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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
09 Aug 23. NATO creates $1bn investment fund to target tech startups. The intergovernmental military alliance that connects Europe and North America also wants a big net to find and work with innovative companies, following a model already in use by the U.S. government.
It’s not just appearances: everyone across the entire public sector ecosystem of government and industry wants in on the art of scouting for emerging technologies and the promising companies that make them.
We will have to think globally about that constant search for “what’s next and will be next” now that around two dozen NATO members have collectively committed $1bn in capital for the alliance’s new fund to invest in startup firms.
The initial 23 countries involved in the fund are Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey and the U.K. Sweden is also poised to join the group following its full admission into NATO.
Direct investments in startups are not the only pathway for NATO’s Innovation Fund to access those companies. The fund will also make indirect investments in other funds that back startups as part of the larger mission to find tech and companies that NATO views as “responsible and led by fundamental principles: safety, freedom, and human empowerment.”
NATO characterizes its initiative as the world’s first “multi-sovereign venture capital fund.” That slightly mirrors how many countries have set up sovereign wealth funds to invest in businesses and other types of assets deemed strategically important to their country.
(This global sports observer is still wondering why Saudi Arabia would claim men’s professional golf is of strategic importance to them. But Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund also has $650bn in assets under management and that country is always in competition for power and influence with their neighbors Qatar, who just hosted a men’s World Cup.)
But the closer analogy that NATO can look to for its fund is seen in In-Q-Tel, the U.S. intelligence community’s venture capital firm responsible for investing in high-tech companies in order to ensure those 18 agencies always have the latest-and-greatest.
In-Q-Tel and the NATO Innovation Fund appear to share interest in some similar technology areas: artificial intelligence, autonomy, biotechnology, communications, cybersecurity, energy, quantum computing, space and emerging manufacturing practices.
Their other apparent shared idea is to widen the aperture of companies to buy products and services from, thus becoming less dependent on a few large businesses that have a technology or system cornered.
One priority for In-Q-Tel over the past two decades has been to develop more partnerships with other U.S. government agencies outside the IC and extend into allied countries such as the U.K., which as we mentioned earlier happens to be a NATO member and participant in the alliance’s new fund.
Along with that fund, NATO has also stood up its technology accelerator that issued its first callout for startups in June to apply for grants with the potential to advance and get more investment.
The Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, appropriately nicknamed DIANA, looks very much like what the Air Force does through its AFWERX tech acceleration arm.
Money of course is not all there is in the world of tech and business scouting. The U.S. Defense Department’s new Office of Strategic Capital is charged with not just the investments themselves, but also identifying critical tech areas for DOD “that the private sector has not sufficiently supported.”
The OSC team therefore will be a traffic cop of sorts for directing some money in that direction, while also working to strike a balance between that approach and letting private sector stakeholders drive innovation.
Of course: we have to mention that blue chip defense hardware companies and government systems integrators are venture capitalists as well.
Those contractors want access to startups whose technologies show promise for integration and scaling into the enterprises of their federal customers, who have an idea of what tools they want but are not always certain on where to look. (Source: washingtontechnology.com)
08 Aug 23. Pioneering worldwide space partnerships to boost UK innovation.
British space experts will join forces with organisations around the world to develop cutting-edge technologies that will advance global space capabilities. International Bilateral Fund. 32 pioneering partnerships with worldwide space organisations to boost UK innovation.
The UK Space Agency announced the recipients to receive the first phase of its £20m International Bilateral Fund investments, which will help UK organisations link up with the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, India, Singapore, South Africa and more to form collaborations that will progress space research and catalyse investment in new technologies.
The International Bilateral Fund is the Agency’s first fund dedicated to building and strengthening international relationships to help advance the UK’s goals in space.
While some projects will focus on enhancing those relationships to unlock future economic opportunities for the UK, others will focus directly on science missions and technologies with strong commercial potential. From using superconductors for spacecraft control to space traffic management and satellite launch vehicles, the portfolio of projects represents the full breadth of the sector.
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “Working with other space agencies and organisations across the globe through our International Bilateral Fund allows us to draw on skills that enhance our homegrown expertise and capabilities, drive up investment in the UK, and support world-class science and discovery.”
Projects such as these highlight the many ways in which we can collaborate with the global space community to help humanity push the boundaries of space innovation and unlock commercial opportunities that will benefit our economy now and in the future.
One project led by UK-based Vertical Future will partner with Axiom Space, Saber Astronautics, Cambridge University and the University of Adelaide to kick-start the development of a state-of-the-art autonomous controlled environment for plant growth to support space missions.
Meanwhile, satellite manufacturer In-Space Missions will work with a dedicated regional Asia-Pacific Government collaboration (incorporating Singapore, the Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia) to develop Faraday Dragon, a multi-agency accelerator programme that will ease the export of novel space technologies and access to space via rideshare missions.
These bilateral partnerships will not only strengthen UK space sector capabilities by drawing on expertise from around the world, but they will ensure the UK, and its world-leading scientists, remain a driving force behind generating a diverse and collaborative global space sector that benefits the world for generations to come.
