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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
15 Dec 23. UK MoD issues PQQ for space-focused Project Borealis.
Project Borealis is intended to develop software/hardware command and control systems to generate and improve space domain awareness.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) on the initiation of Project Borealis, a joint MoD, UK Space Command (UKSC), and UK Space Agency (UKSA) programme to develop core systems required for the civil-military National Space Operations Centre.
The publication of a PQQ for Project Borealis indicates that the contract is active, with the MoD seeking potential suppliers to fulfill the contract. The value of Project Borealis range from £42m to £70m ($53.7m to £89.4m), although this is a benchmark that could be exceeded or be delivered under the initial budget, depending on the capability selected.
According to the MoD the required software developed for Project Borealis will “generate space domain awareness and space command and control, combining and coordinating both civilian and military capabilities to enable all space operations”.
In a contract notice published by the MoD in early December, Project Borealis would provide new command software to the UK Space Operations Centre at RAF High Wycombe, to collate, analyse, and assess space information in support of UK and allied forces, as well as coordinate operational space activities for the UK military.
The PQQ states that acquisition of the capabilities will be conducted through “agile development principles”, with industry invited to propose different methodologies as part of the tendering process.
UK defence space management develops
UK Space Command is sited at RAF High Wycombe and is increasingly being tasked over overseeing the operational development and use of space-based or related systems, providing a dedicated HQ service for the domain. This includes hardware such as the Skynet military satellite constellation, which supports UK forces.
(Source: airforce-technology.com)
14 Dec 23. UK, Japan, and Italy sign international stealth fighter jet programme treaty.
UK signs international Treaty with Japan and Italy for a future combat air programme that aims to develop an innovative stealth fighter with supersonic capability and equipped with cutting-edge technology.
- World-leading stealth future fighter aims to improve military capability, prosperity and strategic benefits for all three countries.
- UK-based headquarters will support hundreds of jobs, with initial leadership positions
for Japan and Italy.
- Project will support future Indo-Pacific stability and wider global security.
The UK has signed an international Treaty with Japan and Italy for a future combat air programme that aims to develop an innovative stealth fighter with supersonic capability and equipped with cutting-edge technology.
The treaty marks a key stage of the landmark Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) and the headquarters of the programme will be based in Britain.
This combat air aircraft, due to take to the skies by 2035, aims to harness next-generation technologies and become one of the world’s most advanced, interoperable, adaptable and connected fighter jets in service globally. The programme is expected to create highly-skilled jobs in the UK and in partner countries over the next decade and beyond.
The supersonic stealth jet will boast a powerful radar that can provide 10,000 times more data than current systems, giving a battle-winning advantage.
Within the UK, the effort is being led by BAE Systems, in close partnership with Rolls-Royce, Leonardo UK and MBDA UK – as well as hundreds of companies in the supply chain from across the country. Together, they are working closely with lead companies from Japan and Italy to progress the design and development of this aircraft.
Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps said: “Our world-leading combat aircraft programme aims to be crucial to global security and we continue to make hugely positive progress toward delivery of the new jets to our respective air forces in 2035.”
The UK-based headquarters will also see us make important decisions collaboratively and at pace, working with our close partners Italy and Japan, and our impressive defence industries, to deliver an outstanding aircraft.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps met with his Japanese and Italian counterparts, Minister Minoru Kihara and Minister Guido Crosetto, in Tokyo. The signing of the Treaty comes a year after the formal launch of GCAP and highlights the positive progress in the development of this next-generation fighter jet. The joint development phase of the programme is due to launch in 2025.
The treaty confirmed the UK will host the joint GCAP government headquarters, supporting hundreds of UK jobs and working with Japanese and Italian colleagues. The first CEO will come from Japan. The HQ will be responsible for delivering vital military capability, strengthening each country’s combat air industrial capability, and achieving value for money.
Supporting the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy, there are already around 3,000 people in major combat air hubs across the UK, including the south-west and north-west of England and Edinburgh, with almost 600 organisations on contract across the country, including SMEs and academic institutions.
In combat air, the MOD has spent £2 bn in the UK over the last 5 years on technology, creating skills and capabilities – with a further £600 m from industry – to ensure the UK is ready to drive this programme forward.
A crucial programme for the future of stability in the Euro Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and wider global security, GCAP is a strong example of the UK’s global leadership in developing next generation military capability to deter and defeat threats to the UK and our allies.
It is another demonstration of our commitment to Indo-Pacific security, following the deployment of the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group in 2021, with a further deployment coming in 2025, as well as the Navy maintaining a persistent presence in the region through HMS Spey and HMS Tamar.
Separately, a new joint business construct will be headquartered in the UK, with significant global presence. This industry counterpart of the Government organisation will oversee support and timely delivery of the programme, including the 2035 in-service date of the combat aircraft – known as Tempest in the UK. The first leader of the joint business construct will be from Italy.
This collaborative approach is indicative of the ground-breaking international programme.
GCAP will attract investment in research and development into digital design and advanced manufacture processes, providing opportunities for our next generation of highly skilled engineers and technicians.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
14 Dec 23. The national defence industry leaders on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) – Leonardo (Italy), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan) and BAE Systems (UK) – have warmly welcomed the signing of the Convention on the Establishment of the “Global Combat Air Programme – GCAP International Government Organisation (the GIGO)” by their respective governments.
Ministers from Italy, Japan and UK signed the treaty, which marks an important agreement in the shared design and delivery of a next generation fighter aircraft by 2035. The agreement, signed just 12 months since the formation of the GCAP programme, reinforces its momentum and the strong trilateral cooperation amongst the partners.
