European defence flagship programme,” Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, said in a statement.
“This is paving the way to a final contract signature between nations and industry partners, once relevant processes have been concluded in the respective customer nations. We are optimistic that this can be accomplished in the very near future.”
Earlier, the head of Dassault told Le Figaro newspaper the company had reached an agreement with Airbus over FCAS.
“Today, yes, it is done. We have an agreement with Airbus,” Eric Trappier, chief executive of Dassault Aviation which is spearheading the fighter jet programme, was quoted as saying.
“We have obtained all the necessary guarantees to open the next phase which is still, I am reminding you, a phase of preliminary studies,” Trappier said.
The project – originally meant to unify Europeans after the migration crisis and Britain’s decision to leave the European Union – has created tension as France and Germany struggled more than a year to agree the next stage of FCAS’ development.
Some sources blamed Dassault, which had refused to budge in a long-running row over intellectual property rights.
Other sources blamed Airbus for pushing for a bigger workshare, insisting it should be given “equal footing” with Dassault.
French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu welcomed Thursday’s deal.
“This project is a concrete illustration of the cooperation we are conducting at European level on defence and armaments, in which France plays a central role,” he tweeted. (Source: Reuters)
01 Dec 22. Greece interested in surplus UK Hercules airlifters. Greece has shown interest in acquiring from the United Kingdom an undisclosed number of soon-to-be-retired Lockheed Martin C-130J/C-130J-30 Hercules airlifters.
The Greek Republic Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced in late November that it had held a teleconference with Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group to talk about the upcoming sale of one ‘short’ C-130J (C5 in UK service) and 13 ‘stretched’ C-130J-30 (C4) airframes that are to be retired from Royal Air Force (RAF) service in 2023.
“The purpose of the teleconference was to hold a discussion-update on the upcoming sale of the UK’s C-130J aircraft, for which the Marshall company has been appointed as an external partner,” the MND said.
As noted by the ministry, the conference was attended by the UK defence attaché, Captain Alexander Bush, as well as representatives from the UK Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA), the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), the UK government, and Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group. (Source: Janes)
30 Nov 22. Hungary eyes Iron Dome, as new air defense radars are on the way. Hungarian official have signaled an interest in the Israel-made Iron Dome system, with radar components expected to arrive early next year that could fit into the air-defense weapon’s architecture.
Hungarian President Katalin Novák and Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky watched an Iron Dome system demonstration during their visit in Tel Aviv, the Ministry of Defense wrote in a statement earlier this month. Following their visit, the officials told reporters that the air defense system is worth studying for Hungary, especially in light of the recent missile incident in Poland.
In what could be considered steps towards such an acquisition, the Hungarian Armed Forces (HAF) two years ago signed a contract with Rheinmetall Canada for the supply of several multi-mission ELMA-2084 radars produced by its partner ELTA, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The systems will replace Hungary’s Soviet-era P-37, PRV-17 and ST-68U radars.
The ELMA-2084 is an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar designed to detect and track medium-range ballistic projectiles and aircraft threats, providing operators with early-warning and fire control guidance for their interception. More importantly, it also happens to be one of the three central components of the Iron Dome, which is said to have also been purchased by Canada, Singapore, Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
President and CEO of Rheinmetall Canada, Stéphane Oehrli hinted at possible plans of establishing an assembly or manufacturing plant for radars in Hungary at the time, stating that “in terms of technology transfer, our Hungarian partners also stand to benefit [in the future] from this project.”
Hungary is the company’s most important export customer in the field of radar system integration. Rheinmetall already operates a 150-hectare munition production plant in Varpalota which supplies ammunition to the HAF and another factory in western Hungary producing part of the Lynx KF41 combat vehicles on order.
Despite reports that deliveries of the first ELMA-2084 radars had begun, Alain Tremblay, vice president of business development at Rheinmetall Canada, told Defense News that “the pandemic and conflict in Ukraine have caused some small delays, the first radar will be delivered in the second quarter of 2023.”
Hungary’s defense spending is expected to reach $2.9bn in 2022, with the country pledging to spend 2% of its GDP on defense by 2026 as part of its Zrínyi defense and force development program. (Source: Defense News)
USA
30 Nov 22. Palantir, Lockheed Martin team up to modernize naval combat systems. Palantir Technologies and Lockheed Martin have partnered to modernize surface navy combat systems, with the aim of developing an autonomous deployment model for future combat system software updates, the American companies announced Wednesday.
