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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
04 Apr 24. DE&S Deca successfully achieves merger milestone. Full operating capability (FOC) has been achieved by DE&S Deca, a recently merged operating centre providing cost-effective and Value for Defence (VfD) engineering services and support for UK Armed Forces.
Achieved on time as planned on 1st April – exactly one year since reaching initial operating capability (IOC) – this significant development marks the successful and complete transition of the former Defence Electronics and Components Agency (DECA) into Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) as a third operating centre within the Air Domain, to become DE&S Deca.
More than 400 new colleagues were welcomed into DE&S as part of the merger that will enable DE&S Deca to supply electronics and avionic components and general engineering services to a range of Defence users, and provide specialist maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade services to fleet such as the F-35B Lightning II.
Director General (DG) Air, Vice Admiral Sir Rick Thompson, said: “I would like to congratulate everybody who has been involved in completing the integration activity to reach Full Operating Capability as part of the DE&S Deca merger – it has been a real team effort and skilfully master-minded by Dr Neville Parton.
“It is great news that Deca can now focus on what it does best: delivering operationally essential services and equipment repairs to our military and allies across the globe as part of the UK’s industrial enterprise.”
Deca retains its own identity and current 1* Chief Executive, Geraint Spearing, who reports to DG Air.
Geraint said: “The decision to merge DECA into DE&S was centred around delivering greater value to Defence, by maximising the utilisation of Deca’s wide-ranging capabilities across Defence.
“It is testament to much hard work from many, over a relatively short period, that we have now achieved Full Operating Capability on schedule. We can now focus on the intent to offer Deca’s capabilities to a wider Defence customer base. I would like to personally thank everyone who has played a part in achieving this milestone.”
Based in Sealand in North Wales and at MoD Stafford, DE&S Deca prides itself on being able to frequently deliver support with faster turnarounds and lower costs than that of external providers.
Merger Project Lead, Dr Neville Parton, added: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people I have worked with over the last three years to get to this point – without your hard work and commitment we would never have got this far.” (Source: Google/ADS)
03 Apr 24. UK expects ‘short-term’ delays in F-35 deliveries. Britain’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed that software-update problems in the F-35 program will hit aircraft deliveries, though a key official said the delay is unlikely to affect the timing for proclaiming the fleet fully operationally capable next year.
“We are aware of the current short-term delays to U.K. aircraft deliveries,” Procurement Minister James Cartlidge wrote in a letter to the chairman of the parliamentary Defence Committee, Jeremy Quin. “At this time, it is not assessed to impact the scheduled FOC declaration at the end of 2025,” he added, referring to the term Full Operational Capability, a milestone in military-procurement lore that indicates an acquisition program is performing as planned.
The references to software issues on the F-35B being delivered to the British came in a wider update by Cartlidge, published by the Committee last month, on progress in the acquisition and operation of the Lockheed Martin-built jets jointly operated by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.
Britain is one of a number of F-35 customers facing delivery disruptions caused by Lockheed Martin’s problems completing development testing of a software update known as Technical Refresh 3.
Those issues appear to have no bearing on negotiations for a further order of F-35B aircraft, as the minister’s letter says he expects to complete internal approvals process for the procurement of a new tranche of 27 jets this summer.
Inflation and foreign exchange costs were the key challenges over the previous 18 months, with effects likely to be reflected in the price of the next batch of jets for the British, says the letter.
“It is anticipated that the price of each aircraft in Lots 15-17 will increase marginally by around 6%. This is predominately due to increasing manufacturing costs associated with inflationary pressures. Inflation and foreign exchange continue to be a concern to the program, as do the recent savings pressures levied across the department,” Cartlidge wrote.
Despite the growing concerns over the affordability of the British defense equipment program over the next decade or so, the letter says funding for this next phase of the F-35 procurement has been ring-fenced.
The purchase of the jets will bring the UK fleet up to 74, realizing long-term ambitions to increase the air power punch of the Royal Navy’s two aircraft carriers. The additional jets will allow the British to create a third front line squadron by 2033.
The government recently said it remains committed to buying 138 jets over the life of the program but gave no date for doing so.
