Feed aggregator

On 28 May 2015, the Council agreed on a compromise text for a draft directive aimed at creating a new status for single-member private limited liability companies. 

The agreement is based on a compromise text tabled by the presidency. It constitutes the Council's general approach, which will serve as the basis for forthcoming negotiations with the European Parliament.  

Chairing the Council meeting, the Latvian Minister for Economics Dana Reizniece-Ozola said that  "this dossier is a concrete example of the advantages digitalisation can bring to the single market and to all of us: to citizens who are considering joining the start-up movement and establishing their own company, to employees who will work at these companies, to SMEs which are considering establishing subsidiaries, and to public administrations which will become more digital. Everyone stands to benefit in terms of modernisation, growth and jobs".  

Societas Unius Personae: a new name to facilitate cross-border business  

The draft directive aims to facilitate the cross-border activities of businesses, particularly SMEs, and the establishment of single-member companies as subsidiaries in other member states, by reducing the costs and administrative burdens involved in setting up these companies. This will enable businesses to enjoy the full benefits of the internal market. 

To achieve this objective, the draft directive introduces a common framework governing the formation of single-member companies. 

Member states would have to ensure that their national legal systems provide for a form of company that complies with common rules established in the directive. The legal form would be established at the national level. It would have an EU-wide abbreviation: SUP (Societas Unius Personae).  

The main elements of the agreement include:  Online registration  

A major innovation in the draft directive is that the SUP can be registered on-line using templates provided by member states. This aims at facilitating economic activity to create growth and jobs, in line with the EU's digital agenda. 

Some member states already have their own national schemes in place for electronic registration of companies. 

The agreed text seeks to make on-line registration as secure and compliant with existing national rules as possible.  

Minimum capital requirement of € 1  

Currently, the minimum capital required for the formation of a single-member private limited liability company varies among the member states. 

The general approach contains a symbolic minimum share capital requirement of €1 (or one equivalent unit of a member state's currency if not the euro). 

In order to ensure adequate protection of creditors and other stakeholders, member states will have to ensure that their national laws provide mechanisms to prevent SUPs from being unable to pay their debts. 

Examples of such mechanisms include requiring companies to create legal reserves, establish balance sheet tests and/or issue a solvency statement. 

Transfer of seat to another member state

Provisions related to the separation of the company's seat have been removed from the original Commission proposal in order to respect member states' competences and traditions. Similarly, aspects of labour law will remain covered by existing national laws.

I am delighted to attend the opening ceremony of the thirteenth European Film Days in Tokyo. When I talk with people about Europe, they often stress our power as a trading bloc, our special role on the world stage or and staying united in these difficult times as 28 Member States. But the Film Days reminds us that Europe is also known for its culture and creativity. In fact, culture is more important than politics. We hope that, thanks to the 29 films screened here in Tokyo, and the 19 shown in Kyoto in July, Japanese audiences will feel closer to Europe.

It is a special pleasure this evening to be joined by Signe Baumane, Director of the Latvian film many of you have just watched. An impressive movie ("Rocks in my Pockets"), which is about one of the most important themes of our time - also here in Japan - that is women's empowerment.

Gender equality is the most important fundamental value of the European Union. The Treaty of the European Union obliges Member States to promote equality between women and men but there is still a lot of work to be done. It is also a condition to build modern, efficient and prosperous societies. I have no doubts that none understands me better than Mrs. Abe, when I talk about women's empowerment.

I would like to thank the National Film Centre for hosting this event, and would also like to express my appreciation to all the European Union Member States Embassies and Cultural Institutes in Japan. They are our partners in organising this festival. I hope you will enjoy yourselves, and will watch many of the films. Thank you.

The Latvian presidency of the Council and the European Parliament on 28 May 2015 reached a provisional agreement on a European fund for strategic investments (EFSI) aimed at stimulating the economy.

The agreement still has to be confirmed by the Council once the full text of the regulation is finalised at technical level. The regulation will then be submitted to the European Parliament for a vote at first reading, and to the Council for final adoption. 

"Today's positive outcome will enable us to finalise an overall agreement in June and will pave the way for new investments to begin this summer," said Jānis Reirs, minister for finance of Latvia and president of the Council. 

The agreement was reached during a trilogue meeting in Brussels. Presidency and Parliament met in eight trilogues since 23 April 2015, having agreed their respective negotiating stances in March and April. 

A broad range of projects 

The EFSI will be established within the European Investment Bank by an agreement between the Commission and the EIB. For an initial investment period of three years, the fund will support projects in a broad range of areas, including transport, energy and broadband infrastructure, education, health, research and risk finance for SMEs. It will target socially and economically viable projects without any sectoral or regional pre-allocation, in particular to address market failures. The EFSI will complement and be additional to ongoing EU programmes and traditional EIB activities. 

