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31 Jul 19. Oshkosh Corporation Unveils Refreshed Branding and New Website. Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), a leading innovator of mission-critical vehicles and equipment, today launched a refreshed brand identity and new website. The move is a major milestone for the company, which has more than a century of experience building some of the industry’s toughest specialty vehicles, vehicle bodies and access equipment.
“A strong brand is critical to the success of the company and is truly a beacon for the entire business”
“We have evolved as an organization over time and wanted our brand to reflect who we are today.” said Wilson R. Jones, Oshkosh Corporation president and chief executive officer. “We are a company focused on making a difference with passionate innovators developing technology for those who count on our products every day. Oshkosh is a unique global company comprised of leading brands with a People First culture.”
The new brand is unveiled on the overhauled OshkoshCorp.com website. The site is centered on the company’s impact, its culture, innovation, strong manufacturing heritage, history of perseverance and its vision for the future.
“A strong brand is critical to the success of the company and is truly a beacon for the entire business,” Jones added. “We couldn’t be more excited for this evolution of our brand and important milestone in our history.”
To explore the website and see the new branding, please visit www.oshkoshcorp.com. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
02 Aug 19. Enhancing support for Australia’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. Defence Minister Linda Reynolds and Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price have announced a five-year, $91m agreement between Defence and Lockheed Martin Australia to ensure the efficient delivery of sustainment support for the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.
Together with the heads of agreement announced in February this year, the strategic deed is the first of its kind strategic agreement to be signed by the Commonwealth and provides a contractual framework for Lockheed Martin Australia and the Department of Defence that will underpin all F-35 sustainment contracts in Australia. Under the framework, Lockheed Martin Australia leads a team of local partners that have been successful in securing regional and local F-35 sustainment assignments.
Minister Reynolds said the support agreement for the logistics system consolidates existing arrangements provided through the US F-35 Joint Program Office and into one Australian managed contract with Lockheed Martin Australia.
“This is a significant milestone towards achieving initial operating capacity for the F-35A. It delivers a more responsive and cost-effective solution for key aspects of Australian F-35A maintenance management, and will create up to 60 jobs in the Canberra, Adelaide, Hunter and Katherine regions,” Minister Reynolds explained.
The strategic deed also establishes Australia as the first partner with which Lockheed Martin has entered into a direct, long-term commercial agreement for F-35 sustainment.
The IMAS contract, which is the first such contract to be signed under the strategic deed, appoints Lockheed Martin Australia to deliver Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) support including administration services, mission combat system support and cyber accreditation for Australia’s F-35 program. The IMAS contract will support 60 new skilled jobs, cementing the centre as the core F-35 sustainment capability in the region.
Minister Price said the signing of the agreement highlighted the Morrison government’s commitment to creating more Australian jobs in the JSF program.
“There are more than 50 Australian companies delivering parts fitted to every JSF globally, sharing $1.3bn in work. This number is expected to almost double to $2bn by 2023 and employ 5,000 people across Australia,” Minister Price said.
Interim chief executive of Lockheed Martin Australia, Scott Thompson, said the strategic deed and IMAS agreements represented a critical step in establishing a sustainment capability that will meet the Royal Australian Air Force’s fifth-generation needs.
“As the original equipment manufacturer and lead sustainment partner globally, we are proud to partner with the Department of Defence to lead sustainment support for the Australian F-35 program,” Thompson said.
Thompson told Defence Connect, “Our new contracts with the Department of Defence are a world first and are an important step in developing fifth-generation sovereign capability, providing an opportunity for potentially billions of dollars’ worth of new sustainment contracts for local industry. This announcement builds on announcements made by LMA to support sovereign industry development in country, for example, Lockheed Martin Australia has signed agreements with the University of Newcastle and TAFE NSW to help nurture Australia’s future F-35 workforce in the Hunter region.”
Air Commodore Damien Keddie, Director-General Joint Strike Fighter Division, expanded on the comments made by Thompson, telling Defence Connect, “These agreements are the next stage in maturing the sovereign maintenance and sustainment program for Australia’s F-35 capability and the sovereign sustainment and capability for Australia.
