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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
02 Feb 24. Smarter maintenance for Navy Fleet under £1.85bn contract.
UK security will be boosted through a vast new contract – worth nearly £2bn – that will ensure the long-term availability and resilience of critical naval assets.
- £1.85bn contract to sustain world-class leading sonar and sensors for Royal Navy ships and submarines
- Defence Secretary announces 450 UK jobs to be created or sustained across the UK
- AI and data management to analyse availability and reduce repair times and increase ship availability
UK security will be boosted through a vast new contract – worth nearly £2 billion – that will ensure the long-term availability and resilience of critical assets used by Royal Navy ships and submarines over the next 15 years.
Announced by Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, on his first visit to His Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport, the Maritime Sensor Enhancement Team (MSET) contract with Thales UK will aim to provide full availability of the equipment that is the eyes and ears of the Royal Navy.
Utilising data technology, including AI and virtual reality to be more proactive and predictive maintenance systems, the contract will see the Royal Navy maximise the days they are ready to deploy.
The contract will support sonar – our ability to hear underneath the water – masts, periscopes and also electronic warfare equipment that enable the Royal Navy to detect and target potential threats. Crucially, by increasing the longevity of our sensor and sonar capability, it will significantly increase equipment availability which is critical for the Continuous at Sea Deterrent (CASD) and wider ship and submarine capabilities.
Touring the naval base and speaking with Royal Navy sailors and civilian staff, Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, thanked the workforce for the incredibly important role they play in maintaining UK security, particularly at a time of heightened global tensions.
Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps said: “In a time of global instability, it is imperative we minimise the time our ships and submarines are out for maintenance. This is another partnership with Thales UK and our outstanding UK defence sector that not only boosts national security but provides a boost to local communities and helps fuel economic growth.
Devonport Naval Base is an incredibly impressive facility with staff who play a role of such magnitude it cannot be underestimated.”
Around 300 UK jobs from a previous Thales UK support contract will be sustained and a further 150 STEM jobs, including highly skilled engineering roles and apprenticeships, will be created across Devonport, Faslane, Glasgow, Portsmouth, Cheadle, Crawley and Bristol. This contract also safeguards jobs from across an extensive UK supply chain.
The contract, awarded by Defence Equipment & Support – the MOD’s procurement arm – will improve the facilities at HMNB Devonport, Faslane, Portsmouth and Bahrain and deliver advanced test and repair capabilities. This enhanced waterfront presence will allow equipment to be triaged at source, thereby enabling rapid improvements in fault diagnosis, thereby reducing repair times.
The Defence Secretary’s visit to HMNB Devonport follows a £750m funding boost to the naval base, announced in November 2023, that will significantly improve the infrastructure. Creating around 1,000 construction roles, the work will also support maintenance of existing and future submarines, and enhance the dockyard’s ability to deliver major defence projects.
The Southwest recently became the country’s Marine and Maritime Launchpad, recognising its leadership in the sector. The area will receive an additional £7.5 million in funding to support outstanding innovation projects within maritime. The shipbuilding enterprise directly supports over 43,000 jobs across the country, with over 19,000 employed in the Southwest alone.
Alex Cresswell, Chairman and CEO of Thales in the UK, said: “Thales is delighted to strengthen our century long partnership with the Royal Navy, and support its vital role in defending the UK and keeping the world’s critical sea lanes open. This £1.8bn contract with Thales will help keep more Royal Navy ships at sea for longer, by harnessing the latest developments in artificial intelligence, data analysis and improved dockland facilities.”
Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Martin Connell said: “The warships and submarines of the Royal Navy rely on the latest cutting-edge sensors and sonars to give us a key warfighting edge. The new contract is a significant commitment from the MoD and Thales-UK to improving the availability of our equipment, maximising its effectiveness and enabling the Royal Navy to operate with confidence. This significant investment in our ship and submarine sensors will ensure our equipment is at the cutting edge of technology.
Vice Admiral Paul Marshall, Director General Ships, DE&S said: “I am delighted that we have been able to secure a 15-year contract with Thales UK that will ensure the long-term support for major sonar, mast, periscope and electronic warfare equipment that are critical for Ship and Submarine capabilities.
Achieving this notable milestone is testament to the tremendous effort from all involved, both DE&S and Thales, where there has been determined focus on establishing long-term efficiencies and improvements that are vital to improving overall equipment availability.
Senior Responsible Owner for Naval Support Integrated Global Network Program, Graeme Little, said: “The signing of the contract is a significant milestone for the Support of Sonars and Sensors across the Royal Navy, I am delighted that we have put in place a contract focussed on a Value for Money solution that will drive availability and resilience into these critical capabilities and improve the Lived Experience of Royal Navy Engineers.” (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
02 Feb 24. Thales Wins £1.8bn Royal Navy MSET Availability Contract. The UK Ministry of Defence has today announced a new £1.8bn, 15 years contract with Thales to improve Royal Navy (RN) ship availability and resilience.
- The new contract is in response to the increasing need for Royal Navy platforms to be on active duty for longer periods because of increasing global instability.
- £1.8bn, 15 years contract, 1st January 2024 start.
- Significant investment in infrastructure and cutting-edge technological innovation includes investment at the waterfront facilities, in digital systems and new support. Further information available on request.
- The new contract will protect 300 current staff and create an additional 150 roles spread around the country including Glasgow – 104, Crawley – 46, Templecombe / Cheadle – 300
- Ships and submarines covered by the contract – T23, T45, Sandown, Hunts, A, V and T Class Submarines.
- The contract will support 18 equipment types and approximately 10,000 Line Replaceable Units.Once the enhanced MSET service is established, similar levels of service and availability will be available for the new platforms using Thales sensors and systems coming into service, such as the Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) programme, Type 26, Type 31 and Dreadnought. They would also benefit from the enhanced waterfront premises.
The contract, Maritime Sensor Enhancement Team (MSET), will sharpen the focus on equipment availability, predicting problems – through AI innovations and data management – rather than reacting when they emerge.
The contract will support over 450 highly skilled, UK-based, engineering, IT and supports jobs as well as many hundreds of apprenticeship and training opportunities all across the UK.
During the life of the MSET contract, the Royal Navy will undergo a significant transition including the introduction of the new Type 26, Type 31 and Dreadnought platforms, as well as autonomous systems.
MSET, a scalable service model, will provide greater stability and breadth in the level of support delivered to the Royal Navy during this complex transition period. By investing in new dockland facilities, AI, data analysis tools, and skills, this will deliver greater resilience for the RN platforms.
Over the life of the contract, it will deliver an average reduction in Turn Around Times of 100 days per repair, spares lead times will be reduced by an average of 44 days and reliability improved by 10%.
Data Driven Decision making will enable MSET to see beyond the current support horizons and with the increased investment in emerging technologies, including AI, virtual reality and Big Data, create a more proactive and predictive maintenance regime.
