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UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
04 Nov 24. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has issued a Voluntary Transparency Notice (VTN) indicating its intent to award a £15.5m contract to Lockheed Martin UK Ampthill for the continued support of the Land Environment Air Picture Provision (LEAPP) capability. According to the MOD, the contract will commence on 1 April 2025 and extend over a 3-year and 9-month period, focusing on in-service support for this essential air situational awareness technology.
LEAPP, operational since 2014, provides shared air situational awareness across land-based platforms, enhancing the MOD’s ability to detect and manage air threats, coordinate air activity, and de-conflict airspace. The MOD’s VTN outlines the critical role of LEAPP, stating that it “improves the warning and management of air threats, coordination of air activity and de-confliction of airspace, resulting in greater combat effectiveness.”
Lockheed Martin UK Ampthill, as the original system integrator and design authority, is noted by the MOD as possessing the unique technical know-how required to support LEAPP.
The notice further clarifies, “Only the Contractor has the specific know-how and tools to achieve the integration and interface of this software with the corresponding land-based platforms to the required safety and performance standards.” This experience, combined with the proprietary design authority, makes Lockheed Martin UK Ampthill the only viable choice for continued LEAPP support, according to MOD officials.
The MOD added that awarding the contract without prior publication aligns with regulatory allowances, as “the single source procurement…falls within the circumstances set out in regulation 16 (1)(a)(ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011.”
This non-competitive approach is deemed necessary to safeguard the operational integrity and continuity of the LEAPP system, which remains crucial for UK air situational awareness and overall combat readiness.
(Source: MakeUK Defence)
EUROPE
06 Nov 24. French, UK naval chiefs urge dramatic changes in warship design. The pace of change in maritime warfare requires Western navies to innovate faster and work more intimately with industrial partners to defeat evolving threats, the heads of the French and U.K. navies said. Navies can no longer count on ships staying relevant over their 40-year lifespan, and weapon systems will change “dramatically” over such a period, French Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Nicolas Vaujour said at the Euronaval industry conference outside Paris on Monday. Weapon systems may need to be adapted as frequently as every year, requiring ship architecture that allows for systems to be plugged in and changed when needed, Vaujour said.
“We have to build adaptable by design,” Vaujour said. “You must build the ship to be adaptable during 40 years, which is quite tricky.”
Navies from the U.S., China and Russia, as well as France and the U.K., have been testing maritime weaponry ranging from swarming drones and lasers to hypersonic anti-ship missiles and rail guns in the past three years, while progress in artificial intelligence has allowed for increasingly autonomous unmanned vehicles.
Generational technology change is happening much faster than the time it takes to construct a ship, meaning navies need to implement new capabilities “far quicker than the speed at which we can build a hull,” according to Adm. Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff of the U.K.’s Royal Navy.
“So you have to detach the operational capability from the platform that’s going to take you there,” Key said. “That is quite a mindset change for us.”
Ukraine has been using missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and seagoing drones to deny Russia access to much of the Black Sea, despite having little navy to speak of. In the Red Sea, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have targeted commercial vessels with drones and ballistic missiles, prompting freight traffic from Asia to Europe to reroute around Africa.
“If you stay with your old doctrine, you will be dead very rapidly,” Vaujour said. “What we saw in the Red Sea is that we have to adapt very quickly our system.”
The response of the French and British navies to the Houthi threat showed how learning accelerated when the urgency was understood, according to Key.
Both navies worked with MBDA to improve missile performance and software, and “learning time had to be dramatically reduced, because this was no longer a science project being done in the sea off Toulon or in the waters off Plymouth,” Key said.
The lesson was that forces need to be “much sharper” about focusing on the factors that really matter, rather than seeking a perfect solution that will be late, according to the British admiral. That will be a challenge, “because we’ve been brought up in the pursuit of perfection, and actually, we haven’t got time for that,” Key said.
Maritime warfare is experiencing a moment similar to the end of the Age of Sail, when engineers and deep-gunnery specialists became more important on board than the master of sail, according to Key. Going forward, key crew on board will be those able to tap into digital opportunities and needs, the British navy chief said.
“We’re living through kind of one of those moments of really significant change in the way we have to think about the application of power at sea, or maritime power,” Key said.
