VACANCIES
04 Sep 23. Unifly seeks senior project manager to join the UTM company’s Antwerp office. The Unifly office in Antwerp (Deurne), Belgium, is currently looking for a Senior Project Manager to serve as the crucial link connecting the company with customers and partners, overseeing all project-related activities, says the company. This role involves the comprehensive planning, monitoring, and management of projects from inception to fruition. As the Project Manager, you will assume full ownership of the project, maintaining ongoing initiatives while diligently safeguarding budgetary, quality, and planning aspects. The successful candidate will work closely with customers, account managers, and the engineering team to establish project timelines upon contract award. Continuous progress monitoring and guidance, along with vigilant financial and administrative oversight, are crucial aspects of responsibilities. They will also ensure that project outcomes align with technical quality, reliability, schedule, and budgetary requirements, recommending adjustments as needed. The role extends to diligent adherence to contractual agreements, engaging with Legal and Sales Teams for issue resolution and customer negotiations. Building strong customer relationships through effective communication is key, and you’ll provide clear project progress updates to your supervisor, taking full ownership of the project’s status. Maintaining a strategic action plan will be integral, focusing on delivering current projects to customer satisfaction, expanding work with existing customers, and planning for future projects, contributing significantly to the company’s growth and success. Application details here: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3707368112/?refId=7%2BCAi212Q32%2Bx68WUj9PZQ%3D%3D&trackingId=7%2BCAi212Q32%2Bx68WUj9PZQ%3D%3D For more information visit: www.unifly.aero (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
LOCATIONS
LAND
08 Sep 23. Saab Opens New UK Radar Production Site in Fareham. Saab has opened a new radar production facility as part of its growth strategy in the United Kingdom. This new radar work based in Fareham will contribute 100-150 jobs as it grows. Saab UK’s Sensor Systems business operates from Saab’s site in Fareham, with a team also located in Farnborough. The skilled staff in Fareham primarily produce and integrate the new Deployment Set, a configuration of the Giraffe 1X highly mobile, compact, rapidly deployed, software-based, 3D AESA radar. This increases Saab’s production capacity for its Giraffe 1X Deployment Set and the first units are already in production at the Fareham site. Saab UK’s Sensor Systems business will also act as a Centre of Excellence developing follow-on UK Intellectual Property in the radar domain. It will also grow to maintain existing radars in-service with the UK Ministry of Defence, such as Giraffe 1X and Giraffe AMB air defence radars and artillery locating MAMBA (Arthur) radars. The whole site in Fareham benefits 400 jobs at Saab, in established and future roles across various business activities.
“This announcement of our new production facility in Fareham is the latest step in Saab UK’s growth and closely follows our recent acquisition of BlueBear. Starting up Sensor Systems means hundreds of skilled and economically valuable jobs, and a new UK defence industrial capability for our customers,” says Dean Rosenfield, Group Managing Director of Saab UK.
Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge said: “I very much welcome Saab’s investment into the UK, creating hundreds of skilled jobs and supporting our defence industrial base. I look forward to this new facility supporting our Armed Forces in utilising advanced radar capabilities.”
Saab UK’s Fareham site has been growing with the announcement in February 2023 of the expansion of its Underwater Systems business of Seaeye autonomous and remotely operated vehicles. Across the UK, Saab has eight principal sites which focus on software engineering, underwater robotics, training services, radars and more. Saab UK’s presence has been growing at pace, with employee numbers quadrupling through consolidation, acquisition and organic growth, bringing together the best of Swedish and British innovation. (Source: ASD Network)
08 Sep 23. Ground-breaking ceremony: Rheinmetall begins construction of state-of-the-art F-35 factory in Weeze, Germany. Rheinmetall and US-based Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin have begun construction of a state-of-the-art factory for the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft center fuselage. On 1 August 2023, a ground-breaking ceremony took place at the Weeze Airport site in the Kleve district of western Germany. It was attended by Hendrik Wüst, governor of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Numerous other guests from the world of politics, civil society, the armed forces and industry also took part, including Mona Neubaur, the minister for economic affairs, industry, climate protection and energy of North Rhine-Westphalia; Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, chief of the equipment division in the German ministry of defence; Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, supreme commander of the German Air Force; and Annette Lehnigk-Emden, head of the Federal Office of Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support, the German procurement agency, and US Consul General NRW Pauline Kao.
The world’s top-performing warplane, the F-35 Lightning II is now being procured by the German Air Force. Rheinmetall is investing more than €100 m to build a cutting-edge production facility. Featuring state-of-the-art technology developed and used by Northrop Grumman in producing the F-35 center fuselage at the company’s facility in Palmdale, California, the planned factory will be operated under the auspices of Rheinmetall Aviation Services GmbH. It will have 30,000 square metres of production space. Over 400 highly skilled staff will crew the ultramodern plant, which will also include logistics and warehouse facilities, research and test centres, classrooms and quality control units.
This effort represents the standup of a second source for F-35 center fuselages, allowing Northrop Grumman and Rheinmetall to jointly produce up to 185 center sections annually.
The Weeze plant is due to produce at least 400 F-35 fuselage sections for the air forces of Germany and other friendly nations. An integrated technology group, Rheinmetall will be drawing here on its extensive experience in fabricating sophisticated components as well as in the aviation domain. Production is expected to begin in 2025.