Investments will include improving facilities at HMNB Devonport, Faslane, Portsmouth and Bahrain to deliver an advanced test and repair capability, allowing specialist technical and engineering skills at the waterfront to provide direct support to the RN.
It will create 450 high skilled jobs all across the UK and support the training 100s of apprentices in much needed engineering skills in numerous local communities, with a further threefold increase in supply chain spend, supporting approximately 1,200 additional staff.
“Thales is delighted to strengthen our century long partnership with the Royal Navy, and support its vital role in defending the UK and keeping the worlds critical sea lanes open. This £1.8bn contract with Thales will help keep more Royal Navy ships at sea for longer, by harnessing the latest developments in artificial intelligence, data analysis and improved dockland facilities. Data Driven decision making enables MSET to go beyond the current support horizons and make a substantial improvement in the availability and resilience of the Royal Navy whist preparing for AUKUS, the landmark security and defence partnership between Australia, US and UK. This will be the third generation of Thales apprentices, engineers and support staff helping to keep the Royal Navy at sea in an increasingly unstable world.” Alex Cresswell, Chairman and CEO of Thales in the UK.
31 Jan 24. New DASA Competition launched to enhance the detection of trace explosives.
Do you have an innovative idea to enhance the detection of trace explosives using novel, lightweight, bioassay systems?
- DASA has launched a new Themed Competition called Small, Lightweight, Trace Explosives Detector
- This competition is jointly funded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the US Department of Defense (DoD)
- Up to £600,000 (ex VAT) of funding is available for innovative proposals for the development of novel, lightweight, bioassay systems for the detection of trace explosives
The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is pleased to launch a new Themed Competition called ‘Small, Lightweight, Trace Explosives Detector’. This competition is jointly funded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the US Department of Defense (DoD) and seeks proposals for the development of novel, lightweight, bioassay systems for the detection of trace explosives to benefit end-users working in UK and US Defence and Security.
Trace detection systems allow end-users to detect and identify non-visible (trace) levels of materials from surfaces and/or items relating to Defence and Security, e.g. resulting from a suspected improvised explosive device. Current trace detection equipment, such as systems used in airports, have a significant size, weight and power (SWaP) footprint. In addition, pocket-sized systems such as chemical test kits that are used for presumptive identification have much lower SWaP, but do not perform as well as the larger systems.
Detection systems that use biological assays have low SWaP and can be used in some applications for sensing molecular explosives, however to date they have not been optimised for trace detection of explosives. Biological Assay in this context refers to the use of biologically derived or biologically inspired reagents or methods that can be used to identify and/or detect a chemical. In this case the assay would be used to achieve detection of trace / sub-visible quantities of molecular explosive targets collected from a surface.
The primary aim of this competition is to develop innovative platforms for the trace detection of explosives using biologically derived detection strategies. We are looking for innovative solutions that will incorporate modern sampling and reader formats into a platform that is capable of the trace detection of initially three explosive materials with the potential for future iterations of the platform to detect up to 10 explosives and / or other small molecule threats.
Key dates and funding
- The total possible funding available for this themed competition is £600,000, we expect to fund two proposals of up to £300,000 each or one outstanding proposal up to £600,000
- The deadline to submit a proposal is midday (BST) on Tuesday 9 April 2024
- A Q&A webinar to discuss the competition requirements will take place on Thursday 8 February 2024
- A series of fifteen minute 1-2-1 webinar sessions will take place on Thursday 15 February and Tuesday 20 February 2024 and provide the opportunity to ask specific questions
Do you have an innovative proposal for the development of a novel, lightweight bioassay system that could enhance the detection of trace explosives? Read the full competition document and submit a proposal.
Webinars and online events
Launch Q&A Webinar: 8 February 2024, 3pm (GMT)
This webinar will provide more information on the challenge areas and how to submit a proposal. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions in the Q&A.
Register now on the Eventbrite Page: Small, lightweight trace explosives detector Launch Webinar Tickets, Thu 8 Feb 2024 at 15:00 | Eventbrite
1-2-1 Sessions: 15 February 2024 & 20 February 2024
A series of 20 minute one-to-one teleconference sessions, giving you the opportunity to ask specific questions.
Register for a session now on the Eventbrite Pages:
15 February 2024
20 February 2024
Small, lightweight trace explosives detector Launch Webinar Tickets, Thu 8 Feb 2024 at 15:00 | Eventbrite
Submit a proposal: Competition: Small, Lightweight Trace Explosives Detector – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Do you have an innovative proposal for the development of a novel, lightweight, bioassay system that could enhance the detection of trace explosives? (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
31 Jan 24. British Army mulls procurement of interim SHORAD system. The British Army is considering the procurement of a new mobile short-range air defence (SHORAD) system to replace its Stormer-based self-propelled high-velocity missile (SP-HVM) system, Janes learnt at Defence iQ’s International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2024 conference held in London from 22 to 25 January. While Janes understands that a business case for the procurement has not yet been approved and that its primary justification would be to fill the gap left by the donation of Stormer systems to Ukraine, the material presented at the IAV conference implies that the new system could take over the mobile SHORAD role once the Stormer reaches its planned out-of-service date in 2026.
BATTLESPACE Comment: Jon Hawkes reported on ‘X’ that the MoD is looking at an interim buy of Spanish VAMTAC vehicles equipped with the Thales Rapid Ranger missile. RapidRanger is a unique lightweight, vehicle based, highly automated system capable of delivering a rapid reaction response to threats from the air or the ground. RapidRanger can be integrated into a network enabled force structure and be coordinated with Early Warning Command and Control (C2) systems, or it can operate in an autonomous mode for specific missions.
When using the StarStreak missile with its extremely fast time of flight, a variety of threats can be defeated from head on or fast crossing aerial targets, to targets such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and helicopters.
When used with the LMM a capability is provided to defeat surface targets such as Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs), trucks and fixed installations and aerial targets such as UAVs. Both missiles utilise the Thales laser beam riding guidance system.
With the increasing need for Force Protection against conventional and asymmetric threats, RapidRanger provides the multi-mission effects demanded by modern forces. The system weighs less than 500 kg, and being of modular design, can be fitted to many types of wheeled or tracked vehicles. The RapidRanger open architecture enables the integration of a range of missiles from the highly effective StarStreak Air Defence Missile to anti-armour missiles and rockets.
The RapidRanger is designed to include an integral 360° surveillance sensor – either a passive Infra Red Search and Track (IRST) or integrated Surveillance and Track Radar which provides the RapidRanger with completely autonomous system operation.
30 Jan 24. Dstl launches £42.5m advanced materials Centre of Excellence.
New defence materials developed for extreme environments
£42.5m partnership formed with industry and academia
Defence scientists to lead pioneering research
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has set up a £42.5m research partnership to develop ground-breaking new materials.
The Defence Materials Centre of Excellence (DMEx) will bring together world-leading UK experts in a national effort to accelerate advances in defence material technology for extreme physical environments.