Lizzie Kerr, Director of UKspace, said: “UKspace welcomes the announcement of the first projects funded under the UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund. International collaboration underpins the success of the UK’s space sector – and this new programme is an important new route to unlock new international partnerships, benefitting companies overseas and here in the UK.”
The full list of projects, which will each receive up to £75,000 of the initial £2.1m pot, includes the following:
University of Glasgow x Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth Consortium (Australia)
Development of a novel approach to lunar regolith sampling.
Rolls-Royce x BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC (USA)
International collaboration on industrial research into novel space nuclear technology development.
University College London x University of Bordeaux x University of New Hampshire
Enhancing firmware code and providing an updated prototype for use in HelioSwarm/iESA.
University of Leicester and National Nuclear Laboratory x ispace Inc (Japan), Aerojet Rocketdyne, NASA Glenn Research Center, John Hopkins University (USA)
Co-operation around radioisotopes for use in space technologies to develop a commercial pipeline.
Satellite Applications Catapult x Obruta Space Solutions Corp (Canada)
Developing a low-Earth orbit (LEO) regulatory and technology testbed for in-orbit servicing and manufacturing.
University of Exeter and University of Leicester x an international coalition across the USA, Japan, Canada and Australia
Development of fluorescent deep space petri pods.
Frontier Space Technologies Ltd x The Exploration Company (Germany)
In-orbit biopharma research and development.
Seraphim Space Camp Accelerator Ltd x Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd, Temasek Holdings, OSTIn, Enterprise Singapore and SG Innovate (Singapore)
Seraphim Space Accelerator’s expansion into Asia.
Deimos Space Ltd and SJE Space Ltd x Silentium Defence Trading (Australia), Exa Research (USA)
Complementary use of different sensing technologies to increase coverage.
Telespazio UK x Symbios Communications, National Physical Laboratory (Australia)
Developing a new quality assurance platform for Earth Observation data.
Earth-I Ltd x Planet Labs PBC (USA)
Novel approach to achieving high-revisit surveillance of sites of interest to the defence, security and intelligence community.
Vertical Future Ltd and University of Cambridge x University of Adelaide (Australia), Axiom Space (USA), Saber Astronautics (Australia and USA)
Autonomous agriculture to support space exploration.
University of Bradford and Satellite Applications Catapult x Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency [JAXA] and Fujitsu Services (Japan)
Developing next generation space-grade AI devices for data analytics and operational efficiencies for satellite constellations.
Astroscale Ltd and OrbitFab x Astroscale Japan Inc.
Strengthening relations with Japan to unlock in-orbit servicing investment.
The Open University, XCAM Ltd and Teledyne UK Ltd x Indian Space Research Organisation (India)
Development of next generation X-ray instrumentation for space and planetary science.
Iota Technology Ltd and RAL Space (UK) x Twinleaf LLC (USA)
Development of a nanosatellite with capability to map Earth’s magnetic field.
University of Surrey, University of Southampton, University of Portsmouth, Surrey Satellite Technology and Twin Paradox Labs x Office for Space Technology and Industry [OSTIn] (Singapore)
Understanding satellite collaborations on monitoring air pollution and atmospheric weather forecasting.
AstroMagnetic Systems Ltd x New Space Systems (South Africa)
Spacecraft control using liquid metal and superconductors.
Strathclyde University x University of Arizona and MIT (USA), University of Waterloo and Columbiad Launch Services Inc (Canada)
AI for space safety and sustainability.
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, Assimilia, RALSpace x CSIRO Space and Astronomy and Smartsat CRC (Australia)
Creation of an integrated ground-to-space national water quality monitoring system.
Frontier Space Technologies Ltd x Sierra Space Corporation (USA)
Development of a commercial biotech platform for industrial microgravity application.
University of Southampton x University of Michigan, Pulsar Fusion and Starlight Engines (USA)
US-UK collaboration on the development of Hall thruster spacecraft propulsion.
Assimila Biosecurity Ltd x Cervantes Agritech Pty Ltd and CABI (Australia)
Using Earth Observation, climate and weather data to predict and manage biosecurity risks.
LENA Space x Taiwan Space Agency [TASA]
Developing a concept for a satellite launch vehicle cryogenic turbopump.
AstroAgency Ltd x AzurX Tech Ltd and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (UAE), National Space Science Agency (Bahrain)
Collaboration on Earth observation and data analytics, and developing the UK-UAE/Bahrain space relationship.
University College London x NASA JPL (USA)
Growing the UCL/JPL partnership: non-gravitational force modelling for precise orbit determination and space traffic management.
Reaction Engines x Virgin Galactic (USA)
Combining innovative UK air-breathing propulsion with US airframe capability for space access.
In-Space Missions x Singapore Space and Technology Ltd, OSTin and A*STAR Research Entities (Singapore), Geo-Informatics, Space Technology Development Agency and Philippines Space Agency, TASA, National Research and Innovation Agency (Indonesia)
Development of a multi-agency technology and business accelerator programme via regular in-orbit payload rideshare missions (Faraday Dragon).
The Open University x Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona and Ball Aerospace and Technologies (USA)
UK detector technology for future NASA high-resolution imaging of the Moon and Mars.
