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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
12 Oct 23. Team Resolute meets SMEs for £1.6bn FSS programme. Team Resolute met with 150 SME’s ready to supply elements of the new Fleet Solid Support Ship programme in Belfast and Bristol.
Team Resolute, the consortium delivering three Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships for the UK Ministry of Defence, met with 150 small to medium enterprises (SMEs) earlier this month to brief senior representatives on the requirements and timings of the £1.6bn Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme, due to be complete by 2032.
The first event with SMEs was held in Belfast, where the three ships will be integrated, revitalising the ship-building industry in the area, with hopes of increasing the local workforce with an additional 800 jobs in the supply chain alone, as well as the 1200 jobs divided between Belfast and Devon’s Appledore.
Concern has been raised before that developing the required workforce would be a great challenge in Belfast, as it would necessitate increasing the the 100 strong shipbuilder workforce in Belfast to be expanded multiple times to reach its share of the 1200 jobs being created. To achieve this end, shipbuilders would travel to Cadiz, Spain for a year long training programme.
At the event’s opening, Belfast City Council Deputy Chair Ron McDowell emphasised the value of shipbuilding for the city and said, “This event recognises Team Resolute’s commitment to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises to form part of the Fleet Solid Support programme delivery and reinforces their commitment to social value, leading to real benefit for both residents and businesses.”
“It is fantastic that the FSS Programme is bringing ship building back to Belfast. We congratulate Team Resolute on being awarded the MOD contract and great to have this engagement with the outstanding supply chain in the region. This programme is excellent for Belfast, the community, and Northern Ireland”, said Dr Leslie Orr, Director ADS Northern Ireland.”
Team Resolute, a consortium comprising Navantia UK, BMT and Harland & Wolff, organised two events in close collaboration with the Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) and the Aerospace Defence and Security trade association (ADS). Senior representatives from the companies, along with representatives from Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and the National Shipbuilding Office (NSO), walked interested companies through the requirements, timelines, and procedures involved in building the three ships. (Source: naval-technology.com)
EUROPE
12 Oct 23. PGZ Awarded Equipment Contracts for Polish Army. Military Means and Equipment for the Polish Army. On October 11 in Nowa Dęba, in the presence of the Minister of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak, the companies of the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) concluded a number of agreements with the Armament Agency for the supply of equipment and combat assets for the Polish Army.
Three contracts were concluded and an annex was signed with a total value exceeding PLN 1bn (approx. $230m–Ed.), thanks to which modern equipment and combat assets will be provided to the Polish Army.
As part of the first contract, the OBRUM Research and Development Center for Mechanical Devices will deliver 43 accompanying bridges on the MS-20 truck chassis to the Polish Armed Forces . The value of the contract, which will be completed in 2025-2028, is approximately PLN 767 million. The OBRUM company, with design and production capabilities, is the creator of the MS-20 bridge structure, based on the Jelcz tractor. This is a solution developed and manufactured entirely in OBRUM. The contract for the supply of 43 sets of accompanying bridges for the Polish Armed Forces once again confirms the ability of the Polish defense industry to create innovative solutions.
So far, OBRUM has provided the Polish Army with 12 MS-20 bridges, the deliveries of which were completed in 2017. The vehicles have also become an export product – in 2021, OBRUM produced and delivered 4 MS-20s, in a modified version taking into account local conditions, to Vietnam.
The second agreement signed is an annex to the contract for the supply of 120 mm high-explosive mortar ammunition for Rak self-propelled mortars . The subject of the annex to the currently implemented contract of April 29, 2021 is a further increase in the supply of Rak-HE-1 ammunition for 120 mm M120K Rak self-propelled mortars, which are part of company fire modules for the Polish Armed Forces.
This contract, concluded in 2021 between the Armament Inspectorate (now Armaments Agency) and the PGZ-Rak Amunicja consortium composed of PGZ SA, ZM DEZAMET SA, Mesko SA and ZCH Nitro-Chem SA, covered the acquisition of high-explosive mortar ammunition in the years 2022-2024 for the amount approx. PLN 256.3 million gross. As a result of the annex, the existing contract was extended to include additional several thousand rounds of Rak-HE-1 ammunition, without changing the delivery date.