Rheinmetall will also be including other companies with relevant technical capabilities in the F-35 programme, creating or securing numerous jobs in various sectors.
“With the F-35 factory here in Weeze, we are creating a new nucleus for aerospace technology in North Rhine-Westphalia and opening a new chapter in German-American cooperation,” declared Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger. “The F-35 Lightning II is a core element of Western security preparedness. Just as the former Royal Air Force base at Weeze was a pillar of NATO air defence during the Cold War, the Rheinmetall factory in Weeze is destined to play a significant role for NATO’s F-35 user nations. We are aware of this responsibility and will do everything in our power to ensure that our F-35 fuselage production is a success.”
“The proven success of our Integrated Assembly Line helps to ensure that Northrop Grumman affordably manufactures a next-generation aircraft that meets the needs of a growing number of international customers,” said Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. “Combined with Rheinmetall’s experience with German Armed Forces and European industry, the collaboration with Rheinmetall and Lockheed Martin will foster critical skills and energize the region’s economy with high-tech job opportunities.”
13 Sep 23. TEKEVER, the European leader in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), today announces the opening of a new site at West Wales Airport, Aberporth. The site will be used to conduct R&D and test flights for customers including the UK Home Office, Royal Airforce and Royal Navy. TEKEVER’s UK team is set to grow by 50% in 2023 and it will create an additional 200 highly skilled jobs over the next 3 years across its two UK sites in Aberporth and Southampton, taking advantage of local engineering and technology talent. The new site will strengthen and scale TEKEVER’s capabilities in R&D and allow it to conduct product development entirely in the UK. West Wales Airport was selected due to its unique ability to provide safe and segregated airspace where the company can test and evaluate drone software and hardware, and rapidly develop technology bespoke to customer needs. While the new site will serve customers globally, they will focus on projects that have to be delivered entirely in the UK due to their sensitive nature. The facilities and airspace will also be used for flight training by TEKEVER’s UK-led operations team, who conduct missions on behalf of customers. Expanding the company’s UK footprint supports TEKEVER’s long-term strategy to streamline product development and take advantage of UK engineering talent. The company’s team of aeronautical, mechanical and software engineers in the UK has been at the forefront of the company’s work in AI and behind the development of critical technologies including sensor integration and the Ground Control Station (GCS) – a core component of every UAS used by customers globally. TEKEVER will continue to work closely with UK universities and research institutes to guide critical research and nurture future talent.
“After ten years of operating in the UK, we are pleased to be opening our second UK site in West Wales that will prove critical in supporting our ambitious growth plans.” commented Ricardo Mendes, CEO of TEKEVER. “The UK has a lot to offer when it comes to growing a technology business. It is home to some of the brightest minds and innovations. Many of TEKEVER’s critical technologies that are used by organisations around the world were developed right here in the UK. TEKEVER is proof that tech companies can thrive in the UK, beyond London and Silicon Fen. We look forward to working with some of the best talent as we continue to grow our business here.”
MARITIME
14 Sep 23. BMT, the leading international multi-disciplinary engineering and ship design consultancy, has announced a significant update to its iconic ELLIDA design series, including studies of future technologies and concepts to enhance naval littoral capabilities.
Building on the success of the original ELLIDA design introduced in 2019, BMT now presents the expanded ELLIDA family – a tailorable array of scalable ship designs, developed to explore the complex needs of modern littoral operations.
Monty Long, Global Business Development Director for Defence, Maritime and Security at BMT, says: “In a world where constant competition is a reality and the global pressure of climate change and social migration are stretching western navies, operational advantage in the littoral is more important than ever. The growing ELLIDA family, introduced this year at DSEI, including its newest addition “ELLIDA Future”, exemplifies our dedication to exploring our customers’ future requirements such as littoral strike and support operations combined with our strategic insights, understanding of cutting-edge technologies, and a deep understanding of the evolving operational landscape.”
Designed to provide a scalable and customisable solution, the ELLIDA family, comprises 130m, 150m, 180m and 200m variants of a multi-role support and logistics ship. Leveraging the flexibility of a scalable hull with internal vehicle and logistics decks, organic aviation, weather deck stowage, mission bays and additional accommodation for embarked military forces, the ELLIDA family can adapt to a spectrum of missions ranging from humanitarian aid and disaster relief to warfare operations.
In addition to expanding the family to cover different ship capacities and sizes, BMT has introduced the innovative “ELLIDA Future”, a concept that fuses strategic horizon scanning with its naval consultancy expertise and decades of proven ship design experience.
Taking inspiration from the evolving landscape of naval operations, “ELLIDA Future” leverages research into efficient hullform development and energy generation and efficiency technologies, highly autonomous warship technologies to support leaner crewing models and trends in the use of autonomous craft to enhance littoral operations. The “ELLIDA Future” allows BMT to explore these themes alongside the existing ELLIDA family and develop interesting future options for its customers.
Complementing the ELLIDA family is BMT’s Caimen range of landing craft which can be offered as an integrated package. Andy Kimber, BMT’s Chief Naval Architect explains: “Following more than a decade of investment, the Caimen is now available as a range of variants according to loading requirement and hull material. It’s a cost-effective platform that offers superior speed, safety, and vessel design flexibility to meet the demands of the littoral operating environment and the needs of a broad spectrum of operations.