The U.S. Navy has plans to field an integrated combat system on its ships, with containerized software that’s agnostic of the ship’s hardware and can receive over-the-air updates, rather than requiring complex, in-port modernization periods.
Several ongoing efforts aim to start moving the Navy and its contractors in that direction, including a Virtualized Aegis Weapon System program to separate the software from the hardware; The Forge software factory in Maryland will generate some of the new code to address emerging needs and threats.
But this industry teaming effort gets at the underlying questions of how to push updates once the software is written, how to monitor performance, and how to recall and fix code, among other logistical factors, Palantir’s senior vice president for federal and strategic initiatives told Defense News.
Julie Bush said Palantir typically performs data management work for its clients. The company developed its Apollo software deployment tool in 2015 for internal company use, and it only recently offered the technology externally at the request of its clients following last year’s Log4j security vulnerability that highlighted the value of Apollo.
Apollo has a security operations feature that can quickly identify, roll back and remediate problematic code. In the case of Log4j, Bush said, the vulnerability was addressed within three days; it took days rather than hours because the company had to fly a technician to Poland to update software on a disk that couldn’t be remotely fixed.
Apollo can deploy, manage and monitor software across multi-cloud environments and legacy on-premises data centers at various classification levels. Bush said that’s what Lockheed Martin needs as it considers the future of the Aegis Combat System that powers Navy surface combatants.
Lockheed began developing Aegis in 1969 and has since rolled out capability improvements via periodic baseline upgrades to be built into future ships or backfit during lengthy shipyard maintenance periods. Work on the Virtual Aegis Weapon System has made it easier to test and certify new software-based capabilities, but the partnership with Palantir could help Lockheed prepare for an even more dramatic shift in how it develops and fields new capabilities.
“The Navy needs capability to update software at the edge rapidly and securely to address ever-evolving threats. Lockheed Martin is investing in skills, capabilities, tools, and infrastructure to deliver the best software to the warfighter efficiently and affordably,” Joe DePietro, vice president and general manager for naval combat and missile defense systems at Lockheed, said in a news release. “Palantir’s Apollo is central to these efforts. Apollo addresses last-mile delivery challenges and performs automated software deployment and management across secure government networks, cloud environments and on-platform environments.”
Bush said some of the early work between the two companies focuses on reworking Lockheed Martin as an organization to allow for more automated processes. In this model, developers, operators and security teams will work in tandem, rather than linearly, to constantly push out security patches and new capabilities. Palantir argues it can help those teams understand what this workflow might look like.
This early work will also include writing and then deploying new software capabilities into a lab environment, simulating what a software push to ships at sea could look like. None of this work will touch Navy ships yet, as that would require a contract to certify and field this software deployment model to the fleet. But it will serve as a proof of concept for Lockheed to consider as it pitches to the Navy its plans for the Aegis Combat System and a future integrated combat system.
Bush declined to talk about specific software packages the team might build and deploy in the lab setting, but she did say this model could help the Navy quickly address cyber vulnerabilities and the need for new threat detection and intercept capabilities. The software could be pushed to all ships, Bush added, but if one is operating in a degraded communications environment, the software would automatically update when the ship comes back online.
Bush described this collaboration as a turning point for Palantir as it seeks to diversify its business opportunities. Using Apollo as an enabler for other government contractors could help develop more of a client relationship between Palantir and prime contractors, she said.
“I do think this is actually a moment in time that is a little bit different for Palantir, where you’ll see a lot more of these collaborations” focused on helping other companies with “Day Two operations,” or addressing the deployment, monitoring and configuration management of the company’s software. (Source: Defense News)
30 Nov 22. DARPA, US Cyber Command eye new capability. The agencies have launched a joint program aimed at developing next-generation cyber capabilities. The United States Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have launched “Constellation” — a pilot program aimed at accelerating the development of new cyber capabilities.
The program is expected to untap new capabilities by engaging in “high-risk, high-reward” cyber science and technology (S&T) research.
This would involve developing a “user-directed, incremental, and iterative pipeline”, designed to speed-up the creation, proving, adoption, and delivery of capabilities into CYBERCOM’s software ecosystem.
“Innovation is core to the command’s strategy, which is why CYBERCOM and DARPA are working more closely than ever to mature emerging tactical and strategic cyber capabilities, and integrate them into operational warfighting platforms,” Mike Clark, dirctor of cyber acquisition and technology at US Cyber Command, said.
“Success for Constellation means increasing the speed of transition from DARPA research and development to CYBERCOM for operational use.”
