Defense Industry Daily

Americas

CAE USA-Mission Solutions won a $10.6 million modification for the F-15E, F-16 and F-22A contract aircrew training and courseware development contract. The contract modification is for exercising Option Year Three. The Boeing F-15E dual-role fighter is an advanced long-range interdiction fighter and tactical aircraft. The F-15E is the latest version of the Eagle, a Mach 2.5-class twin-engine fighter. The F-16 and the F-15 Eagle were the world’s first aircraft able to withstand higher g-forces than the pilots. The F-16 Fighting Falcon entered service in 1979. The F-22A Raptor is an advanced tactical fighter aircraft developed for the US Air Force. It entered service with the USAF in December 2005 to replace the F-15, with emphasis on agility, stealth and range. Work under the contract modification is expected to be finished by April 1, 2020.

Airbus Helicopters won a $122.7 million contract modification for procurement of 15 UH-72 Aircraft. The UH-72A Lakota is a light utility helicopter specifically designed to meet the requirements of the US Army. Based on the EC 145 multirole helicopter, the UH-72A serves the army principally for logistics and support missions within the US. Work will take place in Columbus, Mississippi and estimated completion date is August 31, 2022. Army funds in the full amount were obligated at the time of the award.

Middle East & Africa

The DoS approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Israel of up to eight KC-46 aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.4 billion. The KC-46A is a 767-2C provisioned freighter with a 767-400 flight deck (this flight deck features the Rockwell Collins large format displays of the 787 airliner). The KC-46A has a minimum crew of three comprised of a pilot, co-pilot, and mission system operator/officer. It can carry 96 tonnes of fuel, although it should be noted that the KC-46A loses much of its underfloor cargo space with auxiliary tanks in doing so. According to the DoS, the proposed sale supports the foreign policy and national security of the United States by allowing Israel to provide a redundant capability to US assets within the region, potentially freeing US assets for use elsewhere during times of war.

The DoS approved a possible FMS to Morocco of 25 M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System (HERCULES) vehicles and/or M88A1 long supply HERCULES refurbished vehicles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $239.4 million. The potential $239.35 million sale would include 25 M88A2 and/or refurbished M88A1 vehicles along with with an equal number of .50 caliber machine guns, M239 or M250 smoke grenade launchers, 1,800 M76 or L8A1/A3 smoke grenade rounds, 25 SINCGARS radios, AN/PSN-13A GPS receivers (DAGR), and 30 AN/VAS-5B Driver Vision Enhancer kits. The main contractor will be BAE Systems, the original producer of the M88. The armored M88 Hercules, or Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System, is designed to lift or tow stuck or disabled fighting vehicles while under fire.

Europe

The Land Battle Decisive Munitions initiative welcomed the Czech Republic and Sweden, bringing the total number of participating NATO Allies and partners to 23. The amendment to the initiative’s Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the margins of the NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels. The Land Battle Decisive Munitions Initiative was launched during the NATO Summit in 2018 and the first delivery of acquired munition followed within six months. Participating nations are now working on further acquisition rounds for later this year. With the two new participants, the Land Battle Decisive Munitions Initiative now includes Belgium, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, United Kingdom, as well as the partner nations Austria, Finland, North Macedonia and Sweden.

Asia-Pacific

The Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) will be receiving a new batch of patrol boats as part of efforts to improve security along the country’s coastal waters. Speaking in parliament on March 2, Singapore’s Minister for Home Affairs, Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam, described the new vessels as “fifth generation PT-class patrol boats” that will replace the service’s current fleet of “third-generation boats”. The PCG has a fleet of 18 m patrol craft that were built by Geraldton Boats in Australia, and delivered to the PCG from 1999. These vessels have a top speed of 40 kt, and are armed with manually operated 7.62 mm machine guns.

