LOCATIONS
LAND
03 Jul 24. MilDef expands its premises capacity in Swedish integration services. To meet growing demand for integration services in the Swedish market, MilDef is expanding its premises capacity in the Stockholm region. The construction of a new business-adapted property with over 6,000 square meters of office and production space quadruples MilDef’s capacity in integration services and opens up for larger assignments. Construction is expected to start in the fall of 2024, with move in one year later.
MilDef’s growth in integration services has led to the business outgrowing its existing production facility north of Stockholm. Existing business premises limit further expansion, why MilDef has agreed with real estate developer LEJE Fastigheter AB on the construction of a new office and production facility in Rosersberg. The new property will offer MilDef business-adapted production premises and offices. All with the highest focus on the needs of the business and the employees’ work environment.
“After the launch of our modern office and production facility in Helsingborg and last year’s opening of an assembly plant in Cardiff, it is now time to focus on our growing integration business in the Stockholm region. We are creating business premises that are well adapted for more efficient production while offering a good working environment for our employees. Quite simply, a springboard for continued acceleration on our growth journey and without a doubt a new milestone for MilDef,” says Daniel Ljunggren, President and CEO of MilDef.
“It feels fantastic to move to premises adapted to our operations and to gather all production staff under one roof. With a quadrupled production area, we have the opportunity to take on larger and more advanced assignments in Sweden, in premises adapted to existing and future operations,” says Carl Runemar, MD Sweden/Finland.
With the investment in a new office and production facility a natural hub for the part of the business that works towards the Swedish market is created. The location is chosen based on access to both highway, air and public transport. The new facility is also part of the consolidation of the company’s rental premises in the Stockholm region.
MARITIME
03 Jul 24. China again offers Thailand-ordered S26T submarine to Indonesia. Officials from China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) were in Jakarta to once again offer the S26T diesel-electric submarine (SSK), which was originally ordered for Thailand, to Indonesia.
Janes can confirm that the CSSC officials were at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) office on 28 June to make a presentation on the S26T SSK and how it can be customised for the Indonesian Navy’s requirements, despite the vessel having gone through its build process.
In attendance at the meeting physically were senior officials from the Indonesian MoD, while representatives from the Indonesian Navy’s submarine operations command and its Armada II’s submarine command joined via a video link. During the presentation CSSC officials assured the Indonesian MoD that its S26T submarine offer for Indonesia would not be faced with the same types of export restrictions experienced by the intended recipient of the boat, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN).
In particular, the CSSC officials posited that it would be able to incorporate engines from a vendor of choice, including MTU, into the S26T SSK. And in an apparent move to sweeten the deal, CSSC’s offer for Indonesia includes a modification package that would enable the S26T SSK to deploy and launch the Chinese-made YJ-18 torpedo tube-launched anti-ship cruise missile.
Other than that, the S26T SSK would largely retain the features originally ordered for the RTN, including its air independent propulsion (AIP) system.
Thailand signed a THB13.5bin (USD366.5m) contract with China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Company (CSOC) for the S26T SSK, which is essentially a modified version of the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN’s) Yuan class, in 2017. (Source: Janes)
01 Jul 24. UAE Navy receives second Gowind corvette from France.
The first of the UAE Navy’s Gowind corvettes was delivered in late-2023, with the second due to arrive in Abu Dhabi in August.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken delivery of a second Gowind corvette from French defence prime Naval Group, with the vessel and crew to continue operational training ahead of its transit to Abu Dhabi later in July 2024.
The new corvette, Al Emarat, was manufactured by Naval Group at its Lorient shipyard and launched in May 2022. The vessel started sea trials in October 2023, around the same time as the first-in-class corvette, Bani Yas, was delivered.
It is expected at Al Emerat will arrive in the UAE in August, where it will begin to take up operations with the UAE Navy.
The delivery ceremony of the Al Emarat, ordered by the UAE to Naval Group, took place on 27 June 2024, in the presence of an official delegation of the UAE Navy led by the deputy commander of the UAE Navy, Brig Abdulla Al Mehairbi.
