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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
18 Jul 23. UK to spend $3bn on munitions, stockpiles as Ukraine war drains reserves. Britain will announce on Tuesday plans to improve the combat readiness of its military, including spending 2.5bn pounds ($3.3bn) on replenishing munitions and stockpiles that have been depleted by the war in Ukraine.
The war has exposed weaknesses in the British military, including the dwindling reserves of some munitions and a lack of industrial capacity needed to ramp up production quickly as Britain has supplied Ukraine with weapons to use against Russia.
The government said the latest version of its Defence Command Paper would set out the strategy to reshape the size and strength of the armed forces to counter the more immediate threat posed by Russia and the longer-term challenge from China.
The new strategy would include plans for a new Global Response Force to enable forces to “get there first” and an improved “surge capacity” force made up of former soldiers, the government said in a statement before the full report was published.
The defence minister Ben Wallace, who announced at the weekend he will be stand down soon, said the strategy would ensure that Britain remained at the forefront of military capability, and a leading power in NATO.
“We must adapt and modernise to meet the threats we face, taking in the lessons from President Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” he said.
Britain announced earlier this year it would spend an extra 5bn pounds on defence to take it to about 2.25% of gross domestic product this year and next, from about 2% previously.
As part of the new defence strategy, the government said it would prioritise investment in science and technology including the use of robotics and laser weapons.
After the United States, Britain has been the second-largest supplier of military aid to Ukraine, contributing 2.3bn pounds worth of support last year.
Although this is well below what the United States has provided, Britain has in the past been the first country to supply more sophisticated weapons to Ukraine.
Britain sent the first shoulder-launched anti-air and anti-tank weapons to Ukraine in the run-up to the invasion and in February announced it would be the first country to begin training Ukrainian pilots on NATO fighter jets. ($1 = 0.7648 pound) (Source: Reuters)
18 Jul 23. Britain opens small nuclear reactor competition, launches new nuclear body. Britain on Tuesday opened a competition to develop small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), such as those being developed by Rolls-Royce (RR.L), as it launched its new Great British Nuclear body designed to help drive the expansion of projects in the country.
Britain is aiming to increase its nuclear power capacity to 24 gigawatts (GW) by 2050 as part of efforts to meet climate targets and boost energy security. That would meet around a quarter of projected electricity demand, up sharply from about 14% today.
Large new nuclear projects, with high upfront costs, have struggled to attract financing and the government hopes some older plants could be replaced by a fleet of SMRs which can be made in factories, with lower costs and faster construction.
Companies can, from Tuesday, register their interest in the government’s SMR competition. The Great British Nuclear body, also launched on Tuesday, will select technologies that have met the criteria in the Autumn.
The competition “could result in billions of pounds of public and private sector investment,” Secretary of State for Energy Security, Grant Shapps said.
Companies selected will then start discussions as part of an Invitation to Negotiate phase, the government said.
The SMR competition was first announced alongside the budget in March this year.
In 2021 the government committed £210m to Rolls-Royce for its £500m SMR programme which could see the company open factories to build the reactors in Britain.
Britain previously announced a competition for SMRs in the 2015 Autumn Statement which ultimately closed in 2017 without moving beyond the initial, information-gathering first stage.
Along with SMRs the government said it is committed to large-scale new projects, such as EDF’s (EDF.PA) Hinkley Point C, the first new plant in more than 20 years, and EDF’s Sizewell C in which the government has invested around £700m, becoming a 50% shareholder in the development phase. (Source: Reuters)
EUROPE
18 Jul 23. Turkish Aerospace, Aselsan ink $2bn in deals to upgrade F-16 jets. Turkish Aerospace Industries has signed two contracts worth nearly $2bn with the country’s largest defense company to upgrade F-16 fighter jets. The deals announced by Aselsan, a military electronics specialist, were for $1.2bn and 20.7bn liras (US$789.2m).
The Biden administration has backed Turkey’s desire to buy 40 new F-16s as well as modernization kits from the U.S. It’s a move some in Congress, most notably Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J, have opposed over Turkey blocking NATO membership for Sweden, its human rights record, its relations with Greece and other concerns.
Neither TAI nor Aselsan revealed details of the contracts, inked July 13. But a government procurement official and sources with the businesses told Defense News that the contracts are related to a program to upgrade Turkey’s aging F-16s, starting with the Block 30 level.