Lifetime of the fund 

Before the end of the initial investment period, the Commission will submit an independent evaluation which will assess whether the EFSI has achieved the objectives of the regulation. Based on the conclusions of its report, the Commission will, as appropriate, present a proposal to either set a new investment period or terminate the EFSI. 

Funding 

The fund will be built on €16 billion in guarantees from the EU budget and €5 billion from the EIB. To facilitate the payment of potential guarantee calls, a guarantee fund will be established so as to gradually reach €8 billion (i.e. 50% of total EU guarantee obligations) by 2020. 

EU funding will come from redeploying grants from the Connecting Europe facility (transport, energy and digital networks) and the Horizon 2020 programme (research and innovation), as well as unused margins in the EU's annual budget. However the Council presidency and the European Parliament agreed to increase the share of financing coming from unused margins, in comparison with what the Commission proposed, in order toreduce contributions from Horizon 2020 and Connecting Europe facility (CEF). 

The agreement reached on funding is as follows: 

• Redeployment will amount to €5bn, of which €2.8bn from CEF and €2.2bn from Horizon 2020;
• Funding from unused margins will amount to €3bn over the period 2016-2020. The source of this financing includes €543 million and €457 million specifically earmarked from the global margin for commitments for the 2014 and 2015 budgets respectively.
• Extension of payments until 2023 to provision the EFSI guarantee fund. 

 Furthermore, it was agreed that €500 million of CEF-transport financial instruments will be redeployed for CEF-transport grants. 

The EFSI will have an enhanced risk-bearing capacity. By taking on part of the risk of new projects through a first-loss liability, the fund will enable private investors to participate under more favourable conditions. Thereby the EFSI is estimated to reach an overall multiplier effect of 1:15 in real investment. Such leverage will eventually allow more than €300bn of additional investment to be mobilised during the three-year investment period. 

Governance of the fund 

The EFSI would have a two-tier governance structure:

-                     A steering board will set the overall strategy, investment policy and risk profile of the fund. To ensure an impartial steering board and avoid political influence over the selection of projects, the board members will come from the Commission and the EIB only. Their numbers will reflect the institutions' size of contributions in the form of cash or guarantees. The steering board will take decisions by consensus. It will regularly consult stakeholders. 

-                     An independent investment committee will select projects to receive EFSI support. Accountable to the steering board, it will consist of eight independent experts and a managing director. The managing director will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the EFSI and the preparation and chairing of meetings of the investment committee. The committee will take decisions by simple majority. Any project supported by the EFSI will require approval by the EIB. 

Contributions to the fund 

Member states can contribute to the EFSI in guarantees or cash, while third parties can contribute in cash. However, contributions will not entail any influence over the fund's governance.  

Third parties, including member states' national promotional banks, will be able to co-finance projects together with the EFSI, either on a project-by-project basis or through investment platforms. 

Identifying new projects 

The regulation will also set up a "European investment advisory hub" to provide advisory support for the identification, preparation and development of projects across the EU. It will further establish a "European investment project portal" to improve investors' knowledge of existing and future projects. 

On 28 May 2015 the Council confirmed a political agreement on the reform of the Travel Package Directive.  

The new directive will update current EU rules on package holidays by aiming to adapt to travel market developments in order to meet the needs of consumers and businesses in the digital era. 

It will extend the protection for traditional packages to combinations of separate travel services, in particular if sold online.  

Latvian Minister for Economics, Dana Reizniece-Ozola, made the following comments: "This piece of legislation will provide travellers and industry with the long-awaited framework which is fit for purpose and future-proof for the ever growing and evolving tourism industry. In particular, it will strengthen the rights of travellers when booking online and take into account new ways of booking. Beside strengthened consumer rights, businesses, in particular small and medium sized enterprises, will also benefit from this Directive".  

The new conditions will promote a level playing field for businesses by harmonising rules and removing obstacles to cross-border trade.  This will generate a broader choice for booking holiday products and may therefore lead to cheaper prices for consumers.  

Next steps 

The European Parliament is expected to confirm the text of the Council's political agreement with a vote in second reading at an upcoming plenary session.  

The text will undergo a legal-linguist revision before the Council can formally approve it. It should be published in the Official Journal of the EU before end 2015.

The new provisions will apply 30 months after the entry into force of the directive.

As the situation in Syria continues to deteriorate, the Council has extended EU restrictive measures against the Syrian regime by one year. 

One additional person has been targeted with a travel ban and an EU asset freeze. This person is a high-ranking military deemed responsible for repression and violence against the civilian population in Damascus and Damascus countryside. Over 200 persons and 70 entities are now targeted by EU sanctions over the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria. 

The decision also extended the existing sanctions including the oil embargo and the restrictions on certain investments until 1 June 2016.  