During French President Emmanuel Macron’s November 2017 visit to the UAE, the two countries officially announced that Abu Dhabi had chosen to acquire the Gowind corvette, with the initial build of two vessel with two additional platforms on option.
The projected contract allocation for four units of these corvettes over 2023–33 is expected to amount to approximately $1.7bn, with an anticipated per unit price of approximately $425m.
In focus: the Gowind corvette
In total, ten Gowind corvettes have been delivered to domestic and international customers, including Egypt, the UAE, and Argentina. The Gowind platform design is split into three distinct variants: a 1,000-tonne offshore patrol vessel, a 2,500 tonne corvette, and a 3,500 tonne light frigate.
However, national specifications and outfitting varies depending on requirements, and create a wide displacement band of the vessels manufactured to date.
The type delivered to the UAE Navy is the Gowind 2500 variant, which has a slightly increased displacement of around 2,800 tonnes and a length of 102 metres.
Exact equipment details are uncertain, although Naval Group states the Gowind 2500 design is able to be fitted with a 76mm main gun, and up to two 20mm secondary weapons systems.
The design can also accommodate a 16-cell vertical launch system for MICA surface-to-air missiles and 2 x 4 quad-canister MBDA MM40 Exocet missile launchers for anti-ship warfare.
All Gowind designs can be fitted with Naval Group’s Panoramic Sensors and Intelligence Module (PSIM), which was developed specifically for the programme. The PSIM is distinctly visible in available imagery of the UAE’s Gowind corvettes.
PSIM combines several functional chains of the combat system from sensors to computing capabilities and operator consoles. Because PSIM is a modular part of the ship it can be built separately, activated, tested, and used for training ashore prior to integration on the hull.
The use of an integrated mast has a number of benefits over more standard sensor superstructures, such as the conventional layout of a US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer including reduced radar cross section and improved ergonomics.
A spokesperson from Naval Group told Naval Technology’s sister publication Global Defence Technology in June that in addition to the need for 360° coverage on PSIM, “strong transmitters and sensitive receivers are positioned on the same vertical, so that they don’t pollute each other from an electromagnetic compatibility point of view. Some antennas need zenithal coverage, which means no obstacles at maximum elevation.” (Source: naval-technology.com)
AIR
03 Jul 24. Chinese AG600 aircraft enters initial batch production. The CAIGA AG600 Kunlong large amphibious aircraft will be supplied to Chinese government entities as a firefighting and maritime rescue aircraft. The PLA will almost certainly employ it as a maritime patrol and transport aircraft. (VCG/VCG via Getty Image)
China’s CAIGA AG600 Kunlong large amphibious aircraft has entered “a new phase” of low-rate initial batch production and final assembly, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) said.
With an estimated payload-carrying capacity of 12 tonnes, the AG600 is being designed for various applications, such as maritime search and rescue, patrol, and amphibious transport. According to AVIC, the programme entered the production stage after the nose for the first batch-produced AG600 was delivered on 30 June.
This “marked the transition of the AG600 aircraft from the development phase to batch production”, AVIC said, according to the state-owned media.
According to AVIC, the nose of the aircraft required three months to produce. “The Central and Southern Regional Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China carried out the airworthiness compliance inspection for the manufacturing of this large airframe segment,” the state-owned media said.
The next step in the programme is the final assembly of the production AG600 units at AVIC’s General Huanan Aircraft Industry Co, Ltd factory at Zhuhai in China’s Guangdong province. According to AVIC, the AG600 will obtain its type certificate by the end of 2024. “After obtaining the type certificate, it will be delivered to the customer,” AVIC said.
The corporation has not said which Chinese government entities will receive the initial production batch of aircraft. (Source: Janes)
28 Jun 24. US gifts C-130 Hercules to Botswana. The United States has delivered a C-130H Hercules cargo aircraft to Botswana to enhance the country’s ability to support military, humanitarian, and emergency response missions locally and within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The handover coincided with the Africa Chiefs of Defence Conference held in Botswana this week.