The upgrade program will include a new mission computer, an active electronically scanned array radar and new avionic suites for about 150 Turkish F-16 aircraft. The program will also include new cockpit color displays, a new indigenous identification friend or foe system, a new system interface unit, a hydraulic fuel gauge, new radar warning receivers, and an inertial navigation system.
The backbone of the upgrade program is a subsystem dubbed Ozgur (”free” in English) that aims to develop and produce Turkey’s first AESA radar, which Aselsan officials hope will extend the flight time for some of the country’s F-16 aircraft by half, to 12,000 hours.
Per upgrade plans, the AESA radar will first be retrofitted onto the Akinci, a drone built by TAI; then on a batch of 36 F-16 Block 30 aircraft; and, in the longer term, the TF-X, Turkey’s first indigenous fighter jet in the making. Block 30 is the only F-16 model whose source codes are available to Turkey.
“This deal has two implications: One, it is part of Turkish efforts to balance Greece’s increasing air superiority over the Aegean Sea, especially by buying new French-made Rafales; and two, once [the upgrade is successful and the aircraft is] combat proven, it may pave the way for Aselsan and TAI to penetrate into the world’s large F-16 modernization market,” said Ozgur Eksi, who runs the media outlet TurDef.
In 2019, Turkey requested the Link 16 tactical data link, among other technology, for 199 F-16 jets. Then, acording to January 2023 media reports, the Biden administration “informally notified Congress of its intent to sell 40 new F-16s in the Block 70/72 Viper configuration (F-16Vs) and Viper upgrade packages for 79 existing fighters, along with 900 air-to-air missiles and 800 bombs, at an estimated total value of $20bn,” a document from the Congressional Research Service noted.
And in April, the U.S. State Department publicly approved the sale of equipment and services to Turkey in support of upgrading the European nation’s F-16 fleet in a potential deal worth an estimated $259m. The Congressional Research Service wrote this possible sale appears to include the Link 16.
The Turkish Air Force declined to comment for this story, citing national security.
Aselsan is the biggest defense company in Turkey, and the 49th largest in the world based on defense revenue, according to the Defense News Top 100 list.
The company reported its total sales in 2022 reached 35.3bn liras, and that its pretax depreciation and interest profit was 9.5bn liras, a 77% rise from the year prior. Its net profit in 2022 rose by 70% to 11.9bn liras.
Aselsan also reported that, during fiscal 2022, it successfully “localized/nationalized” 160 systems, meaning the business indigenously produced technology that the country was previously importing. Overall, the company boasts to have done so for a total of 670 systems.
For its part, Turkish Aerospace Industries ranked 67th on the Top 100 list.
After his re-election on May 28, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan shuffled the government’s procurement hierarchy. Ismail Demir, who led the Presidency of Defence Industries, or SSB, was appointed board chairman of government-controlled steel and iron producer Kardemir. Haluk Gorgun, Aselsan’s CEO, replaced Demir.
A June 22 statement from the company said Aselsan’s new CEO is Ahmet Akyol, formerly the firm’s deputy general manager. He continues to serve as a board member at Aselsan.
Akyol is a computer engineer who underwent training at the U.S. college Stanford University and the U.K. school Cranfield University.
Akyol has a background in industry and government, having worked at military software provider Havelsan and simulation specialist Quantum3D, and with the Ministry of Industry and Technology as well as the Ministry of Defense, plus the state scientific research agency Tubitak. He also previously served as the head of electronic warfare and radar systems at the SSB (then known as SSM). (Source: Google/Defense News)
17 Jul 23. Portugal to modernise OPVs. The Portuguese Navy is to progressively upgrade its Viana do Castelo-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), service representatives told Janes. The four OPVs – NRP Viana do Castelo (P360), NRP Figueira da Foz (P361), NRP Sines (P362), and NRP Setúbal (P363) – will be upgraded throughout their maintenance cycles. The programme intends to remove logistical, functional, and operational obsolescence; add capabilities required for future operations; and enable the integration of modular systems for mission support, self-protection, surveillance, and anti-submarine warfare (ASW), the representatives said. Separate to the new upgrade programme, Sines and Setúbal are scheduled to receive the Marlin WS remote-controlled weapon turret (which already equips Viana do Castelo and Figueira da Foz) and Medusa MK4/B electro-optical fire-control system in 2025, the representatives said. (Source: Janes)
USA
20 Jul 23. The US Navy’s Undersea Mess. Turns out the Pentagon is no better at keeping its submarine fleet afloat (PDF), so to speak, than it is at keeping its F-35s flying (PDF). Nearly 40% of the Navy’s 49 attack submarines aren’t ready for war because of bottlenecks at naval shipyards. “The number of [attack subs] either in depot maintenance or idle (i.e., awaiting depot maintenance) has increased from 11 boats (about 21% of the [attack sub] force) in FY2012 to 18 boats (about 37% of the [attack sub] force) in FY2023,” the Congressional Research Service reported July 6 (PDF). “The Navy states that industry best practice would call for about 20% of the [attack sub] force to be in depot maintenance (and for none to be idle) at any given moment.”
