Defence`s Feeds

The Royal New Zealand Navy and Lockheed Martin Canada have opened the New Zealand ANZAC combat system trainer.

Polish PM-06 Submachine Gun

SENER, the engineering and technology group, will take part in the Cruises and Ferries International Conference (CRAFERIC 2017), from 22 to 24 February in Madrid.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has developed a high-energy pulsed power container (HEPPC) is designed to deliver twice the energy density currently offered by existing railgun pulsed power solutions.

Nova Scotia-based Rosborough Boats has received a new contract to deliver multi-role rescue boats for the Royal Canadian Navy's arctic and offshore patrol ships (AOPS).

Mission-critical information technology (IT) infrastructure solutions provider ViON has received a capacity as a service (CaaS) contract from the US Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR).

Americas

• Despite losing Raytheon as a US-based partner in the USAF’s T-X trainer competition, Leonardo is still forging ahead with plans to establish final assembly for the M-346 Advanced Jet Trainer derivative — the T-100 — in the US. The location of the final assembly point is expected to be announced soon; however, no shortlists of potential sites for the plant have yet been offered by the firm. Prior to exiting from the project, Raytheon had chosen Meridian, Mississippi, as a final assembly location. Despite a US partner, Leonardo is confident of the off-the-shelf model’s low cost against its competitor’s clean sheet designs, and the track record the M-346 has had in already being used to train Israeli pilots for fifth-generation aircraft.

• Lockheed Martin has announced that they have upgraded the Airborne Multi-INT Lab (AML) to speed up the mission system’s ability to turn sensor data into intelligence for customers. The modified Gulfstream III aircraft is used to test various onboard sensors for military and non-military purposes and is fitted to enable in-air experimentation for products with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance applications. Upgrades added by Lockheed Martin include an autonomous sensor control mode that can coordinate operations between the plane and onboard sensors which will accelerate the aircraft’s ability to produce actionable intelligence from experimental data.

Middle East & North Africa

• The UAE is to buy hundreds of 8×8 infantry fighting vehicles in a deal worth $661 million. Providing the vehicles is Al Jasoor, a joint venture by local firm Tawazun and the Turkish firm Otokar’s subsidiary, Otokar Land Systems UAE. Otokar said the vehicles, developed by Al Jasoor, will be built at existing facilities of Tawazun Industrial Park in Abu Dhabi under a special arrangement. The vehicle has already completed an array of successful extensive all-terrain tests in the UAE.

Europe

• Bulgaria’s Defense Ministry has received three bids from Italy, Sweden and Portugal for the country’s MiG-29 replacement competition. Sweden is offering Sofia its Gripen package; Italy second-hand Eurofighters; while Portugal wants to sell its F-16s second-hand alongside a logistics package and weaponry from the US. $820 million has been earmarked by the government for the acquisition of eight new aircraft in order to improve compliance with NATO standards while reducing reliance on Russian-made aircraft. Formal negotiations with the preferred bidder could start as early as next month.

• Following Boeing’s accusations that Denmark unfairly chose Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter over the former’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, the Danish Office of Attorney General is expected to unveil a formal legal defense position as early as next month. A lawsuit was filed by Boeing after the company complained of the lack of access to selection process documents pertaining to Denmark’s next-generation fighter competition. So far, Denmark’s MoD has only released a small number of documents to Boeing despite regular formal requests for greater access that were lodged by the company over the last six months.

Asia Pacific

• South Korean daily JoongAng Ilbo reports that North Korea has tested technology necessary to give its Scud-ER ballistic missiles an anti-ship capability. Pyongyang threatens “merciless” attacks if an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson, which is joining South Korean forces for exercises, infringes on its sovereignty or dignity. Sources say Pyongyang probably inherited the know-how from Iran which has turned its Fateh missile into an anti-ship weapon and officials in Seoul claim that tests were carried out last September and February.

• Iran has commenced mass-producing their domestically built main battle tank. Said to be inspired by Russia’s latest T-90MS, Tehran has boasted of the platform’s capabilities that can rival those used by the West. Speaking at a ceremony to mark the start of production, Iran’s Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said the tank, known as the Karrar, “can compete with the most advanced tanks in the world in the three main areas of power, precision and mobility, as well as maintenance and durability in the battleground.” The tank possesses advanced features like an electro-optical fire control system, a laser rangefinder, and a ballistic computer. It can also fire guided missiles.