The US Embassy in Gaborone said the aircraft (OM4) arrived in Botswana on 24 May and was formally handed over at Sir Seretse Khama International airport in a ceremony on Thursday 27 June.
The aircraft is worth $30m (400m Pula) and was delivered under the United States Air Force Excess Defence Articles programme.
“The transfer of this aircraft from the United States to Botswana is a testament to how the US and Botswana work together to further a shared commitment to peace, security, and prosperity in the region,” stated US Ambassador to Botswana Howard Van Vranken.
“The United States is honoured to play a role in ensuring that the Botswana Defence Force has the capability to perform vital missions not only in Botswana, but when called upon regionally as well.
“The delivery of this plane on the heels of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference underscores the theme for this week: ‘Together on the Ramparts.’ It’s a tangible example of the United States and Botswana’s commitment to meaningfully contribute to regional stability, safety, and prosperity,” Van Vranken added.
“This donation enhances Botswana’s strategic airlift capabilities and supports your national and regional objectives. From Botswana’s track record of utilising the older C-130B aircraft, this new addition will undoubtedly play pivotal roles in a variety of missions, including delivering humanitarian aid and supporting peacekeeping missions — much as the C-130B did for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in Mozambique.
“We look forward to seeing the Hercules aircraft flying safely in many missions that benefit both Botswana and the broader SADC region,” the Ambassador concluded.
Kagiso Mmusi, Minister of Defence and Security, said the handover has made him very happy. “The C-130H couldn’t have come at a better time than this moment. Just a year ago, the last C-130B, which has served us fabulously for a quarter of a century, was grounded. This happened…just after it had deployed our troops to Cabo Delgado under the SADC mission in Mozambique (SAMIM). Then it delivered disaster relief to Malawi following the recent floods in that sister nation.
“This region has not been spared from the ever-growing effects of global warming, which have increased the frequency and severity of climate-related natural disasters with the resultant deaths and destruction. I cannot overemphasise the value of the C-130 aircraft in our response to contingencies of such nature. This aircraft can operate from [the] underdeveloped ground, rough and dirt strips of our side of the world as the prime transport for dropping troops and equipment in operational areas or supplies in disaster-hit areas.
“Since 1997 the C-130B fleet has been the backbone of BDF air operations. It has been employed locally, regionally and internationally as one of Botswana’s instruments of national power. Grounding of the C-130B last year has therefore greatly degraded the BDF’s operational capability. Hence my earlier remark that receiving the C-130H could not have come at a better time.”
Mmusi said the BDF has diligently performed a variety of mission using these aircraft over the years. These include supporting the United Nations mission in Sudan, African Union missions, SAMIM operations, security cooperation exercises such as SADC air power exercises, and special forces exercises with international forces.
“In addition, Botswana hosts the SADC Standby Force Logistic Depot to support peace support and disaster relief operations. The depot will be prepositioning supplies and logistics for SADC peace support and disaster relief missions. Currently the critical hinderances that undermine Africa’s peace support and disaster relief effort is lack of airlift capability. And there is no better aircraft to address this than the C-130. I am convinced that Botswana is in good stead to be the centre of excellence for Africa’s strategic airlift capability. We have thus far demonstrated capacity to operate and maintain a sizeable C-130 fleet. A lot of investment has been made over the years to capacitate the defence force in terms of logistics, support facilities, equipment and skills development for both operators and maintainers of the C-130 aircraft.
“The capabilities and competencies developed for operation of our C-130Bs are applicable and very relevant to the C-130H model. Since the differences between the two are minor, acquiring more aircraft would therefore require a relatively minor capital investment on our part. Government has committed to ensure the BDF has a budget for the C-130H aircraft induction and to put it into operation as quickly as the processes allow.
“Botswana is not just focussed internally. When we request for more aircraft we want to develop an airlift capability for the region and to support global peace and security. I consequently invite you, Africom Commander General [Michael] Langley, to partner with us in convincing the US government on how much capacitating the BDF will mean for African peace and security.”