The Navy’s nuclear-powered attack subs prowl the world’s oceans, keeping a wary eye on possible foes. Outfitted with torpedoes and cruise missiles, they’re smaller, and more numerous, than the “boomer” submarines that carry long-range nuclear-tipped missiles. Their readiness rot is especially striking given the U.S. Navy’s key role in checking China’s ambitions in the western Pacific.
The backlog is due to too few workers and space at the four government-operated naval shipyards. It’s another example of the Pentagon’s tilt toward buying new weapons rather than keeping those it already has primed for action. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Project On Government Oversight (POGO);)
17 Jul 23. Apache Helicopter on Track for Major Upgrades. The U.S. Army’s AH-64 Apache helicopter is and will remain the Army’s Attack helicopter for the foreseeable future. The Apache Project Office, or Apache PO, has steadily upgraded the Apache since it was first fielded in the 1980s. The upgrades have produced the world’s premier attack helicopter which is used by the U.S. Army and more than 16 allies around the globe.
The AH-64E Version 6.5, is the next version of the Apache Helicopter. It will include an upgraded software program to increase its survivability on the modern battlefield. Aligning with the Program Executive Office, Aviation common configuration strategy, V6.5 establishes a common operational flight program software baseline across the Apache E model fleet.
“We’re very excited about the ongoing development of the V6.5 software as it paves the way for Apache modernization including the integration of the ITEP engine,” Col. Jay Maher, Apache project manager, said. “V6.5 aligns the entire E model fleet under the same software, streamlining training and maintenance while providing a pathway for sensor/capability parity.”
Other V6.5 technology enhancements and insertions include upgrades in lethality, survivability, situational awareness, navigation and communication. It also introduces an Open Systems Interface, or OSI. OSI is an initial step towards a more open systems architecture, which will ultimately allow rapid insertion of new technologies and enhanced capability in future updates. The Apache PO developed the V6.5 upgrades to address DOD security mandates, Army Aviation and Army Capabilities Manager Attack/Recon priorities, and the 2019 Version 6 follow-on operational test and evaluation findings.
Although software heavy, V6.5 includes several hardware insertions, requiring a modification work order that will support the retrofit of all V4 series and V6 series Apache E-model aircraft to V6.5. To date, V6.5 has successfully completed its Systems Readiness Review, and the Preliminary Design Review. The next program major milestone, the first flight, is scheduled for fall of 2023. The V6.5 development program is slated to conclude in 2025 and version 6.5 fielding via aircraft retrofit is currently targeted to start in FY26.
In FY25, the Apache will receive additional software and hardware updates as it integrates the improved turbine engine, or ITE, for developmental testing. Upon completion of the developmental testing, the Apache will support the Advanced Turbine Engine office in the operational test and evaluation for the ITE program.
“We look forward to integrating this more capable engine onto the AH-64E and performing the necessary testing so one day we can get this into the hands of our warfighters,” Katie White, ITE Integration assistant product manager, said. “The Apache ITE Integration team has done a tremendous job collaborating with the V6.5 team, Aviation Turbine Engines Project Office, Boeing, General Electric and other stakeholders to enable successful integration and qualification activities.”
The V6.5 is on schedule for the First Flight in the fall of 2023. The program is slated to conclude in 2025 and fielding via retrofit is currently targeted to start in FY26. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ US Army)
REST OF THE WORLD
18 Jul 23. Saudi drone deal entails technology transfer, joint production -Baykar. An accord which Saudi Arabia signed to buy Turkish drones entails cooperation in technology transfer and joint production, the Turkish company Baykar said on Tuesday in a statement.
The contract, signed during Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Saudi Arabia, was one of several lucrative deals that the Turkish president has so far secured on a Gulf trip being held after a diplomatic push to repair ties with Gulf Arab powers.
