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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
28 Mar 24. UK looking for electro-magnetic counter-drone tech for troops. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has published a tender notice for the procurement of Counter-Uncrewed Air Systems (C-uAS), with a specific focus on “Electro-Magnetic DETECT and/or DEFEAT (EMDaD) capabilities and associated equipment”.
This initiative, led by the ‘Dismounted Close Combat (DCC) Team’, is aimed at enhancing the defensive capabilities of the Dismounted Close Combat Soldier through the introduction of advanced military electronic systems designed to counter drone threats.
The tender outlines a Framework Agreement contract expected to extend over a “seven-year period”, with an estimated value of up to “£38.75m, excluding VAT”. This contract is poised to include multiple products from a variety of suppliers.
Published on 27 March 2024, the tender specifies a project delivery timeline from “31 July 2024 to 31 July 2031″, with a submission deadline for interested parties set at “17:00 on 15 May 2024″.
The tender document states that “an e-auction will not be utilised for this procurement, and potential suppliers’ personal situations may influence their eligibility”. After the award of the Framework Agreement, the MOD plans to “obtain technical data on proposed products, which will then be subject to rigorous trials and assessments either by the authority itself or a designated third party”.
Furthermore, the MOD intends to award a service contract to a single UK-based supplier for the trial and assessment of all equipment procured under the framework. This contract, pursued separately, is aimed at consolidating the evaluation process, ensuring a thorough assessment of the equipment’s efficacy.
The tender also highlights that the “cyber risk level associated with this project has been assessed as Very Low”, ensuring potential suppliers are aware of the security expectations and requirements.
Interested suppliers are urged to “register their interest and obtain full details of the procurement exercise” via the MOD’s e-Tendering system, underlining the MOD’s commitment to transparency and inclusivity in its procurement processes.
(Source: UKDJ)
27 Mar 24. Royal Navy: MoD hints at when innovative Type 83 destroyers will be launched to replace Type 45 ships. Innovative Type 83 destroyers are soon to replace the Royal Navy’s Type 45 counterparts.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is putting together the initial steps to replace the six Daring-class vessels, but this won’t be for some time. Labour MP John Healey, shadow defence secretary, submitted a written question to parliament on January 30 asking when the ships are due to launch.
James Cartlidge, minister for defence procurement, said: “The Future Air Dominance System (FADS) programme is in the pre-concept phase. The Type 83 warship is one component of the overall FADS system, and under current plans the First of Class platform is planned to be in service in the late 2030s.”
Responding to a previous query from Mr Healey last summer, Mr Cartlidge added the Type 83/Future Air Dominance System has “not yet reached the level of maturity for budget allocation”, with the procurement strategy being decided after the concept phase.
The UK Defence Journal reports the new Type 83s are expected to be larger than the Type 45 counterparts. They are also expected to fill multi-purpose tasks, rather than being specifically designed for anti-aircraft warfare. The Defence Journal said a concept picture released by BAE Systems shows a ship armed with 128 cells for Vertical Launch missiles, similar to a Ticonderoga-class cruiser.
Type 45 destroyers can carry 48 Aster anti-air missiles in their vertical launching system (VLS), half of what American destroyers can hold. There are plans for the six Daring-class ships to be added with a 24-cell VLS for Sea Ceptor missiles. (Source: News Now/https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/)
27 Mar 24. C-LEO programme kicks off with £60m for satellite constellation ideas. Up to £60m is available for innovations that will help boost the UK’s satellite communications sector, following the record number of global satellite launches in 2023.
The UK Space Agency’s Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (C-LEO) programme was highlighted in the recent Spring Budget, with the Chancellor confirming that up to £160m will be invested in UK expertise through the programme over the next four years. The first funding call launches today, with up to £60m being made available.
The UK has a rich heritage in satellite design, spacecraft manufacturing and the operation of large satellite constellations, but this new government funding is crucial to maintaining the UK’s competitive edge during a period of rapid change and growth for the global space sector.
A new record was set in 2023, with more than 2,900 satellites launched successfully into orbit, and the vast majority of these satellites operate as part of commercial constellations which will continue to grow rapidly.
This represents a major opportunity for the UK space industry to benefit from high-value contracts in the global supply chain for satellite constellations, and to play a leading role in the long-term growth of the satellite communication sector.
Andrew Griffith MP, Minister for Space at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, said: “From super accurate navigation, future generations of mobile connections, to better access to healthcare, satellite communications is opening doors around the world. As part of our UK space programme, we are making available up to £60m to back world-class UK teams in seizing those opportunities.”
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “The UK is already home to some of the world’s most innovative leaders in satellite communications technologies and expertise, but continued growth requires sustained and strategic investment. This major new funding allows us to provide additional support, signalling the UK’s long term commitment to the satellite communications sector and helping to bring its most ambitious projects to market. The new funding can be used for research and development projects to build the capabilities of satellite constellations, making them more efficient at processing data in space and improving the services they offer to customers on Earth.”
Advancing these communications services is critical to the success of emerging innovations – such as autonomous vehicles and healthcare deliveries via drone – and will ultimately give the UK space sector a competitive edge in the rapidly growing global market of low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations.