The DMEx will research, create, and prototype new materials for the armed forces that can survive in the harshest conditions such as temperatures of 1,000 °C, polar to tropical operations, high impact vibrations, shock, blasts and extreme water depth.
Advanced materials are vital to keeping the UK safe – ranging from body armour for our personnel, to the protection of sensitive electronics in satellites from radiation damage and corrosion-resistant submarine components.
The Henry Royce Institute for advanced materials, which operates its hub at the University of Manchester, will lead the centre of excellence with 23 other partners from academia, industry, and research organisations such as the Catapult Network.
Defence Minister James Cartlidge said: “These exciting new materials not only fortify the safety of our personnel and assets, but also symbolise our creativity and innovation in the face of defence challenges.
“The research and creation of these materials will secure highly skilled jobs and expertise across the country and cements the UK’s place as a global leader in advanced materials.”
Dstl Chief Executive Dr Paul Hollinshead OBE MBA said: “Advanced materials are the building blocks of the future and an area of great international competition. Today we are putting the UK on path to maintain its strategic advantage by harnessing all the nation’s talents.
“This highly-collaborative partnership between Dstl, academia and industry will create operational advantage for our armed forces, while supporting UK growth and prosperity.”
Defence research not only contributes directly to the prosperity of the UK but it also has a strong track record in developing innovations that have dual-use for the benefit of civilian applications. Funding in the Centre will also help us grow the vital skills we need to strengthen the skills base of the UK in this important technology area.
A study commissioned by the UK Government showed advanced materials related activity contributes an estimated £14.4bn in gross value add to the UK economy, equivalent to around £72k per employee.
The Centre is set to open later this year.
Centre Associate Director Laura Jones said: “This is a major milestone for Dstl and wider defence to explore and accelerate advanced materials innovation in the UK to help us stay ahead of future threats and challenges.”
Dstl and Centre of Excellence Principal Scientist Matthew Lunt said: “Advanced materials are critical in so many areas and we are delighted to bring so much talent together to ensure we can create, sustain and develop these highly-specialised and skilled jobs for years to come.
Regius Prof. Phil Withers FRENg FRS, Chief Scientist at the Henry Royce Institute and Regius Professor at The University of Manchester, said: “I am very excited about this opportunity for the Royce to team up with Catapults, industry, other universities and Dstl to bring many of the brightest minds and state of the art capabilities together to undertake materials research and development in support of the UK.”
Dstl has pioneered numerous advances in materials working with industry and academic partners. A recent example being revolutionising the production of titanium by reducing the 40 stage process down to just two stages with a resulting halving in costs.
Titanium alloys offer the potential for transforming defence equipment as they have a similar strength to steel but with approximately half the weight. However, the current cost of titanium is prohibitively expensive for non-aerospace defence uses.
This emerging technological breakthrough is driving the possibility of affordable lightweight, robust, corrosion-resistant components for defence.
Dstl is now working with Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land, the University of Sheffield, BAE Systems, MBDA, Transition International and the Advanced Forming Research Centre on creating more affordable titanium for defence with 30–40 per cent weight reduction whilst maintaining survivability.
26 Jan 24. Italy-UK-Japan fighter jet programme could open up to others – Italian Defence Minister. Italy, Japan and Britain could open up a programme aimed at developing an advanced fighter jet to other countries, but at a later stage, Italy’s defence minister said in an interview published on Friday. The three countries in December signed an international treaty to set up the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) – the first major defence industry collaboration merging the separate next-generation fighter efforts of the countries.
“We will not open (the programme) to others until the initial phase will be closed,” Guido Crosetto told Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera, adding many countries were interested in entering but without directly answering a question on interest from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
“Afterwards, with everyone’s agreement, we could widen it to other countries,” Crosetto added.
The aim is to see the combat aircraft in flight by 2035. The joint development phase is expected to begin in 2025.
Reuters previously reported that the GCAP may welcome other nations as junior partners, with Saudi Arabia among the contenders as it would bring money and a lucrative market to a project expected to cost tens of bns of dollars. (Source: Reuters)
26 Jan 24. Royal Navy to upgrade Merlin HM2 radar. The UK Royal Navy (RN) is to upgrade the radar of its Lockheed Martin AW101 Merlin HM2 maritime helicopters to see them out to their planned 2040 retirement date.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) released a supply chain notice on 25 January, in which it said it is looking for “expressions of interest” from organisations wishing to be considered for qualification for the competitive procurement process for radar solutions for the RN Merlin HM2.
“The radar is to provide helicopter-based surface search for general maritime surveillance including small target detection/tracking, situational awareness and contribution to collision avoidance. Additional capabilities including air detection and over-land modes should be identified,” the MoD solicitation said, adding that responses should be submitted by 18 February. No further details or timelines were disclosed. (Source: Janes)
EUROPE
02 Feb 24. France orders €1.1bn of cannons, vehicles and helicopters.
France’s Defence Procurement Agency ordered more than €1.1bn (U.S. $1.2bn) of self-propelled howitzers, armored vehicles and helicopters as part of the country’s plan to modernize its armed forces through to 2030.
The agency is buying 109 new-generation Caesar truck-mounted howitzers from Nexter Systems, a unit of KNDS, for about €350m, the agency, known as DGA, said in a statement late Thursday. The orders placed in December also include Serval armored troop carriers from KNDS and Texelis and eight additional NH90 helicopters for the French special forces.
France has budgeted €413bn euros for the armed forces in its 2024-2030 military programming law, a 40% increase over the previous period. The government has said it seeks for France to remain a major world power, while transforming the armed forces in the context of a return to high-intensity conflicts.
The procurement agency said total military equipment orders in 2023 amounted to €20.3bn, of which nearly €9bn came in December alone, including the purchase of 42 Rafale aircraft for more than €5 bn announced last month.
“These orders are intended to renew and modernize the capacities of the armed forces in all domains: air, land, naval and space,” DGA said.
The Caesar MkII ordered for the French Army will have an armored cabin to protect against mines and small-caliber arms, a need that became apparent from French deployments in Afghanistan and Africa’s Sahel region, KNDS said in a Feb. 2 statement. The truck-mounted cannon will have a new 460 HP engine more than double as powerful as the previous one, a new six-wheel chassis provided by Arquus and updated fire control software.
The howitzer will keep the existing 155mm cannon, with a range of more than 40 kilometers, and remain air-transportable, DGA said. France’s military planning law foresees having 109 new-generation Caesars in use by the end of 2030.
First deliveries of the new-generation howitzer are expected in 2026, according to DGA. The order was signed Dec. 30 and will generate nearly 300 jobs across France at KNDS, Arquus, Safran Electronics & Defense and Aubert et Duval, the procurement agency said.