“With the comprehensive agreement, there will cooperation on technology transfer and joint production in order to advance the high technology development capability of the two countries,” the statement said.
Baykar said 75% of its revenues had come from exports since it began drone research and development in 2003. Last year, its exports amounted to $1.18bn, with its turnover amounting to $1.4bn.
It said it had signed export agreements with 30 countries for its Bayraktar TB2 combat drone and with six countries for the larger Bayraktar Akinci combat drone. (Source: Google/Reuters)
17 Jul 23. Australia enhances LAND 200-3 command system. Australia will enhance the tactical communications network and battle management systems for its ground forces with the LAND 200-3.
The Australian government has given first-pass approval for the third phase of its LAND 200 Battlefield Command Systems (LAND 200-3) project.
This simply means that the country’s defence department approves of the project and we can expect the government to issue an open tender later this year for a company to integrate the new systems into Australia’s Defence Force (ADF).
A Battlefield Command System is a digital planning and monitoring system that integrates information together for command and control of military operations in the field.
A tactical communications network is a mobile and secure communications infrastructure that provides voice and data distribution of the Battllefield Command System and other related systems.
The whole infrastructure employs multiple C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) solutions that help the efficiency and security of tactical communications.
LAND 200-3
“The investment will improve the security and performance of [our] tactical communications network and battle management systems,” according to a statement from the ADF.
A new battlefield command system will increase the speed and quality of decision-making, which is essential to success in military operations. It will also improve communication and co-ordination within the Army and between the land, sea, air, space and cyber elements of the ADF.
LAND 200-3 is a next generation battlefield command and control capability that meets the current and future needs of Australia’s ground forces.
According to the AusTender website, the project consists of two tranches—LAND 200-3 Tranche 1 and LAND 200-3 Tranche 2.
This Project Notice provides industry with an update regarding: the first-pass approval of the project; an overview of the project scope, intended approach and indicative schedule; the expected release of two Request for Tenders in support of LAND 200-3 Tranche 1; and a planned industry webinar to provide some additional context.
A second tranche will also enhance the tactical communications network and consider additional battle management systems.
Australia’s military motivations
According to GlobalData intelligence, Australia hopes to make use of a theatre command and control framework that enables an enhanced integrated force and a developed network of northern bases to provide a platform for logistics support, denial and deterrence.
These objectives are just some of the strategic defence objectives outlined in the country’s 2023 Defence Strategic Review:
“[The ADF] must enhance its cyber domain capabilities to deliver the required responsiveness and breadth of capability to support ADF operations.
“This must focus on: integrating the defence and management of [ADF’s] C4 networks and architectures; delivering a coherent and, where possible, centralised cyber domain capability development and management function; and building and sustaining a trained Defence cyber workforce.”
The Strategic Review provides more detail on how Australia can bring together this advanced battle management system. We can expect the ADF to invest in specific advanced sensor equipment to furnish this Battlefield Command System in the future.
“To meet the demands of the deteriorating security environment, [the ADF] must invest in the targeting systems and processes required to support the use of advanced and long-range weapons, undersea warfare, and integrated air and missile defence.
“Existing plans should be accelerated including development of key supporting systems and processing, exploitation and dissemination of intelligence.” (Source: army-technology.com)
17 Jul 23. India Selects the Navy Rafale. The Indian Government announced the selection of the Navy Rafale to equip the Indian Navy with a latest-generation fighter.Following an international competition launched by the Indian authorities, this decision comes after a successful trial campaign held in India, during which the Navy Rafale demonstrated that it fully met the Indian Navy’s operational requirements and was perfectly suited to the specificities of its aircraft carrier.
The Indian Navy’s 26 Rafale will eventually join the 36 Rafale already in service, which are giving full satisfaction to the Indian Air Force, making India the first country to make the same military choice as France by operating both versions of the aircraft to help consolidate its superiority in the air and on the seas and guarantee its sovereignty.
This selection confirms the excellence of the Rafale, the exceptional quality of the link between Dassault Aviation and the Indian Forces, and the importance of the strategic relationship between India and France.
“As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of our partnership with the Indian Forces, I would like to thank the Indian authorities for this new mark of confidence and pledge, on behalf of Dassault Aviation, that we will fully meet the Indian Navy’s expectations with the Rafale”, said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.
