LOCATIONS
LAND
29 Oct 19. HENSOLDT opens new headquarters in Taufkirchen. Thomas Müller opens the new company headquarters in Taufkirchen in the presence of Bavarian Minister President. In his speech at the opening of the new company headquarters, HENSOLDT CEO Thomas Müller reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the Taufkirchen location and the Free State of Bavaria. While the new building is the administrative headquarters of the sensor solution provider, it is rather a place of innovation. Bavarian Minister President Dr. Markus Söder was particularly impressed by the 3D printed circuit board printing shown here, which is unique in Germany in this form. As technology leader, HENSOLDT develops 3D printed circuit boards that allow completely new circuits. In his speech, Dr. Söder praised HENSOLDT as a high-tech company with its headquarters in Taufkirchen and a good family in Bavaria. He added: “We have good soldiers in Germany. And they deserve the best.”
In ultra-modern laboratories on the Ludwig-Bölkow-Campus, research is carried out on ultra-modern solutions for military applications and increasingly on civilian security solutions. These include, for example, secure IT with its own hardware chip by HENSOLDT Cyber and the modular Xpeller system for drone detection and defence at airports and other critical infrastructures. The guests of honor were also impressed by the passive radar without its own signature.
29 Oct 19. Brisbane assembly facility opening builds Queensland defence industry hub. Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price has opened Boeing Defence Australia’s brand new assembly and test facility at Wacol, which the government said is a strong sign of continued growth in Australia’s defence industry.
The $7.5m facility will be used for the assembly and testing of the new Integrated Battlefield Telecommunications Network that Boeing is designing and producing locally, under its $700m contract with Defence for LAND 2072 Phase 2B – Project Currawong.
“This facility is a further demonstration that major companies are seeing the opportunities and making significant investments in Australia’s defence industry,” Minister Price said.
The ground-breaking environmental and electromagnetic test facility enables all design, development, testing and assembly for Boeing Defence Australia’s world-leading battlespace communication system, Project Currawong, to be completed locally.
The modern Currawong Battlespace Communications System replaces bulky, static and complicated legacy systems with a mobile, scalable and easy to operate ‘plug and play’ communications capability that can be quickly established in theatre.
“It’s also further proof the Morrison government’s record $200bn investment in defence capability is creating the right conditions for job creation in this important sector. I congratulate Defence and Boeing for delivering world-leading technology that is agile in meeting warfighting requirements, ahead of schedule,” Minister Price said.
The facility houses a number of chambers which simulate severe environmental conditions such as extreme heat and cold, sand and dust, and salt and altitude on the physical and operational performance of equipment.
“I’m encouraged to see Boeing employ 210 people here in Brisbane and work with more than 200 small businesses in the production and supply of components.”
In addition to the environmental test chambers, the facility includes a large electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC) chamber to eliminate radio interference during testing, and areas to assemble, integrate and store equipment, including building trailer and vehicle-mounted capability.
Project Currawong program director Ian Vett said, “The opening of this facility strengthens our agile development capability even further. Our supply chain will also have access to this state-of-the-art equipment in line with our commitment to continuing to build Australia’s sovereign defence capability.”
In addition to demonstrating the on-the-move capability, Currawong’s Release 1 equipment – comprising a large man-portable, modular core black data network, communication bearers, a mission system manager, and field voice services – was fully deployed at Talisman Sabre to support the two weeks of war games.
Boeing Defence Australia delivered the new network under LAND 2072 Phase 2B, which included the core communication network software and hardware, along with 39 deployable communication nodes to date.
“In practical terms, this means deployed forces can effectively communicate with each other and headquarters in conditions ranging from deep snow to harsh desert environments, and that the equipment will be robust enough to operate from sea level to high altitudes,” Vett added.
This first tranche of the equipment delivered includes 18 deployable communication nodes and an Australian fixed strategic communications anchor site. This incorporates Boeing’s core communication system components, the network access module and mission system management, which connect and manage the communication bearers and services Boeing and its partners are bringing to the program.
Vett said, “The capability enabled by this facility is just another way that Boeing is working with Defence to provide world-class equipment that is highly dependable on operational deployment.” (Source: Defence Connect)
MARITIME
31 Oct 19. HMS Pembroke to re-join Royal Navy after successful refit at Rosyth. The British Sandown-class minehunter HMS Pembroke is set to re-join the Royal Navy’s fleet after completing a refit at Babcock’s Rosyth dockyard in Fife. The ship is ready for deployment after the 42-week, £8m refit project was performed by Babcock employees and specialist sub-contractors. Enhancements to the mine countermeasures vessel (MCMV) include upgrades to the sonar and communications systems and freshwater tanks. The refit work also included the overhaul of HMS Pembroke’s propulsion systems and generators.
UK Defence Procurement Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “The HMS Pembroke refit is another example of the impressive engineering skills of our Scottish dockyards. The upgraded vessel will return to carrying out the vital work of finding and destroying underwater threats and keeping shipping lanes safe. I wish HMS Pembroke and her crew well on their next tasking.”
The MCMV is capable of operating in deep and exposed waters and can identify and destroy mines. The ship uses specialist mine-clearance divers or the SeaFox remote-controlled underwater vehicle to dispose of the mines. Following the refit, HMS Pembroke successfully completed sea acceptance trials off the coasts of Scotland and Norway. The ship will return to HM Naval Base Clyde where she will re-join six sister vessels.
Defence Equipment & Support team leader Nick Fernandes said: “This is a great achievement for Defence Equipment & Support, Babcock and HMS Pembroke’s own crew, whose project management skills and collaborative working demonstrates once again our commitment to continuous improvement.”
The 52.5m-long minehunter has a total range of more than 2,500nm. The Rosyth dockyard earlier conducted a refit of Pembroke’s sister ship HMS Penzance. (Source: naval-technology.com)
30 Oct 19. First missile-armed icebreaker launched for Russian Navy. The Russian Navy’s lead Project 23550 ice-class patrol ship, Ivan Papanin, was launched at Admiralty Shipyard in St Petersburg on 25 October. Displacing 8,500 tonnes at full load, the new ship is intended to patrol Russia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Arctic region and features a reinforced hull to enable operations in ice packs. Ivan Papanin is one of two Project 23550 ice-class patrol ships ordered under a contract awarded in April 2016. The vessels are being built to plans developed by the Almaz Central Design Bureau and are the first purpose-designed missile-armed icebreakers to be built for the Russian Navy. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
24 Oct 19. French Navy commissions third La Confiance-class OPV. The French Navy has commissioned its third La Confiance-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV) into service, French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly announced on 18 October. La Combattante, which was ordered in December 2017 in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma to reinforce the French Armed Forces capabilities in the West Indies, was commissioned on 2 October. The OPV arrived in Martinique in August, with acceptance testing conducted during its Atlantic crossing in tropical water conditions. The three La Confiance vessels have been designed by naval architecture company Mauric for operations in shallow waters. Design features include a passive roll stabilisation system composed of a 14,800-litre water tank located in the ship’s upper structure. The ships were built by French shipbuilder Socarenam at its Saint-Malo facilities and assembled at Boulogne. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
24 Oct 19. Ford set for sea trials. Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford is slated for sea trials. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) completed a five-day pierside fast-cruise evolution on 23 October at the Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding yard to help the ship prepare for sea trials scheduled for later this month, US Navy (USN) officials confirmed. The fast cruise was a culminating training evolution designed to “bring Ford to life” after its 15-month post-shakedown availability (PSA), USN officials noted.
“While in Newport News, the crew has been regularly conducting General Quarters drills, man overboard evolutions, and the like,” Lieutenant Commander Nick Devorak, Ford ‘s training officer, said in a 24 October statement.
“The last five days allowed the team a dedicated period to put their knowledge and skills to the test in a simulated at-sea environment,” Lt Cdr Devorak said. “Evolutions like the fast cruise are critical because it gets sailors in the right mindset before taking a warship to sea.”
The fast cruise came about a week after Ford had completed Phase III Crew Certification, which focused on how Ford ‘s medical and damage control training teams accomplished necessary crew training needed to return the ship to sea. The two-day training evolution tested each team individually and together to assess the crew’s availability to respond to personnel and material casualties at sea.
Ford ‘s PSA was extended to October partly to give the navy and Newport News Shipbuilding additional time to work out operational issues with the ship’s 11 Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWEs). (Source: IHS Jane’s)
24 Oct 19. Argentine government authorises polar ship funding. The Argentine Economy Ministry authorised USD195m in a three-year funding plan to build a polar ship for the navy. After analysing offers from China, South Africa, and Ukraine, a letter of intention was signed with the Chinese government. The ship is based on Argentina National Technological University modifications to an initial Chinese design. The Chinese will initially finance the construction, with a credit to be paid by Argentina within three years. Initially, the ship was to be built in China, but the vessel may be built in Argentina at Río Santiago shipyard under Chinese supervision. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
AIR
30 Oct 19. Nepalese Army to receive second Indonesian-built CN-235-220 multipurpose aircraft. A CN-235-220 multipurpose aircraft on order for the Nepalese Army has begun its journey home, a representative from Indonesia’s state-owned aerospace company, PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), confirmed to Jane’s on 30 October.
The aircraft began the journey from Bandung, West Java, on the same day, and is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 2 November. The aircraft will make stops in the Indonesian city of Medan in Sumatra, as well as Bangladesh and Myanmar on its journey home.
The aircraft, which bears the serial number AX-2347, will be the second CN-235-220 to be operated by the Nepalese Army’s Air Service. The country signed for its first airframe of the type with PTDI in 2017, and ordered the subsequent aircraft in the following year. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
30 Oct 19. UK receives first Poseidon MRA1. The United Kingdom took formal delivery of its first Boeing P-8A Poseidon MRA1 maritime multi-mission aircraft at the manufacturer’s production facility near Seattle, Washington, on 29 October. Aircraft ZP801 was turned over to senior officers from the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy (RN) about three-and-a-half months after making its maiden flight out of Boeing’s Renton facility near Seattle. This first Poseidon MRA1, named Pride of Moray, will now be flown to Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville in Florida where it will stay before relocating to its future homebase of RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland in the second quarter (Q2) of 2020. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
PLANT CLOSURES, JOB LOSSES AND STRIKES
29 Oct 19. Lebanon’s prime minister resigns after weeks of protests. Saad al-Hariri said he had ‘reached a dead end.’ Saad al-Hariri, the Lebanese prime minister on Tuesday said he is stepping down in response to almost two weeks of nationwide protests calling for his resignation. Mr Hariri said he had “reached a dead end” and it had become necessary to deliver “a big shock to confront the crisis.” Mr Hariri headed a fractious power-sharing government reflecting Lebanon’s sectarian political system, which has been characterised by decision-making that has been paralysed by internal disputes. The protests were triggered by government plans to impose a tax on WhatsApp calls but quickly morphed into a revolt demanding broader political change. “To all those who take part in political life, I say our responsibility now is to protect Lebanon and prevent any conflagration from reaching it,” he said. “Our responsibility is to revive the economy.” Mr Hariri’s resignation catapults the heavily-indebted country deeper into uncertainty and could mean there would be more drift until there is a government in place capable of addressing the nation’s economic crisis. (Source: FT.com)
30 Oct 19. Taiwan retires Huey helos. Taiwan retired the last of its Bell UH-1 ‘Huey’ helicopters on 30 October, national media reported, marking and end to 50 years of national service. The final UH-1Hs were withdrawn from Republic of China Army (RoCA) service during a ceremony that was marked by a mass flypast of Huey, Bell AH-1 Cobra, and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
28 Oct 19. RAN decommissions final Adelaide-class frigate. The Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) last operational Adelaide-class guided-missile frigate, HMAS Melbourne, was decommissioned in a ceremony held on 26 October at its home port of Fleet Base East, Garden Island in Sydney. During its 27 years in service the 4,260-tonne frigate (pennant number 05) was “deployed on operations to the Middle East eight times and earned battle honours for service in East Timor, the Persian Gulf, and Middle East”, the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) said in a statement. The 138m-long vessel, which was the fifth of six ships of the Adelaide class, transited more than 900,000 nautical miles since its commissioning in February 1992, the DoD said, adding that the frigate spent most of the past two years deployed overseas, including a four-month deployment through North Asia earlier this year where it conducted international maritime surveillance operations to enforce sanctions against North Korea. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
26 Oct 19. MG Thomas H. Todd III, program executive officer, aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, to deputy commander, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, United States Forces-Afghanistan, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Afghanistan.
31 Oct 19. USAF BG Lee Ann T. Bennett has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general. Bennett is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the deputy chief of staff, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and cyber effects operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
31 Oct 19. USAF BG Jay S. Goldstein has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general. Goldstein is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the under secretary of the Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
31 Oct 19. USAF BG Jeffrey S. Hinrichs has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general. Hinrichs is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the commander, U.S. Cyber Command; director, National Security Agency; and chief, Central Security Service, Fort George Meade, Maryland.
31 Oct 19. USAF BG Bret C. Larson has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general. Larson is currently serving as the deputy director for strategic initiatives, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
31 Oct 19. USAF BG Bryan P. Radliff has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general. Radliff is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the commander, Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and commander, First Air Force (Air Forces Northern), Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.
31 Oct 19. USAF BG Scott A. Sauter has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general. Sauter is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. Air Forces Africa, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Darrin D. Lambrigger has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Lambrigger is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the command surgeon, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Leslie A. Beavers has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Beavers is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the vice commander, 16th USAF, Air Combat Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Robert M. Blake has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Blake is currently serving as the vice commander, 4th USAF, USAF Reserve Command, March Air Reserve Base, California.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Melissa A. Coburn has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Coburn is currently serving as the commander, 452nd Air Mobility Wing, USAF Reserve Command, March Air Reserve Base, California.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Vanessa J. Dornhoefer has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Dornhoefer is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the director, legislative liaison, Office of the Secretary of the USAF, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Lynnette J. Hebert has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Hebert is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the director of intelligence, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Jeffrey F. Hill has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Hill is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the director of intelligence, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Traci Kueker-Murphy has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Kueker-Murphy is currently mobilization assistant to the director of integrated air, space, cyberspace and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations, Headquarters USAF Space Command, Peterson USAF Base, Colorado.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Preston F. McFarren has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. McFarren is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the director of logistics, engineering and force protection, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott USAF Base, Illinois.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. William D. Murphy has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Murphy is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the director of operations and communications, Headquarters USAF Global Strike Command, Barksdale USAF Base, Louisiana.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Dana N. Nelson has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Nelson is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the director, resources and assessments, Headquarters U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H. W. Smith, Hawaii.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Robert P. Palmer has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Palmer is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the director of public affairs, Office of the Secretary of the USAF, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. David A. Piffarerio has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Piffarerio is currently serving as the commander, 482nd Fighter Wing, USAF Reserve Command, Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Mitchell D. Richardson has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Richardson is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the director, strategic plans, requirements and programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott USAF Base, Illinois.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. William A. Rock has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Rock is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the director of logistics, civil engineering, force protection and nuclear integration, Headquarters USAF Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson USAF Base, Ohio.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Mark V. Slominski has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Slominski is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the director of civil engineers, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. USAF, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Max J. Stitzer has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Stitzer is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to associate director of logistics, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. USAF, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Robert W. VanHoy II has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. VanHoy is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the director of strategy, plans and programs, Headquarters Pacific USAFs, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
31 Oct 19. USAF Col. Adrian K. White has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. White is currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the director, operations, strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, Headquarters, U.S. USAFs in Europe and U.S. USAFs Africa, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
REST OF THE WORLD APPOINTMENTS
31 Oct 19. Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was named as Baghdadi’s successor in an audio message published on Isis’ official channel on the Telegram messaging service. The name Qurayshi marks membership of the Quraysh tribe of the Prophet Mohammed. He was identified as a long-standing Isis commander and cleric. The leader’s name was not immediately recognised by Isis experts, but could be a new nom de guerre for an existing commander, possibly Haji Abdullah, who has been identified by the US State Department as a senior Isis ideologue and potential successor to Baghdadi. A $5m reward is offered for his capture or death. (Source: The Times)
INDUSTRY
PERSONNEL
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
25 Oct 19. The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] Board of Directors today announced that it has elected retired Adm. John M. Richardson as its newest member. Richardson, 59, served as the 31st chief of Naval Operations from September 2015 until August 2019, when he retired from the U.S. Navy after 37 years of service. Richardson will join the Aerospace Safety Committee, which was formed in August following a rigorous five-month review of the company’s policies and processes for airplane design and development by the board’s temporary Committee on Airplane Policies and Processes. He also will serve on the board’s Special Programs Committee.
30 Oct 19. GKN Aerospace has appointed Krisstie Kondrotis as President of Defence effective 1 November, and Julie Smyth as General Counsel effective 25 November. In their new roles, both will join the GKN Aerospace Executive Committee reporting to Hans Büthker, GKN Aerospace Chief Executive Officer. In her newly-created role, Krisstie will lead GKN Aerospace’s growing Defence business and will be based in Dallas, USA. Krisstie joins GKN Aerospace from Spirit AeroSystems where she was Senior Vice President Defence Programs and Business Development. Prior to this, she was Vice President Business Development, Information Systems Sector at Northrop Grumman Corporation. Previously Krisstie held senior executive roles in the defence industry at General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin. As General Counsel, Julie will be based in London, UK, and will be accountable for legal, risk, compliance, and governance matters across the global aerospace business. Julie joins GKN Aerospace from BAE systems where she was Chief Counsel for the Air Sector. Prior to this, she was Chief Counsel Military Air and Information at BAE Systems. Julie brings more than 20 years’ experience in senior legal roles in the aerospace industry.
25 Oct 19. Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced today that its board of directors has elected Debra Reed-Klages to the board effective November 1, 2019. Reed-Klages, age 63, retired in December 2018 as executive chairman of Sempra Energy. She served as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Sempra Energy from March 2017 to May 2018, chairman and chief executive officer of Sempra Energy from December 2012 to March 2017 and chief executive officer of Sempra Energy from June 2011 to December 2012. Previously, Ms. Reed-Klages served as an executive vice president of Sempra Energy and as president and chief executive officer of SDG&E and SoCalGas, Sempra Energy’s regulated California utilities. She joined SoCalGas in 1978. Reed-Klages also serves on the boards of Chevron Corporation, Caterpillar Inc. and State Farm Mutual. She will serve on the corporation’s Audit Committee and Management Development and Compensation Committee.