“This is important for supporting the sovereign capability of the Australian F-35 and the ALIS agreement is particularly important because working with Lockheed Martin Australia enables us to keep the mission data and fidelity of the information generated by Australia’s JSFs in our hands while supporting the development of Australia’s sovereign industry.”
The F-35A ALIS is an off-board information system that provides fault diagnosis, maintenance management, supply support, and mission planning and training management.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 JSF is billed as a catalyst for the fifth-generation revolution, changing the face and capability of the Royal Australian Air Force and the wider ADF.
For the RAAF, the F-35A’s combination of full-spectrum, low-observable stealth coatings and materials, advanced radar-dispersing shaping, network-centric sensor and communications suites – combined with a lethal strike capability – means the aircraft will be the ultimate force-multiplying, air-combat platform.
More than 340 F-35s are operating today with partner nations, more than 700 pilots and 6,500 maintainers have been trained, and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 170,000 cumulative flight hours.
Over the coming years, Australia will purchase 72 of the advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft as part of the $17bn AIR 6000 Phase 2A/B program – which is aimed at replacing the ageing F/A-18A/B Classic Hornets that have been in service with the RAAF since 1985. (Source: Defence Connect)
30 Jul 19. Raytheon, Ducommun sign new strategic supplier agreement. Raytheon Company’s (NYSE: RTN) Missile Systems business has signed a new strategic supplier agreement with Ducommun (NYSE: DCO). The new initiative gives Ducommun the ability to engage in more opportunities on virtually every program within the RMS portfolio.
“This agreement enables Ducommun to expand on the work it has done with us for more than three decades, and could help foster even more competition within our supply base,” said Eugene Jaramillo, Raytheon Missile Systems vice president of Global Supply Chain Management.
Raytheon Missile Systems spends approximately $4bn annually with suppliers around the globe. Ducommun currently provides RMS with electronics, circuit card assemblies, harnessing cables and more for both core and emerging programs.
“We see this agreement with Raytheon Missile Systems as an ideal way for us to grow our business even further with this strategic customer,” said Stephen Oswald, Ducommun’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Raytheon is treating us as a true partner, enabling us to expand upon our already strong relationship in new and exciting areas, and we value their support and trust.”
Raytheon selected Ducommun Performance Center in Monrovia, California, as a 2019 Raytheon Supplier Excellence Program Premier Award winner in the partnership category.
About Ducommun
Ducommun is a global provider of manufacturing and engineering services, developing innovative electronic, engineered and structural solutions for complex applications in aerospace, defense and industrial markets. Our full-service collaborative approach, broad capabilities and value-added services like new product introduction, supply chain strategies and program management deliver value for our customers and innovative solutions for their complex electronic and structural needs.
01 Aug 19. Frazer-Nash, has been awarded a leading role on the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s (Dstl) SERAPIS framework. The six-year, £220 to £300m research framework has been set up to manage all Dstl’s research in command, control, communications, computers, information/intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (C4ISR) and space systems, synthetic environments and simulation technology. The framework is split into six lots, each titled with its core purpose. Frazer-Nash will lead Lot 6, titled ‘Understand’, in collaboration with its partners: world-class innovator in science and engineering, Roke Manor Research; Digital Catapult, the UK’s leading advanced digital technology innovation centre; and academic centre of excellence, the University of Birmingham. The team will work proactively with Dstl to shape its requirements, convert these to tasks, and ensure their delivery, providing strong, responsive and consistent framework management that enables Dstl to get a better return on its investment in research.
Chris Cullis, Frazer-Nash Defence Business Manager, said: “The work of the SERAPIS framework will be crucial as, in an era of reduced combat capability mass, C4ISR is the area where the UK can assure future battlefield success. Information will be a key battle-winning factor. Working with our partners, we will offer Dstl confident access to small to medium enterprises (SMEs) which can deliver the agile solutions it needs. These industry partners will, in turn, be able to develop and improve the services they provide in support of UK defence research.”
