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LOCATIONS
LAND
08 Jan 20. L3Harris Technologies launches South Australian office to support naval shipbuilding. South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has officially launched L3Harris Technologies’ new office in Adelaide to support the Australian government’s $95bn naval shipbuilding programs and forge closer ties with Defence SA. The new office will act as a base for integrating and delivering L3Harris’ advanced Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) and Electronic Warfare System, which are being fitted to the 12 new Arafura Class offshore patrol vessels.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall, who officially opened the office at Innovation House in Mawson Lakes’ Technology Park, said, “L3Harris’ decision to establish its presence at Mawson Lakes is another vote of confidence in our burgeoning defence sector, which continues to attract national and international defence giants.”
L3Harris was the first company to join the Defence and Space Landing Pad initiative, taking up residence at Lot Fourteen in Adelaide CBD in January 2019.
The initiative, run by Defence SA, helps international companies capitalise on upcoming projects centred in the state, providing short-term office facilities, relationship-building opportunities, and an immediate connection to the co-located Defence Teaming Centre, which aims to help increase capability and competitiveness in global defence markets.
Rangesh Kasturi, president of maritime international at L3Harris, echoed the Premier’s sentiments, saying, “L3Harris has extensive experience providing world-leading equipment and support services to the Royal Australian Navy.” (Source: Defence Connect)
09 Jan 20. ECA Group will build its plant in Ostend to manufacture the naval drones for mine clearance. ECA Group, an expert in robotics, automated systems, simulation and industrial processes, will build its new plant in the port of Ostend in order to carry out the contract to supply their unmanned systems for the 12 minesweepers of the Belgian and Dutch navies.
In 2019, the Dutch and Belgian navies decided to award the supply of 12 minesweepers (6 for each country) and the dedicated unmanned systems for mine clearance at sea to the consortium Belgium Naval & Robotics, set up by Naval Group and ECA Group. Many Belgian companies are involved in this nearly 2 billion contract as partner and supplier. Subsidiaries have been created in Belgium by the two companies to facilitate these exchanges.
The company ECA Robotics Belgium, the Belgian subsidiary of ECA Group, will manufacture the next generation of naval drones for this contract but also for future export sales, at its plant in Ostend. It concerns disruptive technologies that are the core of the innovative ‘stand-off’ mine hunting concept that Belgium Naval & Robotics proposes to the 2 navies, both world leaders in the field of mine counter measures: The mother ship and therefore its crew, stay away from the danger zone. The unmanned systems clear the mines autonomously and are controlled from the mother ship.
These unmanned systems will be manufactured in a new factory to be built in Ostend. PORT OSTEND grants ECA Group a concession for the building of the factory on the former site of Beliard in the port area. The plant with a surface of 5000 m² will be built on this location and will be operational in 2022.
The investment for the construction of the factory and the start of production represents around 10M €. All the naval drones (submarines and surface) of ECA group to be delivered to the Belgian and Dutch navies will be produced in this factory: the submarine drone A18-M, the towed sonar T18-M, the surface drone (USV) INSPECTOR 125 and the mine inspection and neutralization drones (ROV MIDS) Seascan and K-STER and launch & recovery systems drone-drone as well as surface equipment.
Steven Luys, general manager of ECA Robotics Belgium explains: In parallel with the construction of our plant, ECA Group is looking for various profiles (including engineers) for the two Belgian sites of its subsidiary ECA Robotics Belgium: Hainaut in Wallonia where the design office and the headquarters will be established, and Ostend in Flanders to support plant operations. We are mainly looking for technical staff and workers for our site in Ostend. The plant is expected to employ over 70 staff in 2-3 years’ time.
Since its establishment in 1936, ECA Group has been a leader in the field of innovation and develops innovative technological solutions for the detection and clearance of mines. To date, over 30 navies worldwide use these solutions to make waterways safer.
Steven Luys states: We are pleased to build our factory in the Port of Ostend, near the navy and with direct access to the North Sea.
Charlotte Verkeyn, chair of the administrative board of the Port of Ostend explains: ECA Group choses the port of Ostend for various reasons.