Discussions on the future joint industrial construct to deliver GCAP are continuing, with representatives from Leonardo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and BAE Systems meeting recently in Tokyo. In September this year, the industry partners announced a Collaboration Agreement to support ongoing discussions on long-term working arrangements and maturity of the concept and capability requirements for the next generation combat aircraft.
Herman Claesen, Managing Director, Future Combat Air Systems, BAE Systems’ Air sector, said: “We welcome the agreement signed by the governments of Italy, Japan and the UK today, and the continued progress with our industrial partners to advance the future joint business construct that will enable us to deliver the next generation combat aircraft. We’re proud to represent the UK on this exciting and forward-leaning partnership, which will deliver a crucial and affordable defence capability and help to maintain our sovereign combat air skills in the UK.”
Guglielmo Maviglia, Director GCAP programme, Leonardo, said: “We welcome the announcement made by our governments today and we are proud to be part of the GCAP programme along with our partners. GCAP, which will see the development of an innovative next generation core platform underpinned by advanced technology, is charting a transformational new approach to international industrial collaboration. Through its ambition, the programme will maintain the competitiveness of our industries at an international level.”
Hitoshi Shiraishi, Senior Fellow, GCAP, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, said: “We would like to very much welcome the signing of the treaty by the governments of Italy, the UK and Japan. In addition, following the conclusion of this treaty, we would like to work even more closely with our partners in Italy and the UK to promote GCAP. We will also work to ensure that GCAP contributes to strengthening Japan’s defence capabilities.”
Today’s GCAP announcement also confirmed the joint GCAP government headquarters will be hosted in the UK and the first CEO will come from Japan. In addition, the future business construct will also be headquartered in the UK and the first leader will be from Italy.
GCAP is a hugely significant programme for the security, political and economic prosperity for Italy, Japan and UK and through effective knowledge and technology transfer will help to evolve and deliver important sovereign combat air capability in each nation for generations to come. Today, there are around 9,000 people working on GCAP worldwide and more than 1,000 suppliers across the partner nations.
EUROPE
29 Nov 23. New capabilities to bolster European armed forces. Today, at the Steering Board of the European Defence Agency (EDA), the 27 EU Ministers of Defence approve the 2023 EU Capability Development Priorities. The document serves as a baseline for EU-wide defence planning, and all EU defence-related initiatives. The 22 priorities reflect the military realities observed in Ukraine; support EU defence objectives; and are designed to lead to concrete projects.
TO BE READY
Persistent underinvestment and insufficient European cooperation have created substantial defence capability gaps. The twenty-two priorities agreed today address the need for full-spectrum defence capabilities, enabling high-intensity operations. They include fourteen priorities across five military domains, and eight related to strategic enablers and multipliers.
Head of Agency and HR/VP, Josep Borrell said: “The newly adopted military Capability Development Priorities will provide us with an impactful and actionable framework that will guide defence planning and all EU defence initiatives. In line with the objectives of the Strategic Compass, the new priorities will allow our Member States and their armed forces to maintain freedom of action and be better prepared to respond to an ever-changing and increasingly deteriorating security environment. Now is time to translate these priorities into concrete defence cooperation projects to ensure more resilient, agile and robust European armed forces, ready to tackle present and future threats.”
The priorities – developed with an equal focus on short, medium, and long-term planning – emphasise harnessing cutting-edge capabilities and strengthening European armed forces. Moreover, they address current operational realities and being ready to face future threats and challenges. These priorities, among others, include:
- Land Based Precision Engagement: The range, precision, and mobility of land-based precision strike capabilities must be extended and enhanced, including in quantitative terms, with enhancements in large-calibre ammunition stockpiles, advanced anti-tank systems, versatile close fire support, and resilience against cyber threats.
- Integrated Air and Missile Defence: Encompasses all surface-based capabilities facing an airborne threat. Priorities in this area focus both on upgrading current air defence systems, and on developing next-generation systems with space-based early warning, and counter-Unmanned Air Systems capabilities.
- Underwater/Seabed Warfare: Enhancements in seabed warfare, underwater protection, and anti-submarine capabilities with advanced autonomous underwater vehicles, and surveillance systems.
- Sustainable and Agile Logistics: Incorporates capabilities to facilitate the projection, sustainment, and effectiveness of forces. Key areas include shared stocks and common warehousing, logistics footprint and strengthening maintenance requirements to deal with extreme weather conditions.
- Cohesive and Well-Trained Militaries: Centres on the development of professional military education, training, and ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment, and to operate in new military domains, such as space and cyber.
EDA Chief Executive, Jiří Šedivý said: “These priorities are a significant step in strengthening the EU’s capabilities, extending beyond traditional equipment and platforms to encompass a broader operational perspective. The 22 priorities also look to future threats over the medium- and long-term time horizon.”
LESSONS FROM UKRAINE LOOM LARGE
The 2023 EU CDP reaffirms the long-standing priorities and balance them with new ones arising from the profound shift in the EU’s strategic environment. The newly adopted set of priorities also reflect the objectives of the EU’s Strategic Compass and the military realities observed in Ukraine, including high-intensity requirements, and is therefore fully coherent with NATO.
Amongst the key lessons observed in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is the necessity for agile, mobile, interoperable, technologically advanced, energy efficient, and resilient full spectrum land forces. Moreover, the Ukraine context highlighted the importance of multilayer Integrated Air and Missile Defence, along with an appropriate rebalance between the qualitative and quantitative dimensions in many capability areas.
