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LOCATIONS
LAND
05 Oct 20. Queensland named as home of Boeing’s military drone production facility. It will be the first time Boeing has designed and developed its military aircraft outside of the US.
Boeing and the Queensland government have announced a partnership that sees the Sunshine State become the home of Boeing’s production facility for unmanned defence aircraft.
Boeing said the facility would build the company’s Airpower Teaming System, and it would be the first time a Boeing military aircraft has been designed and developed outside of the US. The pair also claimed that it would be the first military aircraft to be designed, engineered, and manufactured in Australia in over 50 years.
“Our investment in this advanced manufacturing project will provide critical skills for suppliers, academia, and Boeing, and culminate in Queensland becoming the primary final assembly facility for the Boeing Airpower Teaming System, conditional on orders,” Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in a statement.
“Supporting this project is a significant investment in the Queensland defence and manufacturing industries and will strengthen ties between Australia and the global defence market.”
The first homemade unmanned, autonomous aircraft prototype, called the Loyal Wingman, was unveiled with the Royal Australian Air Force in May this year.
Read also: Is there room for ethics and the law in military AI? (TechRepublic)
Boeing employs 1,700 staff in Queensland, and 400 local businesses are involved in the supply chain.
“This investment could unlock global defence and aerospace opportunities for Queensland to gain future work share in other Boeing programs,” Boeing Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific president Brendan Nelson said.
Back in 2016, the Queensland announced it would inject AU$1m into drone technology. At the time, Queensland government also partnered with Boeing, in conjunction with Boeing subsidiary Insitu Pacific, Shell’s QGC project, and Telstra, to further drone research.
“The project aims to capitalise on the capabilities inherent in drones to carry out remote-monitoring and inspection of key infrastructure and data analysis to allow for better decision-making,” Palaszczuk said in a statement.
Boeing has since ramped up efforts in Queensland, having previously declared the state as the home for its new autonomous systems development program.
The campaign for Queensland’s October 31 election officially kicked off on Tuesday. (Source: Google/https://www.zdnet.com/)
03 Oct 20. NIOA breaks ground on $11m Brisbane HQ expansion. Australian-owned defence company NIOA is preparing to break ground on an $11m expansion of its Brisbane headquarters, creating 40 local jobs at the peak of construction.
The Eagle Farm facility – home to NIOA’s corporate headquarters, warehouse and distribution centre – will accommodate a 90 full-time equivalent increase in project managers, engineering, administration and operational personnel within the new building.
The company has entered a significant growth phase with a $130m capital investment in domestic munitions and explosives manufacturing including a $60m artillery shell forging plant in Maryborough with joint-venture partner Rheinmetall Waffe Munitions GmbH, as well a co-tenancy at the Australian government-owned munitions plant at Benalla in Victoria.
NIOA CEO Robert Nioa said the new building would add a 1,445 square metres of space, adjacent and connected to the existing 8,000-square-metre state-of-the-art facility in the Brisbane Airport precinct, which opened in 2014.
“It’s going to be a great building and will provide a wonderful working environment for our team. NIOA is committed to projects that strengthen and grow Australia’s sovereign industrial capability,” Nioa said.
NIOA recently secured Stage 1 of Tranche 1 of the LAND 159 program to modernise the Army’s weapons systems and in 2018 was awarded the $100m LAND 17 – 1C.2 future artillery ammunition contract. The company has additional offices in Melbourne, Canberra and the United States and is well positioned to become a global exporter in the weapons and munitions sector.
Munitions and small arms research, design, development and manufacture has been identified as one of the federal government’s top 10 Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities
Nioa added, “It’s going to be a great building and will provide a wonderful working environment for our team. NIOA is committed to projects that strengthen and grow Australia’s sovereign industrial capability. This expansion will offer us the ability to innovate and grow long into the future, so we can pass on even greater service to all of our customers who have supported us for decades, as well as keeping skills, knowledge and jobs here in Australia.”
BESIX Watpac will lead a six-month construction phase of the five-storey building designed by award-winning architects KIRK using Glued Laminated Timber (Glulam) and Cross Laminated Timber products from Maryborough-based Hyne Timber as key features of the structure.
BESIX Watpac general manager for Queensland and the Northern Territory, Drew Brockhurst, said his team was pleased to be awarded such a unique project for a great Queensland company.
“BESIX Watpac is excited to partner with NIOA to deliver this innovative superior quality project within a sensitive secure operational environment,” Brockhurst said.