With over 10,000 military and civil aircraft (including 2,700 Falcons) delivered in more than 90 countries over the last century, Dassault Aviation has built up expertise recognized worldwide in the design, development, sale and support of all types of aircraft, ranging from the Rafale fighter, to the high-end Falcon family of business jets, military drones and space systems. In 2022, Dassault Aviation reported revenues of €6.9bn. The company has 12,700 employees. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Dassault Aviation)
17 Jul 23. Naval Group Welcomes Announcement of the Indo-French Partnership on Submarines Projects. Naval Group would like to thank the Indian and French authorities for the announcement regarding the extension of the Indo-French partnership and the objective to explore more ambitious projects to develop the Indian fleet and its performance. Mazagon Dock Shipbuliders Limited (MDL) remains our natural partner.
This decision is a testimony of the Indian Navy’s trust in the industrial cooperation we have established, and reaffirms the success of the transfer of technology achieved under the P75 programme for six submarines, which were built entirely in India by MDL.
The “Make in India” policy in the service of Indian sovereignty (“AatmaNirbhar”) has been at the heart of the P75 programme, as well as other activities developed by Naval Group and its Indian industrial partners to provide the Indian Navy with the most modern naval defence technologies.
“We welcome the declarations made during the Indian Prime Minister’s historic participation to the French National Day, to continue and further strengthen our 15-year submarine building cooperation, which is a major element of the Indo-French strategic partnership developed over the past decades. Naval Group and its partners will be fully mobilised to meet the expectations of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and the Indian industry to fulfil the needs of the Indian Navy,” said Pierre Eric Pommellet, CEO of Naval Group.
An international player in naval defence and heir to French naval know-how, Naval Group develops innovative solutions to meet the needs of navies. Present throughout the entire life cycle of the ships, the group designs, builds, integrates and maintains submarines and surface ships, as well as their systems and equipment, through to dismantling. It also provides services for shipyards and naval bases. With operations on five continents, the group has a turnover of 4.3bn euros and employs 16029 people (full-time equivalents / 2022 data). (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Naval Group)
17 Jul 23. DEADLINE ALERT: UAV to submarine communications grant workshop. The Sydney-based Defence Innovation network (DIN) is inviting academics, defence scientists and industry representatives working in the Intelligence, Surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and related areas to a Workshop related to a $500,000 grant. The focus of the topic will be UAV to submarine communications.
Registration closes at 12 PM on 25 July 2023.
The workshop aims to develop a problem statement that will form the base of the call for proposals through DIN’s Strategic Investment Initiative (SII). The workshop will be held at 1430-1630 on Thursday 27 July at a location to be announced.
The Initiative will provide $500,000 for a multi-disciplinary team to develop a TRL 4-6 prototype within 18 months.
Areas of Interest
- ISR Communication
- Sensing Capabilities & Digital Technologies
- Sonar, signal cleaning and processing
- Antenna design
- Algorithms
Registration closes at 12 PM on 25 July 2023.
(Source: https://www.ex2.com.au/news/)
13 Jul 23. Beaten Zone pitchfest to offer $0.5m to winner. Australian fund Beaten Zone Venture Partners has announced the Inaugural Beaten Zone Pitch Fest with a $500,000 investment on offer for the winning pitch, in the form of a SAFE Note with a valuation cap and a discount, subject to due diligence.
Expressions of Interest in participating close on 25 July.
The Pitch Fest will be held in Perth on 28 August and the theme is “Novel robotic systems and counter-robotic systems that directly increase the warfighter’s lethality or survivability”. The founder and lead investor of Beaten Zone will be on the panel selecting suitable applicants and the eventual winner.
Expressions of Interest (EOI) applications are now open and will close at 8pm AEST on Tuesday, 25th of July. Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified via email no later than 8pm on Wednesday, 26th of July. The Pitch Fest will be held on the 28th of August, in Perth – the day before the Australian Army Innovation Day, Army Robotics Expo and Quantum Technology Challenge series of events.
Beaten Zone is collaborating with the Australian Army through their Events team and whilst this Pitch Fest is not directly affiliated with the official Chief of Army Symposium, it will complement the Army’s series of events.
The Beaten Zone Venture focus is on early-stage, sovereign businesses developing solutions to enhance the lethality, survivability and capability of the ADF and Australia’s Allies.
For Pitch Fest Information and application form:
Beaten Zone Pitch Fest | Beaten Zone Venture Partners
For more information: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7084376267612975105 (Source: https://www.ex2.com.au/news/)
17 Jul 23. US Senate bill sets up Australian submarine purchase under AUKUS. The US Congress’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), to be voted on this week by the US Senate, now contains provisions enabling the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) agreement. The bill was passed by the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee following negotiations with the Chair of the Senate Armed Services Sub-Committee on Seapower, Senator Tim Kaine.