University of Leicester, Geospatial Insight Ltd, CGI IT x Bahrain National Space Science Agency, Kanoo (Bahrain)
Miniaturised rapid deployment high resolution carbon mapping sensors for monitoring GHG emission management programmes in the Gulf region.
D-Orbit x High Earth Orbit Robotics Pty Ltd (Australia)
Responsive in-orbit inspection service. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
04 Aug 23. Companies bidding in Skynet Enduring Capability programme revealed. Companies bidding in the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) Skynet Enduring Capability (SKEC) Wideband Satellite System (WSS) programme have been revealed.
The MoD disclosed on 4 August that Airbus Defence and Space, Lockheed Martin, and Thales Alenia Space are bidding for the programme and have been downselected for the next phase of the competition.
The three companies are now eligible to receive the WSS preliminary qualification questionnaire (PQQ) following successful pre-PQQ submissions, the MoD added.
SKEC seeks to deliver the next era of satellite communications (satcom) to the MoD. The SKEC WSS procurement programme is an element of this, which involves the design, manufacture, and delivery of up to three wideband geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite systems, associated ground equipment, and launch operations. The satellites will slowly replace the MoD’s existing Skynet fleet from 2028 to 2036. (Source: Janes)
EUROPE
10 Aug 23. Romania eyes 32 F-35s under $6.5bn deal. The Romanian Ministry of National Defence has requested the parliament’s approval for the purchase of 32 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, according to Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr. The planned procurement is estimated to be worth about $6.5bn.
In an interview with local broadcaster Antena 3, Tîlvăr said his ministry is “taking the first step towards equipping the Romanian Air Force with a state-of-the-art capability which will give Romania a consolidated status in the security architecture on [NATO’s] eastern flank and in the Black Sea region.”
On April 11, Romania’s Supreme Council on National Defense, a state body chaired by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, authorized the ministry to acquire the aircraft for the country’s air force.
The potential deal is to be carried out under the foreign military sales framework, and it will require the approval of the United States Department of State.
The documentation which was submitted to the Romanian parliament indicates that, following the purchase of two squadrons comprising a total of 32 aircraft, Romania could pursue an acquisition of a third squadron consisting of 16 fighter jets.
Owing to the planned procurement, Romania could become the third Eastern European ally, after Poland and the Czech Republic, to operate Lockheed Martin’s fifth-generation aircraft in its fleet. Romanian officials hope the country’s military could receive the first aircraft in 2030. (Source: Defense News)
10 Aug 23. B1 Centauro Replacement (Spain). Following an upgrade programme launched in 2021 to keep its 84 B1 Centauros in service into the late 2020s, Spain is seeking a replacement vehicle. Named as part of ‘the prioritised list of military capabilities’ for Spanish defence, Shephard forecasts a future order of 84 vehicles for an estimated $1.6bn.
Programme Background
The Spanish Army put the B1 Centauro into service between 2000 and 2006. Manufactured by the Italian Iveco and Oto Melara consortium CIO, the B1 is an 8×8 cavalry and reconnaissance vehicle featuring a 105mm cannon. Facing an OSD of 2020, the Spanish Army initiated an upgrade programme in 2021 aimed at improving protection and firepower. In July 2023, the Spanish Army announced it intended to open a replacement programme for the current 84 B1s in service. At the time of the announcement, no figures, timescale, confirmation, or formal negotiations have been announced. The most likely platform is the CIO Centauro II. As the second evolution of this AFV family, the vehicle builds on previous Centauro 105mm and 120mm armoured vehicles, offering an 8×8 platform with improved armament and an increased power-to-weight ratio. (Source: Shephard)
09 Aug 23. Romania cancels multifunction corvette programme. Romania has cancelled its multifunction corvette programme, the Romanian Ministry of National Defence (MND) announced on 8 August. Under the programme, in July 2019 a consortium of French shipbuilder Naval Group and Romanian shipyard Santierul Naval Constanta (SNC) was selected to build four Gowind 2500 corvettes for the Romanian Naval Forces (Forțele Navale Romane). However, the programme was subject to delays, including a reported protest from a rival bidder. During the selection process, bids had also been received from Damen and Fincantieri. In a press release, theMND said the selected bidder “did not sign the framework agreement within the terms requested by the contracting authority”. However, the programme did not proceed to the next bidder as “the funds necessary to declare the economic operator in the next place as the winner were not identified”. (Source: Janes)
04 Aug 23. Holland Receives Offers for New Submarines. Holand has received a response from the three candidate shipyards. to the request for quotation for the delivery of four new submarines. They are Naval Group, Saab Kockums and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, State Secretary of Defence Christophe van der Maat reported to the House of Representatives today.
Tenders were due to be submitted by today. Now that that has happened, the Ministry of Defense can begin the process of assessment and preparation for the award decision. This process is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024.
The candidate yards have also submitted their proposals for industrial cooperation to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate today, a so-called Industrial Cooperation Agreement (ICA), which is intended to strengthen the Dutch Defense Technological and Industrial Base (NLDTIB). The winning yard must contribute to this goal.
The ICA proposals are assessed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. This is done separately from the tender assessment by the Ministry of Defence.