For the French, one lesson from the Red Sea was that facing a constant threat is “really hard” on crews, and the navy probably needs more people on board, according to Vaujour. “We make the bets to reduce the crew, and I came back from that.”
Systems will be used in ways outside of their design, and crews need “a lot of innovation bias” to come up with untested solutions, according to Vaujour. He cited the use by the French frigate Alsace of a helicopter to shoot down a Houthi drone in March, a scenario that had been tested just weeks earlier in Toulon.
Speeding up innovation will require closer cooperation with industry, according to both admirals. The French navy in coming weeks will start to bring industry engineers on board, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, to help industrial partners understand the onboard needs and to accelerate innovation, Vaujour said. The admiral is also considering having a vessel dedicated for cutting-edge applications.
As the pace of equipment development accelerates, the U.K. navy is looking to its industrial partners to provide training, as well as for more risk sharing between both sides, Key said.
“What we’re seeing in the Black Sea, what we’re seeing in the southern Red Sea, the speed of development that we’re seeing by some of the navies further afield, requires us to have a much more agile mindset about the way we develop our capabilities,” Key said. (Source: glstrade.com/Defense News)
06 Nov 24. Europeans start work on next-generation combat ship for the 2040s. The European Union has started work on a next-generation combat vessel that could enter service somewhere in the 2040s, and the bloc’s defense ministers may sign a letter of intent to pursue the project at a meeting in two weeks, the head of the maritime unit of the European Defence Agency said.
Six EU member states are “very much interested,” including four with bigger navies, Jürgen Scraback, who heads the maritime domain unit at the EDA, told Defense News at the Euronaval conference here, after participating in a panel discussion about the plans.
EU countries are estimated to need at least thirty combat ships in the future, though Scraback said he doesn’t believe all of those would be built within the European Combat Vessel program. The EDA official expects the program budget could exceed €20 bn ($22 bn) in 2024 prices.
“This new generation of vessels will be completely different from the vessels that we have now, because the naval warfare scenario is changing a lot,” said Fernando Miguélez García, chairman of the European Naval Industry Group (ENIG) within the European Aerospace, Security and Defence Industry Association, who was part of the panel discussion.
Design changes would likely entail having a mothership-type capability to carry drones into combat, he added.
EU defense ministers in May tasked the EDA to come up with a concrete project proposal to discuss in November, according to Scraback. The agency held an initial meeting in July to gauge member states’ appetite, followed by a workshop in September to hammer out the high-level requirements for the future vessel.
The future vessel will need to be a compact ship capable of countering “a full spectrum of threats,” including new ones from small UAVs to hypersonic anti-ship missiles, said Ignacio Cuartero, director of the EU Military Staff Concepts and Capabilities directorate within the European External Action Service.
EU defense ministers will meet on Nov. 19 to discuss the project, “so in two weeks’ time, we will get a clear indication what the member states want,” Scraback said. He said Spain and Italy are interested in signing on, while France is not sure yet.
Requirements for the future vessel include a reduced crew, and therefore a high degree of automation, as well as unmanned systems in a range of sizes, according to Scraback.
Based on feedback from member states, the requirement could be for a vessel with a displacement of 8,000 metric tons or more, Scraback said. That’s based on factors such as modularity, the need to embark containerized payloads as well as the ability to equip many small as well as big unmanned systems, according to the EDA official.
By comparison, France’s brand-new FDI defense and intervention frigate displaces 4,500 tons, while the displacement of the French-Italian FREMM frigates is around 6,000 tonnes. The anti-submarine warfare frigates ordered by the Netherlands will have a displacement of 6,650 tons, and Germany’s future F126 frigate will displace around 10,000 tons.
The next generation of combat vessels will have to be “smart ships” that incorporate technologies such as artificial intelligence and a naval combat cloud, according to Cmdr. Alfonso Carrasco of the Spanish Navy’s plans division. Modularity will be important to allow ships to switch between tasks, Carrasco said.
Hypersonic threats will require increased automation and AI to “drastically” reduce reaction time, as well as interconnectivity with other vessels and drones to increase detection capabilities, according to Miguélez García, the ENIG chairman, who is also representative to the EU and NATO for Spanish shipbuilder Navantia.