This will help catalyse investment, develop new manufacturing capabilities, and drive the improvement of connectivity in remote, rural and harder-to-reach areas in the UK and beyond.
Awards of up to £20m per project will be funded both by the UK Space Agency directly and through the European Space Agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
25 Mar 24. RAF investigation into Hawk T2 replacement to deliver in 2024.
The Hawk T2 jet trainer is not due to leave service until 2040, with UK aerospace industry potentially missing out on the development of a replacement aircraft.
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) will deliver its Capability Investigation process into the replacement of the current in-service Hawk T2 jet trainer aircraft later this year, intended to provide further information on the costs and timing of the programme.
According to information released by the UK Government, the investigation by the RAF will consider options for aircraft, simulators, and associated live/virtual training for the replacement of the current Advanced Jet Trainer capability.
“The Capability Investigation’s findings are expected later this year and will provide evidence on likely costs and timing of the replacement training solution to the Hawk T2,” stated Defence Procurement Minister James Cartlidge in mid-March 2024.
However, the Hawk T2 jet trainer is scheduled to remain in service until 2040 according to current planning by the UK Ministry of Defence.
Through the month of February, between 6-11 Hawk T2 jet trainers were operational for the RAF, depending on maintenance schedules, from a fleet of 28 airframes. The engine life of the Rolls-Royce Adour 951 engines is currently limited to 1,700 flight hours due to “safety limitations” introduced following the discovery of damage affecting some engine component, stated Cartlidge on 15 March.
Maintenance of the Hawk T2 airframe is provided under the Hawk Integrated Support Solution (HISS) contract (airframe). The HISS Contract price from April 2023 to March 2024 is £56m ($70.6m), according to UK Government data.
Additionally, the Adour 951 engine is supported by the Hawk Engine Support Solution (Hess) contract. The HESS Contract price from April 2023 to March 2024 is £7.88m.
Meanwhile, in late-February it was revealed that the decision to cancel the Collision Warning System programme on the Hawk trainer was made by the MoD as part of the 2021 Integrated Review, as there was deemed to be no off-the-shelf commercial system available which would fit in the existing Hawk T1 cockpit.
As a result, the MoD was now seeking “the introduction of additional Hawk T1 aircraft transponder conspicuity measures”, for the approximate 14 aircraft remaining. The T1 Hawks, the older model of updated T2 variant, first entered service in the 1970s.
In 2022 a Hawk T1 jet training aircraft crash during flight, with both instructor and pilot student ejecting safely. The cause of the accident was attributed to engine component failure and maintaining failures.
The Hawk T1 aircraft are now only used by the RAF Red Arrows aerobatic display team, with jet training centred on the T2 variant.
UK RAF fast jet training struggles
In late-2022 the scope of the UK’s troubled jet training capacity was revealed, with the disclosure that pilots trained to operate the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter fleet balanced on a near-one-to-one ratio of platforms to qualified personnel.
At the time, the UK had 27 of the short take-off vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B aircraft and a combined total of 33 pilots able to operate the platform, including three on exchange from the US Air Force, US Marine Corps (USMC) and Australian Royal Air Force.
Of delays to UK pilot training, then Secretary of Defence Ben Wallace told the Defence Committee on November 2022 that “we have gone backwards from when I gave my instruction to the Chief of the Air Staff [Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston]”.
Issues with UK fast jet training have been widely documented, with UK trainee pilots waiting years in a pipeline plagued by reliability issues with the Hawk trainer jets, among other issues.
On October 2022, James Heappey, Minister of State at the MoD and Minister for the Armed Forces, stated in a written parliamentary response that measures to offset delays in UK military pilot training included sending trainees to Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training in the US, as well as accelerating planning for No 11 Squadron (the joint Qatar/UK Typhoon unit) to train pilots from late 2022 until 2027.
According to official UK Government figures in 2022 the average wait time for RAF trainee pilots from completing the Military Flying Training System to starting their Operational Conversion Units for Typhoon and F-35 is approximately 11 and 12 months respectively.
Additional data revealed the average time between beginning the Lightning II operational conversion course and achieving combat ready status was 20 months, coupled with an on average a gap of 68 weeks between completing Basic Flying Training and beginning Advanced Fast Jet Training for RAF pilots.
During a UK Defence Committee session in January 2024, it was by Simon Barnes, group managing director air, at BAE Systems, that there had been a “transformation” in flight training in terms of the “balance between live and synthetic”.
However, the drive towards the use of synthetic training system to deliver flight training could have a detrimental impact on the country’s aerospace sector, with companies such as UK-based Aeralis pitching training aircraft to the UK military.
In much the same as the National Shipbuilding Strategy sought to revitalise shipbuilding across the UK through investment into sites to increase competition in the naval private sector, so too could a National Aerospace Strategy seek to secure non-traditional aerospace suppliers through programmes such as Hawk T2 replacement. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
EUROPE
26 Mar 24. Greece looks poised to offload both its early-model F-16s and its French-made Mirage 2000 fighters, as part of a major overhaul of its armed forces, including the Hellenic Air Force. The F-16s and Mirages could be attractive on the secondhand market and it’s notable that the two types have also been repeatedly associated with potential transfers to Ukraine — which could be set to receive its first F-16s before the end of this year.
While the proposed reforms will affect all branches of the Greek military, the potential changes to the Hellenic Air Force are perhaps the most interesting. The changes were outlined yesterday by Greek Minister of Defense Nikos Dendias, in a TV interview and were subsequently reported by the Kathimerini daily newspaper.
Among the “very radical changes” announced by Dendias is the planned disposal of some of the Hellenic Air Force’s older combat aircraft equipment.
“We have a cartload of different types of aircraft. We have F-4s, Mirage 2000-5s, Block 30 F-16s, Block 50 F-16s, Block 52 F-16s, Viper F-16s, and Rafales,” Dendias explained. The “Viper F-16s” description refers to aircraft that have been upgraded to the F-16V (for Viper) configuration, which you can read more about here.
“We cannot carry on this way,” Dendias added. “The F-4s need to be retired and, if possible, sold. The Mirage 2000-5 is an exceptionally capable plane and can be sold. The Block 30 F-16s need to be sold. And I think we will be able to sell the [Mirage 2000-5 and Block 30 F-16s].”
That last statement cast doubt on whether a customer would ever be found for the veteran F-4 Phantoms, a type that is rapidly disappearing from service around the world.
Regardless, operating so many different types in a variety of configurations is a serious financial burden on Greece, especially in terms of the increasing maintenance demands.
The future Hellenic Air Force envisioned by Dendias will be more homogenous and offer better levels of interoperability.
Against this backdrop of planned retirements, Greece is also busy introducing new fighter equipment. As well as the aforementioned Viper upgrades for a portion of the existing F-16s, Rafales are arriving, with F-35A stealth fighters planned for the future.
With that in mind, Dendias confirmed the aspirations to complete the Viper upgrade, which he said had been delayed, as well as to buy additional Rafales. The defense minister wants to buy another six of the French fighters, on top of the 24 already acquired.
As for the F-35, Dendias said that Greece wants the more capable Block 4 version, which has yet to take to the air, amid ongoing problems with the software and hardware backbone that will enable those new capabilities. In the past, there had been signs that Greece might opt for secondhand F-35s, to speed delivery of stealth fighters. As it is, by waiting for the Block 4, Dendias thinks that Lockheed Martin “will have cured all the childhood illness of the fifth-generation aircraft.”
In January this year, the U.S. State Department approved the possible sale to Greece of as many as 40 F-35As and related equipment at an estimated cost of up to $8.6 bn. Such a deal still needs Congressional approval, but this is likely straightforward.
Looking at the particular aircraft that are set to be discarded, the F-16s are the survivors of 34 single-seat F-16C and six two-seat F-16D Block 30 jets that were procured under the Peace Xenia I Foreign Military Sales program and delivered between 1988 and 1990.
These were followed by successive orders for Block 50 F-16C/Ds capable of night attack missions with the LANTIRN targeting pod and navigation system and with AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) capability. Then came Block 52+ F-16C/Ds with conformal fuel tanks for extended range, and finally Block 52+ Advanced F-16C/Ds.
Greece’s F-16V modernization is addressing 84 aircraft — all of them Block 52+ and Block 52+ Advanced jets — which will receive, among others, AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) with active electronically scanned array (AESA), Raytheon Modular Mission Computer, remodeled cockpit including the second-generation Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS ΙΙ), and the Link 16 datalink.
All told, the fate of the Block 30 aircraft has been unclear for some time, with previous suggestions they could be sold off, or perhaps used as aggressors for air defense training.
As of today, the Block 30 jets are consolidated within a single squadron, and they have undergone the Falcon UP service-life extension, meaning they still have some valuable flight hours remaining.
As for the Mirages, Greece placed an initial order for 36 single-seat Mirage 2000EGs and four two-seat Mirage 2000DGs that were delivered from 1988. These are used mainly for air defense but can be armed with the AM.39 Exocet missile for anti-shipping strike.
Greece subsequently obtained a further 15 new-build Mirage 2000-5BG/EG jets and brought 10 of its earlier aircraft to the same standard. These later jets are armed with the MBDA MICA missile, available in both radar-guided and infrared-guided variants, as well as the MBDA SCALP-EG cruise missile, which has notably been supplied to and used by Ukraine.
Perhaps surprisingly, Dendias only discussed the disposal of the more capable Mirage 2000-5s, leaving a question as to what will happen to the older Mirage 2000EG/DG jets, unless he misspoke, and these also set for retirement.
Finally, the Hellenic Air Force’s surviving F-4E fighters, despite having undergone an avionics modernization, are unlikely to find a customer if offered for sale, beyond perhaps as museum exhibits. Despite some advanced capabilities — including color multifunctional displays, hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS), Rafael Litening II laser targeting pods, and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles — the limited service life left and dated infrastructure to support them would make their introduction a highly expensive endeavor for very little return.
The story is very different for the F-16s and Mirages. Both these types are still in widespread service and have a lot to offer, not just for private contractors offering adversary services, but also for frontline air forces. In particular, Ukraine could be interested. (Source: News Now/https://www.twz.com/)
25 Mar 24. Eurodrone program bags fresh round of EU subsidies. The European Commission is poised to jolt the Eurodrone program by injecting a second round of funding into the project to allow for the development of new capabilities.
On March 15, the European Commission, responsible for promoting cooperation and facilitating the integration of defense capabilities between EU member-states, published its 2024 call for proposals.
Among the 30 different project requests outlined in the document, one stands out as having the largest budget up for grabs: the development of a fully European medium-altitude, long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft system.
The request, for which 100m euros ($108m) is allocated, pertains specifically to the ongoing Eurodrone program, according to a Commission representative.
“The Commission is not planning to support the development of another European MALE drone – the call for proposals in the EDF annual Work Programme 2024 aims at developing additional capabilities for the actual Eurodrone, expected to fly before the end of this decade,” a Commission spokesperson told Defense News.
According to the document, the primary objective behind having a European-made MALE RPAS is to move away from foreign suppliers when it comes to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
“Today, most of the ISR capabilities of member states rely on non-EU manufacturers in order to carry out their missions … the development of a fully European MALE RPAS is key to reduce dependency on non-EU solutions,” the document said.
The Eurodrone program, which began in 2015, received $107m in funding from the EU-run European Defense Industrial Development Program in 2021.
The effort involves four governments – Italy, Spain, Germany and France – as well as three contractors, Leonardo, Dassault Aviation, and Airbus Defence and Space.
According to a recent report released by the German Ministry of Defense, the Eurodrone program experienced some setbacks in 2023 that may delay key deliverables
A preliminary design review, one such milestone, was initially slated to be carried out last September, but is still being reviewed due to coordination issues between Airbus and Dassault, the document said. The delay may affect the subsequent critical design review of the platform that was planned for September 2024, a necessary step before companies can start building the first drone.
It remains to be seen if the first flight of the European MALE drone will take place as scheduled in January 2027. (Source: Defense News)
22 Mar 24. Saab receives order for Swedish future fighter concept studies.
In 2023 Sweden left its position as an ‘observer’ to the joint UK-Italian-Japanese GCAP programme, which will deliver a potential sixth-generation fighter capability.
Saab has received an order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) regarding conceptual studies for future fighters for both crewed and uncrewed systems, with the contract running through to 2025.
According to a 22 March release Saab will “collaborate closely” with the FMV, the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish Defence Research Agency, GKN Aerospace, and other industry partners.
“Saab is in a strong position, and having recently developed Gripen E and GlobalEye we have the advanced technology and engineering know-how to take the future fighter concept forward. This means we will continue delivering innovative solutions to meet the future operational needs of the Swedish Armed Forces and other customers,” says Lars Tossman, head of Saab’s business area Aeronautics.
Saab will further develop collaborations with stakeholders working with emerging and disruptive technologies, which will play an important part in future combat aircraft systems. Saab will also explore innovation platforms including the Swedish Government’s Defense Innovation Initiative and Nato’s Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA).
The concept studies included in this contract will take place in parallel with Saab upgrading Gripen C/D and introducing Gripen E in Sweden and Brazil. In February 2024 Saab was contracted to deliver four additional Gripen C/D fighter for the Hungarian Air Force, building on a previous agreement for the provision of 14 platforms.
With this new contract amendment, Hungary will operate a total of 18 Gripen C/D aircraft to protect and defend the Hungarian and Nato airspace.
In 2023 Sweden left its position as an ‘observer’ to the joint UK-Italian-Japanese GCAP programme, which will deliver a potential sixth-generation fighter capability.
It is not known whether Sweden will seek to join the other European next-generation air combat programme, being led by Germany, France, and Spain, or else seek to develop its own capabilities.
For its part, Saab has designed and manufactured Sweden’s air combat platforms for decades, and will likely seek to develop a design post-Gripen E to maintain its position as a mature member of Europe’s aerospace sector. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
22 Mar 24. Truncated and delayed Swiss Hornet upgrade set for 2027 completion. Switzerland’s service life extension programme (SLEP) for its fleet of Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet fighters is to be rolled out to a fewer number of aircraft and is taking longer than originally intended.
The Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sport (VBS) said on 22 March that, while much of the upgrade work had already been completed on the Swiss Air Force’s 30 Hornets, only 15 would now receive the full SLEP enhancement and that this effort would be completed two years later than the planned 2025 deadline.
“In order to use the F/A-18C/D fighter jets, which are over 25 years old, until the delivery of the new [Lockheed Martin] F-35A [Lightning II] fighter jets, they are currently undergoing a service life extension. Much of this work has already been completed. However, the technically demanding work on the aircraft structure and the delivery of replacement material are taking longer than originally planned. The completion of the project is now set for the end of 2027,” the VBS said. (Source: Janes)
22 Mar 24. Sweden contracts Saab, GKN to chart next-generation fighter development. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (Försvarets materielverk: FMV) has contracted Saab and GKN to provide it with the basis for future fighter decisions based on studies, technology development, and preparations for demonstrators.
Announced on 22 March, the awards will run for two years from the beginning of 2024 to the end of 2025.
“During the period up to 2025, activities will be initiated that include knowledge building at the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, and the Swedish Defence Research Agency,” the FMV said. “It is about being able to lead, analyse, and evaluate the business, carry out studies and system concepts, and develop an overall set of requirements. Furthermore, the activities will ensure national industrial capacity and know-how through studies, technology development, and preparations for ground-based and aerial demonstrators.”
(Source: Janes)
USA
27 Mar 24. US Army’s fresh look at watercraft includes unmanned options.
The U.S. Army has reexamined its watercraft needs as it prepares for potential complex operations in challenging environments like the Indo-Pacific theater, according to the head of Army Futures Command.
Service officials have stressed the importance of building a new watercraft fleet to contend with operations in contested areas. Years ago, the Army shifted its priority away from the capability as it focused on operations in the Middle East. Now, with the service concentrating on deterring China as well as forging allies and partnerships in the region, the need for watercraft is high on the Army’s list of requirements.
The Contested Logistics Cross-Functional Team has “taken a fresh look at contested logistics in terms of watercraft,” Gen. James Rainey said March 26 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium. He declined to provide all details about the service’s potential future fleet, as he is awaiting final approval from the Army chief of staff.
“You will see a bunch of new innovative approaches. Think contracting, think leveraging. There are joint teammates that had some successful programs going on and a lot of autonomous and robotics efforts,” Rainey said.
The Army experimented with watercraft along with its joint partners in the Navy and the Marine Corps at Project Convergence in February and March. Project Convergence is a campaign of experimentation for the Army to figure out how it might fight across domains in complex environments, using what it is developing for a modernized force.
“The Army’s got its own enormous fleet of watercraft,” Col. Zachary Miller, who leads Joint Modernization Command, told Defense News in a recent interview. But he added that Project Convergence left Army leadership “recognizing that we can probably jump on each other’s requirements,” noting the Navy and the Marine Corps know watercraft best.
For example, the Marine Corps brought its autonomous low-profile vessel to Project Convergence. The prototype, for instance, carries two Naval Strike Missiles into about 4 feet of water. Marines would then pull the missiles onto the beach and to the nearest missile battery in need of resupply.
The service is also looking at other countries’ watercraft capabilities, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George told Defense News in an interview this month. The Army has observed and worked with Australia, for instance, on what it is doing with watercraft in contested environments.
The service is pursuing a new watercraft that will cost more than double the original price tag to build, the service’s acquisition chief told Defense News last fall, but is still important to pursue.
The unit cost, after the most recent contract negotiations with the Maneuver Support Vessel (Light)’s builder Vigor Industrial, increased from $27.8m to $63.1m, a spokesperson for the acquisition chief confirmed.
The Army has not embarked on a new watercraft program since the mid-1990s, “so it’s a pivotal time,” Brig. Gen. Luke Peterson, program executive officer for combat support and combat service support, told Defense News in an interview last fall.
The service hit an important milestone on Oct. 10, 2022, when it put its first new prototype of the Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) into the water in Portland, Oregon. The vessel was supposed to participate in Project Convergence, but on its way to Camp Pendleton, California, it experienced a malfunction.
The Army’s Contested Logistics CFT was formed a year ago and has since zeroed in on developing watercraft, power-generation capabilities, and a more effective command-and-control network — capabilities meant to ease the movement of equipment, weapons and people. The team has prioritized capabilities that are needed to operate in the Indo-Pacific region.
The team, based in Huntsville, also achieved full operational capability in October 2023.
The service signed off on an abbreviated capabilities document for predictive logistics last month, Rainey noted. And the team has made progress on better batteries and reducing energy demand in the field, he added.(Source: Defense News)
25 Mar 24. US Army seeks industry white papers to support robotic C-UAS platform capability. The U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) has issued a Request for White Papers (RFWP) to support the Army Futures Command (AFC) team to find and prototype integrated solutions for robotics in order to develop and manage a human-machine integrated formation (H-MIF) architecture that will guide emerging Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) capabilities.
“This team will utilize demonstrations, prototyping, testing and evaluations of existing and new technologies using soldier touch points that will enable valuable warfighter feedback with the systems to enable lessons learned and drive system improvements. The team will address current robotic safety limitations that do not support an operational leave behind capability. They will fully characterize and address any issues associated with the network and command and control (C2) aspects of robotic systems, their payloads, and H-MIF interaction requirements.
“They will define priorities and consistent requirements paths for robotic payloads; align operational use cases with the maturation roadmap of enabling technology and the robotic behaviors; and promote rapid procurement of the latest industry RAS and enabler investments to fill critical technology gaps.”
“The RCCTO invites interested entities to provide comments, inputs, and technical write ups for products/solutions that could meet or exceed these objectives for a Counter-small Unmanned Aerial System (C-sUAS) solution/capability that will be integrated into robotic platforms as part of the overarching H-MIF deliverable. “
Deadline for response is April 12, 2024. For more information: https://sam.gov/opp/fe2e3740dd224458b9afe95dc3fdc358/view
(Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
19 Mar 24. USAF seeks commercial satcom for KC-135 fleet. The US Air Force (USAF) is seeking commercial satellite communications (satcom) options for its fleet of KC-135 aerial refuellers, with plans to allow these aircraft global, real-time access to the Pentagon’s classified and unclassified networks. USAF officials issued an initial list of strategic requirements to industry for the KC-135 Commercial Satellite Communication Access to Non-Secure Internet Protocol Router (NIPR) and Secure Internet Protocol Router (SIPR) Networks (CANS) programme on 12 March. While programme officials at Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) are keeping details of the new CANS requirements under wraps, service leaders plan to hold an inaugural industry day for defence, satcom, and information technology companies looking to participate in the CANS programme, according to a 12 March solicitation. The impetus for the CANS programme is to drive NIPR and SIPR connectivity to the wing and squadron level within AFMC, to “increase aircraft situational awareness communication, improve mission planning, … [and] to send flight or mission changes” to the onboard command-and-control (C2) node in near real-time, the 12 March solicitation stated. (Source: Janes)
REST OF THE WORLD
28 Mar 24. SANDF hoping to replace Samils by 2030. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is hoping to replace its ageing Samil truck fleet with new vehicles by 2030, but the R13bn project is in jeopardy due to a lack of funds.
In a presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) late last year, Armscor gave an update on Project Phalama for the acquisition of new generation support vehicles to replace the Samil fleet.
Armscor had planned for production to take place from June 2025, with delivery by March 2030.
In its presentation, Armscor warned that the project “is at high risk due to obsolescence challenges on the current system,” and the fact that the project is currently not funded on the Strategic Capital Acquisition Master Plan (SCAMP). Armscor said it is “engaging the user to make funding available.”
In the meantime, Armscor is looking at the possibility of finding a replacement gearbox for all Samil vehicles. The state defence materiel agency added that if the Samil fleet is not replaced, “the capability of [the] SANDF in terms of this project will be at high risk.”
In December 2018, Armscor issued a request for information (RFI) for Project Phalama, which appears to have replaced Project Vistula, which called for the replacement of SAMIL 50/100 4×4/6×6 trucks. (Project Sepula, for the replacement of the Casspir and Mamba armoured personnel carrier fleets, also seems to have fallen by the wayside.)
The purpose of the RFI was to provide Armscor with a range of vehicle replacement options, with the RFI being very broad: options could include new vehicles or upgrades. A bidders’ conference was held towards the end of January 2019, which attracted a number of companies including Rheinmetall, Tatra and Tata Defence amongst others.
In January 2020, then Acting Chief of the SA Army, Major General ‘Mannetjies’ de Goede, told defenceWeb that Project Phalama was alive and well and still moving forward. “It’s very important for us and the country that that project goes on,” he said.
The SA Army currently relies heavily on ageing Samil trucks for logistics. These are being maintained by Cuban technicians and mechanics in terms of Project Thusano. Since the 2015 commencement of Project Thusano, in collaboration with the Cuban armed forces, around 6 000 vehicles have been repaired and refurbished. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
27 Mar 24. Denmark strikes deal to offload 24 F-16 fighter jets to Argentina.
Amidst fleet replacement, Denmark finds buyer for surplus jets in Argentina. Denmark’s Minister of Defence, Troels Lund Poulsen, has sealed a deal with Argentina’s Minister of Defence, Luis Alfonso Petri, in Buenos Aires, paving the way for transferring 24 Danish F-16 fighter jets to Argentina.
The agreement, encapsulated in a letter of intent, reveals Denmark’s decision to revamp its military assets by replacing its ageing F-16 fleet with the F-35 jet.
While the sale marks a milestone in Denmark’s military modernisation efforts, it also signals Argentina’s ambition to bolster its air defence capabilities. Minister Troels Lund Poulsen highlighted the collaborative effort in negotiating the deal, particularly with the United States, which has given its nod of approval for the sale of the US-manufactured aircraft.
Denmark acquired 43 F-16A/B multirole aircraft between 1980 and 1997, according to GlobalData’s “Denmark Defense Market 2023-2028” report.
“Danish defence is in the process of replacing its F-16 fleet with new F-35 jets. Denmark is donating 19 F-16 jets to Ukraine, and the government has decided to sell 24 Danish F-16 jets to Argentina. I am therefore very pleased that my Argentine colleague and I today in Buenos Aires have signed a letter of intent on the possible sale.”
As per GlobalData’s intelligence on the Argentinian defence market, this addition follows Argentina’s agreement with China to supply 20 FC-1/JF-17 combat aircraft. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
27 Mar 24. Pakistan unveils aircraft and rocket programs, parades military tech. Pakistan’s military showed off its wares and unveiled several defense program during the March 23 Pakistan Day Parade in the capital. The country displayed new equipment including the Haider platform, the first locally produced, Chinese-designed VT-4 main battle tank. The tank in the parade itself was from the pilot production batch unveiled March 6 by state-owned armored fighting vehicles manufacturer Heavy Industries Taxila.
Pakistan received 300 VT-4 tanks from China under a 2017 deal that involved local production. The system’s design originates from the Al-Khalid/VT-1A that is already in service and produced by Heavy Industries Taxila.