BASELINE FOR EU DEFENCE CAPABILTY DEVELOPMENT
Over the last 18 months, EU Member States worked together with EDA and the EU Military Staff, to assess and conceptualise the various dimensions of military capability requirements.
The agreed priorities will serve as the baseline for all EU defence related initiatives and instruments, such as the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the European Defence Fund (EDF) and any future EU defence supporting tools. In line with the Strategic Compass, this set of priorities shall also serve as a prime reference for national planning. In addition, they provide a valuable overview of the capability development landscape for the defence industry.
COOPERATION AND COHERENT IMPLEMENTATION
After today’s endorsement, the focus will be on the implementation of the new set of priorities.
- These priorities will be the driver for capability-led research and innovation activities, informing the research agenda and engagement with industry.
- EDA will steer the collaborative activities aimed at implementing these priorities, establishing a clear, correlation from priority to action.
- EDA will use the third CARD cycle and bilateral dialogues with each EU Member State as a forum to support implementation and possible cooperative capability development activities with others.
(Source: EDA)
15 Dec 23. Poland Awards Final Contract for $3.8bn Frigate Program. Pursuant to the annexed contract signed on July 27, 2021, the production ships — i.e. the second and third frigates — will be additionally equipped with sensors and effectors identical to those contracted for the first prototype vessel, thus allowing for the protection of the air and surface domains.
According to the provisions of the annex, the second and third frigates will be equipped with a 76mm OTO Melara Super Rapid Strales medium-caliber cannon, VLS Mk-41 missile launchers, the SeaCeptor CAMM missile system, SM400 series radars and NS50 series radars, as well as electronic and electronic warfare means. defense and self-other identification systems.
As a consequence, the contract, the value of which after signing all the annexes to date is approximately PLN 14.8 billion gross, will allow for the acquisition of all three Miecznik frigates within the assumed contractual deadlines, i.e. by 2031, including ships 2 and 3 retrofitted with sensors and effectors, identical to those contracted for the first frigate.
The final shape of the equipment of the production ships will result from the conclusions drawn from the tests carried out on the prototype unit No. 1.
In accordance with the contract, the MIECZNIK frigates will be equipped with an Integrated Mission System, including an integrated bridge and an integrated communication system, an integrated platform management system and a combat system, i.e. a combat management system, sensors and effectors including anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems.
Ultimately, all ships will have VLS Mk-41 vertical missile launchers and CAMM family missiles. Ship-launched missiles will allow engagement of surface and land targets. Artillery armament will include a 76 mm medium-caliber OTO Melara Super Rapid Strales cannon, two 35 mm OSU-35K cannons, remotely controlled weapon modules equipped with large-caliber machine guns and manually guided large-caliber machine guns. Torpedo armament will include two twin torpedo tubes.
The ships will have medium- and long-range multi-function radars, fire control radar and imaging means, as well as hull and towed sonars. They will also be equipped with electronic warfare and defense means.
In accordance with the choice of strategic partner previously made by the Polish Armed Forces, the proposal by the contractor PGZ-MIECZNIK Consortium, based on cooperation with strategic partners from Great Britain (Babcock International Group for the Arrowhead 140 frigates) and Thales UK which will deliver the TACTICOS Integrated Combat System (ZSW), was considered the most advantageous for the MIECZNIK project.
Based on this decision, the contractor developed the Preliminary Design of the ship for the selected solution and updated the Industrial Feasibility Study together with the Technical and Economic Analysis.
In accordance with the above result documents and in order to ensure the uniformity of the equipment used and to accelerate the construction of the second and third units, the contractor proposed the construction of the MIECZNIK frigates in the “cascade” variant, i.e. by acquiring ready-made elements that will not be subject to further modifications during the implementation of the project, which resulted in a combination of the design and development phase of the first unit and the delivery phase of the next two production ships.
The MIECZNIK frigates will increase the capabilities of the Polish Navy in the field of surveillance and control of sea areas, protection of naval bases, combating surface, underwater and land targets located in the coastal zone, as well as conducting maritime air defense, as part of the implementation of national and allied projects under the Pact North Atlantic.
Basic ship parameters:
— Total length – approx. 138 m,
— Maximum width – approx. 20 m,
— Height – approx. 10 m (1 deck),
— Maximum displacement (including additional equipment and plating) – approx. 7,000t.
— Range – approx. 8,000 nautical miles,
— Maximum speed – 28 knots,
— Propulsion – 4 diesel piston engines in the CODAD system, 2 adjustable screws,
— Crew – 120 people + approx. 60 additional personnel.
(Unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com) (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Polish Armament Agency; issued Dec. 15, 2023)
14 Dec 23. Two-Thirds of €100bn Special Fund Has Been Spent: German Defense Ministry. A Turning Point in Numbers: €47bn Invested. With the latest resolutions of the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag, the Ministry of Defense was able to initiate 55 procurement projects worth over €25m this year – more than ever before.
They have a total volume of almost 47bn euros, and more than half of these funds come from the Bundeswehr’s special funds.
The Russian war of aggression has shown that peace in Europe cannot be taken for granted. Since then, a challenge of this turning point has been to effectively support Ukraine in its defensive battle and at the same time strengthen the Bundeswehr’s capabilities for national and alliance defense. A feat of strength that also requires the necessary financing.
This was taken into account with the establishment of the Bundeswehr Special Fund – so important investments could be initiated in 2023.
2023 as the year of ‘25m euro templates’
Procurement projects that cost more than 25 m euros must first be submitted to Parliament for approval. With the latest resolutions of the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag, the Ministry of Defense has launched 55 of these 25-m-euro proposals this year – more than in any previous year.