Paul MacGregor, Managing Director of Roke said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Roke to deploy our market leading capabilities in data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Our experience in these areas will allow the UK’s defence and security organisations to present a richer, more accurate, and timely picture of the operating environment to analysts, leaders and decision makers.”
Christian Beck, Product Lead at Digital Catapult, said: “Digital Catapult is pleased to be supporting the UK’s defence research effort in a period of unprecedented challenge driven by the pace of change in technology. We bring unique capability in driving the adoption of advanced digital technologies through our experience delivering facilities and programmes which foster collaborative research and development to solve real industrial problems. Working with our partners we will endeavour to help SERAPIS access non-traditional suppliers and a pool of talent and capability that can drive competitive advantage.”
28 Jul 19. Australia flexes Canberra class’ amphibious capabilities with first-ever M1A1 embark. Key Points:
- A Royal Australian Navy’s Canberra-class amphibious ship has embarked an M1A1 main battle tank for the first time
- The operation was conducted as Australia inches closer towards attaining final operational capability
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has conducted the first-ever embark of an Australian Army M1A1 main battle tank (MBT) onboard its Canberra-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) vessel.
Images and information released via the official social media account of the RAN’s chief, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, indicate that the embark was carried out on HMAS Canberra (L 02) on 25 July.
As part of the operation, an M1A1 tank was transported from Canberra to the beach via an LCM-1E mechanised landing craft bearing the pennant number L4408. “Our amphibious capability stands ready to defend Australia and our national interests”, said Vice Adm Noonan in his post.
Canberra is one of two LHDs in service with the RAN, with the other being HMAS Adelaide (L 01). The ship has an overall length of 230m, an overall beam of 32 m, and a hull draught of 7 m. Its flight deck is 202m long and features six helicopter landing spots, but the vessel can accommodate up to 18 aircraft. The vessel’s well dock is 69.3m long and 16.8m wide, and can accommodate up to four LCM-1E vessels, in addition to four rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs), although the latter is typically carried only when mission requirements call for it. The vessel can carry up to 150 land vehicles, including MBTs on two decks, and can embark up to 1046 troopers. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
31 Jul 19. Dstl partners with game developer Slitherine for decision support. The UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has announced a two-year £1.5m contract with Epsom-based strategic games developer Slitherine to develop decision support tools based on military simulation games. The tools, originally developed as commercial games, allow users to simulate war scenarios on different scales from large operations to a mission level.
Dstl selected the products because of their ease of access. While bespoke military tools often require training to access the commercial nature of the games makes them relatively easy to pick up and use.
A Dstl principal analyst said: “We work on computer-assisted wargaming and manual wargaming. I have played strategy video games myself, even some of the titles that we looked at for this project. They are generally easier to learn how to use and have far larger user bases than analytical defence simulations.
“Of course there are things we can’t use these for. Our own simulation modelling, as well as more traditional manual wargaming, is still vital. It’s just another tool for the job.”
Dstl first used the tools with the Royal Navy, leading to one of the games being trialled for educational purposes.The games are currently being used by the US Department of Defence (DoD) to simulate fuel consumption and loitering times in the Air Force, and more broadly for wargaming simulations.
The German Luftwaffe is also using Slitherine’s tools to train air force officers in aerial tactics and combat.
Dstl division head for defence and security analysis, Rob Solly, Said: “We are excited to be working with a non-traditional supplier such as Slitherine, supporting the UK’s prosperity agenda.
“We are always looking for creative, collaborative solutions to the challenges of effective and user-friendly wargaming and simulation.”
The Dstl analyst added: “We’ll use these tools with our own data and scenarios to provide better ways of visualising military problems. The benefits are accessibility and ease of use, and the number of existing users there are.
“For example, we’ve been able to train users quicker by going out to Dstl staff who have played these games and training them to use them in a professional capacity.”