Effective weapon systems
Submarines are among the most effective weapon systems in the armed forces. Replacing the boats will be the Defense’s largest equipment project in the coming years. It will take another 10 years from the signing of the contract before the first two submarines are taken into service, as the boats still have to be built and tested.
The Submarine Service, meanwhile, will continues to operate the current boats of the Walrus class. In time, two of the four current boats will be taken out of service. The parts of both submarines will then be used for the maintenance of the other boats. (Unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com) (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Netherlands Ministry of Defence)
04 Aug 23. After Azerbaijan, will Pakistan also join Turkey’s 5th generation fighter program?
Collaborating with other countries will accelerate the development process and with reduce the risks on Turkey, experts told Breaking Defense.
Just a week after Turkey signed an agreement to add Azerbaijan to its fifth generation fighter jet program, a senior Turkish official suggested that Pakistan, too, could join in.
“Pretty soon, within this month, we will be discussing with our Pakistani counterparts to officially include Pakistan in our national fighter jet program, KAAN,” deputy defense minister Celal Sami Tufekci announced Wednesday.
The agreement with Azerbaijan came last week during the International Defense Industry Fair, or IDEF 2023, held in Istanbul. It was a move that was described by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a “new sign of solidarity between the two countries.”
While the Pakistani government doesn’t appear to have commented publicly about their potential inclusion, and a representative for the Pakistani air force did not immediately respond to Breaking Defense’s request for comment, experts said that working with other countries will accelerate the development process for the ambitious KAAN project and with reduce the risks on Turkey.
“Developing a fifth-generation fighter aircraft is a complex and costly endeavor that requires a wide range of expertise and resources. Collaborating with other countries allows Turkey to pool resources and technological know-how from the participating nations and distribute the financial burden, resulting in a more advanced and capable aircraft,” Mohammed Soliman, director of the Strategic Technologies and Cyber Security Program at the Middle East Institute, said.
Turkey has revealed an ambitious schedule for the fighter, including a first flight scheduled for late December, though experts said it could be a decade or more before the plane is operational.
“We have a period of [10-plus] years ahead of us, and there is no guarantee that this process will end smoothly and on time,” Turkish aerospace and defense expert Cem Dogut told Breaking Defense.
Soliman, too, said the timeline seemed “challenging.”
“Integrating various technologies, ensuring safety, conducting thorough testing, and obtaining necessary certifications are time-consuming processes. While Turkey’s timeline is ambitious, such projects are not uncommon to experience delays due to unforeseen technical or logistical challenges,” he said.
According to Dogut, assembly for the first KAAN prototype began in April 2022, and it was unveiled in January 2023 to defense figures and the media. He added that the prototype performed its first engine run-up test with F110-GE-129E Turbofan Engines on Feb. 21, 2023. In May 2023 Turkey named the plane KAAN, and Erdogan himself hopped in the cockpit for a photo op.
“The CDR [critical design review] phase of KAAN has not been completed yet. There will be quite a difference between the [prototype plane], which will make its maiden flight by the end of the year, and the Block 10, which will enter mass production,” Dogut said.
He highlighted that since the development phase of KAAN, whose design has not been finalized yet, the support of the countries that will join the project is still important. Dogut stressed that the program has a long process ahead of it and Turkey needs all kinds of cooperation and support.
Azerbaijan’s contribution to the aircraft production could include financial investment and potential industrial collaboration, he said.
Solimane said if Pakistan “joins the program, it could bring its own resources, technology, and manufacturing capabilities.”
Dogut also said that Turkey has a different relationship with Azerbaijan and Pakistan than many other countries.
“They are seen as brother countries rather than friends and allies. The perspective of both countries towards Turkey is similar to Turkey’s. Azerbaijan’s main contribution will be to help support the project financially. Pakistan will support the production and development part of the business,” Dogut said.
He added that unlike Azerbaijan, Pakistan has production and development experience in aviation.
One potential drawback of drawing Pakistan in to the program, Dogut said, was Islamabad’s close relationship to China, which could create an “information security risk” for the KAAN project and potentially limit the use of parts from hesitant Western producers.
F-16 Quest Alive And Well
The development of the KAAN fighter, primarily by Turkish Aerospace Industries, would presumably lighten the burden of having to procure foreign fighters, like Turkey’s long pursuit of upgraded F-16 fighters from the US.
But Dogut said the KAAN is unlikely to change those plans anytime soon, as the fighter isn’t expected to be ready for combat until the mid-2030s at least, and won’t be cheap — potentially up to $14bn.
He added that increasing the capability of the existing F-16 fleet — with the Viper modernization with the US or the national Ozgur modernization project — and the purchase of additional aircraft will always be on the table until the KAAN is operational. After KAAN wins IOC/FOC, existing F-16s will remain in service for many years.
“It will take decades for KAAN to be produced and… to serve in fleets,” Dogut commented.
In his opinion, Soliman considered that Turkey’s decision to phase out other aircraft like the F-16 after the KAAN becomes operational depends on various factors.