In December 2014, the Council reiterated that the EU would continue imposing and enforcing sanctions that target the regime and its supporters as long as repression continues. For the EU, a lasting solution to the conflict can only come through a Syrian-led political process that leads to a transition. The EU continues to encourage all efforts to this end. 

The legal acts, including detail regarding the person added to the list, are available in the EU Official Journal of 29 May 2015.

On 28 May the EU signed short-stay visa waiver agreements with St Lucia, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Republic of Vanuatu, the independent State of Samoa and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, at a ceremony that took place in Brussels. On behalf of the EU, the agreements were signed by Ms. Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Parliamentary State Secretary for EU Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Latvia, and by Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship. On the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group (ACP) side, representatives from the 7 countries signed the agreements.

The new visa regime provides for visa-free travel for EU citizens when travelling to the territory of these countries and for citizens of these countries when travelling to the EU, for a period of stay of 90 days in any 180-day period. "Today's agreements will encourage people-to-people contacts, boost  tourism, and invigorate business between the EU and these seven ACP countries",  said Ms. Zanda Kalniņa -Lukaševica, Parliamentary State Secretary for EU Affairs of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Latvia.

In order to benefit from visa-free travel, citizens from the EU and the signatory countries must be in possession of a valid ordinary, diplomatic, service/official or special passport. Visa-free travel applies to all categories of persons and for any kind of purposes of travel (for instance tourism, cultural visits, scientific activities, family visits, business etc.), except to persons travelling for the purpose of carrying out a paid activity.

The decisions on the conclusion of the agreements will now be sent to the European Parliament with a view to obtaining its consent before they can be concluded. However, they will apply on a provisional basis as from 28 May 2015.

Ireland and the United Kingdom will not be subject to the application of the agreement, in accordance with the protocols annexed to the EU treaties. The visa regime to these member states remains subject to their national legislation.

1. The Council welcomes the publication by the Commission of preliminary information on 2014 EU Official Development Assistance(ODA), analysing the trends with regard to EU collective and individual ODA commitments. The Council stresses that ODA is an important and catalytic element in the overall financing available for developing countries most in need.
   
   
2. On 17 June 2010 the European Council requested the Council to make an annual report on the EU and Member States' commitments and delivery on ODA. This is the fifth such report to be submitted to the European Council.

 

1. 2015 is a pivotal year for gender equality, human rights and the empowerment of women and girls in the global context with the inter-governmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda. In that context, particular focus must be put on promoting and fulfilling the rights of women and girls, notably in light of the 15th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The Council reaffirms its commitment to the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, the Cairo Programme of Action, and the outcomes of their review conferences, and the fulfilment of the obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It further welcomes the Political Declaration adopted at the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, and the calls for the full realisation of women's and girls' full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and the achievement of  gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls throughout their life cycle.
   
   
2. The High Level Event on 'Women's Empowerment and Sustainable Development', hosted by the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in Riga on 2 March 2015 in the context of the European Year of Development, provided an opportunity to renew political momentum and to reaffirm the strong EU commitment on gender equality, social justice, non-discrimination and human rights.
   
   
3. The EU and its Member States remain committed to the promotion, protection and fulfilment of all human rights for all. The Council welcomes the leading role that the EU and its Member States are playing in supporting international initiatives to promote women's and girls' rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, and calls for continued cooperation and coordination with UN bodies, notably UN Women, as well as with other relevant international fora and actors. Women's organisations are crucial partners of the EU with respect to the full realisation of women's and girls' rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

 

More than one million military, police and civilian personnel have served as United Nations peacekeepers over the years, and despite growing security threats and the sacrifices that come with being deployed in challenging environments, over 100,000 men and women continue to work for the cause of peace.

Nigeria's new president may have a mandate from the voters. But if he can't get the state governors on his side, his ambitious reforms won't stand a chance.

David Cameron est en campagne européenne pour convaincre ses partenaires qu’il faut réformer l’Europe, alors que les Britanniques devront bientôt répondre par référendum à la question : « Le Royaume-Uni doit-il rester membre de l’Union européenne ? » Le Premier ministre britannique était jeudi soir à Paris où le président François Hollande l’a reçu à l’Elysée. Les deux hommes ont rappelé les liens qui unissent « les deux principales puissances militaires de l’Europe », comme l’a souligné David Cameron. Et ils ont bien sûr évoqué la question européenne.

Naval launch
(click to view full)

As UAVs proliferate, and the demands of counter-insurgency fights force militaries to look at arming new kinds of aircraft, a number of manufacturers and governments are looking to develop precision-guided “mini-missiles” and glide weapons. Raytheon’s 33+ pound, 42 inch long Griffin is a member of that class, and comes in 3 versions.