New directed-energy weapons such as lasers and rail guns will require different types of power generation onboard, including fast energy generation to power those weapons, he said. The future combat vessel will need to be built using new materials such as composites for stealth purposes.
The European naval industry is working to define its technological capability gaps, with the next step seeing how firms can collaborate to close those gaps, according to Miguélez García. The EU industry has “clear gaps” in areas including weapons and sensors, he said.
Companies specialized in weapons are working together to try to define the new types of armaments needed, and how to defend against those weapons, while another group is working on defining the digital architecture and the energy plan required, he said.
The EDA and member states are considering whether to make the future combat vessel a project within the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) framework, which would lock in a commitment by heads of state, Scraback said. (Source: glstrade.com/Defense News)
06 Nov 24. European High-Tech Consortium Submits Proposal for EDF Call to Develop Multipurpose Unmanned Ground Systems. The consortium that successfully delivered the groundbreaking iMUGS (Integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System) project in 2023 has submitted the iMUGS2 proposal, together with new consortium members, in response to the European Defence Fund’s (EDF) call to develop next-generation Multipurpose Unmanned Ground Systems (UGS). Building on the success of iMUGS, the production-capable Consortium is set to revolutionize European military capabilities, enhance battlefield effectiveness and enable the fielding of European unmanned ground systems.
Brief summary:
• The first iMUGS project laid the foundation by enhancing robotic capabilities on the battlefield. The iMUGS2 consortium has expanded to 29 partners from 15 EU member states, including all partners from the first iMUGS project.
• IMUGS2 will transition experimental UGS technology into a cost-effective System-of-Systems (SoS) solution that delivers practical deployable defence capabilities and is mature for national procurement and force integration by 2030.
• iMUGS2 aims to deliver combat-ready Unmanned Ground Systems, operational concepts at the battalion level, enhanced modular architecture for UGS and optionally manned ground platforms and a 72-hour operational trial to demonstrate the solutions’ operational capacity.
Continuing the experience gained from iMUGS, which was successfully carried out and delivered between 2020 and 2023, the Consortium’s recent proposal to the European Defence Fund EDF-2024-DA-GROUND-UGS-STEP call seeks to develop and field cost-effective modular unmanned systems capable of supporting dismounted, mechanized, and motorized infantry across all European environments, including GNSS denied environments and adverse climate conditions. The Consortium has named the project iMUGS2.
Unmanned vehicles (UxVs) have become one of the most significant innovations in modern military operations, as demonstrated during the war in Ukraine. Effective cooperation between UxVs, manned vehicles, operators, and soldiers is essential for increasing combat effectiveness. This collaboration intends to reduce the loss of life, minimize collateral damage, and lower the cognitive burden on warfighters.
The first iMUGS project laid the foundation by enhancing robotic capabilities on the battlefield. Its key achievements included developing a System-of-Systems (SoS) open architecture, advancements in autonomous functions, cyber security measures, communication technologies, and improved command and control systems. Progress was also made in collaborative behaviours like swarming and homogeneous teaming.
iMUGS2 aims to enhance intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities, survivability, situational awareness, mobility, lethality, logistics, and training.
“By leveraging the outcomes of iMUGS, the iMUGS2 project represents a significant leap forward in developing and fielding advanced, cost-effective and combat-ready autonomous ground systems,” said Raul Rikk, Capability Development Director at Milrem Robotics, the consortium lead. “Our goal is to enhance European defence capabilities and develop solutions that are ready for procurement and integration by 2030,” Rikk added.
Using outputs from iMUGS and other European-funded initiatives, iMUGS2 aims to expedite research and move rapidly towards practical, deployable solutions. The enhancement of operational capabilities will be demonstrated through trials with military tactical units. The project will also focus on developing interoperability among European nations and incorporate lessons from recent conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, where several Consortium member systems are deployed.
iMUGS2 has three main outcomes. First, it aims to develop, validate and demonstrate cost-effective, combat-ready UGSs that support dismounted troops at various operational levels and provide practical value in different operations. Second, the project will develop operational concepts demonstrating how UGS and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) can enhance infantry battalion and cross-domain operations capabilities. Third, the project will enhance the modular and open architecture and Through Life Capability Management (TLCM) framework that enables efficient integration of autonomous functionalities with legacy and new systems across unmanned and optionally manned ground platforms, including conversion of manned vehicles.
iMUGS2 aspires to become a European standard due to the collaboration of numerous member states working towards a sovereign modular open architecture.