DGA also ordered 420 Serval light armored-personnel carriers for close to €500m, following a first order in 2020 for 364 of the vehicles. The four-wheeled Serval can carry 10 fully equipped soldiers, and partially replaces the VAB manufactured by Arquus, which entered service more than 40 years ago.
The army will receive a total of 978 Serval vehicles by 2030, with 60 already delivered in 2022 and 129 in 2023, the procurement office said. The Serval is part of the French Army’s Scorpion program to upgrade its armored vehicles, which also includes the heavy APC Griffon and the wheeled infantry-fighting vehicle Jaguar, both developed by Arquus. The military planning law calls for 1,405 Servals by the end of 2030, as well as 1,437 Griffons and 238 Jaguars.
France ordered an additional eight NH90 Caiman Standard 2 helicopters for €305m in December, adding to a previous order for 10 of the aircraft, DGA said. The 11-ton helicopters will be built by Airbus Helicopters at its site in Marignane in southern France, for delivery in the 2026-2029 period, replacing Caracal and Cougar helicopters in use by the special forces.
The procurement agency also contracted with Naval Group for the modernization of the Charles de Gaulle nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in 2027, when the French Navy’s largest vessel undergoes its third major technical overhaul. Delivery of the work is expected in 2028, with upgraded radar by Thales, a new Setis 3.0 surface-ship combat system by Naval Group and a new anti-missile system by MBDA equipping the Aster interceptor.
The upgrade “will maintain the carrier’s excellent defense capabilities in the face of future anti-ship missiles and drones,” DGA said.
DGA said it expects a first delivery of 200 Akeron medium-range anti-tank missiles from the end of 2025, out of an order for 1,300 placed in November. The agency also purchased 329 Mistral 3 short-range air defense missiles in December to replenish army and navy stocks. The combined value of the two orders for MBDA is more than €300 million, DGA said.
(Source: Defense News)
01 Feb 24. Turkey still interested in Eurofighters despite progress on US F-16s. Turkey is still interested in buying 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, a Turkish defence ministry official said on Thursday after the United States advanced the $23bn sale of its F-16 fighter jets to Ankara. In November, Turkey said the country was in talks with Britain and Spain to buy Typhoons, though Germany objected the idea. At the time, a Turkish defence ministry source said talks had begun after Ankara recognised its request for F-16 jets from the U.S., first made in October 2021, might not work out.
Last week U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration formally notified Congress of its intention to proceed with the sale of 40 Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opens new tab F-16s and nearly 80 modernisation kits to Turkey, a day after Ankara fully completed ratification of the NATO membership of Sweden.
Although it does not expect Congress to block the F-16 sale, Turkey still wants to buy Eurofighter Typhoon jets, a Turkish defence ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“We are still interested, we expect the consortium member Germany’s positive approach on this issue,” the official said.
The Eurofighter Typhoon jets are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab, BAE Systems (BAES.L), opens new tab and Leonardo (LDOF.MI), opens new tab. Turkey, which is keen to upgrade its air force, is also developing its own national combat aircraft KAAN, in cooperation with BAE. (Source: Reuters)
31 Jan 24. US confirms supply of Freedom-class LCSs to Hellenic Navy. Following Greece’s enduring interest in acquiring the warships, now retiring from the US Navy, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken finally gives the go-ahead.
In a recent letter to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was inclined to expand the two nation’s security partnership with the supply of additional platforms and defence items, most notably four Littoral Combat Ships (LCS).
The Greek Government are eager to modernise the Hellenic Armed Forces, to which the US is a staunch supporter and contributor. Besides the LCS, the letter also referred to the supply of C-130H aircraft, 60 Bradley mechanised fighting vehicles and 40 F-35A Lightning II multi-role aircraft, an $8.6bn deal for which Congress was notified on 26 January 2024.
Of course, the capabilities of the Hellenic Navy are a priority for the Greek Government given it is a country situated on Nato’s southern flank comprising thousands of islands.
Currently, the Navy operates four La Combattante III-class corvettes, originally acquired in 1977-78, as well as four Meko-200HN-class frigates procured since the early 1990s. Other light combat vessels include the service’s nine Elli-class frigates purchased from as early as 1981.
Besides the confirmed LCS induction, Greece signed a deal with France in 2021 for the acquisition of Belharra-class frigates, due to cost $2.4bn (€2.2bn) over the course of 2023-33.
There will be two configurations for the vessels: ‘Standard 1’ which will be a lighter configuration that will not contain additional capabilities, and ‘Standard 2’ which will have a more advanced configuration including decoy launchers and missiles. (Source: naval-technology.com)
31 Jan 24. South Korea likely to focus on diversifying defense exports in Europe to offset volatility in Polish orders, says GlobalData.
The recent change of leadership in Poland will compel Seoul to engage freshly with the new administration to ensure the continuity of its defense exports to Poland. The political change in Poland casts a shadow on the continuity of a portion of defense orders. To mitigate risks that could arise from losing a significant portion of its Polish contracts, the South Korean government is anticipated to focus on diversifying its defense markets in Europe to mitigate the risk of volatility in the Polish market, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
The framework agreement that was signed in 2022 under the previous Polish regime included the supply of as many as 1,000 K2 Black Panther Main Battle Tanks (MBT) along with 672 K9 Self-Propelled Howitzers (SPH). Apart from that, the agreement consists of the acquisition of 48 FA-50 light attack aircraft and 212 units of K239 Chunmoo MLRS systems coupled with 10,000 239 mm rockets from South Korea. The deal also includes a licensing agreement that will enable Poland to manufacture the K239 Chunmoo MLRS system, K2 Black Panther MBT, and Krab SPH domestically.
GlobalData’s latest report, “South Korea Defense Market Size and Trends, Budget Allocation, Regulations, Key Acquisitions, Competitive Landscape and Forecast, 2023-28,” reveals that the country’s own defense modernization efforts have spurred growth in defense research and development (R&D) initiatives and the development of advanced defense platforms. This has led to an increase in the competitiveness of South Korean defense companies and opened export opportunities.
Abhijit Apsingikar, Aerospace & Defense Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Poland had previously overturned a deal with Airbus in 2016 after the Law and Justice Party (PiS) was elected to office. As such, the current change of leadership in Poland may have triggered concerns in South Korea over the continuity of these multi-bn-dollar export deals.
“However, Poland is unlikely to take a similar step to cancel previously signed procurements, as such a measure could lead to a massive diplomatic fallout, with the potential to endanger other engagements between the two countries, including in areas of industrial cooperation and energy security.”
With South Korean firm Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) being shortlisted to build nuclear power plants to replace the present coal-fired power plants in 2023, a diplomatic spat with South Korea at this stage can disrupt these engagements as well for Poland.
Apsingikar continues: “Unavailability of a credit line to finance procurement from South Korea remains a major risk factor for the remaining unsigned procurement of 308 units of K9 SPH and 820 units of K2 Black Panther MBT covered under the framework agreement.”