The number and timing of further jet purchases will likely be considered again in a new strategic defense review, expected to follow a general election set to take place by early 2025. (Source: Defense News)
EUROPE
05 Apr 24. Netherlands seeks systems integrator for Foxtrot programme. The Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) is looking for a systems integrator to assist with running the Foxtrot tactical digitisation programme, Janes learnt. Foxtrot is a major digitisation modernisation programme that aims to support the Netherlands Armed Forces transition to an information-driven, integrated force. Key to this is the replacement of legacy communication systems and the enhancement of its battlefield management systems. According to industry sources who spoke to Janes at the SAE Group’s Future Soldier Technology conference held between 11 and 13 March, L3Harris Technologies is one of the companies bidding to be the systems integrator. (Source: Janes)
03 Apr 24. Greece approves purchase of 35 Blackhawk helicopters from US. Greece has approved the purchase of 35 UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters from U.S defence contractor Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), opens new tab in an effort to modernize its armed forces, two people with knowledge of the deal told Reuters.
“The deal passed by the parliament’s committee is to buy 35 helicopters for 1.15 bn euros ($1.24 bn),” a government official told Reuters.
A second person confirmed the approval, which was agreed late on Tuesday. Greece aims to revamp its defence industry and boost its shipbuilding industry, as it recovers from a decade-long debt crisis that forced it to slash spending. The government has drafted a multi-bn, 10-year purchasing plan, that includes acquiring up to 40 new F-35 fighter jets from the U.S. and three frigates from France. Athens is also in talks with the United States to co-design and build Constellation-class frigates for the Greek Navy.
On April 5, 2024, The Government of Greece signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) today making official its intent to procure 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters built by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT), via U.S. government Foreign Military Sale.
“The latest generation UH-60M Black Hawk will support the Hellenic Ministry of Defense’s ongoing modernization and will serve as a dependable helicopter for vital national and allied security missions,” said Paul Lemmo, president of Sikorsky. “Trusted and operated by more than 35 nations, including a growing number of NATO allies, the multi-role Black Hawk helicopter provides unmatched global interoperability, significantly increasing Greece’s deterrent capability and that of all NATO member countries.”
In addition to the aircraft, the procurement also includes personnel training and training equipment to ensure the helicopters’ smooth integration into the Hellenic Army.
“We are honored to expand our existing partnership with the Hellenic Armed Forces with the addition of the UH-60M Black Hawk to their growing fleet,” said Costas Papadopoulos, international business development director for Greece at Lockheed Martin. “The Black Hawk is the best solution for Greece’s multi-mission requirements with capabilities enhancing the nation’s effectiveness in the 21st Century Security battlespace.”
With its existing S-70B fleet and newly acquired MH-60R maritime helicopters for the Hellenic Navy, Greece will operate several variants of the Hawk family and benefit from the operational and sustainment advantages of fleet commonality.
As the world’s premier multi-role utility helicopter with 5 million combat hours, the Black Hawk will offer Greece a range of operational capabilities and a global ecosystem of more than 5,000 Hawk aircraft.
The UH-60M/S-70M Black Hawk is the aircraft of choice for replacing legacy medium-lift utility helicopter fleets, with flexibility to conduct variety of missions at greater ranges and in the most challenging environments, and with increased survivability over other aircraft.
(Source: Defense News Early Bird/Reuters/Lockheed Martin)
USA
05 Apr 24. Pentagon weighs options to lengthen life of legacy nuclear platforms as new programs face delays.
“The question is, how do you manage what you might call the transition from the legacy systems to modern systems?” John Plumb, assistant secretary of Defense for Space Policy, told reporters.
The Pentagon may have to take steps to prolong the life of its legacy ballistic missile submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles due to delays in fielding their replacements, the Defense Department’s top space policy official said today.
The DoD is committed to modernizing its nuclear triad, said John Plumb, assistant secretary of Defense for Space Policy. But with construction of the first Columbia-class submarine at least one year behind schedule and the first flight of Sentinel ICBMs delayed by two years, the department is deliberating how to keep its older Ohio-class submarines and Minuteman III ICBMs ready to respond to a conflict for longer than anticipated.
“So really, the question is, how do you manage what you might call the transition from the legacy systems to modern systems?” he told reporters during a Defense Writers Group roundtable today. “We’re also starting to look at, what are these other force posture changes we might be able to make that don’t break the bank or put too much strain on our nuclear complex that could help address that as well.”