• The Pakistan Army has inducted the Chinese LY-80 (HQ-16) medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system into service. Islamabad has made two separate orders for the system having ordered three HQ-16 systems and eight IBIS-150 radars in 2013-2014 for USD $225.77 million and $40 million respectively, and was followed up in 2014-2015 with a $373.23 million order for six additional HQ-16 systems. To augment their air-defense network, there are also plans to procure a long-range SAM system with CPMIEC HQ-9’s export variant, the FD-2000, considered the likeliest option as fiscal constraints may rule out Russian platforms such as the S-400.

Today’s Video

• Time-lapse video of the USS Independence leaving Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for the scrapyard:

List of Top 10 Best Submachine Guns in the World

G-III AML
(click to view full)

Lockheed is more aggressive than most defense firms in self-funding projects that make sense to them, and the Airborne Multi-Intelligence Laboratory (AML) was their response to the rising popularity of small manned surveillance planes like the USA’s MC-12W Liberty, the MARSS program, etc. Now, their AML is moving from a privately-funded surveillance variant of the Gulfstream III business jet, to a money-making platform, courtesy of the Italian Ministry of Defence.

Under an agreement for an undisclosed sum, Lockheed Martin will provide its AML as a contracted ISR(Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance) service “in a live operational environment,” which probably means Afghanistan. The service goes beyond the jet…

Italy’s contract includes full flight crew and maintenance personnel, plus 3 intelligence-processing ground stations, for 1 year. An option could extend the contract to 2 years. The sensor package will include day/night cameras and SIGINT electronic eavesdropping gear, other undiscussed communications and sensor packages, plus any new equipment the Italians choose to add and integrate.

Lockheed Martin says that its AML team includes L-3 Communications Systems-West, Rockwell Collins, FLIR Government Systems, and Finmeccanica’s DRS.

To date, the Gulfstream III AML has been used as a test platform to develop the architecture for swappable sensors that could be packaged in different mounting assemblies, and installed on a wide variety of planes. The firm now markets this offering as its Dragon series, with “Dragon Star” marketed as the modification for Gulfstream III sized jets, and “Net Dragon” as the name for the kind of rent-a-capability service the Italians are buying.

The Italian order will help the firm refine its core architecture, broaden its sensor choices, hone both parties’ understanding of how to operate and use a service like this, and give its Dragon line some operational credentials.

Those credentials may be a useful selling point in non-military markets as well. The mineral surveys of Afghanistan that recently found huge resource deposits used military assets, including magnetic imaging sensors on board P-3 maritime patrol aircraft. Unmanned drones have also shown considerable flexibility, with hunter-killer platforms like the MQ-9 Reaper refitted to take on roles like firefighting assistance. Manned aircraft with packages like the Dragon series offer similar potential, without the issues drones have getting permission to fly in civil airspace.

Updates

March 14/17: Lockheed Martin has announced that they have upgraded the Airborne Multi-INT Lab (AML) to speed up the mission system’s ability to turn sensor data into intelligence for customers. The modified Gulfstream III aircraft is used to test various onboard sensors for military and non-military purposes and is fitted to enable in-air experimentation for products with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance applications. Upgrades added by Lockheed Martin include an autonomous sensor control mode that can coordinate operations between the plane and onboard sensors which will accelerate the aircraft’s ability to produce actionable intelligence from experimental data.

March 23/16: Lockheed Martin is to go ahead with its Net Dragon upgrade planned for the USAF’s U-2S fleet. The system will equip the fleet with a beyond-line-of-sight communications relay capability for forward-deployed forces on the ground or in the air. At present, the aircraft uses a Dragon Fly modem that will allow a soldier on the ground to relay full-motion video to another soldier miles away. The new upgrade increases the difficulty for competitors to get ahead of Lockheed, with a planned L-3 Communications upgrade due on the plan within the next few months. An L-3 Communication satellite modem will allow the same forces on the ground to call up imagery and other information from intelligence databases, such as the distributed common ground system.