Around two thirds of the special fund have already been contractually spent. Large procurement projects such as additional Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, additional Puma infantry fighting vehicles, Chinook heavy transport helicopters and the Arrow air defense system were initiated.
The 55 templates with a total volume of almost 47bn euros make a significant contribution to shaping the Turning Point. Twenty of these 55 projects, worth about 24bn euros, are financed from the Special Fund – i.e. more than half of the total funds released.
The money flows not only into classic armaments projects, but also into projects that are important for the technical readiness of the troops. The purchase of the Warnow shipyard and the upgrading of the infrastructure for the F-35 fighter jet are examples of such investments in logistics and infrastructure.
In addition, through measures to accelerate processes and a total of around 60,000 direct purchases for less than 5,000 euros each, a big step was taken in the right direction in the area of investments below the 25m euro limit.
Overall, this year made an important contribution to strengthening the Bundeswehr’s defense and alliance capabilities. (Unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com) (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ German Ministry of Defense; issued Dec. 14, 2023)
12 Dec 23. Safran Aero Boosters and BMT Aerospace Work Together on the Pratt & Whitney F135 Engine for the F35 Military Aircraft. Safran Aero Boosters, based in Belgium’s Walloon region, and the Flemish company BMT Aerospace will partner under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that Safran Aero Boosters signed with Pratt & Whitney on December 10, 2023. The signing took place at Lockheed Martin, manufacturer of the F35 aircraft, in Texas (USA), during the roll-out ceremony for the first Belgian F35, and was attended by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and a large Belgian delegation.
This MoU covers a Research and Technology project to produce engine structural parts using innovative processes. Industrial tools and expected commercial returns will be shared between Flanders and Wallonia.
Safran Aero Boosters has also signed a second MoU with Pratt & Whitney to develop a new manufacturing technology applicable to a family of components for the F135 engine, which will result in the setting up of a dedicated production line near Liège in Belgium.
“I’d like to thank the Ministry of Defense and the Walloon government for their ongoing support in building these long-term agreements with engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. We hope to bring to fruition these projects to obtain this bn-euro business in Belgium, with the resulting jobs and technological advances.” François Lepot, CEO of Safran Aero Boosters
This project, for which we are partnering with Safran Aero Boosters, represents a substantial volume of industrial return for Belgium’s purchase of the F35: we’re talking about 700m euros in business over the life of this highly promising program. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Safran)
USA
15 Dec 23. 5 companies in early running for Air Force’s CCA drone wingmen. Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and startup Anduril are in play to field the Air Force’s collaborative combat aircraft, Breaking Defense has learned.
Five companies are currently in the running in the Air Force’s effort to field collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) drone wingmen, Breaking Defense has learned.
Defense mainstays Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and startup Anduril are in the pool of vendors so far selected by the Air Force for an early stage of the CCA program, according to a source familiar with the process. A down select could eliminate some vendors by the summer, the source said.
It’s not clear how many companies could move forward after the downselect, when other vendors could join in, or what other firms are serving as subcontractors in the effort. Air Force acquisition chief Andrew Hunter has made clear that if bidders lose out in one competition, successive on-ramps will be available to them.
When contacted by Breaking Defense, all of the contractors either declined to comment or referred questions to the Air Force. An Air Force spokesperson told Breaking Defense that “several contractors continue to mature their air vehicle designs to field an operational CCA capability as quickly as possible” and that “multiple competitors will be involved for as long as possible” in the CCA program. The spokesperson declined to identify which companies are currently in the mix.
“The CCA acquisition strategy relies upon incremental development, continuous competition with multiple vendors, full-scale prototypes, and speed-to-ramp with available technologies to enable accelerated learning and fielding,” the spokesperson said. “The CCA program is currently on track to deliver in accordance with its acquisition strategy and commitments to the warfighter, but needs the requested FY24 [fiscal 2024] budget to remain on track.”
For CCA, the Air Force envisions a fleet of drones that can serve a range of functions like acting as missile trucks, conducting sensing missions, executing electronic attack or even drawing enemy fire. According to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, the service wants to start fielding CCA by fiscal 2028.
Kendall previously announced that the Air Force is seeking an initial tranche of 1,000 CCA and has since said that number could grow. The secretary has set a CCA cost goal of a quarter to a third the price tag of an F-35, whose A-model used by the Air Force has a flyaway cost of $82.5 million. The service’s recent budget request asked Congress for over half a billion dollars for CCA work in FY24 alone.
But the CCA program could lose “a year” of progress if Congress stalls too long on passing the FY24 budget, Kendall warned earlier this month at the Reagan National Defense Forum. At the forum, Kendall told Aviation Week that the Air Force awarded contracts for CCA work, and that the service found “a few places in ’23 where we could get some things started, or reorient some things in some cases.”
Asked about Kendall’s comments, the Air Force spokesperson said the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Skyborg program transitioned into CCA in FY23. Additionally, the spokesperson said the service “began the CCA program with FY23 funds” for efforts that are not new starts and that officials are utilizing current continuing resolution (CR) funding to “invest” in CCA.
However, the spokesperson said two CCA supporting efforts — an experimental operations unit and the Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model (VENOM) — “begin in FY24 as new starts,” meaning that Congress must pass the FY24 budget before those initiatives can kick off.