NIOA is a 100 per cent Australian prime contractor specialising in the provision and support of weapon systems and integrated soldier systems focusing on close combat, special operations, direct fire, in-direct fire, target recognition/identification, suppression and neutralisation, training and force protection.
The company supplies and supports a wide array of small arms, medium calibre and large calibre munitions, special function grenades and pyrotechnics, and leading-edge pistol systems, small arms, sighting systems and carriage solutions. NIOA prides itself on providing complete system solutions inclusive of through life support to its defence and law enforcement customers.
NIOA maintains and exercises reach-back arrangements with its engineering and technical support partners to provide specialised design, analysis and test services for the weapons systems we supply and support. The company’s facilities are unique in Australia and provide specialised services and products to defence and law enforcement agencies across Australia and New Zealand. With an extensive range of capabilities, the new NIOA facility has been purpose built in collaboration with the Defence Security Agency to meet the needs of its customers. (Source: Defence Connect)
MARITIME
07 Oct 20. SECNAV Names Navy’s Future Class of Guided-Missile Frigates. Secretary of the Navy Kenneth J. Braithwaite announced USS Constellation (FFG 62) as the name for the first ship in the new Guided Missile Frigate (FFG(X)) class of ships Oct. 7 while aboard the museum ship Constellation in Baltimore Inner Harbor, the Navy said in a release.
The name was selected in honor of the first U.S. Navy ships authorized by Congress in 1794 — heavy frigates named United States, Constellation, Constitution, Chesapeake, Congress, and President. These ships established the Continental Navy as an agile, lethal and ready force for the 19th century. This will be the fifth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name Constellation.
“As the first in her class, these ships will now be known as the Constellation Class frigates, linking them directly to the original six frigates of our Navy, carrying on the traditions of our great service which have been passed down from generation to generation of Sailors,” said Braithwaite. “While providing an unmatched capability and survivability for the 21st Century, Constellation Class Frigates will honor our Navy’s historic beginnings as we continue to operate around the world in today’s era of Great Power Competition.”
As the next generation of small surface combatants will contribute to meeting the goal of 355 battle force ships. With the ability to operate independently or as part of a strike group, it will deliver an Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR), Mk 41 Vertical Launching System, and Baseline 10 (BL 10) Aegis Combat System capabilities. The ships’ lethality, survivability, and improved capability will provide Fleet Commanders multiple options while supporting the National Defense Strategy across the full range of military operations.
Constellation is a historic name with a long Naval history. The original name was submitted to President Washington in 1795 to represent the ‘new constellation of stars’ on the United States flag. The first Constellation was a 38-gun frigate with a crew of 340 personnel. The ship was built in Baltimore in 1797 and remained in service until 1853.
The second Constellation was a sloop-of-war launched in 1854 and was the last sail-only warship designed and built by the U.S. Navy. The ship currently stands as a museum in Baltimore.
The keel for a third ship named Constellation was laid, but the ship was never completed in the peace years following WWI.
The most prominent Constellation is the Kitty Hawk-class conventional aircraft carrier that commissioned in 1961. It had a storied history to include overcoming several catastrophic fires on board, supporting operations during the Vietnam War, the first Persian Gulf War, and Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom before decommissioning in 2003.
Constellation-class Frigates will be built at Marinette Marine Corporation in Marinette, Wisconsin, with the first ship scheduled for delivery in 2026. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/https://seapowermagazine.org/)
07 Oct 20. First sea trial of the FREMM DA Alsace – ninth FREMM built in Lorient and first FREMM frigate with enhanced air defence.
Capabilities. On October 5, 2020, the multi-mission frigate FREMM Alsace went out for her first sea trial. She is the first of two air defence frigates designed for the French Navy as part of the FREMM program. Alsace benefits from the same anti-submarine warfare performances as the previous units but with enhanced air defence capabilities.
Nineteen months after her launch, the FREMM Alsace went out for her first sea trial on October 5, 2020. She is the seventh FREMM European Multi-Mission Frigate ordered by the French Procurement Agency (DGA) on behalf of the French Navy. The management of the FREMM program is entrusted to the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR).
In order to meet the operational needs of the French Navy and to incorporate the operational feedback acquired since the program was launched, Alsace incorporates the latest developments ordered by OCCAR.