Dstl is enhancing three of the company’s games, Command, Flashpoint Campaigns and Combat Missions to meet the needs of the UK’s Armed Forces.
Command, in use by the DoD, features large maps and the ability to simulate large-scale operations using one of the largest databases of military equipment in the world. The database includes weapons and systems from 1946 through to the near future with developmental systems.
At a press event, Dstl said they could use the tool to identify which developmental platforms to take forward, and help decide approaches to future systems.
The software also has the ability to receive input from existing simulators, allowing militaries to couple more advanced smaller scale simulators with a larger picture of a battlefield. This can allow flight simulators to control in-software fighter jets instead of artificial intelligence.
The tools can export data from a scenario which can then be analysed by military officers to improve future decision making.
Slitherine’s games are currently in use in the armed forces of the US, UK, Japan, Germany, France and more, and by defence contractors including BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin. (Source: army-technology.com)
31 Jul 19. CPI Aero to supply modification kits for USAF’s T-38 jet trainer. CPI Aerostructures has received a $65.7m contract to provide modification kits for the sustainment of the US Air Force’s (USAF) T-38 Talon supersonic jet trainer aircraft.
Pursuant to the indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract, CPI Aero will provide structural modification kits, programme management, logistics, and other sustainment services for T-38A/B/C sustainment.
The contract will support the third phase of the T-38C Pacer Classic III fuselage structural modification kit integration program (PC III) and the Talon repair inspection and maintenance (TRIM) programme.
The USAF Life Cycle Management Center has awarded the first delivery order worth $3.4m under the contract to CPI Aero.
The two programmes, PC III and TRIM, are designed to expand the structural lifespan of the T-38 beyond 2030.
CPI Aero president and CEO Douglas McCrosson said: “We are honoured to have been chosen by the US Air Force to continue our work on PC III and begin work on TRIM, two programmes that are essential to the critical mission of training our future military aviators.
“This contract recognises our excellent past performance as a prime contractor to the USAF and our long history with the T-38 platform that dates back to 2001. It is a testament to our reputation as an exceptional supply chain partner and leverages the investments we have made in developing world-class engineering, supply chain management and programme management capabilities.”
The contract includes a three-year base performance period for the PCIII Phase III requirement and an option for an additional year.
CPI Aero is expected to provide logistics services for the TRIM requirement for a ten-year ordering period. The contract for this programme consists of an option for an extension by one year.
In 2015, CPI Aero won a contract for delivering kits and services to the USAF under Phase 2 of the PC III programme. That contract will run until 2021. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
29 Jul 19. Indian Navy commissions sixth of eight Mk IV landing craft. The IN commissioned its sixth of eight Mk IV LCUs in a ceremony held in Visakhapatnam on 29 July. The Indian Navy (IN) commissioned its sixth of eight indigenously designed and built Mk IV landing craft utility (LCU) vessels in a ceremony held at Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam on 29 July. Named IN LCU L-56 , the 62.8 m vessel, which was developed and constructed by state-owned shipyard Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata, has joined five other vessels of the class – L-51, L-52, L-53, L-54, L-55 – which entered service in March 2017, August 2017, April 2018, May 2018, and December 2018, respectively.
The remaining two LCUs of the class, all of which have been launched, are in advanced stages of construction in Kolkata.
Each vessel of the class has a crew of 50, including five officers, and is fitted with “state-of-the-art equipment and advanced systems” such as a locally designed integrated bridge system (IBS) and an integrated platform management system (IPMS), according to the IN.
Each of the vessels has a standard displacement of 830 tonnes and is capable of transporting up to 160 troops, armoured vehicles, and other military equipment such as containerised mission modules for amphibious and sealift operations.
Based at the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), these vessels will also be deployed for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions and limited search-and-rescue duties when required.
Each of the LCUs is powered by two German-built MTU 16V 4000 M53 diesel engines and can attain a top speed of 15kt, with a standard range of 1,500n miles (2,778km) at 12kt.