By fostering an “agile-style pipeline” from research to operations, the agencies hope to avoid the “valley of death” — addressing transitional challenges faced by the Department of Defense when developing software systems.
Challenges include supporting acceptance and usability for both expert and non-expert providers.
Constellation is expected to set up a framework and create mechanisms to provide virtual and physical infrastructure, people and contracts.
“To have the greatest operational and strategic impact, these emergent capabilities must reach operators continuously in short timescales, much shorter than legacy acquisition processes,” Dr Kathleen Fisher, director of DARPA’s Information Innovation Office, said.
“We are optimistic about Constellation’s potential to enable long-term sustainment for rapid cyber capability prototyping and integration. Running Constellation projects in parallel with DARPA development can help us reduce risks and transition timelines and overcome the ‘valley of death’.” (Source: Defence Connect)
REST OF THE WORLD
01 Dec 22. New Zealand’s half-billion dollar bet on COTS to network its army. The end goal of NEA is to create the NZ Army’s future network environment, known as the Land Tactical Information Network.
In an attempt to beef up its networked communications systems, New Zealand’s army is looking to take the simplest approach: buy Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) capabilities, rather than try to build its own.
The Defence Force’s Network Enabled Army (NEA) project is focused on introducing mature technologies and equipment that can be introduced rapidly and provide the required capabilities quickly — a stark, and conscious, contrast to some of its allies. Even so, New Zealand is prepared to spend well over NZ$700m ($435m USD) over the next decade on this program, a major outlay for the small Pacific nation.
Buying COTS solutions means that New Zealand will operate as a quick follower instead of leading with expensive systems development. While other Five Eyes partners — US, UK, Australia and Canada — can afford to pay to develop and de-risk new technology and equipment, New Zealand’s role as the more junior partner in the agreement, with a defense budget sized to match, means COTS is the most risk-averse option available.
The end goal of NEA is to create the NZ Army’s future network environment, known as the Land Tactical Information Network (LTIN). NEA was established to coordinate and develop specific projects to provide the NZ land forces with deployable and networked C4 and ISR capabilities for the LTIN that integrates the tactical to strategic network domains offering access to joint, coalition and wider government capabilities.
The NZDF’s Strategic Plan 2019-2025 called for the Army to be “combat-capable, flexible, to be able to lead combined operations in the South Pacific, to operate in a more integrated way with our partners, and for us to be ready to respond with more frequency to events in our neighbourhood.”
The NEA program is a priority for the NZDF and it is being delivered through four separate tranches. This approach is used to ensure that the introduction of new systems could be delivered in an affordable manner within the NZDF’s resource constraints and in step with user requirements, while also being able to respond to technology developments over time and reduce risk.
Tranche 1, delivered between 2015 and 2021, established the core of the Army’s Mobile Tactical Command System (MTCS). Under a NZ$40m ($24.9m USD) contract with Harris Defence Australia, awarded in December 2018, the company provided RF-7850S Secure Personal Radio, AN/PRC-163 Multi-channel Handheld Radios, AN/PRC-158 Multi-channel Manpack radios and AN/PRC-160 HF/VHF wideband manpack radios.
Cubic has also delivered inflatable GATR 2.4 SATCOM antenna and terminals that will give NZ Army units connectivity from deployed areas back to New Zealand, via access to the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) system. Previously this capability was provided through other satellite providers. Additional equipment includes ancillary items such as tables, chairs, monitors, power systems and shelters that will be used to establish a Common Command Post Operating Environment (CCPOE).
The Army’s 2nd/1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (RNZIR) has received and is testing this equipment, which will eventually be used to support the deployment of a Task Force Headquarters.
Peter Fitness, the Programme Director, Network Enabled Army at the New Zealand Ministry of Defence, told Breaking Defense that Tranche 1’s goal “was to prove the concept of a deployed voice and data radio network that can be connected via satellite link back to the Joint Force Headquarters in New Zealand. The network was successfully tested at an exercise in late-2021 and the programme team are now working through the supporting elements of the system such as training and maintenance.”
Nick Gillard, Director Land Domain at the New Zealand MoD, told Breaking Defense that this exercise “provided great insight” into what the program will mean for the Army. He confirmed a second, smaller Covid-19 restricted exercise was also completed in early 2022 and that final acceptance is scheduled for 2023.
the NEA project. The radio provides a platoon level networking with voice and data communication and reliable position reports over wideband and narrowband modes. (L3 Harris)
Further orders will be placed to allow the deployment of a 250-man task group along with software packages from Danish company Systematic. The company’s Headquarters software is already in use as part of the Army’s Battle Management System (BMS) and the Army is expected to receive the Frontline and Edge BMS modules that can be used by troops — although this is a future capability without a confirmed target date, according to Gillard.