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Americas

Textron Aviation won a $14.3 million contract modification for the production and delivery of one King Air 350C Cargo Slick aircraft modified to a UC-12W. The UC-12W, a modified version of the King Air 350 equipped with a cargo door and military required equipment, is a modern and improved version of the UC-12. The UC-12 is used by the Navy for personnel and cargo transport, range clearance, medical evacuation, and humanitarian assistance. The Navy operates UC-12B/F/M Huron as modified variants of the King Air B200 as well as the UC-12W Huron. Work will take place in Kansas and expected completion is in March 2021.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics won a $9.6 million delivery order, which procures program management support to execute the planning, procurement and delivery of initial aircraft spares in support of the F-35 Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, non-Department of Defense participants and Foreign Military Sales customers operational aircraft. The F-35 is considered a significant driver of the Pentagon’s budget: an August DoD report said the F-35 program grew by $25 billion in 2018 and was the primary reason the Pentagon’s budget grew by four percent that year. Work will take place in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be finished in December 2020. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Middle East & Africa

The head of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, has revealed that three JF-17s, which the country ordered, will arrive home in November this year. He made the disclosure during the Passing Out Parade of the Basic Military Training Course 40 on February 15. In March 2019, Pakistan’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) announced that it had approved the sale of three JF-17s to Nigeria under a $184 million US contract. It is likely that the NAF will follow-up this contract with a follow-on order to fully replace its legacy F-7Ni and FT-7Ni fighters. Through the JF-17, Nigeria possesses one of Sub-Sahara Africa’s most well-equipped fighters.

Europe

Thales UK has been awarded contracts worth around $422.8 million to develop the sonar suite and above-water sensor systems for the new Royal Navy Dreadnought Class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). Previously known as Successor, the Dreadnought submarine program is planned to replace the RN’s four existing Vanguard Class SSBNs – one for one, from the early 2030s – to maintain a posture of continuous at-sea deterrence. Manufacture work on the first two 17,200-tonne displacement boats is under way at the BAE Systems Maritime – Submarines’ Barrow-in-Furness shipyard facility in Cumbria.

Asia-Pacific

Singapore-based unmanned maritime systems developer Zycraft has produced a logistics-optimized variant of the Dolphin rescue unmanned surface vessel (USV), the company announced on its official website on March 3. According to Zycraft president James Soon, the company has developed the BacPac sea transfer module to carry payloads of up to 10 kg between ships that are unable to maneuver alongside each other due to sea conditions or security concerns. The baseline Dolphin rescue USV measures 1,150 mm long, 800 mm wide, and 250 mm tall, and has a displacement of 13 kg. It can operate for up to 30 minutes between charges and is powered by a pair of electric waterjets that propel it at speeds of up to 8 kt. The USV can be deployed off the stern or sides of a vessel and recovered using a grapnel hook or line lift, although it can also be extracted from the water by hand if conditions permit. A weight transfer device enables the sea vehicle to be lifted out of the water without excessive induced motion.

Australia took delivery of the Royal Australian Navy’s third and final Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyer, the future HMAS Sydney, at the Osborne naval shipyard in Adelaide on February 28. The third Hobart-class destroyer is expected to be commissioned in Sydney on May 20 and undertake work-up activities until the end of the year in preparation for up to six months of US Navy Combat System Ship Qualification trials. These will include firings over the Pacific Test Range off San Diego of the destroyer’s RIM-66 SM-2 Block 3B and RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles (ESSMs) air-defense missiles. First-of-class HMAS Hobart was commissioned in 2017 while the second, HMAS Brisbane , was commissioned the following year: each more than two years behind the original schedule, which itself was re-baselined three times.

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Americas

The Pentagon is considering leasing aerial refueling tankers to mitigate Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker delivery delays to the US Air Force. General Stephen Lyons said hat the aerial refueling force element across the command is the most stressed. USTRANSCOM is a unified, functional combatant command that provides globally integrated mobility operations and support to the 10 other US combatant commands and military services. An advantage of leasing tanker capability, he said, would be immediately relieving tanker pressure as the USAF continues to retire Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers and McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extenders. But Gen Lyons said a disadvantage would be that these leased tankers could not be used in contested or combat environments. Gen Lyons is specifically concerned that the continuing retirement of legacy tankers, combined with insufficient KC-46s, would result in a significant decrease of “taskable tails.” Douglas Birkey, executive director of the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies, told Jane’s on 29 January that these are aircraft that can be tasked by the tanker airlift control centre at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois to perform mission requirements.