“The F-16 has different roles and capabilities than a fifth-generation aircraft like the KAAN. Operational needs, strategic considerations, and military interoperability with the US and NATO alliance will likely influence the decision. Turkey might continue to utilize a mix of aircraft to fulfill different roles within its defense strategy even after the KAAN becomes operational,” he concluded. (Source: glstrade.com/Breaking Defense.com)
USA
09 Aug 23. White House and DARPA challenge innovators to bring AI tools to cyber defense. The AI Cyber Challenge asks leading companies to develop advanced AI systems that will contribute to critical infrastructure cybersecurity — with nearly $20m available in prizes. In the latest step towards harnessing the power of artificial intelligence for public good, the Biden administration is launching a new, two-year competition between some of the leading AI software companies to develop new code to protect the digital networks of critical infrastructures nationwide.
Led by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the “AI Cyber Challenge” competition partners with companies — including Google, Microsoft, Anthropic and OpenAI — to leverage advanced AI algorithmic capabilities for national cybersecurity.
The prizes for this competition total about $20m, and will be awarded to the teams with the best systems.
“AI is the most powerful technology of our time, and we have to get it right for the American people,” Arati Prabharker, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, told reporters on Tuesday. “That means managing its risks and it means harnessing its tremendous potential.”
Prabharker added that this is a pivotal example of how the public and private sectors can collaborate on national security projects for mutual benefit. Ann Neuberger, the deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, added this challenge is “critical” and marries automatic software security with AI to quickly identify and remedy network vulnerabilities.
“With this new challenge, teams will now have the power of modern AI to work through these complicated problems in support of our national security,” she said. “This challenge will help us stay ahead in the race against our adversaries’ cyber offensive capabilities. Because fundamentally, there is no national security without cybersecurity.”
While the competition involves larger tech firms, DARPA will also fund seven small businesses with up to $1m to participate in the competition’s initial phase. Perri Adams, the DARPA program manager for the AI Cyber Challenge, confirmed that the qualifying event will take place in spring 2024, with the top 20 candidates participating.
From there, the remaining top five semi-finalists will be chosen to participate in the final competition at DEFCON in 2025.
“This is a chance to explore what’s possible when experts in cybersecurity and AI have access to a suite of cross-company resources of combined, unprecedented caliber,” Adams said.
The AICC will collaborate with the Open Source Security Foundation, the latter of whom will serve as a challenge advisor. Adams said the collaboration is due to the importance of open source software’s role in the democratization of cybersecurity.
“AICC will also ask the prize winners to open source their system such that the innovations produced by AICC can be used by everyone, from volunteer open source developers to commercial industry,” Adams said. “If we’re successful, I hope to see AICC not only produce the next generation of cybersecurity tools in this space, but show how AI can be used to better society.”
A priority for this challenge will be keeping the winning software products agnostic to all sectors and applicable to a large swath of digital networks.
“We’re trying to design tools that can secure as much software as possible throughout society,” a DARPA official said on Tuesday’s press call.
President Joe Biden has focused his executive efforts on cultivating a level of public and private partnerships amid the growing — and unregulated — anthropomorphic AI industry. With participation from agencies like the National Institute of Security and Technology, Biden has put forward several guidance documents like the AI Bill of Rights and AI Risk Management Framework to bring more oversight and accountability into AI systems.
Moving forward, Biden has said he will continue working with Congress to push bipartisan regulations forward, as well as release an executive order on responsible AI innovation.
(Source: Nextgov/FCW)
04 Aug 23. Government Contracting Insights: Pentagon Targets Foreign Military Sales Reforms. The Defense Department announced June 13 that the secretary of defense approved recommendations for strengthening the foreign military sales program and instructed FMS-implementing agencies to move forward with these recommendations.
It remains to be seen how the department’s agencies will implement the recommendations, and there is a possibility that legislative action will impact FMS reform and supplement or supersede these recommendations.
Last year, the Pentagon formed a tiger team to evaluate the FMS program and consider potential improvements. As part of that process, the team solicited industry input in the form of a November report compiled by the Aerospace Industries Association, the Professional Services Council and the National Defense Industrial Association and a follow-on set of seven industry recommendations released in February of this year.
In June, the tiger team released — and the department adopted — its own set of six recommendations that largely mirror the broad goals — if not the specific action items — set forth in the industry recommendations.
First, the tiger team recommended improving the Pentagon’s understanding of ally and partner requirements. A key action item identified was a creation of a defense security cooperation service “on par with the Defense Attaché Service.”
A defense attaché office is led by a U.S. military officer and serves as the primary military advisor to a U.S. ambassador. Defense attaché offices are located within U.S. embassies and consulates, providing an in-country presence to liaise with allied defense ministries regarding their security needs. Defense attachés historically have been the security cooperation officer for the given country. It is unclear precisely how the tiger team envisions the new service would interact with the existing defense attachés.
The second tiger team recommendation is to enable efficient reviews and reduce barriers to export control approvals for key technologies. The tiger team did not identify any specific actions here, but the industry report flagged the need for a more centralized approach to export management, including considering aligning the end use monitoring programs across various departments.