13 Sep 23. BMT, the leading international multi-disciplinary engineering and ship design consultancy, has unveiled its Large Uncrewed Surface Vessel (LUSV) vision.
As part of its commitment to horizon scanning, BMT demonstrates why LUSVs could be a necessary enabler for any future blue water navy, as it seeks to balance operational capability and cost-effective mass.
Monty Long, Global Business Development Director for Defence, Maritime and Security at BMT, says: “The naval landscape is evolving and so must our operating strategies. Whilst the concept of a LUSV is not new, many navies debating their future fleet composition have yet to formally consider the use of these types of high endurance vessels to enhance its surface fleet. Our purpose with this vision was to explore the potential of LUSVs adding mass to an existing or future fleet.
When considered within a mixed fleet approach, the LUSV demonstrates compelling technical feasibility. However, as we chart this course towards the future of naval capabilities, it will be imperative that we further explore the economic viability to ensure a balanced and sustainable naval strategy.”
The unveiling of this vision underscores BMT’s role as a vanguard in innovation and adaptability backed by decades of proven ship design experience. This conceptual stance is further backed by the company’s experience and pursuit of next-generation platform-designs and autonomous systems. At over 80m long, to ensure it can operate within high sea states, the LUSV vision comprises six challenges and research areas:
- Command and Control – controlled via shore operations centre but commanded as part of a fully-networked, interoperable fleet.
- Sensor Data Management – providing key, encrypted operational data at the speed of relevance.
- Engineering Systems – considering sustainable propulsion systems and future alternative fuels.
- Vessel and Mission Resilience – allowing the vessel to remain at station whatever is thrown its way, a key factor here is to understand and achieve a balance between resilience on mission and achieving a cost that allows these vessels to support increasing fleet mass.
- Maintenance and Logistics – ensuring system reliability and availability with different approaches to implementing maintenance.
- Modularity – providing a flexible solution with ample capacity for carrying various modular payloads.
The LUSV vision is an evolution of BMT’s Highly Autonomous Warship Technologies (HAWT) programme launched at DSEI two years ago where the company created a vision of a safe and secure lean crewed warship. The aim of this programme was to reduce crew numbers to a minimum by embracing onboard automation and safety, whilst still maintaining the flexibility of the vessel with a minimal crew and evolving its use into the future battlespace.
Jake Rigby, Research and Development Lead for Defence and Security at BMT, comments: “Despite the effectiveness of HAWT, they are not the full solution on their own. A future fleet of lean crewed warships enabled with high levels of costly automation systems could lead to a loss of mass/hull numbers for a fixed fleet cost. It needs to be built into a mixed fleet solution as part of the pivot to protean capabilities.
The question for us then became – how can we effectively add mass to the fleet in a cost-effective manner? This led to the creation of the LUSV vision – a simplified supporting vessel that can utilise the full benefits of autonomy to help reduce costs. The LUSV vision strongly complements the HAWT operating concept and could operate alongside the lean crewed vessel providing cost effective, added mass to the fleet and utilising many of the same underlying technologies.”
BMT delivers lean-crewed and uncrewed designs and technologies to help make maritime operations safer and more efficient for government and industry’s vital missions. By applying best practices and its industry-leading research and design, BMT is helming proven design technology to support current and future capability development.
12 Sep 23. Team Resolute, a consortium of Navantia UK, BMT and Harland & Wolff, unveiled its evolved design for the Fleet Solid Support ship. The progress towards a mature design is a key part of the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) £1.6bn ‘Manufacture Contract’ for three Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships that will provide the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) with a world leading capability to support global operations for the Royal Navy.
The cutting-edge design from BMT’s UK based engineers and naval architects represents a significant advancement in naval logistics capability, offering enhanced operational efficiency and support to the Royal Navy. BMT is also using its depth of expertise and experience to provide safety and environmental management, Integrated Logistics Support (ILS), training packages, and support to obtaining the ships’ security accreditation.
The evolution of the ship design at this stage of the FSS programme demonstrates the progress that has been made with the design and reflects the dedication of BMT, its partners in Team Resolute and the strong relationship with the MoD and DE&S.
The progressive approach to the design provides a pathway for the introduction of new technologies and the incorporation of energy-saving and emission-reducing technologies and future fuels that will contribute to carbon reduction. This collaborative effort will ensure the FSS ships’ reliability, ease of maintenance, operational readiness, and overall effectiveness.
The evolved design of the FSS ship draws inspiration from BMT’s extensive experience across a spectrum of naval programmes — including the QEC, Tide Class, Norwegian Logistics Support Vessel, and Type 31 Frigate. This evolved design promotes compatibility, interoperability and the highest levels of safety. It meets the demanding sustainability requirements set by the UK MoD and is an example of how British design excellence will enable the UK’s net zero ambitions.
Chairman of Navantia UK, Vice Admiral (Retd) Sir Alan Massey, KCB, CBE, said, “This is an important milestone for this critical programme for the Royal Navy. It demonstrates how successfully Team Resolute is working together in boosting UK maritime capabilities, providing an evolved cutting-edge design, transferring knowledge and laying the foundation for the modernisation of Harland & Wolff’s shipyards.”