Griffin was privately developed, and Raytheon took pains to re-use components from existing weapons like the AIM-9X Sidewinder air-air missile and the Javelin anti-tank missile. The resulting weapon carved out a niche in the growing market for small and relatively inexpensive guided weapons, but Raytheon thinks it has more potential, and has been investing in new capabilities…

The AGM-176 Griffin Family KC-130J, Afghanistan

AGM-176A. Griffin-A is currently in use as part of American roll-on armed kits for its C-130 Hercules transports. It’s dropped out of “gunslinger” tubes and “derringer doors,” providing precision weapon drops from the rear ramp and side door. It packs a 13 pound blast-fragmentation warhead, and uses a combination of GPS/INS and a semi-active laser seeker for guidance.

AGM-176B/ MK-60. Griffin-B is a powered missile can be a forward-firing weapon, and can be launched from land, naval, or aerial platforms. The missile’s estimated range is similar to the larger AGM-114 Hellfire: about 3.5 miles if surface-launched without a booster motor, rising to 12.5 miles or more if fired from an aerial platform at altitude. That’s fine for aerial platforms, as Griffin A/B offers them the ability to carry more Griffins than Hellfires, while achieving similar reach and precision. The tradeoff is a smaller warhead.

There are still targets like tanks that will demand a larger AGM-114 Hellfire warhead, and targets like buildings may demand a full-size AGM-65 Maverick missile or LJDAM bomb. In many cases, however, the Griffin offers a “just enough, for less” solution that has the added benefit of minimizing collateral damage.

The AGM-176B Block III adds an improved semi-active laser seeker, enhanced electronics and signal processing, and a new Multi-Effects Warhead System that works against a number of different target types.

Confirmed Platforms: AT-6C turboprop, KC-130J Harvest Hawk, AC-130J Ghost Rider, MC-130W Combat Spear, MQ-1 Predator UAV, MQ-8B Fire Scout VTUAV, MQ-9 Reaper UAV, Cyclone Class patrol boat. Has also been tested using ground launch system, and on the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scout helicopter.

AGM-176C. The Griffin C attempts to compete against Lockheed’s Hellfire and MBDA’s Brimstone 2 by adding dual-mode laser/IIR guidance for a fire-and-forget missile that uses thrust-vectoring control for vertical launch compatibility, a datalink for retargeting in flight, and waypoint flight to maneuver around obstacles.

The AGM-176C-ER keeps these improvements, and its rocket motor extends surface-launched range to 10 miles or more – about 3x the range of previous Griffins, or their larger Hellfire/ Brimstone competitors.

Looking Beyond Griffin on HMMWV
(click to view full)

The Army has tested the 45-pound, powered Griffin-B missile as an option for forward outposts. Its de facto competition here is Raytheon’s own Javelin missile, which is already widely deployed, and offers similar range and firepower. Javelin is a rather expensive missile, and takes some time to activate and reload, but comes with advanced sensors that troops use independently.

In order to find a viable niche and achieve acceptance, Griffin will have to compete on cost and response time/volume. Griffin C’s added range will help, but this missile family’s ability to receive geo-coordinate cues from UAVs and other sensors, without the need for an operator to find the same target himself, may be their biggest edge.

On the naval front, the picture isn’t as rosy. Griffin-B reportedly costs about half as much as the Raytheon NLOS-LS PAM, but its surface-launched range is less than 1/6th of NLOS-LS PAM’s 21 nautical miles. This severe cut in reach, coupled with the warhead’s small size, sharply limits its versatility. Griffins could engage enemy speedboats, but guidance modes for the A & B models force one-at-a-time engagements. Nor can Griffin do much damage to full-size enemy vessels – most of which will pack large anti-ship missiles with a 50 – 200 mile reach.

This didn’t stop the Navy from designating the Griffin as an interim solution, and it has been a very useful addition to their Cyclone Class patrol boats. On the other hand, Griffin’s limitations, and the availability of fire-and-forget Hellfire missile stocks, led the US Navy to equip their Littoral Combat Ship with AGM-114L Hellfire Longbow radar-guided missiles instead.

Griffin C’s combination of range and guidance modes may give it a chance on other vessels that are thinking of mounting Brimstone-class weapons, but it’s never going to compete with anti-ship missiles. Nor does it have the range to deliver naval fire support for ground forces, outside of a CONOPS involving small speedboat/ USV swarms. That leaves close-in fire as Griffin’s sweet spot, with a potential boost from its ability to also equip tactical-size shipboard UAVs.

Contracts & Key Events KC-130J’s “gunslinger”
(click to view full)

Unless otherwise noted, the USAF’s Air Armament Center Contracting, Advanced Programs Division at Eglin Air Force Base, FL manages these contracts, though U.S. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL also seems to have its share. The contractor is Raytheon Missiles Systems Co. in Tucson, AZ.