Next, the tiger team recommended providing allies with priority capabilities, including by developing methodologies for facilitating non-programs of record. The industry report observed that FMS currently strongly favors programs of record, which are programs for which Congress has — or intends to — appropriate funding. The industry report recommended several actions with an eye toward clarifying how industry can navigate approvals for FMS cases for products outside of programs of record, such as creating an interagency inventory of available product options and creating a formal acquisition pathway for non-programs of record.
Fourth, the tiger team called for accelerating acquisition and contracting support by establishing contract award standards/metrics and developing process maps to monitor FMS cases. Industry identified the same underlying issue in its report, noting that, “Time has the most impact on U.S. competitiveness, sales, production schedules and defense partnership objectives.”
The most in-depth tiger team recommendation is to expand defense industrial base capacity. To achieve this, the Defense Department will undertake a comprehensive study on how to incentivize investment in production capability, including surge capacity for high-demand articles and services. Other action items include use of multi-year contracts — rather than standard one-year base contracts with additional one-year option periods — and enhanced use of the Special Defense Acquisition Fund.
Finally, the tiger team recommended taking steps to ensure broad U.S. government support, including from the State Department and Congress. To implement all these recommendations, the Defense Department announced it would establish an FMS Continuous Process Improvement Board.
In summary, the tiger team’s recommendations largely track the industry recommendations, although industry made more explicit recommendations on topics such as creative contracting processes and export financing arrangements.
For example, industry made specific recommendations around strategic alignment, including establishing an interagency working group to track major arms transfers to the National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy. Industry also recommended changes to expedite the contracting process, such as allowing contractors to be directly involved in the letter of offer and acceptance process for sole-source requests from foreign partners.
It is possible that the tiger team adopted some of the specific action items suggested by industry, but the Pentagon chose not to publish a full copy of its recommendations, electing only to summarize them in a press release. For the moment, industry remains in the dark regarding the precise actions recommended by the tiger team and what actions the department may focus on moving forward.
Despite some overly enthusiastic media reporting to the contrary, the Pentagon’s adoption of the tiger team findings does not guarantee that any of these recommendations will become reality. The secretary of defense instructed the components to move forward with implementation, but the agencies will retain discretion on how to best move forward, and certain aspects of the tiger team recommendations may be restructured or deferred.
As mentioned at the outset, the tiger team recommendations and the Defense Department’s move toward implementation may be impacted or even superseded by legislative action. There are several legislative proposals for FMS reforms circulating around Capitol Hill, and the next National Defense Authorization Act appears primed to provide additional direction to the Pentagon on the future of the program. (Source: glstrade.com/NDIA)
07 Aug 23. US C-sUAS office seeks industry whitepapers on counter-drone swarm capabilities. The Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft System (C-sUAS) Office (JCO) and Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) are seeking whitepapers to identify industry interest in demonstrating fixed / stationary or mobile / mounted Detect, Track, Identify, and/or Defeat (DTID) capabilities against sUAS Swarm systems.
“For this demonstration, a sUAS Swarm system is defined as a group of unmanned aircraft that demonstrates coordinated behavior to achieve a common objective,” says the whitepaper request published on the US government tender portal. “The purpose of this RFWP is to identify potential materiel solutions that have promising technologies or approaches to DTID sUAS Swarm systems.
“Following Government evaluation of the whitepaper submissions, the Offerors that describe the most promising solution(s) may be asked for a follow on, in-person or virtual oral presentation. Following the oral presentations, selected Offerors will host the Government as they conduct an on-site analysis of the offeror’s ability to satisfy the production demands required to participate in the demonstration. Finally, Offerors may then be asked to participate in JCO’s Counter Swarm Demonstration, tentatively scheduled 03-28 June 2024. Upon completion of the demonstration, the Government may award one or more prototype projects. Prototype system(s) will be operationally field tested to inform capabilities and limitations for potential 10 USC 4022 Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) or may inform follow-on contract decisions.”
“…The overarching Government objective is to prototype near production representative, cost-effective DTID system(s) that are able to integrate with Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAADC2) systems.
“This is a competitive solicitation, seeking innovative solutions that accelerate attainment of critical technologies which include not only commercially available technologies driven by commercial or strategic investment, but also concept demonstrations, and agile development activities that can incrementally improve commercial technologies, existing Government-owned capabilities, or concepts for defense application. Both large and small businesses and academic institutions are encouraged to respond. The information provided may be used by the Department of Defense (DoD) in developing its acquisition strategy, statement of work / performance work statement, and/or statement of objectives. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted, or competition sensitive information contained in their respective responses. The Government will not reimburse respondents for any cost associated with the submission of the WP or information being requested.” For more information
https://sam.gov/opp/cdd1fc0ae8a044acb2d3b398a1d3cd17/view (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
04 Aug 23. US Navy approves life extension of four Arleigh Burke destroyers. Beyond the construction of nine flight III destroyers, the US Navy will also extend the life of four existing Arleigh-Burke vessels for five years. US Navy officials in the Surface Fleet Division have approved the life extension of four flight IA Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (DDG 51s) on 3 August.
USS Ramage (DDG 61), homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, and USS Benfold (DDG 65), based in Yokosuka, Japan, have been extended by five years to FY2035 and 2036, respectively.
Likewise, USS Mitscher (DDG 57), also homeported in Norfolk, and USS Milius (DDG 69), homeported out of Yokosuka, have been extended by four years to FY2034 and 2035, respectively.