“It speaks volumes that all participants, member states and companies alike, of the first iMUGS project, have decided to continue with iMUGS2. Furthermore, the iMUGS2 Consortium is twice as large as it was during the first project, now including 29 partners, 15 member states, and numerous subcontractors,” said Rikk.
The Consortium’s efforts reflect a commitment to strengthening Europe’s defence industry, reducing dependency on non-European suppliers, and enhancing interoperability between EU member states’ military forces.
About the Consortium:
The iMUGS2 consortium has expanded to include 29 partners from 15 European Union member states and associated countries, including all initial project partners. The team comprises large industries, mid-sized companies, SMEs, and research organizations. Each partner brings leading expertise in their respective fields, fostering a comprehensive vision throughout the project lifecycle. This diversity enables the consortium to address potential challenges and deliver strategic and efficient solutions.
The iMUGS2 Consortium consists of the following entities: AVL List, Bittium Wireless, Czech Technical University in Prague, Cybernetica, Delft Dynamics, Diehl Defence, dotOcean, Elettronica, Escribano Mechanical and Engineering, FN Herstal, GMV Aerospace and Defence, Huta Stalowa Wola, Insta Advance, Integrated Systems Development, John Cockerill Defense, KNDS France, KNDS Germany, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Latvijas Mobilais Telefons, Łukasiewicz – PIAP, Milrem Robotics (project coordinator), Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, the Royal Military Academy of Belgium, Safran Electronics & Defense, Secura, Svensk Konstruktionstjänst, Systecon Konsult, Talgen Cybersecurity.
About the first iMUGS
The 32,6 MEUR integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System (iMUGS) project created a European-wide architecture for ground and aerial platforms, command, control, and communication equipment, sensors, payloads, and algorithms. The project addressed challenges for interoperability, perception, and decision-making.
It began in late 2020, and all contractual activities, tasks, and operative and technical objectives were reached in May 2023.
Progress was shown in periodic events arranged in all participating Member States: Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain.
The project and the technology developed have given the European Union a pathway to improving its ability to respond to emerging military threats and challenges.
06 Nov 24. Fassmer and A&R join forces for German Navy support ship replacement programme. German companies Fassmer and Abeking & Rasmussen (A&R) are to team up to pursue an upcoming German Navy programme for new MUsE (Mittlere Unterstüzungseinheit schwimmende Einheiten) support ships, the companies announced at the Euronaval 2024 exhibition, held in Paris from 4 to 7 November.
The MUsE is a multi-purpose support ship, which will replace the six Elbe-class Type 404 tenders commissioned in 1993/94 by the 2035 timeframe.
A final requirement document is pending; however, the navy’s intention outlined in the Zielvorstellung Marine 2035+ future capability plan includes logistic and operational support capability, as well as surveillance capability.
Capabilities are further expected to encompass command, deployment of unmanned systems, medical evacuation, and embarkation of forces. With the selection of the Boeing CH-47 Chinook by the German armed forces to succeed the CH-53 fleet, one driver is also likely to be the flight deck size.
According to Fassmer and A&R, this partnership will benefit from the experience of a successful teaming arrangement for a 105 m oceanographic vessel for the Indonesian Navy, which has recently seen transfer of the hull from Indonesia to Germany for outfitting and completion.
The companies also point to their combined experience building naval and governmental vessels, which include offshore patrol vessels, mine-countermeasuresvessels, and multi-purpose ships for the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. (Source: Janes)
06 Nov 24. Eurofighter, Spain to finalise Halcon II buy as negotiations conclude. The consortium is now in the final stages of closing out a follow-on Halcon II buy with Spain, as it looks to chase down further global sales opportunities. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
Eurofighter and Spain have concluded negotiations for the Halcon II follow-on buy of the Typhoon (C.16 in Spanish service), with a deal now set to be signed as part of a wider international sales push for the multirole combat aircraft.