The activities of the group are perfectly in line with our expansion vision in various markets. We are strengthening our economic and social system. The second reason is that they can find everything they need in Ostend: the premises, the quays, an easily accessible site and a network of companies.
Dirk Declerck, CEO of the Port of Ostend explains: The entire team is working hard on this project since the beginning of last year. This contract proves that we can fulfil our mission: the port as a driver of sustainable employment. ECA Group is looking to recruit over 70 interesting profiles, which makes our region attractive to the workforce.
Bart Tommelein, mayor of the city of Ostend: Thanks to this new activity, Ostend proves to be an international knowledge centre. Maritime Innovation is one of our fundamental cornerstones. The presence of ECA Group will accelerate research and development in our port area. I thank them for their confidence and guarantee the full cooperation of the port and the city of Ostend in order to ensure the smooth running of the company.
MARITIME
09 Jan 20. Indian Navy’s first indigenous carrier under Phase III construction. The Indian Navy’s first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant is currently under the third phase of construction. An unidentified source told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that the carrier Vikrant will join the navy by 2021. The 260m-long and 60m-wide carrier is the largest warship being built at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi, India.
The source was quoted by PTI as saying: “Currently, Phase III of the construction of Vikrant is under progress, which involves setting to work of machinery and equipment, like power generation and propulsion machinery.
“The carrier is likely to be commissioned by early 2021.”
Following the completion of the third phase of construction, the 40,000t vessel will undergo harbour and sea trials.
Vikrant will also be put through aviation trials, which are expected to last a year or beyond. The carrier will be capable of handling a fleet of MiG-29K aircraft.
Navy chief admiral Karambir Singh said that Vikrant will achieve full operational capability by 2022.
Last month, the vessel’s engines were fired-up, marking a significant milestone in the long-delayed project. It is equipped with four GE LM2500 gas turbines.
Vikrant features a vertical launch system for long-range surface-to-air missile deployment, a modern early air warning radar, jamming capabilities, and other advanced technologies.
The future INS Vikrant, along with MiG-29K aircraft, is set to be displayed as part of the navy’s parade on the country’s Republic Day. Currently, INS Vikramadithya is the only operational carrier. (Source: naval-technology.com)
07 Jan 20. Vietnam to deliver patrol boats to African customers. African customers have ordered patrol boats that have been built by Vietnamese shipyards, the country’s Tuổi Trẻ newspaper reported on 2 January.
The story and accompanying video focused on the delivery of 50 patrol boats that had been ordered by an unidentified billionaire and showed several small craft being loaded onto a cargo ship for delivery to Port Harcourt in Nigeria.
More significantly, Tuổi Trẻ also reported that 10 “armoured patrol boats” were awaiting delivery for unidentified African customers and showed them lined up at a location that could be identified as the Hong Ha Shipbuilding Company facility in Haiphong.
The boats appeared to be similar to the 17 m Manta fast patrol boat/interceptor craft made by the Malaysian company Suncraft.
The Manta is also advertised by Vietnam’s Haiphong-based 189 Shipbuilding Company (Z189).
The boats seen at the Hong Ha facility were unarmed but fitted with weapon mounting points in their bow compartments, as well small electro-optical systems made by the US company FLIR. (Source: Jane’s)
06 Jan 20. Chinese navy commissions another Type 056A-class corvette. China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned another anti-submarine warfare (ASW)-capable Type 056A (Jiangdao)-class corvette on 31 December. It was the third ship of the class to be commissioned that month. The latest vessel of the class to enter service has been named Wenshan (with pennant number 623). Built at the Huangpu shipyard in Guangzhou, it was launched on 11 December 2018 and is likely to have joined the 17th frigate squadron of the PLAN’s South Sea Fleet. Although the paucity of information about ship launches and commissioning makes it difficult to be certain, it is believed that a further 25 Type 056A corvettes have been launched and are currently being fitted out or undergoing post-build sea trials. (Source: Jane’s)
06 Jan 20. Royal Malaysian Navy commissions first Keris-class Littoral Mission Ship. KD Keris (with 111 pennant number), the service’s first of four Littoral Mission Ships (LMSs), entered service in a ceremony held on 6 January at the facilities of Wuchang Shipbuilding at Qidong, near Shanghai, according to an RMN statement issued the same day.
