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LOCATIONS
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17 Apr 20. South Australian government to build naval and defence technical college. South Australian Premier Steven Marshall and Education Minister John Gardner have announced a partnership between the SA government and Catholic Education (CESA) to deliver an almost $5m expansion of the Rosewater Trade Training Centre to support the maritime and defence industries on the Le Fevre Peninsula. The new technical college will be established in Adelaide’s western suburbs, supporting students to pursue trade pathways into high-demand jobs such as defence and shipbuilding. The expansion of the Rosewater Trade Training Centre will create a skills hub right on the doorstep of the state’s maritime and defence industries on the Le Fevre Peninsula.
Premier Marshall said the establishment of the technical college would support South Australian students to be best placed for future jobs.
“This is a major investment in the future prosperity of our state. It’s great news for the western suburbs and it’s great news for industry in general,” he said.
“In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, we must do everything we can to ensure our young South Australians are at the front of the pack to win the jobs of the future. Industry has told us that they need young people with work-ready skills. We have listened and the establishment of a technical college in Adelaide’s west will deliver the skills needed to support jobs in the defence, shipbuilding and maritime industries.”
Education Minister John Gardner said the Technical College would continue to build confidence in South Australia’s high-quality vocational education and training sector.
“The establishment of this technical college will continue to boost skills training in our state and equip our young people with skill sets that align with industry needs,” said Minister Gardner.
“Students that complete their training will have the option to transition into employment through an apprenticeship or traineeship within the industry, or into higher education.
“The skills these students develop will be meeting critical workforce needs in the defence, shipbuilding and maritime industries. We are very pleased to team up with Catholic Education SA to deliver this expanded training centre. Their proposal represents an excellent offering for our students and drew strong support from the Industry Assessment Panel.”
The joint project received strong support from industry, including a panel made up of representatives from SAAB Australia, Naval Group and BAE Systems. The investment will see the creation of a new machining and fabrication area at the centre, as well as two laboratories to deliver computer-aided design, drafting and information, digital media and technology, and electronics and electrotechnology laboratories.
The technical college will be available to students from government, catholic and independent schools as part of the Marshall government’s commitment to delivering the best educational opportunities for the largest number of South Australian students. Work will be completed in time for new enrolments in semester two next year.
Dr Neil McGoran, director of Catholic Education South Australia, welcomed the announcement.
“We are excited to be working in partnership with the state government to deliver a vocational education pathway for secondary students across Catholic, government and independent schools,” he said.
“Across our technical colleges and trade training centres we have a very high transition rate to employment and apprenticeships. We will leverage strong existing partnerships with industry and trade across SA to ensure that young people are job-ready and armed with the skills they need to succeed in these growth employment areas. The Western Technical College will give students qualifications that will set them up for life.” (Source: Defence Connect)
16 Apr 20. USAF selects two fields for Air National Guard F-35A basing. The US Air Force (USAF) has chosen two Air National Guard Base fields as new homes for its F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. The two Air National Guard F-35A Lightning II locations are Truax Field in Wisconsin and Dannelly Field in Alabama.
Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett said: “The Department of the Air Force selected the 115th Fighter Wing and the 187th Fighter Wing as the next Air National Guard locations to receive the F-35A. Putting F-35s at these two bases continues our transition into the next generation of air superiority.”
The USAF has concluded the necessary environmental analysis prior to making the final basing decision. The analysis began in early 2018.
The Truax and Dannelly fields are expected to start welcoming the F-35A aircraft in 2023, according to the USAF.
Hill Air Force Base in Utah, Royal Air Force Lakenheath in the UK, and Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, and Burlington Air Guard Station in Vermont are currently serving as the active-duty operational locations for the F-35. In addition, USAF’s Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, Texas, is also expected to house the aircraft. An environmental study has been already conducted and results are awaited. The USAF’s F-35A is a fifth-generation aircraft built by Lockheed Martin. The conventional take-off and landing variant will replace a number of older fourth-generation jets. It is designed to provide advanced stealth capabilities and increased lethality. The F-35As will be operated by the service in combination with fourth-generation fighter jets into the 2040s. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
MARITIME
16 Apr 20. RMN’s second Scorpène-class submarine returns to service after refit. The Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN’s) second of two Perdana Menteri (Scorpène)-class attack submarines has returned to service following the completion of an18 month-long in-country refit programme.