Speaking at the IQPC International Fighter Conference (IFC) 2024 in Berlin on 5 November, Stephan Miegel, chief operating officer programmes at Eurofighter, said that contractual terms for the 25 new Halcon aircraft that were announced in 2023 had now been agreed, ahead of the formal signature between the consortium and the NATO Eurofighter 2000 and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) that manages the programme on behalf of the partner countries.
“Spain is about to order another 25 [Eurofighters]; we have finished the contract negotiations on that one,” Miegel said.
The Spanish Air Force (Ejército del Aire Español: EdAE) now fields 17 Tranche 1, 32 Tranche 2, and 19 Tranche 3 Eurofighters. It has already contracted 20 Tranche 4 jets under Halcon I to be delivered from 2026, with the 25 Tranche 4+ Halcon II aircraft to follow as a partial replacement for the EdAE’s 91 EF-18A and EF-18B Hornet aircraft. Added to these, it may be that a further Tranche 5 Halcon III buy is forthcoming, or the EdAE may acquire the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II in line with its long-standing tradition of operating both a European and a US aircraft type in tandem. (Source: Janes)
04 Nov 24. idD Portugal Defence teams with Damen Shipyards to support Portuguese naval industry. Portuguese state-owned multidomain defence company idD Portugal Defence is working with Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Group to win foreign contracts for the country’s naval industry. The two companies signed a letter of intent (LoI) on 18 October to boost collaboration in shipbuilding and maritime technologies and further integrate the Portuguese defence technological and industrial base (DTIB) into Damen’s supply chain.
This would enable Portuguese firms to enter a supply chain network supporting diverse commercial projects internationally, with the potential to develop long-term export opportunities, according to Damen.
idD, which is jointly subordinated to the Portuguese Ministry of National Defence and Ministry of Finance, is involved activities such as the demilitarisation and deactivation of energy materials, supporting research, development, and innovation projects by local companies, and promoting the Portuguese DTIB. The company also manages the shares that the Portuguese state holds in Arsenal do Alfeite, EMPORDEF – Tecnologias de Informação (ETI), Navalrocha Shipyard, OGMA (Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal), Thales Edisoft Portugal, Explosivos da Trafaria (EXTRA), and EID. In addition, idD has led defence initiatives such as the Defence4Tech Hub, Smart Defence, Cyber Academia and Innovation Hub (CAIH), and Academia do Arsenal, and is responsible for implementing NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) in Portugal. Damen is building the NRP Dom João II (A5209) multi-purpose support vessel for the Portuguese Navy under a November 2023 contract. The ship is scheduled to be commissioned in 2026, Chief of Staff of the Navy Admiral Henrique Eduardo Passaláqua de Gouveia e Melo told Janes. (Source: Janes)
01 Nov 24. EC report proposes a European defence shield against UAS and other airborne threats. The European Commission (EC) has published a defence and security preparedness report by special adviser to the EC and former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö. “We need preparedness and strength not to wage war, but to maintain peace,” Niinistö says in the report, adding that “the risk of Russian aggression beyond Ukraine cannot be excluded”.
“The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has brought the potential of drones to the forefront,” the report notes, adding that sometimes, counter-measures have been produced within weeks of lessons learned on the battlefields, requiring “a more agile procurement and development approach than is customarily pursued in the defence sector”.
In addition, drones that make use of relatively low-level technologies and components are readily accessible to a growing number of non-State actors, making them weapons of choice for attacks against critical infrastructure.
European air defence shield an “urgent and critical requirement”
Niinistö proposes developing a European air defence shield to protect against missiles, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and other threats in and from the air domain, saying such a system is “a critical requirement”. This large-scale project, if approved by Member States, would integrate air defence systems across borders, strengthening operational readiness.
“We see in Ukraine daily how an effective air defence system saves lives and protects critical infrastructure, but also how damaging successful attacks are. Beyond adversarial State actors, non-State actors such as the Houthis in Yemen are developing their capacity to strike with drones at strategic distances, even reaching the southern parts of the EU. And with the lowering threshold other non-State actors, such as terrorist organisations, can potentially use these vehicles as weapons,” the report states.