This frigate is the first FREMM frigate with enhanced air defence capabilities and benefits from feedback collected on previous units of the FREMM series as well as from upgrades intended to increase versatility. These technical adaptations include a more powerful multi-function radar, enhanced communications resources, additional SETIS® Combat Management System consoles in the “command information centre”, and enhanced air defence capabilities using Aster 15 and 30 missiles. The FREMM Alsace also benefits from an optimised mast to increase long-range air surveillance performances.
“This first sea trial marks the start of a series of trials for the ship. About one hundred Naval Group employees from Lorient, Nantes-Indret, Ollioules and Paris-Bagneux embarked alongside the French Navy crew and representatives of other French authorities. Very strict health procedures were defined jointly by Naval Group and the French authorities to ensure the safety of all people on board. Day and night, Naval Group employees, in close cooperation with the crew, will be required to carry out various tests, monitor and operate the installations. The aim of this first sea trial is twofold: to test the performance of the propulsion and navigation systems, but also to start checking and testing the integration of the combat system,” explains
05 Oct 20. USS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams First Major Navy Ship to be Based in Greece in Decades. The U.S. Navy muscled up in the eastern Mediterranean Sea this week, announcing that it will homeport a major vessel at Souda Bay in Greece for the first time in at least 40 years.
The USS Hershel “Woody” Williams “provides a new capability in the theater,” U.S. 6th Fleet commander, Vice Adm. Gene Black, said in a statement Friday.
The ship, an expeditionary sea base designed to carry Marines and special operations troops to hot spots or train with partners, is assigned to U.S. Africa Command but will also be available to support other commands.
The move, which took effect Thursday, comes at a time when U.S. defense officials are worried about a Russian military buildup in the Mediterranean. Moscow has a base in Syria and an expanding influence in Libya, where Russia has deployed hundreds of state-backed mercenaries, fighter planes and other weaponry.
Recently retired Adm. James Foggo, who commanded U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa for three years, said in June that Russia was turning the eastern Mediterranean into “one of the most kinetic areas in the world.”
Souda Bay has served as a Navy logistics hub since 1969. Positioned on the Greek island of Crete, the base also has an airfield, port facility and new pier that can support an aircraft carrier.
The decision to base the ship in the country was announced Tuesday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a visit to Greece, where the U.S. has deepened military ties during the past year with an updated security cooperation agreement that calls for more troop rotations at various bases.
Pompeo’s visit also came as tensions run high between Greece and neighboring Turkey, both NATO members but longtime adversaries who are at odds over energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean.
Some security analysts have speculated that the U.S. expansion in Greece could be a prelude to a bigger adjustment, with Souda Bay to eventually become an alternative to Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base used by the Air Force. But in a statement to Turkish media this week, the Pentagon gave no indication that such a plan is in the works.
“The continuing presence of the U.S. in Incirlik demonstrates the strong relations between the U.S. and our NATO ally Turkey,” the Pentagon statement said.
From Souda Bay, the USS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams will conduct missions in the Mediterranean as well as east, south and western Africa to coordinate with regional partners, the Navy said.
Due to the ship’s extended overseas assignment, Military Sealift Command will conduct routine maintenance at Souda Bay and other overseas ports, the Navy said.
The 784-foot-long ship features a 52,000 square-foot, four-spot flight deck that helicopters can land on. There also is living space for the crew, which has a complement of about 250.
The ship has a “Blue Crew” and a “Gold Crew,” which will turn over periodically to allow the vessel to remain forward-based at Souda Bay. Personnel will rotate to Souda Bay on roughly six-month assignments from their home base in Norfolk, Va., 6th Fleet said. (Source: Military.com)
AIR
07 Oct 20. Airbus delivers A400M to Luxembourg’s Armed Forces. The Luxembourg Armed Forces have taken delivery of its Airbus A400M military transport aircraft, which was accepted at the A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville (Spain) and has performed a ferry flight. It will make a first stop in Luxembourg before continuing its journey to the 15th Wing Air Transport in Melsbroek (Belgium), where the joint airlift unit between Belgium and Luxembourg will be based. With this delivery, Luxembourg becomes the seventh A400M operator.
The aircraft, known as MSN104, will be operated by the Luxembourg Armed Forces and Belgium within a binational unit, together with the seven A400M ordered by Belgium, which is due to receive its first aircraft in the coming weeks.
Alberto Gutierrez, Head of Military Aircraft at Airbus Defence and Space, said: “I welcome Luxembourg to the growing A400M user community. With 94 aircraft in service, the A400M is increasingly becoming the air mobility backbone of our customers, both in civil and military environments, as seen in recent COVID-19 crisis missions around the globe.”