In a video released on 16 April the RMN showed KD Tun Razak conducting operations at an undisclosed location, with its crew shown wearing face masks, presumably as a precautionary measure against the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. A caption in the video stated that the RMN was “patrolling Malaysian waters”.
The RMN did not provide further details in the video, but a military source told Jane’s that the submarine, which was commissioned in October 2009, had been conducting sea trials since late 2019 following the completion of the refit, which was carried out by the Boustead DCNS Naval Corporation (BDNC): a joint venture between Malaysian naval engineering group Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation and French shipbuilder, DCNS (now called Naval Group).
The service published a similar video in May 2018 shortly after first-of-class KD Tunku Abdul Rahman had returned to service following a similar refit. This submarine, which was commissioned in January 2009, had begun its refit with BDNC, which also provides integrated service and support for both submarines, in November 2015.
Just like with Tun Razak , refit work on the first-of-class was done in a facility at the Sepanggar naval base at Kota Kinabalu, which is located in the state of Sabah in the Malaysian part of the island of Borneo and is where both submarines are based. (Source: Jane’s)
15 Apr 20. Covid-19: Charles de Gaulle returns to home port. The French Navy carrier strike group (CSG) returned to Toulon, its home port, on 12 April, 10 days earlier than planned. Charles de Gaulle’s deployment was cut short after 50 sailors on board the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier were diagnosed with Covid-19. The French Armed Forces Ministry revealed on 8 April that 40 sailors from Charles de Gaulle had been placed under medical observation with symptoms that could be linked to Covid-19. A team of four doctors arrived on board the same day to conduct tests and assess the situation. 50 of the 66 sailors tested were declared to have been infected by the virus, the ministry confirmed on 10 April. Following these tests, a decision was taken to reduce the CSG’s deployment by 10 days. The Rafale fighters and Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft took off from the Charles de Gaulle for their naval air stations in Brittany. The carrier, along with the frigate Chevalier Paul, headed for Toulon, while the fleet tanker Somme and frigate La Motte-Picquet headed for Brest. Measures were taken to prevent the virus from spreading on board, including wearing masks. (Source: Jane’s)
15 Apr 20. Brazilian ship arrives in Lebanon for the country’s last naval contribution to UNIFIL. The Brazilian Navy Niterói-class frigate Independência (F44) with its crew of 199 arrived in Beirut, Lebanon on 11 April to carry out the last scheduled contribution of a Brazilian ship to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon-Maritime Task Force (UNIFIL-MTF). The ship departed Niterói, where the Naval Base of Rio de Janeiro (BNRJ) is located, on 8 March to replace the corvette CV Barroso (V34) in the flagship role of UNIFIL-MTF. Independência is scheduled to formally assume the role on 20 April, the navy told Jane’s on 13 April. However, the switch could be postponed as the ship’s crew could be put under quarantine as a preventive measure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. (Source: Jane’s)
15 Apr 20. Covid-19: Carrier Truman sea-time extended as US Navy virus cases grow. With the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) temporarily sidelined due to Covid-19 concerns, the US Navy (USN) is operating carrier USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75) at sea longer.
“We made a decision to keep Harry S Truman at sea so we can have at least two carriers at sea at a moment’s notice until [carrier USS] Nimitz [CVN 68] sets sail,” General Mark Miley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed on 14 April during a Pentagon press conference. Nimitz should set sail shortly, he said. The Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group is now operating in the Western Atlantic, following its successful deployment to the US 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation. (Source: Jane’s)
14 Apr 20. Egypt receives third Type 209 submarine. The Egyptian Navy’s third Class 209/1400mod (Type 209) submarine is now heading to Egypt after it was formally handed over by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) on 9 April. The German company said the handover of S43 took place at its Kiel yard, but that only a small number of people were present because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Given the global corona pandemic, this handover marks a very special milestone for us,” TKMS CEO Dr Rolf Wirtz said. “We are extremely proud of our employees, who completed the boat on time and in line with our comprehensive health protection measures.” (Source: Jane’s)
AIR
15 Apr 20. Argentine Army receives more AB 206 helicopters. The Argentine Army received a further two Agusta-Bell AB 206 JetRanger utility helicopters on 9 April. The additional helicopters, which have serial numbers AE-312 and AE-314, bring the number that has so far been delivered to the service to four from a batch of 20 purchased in 2016 from Italy. All 20 were delivered to Argentina in 2018, and prior to being handed over to the army were first refurbished and modernised with new Garmin avionics and Harris radios by Fadea. Six more helicopters are due to be delivered this year, bringing to 10 the total to be received by the end of the year. (Source: Jane’s)
14 Apr 20. Boeing’s F-15 Qatar Advanced Jet Completes Successful First Flight. 90-minute flight demonstrates new fighter’s unmatched maneuverability and speed. Boeing [NYSE: BA] successfully completed the first flight of the F-15QA fighter, the most advanced version of the jet ever manufactured. Developed for the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF), the jet demonstrated its next-generation capabilities during its 90-minute mission. The flight took off and landed from Lambert International Airport in St. Louis.