Meanwhile the MoD is introducing Tranche 2 systems. Tranche 2 has been running since 2019 with a budget of NZ$106m ($66m USD) and has procurement initiatives underway that will deliver Information Intelligence (I2) sensors and Electronic Warfare (EW) systems as well as additional SATCOM and CCPOE equipment. This EW equipment includes electronic support measures, electronic attack and spectrum survey systems that must be compatible with the Harris radios and Sitaware software that will be used by a Light EW team – provided in a man-portable, static manpack and vehicle-mounted versions.
Gillard confirmed that a closed tender for the EW equipment was released with responses due in December 2022. Meanwhile the I2 RFP is expected to be released in 2023.
Tranche 2 took a big step forward with the May released of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for new uncrewed reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities. The RFP calls for the delivery of four packages, including two-to-four sets of fixed-wing (including hybrid) uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), 30-40 nano-sized remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), 18-30 micro RPAS and remote ground sensors.
In the RFP, NZDF states clearly that “what we don’t want” is any capabilities “that are or require a bespoke design, or have not been proven in a military operational setting.” Ruling out any developmental, high-risk, or unproven equipment means that the Army should avoid many of the problems that have be-set complex military communications projects in other modern armies.
The UAS will be fitted with optical, magnetic and thermal sensors to be employed in day and night surveillance missions by the 16 Field Regiment that operates the Army’s artillery guns. The UAS will be integrated with Sitaware Headquarters software for this purpose and are intended to provide timely and accurate information on local conditions.
“The ability to see what is happening on the ground is an important tool to ensure accurate assessment of the risks of a situation and is particularly useful in humanitarian and disaster relief response and search and rescue missions,” Fitness said. “The intention is to enter into contracts by July 2023. Subject to manufacturing lead times, the individual systems will be in the hands of soldiers in December next year,” he added.
The third tranche will expand the amount of equipment procured to support a Combined Arms Task Group. Budgeted at NZ$300 million (US$186 million) it will also start to replace some of the initial equipment first purchased at the beginning of Tranche 1 and provide communications equipment for the Army’s vehicle fleet, artillery units and health and usage monitoring systems for the Army logisticians and engineers.
“NEA Tranche 3 is in the detailed scoping period and is designed to expand the capabilities delivered in Tranches 1 and 2,” Fitness confirmed.
A further Fourth Tranche is expected budgeted at NZ$300-600m (US$186-373m) for the 2024-28 timeframe that will allow the combined arms task group to conduct sustained deployments long-term. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
28 Nov 22. Call for Submissions: TTCP Cyber Autonomy Gym for Experimentation (CAGE) Challenge 3. To facilitate R&D into autonomous Artificial Intelligence (AI), the TTCP Cage Working Group has released the Cyber Operations Research Gym (CybORG), an experimental platform using the OpenAI Gym interface that features a cybersecurity scenario and a challenge. Researchers and cyber security experts are now invited to submit their response to the challenge.
Submissions close on 31 January 2023 and the final results will be announced on 14 February 2023. For further information go to DSTG’s Web Site.
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies show promise for autonomous cyber operations (ACO), offering the potential for distributed, adaptive defensive measures at machine speed and scale. Cyber is a particularly challenging domain for autonomous AI. The TTCP has nominated a challenge in this space that requires further research in order to enable ACO to become an operational capability.
To facilitate this AI research, the TTCP CAGE working group is releasing its CybORG), together with a cybersecurity scenario and a challenge to which researchers are invited to respond.
The aim is to support the development of AI tactics, techniques and procedures with CybORG and a series of CAGE scenarios with associated challenge problems in order to support practical demonstrations of ACO. The working group wishes to engage the AI and cyber security research communities, especially to leverage domain experts outside of the cyber field.
CAGE challenge 1 was released in August 2021 at the IJCAI-21 1st International Workshop on Adaptive Cyber Defense (ACD 2021) and concluded in in February 2022 with 4 novel submissions received. CAGE challenge 2 was released in April 2022 and concluded in July 2022 with 20 novel submissions received. CAGE Challenge 3 is now live! The CAGE scenario and associated challenge problem, together with CybORG (our AI gym research environment), are available. Submissions close on 31 January 2023 and the final results will be announced on 14 February 2023. (Source: Rumour Control)
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