FY 2012 – 2015

AGM-176C Griffin triples range, adds retargeting and dual-mode guidance; Griffin elbowed aside for LCS by Army AGM-114L Hellfires; Army, Naval tests; Griffin fired from RAM missile launcher. AT-6C & Griffins
(click to view full)

May 29/15: Orders.The Air Force signed a contract with Raytheon to procure Griffin missiles, with the deal worth $12 million. The Griffin is a precision miniature munition that utilizes parts from other Raytheon-manufactured missiles – such as the Javelin ATGM and the AIM-9X AAM – to keep costs down. The missile is currently used as part of roll-on armed kits for US C-130 transport aircraft.

Nov 3/14: Orders. A maximum $85.5 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for Griffin AGM-176A Block II and AGM-176B Block III (q.v. Feb 20/14) missiles and test/ support equipment, along with engineering support under a cost-plus-fixed-fee CLIN. $32.6 million is committed immediately as an initial order, using FY 2013 – 2015 USAF budgets.

DID asked Raytheon’s Griffin Programs Director Steve Dickman about this order. He told us that this isn’t a major shift for Griffin, just a way for the government to continue buying missiles as it needs them. Based on past figures, the initial order is very solid.

Work will be performed at Tucson, AZ, and the government will be able to continue buying missiles and services under its terms until Oct 30/17. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. The USAF Life Cycle Management Center at Eglin AFB, FL manages the contract (FA8656-15-D-0241).

Multi-year contract

Oct 28/14: Testing. Raytheon announces that its SeaGriffin has had a name change to Griffin C, and successfully completed flight tests at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ. The missile extends range to around 10 km, adds in-flight retargeting, and features IIR and laser seekers for fire and forget mode. Sources: Raytheon, “Raytheon Griffin C flight tests demonstrate in-flight retargeting capability”.

July 17/14: LCS closed. Navy Recognition interviews a US Navy representative re: the Surface to Surface Mission Module aboard LCS, which will sit above the helicopter hangar on the Freedom Class, and behind the 57mm gun on the Independence Class. Key excerpts:

“Longbow Hellfire is the selected missile to help meet the LCS Surface Warfare Mission Package’s (SUW MP) engagement requirement per the LCS Capabilities Description Document (Flight 0+). Currently, no new requirement exists to warrant acquisition of a new engagement capability…. An LCS variant can only receive one SUW mission package. This will have one Surface-to-surface Missile Module (SSMM), which will utilize one launcher structure that holds 24 Longbow Hellfire missiles…. There currently is no requirement for at-sea reloads.Therefore, the current SSMM design does not support at-sea reloads… It utilizes an existing Army M299 launcher mounted within a gas containment system.”

Looks like Raytheon’s SeaGriffin has lost its shot, despite tripling its previously-comparable range and adding comparable fire-and-forget capability in its latest iteration. Sources: Navy Recognition, “Q & A with the US Navy on Lockheed Martin Hellfire missiles for Littoral Combat Ships”.

July 14/14: SeaGriffin. Raytheon hasn’t given up on its “SeaGriffin missile” for the Littoral Combat ship just yet. A recent test was used to demonstrate a dual-mode laser and imaging infrared guidance system, whose fire-and-forget capability would allow the same kind of salvo launches against swarming targets that the AGM-114L Hellfire’s MMW radar seeker offers. They also tout “an extended range motor that will nearly triple [SeaGriffin’s] range,” giving it a notable advantage over Lockheed Martin’s AGM-114L Hellfire or MBDA’s Dual-Mode Brimstone 2.

Other SeaGriffin enhancements beyond the Griffin-B Block II include a datalink for in-flight target updates, waypoint navigation, and vertical launch capability with vectoring thrust control. The firm says that they’re conducting a series of SeaGriffin guided flight tests to demonstrate the missile’s readiness as an option for the LCS Surface Warfare module. Sources: Raytheon, “Raytheon SeaGriffin completes guided flight test with new dual-mode seeker”.

SeaGriffin (Griffon C/ C-ER) introduced

LCS: Hellfire
(click to view full)

April 9/14: LCS. The US Navy confirms that they have picked the AGM-114L Hellfire Longbow radar-guided missile as the LCS Surface Warfare Package’s initial missile. Its fire and forget guidance, salvo capability, and ability to use the ship’s radar tipped the balance against Griffin. Lockheed Martin says that the missile has had 3 successful test firings in vertical launch mode, and there are plans to test-fire the missile from LCS itself in 2014, using a new vertical launcher.

Hellfire wouldn’t have any more range than Griffin’s 3.5 nmi, but the millimeter-wave radar seeker allows the ship’s radar to perform targeting, while allowing salvos of multiple fire-and-forget missiles against incoming swarms. In contrast, the Griffin’s laser designation must target one boat at a time, from a position that’s almost certain to have a more restricted field of view than the main radar. Navy AGM-114L missiles would be drawn from existing US Army stocks, which will have shelf life expiry issues anyway. That’s one reason the Army intends to begin buying JAGM laser/radar guided Hellfire derivatives around FY 2017.