The East and South China Sea is a strategic maritime link and a major trade route with rich fishing grounds and oil and gas reserves. Mounting conflicts between neighbouring countries (in particular China, the Philippines and Vietnam) have resulted in growing security tension and militarisation of the region. The hearing will therefore address security implications of the territorial disputes for global and European security, and the role the EU could play in easing tensions in the region.
Location : Paul-Henri Spaak 5B001
Further information
Draft programme
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

The EU Counter-Terrorism Strategy was adopted in 2005. Since then the EU has improved ties with third countries in combating terrorism, in particular with countries in the Southern Neighbourhood. The EU adopted a wide-ranging counter-terrorism approach and acts through building state capacity, strengthening the rule of law/respect for human rights, fostering regional cooperation, and preventing/combating terrorism.
Further information
Study
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

The companies join resources and establish a joint venture company in Norway that will be the international strategic and exclusive supplier of combat systems for thyssenkrupp Marine Systems' submarines.

Raytheon Anschütz, a German-based leader in naval bridge system integration, has achieved several key milestones toward the Integrated Navigation and Bridge System (INBS) for the UK Royal Navy's new Type 26 Global Combat Ships.

Americas

• Lockheed Martin has won a $64 million contract to perform work on the integrated core processor used by the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The DoD order includes services for the USAF, US Navy, USMC and international partners and the work aims to alleviate diminishing manufacturing source constraints projected under F-35 production Lot 15 by March 2019. Developed during the early stages of the F-35’s development, the integrated core processor is referred to as the “brain” of the next-gen fighter.

• The USAF has announced that it has used a quadcopter to conduct a maintenance inspection of the exterior of a C-17 aircraft. Conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, the 412th Test Wing’s Emerging Technologies Combined Test Force (CTF) conducted three sorties with the mini-UAV and it worked so well it allowed the ground crew to sign off on their preflight external inspection of the aircraft. It’s expected that use of such drones will help cut the inspection time from 45-60 minutes to just minutes. The test comes under the CTF’s task to provide agile, innovative flight test capabilities for emerging technologies and to explore the USAF’s future warfighting capabilities.

Middle East & North Africa

• Rafael has completed a successful test firing demonstration with its Protector unmanned surface vehicle (USV). The remote controlled platform conducted a series of launches with a variety of munitions, including the company’s Spike missile, as well as performing maneuvers and demonstrating its targeting capabilities. Protectors have already been procured by various navies, including those in Singapore, Israel and the US, and offers operators a platform that can conduct operations without revealing its identity to hostile forces.

Europe

• Norway’s Kongsberg has teamed up alongside Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and Atlas Elektronik to form a joint venture aimed at supplying combat systems for Thyssenkrupp submarines. The announcement follows an earlier Norwegian government announcement last month that they had chosen Germany as a strategic partner for their new submarine procurement program. The Norway-based new venture will be part-owned by both the Norwegian and German partners, and the new company will be responsible for the development, production and maintenance of combat systems. Speaking on the joint venture, Kongsberg President and CEO Geir Haøy said the agreement has potential to earn Kongsberg in excess of $1.8 billion over the next ten years and will mark a significant increase in activity and employment in the Norwegian industry.

• Safran has been selected by the UK’s Military Flying Training System program to assist in servicing engines of rotary-wing aircraft flown by Britain’s Defense Helicopter Flying School. The 17-year, by-the-hour contract follows an earlier agreement signed with UK’s defense ministry in July 2016, when they were selected to supply Arrius 2B2 and Arriel 2E turbines for the country’s H135 and H145 fleets. Work will be carried out in partnership with Airbus helicopters and it is believed Safran will earn over $100 million over the course of the contract.

Asia Pacific

• Saab has opened an office in the Philippines as the Swedish defense firm looks to sell its JAS-39 Gripen fighter to the archipelago nation. The office was opened by Swedish Ambassador Harald Fries who said that his embassy will invite Swedish companies who do good work in terms of social responsibility to have an exchange with both government agencies, labor unions, and Filipino companies. Alongside air defense, Saab is also looking to offer coastal surveillance equipment and even submarines to the Philippines in order to profit from Manila’s maritime modernization efforts.

• Taiwanese media has reported that the US has sent personnel, including officials from Raytheon, to inspect Taiwan’s PAC-3 air defense systems. Two batteries have been in place in Hualian and Taitung since earlier this year, replacing the older Hawk air defense system, and the inspection is being seen as a signal that the deployments may become permanent. Meanwhile, South Korea’s deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) has started a debate in Taiwan at the possible deployment of THAAD on the island. Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan, however, has publicly voiced his opposition against a THAAD presence in Taiwan, saying the island had no need to be drawn into other countries’ conflicts.

• Attack drones will be deployed to South Korea by the US as tensions rise on the peninsula over the deployment of THAAD. The decision to deploy the MQ-1C Grey Eagles to Korea come as part of a wider plan to deploy a company of the attack drones with every division in the US Army. Speaking on the announcement, United States Forces Korea spokesman Christopher Bush added that the Grey Eagle’s will provide a “significant intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability to US Forces Korea and our ROK partners.” These ongoing tensions are taking place at a time when South Korean voters are scheduled to go to the polls on May 9 in order to elect a new president following the impeachment and dismissal last week of its former president, Park Geun-hye, and policy on North Korea and the THAAD system are likely to be contentious issues in the campaign.

Today’s Video

• The Protector USV:

Iranian Karrar Main Battle Tank

China’s New Maritime Silk Road policy poses geostrategic challenges and offers some opportunities for the US and its allies in Asia-Pacific. To offset China’s westward focus, the US seeks to create a global alliance strategy with the aim to maintain a balance of power in Eurasia, to avoid a strong Russia-China or China-EU partnership fostered on economic cooperation. For the EU, the ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) initiative by improving infrastructure may contribute to economic development in neighbouring countries and in Africa but present also risks in terms of unfair economic competition and increased Chinese domination. Furthermore, China’s behaviour in the South China Sea and rebuff of the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, in July 2016, put the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) at risk with possible consequences to freedom of the seas. Increasing relations with China could also affect EU-US relations at a time of China-US tension. To face these challenges, a stronger EU, taking more responsibility in Defence and Security, including inside NATO, is needed.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Further information
Programme
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

EDA organised a one-day “jumbo” workshop on 28 February which for the first time gathered together Member States and industry representatives from the 4 EDA networks on Defence Market and Industry issues, notably the Defence Acquisition Expert Network, the Defence Industry Expert Network and SMEs Point of Contact, as well as the Defence Supply Chain Network, to discuss proposals aimed at improving the transparency of the European Defence Equipment Market (EDEM), the competitiveness of European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) and promoting cooperation in defence procurement.

The workshop, held at the EDA in Brussels, brought together more than 80 experts from Member States and industry; a total of 25 Member States were represented at the event. Discussions focused on three central themes: cooperative defence procurement, cross-border contracting and supply chains and administrative burdens in defence procurement in view of collecting expert’s recommendations on potential concrete future actions. To facilitate the discussions, participants were provided with related ‘food for thought’ papers ahead of the workshop.

Many of the recommendations centred around the need of information sharing and the enhancement of trust among suppliers across national borders. The proposals drawn-up from the workshop will be forwarded to the concerned EDA networks to examine their further implementation within future EDA activities and projects.  

EDA is particularly grateful to the external moderators who worked with EDA on the ‘food for thought’ papers and led the discussions in respective groups:

• Dr. Aris GEORGOPOULOS, Assist. Professor in European and Public Law – Advocate, Head of Defence and Strategic Procurement Research Unit, PPRG, School of Law, University of Nottingham,

• Dr. Vincenzo RANDAZZO, Legal Officer, Public Procurement Legislation and Enforcement, DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW)/G/3, European Commission, Brussels

• Dr. Daniel FIOTT, Security and Defence Editor at EU Institute for Security Studies,
• Mr. Dusan ŠVARC, Deputy director of the Czech Republic’s Defence and Security Industry Association (DSIA), EDA SME Senior Advisor
• Professor Martin TRYBUS, Professor of European Law and Policy, Director, Institute of European Law, Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham,
• Mr. Francisco MENE, Delegate to NATO NIAG, LoI, EDA, ASD for TEDAE (Spanish Defence Industry Association), EDA SME Senior Advisor

More information:

• Access to EU funding (EDA project page)
• Dual-use research (EDA project page)
• Successful seminar on EU funding opportunities in Spain (EDA news)
• 3 out of 3: another EDA supported dual-use R&T project is awarded ESIF funding (EDA News)
• Polish dual-use R&T project co-funded by ESIF (EDA news)

will take place on Wednesday 22 March, 9:00-12:30 and 15:15-18:30 and Thursday 23 March 2017, 9.00-12:30 in Brussels.

Organisations or interest groups who wish to apply for access to the European Parliament will find the relevant information below.

Further information
watch the meeting live
Access rights for interest group representatives
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

In an Opinion Editorial published this weekend simultaneously in a number of selected European newspapers and online media(*), EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq highlights the multiple benefits of deeper European cooperation in the field of defence (especially cost-savings and increased efficiency & interoperability) and called for “making defence a matter of genuine European interest”.

 Here is the full text of Mr Domecq’s article:

 

Deeper EU defence cooperation is not just inevitable: it also pays off for governments and citizens

Long treated as a marginal aspect of the European Union’s wider Common and Security Policy, defence has emerged as a top priority on the European agenda. Successive EU and Member States initiatives in 2016 have catapulted defence to centre-stage.

More than that: as EU leaders prepare to meet in Rome on 25 March for the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaties in the midst of one of the most challenging and turbulent periods the Union has ever faced, defence is put forward as an area in which the European project could be reinvigorated with success.

I share this ambition: the time has come to make defence a matter of genuine European interest.

Let’s be frank: we, Europeans, have no credible alternative but to join forces and think and act on security and defence in more European terms, beyond national lines. The growing threats in our immediate neighbourhood, the future of our transatlantic relationship and the technological revolution that is taking place on a global scale should convince even the most skeptical that, at this time, Europe will not get out of doing more and better for its own security.

Politically, a stronger and more cooperative European approach to defence seems inevitable. To put it bluntly: the changing global order will sooner or later oblige European nations to pull together and to act collectively if they want to remain capable of protecting their interests and citizens.

But pressure from outside should not be the only driver. In fact, there are also many practical reasons why enhanced European defence cooperation makes lot of sense.

Budgetary sense, first and foremost.

Today, Europe’s defence market remains seriously fragmented. Budgets are planned and spent nationally by 28 Defence Ministries without any proper coordination. This is costly and often leads to duplication of effort and spending as each Member State tries to cover the whole spectrum of defence capabilities. Better planning, joint procurement and the pooling and sharing of defence capabilities can therefore improve the output of military spending and save large amounts of taxpayers’ money.

Estimates(**) suggest European governments could save almost a third (!) of what they spend on military equipment if they decided to coordinate investments. We are talking here about billions and billions of euros which could be saved or freed for additional long-term investment.

But cost-effectiveness is not the only benefit. Interoperability and increased effectiveness are equally important outcomes of a more cooperative approach on defence spending.

Compared to the US, European Armed Forces operate far too many different types of military capabilities. In 2016, for example, EU Member States had 20 different types of fighter aircraft (compared to 6 in the US), 29 types of frigates (4 in the US) or 20 types armoured fighting vehicles (2 in the US). More cooperative planning, procurement and operation of assets would streamline the capabilities in use and thereby considerably improve Member States Armed Forces’ interoperability.

Pooling and sharing is therefore key to making sure that European Armed Forces become more effective/interoperable and European citizens and taxpayers get better value for money.

To facilitate such cooperation and initiate and manage cooperative projects between willing Member States is the bread and butter of the European Defence Agency (EDA). Since its creation in 2004, the Agency has become THE ‘hub’ for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks that are second to none. Experience clearly shows that if Member States have the political will to seriously engage in cooperation, the EDA is able to deliver.

Today, at a time when the EU’s institutional lines between internal and external security are becoming increasingly blurred, it is worth recalling that Member States have always, since the beginning, considered the EDA to be their main tool and vehicle for advancing defence cooperation, since it is in EDA where they, the national governments, decide what the capability priorities are and how to manage them. The support that the European Commission is willing to provide through the recently adopted European Defence Action Plan (EDAP) is most welcome in this respect.

Defence cooperation is needed urgently. We cannot afford to allow this important issue to be dragged into political or institutional debates that do not strictly focus on our common goal: making European defence stronger. To achieve that, Europe needs to make the best out of the tools it has and the EDA is certainly among them.

The European Union is at a crossroads. Visionary decisions and ambitious actions are needed to keep the European project alive and thriving.

(*) La Tribune (France), La Repubblica (Italy), Le Soir (Belgium), La Vanguardia (Spain), Der Standard (Austria), Dagens Nyheter (Sweden), De Volkskrant (Netherlands), Diario das noticias (Portugal), Rzeczypospolita (Poland), Times of Malta, Euractiv (several languages), Bruxelles2 

(**) Munich Security Report 2017

The article is available in several languages:

• French
• German
• Spanish
• Italian
• Swedish
• Polish
• Dutch
• Portuguese