The A400M recently achieved additional capabilities such as simultaneous paratrooper dispatch for a maximum of 116 paratroopers using the side doors, automatic low level flight in visual meteorological conditions (the only military transport aircraft with this capability), and aerial delivery and combat off-load that allows a single 16-tonne load to be dropped automatically via parachute extraction. In addition, 25 tonnes can be gravity dropped and the manual combat offload of up to 19 tonnes on pallets (one pass) or 25 tonnes (two passes) on an unpaved runway is possible, which is unprecedented. With regards to helicopter air-to-air refuelling operations, the A400M recently achieved the first successful wet contacts with a H225M helicopter.
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
05 Oct 20. Ball Aerospace President Rob Strain has been selected to serve as a subcommittee member on the Defense Innovation Board (DIB) Space Advisory Committee (SAC). As a member of the SAC, Strain will draw on more than 30 years of experience in the aerospace industry to provide his unique perspective and expertise to the DIB for Department of Defense leaders on how to best leverage innovation to address current and future challenges and opportunities in space. (Source: PR Newswire)
02 Oct 20. Lt. Gen. David Allvin was confirmed by the Senate to be the Air Force’s next vice chief of staff in a late-night vote Wednesday. Allvin’s nomination to become vice chief and receive his fourth star was approved unanimously. In a Thursday release, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown applauded Allvin’s confirmation. (Source: Airforce Times)
INDUSTRY
INDUSTRY TEAMINGS
07 Oct 20. Kleos Space and Geomática Soluciones form Peruvian Geospatial Intelligence Partnership.
- Intelligence Delivery Added as an Important Component to Geomática Soluciones S.A.C.s Geospatial Intelligence Products
- Peruvian Coastguard’s monitoring systems to be even more efficient
- Kleos Space’s South American roll-out accelerates
- Scouting Mission Satellite Launch only weeks away
Kleos Space S.A (ASX:KSS, Frankfurt:KS1, Kleos or Company), a space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance data-as-a-service (DaaS) company is pleased to announce the signing of a Distribution Partner and Data Integrator Agreement with Peru based Geomática Soluciones S.A.C.. (Geomática), a leader in geospatial intelligence in Peru.
This agreement follows South American agreements concluded in Mexico, Chile, Brazil and Ecuador.
The agreement allows Geomática to leverage the radio-frequency reconnaissance data-as-a-service (DaaS) captured by Kleos to provide its end customers with additional insights for their intelligence requirements in the maritime security domain.
Pierre Duquesne, Kleos Business Development Manager for South, Central and Latin America said “We are very pleased to be working with Geomática experts, delivering a solution for the well documented challenges Peru has with illegal fishing.”
Alonso Portales, the CEO of Geomática explains, “The information from radio frequency activity on board ships navigating in Peruvian waters from Kleos Space will prove very useful when it becomes available because it is very likely that those ships who get involved in illegal activities know very well what they were doing and are therefore very careful to avoid scrutiny by switching off their AIS transmitters. Kleos’ data will cause the Peruvian Coastguard’s monitoring systems to be even more efficient”.
Under the agreement, Geomática will integrate Kleos data into products and workflows.
Kleos’ satellites will detect and geolocate maritime radio frequency transmissions to provide global activity-based intelligence, enhancing the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of governments and commercial entities when Automatic Identification System (AIS) is defeated, imagery unclear or targets out of patrol range.
Kleos first cluster of four satellites (Kleos Scouting Mission) are launching next month (Nov 2020) on the ISRO PSLV C49 launch into a 37 degree inclined orbit, with the second cluster (Polar Vigilance Mission) launching mid 2021 with Space X into Sun-Synchronous Orbit.
07 Oct 20. Kleos Space Expands its International reach with Exclusive Appointment of Ecuadorian Atlantis SIM.
- Kleos appoints Exclusive Agent for Equador
- Atlantis SIM to provide direct tactical and operational support to Kleos’ customers in Ecuador
- Maritime expert; Atlantis SIM deliver services for oceanography and conservation of the environment and its resources.
- The orbits of Kleos’ first two clusters provide strategic coverage of the South Pacific Ocean coast of Ecuador.
- Scouting Mission Launch targeted for early November 2020 on PSLV C49
- Kleos Space continues to increase its international coverage leading up to its Launch
Kleos Space S.A. (ASX: KSS, Frankfurt: KS1), (Kleos or Company) a space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance data provider, advises that it has appointed Ecuador Atlantis SIM as its Exclusive Territory Agent for Ecuador.