“We are very proud of this accomplishment and looking forward with great excitement to the continued successes of this program,” said Col. Ahmed Al Mansoori, commander, QEAF F-15 Wing. “This successful first flight is an important milestone that brings our squadrons one step closer to flying this incredible aircraft over the skies of Qatar.”
Boeing’s flight test team, led by Chief Test Pilot Matt Giese, implemented a precise mission checklist to test the multirole aircraft’s capabilities. The aircraft demonstrated its maneuverability during its vertical “Viking” takeoff and by pulling nine Gs, or nine times the force of earth’s gravity, in its subsequent maneuvering in the test airspace. Checks of systems such as avionics and radar were also successful. A test team monitoring the data in real time confirmed the aircraft performed as planned.
“This successful first flight is an important step in providing the QEAF an aircraft with best-in-class range and payload,” said Prat Kumar, Boeing vice president and F-15 program manager. “The advanced F-15QA not only offers game changing capabilities but is also built using advanced manufacturing processes which make the jet more efficient to manufacture. In the field, the F-15 costs half the cost per flight hour of similar fighter aircraft and delivers far more payload at far greater ranges. That’s success for the warfighter.”
The U.S. Department of Defense awarded Boeing a $6.2bn contract in 2017 to manufacture 36 F-15 fighter jets for the QEAF. Boeing will begin delivering aircraft to the customer in 2021. In addition, Boeing was awarded a U.S. Air Force foreign military sale contract in 2019 for F-15QA aircrew and maintenance training for the QEAF.
The F-15QA brings to its operators next-generation technologies such as fly-by-wire flight controls, digital cockpit; modernized sensors, radar, and electronic warfare capabilities; and the world’s fastest mission computer. Increases in reliability, sustainability and maintainability allow defense operators to affordably remain ahead of current and evolving threats.
Through investments in the F-15QA platform and partnership with the U.S. Air Force, Boeing is now preparing to build a domestic variant of the advanced fighter, the F-15EX. F-15EX became a program of record for the Air Force when the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020 was signed on Dec. 30, 2019. In January, the Air Force issued public notifications of its intent to award sole-source a contract to Boeing for eight jets. Future plans call for as many as 144 aircraft.
13 Apr 20. The Airbus A400M new-generation airlifter ordered by the Luxembourg Armed Forces has made its maiden flight, marking a key milestone towards its delivery. The aircraft, known as MSN104, took off from Seville (Spain), where the final assembly line is located, at 16:08 local time (CET) and landed back on site 5 hours later. The Luxembourg aircraft will be operated by the armed forces of Belgium and Luxembourg within a binational unit based in Belgium. MSN104 is scheduled to be delivered in the second quarter of 2020.
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
16 Apr 20. Nearly one in 10 British military absent from frontline. Fewer than 100 UK personnel test positive for virus but many self-isolate or work from home. The absences have not affected the 20,000-strong Covid Support Force, which is helping the NHS. Just under 10 per cent of the UK’s armed forces are absent from frontline duties because they are self-isolating, working from home or caring for vulnerable family members due to coronavirus, according to the Ministry of Defence. About 13,000 military personnel — 9.1 per cent — are affected but officials stressed that many were still “contributing to defence” by working remotely. The absences have not affected the 20,000-strong Covid Support Force, which is helping to boost public services including the NHS, nor British military deployments overseas, officials said. Fewer than 100 members of the armed forces have tested positive for the virus, although the ministry would not say how many had been tested.
Nearly a third of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle’s crew have coronavirus. The figures were revealed as the French navy announced that nearly a third of the crew of its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, currently in the port of Toulon, had been infected with coronavirus. So far 668 sailors on the carrier have tested positive, and one is in intensive care.