Concluding his remarks, Mmus said the BDF and the C-130H “shall remain a force for good.”
Major General Hendrick Thuthu Rakgantswana, Chief of Botswana’s Air Arm Command, thanked the US for capacitating the BDF with the aircraft. “We just finished the African Chiefs of Defence Conference and our theme was Together on the Ramparts. Expanding collaboration and shared values is what General Langley was saying throughout the conference and we see this now manifesting in us receiving this aircraft.”
Rakgantswana said the acquisition of the C-130H is a step in the right direction, but he wants officials to start engaging the US government for additional aircraft. “With just one aircraft in my inventory that means if just a little screw falls off, I’m down to zero. So, we can see that as much as we appreciate this donation we are not where we want to be.”
He also pushed for spares for the aircraft, and an avionics upgrade.
The BDF acquired three former US C-130B Hercules for Z10 Squadron from the North Carolina Air Guard through the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Programme. One (OM1) was subsequently placed in storage, leaving two (OM2 and OM3) in active service until the recent grounding.
(Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
PLANT CLOSURES, JOB LOSSES AND STRIKES
03 Jul 24. Cammell Laird Workers go on strike. Cammell Laird’s actions are completely unacceptable and will be met with full opposition, warns GMB Union. Hundreds of workers at Cammell Laird shipyard are to vote on strike action after GMB members were suspended.
Staff at the Birkenhead shipyard called for the industrial action ballot at a mass meeting outside the gates, in support of their fellow workers.
Trouble began when members of the RMT union – who were on strike in a separate dispute – picketed the gates of Cammell Laird.
Several workers, members of both GMB and Unite, stopped to talk to the picketers and were accused by the company of joining the picket and immediately suspended.
The strike ballot opens on 9 July and closes on 5 August.
Albie McGuigan, GMB Organiser, said: “Workers are understandably furious after their colleagues were suspended -despite having done nothing wrong. Cammell Laird’s actions are completely unacceptable and will be met with full opposition.”
28 Jun 24. After less than six years in service, RFA Tiderace faces uncertain future. The Tide-class tanker RFA Tiderace was only commissioned into service in August 2018, and has already been placed alongside with no current operational need for the vessel.
After less than six years of active service, RFA Tiderace, one of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s (RFA) Tide-class fleet tankers, appears to have headed into long-term layup amid ongoing troubles for a service struggling with recruitment and ongoing strike action.
The procession of another UK naval asset heading for a prolonged period out of the operational pool, or potential placed into extended readiness, has become a familiar sight for naval observers, as the active or available fleets of the Royal Navy and RFA further diminish.
Commissioned into service in August 2018, RFA Tiderace is a 37,000-tonne fleet tanker used to support Royal Navy operations around the world. RFA Tiderace is the second of the four-ship Tide-class tankers, the others being RFA Tidesurge, RFA Tideforce, and RFA Tidespring.
All the vessels were manufactured by DSME in South Korea in the mid-2010s before being outfitted with naval-specific equipment in the UK, ahead of entry into service.
In April 2024, UK Defence Procurement Minister James Cartlidge stated that RFA Tiderace, was currently “alongside for a period” and would be regenerated “as needed” depending on operational requirements.