Boeing and Embraer received the penultimate regulatory clearance to permit the companies to form two joint ventures in the fields of commercial and military aerospace. The companies reported on January 27 that they have received unconditional approval from the General-Superintendence of the Administrative Council for Economic Defense in Brazil. CADE is Brazil’s national competition authority and an executive agency of the government. Boeing and Embraer said in a statement on the CADE decision that “unconditional clearance has now been granted in Brazil, United States, China, Japan, South Africa, Montenegro, Colombia, and Kenya”. The creation of the joint ventures awaits a decision from the European Commission.

Middle East & Africa

Israel Aerospace Industries announced on that it will unveil the Heron MK II at the Singapore Airshow next month. The company said in a press release that the Heron MK II has long-range observation sensors and radars, allowing it to perform Standoff Capability, gathering intelligence from tens of kilometers away without crossing borders. Fitted with a Rotax 915 iS engine, the Heron MK II can reach an altitude of 35,000 feet, a maximum speed of 140 knots and can remain in the air for 45 consecutive hours. The Heron MK II is a strategic and versatile aircraft capable of carrying diverse payloads.

Europe

The US Army awarded AECOM Management Services a $17 million contract modification for Army Prepositioned Stock (APS-2) logistics support services in support of maintenance, supply and transportation at Mannheim and Dulmen, Germany. AECOM provides professional technical services to the United States government, state, local, and non-US governments and agencies, and commercial customers. The company’s services include consulting, planning, architecture, engineering, construction management, project management, asset management, environmental services, and design-build services. Work under the modification will take place in Mannheim and Dulmen, Germany. Estimated completion date is November 20, 2020.

Italy’s Fregata Europea Multi-Missione (FREMM) multimission frigate Emilio Bianchi was launched at Fincantieri’s Riva Trigoso shipyard in Genoa on 25 January 2020. The frigate is the 10th and last FREMM ordered by the Italian Navy under the Franco-Italian FREMM program co-ordinated by the Organization for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR). The company added that the launch will be followed by the fitting of equipment on Emilio Bianchi at the Muggiano shipyard in La Spezia before its delivery scheduled for 2021.

Asia-Pacific

Last week, Australia’s defense secretary paid a working visit to Brunei, the first by an individual in his position. The engagement highlighted the ongoing efforts by both sides to continue to develop the defense aspect of their relationship. Australia and Brunei have long had a defense relationship as part of their wider bilateral ties, which date back to when Brunei gained its full independence from Britain in 1984. Australia’s Secretary of Defense Greg Moriarty was in Brunei for what was characterized as the first working visit by a sitting defense secretary to the Southeast Asian state. Moriarty’s visit consisted of a series of interactions. In terms of meetings, during his short trip, he met with a wide range of senior officials including the commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), the chief of staff of the RBAF, the director of intelligence, the commander of the Royal Brunei Navy, the permanent secretary of Brunei’s defense ministry, and the second minister of defense.

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Americas

Lockheed Martin won a $185 million deal for follow-on full rate production of Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program AN/SLQ-32(V)6, AN/SLQ-32A(V)6 and AN/SLQ-32C(V)6 systems. The Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program or SEWIP is an evolutionary acquisition and incremental development program to upgrade the existing AN/SLQ-32(V) electronic warfare system. SEWIP provides enhanced shipboard electronic warfare for early detection, analysis, threat warning and protection from anti-ship missiles. AN/SLQ-32(V)6 is the latest fielded variant of the AN/SLQ-32. It incorporates receiver, antenna and combat system interface upgrades developed under the SEWIP Block 2 ACAT II program and adds the High Gain High Sensitivity adjunct sensor developed under the SEWIP Block 1B3 ACAT II program. Work will take place in New York and Pennsylvania. Expected completion will be by April 2022.