The acting civilian head of the US navy resigned last week after being criticised for sacking an aircraft carrier captain who had asked the Pentagon for urgent help dealing with a coronavirus outbreak on his ship, the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Just over 600 crew members on the carrier tested positive, and one has died. While the Pentagon is now giving daily updates on how many military personnel are infected — 2,486 at the last count — this was the first time the UK MoD had given data on how coronavirus has affected its workforce. The British military is helping to ease pressure by driving ambulances © Jacob King/PA As well as regular obligations such as maintaining the nuclear deterrent and deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, the British military is also involved in new operations within the UK, such as driving oxygen tankers and ambulances, and delivering PPE to hospitals. About 3,500 troops are involved in this effort each day, although more than 20,000 are on standby to provide assistance if needed. General Sir Nick Carter, chief of the defence staff, said on Thursday that the military was working “in support of the heroic healthcare workers on the frontline”. “We are for once in our lives not on the front line,” he said. “Humility is the watchword in the way that we help and respond and support others.” The armed forces are to run “pop-up” coronavirus testing centres across rural areas, which would enable the government’s testing programme to “get out and touch the community more closely”, Sir Nick said. Some of these mobile centres could be used to speed up testing in care homes. “The military is involved in trying to construct that and create [testing] prototypes that perhaps could be let out to industry in short order,” Sir Nick said. (Source: FT.com)
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
16 Apr 20. BG Rodney D. Lewis, deputy director, operations, National Joint Operations Intelligence Center, Operations Team One, J-3, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia, to director, strategy, posture and assessments, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, Integration and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
16 Apr 20. BG Steven P. Whitney, executive director, operational contract support, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia, to director, space programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
INDUSTRY
PERSONNEL
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
14 Apr 20. Mike Rake, the former BT chairman and president of the CBI, has joined Huawei’s UK board as a non-executive director after defending the Chinese company against a political onslaught in recent weeks. The British business veteran, who advised David Cameron when he was prime minister, has been advising Huawei since January having kept a close relationship with the Chinese company after he worked with the group during his stint at BT. The appointment of the telecoms veteran comes against a backdrop of increased tension over the UK government’s decision to restrict the amount of Huawei equipment that can be used by Britain’s telecoms companies building 5G and ultrafast broadband networks. (Source: FT.com)
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
14 Apr 20. Aero Precision Holdings LP announced today that it has appointed Brad Morton, the former President of Eaton Corporation Aerospace Group, to its Board of Directors. In his ten years at Eaton Corporation, Brad consistently drove year-over-year revenue growth by instilling operational excellence, and by strategically reshaping and strengthening the business through key acquisitions, divestitures and new international joint ventures. Prior to Eaton Corporation, Brad spent 21 years at Honeywell Aerospace and the former AlliedSignal, where his roles included increasing responsibilities in the areas of project engineering, program management, sales and marketing, product support, manufacturing operations, and general management.
16 Apr 20. Altamira Deepens Leadership Team to Support Continued Strong Growth. Altamira Technologies Corporation today announces the addition of three experienced leaders as the company continues to capitalize on its position in expanding mission-critical national security programs. Adam Omar has joined as Chief Financial Officer. Adam has been the CFO at two successful equity-backed companies and held leadership positions at large systems integrators and software firms, including SAIC, Software AG, and LexisNexis. “Adam’s experience with PE-backed ventures brings the financial discipline, agility, and creativity we need as we move further into Space, Cyber, and mission modernization programs for the DoD and IC,” said Altamira CEO Ted Davies.
John Price has joined as VP, Growth, and Strategy. In this role, John will focus on expanding Altamira’s cyber offerings and leveraging core Data Analytics/ML/AI capabilities into emerging DoD programs.
Altamira COO, Blaine Worthington stated that “John’s background in the U.S. Special Forces, his time on Capitol Hill and in the Pentagon have given him a unique perspective on key national security issues and trends. He is having an immediate impact on new opportunities for Altamira in emerging parts of DoD and the IC.”
Clay Sharman has been added to the Altamira Leadership team as the Director of Capture and Proposals.
Clay has extensive commercial creative experience and has led proposal teams that generated over 100 proposals a year. His background is a perfect fit for the volume of bids that Altamira will submit this year and beyond.
Altamira Chairman, Joe Wright, expressed the Board’s excitement about these hires, stating “this next wave of leaders will deepen an already strong team and help continue to drive the growth of this ClearSky high-end analytics and engineering portfolio company serving our national security customers.” (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
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