Niinistö believes Europe has an urgent need to build and sustain an “anti access and area denial” capability for the air domain. The EU has already identified air and missile defence among key priorities that need to be addressed, with various proposals recently made by European governments alongside different ongoing projects. “Air defence is an area where a comprehensive system architecture is needed, with different layers and system modules allowing for multi-stakeholder contributions,” the report notes. “The different ongoing and proposed Member State initiatives in this field could mutually complement each other.”
Contested and congested space
The safety and security of space systems and digital services against growing contestation and threats is another key element of the report. “Space is increasingly congested. The risk of collisions is developing rapidly and can have a catastrophic and cascading effect: More than 1 m pieces of debris larger than 1 cm are currently orbiting the Earth, in addition to an increasing number of satellites, with more than 50, 000 additional satellites expected to be launched over the next decade.”
Niinistö says the ability to autonomously detect and track space objects of interest is limited due to gaps in the sensor network and to the low sensitivity of available sensors. Space is also an increasingly contested domain. “The ability to detect threats in space should be enhanced at the EU level, including through capability development for space situational awareness,” the report notes, citing potential threats from Russia and China in particular. “The EU must be able to respond to threats in space as a global actor.”
In the event of a crisis in space severely impacting the delivery of EU space-based services, Niinistö says the EU would face important capability gaps. More generally, he says the EU needs to be prepared for potential crises in space that are likely to arise in the near future. “The EU should leverage its regulatory power to set up common rules for the resilience, safety and sustainability of space activities in the EU.”
In closing, Niinistö calls for a European-wide ‘preparedness and readiness investment framework’ to jump start these and other European defence and security priorities outlined in the report.
The findings and recommendations of the report will contribute to the work of the EC by providing guidance for various upcoming initiatives, including the Preparedness Union Strategy and the White Paper on the Future of European Defence. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
04 Nov 24. Initial Consortium Agreement for EDF ‘Call 2’ of the Modular and Multirole Patrol Corvette Project signed today at Euronaval.
On the sidelines of the Euronaval exhibition in Paris and following the selection by European Commission in May 2024 of the proposal submitted on November 22nd 2023 by a Consortium of three European shipyards, Navantia (ES), Fincantieri (IT) and Naval Group (FR), together with Naviris (FR/IT), the CEOs of the four Companies have met today for the signature of the Initial Consortium Agreement which aims to rule the execution of the second phase (Call 2) of the Modular and Multirole Patrol Corvette (MMPC) Project. This Consortium is expected to be joined by the Greek engineering company HYDRUS. The Grant Agreement relevant to the Call 2 will be discussed with OCCAR-EA, delegated by the European Commission.
Building on the foundational MMPC Call 1 project (2021) and in the PESCO framework, the commitment by Industry is intensified in MMPC Call 2 and supported by the selection of the proposal by the European Commission (EC) for the maximum EDF budget of 154,5 M€. As identified by the EC, this next step is to be managed by OCCAR-EA, on behalf of the EC.
For this new step, the co-financing commitment of Italy, Spain, France and Greece will reflect a shared investment in the common security and defence objectives outlined by PESCO and the European Commission.
The second phase of the MMPC Project aims at completing the design of the Corvettes and integrating innovative technological bricks which will enable the vessels to host several systems and payloads and perform a broader range of tasks and missions. Furthermore, the second phase of the project will encompass the start of the production of the two first prototypes of the Corvettes: one Long Range Multipurpose version (LRM) and one Full Combat Multipurpose version (FCM) that will make up a base for the future national fleets of advanced corvettes with the final goal of expanding the level of commonality, interoperability and standardisation between the different Member States’ Navies and contributing to five key elements for European autonomy: Economy, Defence, Technology, Industry and Security.
