Defence`s Feeds

Boeing has released details of its first quarter aircraft deliveries, showing a slight slowdown in military platform handovers. Several of the company's aircraft were delivered in smaller numbers compared with the same period in 2016, with lower new AH-64 Apache attack helicopter completions and

Key Points The completion of the bases represents an incremental increase of interstate war risks between China and regional states such as the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia, each of which have competing territorial claims over the islands in the South China Sea. The completed construction

Key Points The Indonesian Marine Corps is preparing a formal request to reallocate funds originally set aside for BTR-4 APCs Other platforms being considered include amphibious vehicles from Russia, Turkey, and South Korea The Indonesian Marine Corps (Korps Marinir: KORMAR) is preparing a formal

The new Mali-based jihadist front, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), on 5 April issued a list of 11 priority target countries, singling out France as the "historic enemy of Muslims". In comments carried by the Mauritanian news agency al-Akhbar, the group's leader, Iyad ag

Key Points Russia may be carefully building and protecting international co-operation and partnerships in the Arctic region Russia may be looking to rely on foreign investments and technological co-operation to protect its Arctic interests During a discussion by global leadership on security in

Australia and Indonesia are preparing to boost their defence science and technology partnership, the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has confirmed to Jane's . The two countries' defence technology relationship is set to expand following meetings in November 2016 between Dr Alex Zelinsky,

China is set to introduce a new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for military use to the international market in 2018, the state-owned China Daily newspaper reported on 5 April. Described as a strike-capable reconnaissance UAV, the TYW-1 is expected to make its maiden flight in September this year and

Saab Dynamics has been awarded a SEK3.2 billion (USD358.5 million) contract by the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) for the development and production of a new, next-generation RBS15 anti-ship missile to equip the Royal Swedish Navy's Visby-class corvettes and Swedish Air Force JAS

On 5 April Germany's defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen, inaugurated the Bundeswehr's new cyber and information space command, called CIR (Kommando Cyber- und Informationsraum), in Bonn, calling it a "historic day for the Bundeswehr and a milestone for Germany's security and defence

The United Kingdom has conducted no strikes against the Islamic State using its General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the previous month, the latest update from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has shown. According to the update posted on

According to Naval Sea Systems Command, Huntington Ingalls Industries- (HII-) built future Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) is 90% complete with alpha/bravo trials planned for 5 June 2017. HII-built future USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) is 66%

Americas

• Raytheon has tested a new electric gun that allows varying rates of fire for the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System. The gun has been designed to replace the Phalanx’s pneumatic motor, compressor and storage tanks, resulting in a 180 pound weight reduction. Testing conducted aimed to validate if the gun could handle the platform’s heavy vibrations. Capable of firing 75 rounds a second, the new gun also possesses a larger magazine, allowing operators to fight for longer.

• Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky will proceed with low-rate production of the CH-53K King Stallion since the helicopter has received a Milestone C status by a US Defense Acquisition Board review. A total of 200 CH-53Ks are to be acquired by the US Marine Corps. The first six aircraft are under contract and are expected to be delivered starting next year. Long-lead procurement of parts and materials for the first two low-rate initial production helicopters is underway. The King Stallion is capable of lifting three times as much as its predecessor, the CH-53E, and can carry as many as three external loads at the same time.

• Brazil has expressed interest in the purchase of Pantsir S-1 air defense and artillery systems from Russia, according to Russian state media. Earlier attempts at a deal for the platform took place in 2013, but contracts were never signed, while more recent talks in 2016 were suspended due to domestic political troubles in Brazil. Talks were revived, however, during the LAAD 2017 international arms exhibition in Rio de Janeiro. Also in the running is the AV-MMA medium-range air defense system built by MBDA Systems.

Middle East & North Africa

• Critical Solutions International (CSI) has been contracted $132 million by the US DoD to provide Husky second-generation systems with related equipment and services to Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The US firm has partnered with the South African company DCD Protected Mobility to make the Husky family of mine-detection vehicles a US government program of record. The second-generation Husky 2G can accommodate two operators rather than one, making it more appropriate for long-duration route-clearance missions, and comes with ground-penetrating radar and other sensors in order to detect explosive devices.

Europe

• MBDA has successfully conducted air carriage and jettison trials of the Sea Venom/ANL anti-ship missile on board the Lynx Mk 8 naval helicopter, leading to a de-risking of the integration process of the missile on both the Lynx and Super Lynx helicopters for the export market.Testing took place in March at the Larkhill Range at Boscombe Down and involved two Sea Venom missiles fitted with telemetry kits. Sea Venom/ANL has been developed to deliver an enhanced capability to replace existing and legacy systems such as the UK-developed Sea Skua and the French-developed AS15TT anti-ship missiles.