These extensions follow the March 2023 extension of USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) by five years through FY2031. The extension puts each destroyer beyond their estimated service life of 35 years.
“These service life extensions demonstrate the Navy’s commitment to ensuring the surface fleet has the right capability and capacity,” said Rear Admiral Fred Pyle, Director of Surface Warfare. “Adding 23-years of service life cumulatively over the last six months is a significant investment in surface warfare.”
“These extensions align to Secretary of the Navy Del Toro’s commitment to Congress during the FY24 posture hearings to analyse service life on a hull-by-hull basis and extend the correct ships in order to be good stewards of resources invested in the US Navy by the American people,” Pyle added.
This announcement comes following the US Navy contracts awarded to General Dynamics Bath Iron Works and HII to construct nine new flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
Keeping up with China’s force structure
The approval to extend the life of the navy’s destroyers comes down to maintaining a greater force structure.
“It’s right to say that the US is contemplating force size – and maintaining a larger fleet of Arleigh Burke ships is part of the answer,” affirmed GlobalData Aerospace and Defence Analyst, James Marques.
An unclassified government slide visualises the contentious shipbuilding between the US Navy and the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
“This trajectory of spinning up production of a completely new class of destroyers will take some time, but Arleigh Burkes are still good enough in the short-to-medium term,” Marques adds.
It is important for the US to maintain a reasonable ship count while China’s force structure swells. A report from the Congressional Research Service on China’s naval modernisation, published in May this year, reinforces this contention.
“China’s navy is, by far, the largest of any country in East Asia, and sometime between 2015 and 2020 it surpassed the US Navy in numbers of battle force ships (meaning the types of ships that count toward the quoted size of the US Navy).
“The Department of Defense (DoD) states that China’s navy ‘is the largest navy in the world with a battle force of approximately 340 platforms, including major surface combatants, submarines, ocean-going amphibious ships, mine warfare ships, aircraft carriers, and fleet auxiliaries…. This figure does not include approximately 85 patrol combatants and craft that carry anti-ship cruise missiles. The… overall battle force [of China’s navy] is expected to grow to 400 ships by 2025 and 440 ships by 2030.’
“The US Navy, by comparison, included 294 battle force ships at the end of FY2021, and the navy’s FY2024 budget submission projects that the navy will include 290 battle force ships by the end of 2030.
“US military officials and other observers are expressing concern or alarm regarding the pace of China’s naval shipbuilding effort and resulting trend lines regarding the relative sizes and capabilities of China’s navy and the US Navy.” (Source: naval-technology.com)
REST OF THE WORLD
10 Aug 23. Brazil and Saudi Arabia eye joint ventures, technology transfers.
Brazilian and Saudi defense companies have signed a memorandum of understanding that could lead to joint ventures and technology-sharing agreements.
The Saudi businesses involved in the potential effort are Scopa Defense and Alqahtani Holding, and the Brazilian firms are weapon manufacturer Taurus, rocket and missile maker Avibras, aircraft battery producer Ocellott, and aviation specialist Avionics Services, according to the Brazilian industry association FIESP.
The signing took place last week during a bilateral investment forum attended by a Saudi delegation to Brazil led by Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih. The meeting, held in São Paulo by FIESP, also included the vice president of Brazil and the governor of São Paulo.
The Saudi minister mentioned Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer in a speech during the event, but no agreement involving the company has been disclosed. The company did not respond to a request for comment.
Under an agreement with Taurus, a new weapons factory could be built in Saudi Arabia following a study on the matter, the company said in a news release. The Brazilian firm already has two local arms factories and one in the United States.
“The choice of Saudi Arabia is aligned with the company’s expansion plan in the Middle East. We understand that the region is interested in technology transfer for the manufacturing of light weapons,” Taurus said in a statement.
The companies have a 12-month period to evaluate the implementation of a new plant.
Scopa, which is a part of Ajlan and Bros Holding Group, made an agreement with Avibras to “manufacture and develop advanced defense equipment,” according to the former, which did not disclose further information about the products and potential contract values involved.
This deal could provide relief to Avibras, which has been under judicial recovery since March 2022 after it claimed to have a debt of 394.76 million reals (U.S. $80.48 million). Under this process, the court may aim to recover debts.
Two other agreements involved Alqahtani Holding, per company statements. One is a joint venture with Ocellott, founded in 2015 and specializing in aeronautical batteries, radiofrequency filters and electrical surge suppressors. It’s unclear what the arrangement involves.
The other is with Avionics Services. The Brazilian firm provides radars and equipment for aircraft, including to Embraer for the Legacy series as well as the Phenom 100 and 300 jets. The company is currently testing a drone. Details of this agreement were also not disclosed.
For Saudi Arabia, these agreements are part of a larger strategy, dubbed Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on the oil trade through global investments in other sectors.
(Source: Defense News)
09 Aug 23. Canadian Surface Combatant project receives $463m boost.
Canada will invest in the Canadian Surface Combatant program to ensure a timely delivery to the Royal Canadian Navy of the 15 ships.