Plumb declined to discuss what specific options are under consideration. However, a service life extension for the Minuteman III program, which was explored by the US Air Force before it committed buying a next-generation replacement, is not on the table, said Plumb, who is set to vacate the space policy job in early May.
The Defense Department is currently conducting an evaluation of the Air Force’s Sentinel program after program costs increased by 37 percent, triggering a Nunn McCurdy breach that will force Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to certify whether the program can move forward. Northrop Grumman won the Sentinel contract in 2020 and has defended its work, citing overly optimistic early cost estimates by the government and the discovery of complications in the Sentinel plan as it progressed.
Meanwhile, systemic industrial base challenges have dogged Navy shipbuilding efforts, leaving even its largest priority — the Columbia-class built jointly by General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries — between 12 and 16 months late, according to a Navy review unveiled earlier this month.
That leaves the B-21 bomber, also made by Northrop, as the lone nuclear modernization program that has largely stuck to its schedule — although inflation has driven a $1 billion financial loss on the initial production for which Northrop must pay due to the fixed-price terms of its contract with the Air Force.
In a October 2023 report, a congressional commission on US nuclear posture warned that the Pentagon’s nuclear modernization strategy is built on a “just in time” schedule where legacy systems are retired at the same time new platforms are become operational.
The commission made several recommendations to mitigate shortfalls in capacity that could be caused by modernization delays, such as funding upgrades to Ohio-class submarines to ensure they can operate past the current retirement timeline or — as part of the Minuteman III force structure ages out — spreading existing nuclear warheads to the nuclear platforms that remain operational. However, none are perfect solutions, the commission said.
“Some require significant additional investment and/or near-term decisions to hedge against the problem,” it said. “Others may require potential near-term decisions to be able to field different warhead loads. For example, sustaining the legacy force until its modernized replacement arrives will require additional investment in order to prevent a loss of capability and sustain the U.S. vital nuclear deterrent.”
(Source: Google?Breaking Defense.com)
05 Apr 24. Boeing to shutter Super Hornet line in 2027 after final Navy order: Boeing VP.
The desire for technical data rights “is one of those areas where industry and government have been at odds for a long time. And certainly Boeing on F-18 and the Navy as well,” Boeing fighters VP Mark Sears told Breaking Defense. “So being able to put that on a path to final resolution … is a really positive step.”
A recent Navy contract award may have extended the lifespan of Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet production for a couple more years, but after failing to find additional customers, the aerospace giant plans to close up shop on the legacy fighter after 2027, a Boeing executive tells Breaking Defense.
“We ran a number of international campaigns or competitions that we were unsuccessful in previous years,” Mark Sears, Boeing vice president for fighters, said in an interview. “Those kind of played out and there are no active discussions with the Navy about additional F-18s beyond these.”
Boeing will instead slow down its build rate of two jets per month to one and a half, while gradually pivoting its St. Louis Super Hornet workforce toward other programs like the F-15EX fighter, T-7A trainer and MQ-25 refueling drone, according to Sears. “We are growing at the site. And there is a need for the talent that exists on F-18 as we slow down and ultimately complete [the order],” Sears said, adding that Boeing doesn’t expect to see “any reductions” in the company’s workforce at the site as work on the Super Hornet winds down.
“Slowing down can be just as hard as speeding up, frankly, in the production space. We know there are challenges ahead for us in delivering these airplanes,” Sears cautioned, though he noted that Boeing doesn’t expect “any gaps” in deliveries. “We’re focused on delivering these jets on time in the new delivery schedule to the Navy because we know how badly the Navy needs this capability.”
On March 19, the US Navy issued Boeing a $1.3 billion contract for 17 new Super Hornets with a final delivery planned for spring 2027 at the latest, preventing the jet’s production line from sunsetting in 2025 as previously planned. The planes first entered service in 1999.
The award tied off a lengthy negotiation: Congress originally appropriated the money for the fighter buy in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, but the Navy held off on disbursing the funds until it could reach an agreement with Boeing on technical data rights for the Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler electronic attack jet. Inflationary costs ate away at the buy in the meantime, which also reportedly stalled negotiations and eventually dropped a planned purchase of 20 planes to 17.
The two parties reached an agreement for those data rights as part of the March contract, signifying a major breakthrough on an issue that is often a sticking point with industry. The Pentagon has been pushing for more tech data packages on platforms — which consist of key manufacturing and maintenance information like design drawings and other specifications — to pave the way for more service-led or “organic” maintenance and competition for sustainment, especially as the military prepares for conflict in the Indo-Pacific. But that desire for technical data can be a thorny issue for industry, as it can involve closely-held intellectual property and threaten business models that rely on lucrative sustainment work.
The technical data issue “is one of those areas where industry and government have been at odds for a long time. And certainly Boeing on F-18 and the Navy as well. So being able to put that on a path to final resolution to get the Navy the data they need to support this platform long term with us is a really positive step,” Sears said.
Sears explained that one chief issue complicating negotiations was what he said was relatively late request for the data rights. Since the data rights weren’t negotiated at the outset of the program, Boeing had to collate over three decades of data, alongside navigating the issue of the platform’s IP, he said.
“There’s definitely been points of contention between us and the Navy over intellectual property and rights to that intellectual property. And I think the fact that we got to a deal demonstrates that we’re comfortable with what we have signed up to and the Navy’s comfortable with the data that they’re getting in order to support their platform long term,” Sears said. The Navy did not respond to questions about the technical data deal by press time.
Sears additionally said he didn’t expect the deal to change much for Boeing’s sustainment outlook of the jet.
“A lot of the sustainment work that the Navy does, they already have an ability to do it organically or compete it. They do come to Boeing for certain capabilities or critical elements or the technical expertise that we have. It’s not necessarily like a forced function where we’re using intellectual property to hold the government accountable or force them to come back to us,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that the outlook is any different than what it was before. It may afford the Navy a bit more flexibility in terms of what their options are, but they’ve had options in many cases or in most cases already.”
On top of continued Super Hornet production, Boeing is converting older jets to what known as the Block 3 standard through a service life extension program. Sears said the company inducted the first Block 2 jet planned for the Block 3 upgrade in the second quarter of 2023 and plans to turn it around this month, amounting to about a year of work that’s earlier than a contract target of 15 months. Newly-built Super Hornets are delivered in the Block 3 configuration.
“When you factor in what we’re doing on SLM [service life modification] … there’ll be hundreds of Block 3 Super Hornets in the future,” he said.
The March 19 award was issued as an undefinitized contract action (UCA), meaning Boeing and the Navy are still working to come to terms on some details. Sears did not specify what areas still need to be ironed out, though he did say the UCA greenlights production and that the two parties expect the contract will be finalized “within the bounds” of the UCA.
“There’s nothing substantial that remains. There’s some minor things that are in the details of a definitized contract that we still have to work through. But there are no significant obstacles to getting this definitized,” he said.
(Source: Breaking Defense.com)
04 Apr 24. Pentagon delays F-35 retrofits amid upgrade woes. Older F-35 stealth fighters were slated to start getting the Technology Refresh 3 upgrade this month, but the Pentagon has postponed the retrofit plan to an unspecified date.
Problems with an upgrade installed on some Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters rolling off the production line have now disrupted plans to incorporate those upgrades on existing aircraft, and the F-35 Joint Program Office does not have a date for when those jets will get the much-anticipated retrofits.
The F-35 program “was scheduled to begin TR-3 [Technology Refresh 3] retrofits in April 2024 with the intent to modify 149 aircraft over the subsequent 12-month period,” JPO spokesperson Russ Goemaere told Breaking Defense. But now, “[t]he Program is working closely with F-35 customers to establish a new start date for those modifications based on a number of factors including software and supply chains.
“Very capable TR-2 jets will continue to fly operational missions while awaiting the start of TR-3 retrofits,” he said. A breakdown of how those planned retrofits are shared across the fighter’s three variants and international customer base was not immediately available.
“We must improve our efficiency in integrating and testing TR-3 and Block 4 capabilities (Hardware and Software),” Goemaere said.
Since July 2023, the Pentagon has refused to accept newly built F-35s due to software woes with the TR-3 upgrade, which has slipped numerous times past its original fielding date expected for April 2023. TR-3 is now projected to be completed sometime between July and September of this year, when Lockheed will then be able to deliver new, fully upgraded planes, according to the company. (The F-35 program is also exploring a plan to resume deliveries before TR-3 is finished, but no decision has yet been made.)
Lockheed has continued to build and deliver jets equipped with TR-2 in the meantime, and previously planned on shipping out TR-3 kits that could be swapped out with TR-2 on existing fighters starting this month. But the upgrade’s continued software woes, combined with supply chain issues constraining the production of TR-3 hardware, have now pushed back those retrofit plans to an unspecified date.