• Norway is moving ahead with procurement of five P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, according to a press release by Minister of Defense Ine Eriksen Søreide. The $1.16 billion deal will see the aircraft delivered to Oslo between 2022 and 2023. Speaking on the purchase, Søreide stated that it was “underlining Norway’s allied commitment to spending on defense capabilities vital to both NATO and Norway.” The P-8 Poseidon is equipped with sensors and weapons bays for search and rescue, anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare.

• The UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) has received the first of their delayed Tide-class tankers in the UK in order to undergo customisation and trials ahead of introduction to service at the end of this year. Built by South Korean firm Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) in partnership with BMT Defence Services, the RFA Tidespring was built as part of a $562 million deal to deliver four 39,000-tonne-displacement Tide-class tankers under the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) Tanker project to replace now-retired Leaf- and Rover-class single-hull tankers. The design of the Tide-class ships has been optimised for the support of carrier operations.

Asia Pacific

• Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has posted revenues of $2.6 billion for FY year ending March 2017, as well as orders worth $3.25 billion. During the year, HAL produced 12 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI aircraft, 24 Dhruv helicopters, and 178 aerostructures. They also conducted overhaul work on 197 aircraft and helicopters, as well as 473 engines. Orders include 12 Do-228s for the Indian navy, 32 Dhruvs for the navy and coastguard, and AL-31FP engines for the air force’s Su-30 MKIs.

Today’s Video

• The Husky Mk III 2G:

Boeing has received a contract worth $2.2bn to produce and deliver a minimum of 17 P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, including 11 for the US Navy, four for the Royal Australian Air Force, and two for the UK.

iX Cameras of Woburn, Massachusetts, US, and Rochford, UK, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-speed imaging cameras, announces recent sales success in China.

The US Marine Corps' (USMC) CH-53K King Stallion programme has successfully passed its Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) review and attained a Milestone C decision.

Raytheon Anschütz has successfully completed the integration of a warship electronic chart display information system (WECDIS) into the British Royal Navy's Type 26 global combat ships (GCS) programme.

The US Navy has temporarily grounded all of its T-45C training jet aircraft for three days due to concerns raised by pilots about contamination in the cockpit.

EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq today welcomed the announcement made by the Swiss government that Switzerland is going to participate in its first EDA project under the ‘Framework for Cooperation’ agreed with the Swiss ministry of Defence in 2012. The research project in question deals with the Protection of Autonomous Systems against Enemy Interference (PASEI). Germany, as the lead nation, as well as Finland and Austria are also participating.

“I very much welcome that Switzerland, beyond its current involvement in different EDA activities of common interest, has decided to make full use of the ‘Framework for Cooperation’ that has been set up with the EDA in 2012 by participating in its first concrete cooperation project.  The PASEI project, which deals with the protection of autonomous systems against enemy interference, is an important topic on which European cooperation makes sense, even beyond EU borders. The Agency looks forward to cooperating with the Swiss government and industry on this interesting project”, Mr Domecq stated. He also expressed the hope that Switzerland will participate in more EDA projects in the future. 

The aim of the PASEI project is to carry out a 1-year study to identify the potential types of enemy interference with autonomous and semi-autonomous unmanned mobile systems and the disturbing or disrupting impact they can have on the systems’ military tasks (including remote controlled operations). Based on this identification work, the study should also propose methods to detect enemy interference and recommend possible technical countermeasures to avoid and mitigate the risks of interference. In a next phase, the project could be followed up by the development of a technical demonstrator applying the recommended techniques to protect against hostile takeovers of current or future unmanned systems. 

 

On 6 April, Poland joined the EDA project 'EU SatCom Market' as the 23rd member. The project was launched by the EDA in 2009 to provide flexible commercial satellite communication solutions for contributing members. 

Commercial satellite communications are used by all nations to provide extra capacity on top of their own military and governmental satellite communications. The EU SatCom Market project provides a flexible and cost-effective way of doing this because it offers its members a pay-per-use solution without imposing any binding financial commitments beyond services ordered. 

Within the EU SatCom Market project, the Agency acts as the central purchasing body on behalf of the contributing members. In January this year EDA signed a framework contract with Airbus Defence and Space. Over the last year more than 40 orders have been passed adding up to a total of over 75 to date, with a total value €15.2 million since first order was placed in 2013. 

