Defence`s Feeds

The US Navy and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) have successfully completed the first ballistic missile intercept flight test of a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA.

Americas

• The US Navy has successfully tested the Spike missile launcher, destroying a UAV target. Not to be confused with the Rafael version, the project aims at providing the sailing branch with an increased capability to defeat the growing threat of UAVs. The Spike launcher is first queued to the target via radar so that the operator can acquire the UAV and engage it. Another modification to the system involves the addition of a proximity fuze to the body, provided by the Army.

• Lockheed Martin has announced the completion of negotiations with the Pentagon over the next batch of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. The long-awaited agreement for 90 models, brought to public attention due to US President Donald Trump’s efforts to get a “better deal” on the defense spending, will see $728 million in savings and an 8 percent drop in price over the last contract. The contract also brings to a conclusion months of doubt over the future of the fighter’s program amid cost-overruns, equipment faults, and wrangling between government and industry.

• Non-profit research and development firm, the Syracuse Research Corporation (SRC), has won a $65 million US Army contract to supply an integrated counter-UAS system. The contract was issued on an urgent basis. SRC’s Silent Archer system uses radar and electronic warfare technology to detect and track drones and disrupt the drone operator’s signals to the aircraft.

Middle East & North Africa

• Tunisia has received the first six units of a planned 24 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter acquisition. The $100.8 million deal was green-lighted last May and the following 18 are expected to be delivered this March. Tunis is purchasing the scout helicopters as part of efforts to beef up counter-terrorism and border security capabilities against militants belonging to groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Islamic State’s franchise in neighbouring Libya, and the Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia.

Europe

• The Norwegian government has selected Germany over France to collaborate as strategic partners on their new fleet of submarines. Disburg-based Thyssenkrupp are likely to be tapped as the supplier in the program, relieving pressure from the firm following the losing of Australia’s submarine replacement program to France’s DCNS. Oslo’s program will replace its existing fleet of Ula-class vessels and will include four submarines for Norway, two for Germany, as well as provisions for future orders for the Netherlands and Poland.

• Missile manufacturer MBDA has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa. The deal aims to enhance mutual cooperation between the two companies in the field of missiles and missile systems, laying the groundwork for potentially winning MBDA future contracts awarded by a Polish government focused on securing domestic manufacturing jobs in its defense acquisitions. Current tenders targeted by MBDA include supplying missiles for Warsaw’s “Narew” short range air defense system.

• Russia has debuted their first MiG-35 in addition to expressing intentions of exporting the multi-role fighter. Introduced at airframer’s Lukhovitsy site near Moscow, and with delegations from 30 countries in attendance, China, India, Peru and Vietnam were all highlighted as targeted markets. India’s new requirement for purchasing an additional light-fighter in addition to their purchase of 36 Dassault Rafales is a likely first big contract. The Russian air force has already ordered 37 units with intentions to order more as its 258 earlier-generation MiG-29s are phased out.

Asia Pacific

• Myanmar is in advanced discussions with the government of Pakistan to license-build the JF-17 fighter. The talks follow 2015’s purchase of 16 of the fighter’s Block II variant which feature air-to-air refueling capabilities and improved avionics from its predecessor. It has yet to be decided whether that model would be then built in Myanmar, or whether the newer Block III will be pursued.

Today’s Video

• The US Navy’s Spike missile program:

OH-58D over Tal Afar
(click to view full)

With the ARH-70A helicopter program on the rocks after a program cancellation and re-compete, the US Army’s over-stressed and aging fleet of armed OH-58D scout helicopters must soldier on in the face of losses and breakdowns. One of their most critical pieces of equipment is their mast-mounted sight, which was originally developed to let the Kiowa Warriors watch Soviet tank formations while hovering behind trees. The sights’ advanced cameras, infrared, and laser ranging/targeting features make them excellent tools in the current war as well, and these helicopters’ size, speed and numbers have given them a very important role in urban combat scenarios. See esp. DRS’ explanations of the battlefield benefits of mast-mounted helicopter sights vs. roof-mounted alternatives.

All equipment must be maintained, which is why DRS Optronics, Inc, Optronics Division in Palm Bay, FL received a new firm-fixed-price and cost plus fixed fee 5-year indefinite quantity/ indefinite delivery contract that will cover spares, repairs and services for the OH-58D’s mast mounted sight from 2009 through 2013. This includes “obsolescence removal” – redesigning the system to use new parts when manufacturers no longer produce the old parts.