Each of the LCUs is armed with the 30mm CRN-91 naval gun – manufactured by the state-owned Ordnance Factory Medak – which is complemented by an electro-optical fire- control system supplied by Bharat Electronics Limited. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
28 Jul 19. Australian Army trials logistics UGV during ‘Talisman Sabre’ 2019. The Australian Army has tested the six-wheeled Mission Adaptable Platform System unmanned ground vehicle at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland during Exercise ‘Talisman Sabre’ 2019. The Australian Army has trialled a 6×6 unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) called the Mission Adaptable Platform System (MAPS) mule during the latest edition of the biennial ‘Talisman Sabre 2019’ (‘TS19’), which was held in Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland, and concluded on 27 July.
The MAPS UGV was employed by army units including the 9th Force Support Battalion (9FSB) and 2nd General Health Battalion (2GHB) to test and validate new operational concepts, according to an announcement by the Australian Department of Defence (DoD).
The baseline MAPS – formerly designated the DSV Modular Mule – is a semi-autonomous multirole UGV developed by Australian company Praesidium Global, measuring 2.33 m long, 1.86 m wide, and 0.98 m tall. The 950 kg, electrically powered vehicle can achieve a top speed of up to 8 km/h depending on the terrain and can carry a payload in excess of 500 kg. A 48 V DC battery rated at 200aH provides a run-time of up to 6 hours.
“Coming up with how we were going to incorporate them into our daily routine was hard initially, but the more we used it, the more we found ways to integrate it,” 9FSB workshop platoon commander Lieutenant Patrick Mueller noted in the DoD report, noting that missions undertaken by the UGV included food and water replenishment and equipment transport. Other resupply tasks for expendables such as ammunition and field stores – such as electrical wiring and sandbags – were also explored.
According to the DoD, the vehicle can be configured for specialist roles through use of hydraulic crane arm attachments, a surveillance module, and combat litters for the evacuation of wounded soldiers.
The 2FSB also noted its ease of operation, with troops being able to control the vehicle using just four buttons with a commercially available gaming controller. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
29 Jul 19. Bundeswehr selects new replenishment tanker. The Generalinspekteur der Bundeswehr (German Chief of Defence Staff), General Eberhard Zorn, selected a new replenishment tanker on 17 July, the German Navy announced on its website on 26 July. The two new Type 707 replenishment tankers will be able to carry 15,000m3 of fuel and 20 containers, compared with 11,500 m3 and two containers for the two Type 704 Rhön-class tankers Rhön and Spessart they will replace. Therefore, they will be bigger, with a length of 170m and a planned displacement of over 20,000 tonnes, compared with 130m and 14,200 tonnes, respectively, for the Rhön class. However, the two classes’ draught will be the same – 8m – to avoid having to dredge the Wilhelmshaven Naval Base on the North Sea for them to dock at. The Type 707 will have a speed of over 20kt, compared with 16kt for the Type 704, so they can keep up with other warships such as frigates, according to the German Navy, which expects the new class to serve until the 2050s. The new Type 707 tanker will have a crew of 42, similar to the Type 704 it will replace. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
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About Oshkosh Defense
Oshkosh Defense is a leading provider of tactical wheeled vehicles and life cycle sustainment services. For decades Oshkosh has been mobilizing military and security forces around the globe by offering a full portfolio of heavy, medium, light and highly protected military vehicles to support our customers’ missions. In addition, Oshkosh offers advanced technologies and vehicle components such as TAK-4® independent suspension systems, TerraMax™ unmanned ground vehicle solutions, Command Zone™ integrated control and diagnostics system, and ProPulse® diesel electric and on-board vehicle power solutions, to provide our customers with a technical edge as they fulfill their missions. Every Oshkosh vehicle is backed by a team of defense industry experts and complete range of sustainment and training services to optimize fleet readiness and performance. Oshkosh Defense, LLC is an Oshkosh Corporation company [NYSE: OSK].
To learn more about Oshkosh Defense, please visit us at www.oshkoshdefense.com.
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