Under the currently annexed contract, Zakłady Metalowe Dezamet SA has already delivered several dozen thousand rounds of 120 mm mortar ammunition. Its portfolio includes not only 120 mm ammunition, but also ammunition of various types and calibers from 40mm to 155mm, as well as fuses and grenades. The company belongs to the PGZ ammunition domain, which also includes Mesko SA, Bydgoskie Zakłady Elektromechanne Belma SA, Zakłady Chemiczne Nitro-Chem SA and Zakład Produkcji Publicznej GAMRAT sp. z o. o.
The third contract concerns the acquisition of Jelcz car chassis and wheeled vehicles, on which elements of the Naval Strike Missile system will be installed, which will be part of two subsequent Naval Missile Units, contracted during the XXXI International Defense Industry Exhibition in Kielce. The value of the order to be completed by Jelcz sp. z o. o. is approximately PLN 470m gross. Vehicle deliveries will be made in 2024-2029. The Polish Army already has a Naval Missile Unit, also based on Jelcz chassis.
The final contract concerns the acquisition of six new command vehicles on the chassis of a wheeled armored personnel carrier. The contract will be implemented by the Siemianowice company Rosomak SA. Its value is approximately PLN 100m gross, and the deliveries of the vehicles will be completed in 2025. The vehicle has the same traction parameters as the Rosomak Wheeled Armored Personnel Carriers used in the Polish Army. Due to the comfort and safety of the crew and officials, it includes, among others: seats equipped with four-point seat belts, fire and explosion protection system, additional heating and air conditioning system. The installed IT equipment, supported by radio stations, was built by specialists from Rosomak SA and WB Electronics. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ PGZ Group)
11 Oct 23. Germany, nine other nations push ahead with joint air defence procurement. Germany and nine other countries on Wednesday took the next step in their efforts to jointly purchase air defence systems such as Patriot, IRIS-T and Arrow 3 as NATO allies scramble to plug gaps created by Russia’s war on Ukraine.
On the sidelines of a defence ministers’ meeting at NATO’s Brussels headquarters, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania and the Netherlands signed an agreement that will build the legal foundation necessary for purchases.
Together with Germany, Slovenia and Latvia, who signed up earlier, they make up a group of ten countries that aims to spearhead joint procurement within the wider German-led, 19-nation European Sky Shield Initiative.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said he expected the first deals to be struck within three to four months.
Ground-based air defence systems such as Raytheon’s (RTX.N) Patriot or IRIS-T, which is produced by German arms maker Diehl, are built to intercept incoming missiles.
After the Cold War, many NATO allies scaled down the number of air defence units to reflect their assessment that they faced only a limited missile threat, from countries such as Iran.
This perception changed drastically with Russia’s invasion last year of Ukraine, which sent NATO allies scrambling to tackle air defence shortfalls while at the same time supplying Kyiv with the coveted systems.
Set up one year ago, the European Sky Shield Initiative groups 19 nations including Britain, the Baltic states and several eastern European countries who aim to buy air defences mainly off the shelf instead of developing new systems, to cut down on procurement times.
With the move, Germany upset France, which favours the development of European systems and has declined to join the initiative. France has said the initiative creates new dependencies on the countries and companies that make the defence systems. (Source: Google/Reuters)
USA
11 Oct 23. US Army seeks proposals for XM919 Individual Assault Munition. The US Army is moving ahead with a long-planned effort to consolidate and update its shoulder-launched munitions (SLMs) and issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the XM919 system in September 2023, Janes learnt at the annual Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2023 symposium in Washington, DC.
The service’s Project Manager Close Combat Systems’s (PM CCS’s) Individual Assault Munition (IAM) system consists of the XM919 weapon and training devices such as the XM922 subcalibre trainer. The IAM requirement has been simmering at least since 2016.
“The XM919 IAM will be a lightweight Shoulder Launched Munition (SLM) capability for combat units at the individual Soldier level,” the army said in its fiscal year 2024 (FY 2024) budget request. The XM919 is meant in part for urban operations “to defeat adversaries protected by field expedient structures and light armored vehicles while providing behind-the-wall lethality effects”, the request said. (Source: Jane’s)
REST OF THE WORLD
13 Oct 23. Air focus dominates Indonesia’s swelling defence budget.
GlobalData projects defence spending for the world’s largest archipelagic nation to grow to $9.7bn by 2028, a budget that largely accounts for aerial platforms.