Though the JPO acknowledged there’s no specified date for the retrofits, Goemaere claimed they are “not delayed indefinitely.
“Retrofits will be deferred for a period time until TR-3 software performance improves and manufacturing rates of TR-3 hardware meets the demands of production, sustainment, and retrofits,” he said. “The F-35 program has been and continues to take steps to increase manufacturing rates with progress over recent months.”
Goemaere did tell Breaking Defense that “[d]elays in production of TR-3 parts for new aircraft builds has caused delays in production of TR-3 parts for current aircraft,” adding “recovery is expected in FY25.” Goemaere also said that “risk still remains with TR-3 delivery and production. However, the JPO and Lockheed Martin anticipate production of TR-3 hardware kits will keep pace with the delivery schedule once DD250 resumes.” DD250 refers to the government’s check out process for accepting new weapon systems.
TR-3 — which features a more powerful processor, greater memory and a panoramic cockpit display that collectively enable a suite of new capabilities known as Block 4 — has been a source of pride for Lockheed but also a headache as problems arose. The company has maintained it can still build at a rate of 156 jets per year, but only 75 to 110 new stealth fighters are expected to be delivered in 2024 as a result of the TR-3 issues.
As many as 100 to 120 jets could be awaiting delivery come the year’s end as Lockheed works to clear out its backlog once acceptances resume, executives said during the company’s January earnings call. The Pentagon has additionally been withholding $7m in payments for each newly-built F-35 placed in storage, Bloomberg reported, which could amount to a total of over $800m if the delivery pause stretches through June.
In December, F-35 program head Air Force Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt warned lawmakers about TR-3 hardware shortages and pointed the finger at some supply chain issues. Challenges with getting “a couple” of unspecified TR-3 components risked impacts to both newly built jets and planned retrofits, Schmidt testified.
“The TR-3 hardware is coming up a ramp that is not where it needs to be. It is not meeting our contractual requirements,” Schmidt said. He later told reporters that industry has “a little time here to ramp up, but they need to do it quickly parts-wise.”
For its part, the Air Force has said that TR-3 issues informed the service’s decision to scale back its latest fighter buy, with the Navy and Marine Corps also cutting their F-35 spending due to budget caps imposed by Congress.
“We want the planes that we want. And the TR-3 [and] Block 4 capabilities have been delayed. So, our approach is to minimize the impact of that by procuring fewer of those in the first years of the FYDP [future years defense program],” Kristyn Jones, who is performing the duties of the service’s under secretary, told reporters in a March 11 briefing. Toward the end of the five-year FYDP spending outlook, the F-35 buy would then climb back up as more capabilities become available, she added. Following the briefing, an Air Force spokesperson confirmed to Breaking Defense that the service’s decision was influenced by “both software and hardware delays.”
The National Guard in its FY25 unfunded priority list requested money to restore the F-35 purchases that the Air Force sought to cut.
Citing the company’s quiet period ahead of an earnings call planned for later this month, Lockheed declined to answer detailed questions about TR-3 production for this report, but said “TR-3 remains our top priority and we continue to produce F-35s at rate.
“We expect to begin delivering TR-3 jets in the third quarter and are committed to providing unrivaled, advanced capabilities in support of our customers’ missions,” the company continued. “As stated in our January earnings call, the aircraft delivery range for 2024 is between 75 and 110 and requires TR-3 suppliers to keep pace with production demands, both this year and in the future. We have deployed employees to suppliers to expedite quality hardware delivery and are working to ensure the required kit production capacity infrastructure, supporting demand for new production aircraft, modification and spares.” (Source: Google/Breaking Defense.com)
02 Apr 24. US Army eyes dismounted A-PNT capability. The US Army’s combat capabilities development directorate is seeking industry input on an Assured Position, Navigation, and Timing (A-PNT) capability specifically designed for dismounted operations. Officials from the research and technology integration directorate at the service’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center are seeking A-PNT solutions that “require a low size, weight, and power design, in order to reduce the burden on the dismounted soldiers”, according to a 28 March White Paper solicitation. “Current [US] Army systems rely on a level of PNT provided by GPS. However, due to electromagnetic interference hazards, access to GPS could be disrupted, degraded, and/or denied” particularly when in use by ground units conducting dismounted operations, the solicitation stated. (Source: Janes)
29 Mar 24. US Army refreshes competition for short-range laser. The U.S. Army is evaluating additional 50-kilowatt platforms as it seeks to buy short-range air defense laser weapons, even as its initial four prototypes deploy in U.S. Central Command’s area of operations, a service official told Defense News. Three of the Army’s Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense systems, or DE M-SHORAD, are in Iraq so the service can experiment with the capability in relevant operational environments. The fourth and last prototype will join the other three after getting some work done, said Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, the service’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office director.