Griffin’s existing aerial platforms won’t be affected by this decision, except to the extent that costs will be slightly higher with fewer missiles ordered. LCS deployment probably won’t affect Griffin use on the PC-1 Cyclone Class patrol boats, either, as they don’t have radar targeting capabilities. Sources: DoD Buzz, “Navy Adds Hellfire Missiles to LCS” | USNI News, “Navy Axes Griffin Missile In Favor of Longbow Hellfire for LCS”.

Griffin out of LCS

March 25/14: MK-60 IOC. The MK-60 Patrol Coastal Griffin Missile System has formally achieved initial operational capability with the US Navy on its Cyclone Class vessels. they’ve actually been carrying Griffin for a while; testing began in March 2012.

The MK-60 system includes the AGM-176B Griffin missile, a laser targeting system, a US Navy-designed launcher, and a battle management system on a laptop for use by the missile’s operator. Sources: Navy Recognition, “DIMDEX 2014 Show Daily: US Navy achieves IOC on Patrol Coastal Griffin Missile System” | Shephard, “US Navy declares IOC for MK-60 Griffin missile system”.

Naval IOC

Feb 20/14: Griffin Block III. After a range of testing including a number of live test shots against fixed and moving targets, Raytheon says that the new Griffin Block III is on the production line as the missile’s new iteration.

Block III introduces an improved semi-active laser seeker, enhanced electronics and signal processing, and a new Multi-Effects Warhead System that works against a number of different target types. We’re starting to see a lot of general convergence between blast, fragmentation, and armor-piercing effects, and the trend seems to be headed toward sharp reductions in the number of weapon variants determined by warhead type. Sources: Raytheon, “Raytheon demonstrates Griffin Block III missile”.

Feb 5/14: #2,000. Raytheon announces delivery of its 2,000th Griffin Missile since production began in 2008, an AGM-176B Block III variant. The production milestone also highlights 70 consecutive months of on-time or early Griffin deliveries to the warfighter. Sources: Raytheon, “Raytheon marks delivery of 2000th Griffin missile”.

Delivery #2,000

July 22/13: GAO Report. The US GAO releases GAO-13-530, “Significant Investments in the Littoral Combat Ship Continue Amid Substantial Unknowns about Capabilities, Use, and Cost”. The entire report is a long chronicle of the Littoral Combat Ship program’s history of falling short and unresolved issues, including a number of issues with the mission modules. While Griffin missiles have been deployed on Cyclone Class patrol boats, GAO says they may never be deployed aboard LCS:

“The Navy assessed over 50 potential missile replacements for LCS, and in January 2011 selected the Griffin IIB missile as an interim solution based, in part, on it costing half of [NLOS-LS per missile]. The program now intends to purchase one unit with a total of eight Griffin IIB missiles, to be fielded in 2015, which leave other SUW module equipped ships with a limited ability to counter surface threats. However, Navy officials told us that they may reconsider this plan because of funding cuts related to sequestration. According to OPNAV, funding for Griffin development and testing has been suspended for the remainder of fiscal year 2013. OPNAV and the LCS program office, with LCS Council oversight, plan to investigate using a more cost-effective, government-owned, surface-to-surface missile system that would provide increased capability, including increased range. According to Navy program officials, the deployment of the Increment IV [Griffin successor] missile could also be delayed by over a year [i.e. to 2020] because funding reductions have delayed early engineering work and proposal development for the missile contract.”

June 12/12: Testing. Raytheon reveals a winter 2012 test in which 3 Griffin missiles were fired from a sea-based launcher at 3 separate speeding-boat targets more than 2 km / 1.2 miles away. The weapons were guided by laser, and scored direct hits on the targets.

The test demonstrates that the Griffin can defend a warship against speedboats that venture inside mutual torpedo range. On the one hand, that’s a good thing. Those with a grasp of naval history might recall British Royal Navy Captain Augustus Willington Shelton Agar, VC, DSO. As a Lieutenant, he sank the Russian heavy cruiser Oleg and a submarine depot ship, and badly damaged 2 battleships in 1919, using torpedo-armed speedboats launched from the Terijoki Yacht Club in Finland. The bad news is that Agar’s successors use larger Fast Attack Craft, armed with anti-ship missiles that vastly outrange the Griffin. The AGM-176B can still be very useful on patrol boats and smaller craft, but it’s a secondary defense at best for warships.

May 29/12: Orders. An $8.2 million firm-fixed-price contract modification buys “Griffin stand-off precision guided munitions” and engineering services support. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ, with an estimated completion date of Dec 31/12. One bid was solicited, with one bid received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL manages this contract. (W31P4Q-10-C-0239).