The long-range HQ-9/P surface-to-air missile system also made an appearance for the first time. And the military brought its Fatah 2 guided multiple-launch rocket system and its medium-range Ababeel ballistic missile that carries multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles.
The Chinese-supplied HQ-9/P entered service in 2021, with the parade announcer confirming it had a range of 125 kilometers (78 miles). That falls short of the 250-kilometer-range HQ-9 variants in Chinese service.
Pakistan has also announced new programs, including the PFX effort to replace the JF-17 combat aircraft. It’s 450-kilometer-range Fatah 3 is set to soon enter service, with the 700-kilometer-range Fatah 4 under development.
Justin Bronk, an aerospace expert at the Royal United Services Institute think tank in London, said the HQ-9 offers “shorter effective ranges, but with superior sensor performance compared to the S-300PMU-2 family of Russian [surface-to-air missiles] that they were broadly derived from.”
The weapon relies “on a family of missiles to cover various ranges,” he told Defense News, noting that “the HQ-9/P range — compared to longer-range variants — relates less to the system itself and more to which of the larger interceptor missile versions China was willing to export to Pakistan.”
Still, the military’s media branch, Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan, has previously stated the HQ-9/P significantly enhances Pakistan’s air defense architecture and is fully integrated via a digitized system.
Mansoor Ahmed, an expert on Pakistan’s nonconventional weapons programs and delivery systems, said the Ababeel missile’s presence was likely in response to India’s March 11 test of its Agni-V missile and ballistic missile defense capabilities. The Agni-V is also equipped with a multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle.
The Ababeel missile was last tested in 2023, but its service entry was not announced.
Ahmed, who is now an academic at the Australian National University, told Defense News that Pakistan felt compelled “to demonstrate that it had the credibility and resolve to deter crisis and first-strike instabilities in South Asia.”
He anticipates tests of India’s K-5 and K-6 MIRV-equipped, submarine-launched ballistic missiles “will spur further development of the Ababeel as a series of canisterized and longer-range versions that could carry heavier payloads for possible deployment on submarines in the future, for achieving greater survivability and operational flexibility that covers all possible targets in India.”
He noted this year there seems to be more nuclear-capable missiles on display, and Ababeel and its future developments have “become central to maintain a credible and dynamic full-spectrum deterrent.”
Future fighter
Pakistan’s PFX Program announcement came as a surprise, given existing plans to acquire the Chinese J-31 jet and the country’s involvement in the Turkish Kaan figther aircraft program. A previous fifth-generation program, dubbed Project Azm, seems to have been quietly shelved.
Design work is underway for the PFX Program, but little other detail is known.
However, Trevor Taylor, who leads the RUSI think tank’s Defence, Industries and Society Programme, said Pakistan’s decision is in line with other programs in India and richer Indo-Pacific states.
Indeed, the costs “would be high, and judging from the experience of others, the development time would be extensive,” Taylor told Defense News. He added there’s a likelihood Pakistan will import key subsystems such as engines, radars and other avionics for the PFX Program.
Analyst and former Pakistan Air Force pilot Kaiser Tufail agreed. “How the cost of such a platform would be kept within affordable limits would be a challenge and would depend on the export potential of the PFX,” he told Defense News.
Importantly, the extent of help from China “would be a key factor,” Taylor noted, and “a basic issue that would have to be addressed would be reconciling an ability to carry weapons with low radar observability.”
Cooperation appears certain, with Turkey as one option, according to aerospace expert Doug Barrie at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank. Alongside the PFX Program, he cited Pakistan’s February announcement to team up with Turkey to develop a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.
However, he said, “given the very close defense aerospace ties between Pakistan and China, I wouldn’t discount that either.”
As for its features, Pakistan would likely want the PFX aircraft to “have stealth capability, which should also entail conformal weapons carriage and enough internal fuel,” Tufail said.
“A powerful [active electronically scanned array] radar and [beyond-visual-range] missiles that can outrange the Meteor of the Rafale should also be prime requisites,” he added. “Seamless sensor fusion, alongside comprehensive [electronic counter-countermeasures] capability, would be equally important.”
Fatah family
Pakistan’s announcement of the Fatah 3 and Fatah 4 weapons indicates the government continues to develop systems to “both enable greater precision firepower from deep within the country against Indian front-line targets, and similar reach into valuable Indian rear-area bases and systems from Pakistani border areas,” according to Frank O’Donnell, a nonresident fellow with the Stimson Center think tank’s South Asia Program.
By focusing on the offensive capabilities of multiple launch rocket systems and drones, Pakistan is able to free up its Air Force from strike missions to higher-level air-to-air combat roles, O’Donnell said, citing the parade commentator who stated the Fatah 2 “can evade any enemy air defense system.”
This “underlines how Pakistan is continuing to implement lessons from the Russia-Ukraine and Azerbaijan-Armenia wars,” he added. Both of those conflicts have featured the heavy use of combat drones.
And notably, he said, “sophisticated Russian air and missile defense systems — such as the Russian S-400, which India is deploying against Pakistan — are still vulnerable to asymmetric missile barrages and drone strikes.” (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
27 Mar 24. South Korea’s government has approved a plan to begin building 20 KF-21 fighter jets this year, half of what was originally planned, after a report last year called for slashing the homegrown fighter’s initial production volume.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) had sought to sign a contract this year with the jet’s manufacturer, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., to build 40 KF-21s as the first batch of the advanced fighter under development since 2015.