Atlantis SIM is a team of exceptionally experienced and qualified professionals (ex-Navy officers ) in diverse areas of the maritime domain (fishing, oceanography, security) led by CEO; Willington Renteria who is the former Director of the Oceanography Department at the Oceanographic Institute of the Ecuadorian Navy and an international tsunami expert.
Kleos is poised to provide further international RF reconnaissance with the engagement of Atlantis SIM to enhance support to Ecuador Defence and Border Services, providing additional resources to monitor suspect and illegal activities at sea, including smuggling, illegal migration, fishing, whaling and vessels in distress alongside other Earth Observation datasets such as optical & SAR imagery, AIS data, meteorological and oceanographic data, etc.
Recent illegal fishing occurrences such as that perpetrated by the Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999, a vessel which was detained by Ecuador maritime authorities for operating without authorization by the Galapagos Islands as part of a large Chinese fishing fleet demonstrate the imperative for cost effective intelligence fight illegal fishing and handle the pressure on marine ecosystems.
Willington Renteria, CEO of Atlantis Sim, the “exclusive partnership signed with KLEOS SPACE will allow us to provide our customers the strategic information for the complete situation awareness respect to their interest areas. The effective surveillance plus the geoprocessing information will give them the strategic advantage and superiority in their control activities and law enforcement
Pierre Duquesne, Kleos Business Development Manager for South, Central and Latin America said “The Kleos business model is to sell our data products through specialised agents with an expertise in the local market offering us access to end user requirements, existing programmes and existing budgets. This enables Kleos to engage with a far wider customer community more quickly than if Kleos was to work directly with end users.”
Acting as Exclusive Territory Agents, Atlantis SIM will, for a period of two years, provide direct tactical and operational support to Kleos’ customers in Ecuador.
Kleos’ Data
The orbits of Kleos’ first two clusters provide strategic coverage of the South Pacific Ocean coast of Ecuador.
Kleos’ satellites will detect and geolocate maritime radio frequency transmissions to provide global activity-based intelligence, enhancing the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of governments and commercial entities when Automatic Identification System (AIS) is defeated, imagery unclear or targets out of patrol range.
This announcement has been authorised for release by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.
PERSONNEL
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
18 Sep 20. AEVEX Aerospace a full-spectrum airborne intelligence solutions company, today announced the promotion of Meredith Berg within the organization to the role of Capture Manager. Berg is a skilled professional with a proven record of support to the AEVEX Business Development team. At AEVEX Intelligence Solutions, she will continue to leverage her combination of drive, talent, and professional acumen to help create new business opportunities throughout the DoD market space.
01 Sep 20. AEVEX Aerospace, a full-spectrum airborne intelligence solutions company, today announced the appointment of Emma Perkins to the AEVEX Intelligence Solutions Business Development team. Perkins is a former U.S. Army intelligence professional with a proven record of operational and analytic support to both the Special Operations and National Intelligence communities. At AEVEX, she will leverage her unique intelligence background and leadership experience to help create new business opportunities throughout the DoD marketspace.
05 Oct 20. Commercial drone safety technology innovator Iris Automation announces its new CEO, Jon Damush, effective immediately. Co-founder Alexander Harmsen has been promoted to Chairman of the Board where he will guide strategy for the company and provide thought leadership on beyond line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations. The move reflects the continued growth at Iris Automation and the opportunities in the global commercial drone market space. Jon brings over 30 years of extensive aviation technology experience and executive leadership, building upon his technical background in engineering, software development and systems integration. Most recently he led new business ventures at Boeing NeXT. Before that he was Chief Growth Officer at Insitu, Inc., a Boeing subsidiary, developing novel aircraft and UAS innovation including detect-and-avoid. He was also a Boeing executive liaison and board observer to SkyGrid, LLC, a joint venture between Boeing and SparkCognition. (Source: PR Newswire)
06 Oct 20. Skydweller Aero Inc. today announced Dale F. Jordan, Jr. is joining the company as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Jordan joins Skydweller Aero from Oseberg, an oil and gas information and data analytics company, where he acted as CFO. Jordan brings with him an extensive background in financial planning and analysis, banking and investor relations, business development, merger and acquisition strategy, and financial reporting and tax strategy (both in the U.S. and abroad). (Source: PR Newswire)
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