This order pushes announced contracts to date over $166 million.

Order

May 18/12: Orders. An $85.5 million firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to buy Griffin missiles. Based on past records (q.v. Nov 2/11), the total contract would correspond to a maximum of over 800 missiles.

It isn’t all committed at once, and the initial order buys just 22 Griffin all-up-rounds, and 43 telemetry rounds for testing. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ, and will run until July 31/13 (FA8677-12-D-0037).

Major order

April 18/12: RAM shot. Raytheon announces that sometime in winter 2011, the USN fired a Griffin B missile from a land-based Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher. The shot was taken at a static target about 2 miles away, and the GPS/laser guidance produced a direct hit.

OK, successful demonstration. On the other hand, the RAM system already has the ability to hit surface craft from longer range than Griffin, albeit with less surety than Griffin’s laser guidance. Since RIM-116 missiles can also kill incoming anti-ship missiles, it isn’t clear why a ship would mount Griffins by sacrificing several RIM-116 slots on a 21-slot MK-49 or 11-shot SeaRAM launcher. Sources: Raytheon, “US Navy Fires Raytheon Griffin Missile From RAM Launcher”.

Feb 14/12: Army testing Griffin. Raytheon announces that the US Army is testing its powered Griffin B as a potential system to provide 360 degree quick-reaction firepower to smaller outposts. Raytheon’s Javelin missile can already do this within the Griffin’s firing range, so the Griffin will have to compete on cost, responsiveness, and fire volume:

“During the test, warfigthers fired a Griffin missile from a launcher at a static target more than 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) away. Using GPS coordinates generated by a tethered aerostat, the missile directly impacted the target, achieving all test objectives.”

FY 2008 – 2011

Griffin ordered for C-130 aircraft, UAVs, and Cyclone Class patrol boats; Picked for LCS. Griffin testing

Nov 7/11: LCS. Inside the Navy reports [subscription] that the Griffin missile will be part of LCS’ initial surface warfare module, but a competition will begin in 2012, and:

“The program executive office for the Littoral Combat Ship has already identified capabilities that could replace the Griffin missile…”

The new missile would be due for fielding after FY 2016. One possibility that’s already on the market is IAI’s Jumper.

LCS SuW pick

Nov 7/11: KC-130J-HH. Inside the Navy reports [subscription] on Griffin usage in Afghanistan:

“Less than a year after first introducing it to the fleet, the Marine Corps has already used the Harvest Hawk… to fire 74 Hellfire and 13 Griffin missiles… while also providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, a Marine aviation official said here recently.”

Nov 2/11: Orders. A $9.3 million firm-fixed-price contract modification to buy 70 Griffin Block IIA all up rounds, and 21 Griffin Block II A telemetry rounds that replace the warhead with testing electronics. The primary location of performance is Tucson, AZ, and the purchase supports U.S. Special Operations Command (FA8677-11-C-0115, PO 0008).

Order

Aug 19/11: UAVs. Aviation Week reports on 2 key milestones for the MQ-8 Fire Scout helicopter UAV program. One is the addition of the larger MQ-8C/ Fire-X. The other is weapons approval for the MQ-8B, beginning with the APKWS-II laser-guided 70mm rocket that’s already cleared for use from Navy ships.

Raytheon’s laser-guided short-range Griffin mini-missile is slated for a demonstration before the end of August 2011, and will be the platform’s next weapon, as opposed to Northrop Grumman’s own GBU-44 Viper Strike.

Aug 15/11: Orders. An $11.5 million firm-fixed-price cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for an unspecified number of Griffin missiles, and associated engineering services support. Work location will be determined by task order, with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/12. One bid was solicited, with one bid received by the U.S. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-10-C-0239).

Order

July 14/11: Orders. A $9.1 million contract modification to buy 4 Griffin Block II A telemetry rounds for testing (part number 2292000-25), and 74 Griffin Block IIA all up rounds (Part Number 2292000-26) to include shipping, engineering services, and proposal development costs.

Griffin is currently used on UAVs and armed C-130s, as well as a potential future aboard the LCS (FA9200-11-C-0180, PZ0003).

Order

May 12/11: LCS. Inside the Navy reports:

“The Navy may not have settled on the Griffin missile to replace the canceled Non-Line-Of-Sight missile on the Littoral Combat Ship, despite the service’s announcement in January that it planned to use the missile for both a short-term and long-term solution to the capability gap, officials told Inside the Navy last week…”

Jan 11/11: LCS. Media report that the U.S. Navy is moving towards selecting Raytheon’s Griffin missile as the replacement for the cancelled NLOS-LS, instead of taking over that program’s development now that the Army has pulled out. USN surface warfare division director Rear Adm. Frank Pandolfe told a Surface Navy Association convention audience in Arlington, VA that a 6-month review had settled on this Raytheon product, as something that can hit targets at “acceptable” ranges and cost.