The 68.8 m-long vessel, which had been handed over to the service on 31 December 2019, is expected to sail on 8 January to the RMN’s Sepanggar base at Kota Kinabalu – located in the state of Sabah in the Malaysian part of the island of Borneo – where it will be homeported. The LMS, which is due to arrive in Sepanggar on 17 January, was launched at Wuhan on 15 April 2019.
The second ship of the class, Sundang (112), was launched on 12 July, also at Wuhan, and is expected to be handed over to the RMN in April. The remaining two ships of the class, which will also be built at Wuhan, are expected to be delivered in mid-2021.
Once in service, the RMN’s four LMSs are set to be based at Sepanggar, which also serves as the headquarters for the RMN’s Eastern Fleet.
The LMSs are part of contract signed in 2017 between Malaysia’s Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) and the China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Corporation (CSOC) that marked Malaysia’s first order for Chinese-made naval vessels. BNS was originally set to construct two Keris-class vessels in Malaysia with assistance from CSOC as part of a technology transfer and capacity-building arrangement. However, a revision by the new Malaysian administration, which took office following the May 2018 general elections, saw the contract value being reduced from USD289m to USD205m, with construction of all four ships moved to China. (Source: Jane’s)
03 Jan 20. Socarenam details design features for new French Navy overseas patrol ships. Socarenam has been awarded a contract to build six overseas patrol ships (patrouilleurs outre-mers: POMs) for the French Navy. The 80 m vessels will be based in France’s overseas territories.
Announcing its contract win on 30 December, the French shipbuilder said the new patrol ships will be built at its facilities in Boulogne sur Mer in the north of France and Saint-Malo in Brittany for delivery between 2022 and 2025. The vessels will be stationed in New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Réunion Island. The vessels have been designed in collaboration with Marseille-based naval architecture and marine engineering company MAURIC. The design is based around a steel hull and aluminium superstructure. (Source: Jane’s)
AIR
09 Jan 20. First Kuwaiti-configured Eurofighter makes maiden flight. The first Eurofighter combat aircraft configured for Kuwait made its maiden flight towards the end of 2019, the company announced.
Instrumented Series Production Aircraft (ISPA 6), equipped with the Kuwait Air Force configuration, departed the Flight Test Centre of Leonardo Aircraft Division in Turin-Caselle on 23 December 2019, Eurofighter tweeted on 9 January.
As noted by Eurofighter, ISPA 6 is the most advanced iteration of the aircraft to date, and while other elements have previously been flight tested, this is the first time that all of the enhancements have been brought together.
ISPA 6 is the first to fly the Captor E-Scan Radar with Phase Enhancement 3 b (P3Eb), for which Kuwait is to be the launch customer. Other enhancements for Kuwait include the Lockheed Martin Sniper advanced targeting pod, the introduction of the DRS-Cubic ACMI P5 combat training pod and an enhanced Very High Frequency (VHF) Omni-Directional Range (VOR) navigation aid. The Kuwait Air Force will also have the option to employ the MBDA Storm Shadow cruise missile, MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, and the MBDA Brimstone low-yield air-to-surface missile. (Source: Jane’s)
09 Jan 20. USAF base fighter wings achieve full combat capability. The US Air Force’s (USAF) fighter wings have achieved full combat capability more than four years after receiving their first combat-coded F-35A Lightning II aircraft. The 388th and 419th fighter wings have performed an F-35A combat exercise at Hill Air Force Base (AFB).
388th Fighter Wing commander Steven Behmer said: “Every training opportunity, exercise and deployment we’ve completed over the past four years has been a key stepping stone in reaching full warfighting capability.
“This is just the beginning of sustained F-35A combat operations and we will remain focused on staying ready to deploy whenever, wherever we’re needed.”
The exercise demonstrated the ability to employ a large force of F-35As, testing readiness in personnel accountability, aircraft generation, ground operations, flight operations and combat capability areas against air and ground targets.
In September 2015, the first F-35As arrived at Hill AFB and the final aircraft arrived last December.
The 34th Fighter Squadron, which was the first squadron to stand up, started with a core of pilots who gained some level of F-35A training and experience in other platforms.