South Korea is anticipated to redouble its efforts to expand its footprint in the other European defense markets if uncertainty continues over the unsigned portion of the envisaged procurement under the framework agreement with Poland.
Apsingikar concludes: “With South Korea having already successfully penetrated the Estonian, Norwegian, and Finnish defense markets with the sale of K9 SPH, efforts to market other South Korean equipment such as the K2 Black Panther MBT, Cheolmae 2 air defense system, K239 Chunmoo MLRS, Light Combat Helicopter, and the KF-21 Boramae will be expedited in the coming years.”
29 Jan 24. The Czech Republic Joins the F-35 Lightning II Global Team.
The Czech Republic government signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) today making official its intent to procure 24 Lockheed Martin 5th Generation F-35 Lightning II aircraft. Through the U.S. government Foreign Military Sale, the Czech Air Force will receive its first aircraft in 2031, which will be in the latest advanced Block 4 configuration.
“We are pleased the government of Czech Republic is now officially a part of the F-35 Lightning II program of record,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt, program executive officer, F-35 Joint Program Office. “This partnership with the Czech Ministry of Defense will deliver and sustain the F-35 aircraft for decades, while providing the Czech Air Force with unmatched interoperability and ensuring it has the capability to counter current and future threats.”
In addition to the aircraft, the procurement also includes personnel training, service and logistical support, and developing other support services ensuring successful deliveries of all 24 F-35s.
“With the signing of the Letter of Offer and Acceptance between the Czech Republic and U.S. governments, the Czech Republic becomes the 18th nation to join the global F-35 program. We are honored to partner with the Czech Republic Air Force as its F-35s join other European nations in strengthening and growing interoperability, significantly increasing NATO’s deterrent capability.” said Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin’s vice president and general manager of the F-35 program. “The F-35 is the best solution for the Czech Republic’s future fighter fleet with 5th Generation capabilities enhancing the nation’s effectiveness in the 21st Century Security battlespace.”
The F-35 is the European aircraft of choice for replacing legacy fighter fleets, offering unmatched interoperability with NATO and other nations to provide a key discriminator for the U.S. and its allies for decades to come. By the 2030s, more than 600 F-35s will work together from more than 10 European countries, including two full U.S. F-35 squadrons stationed at Royal Air Force Lakenheath. It is also the only fighter aircraft in production today that will create jobs for the next 40-50 years and enable strategic industrial partnerships with Czech industry.
F-35s are now operating from 32 bases worldwide. To date, Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 990 F-35s, trained more than 2,280 pilots and 15,400 maintainers, and the F-35 fleet has surpassed nearly 773,000 cumulative flight hours. Lockheed Martin continues to work side by side with F-35 operators to ensure allies remain ahead of the evolving threat.
(Source: PR Newswire)
27 Jan 24. US advances fighter jet sale to Turkey, Greece; Congress likely to approve. U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday formally informed Congress of its intention to proceed with the $23bn sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, taking a major step toward completing a long-delayed process that tested ties with Ankara.
The State Department sent the notification to advance the sale of 40 Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opens new tab F-16s and nearly 80 modernization kits to Turkey, a day after Ankara fully completed ratification of the NATO membership of Sweden, a move that became directly linked to the jet sales.
The Biden administration simultaneously advanced the sale of 20 Lockheed F-35 stealth fighter jets to fellow NATO ally Greece, an $8.6bn deal that Washington advanced as it tries to strike a balance between two alliance members with a history of tense relations.
Turkey first made the request for the jets in October 2021, but Ankara’s delay in approving the ratification of Sweden’s NATO bid had been a major obstacle to winning congressional approval for the sale.
Following 20 months of delay, the Turkish parliament earlier this week ratified Sweden’s NATO bid, and subsequently U.S. President Joe Biden wrote a letter to key congressional committee leaders, urging them to approve the F-16 sale “without delay.”
The State Department’s Friday night notification came only a day after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan gave his final sign-off on Sweden’s ratification, and hours after the instrument of accession was delivered to Washington.
“My approval of Turkey’s request to purchase F-16 aircrafts has been contingent on Turkish approval of Sweden’s NATO membership. But make no mistake: This was not a decision I came to lightly,” said Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, one of four key committees that needs to approve arms transfers.
Turkey needs to urgently improve its human rights record, cooperate better on holding Russia accountable for its invasion in Ukraine and help lower the temperature in the Middle East, Cardin listed.
“My concerns have been strongly and consistently conveyed to the Biden administration as part of our ongoing engagement, and I am encouraged by the productive direction of their discussions with Turkish officials to address these issues,” he said.
Leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committees review every major foreign arms sale. They regularly ask questions or raise concerns over human rights or diplomatic issues that can delay or stop such deals.
Following the transfer of the formal notification by the State Department, the Congress has 15 days to object to the sale, after which it is considered final. U.S. officials do not expect the Congress to block either sale, despite criticism of Turkey by some members. (Source: Reuters)
26 Jan 24. Greece to get US draft letter approving purchase of F-35 jets – sources. Greece expects to receive a draft letter of acceptance next week from the United States of its request to buy F-35 fighter jets, two Greek sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday.
“The (Greek) defence minister will receive a draft letter of acceptance on Monday,” one of the sources said.
Greece sent an official request to the United States for the purchase of 20 Lockheed Martin-made F-35 fighter jets in June 2022.
Getting that request approved is a crucial step in a multi-stage process. Athens expects deliveries of the jets to begin in 2027-2028.
NATO member Greece spends more than 2% of its gross domestic product on defence spending. It has beefed up its military purchases in recent years as tensions with its neighbour, historic rival and NATO ally Turkey, had resurfaced.
U.S. President Joe Biden sent a letter to leaders of key Capitol Hill committees on Wednesday informing them of his intention to begin the formal notification process for the sale of Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) F-16 aircraft to Turkey once Ankara completes Sweden’s NATO accession process. (Source: Reuters)
USA
26 Jan 24. Second defender: US Army to pick batch of cruise missile interceptors in 2025 for new competition. In a bid to win a spot on the IFPC Inc 2 program as the second interceptor, Israel’s Rafael will throw its hat into the ring with Iron Dome’s Tamir interceptor, and Lockheed says it may have a contender too.
Companies eyeing a spot on the US Army’s Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2 (IFPC Inc 2) program are lining up their cruise missile interceptor candidates for a new competition for a second projectile.
The service published the official request for information on Thursday for a second IFPC Inc. 2 interceptor aimed at taking out threats from incoming subsonic and supersonic cruise missiles, aerial drones, and large caliber rockets. Interested companies are invited to attend Feb. 8 industry day in Huntsville, Ala., an initial step on the Army’s pathway towards making a “competitive award” in fiscal 2025 and then hosting a fly off, of sorts, in the FY26 to FY27 timeframe.
“The government [then] intends to award a development, qualification, and test effort following this demonstration,” the Army wrote.