Though the Senate has not yet adjourned for the holidays, House lawmakers have been given the all-clear to return to their districts until early January. As a result, the Pentagon will almost certainly have to begin operating in the new year with a continuing resolution (CR) that cuts FY23 spending by one percent due to terms set by the debt ceiling deal reached earlier this year, a cut that could become permanent if Congress fails to pass a budget by the end of April 2024. The stopgap CR currently in effect runs through Feb. 2, where lawmakers could once again pass another CR for an undetermined period of time or approve a full budget. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
14 Dec 23. US special ops may be buying too many Armed Overwatch planes, says GAO. U.S. Special Operations Command should reconsider its plan to buy 75 Armed Overwatch aircraft, a government watchdog said Thursday.
The Government Accountability Office recommended the command slow down its acquisition of the AT-802U Sky Warden, its choice for Armed Overwatch program, beginning in fiscal 2025 until SOCOM carries out a more thorough analysis for the fleet.
Armed Overwatch is a program to field flexible, fixed-wing aircraft that Air Force Special Operations Command could deploy to austere locations. The effort would require a relatively small logistical tail.
SOCOM in 2022 selected the single-engine, two-person Sky Warden, made by L3Harris Technologies and Air Tractor, for the program and expects to spend $2.2 billion to buy the planes through FY29. The Sky Warden is intended to carry out close air support; precision strike; and armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions for counterterrorism operations and irregular warfare.
Air Force Special Operations Command considers Armed Overwatch useful to pressure violent extremist groups in areas such as Africa, where the airspace is essentially uncontested. The aircraft would take over missions now supported by the older and retiring U-28 Draco.
But the study SOCOM performed to decide it needed 75 Armed Overwatch planes “relied on unproven assumptions” and didn’t justify a fleet of that size, GAO said in its report, titled “Special Operations Forces: DOD Should Slow Acquisition of Armed Overwatch Aircraft Until It Conducts Needed Analysis.”
When GAO ran the numbers on the commond’s force structure ratios and operational need estimates, it came up with a “substantially smaller” fleet size, though the watchdog did not say by how many.
SOCOM’s studies also made assumptions about the Armed Overwatch aircraft that didn’t reflect its expected capabilities or how it would be employed in operations, GAO said.
The office said documents and discussions with SOCOM officials showed the command had already decided it needed between 70 and 75 Armed Overwatch planes in 2019, two years before it started the necessary force structure analyses.
SOCOM also didn’t consider how changes to its mission, such as the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and possible reductions in force structure would affect its need for an Armed Overwatch plane, GAO said.
SOCOM also did not factor in whether changes in the Armed Overwatch plane’s capabilities would affect how many it would need to buy, GAO said. The Sky Warden plane on which SOCOM ultimately settled is more capable than the airplane the command originally envisioned for Armed Overwatch, which “could significantly change” how many planes it actually needs, the report said.
GAO did not rule out the possibility that the intended fleet of 75 may be fewer than SOCOM needs, since the proper analysis has not been performed. The office recommended SOCOM conduct a more thorough study of what it needs for Armed Overwatch. Until that analysis is done, GAO said, the Pentagon should require the command to only buy the minimum number of Sky Wardens needed to maintain its production line and support operational test and evaluation beginning in 2025.
The Defense Department agreed with GAO’s first recommendation and said it would analyze the force structure needed for Armed Overwatch.
The department partially agreed with the recommendation to temporarily limit Armed Overwatch acquisition, but said SOCOM will also consider whether it has enough aircraft to train the first cadre of aircrew to fly the Sky Warden and set up a training pipeline.
GAO said it agrees that training aircrews is an important part of setting up Armed Overwatch, but buying the right number of planes is important for SOCOM to set up its training plans and use personnel most efficiently.
SOCOM bought 16 Sky Wardens as of October 2023, and expects that number to rise to 28 aircraft by April 2024.
(Source: C4ISR & Networks)
13 Dec 23. Pentagon eyes successor to Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract. One year after awarding the multibn-dollar Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract, designed to centralize the military’s vast data-management needs, the U.S. Department of Defense will begin exploring a successor early in 2024.
The department tapped Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle to supply digital services for the JWCC, itself the follow-up to the failed Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure venture, or JEDI, in December 2022 in an award worth as much as $9 bn over three to five years. The companies are in competition with one another for task orders, and each is only guaranteed $100,000.
Dozens of orders totaling hundreds of ms of dollars have already been logged using JWCC. The arrangement spans unclassified, classified and top-secret designations and is meant to connect far-flung front lines with established headquarters.
“When we announced JWCC, it was a three-year base with two option years, and we’re already in the one-year base of this,” Chief Information Officer John Sherman said Dec. 13 at the DODIIS Worldwide Conference in Portland, Oregon. “We said all along, in ‘24, in that timeframe, we’re going to start looking at what comes next.”
Sherman provided no timeline for what the Defense Department has previously advertised as full and open multi-cloud and multi-vendor competition. He did say, though, the Defense Information Systems Agency will play a key role in “JWCC 2.0.” DISA is the department’s de facto information technology authority.
“We are firmly committed to mutli-cloud, multi-vendor, and this is what we’re going to be doing moving forward,” Sherman said. “Watch this space. More to follow.”
The JWCC is considered the backbone of the Defense Department’s Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control initiative, or CJADC2, in which forces and their databases across land, air, sea, space and cyber are interlinked.
Cloud is increasingly seen as a means to get the right data to the right people at the right time — the tenet of CJADC2. Sherman earlier this year instructed defense agencies, military services and other offices to prioritize JWCC, especially when cutting deals concerning the nation’s most sensitive information.
“The JWCC is not a cloud management or hosting environment,” he said in a memo made public in August, “but rather a key vehicle in the department’s technology arsenal for the acquisition of services for current and future DoD component managed and controlled cloud environments.”