BMT Chief Executive, OBE, Sarah Kenny said, “The MoD’s investment brings significant social and economic value to the UK enabling BMT to create 120 high-skilled jobs at its Bristol, Bath, Weymouth, Fareham, Glasgow, and Southampton sites, meeting the Government’s ‘Refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy’ objectives. The development of an advanced FSS ship design demonstrates BMT’s commitment to delivering state-of-the-art solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern naval operations for government customers and allied partners, including pathways to achieve carbon neutrality.”
Harland & Wolff Group CEO, John Wood said, “Team Resolute progress on FSS is already re-establishing a skills base for UK shipbuilding in Northern Ireland, thus strengthening UK sovereign capability. Transfer of knowledge from Spanish shipbuilder Navantia concerning programme management, procurement and cutting-edge shipyard technologies is well underway. With planning permission approved, works are due to start on recapitalisation of Belfast, creating the UK’s most technologically advanced shipyard, meaning FSS is providing a foundation on which to complete for decades to come. Having welcomed the second cohort of young apprentices to Belfast and Appledore, we’re not only building the skills base to deliver FSS, but creating a new highly skilled talent pool for the UK.”
1) About Team Resolute
Team Resolute is the partnership created by Navantia UK, Harland & Wolff and BMT to support the National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh while boosting UK sovereign shipbuilding capacity. Team Resolute will provide the Royal Fleet Auxiliary with three Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships to enhance UK maritime defence capability. The £1.6 bn programme will contribute significant social and economic value, developing a solid local supply chain and a skills base for shipbuilding in Northern Ireland, strengthening the UK’s industrial base and economic prosperity.
16 Sep 23. Type 31 frigate programme moves into multi-ship build phase with second keel laying.
Babcock continues its successful delivery of the Royal Navy Type 31 frigates, with the laying of the keel for HMS Active, the second of the five-ship Inspiration class programme.
This marks the move into the programme’s multi-ship phase which sees two warships being built simultaneously, with work continuing only metres away on the first of the Inspiration class, HMS Venturer.
Invited guests, along with Babcock employees and their families, saw the time-honoured shipbuilding ceremony for HMS Active, in advance of a family fun day and BBQ at the Fife facility.
The keel laying event, with a focus on the skilled employees behind the build, involved placing a specially commissioned coin under the keel which will be presented to the captain and crew when the ship is ready to sail. In keeping with tradition, Babcock asked their youngest apprentice, first-year Electrical Fitter, Robbie Dick, to ‘do the honours’ and place the specially designed coin under the keel.
Amongst Babcock’s guests on the day were members of the UK Royal Navy, the UK MOD’s procurement agency Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), and representatives from Poland’s MIECZNIK frigate consortium.
The Polish frigate programme, which like the UK’s Type 31 and Indonesian Merah Putih frigate programme, is based on Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 design, recently reached a milestone of its own, cutting steel for the first of three vessels.
John Howie, Babcock’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and Interim CEO Marine, said: “Type 31 is an incredibly important programme for Babcock, our Royal Navy and Ministry of Defence customer and for the wider UK Shipbuilding industry. Today we see first-hand the dedication and commitment from our team here in Rosyth, and we are hugely proud to be able to share this traditional ceremony and programme milestone for HMS Active with our customer, families and friends.
“The success of this programme is founded on the strong relationship with our customer and the mission we jointly share, which is inspiring our teams each and every day to strive for excellence, delivering this future capability the Royal Navy needs”.
Inspired by the ship’s name, hundreds of Babcock employees also took a pledge to ‘Be Active’ and set themselves an activity-based goal during the weeks leading up to the keel laying ceremony. As part of the day, many of those who participated in the challenge joined the celebrations and swapped stories about how they achieved their own Be Active success.
Babcock continues to recruit a range of roles to support the successful delivery of the Type 31 programme. The Production Support Operatives (PSO) role, introduced in April last year, offers the chance for those without formal qualifications to work and learn alongside experienced engineers, welders, fitters, and electricians. We have also recently welcomed ten new trainee welders on an accelerated apprenticeship programme, offering the opportunity to take National Certificate and SVQ3 qualifications.