“All four will be downrange supporting our soldiers in the fight today,” he said. “What we’re giving up a little bit is our ability to learn how to integrate that capability into the maneuver force, so we have some work to do on the back end. We’re still capturing data; [the Army Test and Evaluation Command] is downrange with us.”
Additionally, the Army will learn from two other 50-kilowatt laser platforms while the first platoon-set of prototypes are away, he explained.
The Army had originally planned to finish the DE M-SHORAD prototyping effort and transition it to Program Executive Office Missiles and Space in 2023. That office had planned to run a competition for the program of record.
But Rasch’s office decided in 2022 that the directed-energy effort needed more time in development, and planned for a fiscal 2025 transfer instead.
The first prototypes consist of a 50-kilowatt laser from Raytheon on a Stryker combat vehicle. Kord Technologies is the lead integrator.
The two new 50-kilowatt platforms the Army will also evaluate, when they are arrive next year, are one option from Washington state-based nLight and another from Lockheed Martin, Rasch said. The designs are different, he added, so aspects like beam quality, affordability and reliability are also expected to differ.
The Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office now plans to spend approximately two years to evaluate options before deciding on a way forward.
“We’ve got a few different designs, so we’ll take the data from what we’ve received already, the data that we collect off these other two systems, and combine that together to tee up for the senior leaders, probably late ’26, early ’27 time frame,” Rasch said.
“We want to maintain competition, so it doesn’t really help if we spent a lot of money and almost unfair if we kind of load the deck and we pass off a program decision to, say, PEO Missiles and Space, and it really isn’t a decision; you’ve got one vendor who’s viable,” Rasch said. “Competition makes everybody better.”
While this effort means moving even slower, Rasch did say he “would have loved to have had them all done and be programs of record, but we probably couldn’t have afforded them all anyway. So this gives us a little time to really set up a better competitive space for that next phase affordability.”
With the DE M-SHORAD systems downrange, he added, the Army will learn about lethality and reliability.
“We’ve tested these in labs for decades,” Rasch said. “Now we’re learning some new lessons on what happens when you operationalize these, when you put them in a really ugly, dirty environment that our soldiers put them in.”
The Army is investing about $100 m a year as it prepares to make a recommendation to Army leadership on a strategy, he noted.
Right now, his office is evaluating 10-, 20-, 50- and 300-kilowatt options for a wide variety of threats and missions. The 300-kilowatt laser is designed for the Indirect Fire Protection Capability, which is a system that will use kinetic, laser and high-powered microwave weapons to destroy threats including rockets, artillery, mortars, drones and cruise missiles. The Army is to receive that laser weapon next year.
Not every laser capability we be at the range at the same time, but the service plans to collect data on power, lethality, affordability and reliability across directed-energy weapons through an integrated test campaign to inform senior leaders, Rasch said.
The process will help the service save some money from a testing perspective and, through operational assessments with the user, capture enough data to help the Army pin down the sweet spot for what it will need to counter threats in various environments, he explained.
(Source: C4ISR & Networks)
REST OF THE WORLD
05 Apr 24. Australia releases new tenders to enhance capability. The Commonwealth has released a raft of new tenders to continue building Australian defence capability, including pre-tendering activities for warehousing and distribution services and construction support across the country.
The Commonwealth has updated their current approaches to market through AusTender for defence businesses, ensuring that industry can continue delivering essential defence capabilities.
Below, Defence Connect details those essential upcoming tenders:
Provision of scheme water supply to residential lots in west Bullsbrook: Closing on 9 April 2024, the Department of Defence has investigated alternative sources of potable water supply as a result of the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in local ground water around RAAF Base Pearce and concluded that Water Corporation-produced scheme water was the most suitable option. As such, works will facilitate 188 residential lots in west Bullsbrook for metred, potable water service from the new Water Corporation water main. Defence has confirmed that it expects completion of the works within 18 months after contract signature. ATM ID: PFAS 23/24-39532.