Sherman’s directions for JWCC employment included carve outs for the National Reconnaissance Office, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. They rely on the intelligence community’s Commercial Cloud Enterprise, or C2E, which was awarded in 2020. It features the same vendors as JWCC, plus IBM. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
13 Dec 23. Earth-mapping agency seeks more commercial imagery, data suppliers. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, or NGA, will seek to procure unclassified data services from multiple companies in an effort known as Luno A, according to its director.
The contracting push is meant to meet “the increasing demands for commercial GEOINT,” or geospatial intelligence such as images and data collected by Earth-facing satellites, Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth said Dec. 12 at the DODIIS Worldwide Conference in Portland, Oregon.
The NGA analyzes imagery, maps the Earth for military purposes and handles portions of Project Maven, launched by the Pentagon in 2017 to detect targets of interest in footage captured by uncrewed systems. The project has since become a program of record at the agency.
A request for proposals is expected next month. A draft published in late October described Luno A as transformative to the agency’s methods. It also emphasized NGA isn’t seeking additional technology to install and manage on classified networks.
“The goal is to enable NGA to do two things: Acquire commercial GEOINT object detections and leverage industry analytics and automation in areas of national security interest, of course,” Whitworth said.
Whitworth on Tuesday said the value of Luno A contracts would be “significant” but declined to give an exact dollar figure.
Overhead imagery is a resource of growing importance, with governments and expert organizations relying on it to monitor neighbors and affairs farther afield. Such photos and analysis were used to expose Russia’s materiel buildup ahead of its invasion of Ukraine last year. More recently, photos and video have shown the destruction wrought by the Israel-Hamas war.
The NGA is the intelligence community’s lead organization for analyzing imagery and turning it into usable information. The agency relies on what’s called the National System for Geospatial Intelligence, or NSG, to distribute nearly a petabyte of data around the globe each day.
(Source: C4ISR & Networks)
13 Dec 23. Cuashub.com said today that USAF seeks Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) defense against UAS. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL/RI) is actively engaged in market research to gather insights from the industry regarding the current research and development (R&D) landscape of Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) solutions. The focus is on exploring available technologies aimed at countering various Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). These EMP solutions may be ground-based or aerial, offering effective mitigation capabilities against Department of Defense (DoD) UAS groups 1, 2, and smaller group 3 aircraft.
Any EMP solutions hosted on air vehicles will have to be determined to be air-worthy by the Government. DoD must comply with the following general restrictions on UAS:
- The air vehicle must be based on or derived from U.S. components and electronics
- The air vehicle must have sufficient flight hours and reliability data
Original Published Date: December 7, 2023, at 3:12 p.m. EST
Original Response Date: January 5, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. EST
For additional information on this Request for Information (RFI), please visit- Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Defense Against Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) on sam.gov
https://cuashub.com/content/usaf-seeks-electromagnetic-pulse-emp-defense-against-uas/ (Source: https://cuashub.com/)
13 Dec 23. Newest F-35s stalled by slow production of key parts. Lockheed Martin has finished building fewer than half of the upgraded F-35 Joint Strike Fighters it promised this year, as slow production of key parts are holding up multiple new jets, the Pentagon’s top officer in charge of the program told lawmakers Tuesday.
Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt, the F-35′s program executive officer, said at a House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee hearing Lockheed Martin is under contract to deliver 52 jets enabled with improvements known as Technology Refresh 3 by the end of this year. The company has finished construction on 21 of those.
But production on a handful of key components needed for the TR-3 hardware has ramped up slower than expected, Schmidt said, and the rest of the newest jets are still sitting at Lockheed Martin’s factory in Fort Worth, Texas, waiting for those parts. Schmidt declined to describe these parts to reporters after the hearing.
“The hardware is good,” Schmidt told reporters after the hearing. “It’s the rate at which they’re producing them to meet our production and retrofit needs. It is literally a small number of components, but I need all the components.”
TR-3 upgrades include hardware and software improvements to the F-35, such as better displays, computer memory, and processing power. They are needed for a more expansive upgrade called Block 4, which will improve the F-35′s weapons capacity, target recognition, and electronic warfare, among other features.
The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin sought to have TR-3 ready by April 2023. That date has now slipped considerably, largely because of persistent software and integration issues. Schmidt said Tuesday TR-3 might be done by mid-spring, though he was not confident in that deadline. The government and Lockheed Martin said previously it could be as late as next June.
The government is not accepting the newly built F-35s, because the military has not been able to carry out the test flights necessary to make sure they work properly.
Subcommittee chairman Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., said in the hearing that while the F-35 is a “technological marvel,” its repeated delays in fielding capabilities are disturbing.
Schmidt said part of the problem has been with underperforming labs the program has used to try to test TR-3, and that the program is trying to create more capacity in its labs to handle the greater capabilities intended for the F-35.
“Our labs are not properly representing the flight environment, and there’s way too much discovery happening in flight test,” Schmidt said.
He told reporters Lockheed “is paying a significant price” for its inability to meet its contractual requirements on the TR-3 jets, though he would not detail these penalties.
“Lockheed is very much incentivized to deliver,” he said.
Lockheed Martin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
REST OF THE WORLD
13 Dec 23. WA government signs memorandum of understanding with Babcock Australasia. The West Australian government has signed a memorandum of understanding with United Kingdom defence company Babcock Australasia to bolster defence industry expansion, training and workforce development.
The subsidiary of British aerospace, defence and nuclear company Babcock International will coordinate with the local government to create high-paying, skilled jobs at the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson, as well as at HMAS Stirling on Garden Island.