Just over a year ago, in January 2023, the Army unveiled plans to acquire the second interceptor and issued an informal solicitation for industry feedback. At that time, though, it envisioned a slightly faster-paced acquisition timetable with a live-fire demo a year earlier in the FY25 to 26 window. The service did not respond to questions about what factors contributed to the new and revised timetable, or the larger testing and eventual fielding goal for this second interceptor.
Breaking Defense reached out to a handful of defense contractors likely to be interested in competing for a seat at the table, and Lockheed Martin and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems said that they’re in, at least at this stage.
“Lockheed Martin is always interested in supporting our customers’ missions and we believe we have expertise we can offer for the Army’s IFPC Inc 2 program,” Chris Murphy, the advanced programs business development lead, wrote in a short statement. “To that end, we are planning to attend the industry day to listen to the Army’s presentation, assess what we can offer, and then make an informed decision on competing for the program.”
Israel’s Rafael, meanwhile, is looking for another crack at the program with its Tamir interceptor. In February 2023, Ariel Karo, Rafael executive vice president for marketing and business development, told Breaking Defense his company was planning to compete for the contract with a “subversion” of its Tamir interceptor that meets the new requirements. Plans to compete remain intact and the company will “definitely compete” with RTX as its US partner, an industry source confirmed today.
The duo has long had a teaming agreement on the line and just last October they formally announced plans to establish a new facility in Arkansas to churn out Tamir and its US-variant SkyHunter missiles, a weapon the Marine Corps is using for its Medium-Range Intercept Capability (MRIC) program.
RTX, meanwhile, declined to disclose if it would submit a separate, individual bid for the second interceptor “due to the competitive nature” of the effort. Regardless, it already has a prized piece of the program and is providing the baseline interceptor for the program — a ground-launched AIM-9X Sidewinder — after it team up with Leidos-owned Dynetics for the initial competition and won.
For its part, Dynetics is producing the Enduring Sheid launcher for the program and did not disclose its exact role in upcoming interceptor competition. A company rep just told Breaking Defense that it plans to “remain engaged and interested in the second interceptor opportunity.”
“Our team will continue to evaluate our strategy as the government further defines requirements,” the spokesperson said.
After abandoning plans years ago to field a Multi-Mission Launcher (MML) that also used the AIM-9X Sidewinder as the baseline weapon — in part over MML reload and refill procedures and thermal issues associated with launching the AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II from the ground — the service launched the IFPC Inc 2 program.
In the second half of 2021, it selected the Dynetics-RTX proposal for a new developmental launcher dubbed Enduring Shield, paired with the AIM-9X as the first interceptor. That pairing was picked over Rafael’s battle-proven Iron Dome with the Tamir, a bid for which Rafael also partnered with RTX.
At the time of selection, the Army ordered 60 “fieldable” interceptor prototypes and 16 launcher prototypes, with plans to begin receiving those launchers in late 2022. However, supply chain woes delayed that start by more than a year.
But in late December 2023, progress: Dynetics announced it had begun deliveries and that the service would kickstart its developmental test program this month. In total, eight launchers have now been handed over to the service, and the remaining eight will follow over the next few months, the company spokesperson said.
“All units will be supporting developmental testing activities,” they wrote in an emailed statement.
As for that first order of 60 AIM-9X interceptors, the service told Breaking Defense in October 2023 that RTX had already begun delivering them and, while it still needed to verify climatic test results, so far contractor-led testing indicated that thermal management problems associated with launching the weapon from the ground instead of the air had been mitigated.
If testing of both the launcher and initial interceptor proceeded as planned, the Army plans to fold the developmental system in as part of its incremental Integrated Fires Test Campaign in 2024, and pair the air defense capability up with the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) and the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) radar, Army Col. Chris Hill, the project manager of the Integrated Fires Mission Command Project Office, told reporters in August 2023.
By 2027, the goal is to have those three core capabilities also tied together with the Long Range Persistent Surveillance (ALPS), Lockheed Martin’s Remote Interceptor Guidance-360 (RIG–360), Sentinel A3 and A4 radars. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
26 Jan 24. US Navy issues new FXR request for information. A request for information (RFI) released by US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) on 16 January has called for industry input to inform future decisions on development and initial production of the Future X-band Radar (FXR) being planned for large surface combatants, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, and amphibious ships. Complementary to the Raytheon AN/SPY-6(V) family of S-band radars, the FXR programme is intended to deliver a new X-band multifunction radar system performing horizon search and track, surface search and track, periscope detection and discrimination, and missile communications. It will primarily replace the functional capabilities of the current mechanically scanning AN/SPQ-9B X-band radar, while also introducing an additional capability for missile communications and advanced electronic protection. (Source: Janes)
30 Jan 24. Cuashub.com said today that DIU Seeks Unmanned Surface Vehicle Interceptors. With the ocean covering more than 70 percent of the world’s surface and maritime transit being the cornerstone of international commerce, the Department of the Navy has an operational need for small Unmanned Surface Vehicle (sUSV) interceptors.
The sUSV interceptor should be capable of autonomously navigating over hundreds of miles through disputed waters, remaining in a designated operational zone to monitor maritime surface threats, and rapidly intercepting a noncooperative, maneuvering vessel. Interceptors must operate in coordinated groups, executing intricate autonomous behaviors that adjust to the dynamic and evasive maneuvers of the targeted vessel.
The interceptor will play a crucial role in ensuring the security of waterways and shipping routes that promote the freedom, prosperity, connectivity, and security of the bns of people on the planet. Unrestricted access to the global maritime commons is essential in the 21st century, and deploying advanced ocean-going vehicles is key to safeguarding freedom of navigation, benefiting the United States and its allies and partners worldwide.
A highly desired attribute of the sUSV interceptor will be to carry a readily deployable small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) to help search for and localize vessels of interest and for other supporting missions.
For primary, secondary, and tertiary attributes, as collaborative multi-agent autonomy solution attributes and other important information related to this opportunity, please visit Production-ready, Inexpensive Expeditionary (PRIME) Small Unmanned Surface Vehicle (sUSV) and Collaborative Intercept Capability on the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) website.
Post Image- The unmanned surface vessel Ranger transits underneath the Sydney Harbor bridge during a scheduled port visit during Integrated Battle Problem (IBP) 23.2, Oct 24, 2023. IBP 23.2 is a Pacific Fleet exercise to test, develop, and evaluate the integration of unmanned platforms into fleet operations to create warfighting advantages. (Image Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Ensign Pierson Hawkins)
https://cuashub.com/en/content/diu-seeks-unmanned-surface-vehicle-interceptors/?_hsmi=291988614&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9ZQaGkdyCK-Hmu4mRnFde43XRdhdfdlpvVlVHIUVaa9JTY57ChxCwwrwjmQu6VqbDoKyOCm8CUkoi0XMBj_yCl8dipvJilvsvmXIKM5wBa0oA-hEQ#utm_campaign=C-UAS%20Hub%20General&utm_medium=email&utm_content=291988614&utm_source=hs_email(Source: https://cuashub.com/)
REST OF THE WORLD
02 Feb 24. South Korea to start mass production of KF-21 fighter jets.
South Korea will build 40 KF-21 Boramae fighter jets this year with the 238.7bn won (U.S. $178.6m) allocated for the Defense Ministry, even as the aircraft makes its way through flight and ground tests.