15 Sep 23. BAE Systems to launch Herne XLAUV technology demonstrator in 2024. BAE Systems has joined forces with Canadian company Cellula Robotics to develop a technology demonstrator for its extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XLAUV) that it plans to showcase by late 2024. Under the project, BAE Systems is planning to demonstrate the capabilities developed for its Herne XLAUV concept on one of Cellula Robotics’ Solus underwater vehicles in trials that are set to take place at a facility on the south coast of England in September 2024. Speaking to Janes at the DSEI exhibition in London on 13 September, Tom O’Neill, business development, BAE Systems Maritime Underwater, said the initial trials would focus on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) payloads. “The aim of what we’re trying to do in September is to get something in the water as quickly as possible, because it’s not until you start experimenting and having a play with these vehicles that navies can really identify where the gaps are,” he said. (Source: Janes)
15 Sep 23. Shadow Seal gears up for final in-water trials. The first production-standard Shadow Seal semi-submersible tactical diving vehicle (TDV) under development by UK-based JFD is set to start its final in-water testing and validation phase on the Clyde, near the company’s facilities in Inchinnan, Glasgow. Speaking to Janes at the DSEI 2023 exhibition in London on 13 September, Alistair Wilson, JFD sales and marketing director, said the final trials phase was expected to continue for the next six weeks, after which the TDV would be delivered to the company’s US-based partner Blue Tide Marine (BTM) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, around November. Following its delivery to the US, BTM will use the TDV for local demonstrations and training purposes as part of JFD’s efforts to secure US customers for Shadow Seal. Shadow Seal is a lightweight multimission TDV designed to enable the discrete and covert transportation of four operators (including a pilot and navigator) and equipment on the surface, semi-submerged, or fully submerged. (Source: Janes)
15 Sep 23. USN Commissioned Future Littoral Combat Ship Marinette. The Navy commissioned the future USS Marinette (LCS 25) as the newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) during a 10:00 a.m. CST ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 16, in Menominee, Michigan. The Honorable Mike Gallagher, U.S. Representative, Wisconsin’s 8th District, delivered the commissioning ceremony’s principal address. Remarks will also be provided by the Honorable Russell Rumbaugh, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management and Comptroller; Vice Admiral Darse E. Crandall, Jr., Judge Advocate General of the Navy; the Honorable Jean Stegeman, Mayor of Menominee, Michigan; the Honorable Steve Genisot, Mayor of Marinette, Wisconsin; and Mr. Chauncey McIntosh, Vice President and General Manager, Lockheed Martin Integrated Warfare Systems and Sensors. The ship’s sponsor is the Honorable Jennifer Granholm, Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy.
LCS 25 is the 13th Freedom-variant LCS, the 25th in the class. She is the first naval warship to bear the name of Marinette, Michigan and the third naval vessel. Marinette (YTB-791) and Marinette County (LST 953) were previously named for the community. Marinette received its name on Sept. 22, 2016. The name recognizes the contributions of her namesake town and the great shipbuilders who bring these ships to life, ensuring they are ready to accomplish mission tasking in support our nation’s maritime strategy.
The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom and the Independence, designed and built by two industry teams. Lockheed Martin leads the Freedom-variant team, the odd-numbered hulls, in Marinette, Wisconsin. Austal USA leads the Independence-variant team in Mobile, Alabama, for LCS 6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls.
Littoral combat ships are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. LCS integrate with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward-presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence missions around the globe. (Source: US DoD)
15 Sep 23. Naval Group consolidates Indian defence industry with a new technical facility. Naval Group is moving into the Indian Navy’s Karwar shipyard, the future base for the nation’s fleet of carriers, warships and Kalvari-class submarines.
Naval Group’s Indian subsidiary has opened a technical workshop at Karwar shipyard, strategically close to the Indian Navy’s Ship Repair Yard; which shall be home to the nation’s fleet of aircraft carriers, warships and Kalvari-class submarines.
Naval Group India is the first subsidiary of any Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to establish it physical presence at Karwar, supporting India’s mission to expand INS Kadamba, also referred to as Project Sea Bird.
The new workshop will cater to maintenance activities related, but not limited to, combat systems, electrical systems (antenna switching unit, power components for sonar, torpedo interface module, air-surface detection system, starter panel and intercom) and mechanical systems.
“We stand ready to assist the Indian Navy in an adaptive manner for the maintenance of Kalvari-class submarines through upcoming refits and more,” the executive vice president for services Vincent Martinot-Lagarde stated.
“The opening of our technical workshop is a natural extension of the strategic bilateral cooperation shared between India and France in the field of underwater defence and deterrence in line with our continued commitment towards the Indian government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ policy”.
Currently, India’s latest generation of six diesel-electric attack Kalvari-class submarines are modelled on French Naval Group’s Scorpene design.
Both submarine use an air-independent propulsor, which Naval Group designed in partnership with Spain’s shipbuilding firm Navantia.
The Indian Navy intends to use the submarines for missions including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) gathering, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and minelaying operations.
India becomes a defence and diplomatic hotbed amid multipolar competition
India’s defence industry has already proven to be a desirable prospective market that the United States have already begun to tap into; as a way of securing the subcontinent’s military support and diplomatic allegiance against China.
Under the India-US Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (Indus-X) that launched in June 2023, both governments formed closer defence industrial ties as they pledged to share ideas for innovation to strengthen their armed forces.
In fact, the US Department of Defense (DoD) announced its first Indus-X Senior Advisory Group meeting with the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the 6 September, where the two governments focused on subsea communication and maritime ISR. (Source: naval-technology.com)
AIR
14 Sep 23. Denmark’s first four locally-based F-35A fighter aircraft landed on home soil today at the Royal Danish Air Force’s Fighter Wing Skrydstrup, signaling the dawn of a new era for the nation’s defense capabilities.
“As newly appointed Defense Industrial Attaché, it is a privilege to oversee the first aircraft ferry of Denmark’s new F-35 Lightning II,” said His Royal Highness Brig. Gen. Prince Joachim of Denmark. “The F-35 is a huge step forward in technology. The arrival of the F-35 provides Denmark and the Danish Armed Forces a beacon to transform the armed forces to 5th Generation. It is a pleasure to note that this unique piece of military hardware also holds Danish industrial components and is testimony to the close ties between the United States and Denmark.”