The memorandum of understanding will focus on industry development alongside workforce training and upskilling, according to a statement published by Defence Industry Minister Paul Papalia and Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk on 13 December.
“The Western Australian government continues to show its support and investment in the defence industry with this latest memorandum of understanding,” Minister Papalia said.
“Babcock is a major player on the world stage when it comes to maintaining nuclear submarines.
“I am confident this MOU will help place Western Australia at the forefront of the latest developments in the maritime defence industry.”
Babcock already employs more than 26,000 people internationally, with 1,700 in Australia and New Zealand, including 250 in Western Australia. The company sustains the entirety of the UK’s submarine fleet and supports the Royal Navy’s Continuous At Sea Deterrent.
Babcock also manages infrastructure at two of the UK’s three nuclear bases, HM Naval Base Devonport and HM Naval Base Clyde. It currently provides in-service support and maintenance of Australia’s Collins Class submarine fleet at Henderson and at Osborne in South Australia, as well as providing the continued sustainment of the Australian Anzac Class frigates under the Warship Asset Management Agreement.
Babcock has also recently started work as the Regional Maintenance Provider West, managing the sustainment of the Royal Australian Navy ships at Henderson.
The company’s work in Western Australia is delivered through the support of 500 small and medium enterprises, and this signing will provide opportunities for even more Western Australia-based SMEs to become part of Babcock’s international supply chain.
The state has supported the growth of the defence industry through grant programs, development of infrastructure at the AMC, and active promotion of the West Australian defence industry capability globally.
“The Cook government’s memorandum of understanding with Babcock allows more certainty and opportunity for Western Australians eager to explore a diverse career in the state’s defence industry,” Minister McGurk said.
“Babcock is a top-tier submarine defence company with a global reputation and expertise across the nuclear submarine life cycle.
“This deal will help our government create highly paid, professionally trained jobs to assist with the AUKUS partnership.” (Source: Defence Connect)
13 Dec 23. Philippines Makes Payments on Brahmos Missile, P-72 Maritime Patrol Aircraft and C-130J. DBM Releases P5.6-B Third Payment for Brahmos Missile System. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released the third milestone payment worth PHP 5.67bn (approx. $101m–Ed.) for the Philippine Navy’s (PN) acquisition of the Indian-made BrahMos cruise missile system.
The amount was included under the DBM’s Special Allotment Release Order (SARO)-BMB-D-23-0026645 worth PHP11.390bn on Dec. 11, based on the DBM’s latest SARO list as of Wednesday.
The total amount also covers the second milestone payments of the Additional Air Transport Capability Acquisition Project (C130J) and Long-Range Patrol Aircraft of the Philippine Air Force worth PHP3.330 bn and PHP2.390bn respectively, under the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program (RAFPMP).
BrahMos has been selected for the Navy’s Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile System (SBASMS) which is under the RAFPMP.
This weapon platform is expected to address the country’s military’s weaknesses and vulnerability in sea control, anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD), and coastal and island defense operations.
The first two SAROs for the BrahMos worth PHP1.3 bn and PHP1.535 bn were issued on Dec. 27, 2021. The BrahMos contract is worth PHP18.9 bn.
Former DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and BrahMos Aerospace director general Atul Dinkar Rane signed the contract for the BrahMos missile system in a virtual ceremony at defense headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City in January 2022. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Philippine News Agency)
11 Dec 23. ASCA on lookout for industry partners. The Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator has announced it is looking for industry and research partners to co-design projects under ASCA’s first “mission”, focused on the degradation of enemy air defence systems and enhanced data processing. The Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) has called for input from industry on ASCA’s “first mission” today (11 December).
As part of the announcement, Defence has called for solutions, skills and capability needs from industry to address two core priority areas, including long-range strike operations and data processing.
Defence has outlined these inputs will then be used to invite respondents to co-design the first mission. Industry has been invited to submit interest through AusTender.
According to a statement released by Defence, the first two problem statements in ASCA’s first mission are:
- How might we degrade and infiltrate advanced integrated air defence systems so that Defence can conduct effective long-range strike operations, taking into account the speed and scale required to operate in congested and contested environments that are faster than a potential adversary’s ability to react?
- How might we improve the processing and synthesis of large amounts of intelligence data to support the planning and apportionment of platforms, taking into account different classification levels of data, systems and allies data systems?
ASCA was created following a recommendation within the Defence Strategic Review and is supported by a $748m investment over the next four years. This is expected to grow to $3.4bn over the next decade.
“Australia’s strategic environment, made more uncertain by rapid technological development, demands a transformation of the defence innovation system to provide vital capabilities for the ADF,” Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said.
“Today’s call for submissions by ASCA shows the Albanese government is making good on its promise to unlock and ignite innovation and deliver the capabilities our ADF personnel need to do their job in defence of the Australian people. (Source: Defence Connect)
10 Dec 23. Australia Tries to Get Troubled Arafura OPV Program Back on Track. Offshore Patrol Vessel Projects of Concern Summit Held in Canberra. [Australian] Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Pat Conroy MP, Luerssen Australia’s Chairman, Mr Tim Wagner and senior Defence and Luerssen Australia officials met today at a Projects of Concern Summit in Canberra to discuss the SEA 1180 Phase 1 – Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) project.
The OPV project was listed as a Project of Concern in October this year, with the project experiencing delays in delivery of both the vessels and the associated support system.
Schedule delays with the project first emerged in 2021.
Defence and Luerssen Australia recommitted to working collaboratively to resolve the significant challenges experienced with the delivery schedule for the OPV capability.