Recent amendments to the US State Department Authorization Act of 2023 have approved the transfer of two Virginia-class submarines to Australia under the AUKUS agreement. A third boat will be sold to Australia via the US Department of Defense’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The amendments also hasten technology clearance for AUKUS-related exports.
Australia is still working on the optimal pathway to introduce conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines. However, it seems likely the first two boats will be 7,800-tonne Virginia-class Block IV vessels equipped with 12 Vertical Launch System cells for BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM).
Senator Kaine took the Australian ambassador in Washington, Dr Kevin Rudd, to the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard at Newport News in Virginia that builds the US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines. They were accompanied by Under Secretary of the Navy Erik Raven and ADM Daryl Caudle, commander, US Fleet Forces Command.
“The hard work of our shipbuilders strengthens our national security and boosts our economy,” said Senator Kaine at the HII yard. “The AUKUS agreement will help further Virginia’s critical shipbuilding leadership, strengthen our alliances, and bolster security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. I’m grateful to Ambassador Rudd and Under Secretary of the Navy Raven for coming to see Virginia’s work on these submarines and reaffirming the importance of the AUKUS partnership.”
“It was great to join Senator Kaine to see firsthand how the world’s most complex ships are designed, built and maintained,” Rudd said. “The expertise of the United States Navy and American shipbuilders will be invaluable to Australia as we develop our own sovereign submarine industrial base, while boosting the resilience of our allied submarine supply chain and furthering security objectives for all three AUKUS partners.”
NNS is one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines for the US Navy – the other is General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut. HII already has a presence in Canberra and stands ready to leverage its longstanding expertise in nuclear shipbuilding and other defence technologies in support of the AUKUS lines of effort.
Subject to US Congressional approval, Australia will purchase at least three and up to five nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines. “The expertise of the United States Navy and American shipbuilders will be invaluable to Australia as we develop our own sovereign submarine industrial base, while boosting the resilience of our allied submarine supply chain and furthering security objectives for all three AUKUS partners,” said Ambassador Rudd.
Kaine has been a leader in helping ensure the AUKUS agreement is implemented effectively. Last month, he helped write and pass the NDAA out of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), which includes further investing in shipbuilding, improving acquisition processes, expanding US defence industrial base capacity, and supporting workforce development initiatives to ensure that the United States is able to fulfill the AUKUS agreement and our other shipbuilding needs. (Source: https://www.ex2.com.au/news/)
13 Jul 23. US approves interim AUKUS Trade Authorization Mechanism.
The US State Department has approved an interim AUKUS Trade Authorization Mechanism pending legislative changes to both Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS). The mechanism will allow DCS transfers of some items typically transferred only under FMS.
It offers an immediate solution to expedite and secure defence transfers of US items for AUKUS projects, leveraging existing authorities to allow seamless and speedy defence trade, says the Department.
“The AUKUS Trade Authorization Mechanism, or ATAM, is designed to facilitate trade of U.S. defense articles and defense services between the United States, the UK, and Australia in support of AUKUS programs, for both Pillar I (providing Australia with a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability) and Pillar II (advanced capabilities),” states the State department. “This is an interim measure to streamline defense trade of U.S. origin items while we pursue bold legislative changes.”
The US State Department hasn’t disclosed a timeline as yet for the legislative changes.
The ATAM relies on existing authorities, both to increase the speed and efficiency of defence trade while doing so in a way that is familiar, and therefore easier, for U.S. exporters, says the State Department. It adds, “This approach was adopted to address concerns regarding how the speed and efficiency of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) processes would be inadequate for the expected increase in volume of AUKUS-related defense trade.”
The US Government will take three steps to implement ATAM:
- Identify the scope of AUKUS programs. This will optimize operations and compliance, as both government and industry will have a clear understanding of which uses/programs are authorized under this Mechanism.
- Identify what technologies are not eligible under this Mechanism.
- Identify which communities in each country would be approved for access to the technology, which includes an obligation to record what is transferred and to secure and protect the technology. This will help reduce the likelihood of unauthorized diversion of sensitive defense technologies and, if necessary, help to investigate any potential diversion. (Source: https://www.ex2.com.au/news/)
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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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