The first mass production of the KF-21 is expected to fill the “power vacuum” left when the South Korean Air Force’s aging fighter fleet retires, the defense minister said in a Dec. 21 statement.
According to Korea Aerospace Industries, which makes the KF-21, the engineering and manufacturing phase will conclude in 2026. The Korea Times reported in January the Air Force plans to deploy the first KF-21 in the second half of that year.
The KF-21 is set to replace the F-4 and F-5 fleets, and the Air Force plans to have some 120 Boramae jets in total by 2032.
The Boramae will serve as the “backbone” of the Air Force, the ministry said, and will play a pivotal role in expanding the three-axis system — a strategy that informs how the South Korean military should respond to an attack from North Korea.
The fighter has been under development since 2015, but the program didn’t gain much ground until 2020, when assembly for the first prototypes took place. The government hired Korea Aerospace Industries to produce the jet, and the company sought technological support from American firm Lockheed Martin. The two businesses previously worked together on the FA-50 light attack aircraft.
The inaugural flight test of six KF-21s took place in 2022. KAI carried out a supersonic test within the first 60 flight tests, and the company unveiled the aircraft at the Seoul ADEX defense conference following at least 300 of the planned 2,000 test flights in October 2023.
Flight, ground and additional tests for the remaining prototypes will continue until 2028 — the same year Air Force squadrons are to begin flying the first batch of KF-21s for air-to-air missions.
The fighter jet boasts cutting-edge avionics, including active electronically scanned array radars, and it can carry a range of advanced precision weapons.
South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration and KAI have been testing missiles to mount on the KF-21 to boost its competitiveness on the international market. In a December 2022 news release, DAPA announced plans to spend 190 billion won to enable the KF-21 to carry long-range missiles. The agency said it will “increase the export competitiveness of missiles linked to the KF-21.”
And last year, the agency announced plans to develop short-range, air-to-air missiles for the Boramae, to be completed in 2035.
KAI has also tested various missile systems under agreements signed last year with the European weapons maker MBDA. The companies plan to mount air-to-surface missiles and short-range air-to-air missiles following an earlier contract that involved mounting Meteor air-to-air missiles on some prototypes.
In April, German company Diehl Defence announced a KF-21 successfully fired the IRIS-T air-to-air missile.
The KF-21 program was expected to cost 8.8trn won. DAPA was to cover 60%, KAI would handle 20%, and the remaining 20% would come from Indonesia. However, Indonesia has run behind on payments since 2017.
CNN Indonesia reported in January the government there intends to fulfill its commitments to the program, even as the Southeast Asian nation grapples with fiscal challenges. Meanwhile, Poland and the United Arab Emirates have reportedly expressed interest in the program.
DAPA did not respond to Defense News’ questions on funding arrangements, but the agency has reportedly not made a final decision on financing schemes.
KAI hopes the KF-21 will become its next export success. In 2022, the company signed contracts with Poland for 48 FA-50 light attack aircraft. Lt. Col. Krzysztof Płatek, a spokesperson for Poland’s Armament Agency, wrote on Twitter at the time the two deals were worth a total of $3 billion.
Last December, the Royal Malaysian Air Force ordered 18 FA-50 Block 20 Fighting Eagles.
And even before KAI unveiled the Boramae at Seoul ADEX, the company’s regional manager, Kim Sang Eung, pitched the KF-21 to the Philippine Air Force, calling the aircraft “the most cost-efficient solution” for countries seeking multirole fighter jets.
South Korea was the ninth largest arms exporter during 2018-2022, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The Swedish think tank identified the Philippines, India and Thailand as its top customers during the same time period.
(Source: glstrade.com/Defense News)
02 Feb 24. South Korea donates MD500 helicopters to Kenya. South Korea is giving Kenya 16 retired MD500 helicopters to be used on United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions, with the first six being refurbished ahead of delivery to the East African nation.
The Republic of Korea (ROK) Ministry of National Defence said the first six aircraft were on 21 December transported from Army Logistics Command’s General Maintenance Depot in Jinhae to the United States, in cooperation with the US State Department.
The defence ministry explained that the US plans to transfer the helicopters to Kenya as soon as maintenance is completed, and Kenya is expected to dispatch a helicopter unit with the United Nations.
“Previously, the US promised maintenance and transportation support for the 16 helicopters we promised to donate at the 2021 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting in Seoul, and in the joint statement at the ROK-US summit last April, we pledged to contribute to UN peacekeeping operations,” the Ministry of National Defence stated.
“This helicopter donation is in line with our willingness to contribute to promoting international peace and security ahead of our country’s inauguration as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2024-25 term. It is evaluated as a clear demonstration that cooperation between the two countries has expanded worldwide,” the Ministry continued.
“Our government plans to work closely with the United States and the United Nations to quickly complete the donation of the remaining 10 helicopters, while continuing to further expand its contribution to promoting international peace and security, including UN peacekeeping operations,” the Ministry concluded.
Korean Air’s aerospace division built some 280 MD500s under license between 1976 and 1984, but these are being replaced by newer aircraft, including the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Light Armed Helicopter (based on the Airbus EC155 Dauphin). The first examples of the Light Armed Helicopter are expected to be delivered this year.
Kenya’s military already operates the MD500, with 40 delivered by the United States between 1980 and 1985, along with 2 100 TOW anti-tank missiles. These were recently augmented by six new MD530Fs delivered from the US in December 2019. They were acquired to assist with operations in support of the AMISOM mission in Somalia. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
31 Jan 24. Modise sidesteps Lekota question on serviceable SAAF fighters. Mosiuoa Lekota, who was at the helm of South Africa’s defence and military veterans ministry at the time the Strategic Defence Procurement Package (SDPP) was finalised in the late 1990s, still shows an interest in what has happened to the sharp-end equipment he oversaw into service with the SA Air Force (SAAF) and SA Navy (SAN).
He was not given a number by current minister Thandi Modise, replying to how many Gripen and Hawk fighters are “restored to active service”. Lekota sought numbers by way of a Parliamentary question telling the minister his information was two out of 26 Gripen advanced light fighter aircraft (ALFA) and three of 24 Hawk lead-in fighter trainers (LIFTs) were airworthy. Could she please supply him with current numbers?
The COPE (Congress of the People) leader and public representative had to be content with an explanation not involving serviceable aircraft numbers.