About 50% of the maintainers were fully trained when the initial jets arrived at Hill AFB and the number decreased due to PCS, retirements and separations.
388th Maintenance Group commander Michael Miles said: “At IOC (initial operational capability), we had the equipment to support one squadron that could do some semblance of combat operations.
“Now, as each squadron has progressed, and we’re on track to have all the required assets, we demonstrated that we can rely on the programme for the technical support and weapons system parts we need while we deployed all our squadrons last summer.”
Last year, the 388th and 419th USAF fighter wings proved that they could balance the equipment requirements to support all three squadrons away from home station. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
08 Jan 20. Bangladesh to receive final surplus UK C-130J airlifter in March. The first of five ex-Royal Air Force C-130J airlifters for Bangladesh was rolled out on 25 July 2019. With four aircraft now in-country, the final one is expected to be handed over in March.
Bangladesh is to receive the last of five UK-surplus Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules transport aircraft in the coming weeks, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) told Jane’s on 7 January.
All of the ‘short-bodied’ C-130Js (designated C5 in Royal Air Force [RAF] service) were originally due to be with the Bangladesh Air Force by the end of 2019, but with four aircraft now in-country the MoD said the final one is now expected to be handed over in March.
As previously reported by Jane’s , Bangladesh ordered the surplus C-130Js in two batches of two and three aircraft in 2018 and earlier in 2019, respectively. The deals were initially revealed via maintenance contracts announced by Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group (ADG), although the MoD later confirmed the total number to Jane’s .
The first of the five aircraft was rolled out by Marshall ADG during an official ceremony in mid-July 2019. As Marshall ADG noted at the time, the company is carrying out comprehensive depth maintenance and important modifications on all the aircraft including capability enhancements such as medical evacuation, avionics upgrades, and the provision of a passenger transport configuration.
The Bangladesh Air Force has previously noted that the acquisition of C-130J aircraft from the RAF provides a key enhancement to its current airlift capability. As well as performing in-country support of the aircraft, Marshall ADG will also be modifying the aircraft, including designing, developing, and installing medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) capability to enable the Bangladesh Air Force to carry out tasks within the country and overseas in support of UN missions. (Source: Jane’s)
07 Jan 20. US Navy prepares to receive first Super Hornet Block 3 test aircraft. The US Navy (USN) is soon to receive the first Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block 3 testbed aircraft. A representative from Boeing told Jane’s on 7 January that the first aircraft will be delivered “on schedule” later in the first quarter of 2020. In 2019 at Boeing’s St Louis production facility in Missouri, Jennifer Tebo, Director of Development F/A-18 Program, said this schedule had been accelerated by about 12 months to allow the USN to have two test aircraft to start carrier suitability trials of the advanced computing and networking capabilities of the Block 3 platform. With the first aircraft set to be handed over shortly, Tebo noted that Boeing will begin to deliver full-up Block 3 jets to the navy during late 2020 and early 2021. (Source: Jane’s)
07 Jan 20. Egypt deploys Ka-52s on Mistral LHD. The Egyptian military released footage of Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters operating from one of its Mistral landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships for the first time on 4 January. Two Ka-52s were seen taking off and landing on the deck of Gamal Abdel Nasser, which also carried two AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and a Chinook transport helicopter. Unlike the Apaches, which were fitted with rocket pods, the Ka-52s were not seen carrying anything on their hardpoints, although they have a fixed 30 mm gun on their starboard side. (Source: Jane’s)
PLANT CLOSURES, JOB LOSSES AND STRIKES
06 Jan 20. South Korea decommissions Ulsan, Pohang-class warships. The Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) has decommissioned two Ulsan-class frigates, and a Pohang-class corvette. The decommissioned frigates are Masan (955) and Gyeongbuk (956), while the corvette is Suncheon (767). All three warships were retired in a decommissioning ceremony on 24 December, according to an official RoKN statement forwarded to Jane’s. Masan and Gyeongbuk were commissioned in July 1985, and May 1986, respectively, while Suncheon entered service in June 1989. The vessels have been retired as South Korea anticipates the delivery of two more Daegu (FFX-II)-class guided-missile frigates, Gyeongnam and Seoul, both of which were launched in June and November 2019, respectively. (Source: Jane’s)
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
06 Jan 20. Eric Chewning, chief of staff to Esper, to exit. Eric Chewning, who has served as chief of staff for both acting Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan and current Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, will be exiting the Defense Department at the end of the month to return to the private sector. He will be replaced by Jen Stewart, currently the minority staff director for the House Armed Services Committee.