Contracts and Key Events

OH-58Ds, Kirkuk, Iraq
(click to view full)

This agreement replaces the previous FY 2004-2008 indefinite quantity/ indefinite delivery contract for these services. Under the terms of this contract, the delivery orders cover comprehensive worldwide support, including new spare mast-mounted sight components and depot-level repair, as well as on-site field service and forward repair activities provided directly by DRS field-service personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations globally. In addition, the orders cover all the work needed to support these activities, from program management and engineering to production control and logistics.

DRS is now a Finmeccanica subsidiary, and work will on the new contract be performed in Melbourne, FL with an estimated completion date of Dec 31/13.

February 6/17: Tunisia has received the first six units of a planned 24 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter acquisition. The $100.8 million deal was green-lighted last May and the following 18 are expected to be delivered this March. Tunis is purchasing the scout helicopters as part of efforts to beef up counter-terrorism and border security capabilities against militants belonging to groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Islamic State’s franchise in neighbouring Libya, and the Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia.

March 15/16 The US Army is looking for a light reconnaissance helicopter to fill the vacant role made by the retirement of Bell’s OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. As a result, it looks likely that they will move quickly on the Future Vertical Lift-Light (FVL-Light) program because it may be more achievable in the near term in terms of cost and timing. While funding is going ahead for a medium FVL program to succeed the Sikorsky UH-60 and Boeing AH-64, nothing has been put in place to replace the Kiowa. If a competition for a light reconnaissance helicopter is to go ahead, Sikorsky says it will offer a version of its experimental S-97 Raider for the role.

April 16/09: DRS Technologies, Inc. announces 9 delivery orders valued at over $110 million for spare components, repairs, and program services. These orders cover services delivered throughout calendar year 2009; new spare components delivered June 2009 through March 2013; and repairs scheduled from June 2009 through January 2012.

The work will be carried out by the Melbourne, FL operation of the DRS Reconnaissance, Surveillance & Target Acquisition (RSTA) business group.

Dec 30/08: The initial DefenseLINK contract announcement, which includes $30.3 million under for the services for program year one. After that, conflicting values are listed. The Pentagon’s DefenseLINK release places the maximum value at $700 million if all options were exercised, while Feb 4/09 Finmeccanica [PDF] and DRS releases cite a figure of $913 million.

One bid was solicited and one bid received by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-09-D-0001, #0001).

S304, KNM Uthaug
(click to view full)

Norway’s 6 Ula Class/ U210 diesel-electric submarines were commissioned from 1989-1992, and play an important role in their overall fleet. The 1,150t design combined German design, sonar, and torpedoes with a French Thomson-CSF (now Thales) Sintra flank array sonar. Integration happens through a Norwegian Kongsberg combat system, which has become a mainstay for German submarine types. The U210s are a bit on the small side compared to more modern diesel-electric boats, but they remain well suited to Norway’s long coasts and narrow fjords.

The Ula Class has received a number of upgrades since 2006. A new combat system, added cooling for warm water operations, upgraded periscopes, sonar improvements, TADIL-A/Link 11 communications, etc. Even so, the continuous cycle of compression and release inherent in submarine operations will make operations past 2020 a risky proposition. Norway wants to keep a submarine fleet, and by the end of 2014 decided it would need new boats to do so.

Contracts & Key Events

HNoMS Utsira

February 6/17: The Norwegian government has selected Germany over France to collaborate as strategic partners on their new fleet of submarines. Disburg-based Thyssenkrupp are likely to be tapped as the supplier in the program, relieving pressure from the firm following the losing of Australia’s submarine replacement program to France’s DCNS. Oslo’s program will replace its existing fleet of Ula-class vessels and will include four submarines for Norway, two for Germany, as well as provisions for future orders for the Netherlands and Poland.

May 3/16: Norway’s decision to pursue its new submarine procurement with NATO member suppliers has dashed hopes of increased Nordic defense cooperation and cross-border industrial ties. Sweden’s Saab had offered its customized version of the Swedish next-generation A-26 submarine to Norway, however Oslo decided to omit the manufacturer from its sub procurement shortlist. Instead, Germany’s Thyssen Krupp and France’s Direction des Constructions Navales Services (DCNS) have been selected as possible suppliers of the Navy’s new submarine-class.