Denmark’s program of record calls for 27 F-35A aircraft, which will be flown and maintained by the Royal Danish Air Force. Denmark has received 10 aircraft to date, with six of these aircraft remaining at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, to support international cooperative F-35 training operations. With the addition of Skrydstrup Air Base, F-35s are now operating from 31 bases worldwide, safeguarding the skies for allies around the globe. Like the F-16 before it, the F-35 makes the joint force better, securing regional stability, enhancing integrated deterrence and ensuring sovereignty of allied air space. The vital interoperability of the 5th Generation F-35 binds 17 allies and partners together, significantly increasing NATO’s deterrent capability in a 21st Century Security battlespace.
15 Sep 23. Paramount Aerospace Industries (PAI) has announced additional customer deliveries of its ‘Mwari advanced reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision strike aircraft, in addition to the integration of a Weapon Management Systems and Command and Control Base at Defence, Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2023. The announcement of additional customer deliveries and the integration of weapons and command and control base systems represent the latest exciting milestone in the continued commercial success of the ultimate aerial F3EAD force solution. With deliveries underway to the Mozambican Air Forces, where the Mwari is already actively operational, having accrued over 70 hours of flight-time in addressing challenging reconnaissance and surveillance assignments, it has been recently released that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have ordered several Mwari platforms. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/)
PLANT CLOSURES, JOB LOSSES AND STRIKES
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
08 Sep 23. Acquisition Program Is Talent Pipeline to Prepare Students for DOD Civilian Careers. The new Defense Civilian Training Corps pilot program provides 100% tuition scholarships and monthly stipends through an ROTC-like development program preparing undergraduate students for a direct path into the Defense Department’s acquisition-related civilian careers.
The program incorporates a defense-focused, active-learning curriculum along with project-based summer internships at DOD organizations.
Ninety undergraduate students are participating in the program’s first year at four universities – the University of Arizona, North Carolina A&T University, Purdue University and Virginia Tech.
William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, extended a virtual welcome to the inaugural Defense Civilian Training Corps class yesterday.
“The initiative so important Department of Defense and to the country. And of course, you, the students, are the key piece of the puzzle. It’s all about you,” he said.
Mark E. Krzysko, DOD’s principal deputy director of enterprise information for acquisition data and analytics, also spoke to the students.
“The department has huge demands for creating a future workforce. DCTC is a key component of that. For the scholars in the audience, this program is designed to be a comprehensive challenge and design to connect you with the department and future employment and future careers within the department. You’ve been selected because of your talents, skills and desire for public service supporting national security. This program is designed to build those critical skills necessary for you to make a difference and have a successful career in the department,” Krzysko said.
Garry Shafovaloff, director of DCTC’s pilot, said the program reflects the department’s commitment to developing a new generation of highly talented professionals who are committed to public service and who will perform critical roles throughout the department. This is not just about talent management, but unleashing talent.
The classes are designed to engage students with today’s acquisition professionals, working together with mentoring, to practice innovating and problem solving on today’s real DOD challenges. They get to experience making a difference and being part of the national security team, he said.
This program provides a new public service pathway for many to become DOD civilian professionals and makes it possible for the students to serve and use their talents to further national security, Shafovaloff added.
“The magic of the program is in the design, giving students the opportunity for public service and to be part of something bigger than themselves. That’s exciting,” he said.
Shafovaloff said he hopes the pilot will become a model and inspire similar efforts in other areas of the department and U.S. government.
A primary reason this program is so important is the need for a ready and right-skilled DOD civilian workforce that supports and equips our military to succeed in the pacing challenges of China and achieving our National Defense Strategy. China is harnessing its talent for critical technologies that could have military applications. “Our nation needs to also be proactive and aggressive in preparing the workforce of the future,” he said.
The DCTC’s intensive teamwork and hands-on, problem-solving design will generate innovative solutions that help students experience being national security professionals today. Their solutions could also spark private sector applications workforce that would also benefit the U.S. economy, he added.
The program design includes having a mix of students from diverse technical and nontechnical majors, mirroring DOD’s multifunctional teams that work together with industry to transition technologies into fielded deterrence capabilities, he said.
The initial pilot program started with junior-level students last month, he said. Selected candidates not only have strong academic credentials, but they’re also involved in clubs and organizations that are public service oriented. Of 360 applicants, 90 were selected. The selectees represent 28 technical majors and 14 nontechnical majors.
Students continue their studies in their majors and take two credit hours of additional coursework for the Defense Civilian Training Corps, he said. The program design, as part of the integrated curriculum, includes high engagement with DOD organizations professionals. DOD organizations propose student projects and commit to mentoring and hosting project-based summer internships. The matching of projects with students and organizations includes a commitment by organizations to plan placement of the students upon successful completion of their degrees and the DCTC program.
Matches are made by considering the students’ talents and interests and the organizations’ needs, he said. It’s a two-way conversation.