Driven by ongoing defence modernisation initiatives, GlobalData forecasts Indonesia’s defence expenditure to grow from $8.8bn this year to $9.7bn by 2028.
Indonesia, a trillion-dollar economy that has grown at an average gross domestic product of about 2.9% annually between 2019 and 2023, is one of the emerging defence spenders in South Asia.
GlobalData intelligence indicates that the nation’s military fixed-wing aircraft is the largest sector accumulating the most funding – worth $22.7bn through the period 2023–28.
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Abhijit Apsingikar, Aerospace and Defence Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Indonesia’s defence budget is majorly driven by the need to mitigate natural disasters and undertake military modernisation initiatives.”
Indonesia plans to modernise its armed forces and aims to establish “Minimum Essential Forces”, a strategy for establishing a force structure consisting of key military capabilities to maintain adequate levels of operational readiness to rapidly deploy forces in case of national contingencies.
“Furthermore, increasing fundamentalism has aggravated the threat of terrorism, which coupled with online radicalism, has compelled Indonesia to heavily invest in cybersecurity and counter-terrorism apparatus.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)
12 Oct 23. France Hopes to Beat US in New India Fighter Race, Betting on Existing Rafale Sales, Tech Flexibility.
Today, Indian diplomats, security officials and analysts say it is less ‘arduous’ conducting materiel commerce with Paris than with Washington.
Chandigarh: The overlapping visits of Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh to Paris and that of France’s Dassault Aviation head Eric Trappier to New Delhi this week is an indication of the augmented level of bilateral military commerce, especially of combat aircraft, between the two countries.
While Singh’s October 10-12 trip to Italy and France focused, in the latter instance, on possible collaborations with its military-industrial complex to further India’s ‘Atmanirbharta’ initiative to reduce materiel imports, Trappier’s Delhi visit, between October 9-10, was focused on supplying the Indian Navy 26 Rafale-M (Maritime) fighters for embarkation on INS Vikrant, its newly commissioned aircraft carrier.
Accompanied by senior Dassault executive Richard Lavaud, Trappier is believed to have held talks with top defence and foreign ministry officials, as well as the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy chiefs of staff, in which the delivery of 22 twin-engine, canard delta-wing Rafale-M fighters and four dual-seat trainers featured prominently. However, no official statement on these meetings have, so far, been provided.
Dassault is also a frontrunner for the IAF’s long-pending requirement for 114 multi-role fighter aircraft (MRFA) with its Rafale. In 2016, India bought 36 via an inter-governmental agreement or IGA for around $9bn and divided them between two squadrons at Ambala and Hasimara Air Force Stations. Further strengthening Dassault’s credentials for the MRFA buy was the fact that it had already established a Rafale flight training and maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Ambala, which would go a long way towards reducing overall costs for all further similar fighter buys.
And, more importantly, acquiring tried and tested Rafales would also hasten fighter inductions by dispensing with extended trials, to speedily boost the IAFs declining fighter squadrons, which had depreciated to 29-30, from a sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons. Additionally, industry officials said acquiring supplementary Rafales would also streamline the IAFs diverse fighter catalogue, which presently features seven different aircraft types, sustaining all of which was not only an enduring logistical nightmare, but also a hugely expensive affair for the financially overstretched force.
The IAF has had a long-established association with Dassault, which began in 1953 with the arrival at Ambala of the first of some 104 of its MD 450 Ouragan fighter-bombers. Renamed Toofani – a direct translation from the aircraft’s French name, meaning Hurricane and also because Ouragan was difficult for IAF technicians and other personnel to pronounce – these fighters remained in service till the mid-1960’s and continued thereafter as advanced trainers and as target tugs.