April 11/16: As Norway continues its search for a cooperation partner for its submarine procurement, it has narrowed down the manufacturers who will carry out the task. The yards shortlisted by Oslo are France’s DCNS and Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). Both companies have worked with and supplied systems to the Norwegian Navy over the last number of decades. While several other submarine yards, including Saab’s Kockums yard in Sweden had also applied, they lost out to Western Europe’s two largest submarine manufacturers.

April 8/16: A joint submarine procurement between Norway and Poland is not imminent despite ongoing talks on the matter. While Oslo is looking to proceed with a joint procurement of a submarine fleet, the final shape of the program, the number of vessels it plans to acquire, and with whom to cooperate still needs to be decided. Poland, in the midst of a nationalist fervor removing any military equipment stemming from the Cold War-era, is looking to acquire three new submarines to replace its aging Kobben-class subs, due to be decommissioned in 2021.

September 10/15: Norway and Poland are engaged in talks over a possible joint procurement of submarines, according to Norwegian press reports. As Norway debates how best to go about replacing its fleet of Ula-class subs, the Poles are reportedly seeking out European partners for a joint acquisition. The Polish Navy requires three new boats to enter service in the mid-2020s, with the Netherlands eyed as another possible partner. The Norwegian Ministry of Defence decided in December 2014 that the Ula-class subs would have their lives extended to 35 years – out to 2020 – with the replacement program currently in a project definition phase.

Dec 03/14: Planning. Norway’s Ministry of Defence delivers the decision it had promised it would make in 2014. Ula class submarines will be kept operational for an additional 5 years, but their life won’t be extended beyond a total of 35 years, as doing so was ruled out as too expensive. So there is going to be a new procurement, and a partnership with other countries is explicitly favored by the ministry to do so while minimizing project risk and costs.

A project definition phase will now take place for the next two years since the number of submarines or budget haven’t even been defined yet. Delivery should start to take place in the mid 2020s.

June 10/14: Go Dutch? The Netherlands has determined that an overhaul of its locally-designed Walrus Class submarines doesn’t make financial or operational sense, after a 20-25 year service life. They need new boats, but can’t afford to replace all 4, and their submarine industry died after Chinese pressure killed a sale to Taiwan. The solution? Present an initial plan this year, and go Dutch:

“As a result of the current budget constraints, the Dutch MoD is looking for an international partner to increase economy of scale and reduce costs of ownership in a new submarine programme. ‘We are open to discuss the whole spectrum from training to logistics,’ [CO Submarine Services Capt. Hugo] Ammerlaan said.

While the MoD is currently exploring a variety of options it sees Norway as a potential partner for co-developing and building submarines.”

That’s an interesting assessment. Norway isn’t a strong design/build partner, though Kongsberg’s combat system is often used in German U-boats, and well proven. Really making this work probably requires at least one more major partner, be it French (Scorpene), German/Italian/Korean (U2xx), or Swedish (A26). Spain’s S-80 was part of the Sept 11/12 RFI, but its severe weight issues have derailed development and made it a very unlikely candidate. Sources: Shephard Maritime Security, “UDT: Dutch MoD advances submarine replacement”.

May 6/14: Update. The Norwegian Ministry of Defence hasn’t issued its final recommendation yet on the Ula submarines, but they still expect to do so in 2014. To date:

“National and international expertise has been engaged in producing inputs to the process. ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in Germany have recently completed an extensive study on extending the lifetime and maintaining the relevance of the Ula-class, beyond 2020. In addition, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, various original equipment manufacturers and other suppliers have contributed with information. Furthermore, other navies have provided in-depth information on their experience from similar processes. The company British Maritime Technology (BMT) is tasked to review technical aspects and risks related to a life extension program. BMT’s experience from similar analyses will contribute significantly to the overall analysis on the feasibility of such a program.”

Sources: Norwegian Ministry of Defence, “Evaluation of a potential service life extension of the Ula-class is being finalized”.

Nov 16/12: The Plan. A newspaper report prods Norway’s Ministry of Defence into clarifying the current status of its submarine program. They’re trying to decide between a further life extension of the current Ula Class, a replacement program, or some combination of the two. This process is expected to present its recommendations in 2014.