Pre-tender engagement activity for Joint Logistics Command Warehousing and Distribution services: Closing 10 April 2024, the Logistics Operation Branch of Joint Logistics Command is conducting a multi-staged Industry Engagement Activity in Quarter 3 of FY2023–24. It will inform insights and suggestions for the Commonwealth ahead of the contract. ATM ID: JLC23-001.
Upgrades to DHA Queensland locations: Closing 15 April 2024, Defence Housing Australia (DHA) has published a request for quote for a DHA-funded upgrade in Queensland. ATM ID: DHA-PROC-77310.
Construction support at RAAF Base Learmonth: Closing 18 April 2024, the Department of Defence is seeking support for a defence fuel installation (aviation) and a defence fuel installation (ground) at RAAF Base Learmonth. It is set to include 2 x 3 millilitres of storage capacity as part of the defence fuel installation (aviation) and the creation of 60,000 litres of below ground diesel storage for the defence fuel installation (ground). ATM ID: AZ6529.
Upgrades to DHA Brisbane locations: Closing 22 April 2024, Defence Housing Australia is inviting responses to a request for quote for a DHA-funded upgrade in Brisbane locations. ATM ID: DHA-PROC-77310.
National residential and development valuation services panel: Closing 22 April 2024, Defence Housing Australia is seeking responses for the provision of national residential and development valuation services across Australia. ATM ID: DHA-PROC-77387.
Defence Search and Rescue Services contract: Closing 1 May 2024, the Department of Defence has released a notice to industry for Defence Search and Rescue Services. ATM ID: JASD/NOT/20200/4.
Delivery of DHA housing stock: Closing on 2 May 2024, Defence Housing Australia has released an expression of interest for the development of land, building and/or sale of new dwellings to investors or investment bodies to deliver a proposed New Builds Volume Lease Program in Rockingham, Western Australia. ATM ID: Notice DHA-PROC- 74199.
Security services and equipment panel: Closing 3 May 2024, the Department of Home Affairs, in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), is looking to establish a panel of individuals and organisations as security service providers for the provision of security services and equipment. ATM ID: HOMEAFFAIRS/2086/RFT.
AUKUS Electronic Warfare Innovation Challenge: Closing 7 May 2024, the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator is requesting proposals for their inaugural challenge on how Defence can harness the electromagnetic spectrum to project force against adversaries and counter their ability to target AUKUS partners. ATM ID: ASCA-AUKUS01-2024.
Defence Establishment Orchard Hill building refurbishments: Closing 9 May 2024, the Department of Defence is seeking the refurbishment of several N buildings within the Defence Establishment Orchard Hills base. It includes the renewal and replacement of ageing plant items across buildings including offices, warehouses, and testing facilities. It is also expected to span the redecoration of several buildings. ATM ID: EST08297.
Space surveillance: Closing 30 June 2024, the Defence Space Command is purchasing global commercial off-the-shelf space surveillance and tracking data as a minimum viable product to support space domain awareness. Defence has confirmed that there will be multiple vendors for the procurements which will take place over short periods. Defence has told interested vendors to register at the Global Data Marketplace. ATM ID: DSPC_SSA_PWS_001/23.
Day procedure centre services, Department of Veterans’ Affairs: Closing 30 June 2024, the tender has been released to support the veteran and Defence community to have access to day procedure centre services. ATM ID: DPC-2017.
Preferred builders list: Closing 26 July 2024, Defence Housing Australia is expanding the preferred builders list, inviting qualified upgrade builders and contractors to submit a response to a recent RO. It is hoped that the list will support the growing needs of DHA across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra. ATM ID: DHA-PROC-71332.
PSMP Enhanced Aerial Surveillance Program: Closing 31 December 2024, industry has been invited to review Defence’s Pacific Maritime Security Program, which includes tendering opportunities. ATM ID: PMSP-2022-0003.
Anticipated DSR works: Closing 28 February 2025, Defence is preparing for potential design services ahead of anticipated works detailed in the Defence Strategic Review. ATM ID: SEG-CFI-20230901A.