The Toofanis – of which 33 were acquired in refurbished condition – were replaced 1957 onwards by an equal number of Dassault Mystere IVA’s which were the first transonic aircraft, powered by Rolls-Royce Tay turbojets, to be commissioned into the French Air Force in the early 1950s. The IAF employed the Mystere’s extensively in the 1965 war with Pakistan and in a limited role during the subsequent 1971 operations, before eventually retiring them in 1973.
After a hiatus of a little over a decade, the IAF began inducting some 50-odd Mirage-2000Hs (Hindustan’s) in 1986, which are presently being upgraded by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bangalore via a transfer of technology from Dassault under a $2.5bn contract signed in 2011. This retrofit was scheduled for completion by end-2021, but has been delayed and awaits conclusion.
The Mirage-2000Hs were, in turn followed up with 36 Rafales, including six twin-seat trainers, all of which had been commissioned into service by late 2022.
Industry officials, meanwhile, indicated that Trappier was eyeing the IAFs MRFA procurement that envisages importing a squadron of 18 shortlisted fighters in flyaway condition from amongst seven models on offer from overseas original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), in response to the forces April 2018 request for information. The remaining 96 platforms would be built indigenously, via a collaborative venture between the qualified OEM and a domestic strategic partner from either the private or public sector, with progressively enhanced levels of indigenisation, in the deal, estimated at around $25bn.
The MRFA tender is expected imminently, industry sources said, and senior IAF officers estimate that these numbers could increase to around 200 units, in addition to possible export options, resulting in the platforms cost amortisation. Recent media reports, quoting official sources, revealed that even though the IAF planned on inducting some 180 variants of the indigenously developed Tejas Light Combat Aircraft to replace legacy fighters like the ground attack MiG-21s and SEPECAT Jaguars, the MRFA acquisition remained ‘on stream’.
The six other OEMs, besides Dassault, who had responded to the IAF’s request for information include Eurofighter (Typhoon), Sweden’s Saab (Gripen-E), Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation and Sukhoi Corporation (MiG-35 ‘Fulcrum-F’ and Su-35’ Flanker-E’) and the US’s Boeing and Lockheed Martin (F/A-18 and F-15EX and the upgraded F-21).
But in view of the ongoing war in Ukraine, evaluating the two Russian fighter types for eventual IAF acquisition was, justifiably irrational, considering the grave spares and components crisis the force is facing with regard to its fleet of some 260 multi-role Sukhoi-30 MKI’s and 50-odd upgraded MiG-29M fighter-bombers. At his annual press conference last week Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhuri declared that the IAF planned on locally upgrading 84 of its 260-odd Su-30MKI’s to ‘Super Sukhoi’ status for Rs 60,000 crore, a venture that had earlier focused heavily on direct Russian involvement.
Alternately, shortlisting the Typhoon would only mean adding to the IAFs massive continuing logistic challenges, whilst the US’s F-18 and the F-16 – a precursor to the F-21,-had both been rejected by the IAF on multiple capability counts during trials conducted 2010 onwards for the binned Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft contract floated in 2007. Saab’s Gripen-E, on the other hand, was a single-engine platform, and though the MRFA request for information had not specified any preference for single or dual power packs, the IAFs intrinsic preference for the latter remains unstated. (Source: News Now/https://thewire.in/security)
10 Oct 23. Floating ‘Turkeys’: Is Australia Spending $50bn on Dud Ships? (excerpt). Flanked by senior cabinet ministers, South Australia’s premier and the country’s top military leaders, Malcolm Turnbull looked ebullient as he proclaimed June 29, 2018, a “great day for Australia’s security”.
The then prime minister was at the Osborne naval shipyard to announce British defence firm BAE Systems the winner of a $35 bn contract to build a fleet of nine frigates for the Royal Australian Navy. It turned out to be one of Turnbull’s last big announcements before being ejected from the Lodge.
In an era of rising geostrategic tensions, Turnbull enthused that Australia was acquiring the “most advanced anti-submarine warships in the world”. And not only that. The decades-long project would lay the foundation for a “truly sovereign national Australian shipbuilding industry”, creating 4000 direct jobs in Adelaide (the hometown, it just so happened, of then defence industry minister Christopher Pyne).
Across the other side of the world, Theresa May was delighted that BAE Systems had fended off bids by rival Spanish and Italian firms to build what would be known as the Hunter-class frigate. The then British prime minister hailed the contract as a sign the United Kingdom could prosper in a post-Brexit world by partnering with nations like Australia.