Modise’s response reads: “The Chief of the SA Air Force recently approved a seven year plan (MTSF [medium term strategic framework] plus Plan 2030) with an end-state of an organisation which is affordable, sustainable and responsive. This plan seeks to ensure prime mission equipment (PME) will be held at the minimum level of capability maturity required with provision to optimise as and when the threat scenario changes”.
“Plan 2030 Focus of Main Effort in so far as PME is concerned is the rejuvenation of core capabilities by means of essential life extensions, mid-life upgrades, and disposal management in order to reduce baseline costs.”
“Furthermore, the Strategic Capital Acquisition Master Plan (SCAMP) has been virtually depleted, thereby not allowing rejuvenation of fleets through acquisition of replacement prime mission equipment.
“In FY2023/24 the National Treasury allocated an additional R1 bn for the upgrade and/or acquisition of the Medium Air Transport Capability. This funding will be utilised to conduct aircraft servicing, address the urgent regulatory and obsolescence issues faced by the current Medium Air Transport Capability and procure additional spares and engines. This funding only partially addresses the Medium Air Transport Capability Fleet Requirement and is not sufficient to acquire replacement aircraft”. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
01 Feb 24. Philippines plans to buy submarines to defend sovereignty in South China Sea: Senior official. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has approved the third phase of the military’s modernisation, which includes the purchase of the country’s first submarine, in order to defend its maritime sovereignty in the disputed South China Sea.
Mr Roy Trinidad, navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said on Feb 1 that the third phase of modernisation reflected a shift in strategy away from internal to external defence.
“We may not be a large navy… but we would have a navy that will take care of our territorial rights and sovereignty,” he said.
The third phase of the modernisation plan, which underwent revisions to make it more attuned to the country’s needs, is estimated to cost 2trn pesos (S$47.8bn) and will be implemented over a period of several years, Mr Trinidad said.
The announcement comes at a time of growing tensions with China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
Manila refers to that part of the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea.
Mr Trinidad could not immediately say how many submarines the Philippines intend to acquire, but he said: “Definitely more than one.”
France, Spain, Korea and Italy have shown interest in supplying the Philippines with submarines, he added.
South-east Asian neighbours like Indonesia and Vietnam already have submarine programmes.
While the first and second phase of the military’s modernisation plan were “land centric”, said Mr Trinidad, the third phase will seek, among others, to boost military capabilities on the West Philippine Sea.
Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in January that acquisitions under the third phase will focus on an array of capabilities, ranging from domain awareness, intelligence, deterrence capabilities in the maritime and aerial space.
Beijing and Manila have traded sharp accusations in recent months over a succession of run-ins in the South China Sea, where each have overlapping sovereignty claims, including charges that China in December rammed a ship carrying the Philippine armed forces chief of staff.
China claims most of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia.
An international tribunal in 2016 invalidated China’s claim in a ruling on a case brought by the Philippines, which Beijing rejects. (Source: News Now/https://www.straitstimes.com/)
30 Jan 24. Australian Companies prepare drone prototypes for Defence Sovereign UAS Challenge. Defence industry companies will provide their best new-generation drone prototypes for demonstration as part of a strategic capabilities accelerator challenge in April.
Aerial drones developed by Australian companies will be showcased as part of a federal government initiative aimed at supporting innovation and delivering capabilities for the Australian Defence Force.
Drones will be assessed on their ability for rapid production at scale and potential use by Defence and the Commonwealth.
Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said small uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) are versatile and cost-effective platforms that provide near real-time situational awareness at lower altitudes than larger surveillance alternatives, in an expendable and general‑purpose frame.
“ASCA’s first innovation incubation challenge will support some of our brightest minds in developing sovereign drone technology that can advance the future capabilities of the ADF,” he said.
“This initiative is another example of how the Albanese government is getting on with the job of providing the ADF with state-of-the-art technology while supporting the local defence industry, including small- and medium-sized enterprises.
“Investments in developing small and smart uncrewed aerial systems will not only further a sovereign drone industry, creating highly skilled jobs, but ultimately will increase the operational effectiveness of our military.”
Defence and other Commonwealth agencies use them for training, photography and survey tasks, he said.
More than 11 companies have signed contracts to provide a prototype of a drone or uncrewed aerial system for the Defence Sovereign UAS Challenge, according to a Defence statement published on 30 January.
Companies including AMSL Aero, Autonomous Technology, Bask Aerospace, Boresight, Crystalaid Manufacture, DefendTex Military Products, Edinburgh Drone Company, Geodrones Australia, Ichor Autonomy, SYPAQ Systems, and V-TOL Aerospace have all signed on to develop a prototype UAS and production plan.
The contracts, worth $1,210,000 in total, are part of the Sovereign UAS Challenge, run by the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA).
In May 2023, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles and Minister Conroy announced the establishment of the ASCA, delivering on the government’s election commitment to drive innovation that creates new capability for the Australian Defence Force.
Drone technology is in a period of rapid innovation internationally, with the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine approving the use of artificial intelligence-assisted Saker Scout unmanned aerial drones for frontline combat missions in the country’s fight against Russian forces late last year.
Each drone, with a flight range of 10 kilometres, is reportedly able to independently recognise and record the coordinates of enemy equipment (including camouflaged vehicles) using advanced optics and infrared optics, which is then immediately transmitted to a command post for the appropriate decision.
It can also rely on an inertial guidance system to resist electronic warfare interference and integrates with situational awareness systems currently in service with Ukraine. (Source: Defence Connect)
25 Jan 24. New Typhoons for Saudi Arabia? BAE says it’s working with UK on requirements. The apparent confirmation that Riyadh has delivered firm requirements to the UK marks a major step forward on the path to closing the long delayed fighter jet deal. A long delayed second tranche Eurofighter Typhoon fourth generation fighter jet order for Saudi Arabia looks to be moving forward again, as BAE Systems says it’s in the process of collaborating with the UK government on a formal Statement of Requirements in support of the deal.
The manufacturer has been typically guarded in remarks about the politically sensitive matter over recent years. The order has been on hold at the behest of Germany, which blocked arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia in response to its conduct in the Yemen war and the murder of US-Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The second tranche order, expected to cover 48 aircraft, also had looked to be under threat from a rival French proposal offering Dassault’s Rafale fighter.
Berlin, however, lifted the block on the sale of Typhoons earlier this month.
“We are supporting the UK government to respond to the Statement of Requirements issued by the Saudi Arabian Government for a future requirement of Typhoon aircraft,” said a BAE spokesperson in a statement today.
The apparent confirmation that Riyadh has delivered firm requirements to the UK marks a major step forward on the path to closing a Typhoon deal and strongly suggests the German decision has led to a decisive breakthrough. The UK MoD did not immediately respond to an after-hours request for comment.
Saudi Arabia already operates a fleet of 72 Eurofighters after a first sale with BAE was agreed in 2007.
If a new order is secured, the four Eurofighter nations of Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK would each contribute to building the Typhoon jets, with final assembly taking place at BAE Systems production facility in Warton in northern England. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
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