USA
07 Nov 24. NGAD demise has been “grossly exaggerated,” says USAF chief. More thought is needed on what the network will look like before allocating tens of billions of dollars to such an ambitious concept.. Contrary to public misgivings, the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme is still very much alive. Lieutenant General David Tabor, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, US Air Force (USAF), claimed that rumours of NGAD’s demise are “grossly exaggerated” during DefenceiQ’s International Fighter Conference in Berlin on 5 November 2024. The NGAD programme will provide a sixth-generation fighter to replace the stealth F-22 Raptor, but that is just one part of the project. NGAD is a network of different systems: it includes a sixth-generation fighter jet alongside several autonomous collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs). This hybrid structure enables air superiority through mass. So far, Anduril and General Atomics are the two competing vendors in the CCA portion of NGAD.
During the summer of 2024, senior US Air Force officials revealed that they wanted to “pause” the programme, citing cost concerns.
While the service is still pursuing the concept, the initial assumptions about what this future combat air network will look like still needs to be reconsidered in light of changes over the last six years.
“We are at a point where we must re-evaluate exactly what [NGAD] becomes before making an investment worth several bns of dollars,” Tabor reassured his international colleagues.
“The reality is that the NGAD platform was conceived in about 2018 and as it has developed, there have been some changes, but certainly the environment has changed greatly, the assumption has changed greatly. So it’s imperative for us to reassess what that looks like, what is incorporated on it.”
Work continues on NGAD
Looking to hone the autonomy of CCAs, the USAF implemented the VENOM-AFT programme to accelerate testing of autonomy software on crewed and uncrewed aircraft.
As part of this endeavour, F-16s were modified as test platforms to rapidly evaluate autonomous capabilities. During these tests, the pilots operated in the cockpit to monitor the autonomy and to ensure flight and mission systems test objectives were met.
The goal of VENOM is for the Air Force to rapidly iterate and expand the body of knowledge for potential autonomy and payload solutions.
It is also worth noting that the Biden administration has requested $2.75bn for research and development for an NGAD platform and $557m for CCA for the fiscal year (FY) 2025. This amount is projected to rise in the outyear estimates to $5.72bn by FY2029.
Alongside NGAD, the USAF is also pursuing a number of major programmes including Block IV modernisation in the F-35 programme; B-21 Raider bomber; Minuteman III ICBM replacement; and the LGM-35 Sentinel among others.
Tabor concluded: “I’m certainly concerned about appropriate funding for all of this change that’s happening simultaneously across a series of major programmes.” Nevertheless, he added, “we have a compelling narrative.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)
REST OF THE WORLD
07 Nov 24. EDGE signs MoU with Brazilian Navy. It focuses on deepening technical, operational, and logistical cooperation to develop advanced counter-drone defence systems.
The preliminary agreement was formalised by Brazilian Navy and EDGE representatives. Credit: © EDGE PJSC Group.
EDGE has reached a partnership agreement with the Brazilian Navy, setting the stage for joint efforts in developing autonomous surface and aerial defence systems, aimed at enhancing mutual strategic capabilities.
The two companies signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at EURONAVAL, a naval exhibition currently taking place in Paris.
The MoU focuses on deepening technical, operational, and logistical cooperation to jointly develop and deploy anti-drone systems for use in naval operations.
The preliminary agreement was formalised by Brazilian Navy Material director general Edgar Luiz Siqueira Barbosa and EDGE managing director and CEO Hamad Al Marar.
Edgar Luiz Siqueira Barbosa said: “This preliminary agreement to pursue the joint development and delivery of sophisticated counter-drone technologies and solutions will not only ensure that both parties benefit from the sharing of knowledge and innovation but will also enable us, as partners, to become leaders in the field, meeting sovereign needs and eventually those of other export markets in the face of modern naval and airborne threats.”
EDGE said that counter-drone systems incorporates advanced, integrated technologies, enhancing naval defence.
These systems combine high-value sensors, such as radars and electro-optics, with signal-jamming capabilities to neutralise drone threats by disrupting control signals.
Hamad Al Marar said: “Counter-drone technology is a vital solution required worldwide, addressing the increasing presence of unmanned vehicles in modern defence scenarios.
“These systems bring advanced capabilities in detecting, tracking, and neutralising evolving threats, and we are focused on furthering this development to deliver a truly cutting-edge system to market.”
In September 2024, EDGE Group signed a strategic partnership with the Brazilian Navy to complete the development of the Navy’s National Anti-Ship Missile (MANSUP) by the end of 2025.