The chosen solution will form the basis for a project definition phase, before any investment project is presented for the Norwegian parliament in 2017. Norwegian MoD.

Nov 15/12: Rear Admiral Jan Gerhard Jæger (ret.) tells Aftenposten that modernizations may not be enough to keep the U210 Ula Class competitive. Money quote: “Norway currently has equipment that can be used to trace these submarines. Consequently, we must reckon with the fact that others also possess this.” The Foreigner.

Oct 3/12: Minister of Defence Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen speaks to the 2012 Army Summit, and talks about “The economic turmoil – implications for security and defence policy.” Some excerpts:

“When I left the Ministry in 2009, we hoped the financial crisis to have reached its peak… I think no one would disagree that since then things have got worse… we are witnessing a severe debt crisis with long term effects, particularly in the European economy. We need to prepare ourselves to be in this dire situation for the long haul. It will most likely dominate European politics for years to come. We experience an unprecedented economic crisis which over time has morphed into a crisis of social cohesion and confidence.

“…What I am suggesting is that we once again have to consider strategic and more traditional challenges. We have to reflect about the possibility of symmetric threats… If you are a defence minister it tends to be much easier to cut investments than bases or camps, simply because it does not have the same social effect in the short run… My fellow defence ministers are fully aware of this pitfall. If you make cuts in your investments budget the problems will not emerge in 2012 or 2013, but rather in 2017 or in 2025. Similarly, the immediate effect of reducing the budget for training and exercises is not critical. What you obviously risk is less agile, less prepared forces further down the line.

What makes these challenges even more daunting is the constant need for military transformation. There is a danger that several European Allies may have choose to postpone the restructuring of their military organisations…”

Sept 11/12: RFI. The Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation (NDLO) on 11 september 2012 forwards a Request for Information to prequalified shipyards. The purpose of the RFI is to investigate investment cost, life cycle costs, production time, performance and other important aspects related to new submarines that in turn will shape a decision on life extension or fleet replacement. Responses to this RFI are expected by the end of 2012. Shipyards include:

• Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (South Korea, modernized U209s & U214)
  
• DCNS (France, Scorpene Class)
  
• Fincantieri (Italy, U212A partner)
  
• Navantia (Spain, S-80)
  
• ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (representing Swedish Kockums AB’s new A26 design, and Germany’s HDW for U212A/U214)

Note that many of the contenders are offering variants on HDW submarine designs, which already come with a Norwegian combat system as their main option. The new player is South Korea’s DMSE, which has become one of the most significant and advanced shipyards in the world. They’re currently building U214s for South Korea, and U209 derivatives for Indonesia, while modernizing Indonesia’s existing U209 boats. If Norway opts for U210 life extension as part of their solution, DSME is likely to represent HDW’s main competition for the work. Norway MoD | Defense News.

RFI

2007 – 2011: The Norwegian Ministry of Defence studies whether Norway should continue to have a requirement for a submarine capability after 2020. This isn’t an idle question; their neighbor Denmark looked at the issue recently, and decided to scrap their underwater fleet.

The study concludes that no other system would be able to replace the capability offered by a modern fleet of submarines, and that Norway still needs this capability. Source.

Additional Readings

Note that the ship prefix used by Norway’s own navy is “KNM,” for “Kongelig Norsk Marine.” The English counterpart is “HNoMS,” for “His/Her Norwegian Majesty’s Ship.” DID uses them interchangeably.

• Norwegian Armed Forces – Equipment Facts: Navy

• Wikipedia – Ula class submarine

• DID (Jan 16/12) – Kongsberg to Upgrade Norwegian Submarine Combat Systems

Emirati CAR 816 Assault Rifle

Canadian LAV 6.0 Armored Personnel Carrier

The EU sees its relation with Russia as a ‘key strategic challenge’, and is alarmed by Moscow’s violations of international commitments and military activity. Russian recent strategic documents give indications about its world vision and security concerns, pointing to a tension between Russia’s internal weaknesses and its ‘center of influence’ ambition in the new world order. Seen as a challenger to such aspiration, the EU has an interest in also pursuing dialogue and cooperative engagement.
Further information
Draft agenda and meeting documents
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

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