(Source: Google/Defence Connect)
03 Apr 24. KF-21 approval raises export opportunities for South Korea. According to GlobalData reports, the approval of KF-21 production marks a moment for South Korea’s national security strategy, promising enhanced defence capabilities and export potential.
With the green light to produce 20 KF-21 Boramae fighter aircraft, South Korea is poised to fortify its defence while tapping into defence export markets.
In a move to bolster its future defence capabilities, South Korea has recently received approval for the production of 20 KF-21 Boramae fighter aircraft. This decision is a leap forward in the nation’s defence strategy and reveals a concerted effort within South Korea’s indigenous defence manufacturing.
Export potential unlocked: Implications of KF-21 production approval
According to leading data and analytics company GlobalData, the approval of KF-21 production is poised to unlock a myriad of defence export opportunities for South Korea, positioning the nation as a strong player in the global defence market.
GlobalData’s intelligence on the South Korean defence market highlights that the South Korean Air Force will get 40 KF-21s by 2028, and 80 more jets will be put into service by 2032, according to the president of Korea.
GlobalData’s latest analysis, the “Fleet Size Dashboard,” sheds light on the impact of the KF-21 production approval on South Korea’s defence landscape. With 84% of fixed-wing aircraft in the South Korean Air Force inventory being relatively new, the induction of KF-21s is expected to further rejuvenate the fleet, phasing out older equipment and enhancing operational readiness.
Moreover, as approximately 20% of South Korea’s fixed-wing fleet is domestically produced, the KF-21 production approval is set to augment the nation’s indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities, reducing dependency on foreign suppliers.
Harpreet Sidhu, aerospace and defence analyst at GlobalData, underscores the significance of the KF-21 production initiation, “The initiation of production of the KF-21 will mark a significant stride in South Korea’s indigenous defence manufacturing, positioning it as one of the few countries in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region to design and deploy stealth fighters.”
Beyond its immediate defence implications, the government’s emphasis on indigenous defence manufacturing holds broader economic ramifications. South Korea aims to stimulate economic growth and generate employment opportunities by fostering a domestic defence supply-chain infrastructure.
Collaborations and deals: South Korea’s defence partnerships
South Korea allocated about 29.7% of its 2023 defence budget to the acquisition or development of technologically advanced defence infrastructure, according to GlobalData’s “South Korea Defense Market 2023-2028” report, to support the development of its indigenous manufacturing capabilities.
Despite this goal of reducing import dependency, South Korea typically relies on allies to fortify its defence capabilities. This year, US-based Pratt & Whitney, in collaboration with South Korea, signed a $355m deal to sustain F-15 Eagles and F-16 Fighting Falcons.
Concurrently, the South Korean Navy expanded its drone fleet with the CAMCOPTER S-300, procuring the unmanned air system from the Vienna-based Schiebel Group. Additionally, South Korea secured approval from the US for the acquisition of Subsonic Sea-Skimming Aerial Targets (SSAT) for its KDX-III Batch-II AEGIS destroyers.
Sidhu emphasises that amidst persistent threats from its northern neighbour, South Korea’s overarching goal remains twofold, “Facing persistent threats from its northern neighbour, South Korea’s overarching goal is to protect its sovereign territory while building up its own defence manufacturing capabilities.
By reducing reliance on foreign suppliers, the country aims to ensure effective maintenance and higher availability of KF-21 throughout its operational life. This plan will not only promote self-reliance in the defence sector but will also open opportunities for exports to friendly nations.”
Long-term vision: Self-reliance in defence sector and export opportunities
As national armed forces worldwide transition towards preparing for potential high-intensity conflicts, South Korea’s defence industry emerges as a global player in affordable modernisation efforts.
Benefiting from partnerships and US technology transfers, South Korea leverages its expertise to meet growing demand, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Contracts with countries like the Philippines, Thailand, India, Vietnam, and Australia highlight South Korea’s expanding presence.
Despite geopolitical risks and ethical concerns, South Korea’s defence industry thrives, propelled by government support and a growing global market demand for reliable technology.
South Korea received multiple defence orders outlined in the 2022 Poland-South Korea framework agreement. Under the agreement, Poland planned to acquire military equipment from South Korea, including K2 Black Panther Main Battle Tanks, K9 Self-Propelled Howitzers, FA-50 light attack aircraft, and K239 Chunmoo MLRS systems. (Source: army-technology.com)
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