The program was authorized in the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Act. Congress, through the fiscal year 2023 NDAA, modified the direction to cite the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment as responsible for implementation with the help of the Acquisition Innovation Research Center. Congress saw the opportunity to create a strong partnership between the department and academia to address the need to strengthen and build DOD talent pipeline for critical skills needed in the acquisition workforce, said Karen Thornton, a research fellow with the Acquisition Innovation Research Center. There, she’s on the leadership team implementing the Defense Civilian Training Corps pilot.
The acquisition mission in the department is broad, she said, ranging all the way from the requirements process, testing and evaluation, logistics, program management to contracting and sustainment.
“Success of the acquisition teams depends on strong communication, listening skills, compassion, respect and collaboration from the engineers to the logisticians to the contracting officers. We want to make sure that students are building those skills,” she said.
Each of the universities in the program has Reserve Officers’ Training Corps programs.
“One of the things we want them to do is participate in some activities with ROTC cadets, so our DCTC scholars become more familiar with the military culture,” she said.
“We look to our ROTC colleagues to demonstrate how they integrate leadership and resilience training into their program,” she said.
Thornton noted that the pilot program also works to help students get security clearances, which will be necessary for the work they’ll be doing. “The security clearance timeline can be a barrier to attracting top talent into public service, and we’re make sure we address that,” she said. (Source: U.S. DoD)
REST OF THE WORLD APPOINTMENTS
13 Sep 23. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shuffled his Cabinet and key party posts on Wednesday to strengthen his position before a key party leadership vote next year, bringing in a new defense minister and the country’s first female foreign minister since 2002. Kishida appointed five women to the 19-member Cabinet, part of his attempt to buoy sagging support ratings for his previous male-dominated Cabinet, which had two women. The five females match the number in two earlier Japanese Cabinets — in 2001 and 2014. One of the five, former Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa, who approved the hangings in 2018 of a cult leader and six aides for a deadly 1995 subway nerve gas attack, was appointed foreign minister, replacing Yoshimasa Hayashi. Minoru Kihara, who has been serving on the governing Liberal Democratic Party’s national security committee, was selected as defense minister, replacing Yasukazu Hamada. Kishida said the new Cabinet reflects his determination to adapt to recent rapid economic, security and technological changes — and turn those into national strengths. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
13 Sep 23. New Thai Prime Minister appointed with The New Coalition Government. Recently, Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn appointed Srettha Thavisin as the country’s new Prime Minister and formed a new coalition government. His Majesty the King on 2nd September issued a royal command appointing new Cabinet Ministers nominated by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, according to the Royal Gazette.
INDUSTRY
INDUSTRY TEAMINGS
12 Sep 23. Babcock signs strategic cooperation agreement with Saab. Babcock International Group (Babcock) and Saab signed a strategic cooperation agreement at DSEI on Tuesday 12 September 2023. The purpose of the Agreement is seeking to enable the delivery of enhanced capabilities to customers by leveraging the companies’ collective unique strengths through offering a broader range of products, services and integrated solutions. Under the Agreement, the companies will explore the development of the design of a new advanced corvette of around 100 metres. The joint development will benefit from Babcock’s expertise in platform design and integration to create a new class-leading capability, and Saab’s expertise in naval Combat Management Systems and composite structures. The new corvette will be a highly capable and adaptable surface combatant aimed at meeting the needs of international customers. Babcock and Saab intend to jointly market the new design to worldwide export markets. Babcock CEO, David Lockwood, said: “This is the beginning of an exciting new relationship between Babcock and Saab. It recognises the potential to jointly offer a wider range of integrated solutions to international customers and builds on the strong cultural and technical links between the two Groups.” Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab, said: “We have complementary capabilities and resources, including expertise, technologies and market presence that can enhance our competitive advantage when combined. By combining our capabilities and resources, we recognise the potential to leverage each other’s strengths.” By combining technology capabilities and expertise to drive technological advancements, Babcock and Saab will stay at the forefront of their industries.
PERSONNEL
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
08 Sep 23. The eurosam Joint Venture (JV), backed by its three shareholders MBDA France, MBDA Italia and Thales, is developing a new generation of long-range surface-to-air systems based on ASTER missiles (the SAMP/T NG ground system, the successor to the PAAMS & LRR naval system and the ASTER B1NT missile), with a new management team formed by Anne Diaz de Tuesta, Alexis Grenier and Mirko Leonardi.
Anne Diaz de Tuesta, former Administrator and Head of the JV’s Programmes, was appointed Managing Director of eurosam on 1 September 2023. A graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and ENSAE (Supaero), she has held a series of operational management positions at the DGA (the French defence procurement agency), the Strategic Defence Directorate (now DGRIS – Directorate General for International Relations and Strategy), the Directorate General for Enterprise in Bercy and MBDA, all in very international environments.
On 1 August 2023 Alexis Grenier stepped in as a new Administrator and Commercial Director for eurosam. An Ecole Centrale graduate, he has developed deep Defence Industry experience throughout a very internationally-focused career. He joined the Thales Group in 2006 and was previously CEO of MOSS.