That recommendation must be endorsed by the Navy before anything comes of this; if they do, the service would field the existing very short range Griffin by 2015, and try to develop a longer range version later. DoD Buzz | Arizona Daily Star.

Sept 8/10: UAVs. Flight International reports that the Griffin is being integrated onto MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper UAVs. They are not specific, but these are probably US Special Operations Command’s modified MALET drones.

Griffin-B launch
(click to view full)

June 9/09: Orders. A $14.5 million firm-fixed-price with cost-plus-fixed-fee line items contract for Griffin A & B munitions and engineering services. Even the air-launched versions have ranges of just 9+ miles, however, and at this point, Griffin is not on the radar screen for use on LCS.

Work is to be performed in Tucson, AZ, with an estimated completion date of May 31/10. One bid was solicited, with one bid received by the US Army Aviation and Missile Contracting Center at Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-09-C-0517).

Order

Dec 24/08: Orders. A firm-fixed-price with cost-plus-fixed-fee line items contract for Griffin munitions and engineering services – but the amount is not mentioned. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ, with an estimated completion date of Aug 31/09. One bid was solicited and one bid received by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Contracting Center at Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-08-C-0252).

Order

Aug 13/08: Orders. A $6.1 million firm-fixed price with cost-plus fixed fee line items contract for Griffin munitions and engineering services. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ, and is expected to be complete by Aug 31/09. One bid was solicited on Feb 5/08 by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-08-C-0252).

At this point, NLOS-LS is still a program in good standing, and Griffin is seen as a UAV and helicopter weapon. The prospect of equipping an MQ-1A/B Predator with 6 Griffins instead of 2 Hellfires is seen as especially attractive. See also Aviation Week, “Small Raytheon Missile Deployed On Predator” [dead link].

Order

May 23/08: Order. A $10.25 million firm-fixed price contract for Griffin munitions. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ, and is expected to be complete by March 31/09. One bid was solicited on Feb 5/08 by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-08-C-0252).

Order

May 7/08: Order. A $9.4 million firm-fixed price contract with cost-plus-fixed fee items for Griffin munitions, and associated engineering services. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ, and is expected to be completed by Dec 31/08. One bid was solicited on Feb 5/08 by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-08-C-0252).

Order

Additional Readings

• Raytheon – Griffin.

• Defense Update – Griffin [and] Small Tactical Munition (STM); Griffin B

• DID- The Right to Bear Arms: Gunship Kits for America’s C-130s.

• DID – The USA’s New Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). Griffin-B was slated to replace the canceled NLOS-LS PAM missile, but was displaced by the radar-guided AGM-114L Hellfire Longbow.

• DID – Arming RQ-7 UAVs: The Shadow Knows…. Even Griffin may be too heavy for the RQ-7, though…

• DID – GBU-44 Viper Strike: Death From Above. A Griffin competitor from Northrop Grumman.

• Flight International (Sept 8/10) – Raytheon’s Griffin missile makes quiet gains with US military .

Key Points Hizbullah is pre-occupied fighting radical Sunni groups in Lebanon and Syria, while Palestinian militants are struggling to re-arm Israeli officials believe Iran will use the economic windfall from a nuclear deal to further its destabilising regional policies and missile programmes

The growing importance to China of the maritime domain and its protection by "the preparation for military struggle" were the key takeaways from a defence White Paper published by Beijing on 26 May. The second defence White Paper published under the leadership of Xi Jinping, 'China's

The Canadian government is working to grow its aerospace, defence, and security industries as it expects military procurement to play a major role in the Canadian economy, Minister of Industry James Moore said during a 28 May speech at the CANSEC defence show in Ottawa. Moore noted that the

CANSEC 2015: Kenney outlines Canada's Defence Procurement Strategy Canadian Minister of National Defence Jason Kenney, nominated earlier this year and speaking for the first time at Canada's main defence exposition, outlined his vision for implementing the country's new procurement strategy. The

Key Points The murder of a prominent political figure during daylight hours suggests that criminal syndicates have greater confidence in their ability to influence state structures. Expansion of drug-trafficking groups would probably threaten the state's ability to ensure public security and law

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Raytheon a USD11.9 million contract for the procurement of the Griffin missile. The contract, which was disclosed on 29 May, is scheduled to be complete by 31 January 2016. While the number of Griffins being procured has not been disclosed, IHS Jane's

Malaysian group DRB-Hicom has reported declines in revenues and earnings for fiscal year 2014 but said its aero-structure and defence businesses continued to expand. In a filing to the Bursa Malaysia stock exchange on 28 May the company said revenues slipped 3.5% to MYR13.7 billion (USD3.7 billion)

India's federal government appointed a new director general of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on 28 May, four months after dismissing the previous incumbent. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, selected S Christopher,