The Canadian government announced on 8 August that it will invest a further $463m (C$620m) in the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) project to accelerate construction and ensure a timely delivery to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) of the 15 surface combatant ships outlined in its National Shipbuilding Strategy, expected to cost between $56bn and $60bn.
As well as providing combat power at sea, the CSC ships, based on BAE’s Type 26 frigate, will fulfil a range of mission types including support of land operations, counter-piracy, embargo-operations, search and rescue, and the delivery of humanitarian aid. One sub-variant is intended to have additional wide-area air defence capabilities with the facilities to act as a task force flagship.
According to GlobalData’s Canada Defense Market 2022-2027 report, naval vessels and surface combatants are the country’s largest defence market sector, with a value of £22.5bn over the forecast period.
“This investment will further ensure that the Canadian Surface Combatant vessels are built efficiently and on time for Royal Canadian Navy members.” said Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada’s minister of public services and procurement.
The Canadian surface combatant request proposal was first released in October 2016, with the contract awarded to Irving Shipbuilding Inc. (ISI) and Lockheed Martin Canada on 7 February 2019. The ambition of the project is to replace both the Iroquois-class destroyers and the Halifax-class multi-role patrol frigates with a single class of ship, operating on both the open ocean and in coastal environments. Armaments are to include Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and RIM-66 and 162 air defence missiles.
“This key announcement reaffirms Canada’s commitment to deliver 15 state-of-the-art warships to the Royal Canadian Navy, and to provide Canadian Armed Forces members with the equipment needed to defend Canada,” said Bill Blair, minister of national defence.
The surface combatant project is a central element of the Canadian shipbuilding strategy, one of only two large combat vessel projects detailed. According to the GlobalData report on Canada’s defence market, over 4,000 Canadian SMEs are involved in the supply chain so far. The second large combat vessel project is for 6 arctic and offshore patrol ships for the RNC, and is also being undertaken by ISI.
The funds announced this week will expand and modify the construction site at Halifax Shipyard and the supporting facilities Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. (Source: naval-technology.com)
10 Aug 23. SAAF Hercules fleet begins UK upgrades amid funding challenges. SAAF C-130BZ Hercules 409 left Air Force Base Waterkloof on the evening of 8 August for a lengthy flight to the United Kingdom for maintenance and upgrades.
Her departure from South Africa was delayed by a day due to overflight clearance issues arising from airspace closures over Niger and neighbouring countries in the wake of the recent coup in Niger.
The Department of Defence was allocated an additional ring-fenced funding of R1bn in 2023/24 to enhance the country’s medium airlift transport capability. In March this year details emerged how this amount would be utilised.
The SAAF intends to spend this amount on upgrading and maintaining the six remaining C-130s (the SAAF had nine serviceable examples but two have been written off in accidents and one has been cannibalised for spares).
The tail numbers of the C-130s that the SAAF wants to be kept flying are 401, 402, 405, 406, 408, and 409 (aircraft 404 suffered a nose gear collapse whilst performing a touch and go in 2010). However, between now and 2029, this will cost just over R4bn. Major servicing and upgrading of 405 and 409 can be funded, with major servicing to be done in the UK by Marshall Aerospace, which did the C-130BZ upgrade in the 1990s. 405’s major service and upgrade is scheduled for mid-2024 – this will take about 18 months.
The SAAF aims to have at least one or two C-130s operational at any time while the others undergo maintenance.
Due to having only one Hercules servicing bay between the SAAF Air Servicing Unit (ASU) and Denel, servicing more aircraft requires involving an external party. In this case, it will be undertaken by Marshall Aerospace, which will service aircraft 405, 406 and 409.
Each upgrade is expected to take approximately eighteen months, with the first commencing in August this year. It is planned for Denel to build a second Hercules servicing bay.
Although the exact details of the upgrade are uncertain, it is likely to involve the upgrade or replacement of radios, transponders, and other obsolete avionics.
Under Project Ebb, Marshall Aerospace in the late 1990s upgraded the SAAF C-130 fleet to C-130BZ standard (three aircraft were upgraded in the UK and the remaining six in South Africa by Denel). The upgrade covered a major avionics upgrade package that gave the aircraft a modern glass cockpit. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
04 Aug 23. Brazilian Army eyes new helicopters. The Brazilian Army aims to replace the eight HM-3 Cougar and four HM-2 Black Hawk helicopters in service with Army Aviation Command (CAvEx), Army Commander General Tomás Miguel Miné Ribeiro Paiva said on 20 July. The two helicopter types are nearing the end of their operational lifespans. The requirement documents, the guidelines for project implementation, and other procurement procedures have yet to be written, but Gen Paiva’s declaration indicates that they may be expected soon.
The HM-3 Cougar (a local designation for the Airbus Helicopters AS532 UE) is fielded by the 2nd Army Aviation Battalion and the 3rd Army Aviation Battalion located in Taubaté and Campo Grande, respectively. The HM-2 Black Hawk (a local designation for the Sikorsky S-70A) is deployed by the 4th Army Aviation Battalion based in Manaus. Both types are utility helicopters flown on missions such as combat support, troop and cargo transport, medical evacuation, and combat search and rescue. (Source: Janes)
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