Mirko Leonardi was appointed Administrator and Head of Programmes on 1 September 2023 from his previous position with the eurosam JV as Customer Support and Services Department Head. After graduating from Italy’s Accademia Navale, he held posts firstly in operating units and then in the Italian Defence Staffs before joining MBDA Italia in 2020.
eurosam‘s new management team will have the task of fulfilling all naval and land programs contracted with Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) in order to deliver the state-of-the-art surface-to-air defence systems to the French, Italian and British armed forces. It will be working in new buildings in an attractive and modern working environment. The team will also continue to promote European cooperation in air defence and showcase the excellence of the programmes developed by eurosam to potential export customers.
15 Sep 23. Sensor manufacturer HENSOLDT is making a change in the management of its Spectrum Dominance and Airborne Solutions business unit: Dietmar Thelen, currently Head of Electronic Warfare in the Military Air Systems division of Airbus Defence and Space, is expected to succeed Christoph Ruffner, who is moving to Thales Germany, on 1 March 2024. “We have thus gained a knowledgeable and experienced new colleague who knows the airborne solutions and electronic warfare environment very well and will ensure steady delivery of our current contracts as well as actively drive business development as part of our growth strategy,” said HENSOLDT management board member Celia Pelaz. Dietmar Thelen was a Member of the Executive Board of MBDA Germany and from 2018 on concurrently Managing Director of the TLVS GmbH. Prior to that, he was responsible for cyber security on the Management Board of RUAG Defence in Bern. As Deputy General Manager of the AGS Management Agency, Dietmar Thelen was responsible for the procurement and commissioning of NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance bn Euro programme, after holding management positions in various business units of the then EADS Defence and Security and European Satellite Navigation Industries SpA.
15 Sep 23. Luis Alejandro Orellano, 56, is taking over as Executive Vice President Technology at Rohde & Schwarz ystems from Bosco Novak, who will retire at the end of September 2023. Orellano was most recently Chief Operating Officer of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and a member of their Executive Board. There, he was responsible for Production, R&D, Engineering, Quality Management and Multiproject Management. Prior to this, the engineer with a PhD in aerodynamics held various international management positions at Bombardier for over 15 years.
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
08 Sep 23. AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE: AME) today announced that it has named Dalip Puri as Senior Vice President, Operational Finance, effective September 1, 2023. Mr. Puri will continue to report directly to William J. Burke, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. (Source: PR Newswire)
08 Sep 23. Michael Whitaker, CEO of Supernal, appointed new FAA Administrator. President Biden has nominated Mike Whitaker to be Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Michael G. Whitaker is currently the chief operating officer of Supernal, a Hyundai Motor Group company designing an electric advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicle. In this role, Whitaker overseas all commercial and key business operations. According to the White House: “Whitaker served as Deputy Administrator at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from 2013–2016. There, he brought industry and government together to drive the successful transition of the nation’s air traffic control system from radar to a satellite-enabled surveillance technology (ABS-B). Prior to Supernal and his tenure at the FAA, Whitaker served as Group CEO of InterGlobe Enterprises, India’s largest travel conglomerate and operator of its largest and most successful airline, IndiGo. There, he oversaw strategy and operations for four affiliate travel companies. Whitaker also spent 15 years at United Airlines in a variety of roles as Director, Vice President and Senior Vice President. His broad portfolio at the airline included commercial alliances and joint ventures, international and regulatory affairs, and strategic counsel to the Chairman and CEO on international matters. Whitaker began his more than three-decade aviation career as a litigator, then as Assistant General Counsel of international and regulatory affairs at Trans World Airlines (TWA). He is a private pilot and holds a juris doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He serves on the board of the Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes aviation safety globally.” For more information: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/07/president-biden-announces-michael-g-whitaker-as-nominee-for-administrator-of-the-federal-aviation-administration/ (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
08 Sep 23. Science Applications International Corp. (NYSE: SAIC) today announced the appointment of veteran government and private sector Global Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy to its Board of Directors, bringing the board’s total membership to eleven. Deasy has also been appointed to serve on the Board’s Risk Oversight Committee. With extensive experience in managing the constantly evolving cyber landscape, Deasy has 40 years of professional experience leading the delivery of large-scale IT strategies and solutions for the Department of Defense, JP Morgan Chase, British Petroleum, General Motors, Tyco International, Siemens Americas and Rockwell Space Systems. Inducted into the CIO Hall of Fame in 2012 and the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals Hall of Fame in 2013, he was named Transformational CIO in 2017 and a 2019 Wash100 leader. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
15 Sep 23. SAIC hires former Air Force CIO Knausenberger for tech innovation role. Lauren Knausenberger, who left her post as U.S. Air Force chief information officer in June, has been hired by Science Applications International Corp. The company announced her hiring as the chief innovation officer Sept. 14 alongside the tapping of Tim Turitto, who led the team at Microsoft that won the JEDI cloud-computing contract before it was canceled, to be chief of staff for CEO-elect Toni Townes-Whitley. (Source: Defense News)
14 Sep 23. Scientific Systems, an industry leader in advanced autonomy and artificial intelligence for defense applications, today announced that former U.S. Air Force acquisition and technical officer Randy “Waldo” Walden has joined the company as a strategic advisor. Mr. Walden will offer guidance to Scientific Systems as it operationalizes collaborative autonomy for the warfighter across a range of multi-domain crewed and uncrewed technology. (Source: PR Newswire)