Defence Minister Richard Marles will consider how many Hunter-class frigates to build when a major naval review is finished.
Known as the Type 26, the 150-metre frigate would be fitted with an Australian radar and a state-of–the-art American combat system. Digital illustrations of the gleaming, ultra-modern leviathan certainly looked impressive.
However, from the very beginning, there were questions about the high level of risk involved. The British Navy was years away from completing construction on its first Type 26 frigate; adding Australian and US parts to the design would only add to the complexity.
Two years after the announcement, the cost of the program was revised up by $10bn to $45bn. Soon after, Defence acknowledged that the project was running 18 months to two years behind schedule, with the first ship expected to enter service in the early 2030s rather than the late 2020s. Design changes saw the weight of the ship blow out from 8800 tonnes to about 10,000 tonnes.
“If you try to Australianise an already immature design, you’re setting yourself up for serious problems and that’s exactly what happened,” says Richard Dunley, a naval historian at UNSW.
Beyond the navy’s leadership and BAE’s representatives, it is now hard to find fans of the Hunter-class frigate. “I don’t know anyone who thinks the Type 26 is the right ship for us to be buying,” says Hugh White, a former deputy secretary of the Department of Defence.
Another prominent defence analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity because of work they do for the federal government, lambasts the ships as floating “turkeys”.
“This is heading down the pathway to be the worst shipbuilding project in the RAN’s history,” the analyst says. (end of excerpt) (Source: Defense-Aerospace.com/ Sydney Morning Herald;)
10 Oct 23. Angola Represents An Interesting Chance for the Czech Arms Industry. The third largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa can mean another interesting chance of employment for Czech armorers. This resulted from the recent visit of Radka Konderlova, senior director of the industrial cooperation section of the Ministry of Defence, who was accompanied to this country by a large delegation of representatives of leading companies in the Czech defense and security industry. The armed forces there plan to massively modernize the ground and air forces, which are equipped mainly with equipment of Soviet origin.
The former Czechoslovakia experienced a period of very lively relations with Angola in the 1980s and 1990s. About a thousand Angolans studied with us on government scholarships at the time, Czechoslovakia also supported this African country with the supply of weapons, trucks and the construction of factories. From a country torn apart by civil war, thanks to oil deposits, it gradually became one of the richest countries in sub-Saharan Africa. But then came covid and the drop in oil prices, which knocked down the local economy. Although politically stable, today it faces a 40% poverty rate. Unemployment stands at 30%, and even more than half of young people are unemployed.
Nevertheless, it represents an interesting chance for Czech industry: after all, in addition to oil, which makes up more than one third of the income of the state budget, another important income is the mining of diamonds and construction materials. The persistent Czech footprint in the country is also significant – a large part of the Angolans who studied in the Czechoslovakia are still part of the political, business and social elite.
A massive army with outdated technology
The army there has about 100,000 soldiers on active duty, the majority belonging to the ground forces. Military technology is mainly of Soviet or Russian origin, and the planned modernizations are a great opportunity for Czech companies.
“The ground forces are equipped with, among other things, T-55 and T-72 tanks, spare parts for tracked vehicles and various simulators are also offered. The Air Force has already agreed with Aero Vodochody to modernize four L-39 aircraft. At the same time, the Angolan side emphasizes the inclusion of training in individual cooperation projects. In other words, what Czech companies can do,” confirmed CEO Radka Konderlová.
The interest of Czech companies in this South African country is confirmed by the presence of our leading arms brands – in addition to Aero Vodochody Aerospace, there were COLT CZ Group, AURA, Tatra Trucks, Excalibur International, SVOS, STV Group and Bowenite. Radka Konderlová then led negotiations in support of Czech-Angolan projects with the State Secretary for the Angolan Defense Industry, the Chief of the General Staff, the commanders of the air force and police forces.