The apparent placing into extended readiness of RFA Tiderace was noted by UK naval OSINT watcher Navylookout, who noted the movement of the vessel on the X social media platform. (Source: naval-technology.com)
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
28 Jun 24. Estonian PM nominated for EU security chief. It is no coincidence that the EU has turned to their eastern borderlands for an outspoken, Baltic leader to transform European defence. Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is in the running to succeed as the European Union’s (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in the coming months. Kallas – whose formative years were shaped by the Soviet Union, and whose politics now respond to the belligerent Russian President Vladimir Putin – will succeed the Spanish incumbent Josep Borrell in a switch from West to East. (Source: army-technology.com)
INDUSTRY
PERSONNEL
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
02 Jul 24. Amentum, a global leading engineering and technology solutions provider, today announced the appointment of Nathan Rutledge as Senior Vice President and Head of Investor Relations, effective immediately. Rutledge will spearhead all investor relations activities leading up to and following Amentum’s merger with Jacobs’ Critical Mission Solutions and Cyber and Intelligence businesses and the combined company’s subsequent public listing. Rutledge will be responsible for articulating the long-term strategy, business model and financial performance to its shareholders and the broader financial community. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
01 Jul 24. AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE: AME) today announced the appointment of Keith J. Kowalski as Vice President and General Manager, AMS Division. Mr. Kowalski previously served as Divisional Vice President and Business Unit Manager for the Precitech TMC business within AMETEK’s Ultra Precision Technologies division. Mr. Kowalski originally joined AMETEK’s Haydon Switch and Instrument business in 1995 as a Product Design Engineer and held various roles of increasing responsibility ultimately becoming Vice President of Technology in the Haydon Kerk business unit. In 2011, he was named Divisional Vice President and Business Unit Manager for Precitech TMC and, in 2014, became the Divisional Vice President and Business Unit Manager for Zygo. Prior to rejoining AMETEK in 2020, Mr. Kowalski was President & COO for Deringer Ney in Bloomfield, Connecticut. (Source: PR Newswire)
01 Jul 24. Kimberly A. Fields today became President and CEO of ATI Inc. [NYSE: ATI]. In a planned leadership transition, she succeeds Robert S. “Bob” Wetherbee, who becomes Executive Chairman. Fields served as ATI’s Chief Operating Officer since 2022, becoming President in July 2023. During Kim’s tenure, ATI has grown as one integrated operation, sharpening its operational advantages, increasing capacity and capability for the extraordinary materials customers value most. (Source: PR Newswire)
02 Jul 24. CACI International Inc (NYSE: CACI) announced today that retired Lieutenant General Bob Marion is joining the CACI leadership team as a senior vice president in the new role of corporate strategic advisor. In this new position, Marion will provide insight on critical industry and acquisition issues as an active member of the team charged with leading efforts to augment CACI’s growing national security business. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
03 Jul 24. Capgemini Government Solutions LLC, an independent Capgemini subsidiary working with U.S. Government Agencies, today named Dan Ford as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. He succeeds Bill Webner who has stepped down to pursue a new opportunity. With nearly two decades at Capgemini Government Solutions, Ford has been instrumental in partnering with government agencies to transform and manage their business by unlocking the value of technology. He’s held leadership roles at Capgemini Government Solutions including National Security Sector Leader and, most recently, as Head of U.S. Federal Sectors. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
01 Jul 24. GE Aerospace (GE.N), said it has extended chief executive Larry Culp’s tenure till the end of 2027, with a possibility of further extension by another year, a regulatory filing showed on Monday. The decision comes two weeks after reports suggested that Culp declined Boeing’s (BA.N) offer to join the U.S. planemaker as its chief. Culp, 61, took over as GE Aerospace’s CEO in October 2018. The first “outsider” to get the top post in GE, he took charge at a time when the company was struggling with weak margins and a huge debt. He steered the company through the pandemic period in 2020 when the global air travel came to a stand still, impacting GE’s lucrative jet engine business. Culp oversaw the split of the 132-year-old conglomerate into three separate companies in 2024. During his tenure, GE’s debt reduced by more than $100bn, cash flow quadrupled and market cap increased by about $100bn. (Source: Reuters)
01 Jul 24. Intellisense Systems, Inc., a leading provider of electronic systems and sensors, announces that Frank T. Willis, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), will retire after a 6-year tenure as CEO and 8 years as a Vice President at Physical Optics Corporation (POC) prior to the spin-off of Intellisense. Willis will transition to serve as Executive Director and special consultant to the company and Board of Directors. The Intellisense Systems Board of Directors has been engaged in continuous CEO succession planning since 2022, and the Board has appointed Dr. Robert Waldo as President and CEO, effective today. Waldo will also join the company’s Board of Directors. (Source: PR Newswire)