The current 23 contributing members are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, the United Kingdom, Republic of Serbia, the Athena Mechanism and the civilian missions EU-CAP SAHEL Niger, EUCAP SAHEL Mali, EUAM Ukraine, EUCAP NESTOR and EUMM Georgia. 

With the Athena Mechanism and civilian missions as members, the EU Satcom project directly supports the full range of CSDP operations and missions.

 

More information:

• EU SatCom Market project page
• EDA and CSDP civilian missions develop cooperation (EDA news June 2016)

 

Americas

• Saab has announced that they are developing the first Gripen fighter for the Brazilian Air Force. The two-seat version of the Gripen NG is being developed in the Brazilian state of Säo Paulo in conjunction with 56 engineers and with participation from several local firms. Saab made the announcement during a recent discussion of the Gripen NG program at the recent LAAD International Defence & Security Exhibition.

• After a 13-year production hiatus, the Czech Republic’s Aero Vodochody is reported to be in early negotiations to produce and deliver the L-159 light attack fighter to Argentina. One twin-seat L-159 was delivered to Iraq in 2016, and the firm is now looking to sell more units to both Baghdad and Buenos Ares. Argentina has been looking to purchase a cost-effective replacement for retired Dassault Mirage fighters and currently operates 22 Douglas A-4 Skyhawks and 32 FMA IA-58 Pucaras in combat roles, with 22 FMA IA-63 Pampas on order as an interim solution. Recent elections and financial constraints, however, have stalled attempts to purchase second-hand Kfir Block 60 warplanes.

• The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has awarded Raytheon a $59 million contract to conduct further Multi-Object Kill Vehicle research. Under the agreement, the firm will support the Kill Vehicle technology risk reduction effort, which seeks to improve performance and reduce risks. Raytheon began research on the MOKV platform in 2015 and it is being designed to counter the threat of long-range ballistic missiles.

• Testing of the F-35’s Martin-Baker US16E (MKk16) ejection seat has been completed. The last test involved electromagnetic environmental effects (EEE) testing which saw the seat’s electronic controls were hit with electricity to test their functionality. The data from the EEE, helmet and dummy testing on the ejection seat will help the USAF decide whether to remove restrictions on pilots weighing less than 62kg (136lb). Lt Gen Chris Bogdan, head of the F-35 program, said that the “weight restriction could be removed anywhere from April and beyond,” and that the USAF will “start modifying airplanes in April to the new seat configurations with the new helmets, so as soon as the USAF gives it the OK, that’s up to them.”

Africa

• A sale of 12 armed Air Tractor aircraft to Kenya has yet to be approved by the US Congress, as Iomax and a US congressman continue to dispute the proposed deal. The $418 million contract was sent to Congress for approval in January, which tasked L-3 Communications with providing 12 Air Tractor AT-802L and two AT-504 trainer aircraft, weapons, and technical support to Kenya to help combat the activities of the Somali jihadist group al-Shabaab. US Congressman Ted Budd, however, has argued that the deal was massively inflated, and that the firm Iomax could instead provide Kenya with “superior” aircraft, weapons, technical support and program management at a cost of $237 million, which is $181 million lower than the contract ceiling of L-3 Technologies.

Europe

• Norway and Denmark have contracted Saab to provide both government’s with static and mobile camouflage systems. The framework agreement comes under a joint procurement deal between Saab and the two countries, where the countries will be able to order the systems over a four-year period. The armed forces of Denmark and Norway have used the company’s Barracuda advanced camouflage systems for many years, and Saab has sold the systems to more than 60 countries around the world.

Asia Pacific

• The Donald Trump administration could approve a new fighter jet deal with Taiwan as early as next summer, according to Japanese media. A decision on any sale will be made following a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. While Taipei may find the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter too costly for acquisition, it is likely that they will look to purchase upgraded F-16s. China has hit back at such arms sales, though, adding that they will not get in the way of unification with the mainland.

• North Korea has ramped up ballistic missile testing, with the latest launch occurring on the eve of a summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The missile flew about 60 km (40 miles) from its launch site at Sinpo, a port city on North Korea’s east coast and home of its submarine fleet. But experts and officials in Seoul and Washington believe Pyongyang is still some time away from mastering all the technology needed for an operational ICBM system, such as re-entry into the atmosphere and subsequent missile guidance.

Today’s Video

• Saab’s Barracuda Mobile Camouflage System: