Defence`s Feeds

The European Commission's services (DG MOVE), the European Defence Agency (EDA), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the SESAR Joint Undertaking (SJU) are stepping up efforts to address the integration of drones into the European aviation and air traffic management (ATM) system.

A new coordination mechanism was agreed upon at a meeting of the organisations’ director generals on 27 October, which aims to address the research and development (R&D) and regulatory requirements of all categories of remotely-piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) – a subset of drones. It was agreed that these requirements take into account the EDA’s "dual-use strategy" for the integration of military drones.

The SESAR project in coordination with EASA will provide the necessary support framework to address the R&D and regulatory needs in Europe and from a global perspective. This work will be done in close and efficient coordination with the EDA, while further efforts will be undertaken to engage other organisations in Europe in this coordination endeavour.

The coordination mechanism will look at ATM requirements for drone integration and their technical implications. The findings will be reported to DG MOVE in order to support the definition and coordination of policy initiatives with the relevant Commission services. The overall ATM requirements for drone integration will be incorporated into the next update of the European ATM Master Plan – the roadmap for ATM modernisation.

Planned for 2017, the next update will aim to provide a description of the overarching technical, operational, financial and performance related needs and requirements for the integration of drones, while also addressing the global context of initiatives falling under the aegis of ICAO.

Photo: © Dassault Aviation - G. Gosset

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a £100m contract to MBDA to equip the UK Royal Navy's entire Type 26 global combat ships with the advanced Sea Ceptor air defence missile system.

The US Navy has tested the AN/AQS-20A variable depth sonar system’s hydrodynamic behaviour when towed by various surface and semi-submersible vehicles.

Americas

• The net cast in search of new warships for Canada has been widened as Ottawa allows designs still yet to be proven to be allowed into the competition. It had previously been decided that only off the shelf designs would be considered. Local firms are said to benefit from the change as a new design is not wedded to foreign systems, and could potentially provide Canada with the most up to date technologies. The criteria change will also allow for the participation of BAE Systems latest Type 26 design, however critics of the changes claim that a proven design would cut the amount of technical risk and speed up the procurement process for Canada.

Middle East & North Africa

• The Algerian Army has discovered an illegal weapons stockpile in the southern desert province of Adrar. Included in the cache were 17 anti-helicopter missiles, 28 grenades, 27 grenade detonators, one rocket launcher, 20 ammunition magazines and 200 bullets. With Islamic State militants currently on the back foot in neighboring Libya, surrounding governments have been wary of fighters and weapons flowing across the porous desert borders to ignite further chaos across the region.

• Turkey’s FNSS and the Indonesian PT Pindad have completed a joint design for a medium-weight tank and started production of a prototype. Known as the Modern Medium Weight Tank, the vehicle features advanced ballistic and mine protection, a broad range of fire power, advanced electronic controlled systems and a heavy duty suspension system. The vehicle will be fitted with an automatic electronic-controlled transmission with a minimum of 20hp/ton ratio, depending on the configurable protection system. Its six-wheeled suspension system will be built on torsion bars with double pinned tracks.

Europe

• Deutsche Telekom will launch a drone defense system this year designed to guard airports, stadiums, car test tracks and critical infrastructure. The German firm has been asked by car manufacturers to design a system that would prevent UAVs from snapping photos of prototypes they test on race tracks, while football club FC Bayern Munich is looking for a system to prevent their use during matches. It has been reported in German media that the company had invited a number of drone defense firms to a demonstration of their technology in July, including US-based Dedrone, Australia’s Droneshield, Norway’s Squarehead Technology and Airbus’s Rohde & Schwarz.

• Egypt and Russia have been dragged into the ongoing war of words surrounding Poland’s dropped Caracel helicopter deal with Airbus and France. Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz accused Egypt of reselling French-built Mistral amphibious assault ships initially intended for Russia to the Russian Navy for the princely sum of €1. Yes, one Euro. The comments, made during a parliamentary session, outraged France, who abandoned the Russian sale under pressure from NATO allies. However Macierewicz’s remarks pale in comparison to his deputy who dismissively said that the Poles had taught the French “to eat with a fork a couple of centuries ago” after France revoked Poland’s invitation to the Euronaval 2016 defense expo in Paris.

Asia Pacific

• While most of the US and world have their eyes upon who will be the next commander-in-chief, North Korea may use the opportunity to launch their next Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). An official said the move by Pyongyang could be interpreted as sending a strong message to the next US President, whether it be Trump, Clinton, Stein or Johnson. Besides the missile launch, military forces on the Korean peninsula are not ruling out other forms of provocations by the North, although they have as yet detected nothing out of the ordinary along the heavily guarded DMZ.

• Details have emerged on India’s second indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vishal. Naval planners anonymously revealed that the warship will be powered by a nuclear reactor, will have space for 55 aircraft which will be launched using the American-made Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). We’ll be waiting a while however, as the ship is not expected to enter service until the 2030s.

• Singapore’s procurement of helicopters set to replace their aging fleet of Super Puma and Chinooks will see contracts go to both Airbus and Boeing. While details regarding price and unit numbers have yet to be released, the city-state will buy a number of H225M medium-lift helicopters from Airbus and CH-47F heavy-lift helicopters from Boeing, rumored to cost in the region of $1 billion. Singapore’s defense budget is the largest of its south-east Asian neighbors and they are actively looking to increase capabilities as China increases their assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Today’s Video

PT. Pindad & FNSS Modern Medium Weight Tank:

Finnish SAKO M95 Assault Rifle