EDGE Group, in collaboration with SIATT, will provide the necessary resources to ensure the MANSUP missile system is delivered on schedule for integration into the Brazilian Navy’s Tamandaré class of stealth frigates. (Source: naval-technology.com)
04 Nov 24. Indonesia secures facility to fund acquisition of Italian PPAs. Indonesia has secured a loan facility to fund the acquisition of two multirole offshore patrol ships (Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura: PPA) from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, sources close to the matter have confirmed to Janes. Loan syndication process for the USD1.25bn facility was led by BNP Paribas with the involvement of Crédit Agricole and supported by Italian insurance-financial institution SACE, according to documents provided by the sources.
These documents also reveal that the Indonesian government will name its two PPAs KRI Brawijaya and KRI Prabu Siliwangi with pennant numbers 320 and 321 respectively.
Accordingly, these vessels will be applied with the flight deck markings of BWJ and PBS respectively, the documents reveal.
A formal signing ceremony for the facility is expected to take place between the Indonesian Ministry of Finance and the joint lenders before the end of 2024.
Fincantieri disclosed in March 2024 that it has signed a EUR1.18bn (USD1.29) contract for two PPAs with the Indonesian Ministry of Defense.
The PPA is a class of 143 m warships that can be configured for a wide spectrum of missions ranging from ‘light’ low-tempo maritime surveillance operations to ‘full combat’ higher-end warfighting scenarios.
Depending on the configuration, the vessels displace between 5,800 and 6,300 tonnes each.
Thus far, the Italian Navy has commissioned three of the vessels as its Thaon Di Revel class, and these ships were inducted between March 2022 and September 2023.
For the contract it signed with Indonesia, the PPAs that will be supplied were originally destined for the Italian Navy, Fincantieri said in its statement, and will likely be supplied in the ‘light plus’ configuration.
(Source: Janes)
04 Nov 24. $3bn Australian JP9102 satcom project to be axed, claims report. The federal government is set to sensationally axe the ‘JP 9102’ project to deliver a new military satellite communication capability for Australia, according to a new report.
The Australian claims the $3 bn deal, arguably the biggest and most significant in the sector, has been shelved as Defence doesn’t have enough money to complete the project.
It significantly comes after Labor made a series of wide-ranging cuts to space last year, including a $32.3m pledge to help Australia’s spaceports and abolishing the $1bn National Space Mission for Earth Observation (NSMEO).
JP 9102 was only signed off just 18 months ago, with prime contractor Lockheed Martin beating big-hitters including Boeing, Northrop Grumman Australia, and Optus to become the “preferred tenderer”.
However, it’s unknown whether Lockheed formally had the final contract signed after it entered the last formal stages of negotiation.
If approved, JP 9102 was set to create more than 200 direct jobs, while Lockheed Martin itself pressed ahead with making key appointments for its staff to oversee it.
The plan would have seen the launch of a new geostationary satellite alongside multiple ground stations and an advanced satellite management system, creating secure communications that the ADF would have used.
“There is no money. There needs to be money to actually start the program,” a defence source told the newspaper.
If true, the news would be a huge blow to the space sector, already reeling from last year’s cuts.
The separate axing of the $1bn NSMEO led to Swinburne University professor Alan Duffy telling journalists the cuts had a “chilling” effect on the industry, while Equatorial Launch Australia CEO Michael Jones argued the sector was a low priority for the government.
“Call it what it is: the lack of federal government support with the change in government makes me nervous, and it makes the job really hard,” said Jones last year.
He hinted he believes space is now an afterthought for the Department of Industry, Science and Resources and quipped you had to “look hard” on its website to even spot the Australian Space Agency.
“Poor Enrico [Palermo, head of the ASA] is three or four levels down in that organization, and that really worries me. As an industry, we had claims last year that we’re looking for 20,000 jobs and $20 bn of economic stimulus in the future. We’re not going to get there if we don’t support the industry.
“Because as we travel around the world trying to get rocket companies to come to Australia, there are a number of impediments for them that we have to design strategies to overcome.
“We’re also competing against sovereign entities almost everywhere, who are supporting the industry in very, very financial and demonstrable ways, which make it hard for us to compete.”
(Source: Space Connect)
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