“The Czech Republic and Angola share a long history of mutual relations. This year is intensive in terms of the frequency of visits by high-level Czech delegations. Our defense industry offers Angolan partners not only high-quality, reliable technologies and services, but also complex solutions demanded as part of the planned modernization of the Angolan armed forces. A high-quality army guarantees a basic prerequisite for ensuring the country’s security, and Angola aspires to become a prominent regional player guaranteeing stability,” summed up current bilateral relations in the defense-industrial area, senior director Radka Konderlová. (Source: Defense-Aerospace.com/ Czech Republic Ministry of Defence)
03 Oct 23. Indian Navy contemplates procurement of 20-50 C-UAS systems underpinned by “Buy India” policy. Unmanned Airspace understands the Indian Navy is in the throes of considering the procurement of between 20 and 50 counter-UAS (C-UAS) systems to protect vessels at sea and its shore stations. A basic set of requirements has already been completed and the service seeks to push the programme ahead relatively aggressively, forecasting tender publication in approximately ten months.
The systems will be procured from an Indian company, with partial supply of equipment and/or support from foreign partners envisaged. Domestic, indigenous content is to stand at a minimum level of 50% and procurement will be governed by the DAP-2020 ‘Buy India’ policy.
Interested parties must move quickly, since the process requires answers to a comprehensive questionnaire, together with a rough order of magnitude regarding pricing, to be submitted no later than 15 October. The expectation is then that the service will finalise the requirements and specifications in about six months and proceed to tender before October 2024. For more information: RFI_FOR_COUNTER_DRONE_SYSTEM_ (SOFT_KILL).pdf (indiannavy.nic.in) (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
06 Oct 23. New Zealand Defence Force searches to replace its legacy land vehicles. The NZ Ministry of Defence has launched a market research project to study its options to replace its enduring fleet of Mercedes-Benz Unimog truck vehicles.
Now more than 40-years old, the Mercedes-Benz Unimog truck fleet appears to be reaching the end of its service with the New Zealand’s Defence Force (NZDF) following the launch of a market research project to replace the legacy platform, which the country’s Ministry of Defence described as “a workhorse” in a 6 October press release.
“We are asking for information about commercial-off-the-shelf vehicles, which could replace the existing Unimog trucks and military support utes,” Sarah Minson, Deputy Secretary for Capability Delivery stated. A ‘ute’ is verbal shorthand for utility vehicle.
Besides its Unimog vehicles, the NZDF currently operates 194 active HX58 tactical trucks from Rheinmetall-MAN in 2017 and 326 Pinzgauer trucks from BAE Systems in 2004, according to GlobalData intelligence.
A timeline of NZDF land vehicle fleets
Under the 2019 Defence Capability Plan, the New Zealand Government committed to a range of upgrade and development programmes.
As part of this evolution, the government established the Garrison and Training Support (GATS) vehicles investment among other development initiatives, which the government allocated an indicative capital cost of NZ$100m-$300m ($59.3m-$178m).
The programme will provide the NZDF with modern military vehicles to fulfil certain domestic requirements – ranging from fire appliance, medical response and aircraft refuelling vehicles.
One contract that marked the country’s modernisation programme was a contract awarded to Hamilton-based Action Manufacturing for a fleet of six medical response vehicles, which were later increased to 12. These are based on the Iveco Daily 4×4 and replace the Unimog medical vehicles.
In 2021, NZDF announced that this replacement programme was overdue, leading the government to set up a two-phase roadmap for completion by 2030. Phase one has just ended this year; it involved replacing most of the specialist vehicles. Phase two, which ends in 2030, will oversee the “progressive replacement of the remainder of the GATS fleet,” including the country’s Unimogs.
Among the vehicles NZDF has replaced so far, it has already sold 22 Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) to the Chilean Navy in late April 2022. These vehicles were part of a sale of 75 units the New Zealand Government had originally acquired from General Dynamics Canada in 2003.
Seeking a replacement vehicle
In addition to the standard truck requirements, the market research is asking for information, data and pricing about lower emission vehicles – hybrid or electric.
The ministry also asks for information about vehicles with a high fording depth that could drive through flood waters or broken and disturbed ground.
“The replacement vehicles would be used across New Zealand for a wide range of domestic tasks, including extreme weather and disaster response operations, as well as the transport of personnel and equipment,” Minson added. (Source: army-technology.com)
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