Under the newly approved plan, DAPA will sign a contract for only 20 units this year and another deal next year for an additional 20 units after further testing, such as on the jet’s air-to-air missile and active electronically scanned array radar capabilities.
The phased production seeks to address concerns raised by the feasibility study over the jet last year that argued for the need for additional tests and suggested the production cut to only 20 units, according to a DAPA official. “(We) plan to complete verification tests by June this year and sign a contract for the remaining 20 units by next February after consultations with relevant agencies,” the official told reporters.
The Defense Project Promotion Committee still approved the entire production plan for a total of 40 KF-21s, which is estimated to cost 7.92 trillion won (US$5.9 bn) and run from this year through 2028.
(Source: Google/APDR)
26 Mar 24. DIU Partners With AUKUS Pillar II for International Prize Challenge. The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is launching the first trilateral prize challenge through AUKUS Pillar II— a defense and security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (U.S.)— to identify electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) technologies that help give a strategic edge in targeting and to provide protection against adversarial electromagnetic-targeting capabilities.
This inaugural AUKUS Pillar II trilateral prize challenge will run as three synchronized competitions by the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) in Australia, Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) in the UK, and DIU in the U.S.
Through AUKUS Pillar II, the Department of Defense (DoD) is bolstering national, regional, and global stability and security by enhancing the capabilities that warfighters need to respond to current and future threats. AUKUS allows the DoD to coordinate information and technology with its international partners to deliver critical capabilities quickly while integrating and strengthening the U.S., UK and Australian defense industrial base and supply chains.
“There is enormous potential in collaborating with our allies and partners, and our AUKUS electromagnetic warfare (EW) Challenge is an example of this,” said DIU Director Doug Beck. “A strong international community of defense innovation entities can help nurture and harness these new capabilities.”
The trilateral problem statement calls for capabilities that will allow us to leverage EMS technologies for both offensive and defensive purposes. The EMS presents a congested and competitive environment, with new technologies and solution sets that have the potential to provide asymmetric advantages for AUKUS and other partners. Key capabilities sought include the ability to:
- Find: Identification of targets using the EMS.
- Fix: Location of targets via the EMS.
- Track: Monitoring of target movement using the EMS.
- Target: Selection and application of EMS assets and enabled weapon systems.
- Engage: Application of EMS assets and enabled weapons.
- Assess: Evaluation of attack effects using the EMS.
A team of subject matter experts will evaluate applicants and select winning companies from the three countries in July 2024.
For more information or interview requests, please contact us at . (Source: U.S. DoD)
26 Mar 24. Japan relaxes military export curbs for planned jet fighter. Japan’s government on Tuesday relaxed military equipment export restrictions, the second change in less than four months, to allow future overseas sales of an advanced jet fighter it is developing with Britain and Italy.
The rule change applies only to Cabinet-approved jet fighter exports and will be limited to countries – currently 15 – that have defence equipment transfer agreements with Tokyo committing them to settle international disputes peacefully in accordance with the United Nations charter, the government said.
Exports to countries involved in conflicts will remain off limits, it added.
Although limited in scope, the change, which comes after months of political wrangling between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and coalition partner Komeito, represents the biggest shift in Japan’s military export policy in a decade, removing a potential obstacle that could have disrupted the jet fighter programme.
Under that Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), Japan, Britain and Italy last year established a joint organisation and industry group led by Britain’s BAE Systems PLC (BAES.L), opens new tab, Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7011.T), opens new tab and Italy’s Leonardo (LDOF.MI), opens new tab to develop and deploy the advanced fighter by the middle of the next decade.
Any Japanese export ban that halted overseas sales and limited production numbers could have made the aircraft unaffordable because development expenses would have to be spread across a smaller fleet.
The rule change is nonetheless controversial in Japan because the country still adheres to a war-renouncing constitution adopted after its defeat in World War Two.
It also comes after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government in December made a separate export rule tweak to permit the transfer of defence equipment built under licence to the countries holding the designs. It will allow Japan to ship Patriot air-defence missiles to the U.S. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Reuters)
25 Mar 24. Brazilian Navy’s DGMM details its modernisation organisation. The Navy Directorate-General for Material (Diretoria-Geral do Material da Marinha: DGMM) of the Brazilian Navy has designed a new plan to better organise its role in the modernisation of the service, the DGMM told Janes.
This modernisation, known as the ‘The Navy of Tomorrow’, is guided by the Navy Strategic Plan 2040, which establishes strategic programmes to provide Brazil with a modern naval force of a size compatible with the country’s political stature by 2040, the DGMM told Janes.
The Marinha do Brasil has organised its needs into seven strategic programmes: Modernisation of Naval Power; Obtaining Full Operational Capacity (OCOP); Navy Nuclear Program (PNM); Blue Amazon Management System (SisGAAz); Personnel – Our Biggest Patrimony; Maritime Mindset; and Expansion of Logistics Support Capacity for Operational Assets.
(Source: Janes)
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