“I’m grateful for Eric’s professionalism, judgment, and leadership over the last seven months as I moved into the Secretary of Defense role,” Esper said in a statement provided to Defense News. “In an incredibly demanding job, Eric has been a source of calm and tireless work. We wish him all the best upon his return to the private sector.”
Despite a job at Morgan Stanley, Chewning left the private sector to enlist in the Army following the 9/11 attacks; he later was commissioned as an Army intelligence officer. Afterward, he returned to the private sector, and before joining the Pentagon was a partner at McKinsey & Company.
Chewning entered the Defense Department in October 2017 as the head of the Pentagon’s industrial base office, where he helped oversee a major White House-ordered review of the defense-industrial base. Last January, he was tapped by then-acting Defense Secretary Shanahan as his chief of staff, and was kept on in that role when Esper took over in August.
Chewning’s replacement, Stewart, previously served as a senior adviser to Gen. Joseph Dunford, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Stewart also served as the national security adviser to Speakers of the House Paul Ryan and John Boehner.
“I have known Jen for years and I’m excited to bring her into the Department,” Esper said. “Her deep expertise on national security issues will be a great addition to our team as we continue implementing the National Defense Strategy.”
In a statement, Dunford praised Chewning’s “extraordinary leadership within the Department during a challenging period” that saw significant turnover inside the department, including the handover from Shanahan to Esper.
“On a personal level, I appreciated his character, integrity, and engaged leadership. I was very proud to work alongside Eric and to call him a friend,” Dunford said. “Eric leaves big shoes to fill but Secretary Esper couldn’t have selected a more qualified or suitable candidate. I have known Jen Stewart for years. She has earned a reputation as a knowledgeable, competent, and extremely hard working strategic leader. She was among my most trusted advisors and confidantes during my first two years as the 19th Chairman. The Secretary, the Department, and the Nation will be well served with Jen as the Chief of Staff.”
Chewning becomes the sixth high-profile exit from the Pentagon in the last month, although there should be no gap between his exit and Stewart’s start. Pentagon spokeswoman Alyssa Farah said the building “continues to bring in high quality personnel” to fill the empty spots in the building. (Source: Defense News)
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
07 Jan 20. Senate Republicans on Tuesday officially named Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran as the new chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, putting him in line to be a pivotal figure in veterans policy in the months ahead. The move was anticipated for months, since former chairman Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., announced his retirement in late summer. Moran was considered the likely replacement, but no formal action was taken until after Isakson stepped down from his Senate seat at the end of December. In a statement, Moran said he is committed to “ensuring our veterans have the right resources at the right time to achieve success after service” in his new role leading the committee. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Military Times)
US APPOINTMENTS
09 Jan 20. BG Gregory Kreuder, senior defense official/defense attaché, U.S. Embassy, Baghdad, Iraq, to commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Air Education and Training Command, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.
09 Jan 20. USMC SM Richard D. Thresher, currently assigned as the II Marine Expeditionary Force sergeant major, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, has been selected to assume duties as the command senior enlisted leader of U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany.