The Project of Concern process is a proven way to remediate challenging projects through ministerial oversight and bringing Defence and industry together for constructive discussions.
Minister Pat Conroy said: “I thank company representatives and Defence officials for their work today in discussing the Arafura-class offshore patrol vessel project. Top-level focus is essential to ensure we are doing all we can to remediate areas of deficiency.
“Defence and our industry partner Luerssen Australia have committed to jointly address the significant schedule delays facing this project. Defence looks forward to working collaboratively with Luerssen Australia to get the project back on track.
“Today’s Summit has provided the leadership, commitment and oversight that is needed to work towards remediating this project.”
(Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Australian Department of Defence)
11 Dec 23. Australian steel for Australian SSN-AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines. Australian-made steel will be used in the construction of Australia’s conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarines built at Osborne Naval Shipyard, South Australia, subject to a comprehensive qualification process.
The Australian Submarine Agency has signed a $15m contract with Australian steel manufacturer, Bisalloy Steels, for the qualification of Australian steel for use on Australia’s future SSN-AUKUS submarines.
The comprehensive qualification process, involving more than 4,500 tests, is expected to be completed in the first half of 2025.
Bisalloy Steels will perform the advanced heat treatment process on the raw plate steel to produce high-grade submarine pressure hull steel that meets or exceeds both UK and US standards. The raw plate steel will be supplied by another Australian company, BlueScope.
Under a similar arrangement, Australian steel was used in the construction of the six Collins-class submarines with heat treatment and welding techniques developed or validated by DSTG.
“The qualification of Australian steel is an important step in the Australian Government’s strategy for acquiring state-of-the-art conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines,” said Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy.
“The strength and quality of Australian steel will keep Australian submariners safe in the SSN-AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines for decades to come, just as it does today on our Collins Class submarines.”
The qualification of the steel to both the UK and US standards will increase the resilience of the AUKUS trilateral supply chain. Not only will the steel produced under this contract be used for qualification purposes, it will also be used to develop the necessary welding procedures, and used in early production demonstration activities occurring ahead of the commencement of construction of Australia’s first SSN-AUKUS submarine later this decade. (Source: https://www.ex2.com.au/news/)
11 Dec 23. US Congress set to approve AUKUS submarine deal. The US Congress is expected to approve as early as this week this week the transfer of at least two US Navy Virginia-class submarines to the Royal Australian Navy under Pillar 1 of the tripartite AUKUS agreement.
Approval of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), along with the crucial H.R 4619 AUKUS Submarine Transfer Authorization Act, will see US submarine production rates rise to cover the transfer, will see the Australian government invest US$3 bn in US submarine manufacturing capacity, and will provide an exemption for Australia and the UK from the US State Department’s cumbersome and restrictive ITAR (International Transfer in Arms Regulations) regime so long as both countries develop similar bodies of law to protect US technology.
Under H.R. 4619 the two (at least) Virginia-class submarines will be transferred to Australia within 15 years of the bill becoming law whilst authorising cash contributions from the government of Australia to support the US submarine industrial base.
The same bill would authorise the export of defence services to the governments of Australia and the UK, as well as to approved private sector organisations under the US Arms Export Control Act (AECA). This will enable both the transfer to Australia of US reactor technology under Pillar 1 of AUKUS and the joint research and procurement of advanced capabilities such as Quantum technologies and electronic warfare under Pillar 2. (Source: https://www.ex2.com.au/news/)
12 Dec 23. Canada’s AOPS: Arctic patrol programme enters final stretch.
The launch of the fifth vessel in a class of six will add significantly to Canadian Navy’s ability to patrol Arctic waters due to the ship’s design.
The launch of the fifth of a planned six Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) in early December marked the latest milestone of a programme intended to provide a boost to Canadian shipbuilding as well as improve Arctic capabilities.
Taking place on 9 December 2023, the launch of the future HMCS Frédérick Rolette took place at the Halifax Shipyard in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was performed two months ahead of schedule, according to ship manufacturer Irving Shipbuilding. The 103 metre (m) long vessel was loaded onto a to a submersible barge on 8 December and launched in the Bedford Basin the following day.
Outfitting and other work will continue pier side at Halifax in preparation for sea trials and handover to the RCN in September 2024.
Inside Halifax Shipyard’s facilities, the Royal Canadian Navy’s sixth and final AOPS, the future HMCS Robert Hampton Gray, and the first AOPS variant for the Canadian Coast Guard were also under construction.
The build is part of a national programme to deliver six AOPS for the Royal Canadian Navy, two AOPS for the Canadian Coast Guard, and 15 Canadian Surface Combatant ships for the Royal Canadian Navy as part of the country’s national shipbuilding strategy.
According to the Canadian Government, the sixth and final RCN AOPS will be delivered in 2025, with Ships 7 and 8, intended for the Coast Guard, following in 2026 and 2027 respectively.
AOPS: designed specifically for the Arctic
In 2015 the Canadian Government and Irving Shipbuilding signed a $2.3bn contract for the construction of six AOPS, as part of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS), to be built by prime contractor Irving Shipbuilding at its Halifax Shipyard.
The hull of the Harry DeWolf class is designed to meet the International Association of Classification Societies Polar Class 5+ requirements to enable Arctic operations.
The vessels are lightly armed and relatively slow at under 20 knots, however, their role is intended to provide maritime security and Canadian presence in the Arctic region, where open-water sprint speeds are not as critical as having ice-capable platforms. By design, the vessels are able to operate through sea ice up to 1m thick. (Source: naval-technology.com)
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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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