REST OF THE WORLD APPOINTMENTS
11 Jan 20. Oman swears in new sultan following death of Qaboos. Haitham bin Tariq Al Said succeeds his cousin, who had no children, as head of strategic Gulf state. Oman has named Haitham bin Tariq Al Said as its new ruler, following the death of his cousin Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, the Arab world’s longest-serving monarch, who forged the country’s modern identity and pursued a neutral path through the region’s wars and disputes. Official media said Sultan Haitham, who serves as culture minister, had sworn an oath of office as television aired the funeral of Sultan Qaboos. The ruling family council opened a letter in which the late sultan — who had no children — had named his cousin as successor, state television said. “It is with great sorrow and grief that the royal court mourns His Majesty Sultan Qaboos,” a government statement said in the early hours of Saturday. Three days of mourning have been announced. Omanis, many of whom have only known life under Qaboos, had been praying for his health since the ruler last month returned from Belgium where he had undergone medical checks amid reports of cancer. “We still need you,” was a common message echoing across social media in recent weeks. Sultan Qaboos, a close western ally, chose a neutral foreign policy in regional disputes, sustaining diplomatic ties with both sides of the Iran-Iraq war during the 1980s. Good relations with Iran, which under the Shah had helped the young sultan fight off the Marxist insurgency, were sustained during the era of the Islamic republic. The sultanate became a centre for regional diplomacy, especially as a conduit for western powers to Tehran. (Source: FT.com)
03 Jan 20. Iran names deputy Quds Force commander to replace Soleimani after killing. Iran’s supreme leader appointed the deputy commander of the Quds Force, Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani, as the replacement for Qassem Soleimani, the former head of the elite force who was killed in a U.S. air strike on Friday, state media reported. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement that programme of the Quds Force, the military unit responsible for projecting Iran’s influence via proxies across the Middle East, “will be unchanged from the time of his predecessor.” Ghaani became deputy commander of the Quds Force, the overseas arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, in 1997 when Soleimani became the Force’s chief commander. Ghaani was quoted by Iranian media as saying in 2017 that U.S. President Donald Trump’s “threats against Iran will damage America … We have buried many … like Trump and know how to fight against America.” (Source: Reuters)
INDUSTRY
INDUSTRY TEAMINGS
09 Jan 20. Ontic Signs License Agreement With Meggitt PLC. Ontic Engineering and Manufacturing, Inc. (“Ontic”), the aerospace industry’s leading provider of ‘Extended Life Solutions’ for Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) legacy products, has signed another new exclusive license agreement with Meggitt PLC for Pneumatic Valves, Digital Analogue Units (DAU), Triplex Transducer Units (TTU), Data Acquisition and Processing Units (DAPU) and Electronic Processing Units (EPU).
The aerospace applications for these products include a range of military platforms, including the B-1B Lancer, J-85 Engine, AV-8B, Hawk, EH-101 and Tornado. Under the terms of the agreement, Ontic will be responsible for all continuing Part 21 new build manufacturing, as well as comprehensive Part 145 repairs and spares support for the global customers. These new product lines will be transitioned into Ontic’s United States and United Kingdom facilities.
Gareth Hall, President of Ontic, stated, “Ontic and Meggitt have had a long standing partnership since 1995. This is our 5th license agreement with Meggitt, and the latest in a recent succession of transactions. Ontic is committed to strategically assisting OEMs with the ongoing support of their non-core products, allowing our partners to progress and concentrate on their strategic priorities. We are pleased to add this license to our extensive range of product families, which builds on Ontic’s capabilities.”
Ontic’s global legacy focus is supported by manufacturing and MRO facilities in Chatsworth, California; Creedmoor, North Carolina; Plainview, New York; Cheltenham in the United Kingdom and in Singapore. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
08 Jan 20. OSI, PGZ SW enter strategic partnership. OSI Maritime Systems (OSI) has entered in to a strategic partnership with Poland’s PGZ Stocznia Wojenna Shipyard (PGZ SW) to provide Integrated Navigation and Tactical Systems (INTS) to the Polish Navy. Together the companies will fulfil a contract for Poland’s Kormoran class mine countermeasures vessels, providing two INTS for vessels two and three of the class, Albatros and Mewa. INTS is a fully scalable, IMO and NATO STANAG 4564 WECDIS compliant integrated bridge system. Kormoran is part of the Polish naval modernisation programme. The vessels will operate in the waters of the Polish exclusive economic zone as well as participate in NATO’s countermeasure group in the Baltic and North Sea. Ken Kirkpatrick, president and CEO, OSI, said: ‘We are very pleased to be working with PGZ SW and the Polish Navy, our newest naval customer, on the Kormoran project. PGZ SW is a highly regarded naval shipyard and well positioned to support the expansion of OSI’s presence within the region.’ (Source: Shephard)
PERSONNEL
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
07 Jan 20. Tony Wood, Chief Executive of Meggitt and former President of Rolls Royce Aerospace, has been appointed ADS President, succeeding Colin Smith. The appointment comes ahead of the 2020 Farnborough International Airshow, where the spotlight will be on the UK aerospace, defence and space industries, the latest developments in sustainable aviation technology, and attracting future engineering talent.
Tony Wood said: “It is an honour to be appointed ADS President and I look forward to championing the industries we represent: industries that connect people across continents, ensure our national security and put advanced technology into space. 2020 marks a year where both sustainability and social purpose will be high on our agenda, underpinned by the innovation that continues to be the hallmark of the industries we represent. We are looking forward to working with the new Government to take forward our industrial partnerships, investing to create a more sustainable future and deliver a national space programme. We keenly anticipate contributing to the planned Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review and ensuring that our industries remain equipped to provide outstanding levels of support to our Armed Force, Police and Security Services. We are also looking forward to the 2020 Farnborough International Airshow and the opportunity to showcase to an international audience the fantastic products, services and innovations created by our members.”
ADS Chief Executive Paul Everitt said: “It is a great start to 2020 for ADS to welcome Tony Wood to the role of President. He brings extensive knowledge of our industries, his experience and drive will be an asset to ADS and to our members. I would also like to think Colin Smith for his support, advice and dedication in his two years as ADS President, which have seen our members continue to grow, development of our industrial strategy partnerships with Government, and a first Farnborough International Airshow at our new Exhibition and Conference Centre.”
As President, Tony Wood leads the ADS Board, which is composed of representatives from each of the UK’s Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space sectors, including Vice Presidents from each industry. The appointment of ADS President is made for a two-year term.
09 Jan 20. Samantha West – well known to the global community for many years as spearheading the branding and marketing activities for large tri-defence organisations (including ATLAS and QinetiQ) – has joined the MAST team as Marketing Manager. She is best known for her presence and media engagement at exhibitions both in the UK and overseas. Sam brings 20 years’ events experience to MAST’s new marketing department, widening the reach and influence of current marketing and PR/Advertising efforts, and sees the appointment as a great opportunity.
09 Jan 20. Double-appointment for defence supplier Pattonair. Aerospace and defence supply chain provider Pattonair has welcomed Kieran Murphy and Martin Cole into the newly-created positions of Innovation Manager at its Derby headquarters. Their appointments come at an exciting time for the company, which has embarked on a $1.9bn merger with US-based Wesco Aircraft Holdings and acquired aircraft spares company Adams Aviation.
US APPOINTMENTS
09 Jan 20. Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) on Thursday named Steven Walker as its chief technology officer. Walker joins the world’s largest defence contractor from the U.S. Department of Defense’s future warfare and technology agency DARPA, where he was a director. In his new role, Walker will act as the company’s liaison to science and technology communities and help in the development of advanced weapons technologies. Walker’s efforts to develop hypersonic weapons and low-earth orbit satellites while at DARPA will help Lockheed as it pursues hypersonic weapons and to win future defence contracts. In October, Lockheed said it expects $1bn in sales from hypersonic weapons in 2020. Walker will replace Keoki Jackson, who was appointed chief engineer and vice president for the engineering and program operations at Lockheed. (Source: Reuters)
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Exforplus is primarily focused at employers of veterans and service leavers, but if you are a veteran needing support whilst within employment please do not hesitate to contact us or make your employer aware of our specialist support service .
Many employers are advised of the benefits of employing veterans and service leavers, these benefits are often significant and outweigh the stigma often attached to individuals leaving the Armed Forces or Uniformed Public Services.
However prevention is often better than cure, if and when an issue arises, will you as an employer or as a member of staff be able to understand each others ways of thinking and backgrounds to resolve these quickly and efficiently.
As an employer you will be looking at ways in which to remove or mitigate against prospective difficulties that your work force may face before they arise, aiding you to achieve your goals and a higher level of productivity within your organisation/business.
Our aim is to reduce the associated costs and expenses incurred from; time off, redundancy, recruitment, training and staff development and sickness.
How will this be achieved? Please do review our purpose built website for our support services for veterans who are in work:
www.InvestorsInVeterans.com
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