Gulfstream Aerospace won two contract modifications for C-20 and C-37 fleet sustainment. One valued at $80.1 million and the other at $18.7 million. The deal is for exercise of Option Year Three, to include issuance of task orders for one year extension of contract term to support the C-20 and C-37 fleet for the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard; funding uninterrupted continuation of contractor.logistics. The C-20 is the military version of the civilian Gulfstream III and IV aircraft. The C-20 serves as a primary lift aircraft for high-ranking US military and civilian officials. The C-20G (Gulfstream III) is an all-weather, long-range, high speed aircraft powered by two Rolls-Royce Spey MK511-8 turbofan engines with thrust reversers. The aircraft has an executive compartment with accommodations for five passengers and a staff compartment with accommodations for eight passengers. The C-37 aircraft contains a modern flight management system with a worldwide satellite-based Global Positioning System. The C-37A is based upon the high-altitude, intercontinental Gulfstream V aircraft, capable of cruise operations from 41,000 to 51,000 feet. Work will take place in Georgia as well as Italy, Germany, Maryland, Hawaii and Washington DC. Expected completion date is January 31, 2021.

Middle East & Africa

Algeria lost a Su-30MKA on January 27. The aircraft crashed during a night training mission in Oum El Bouaghi district. Both crew members did not survive. The Algerian fighter jet has crashed on a night training exercise in the east of the North African country killing both of its crew. Officials opened an investigation of the crash. It is the second air crash in this province. On February 2014, a C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft crashed into a mountainous district, killing 77 people on board. The latest and worst air disaster in the history of Algeria dates back to April 2018, as 257 people, including soldiers and members of their families, were killed after an Ilyushin Il-76 military airplane crashed down shortly after taking off from Boufarik military airport, 30 km southwest of Algiers.

The United States handed over a new hangar to the Nigerian Air Force at Air Base 201 in Agadez, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced. Local citizens took part in forging the hangar. The US State Department funded the project. The hangar includes an engine maintenance room as well as storage, tool, and training areas. The Nigerien Air Force is expected to receive a C-130 in late February, it was revealed in December 2019, when the US handed over 13 new Mamba armored vehicles to the army. The Mambas appeared to be the latest MK7 version made by Osprea Logistics.

Europe

Portugal and Romania has officially signed an agreement for the sale of five F-16s to Romania. The official ceremony took place at Monte Real Air Base on January 27. The fighters will be updated by OGMA and the first two will arrive in Romania in June. This will be followed by two jets in October and the last one will reach Romania in 2021. The sales package is worth $142 million. The deal includes, in addition to the F-16 fighters, technical conversion to Romanian specifications and the work of the Portuguese Air Force in Romania for information transmission and maintenance.

Asia-Pacific

Vedomosti is reporting that Vietnam has placed an order for at least 12 Yak-130 jet trainers. The contract is reportedly worth $350 million. The article added that the jets will be assigned to the 915th aviation training regiment. Previously, at the International Air and Marine Exhibition (LIMA-2017), the Vietnamese high-level military delegation had visited the site of the Yak-130 combat training ground. This is the type of aircraft that has been rumored by the Russian and international media that Vietnam is planning to buy. The Yak-130 combat trainer was selected as the winner of the trainer competition of the Voyenno Vozdushnyye Sily, Russian Federation Air Force, in April 2002. The aircraft is also actively marketed for export by Yakovlev, the Irkut company, and by Rosoboronexport. The Yak-130 is of classical swept-wing and empennage monoplane design and light alloy construction with carbon-fibre control surfaces. Kevlar armour protection is fitted to the engines, cockpit and avionics compartment.

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Americas

National Technologies Associates won a $104.9 million deal in support of the Presidential Helicopters Program Office, Helicopter Marine Squadron One (HMX-1), and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Twenty-One (HX-21). The contract is specifically for contractor logistics; research, development, test and evaluation; limited engineering and aircraft maintenance support on designated aircraft. The Presidential Helicopters Program Office has the responsibility of providing current and future (VXX) safe and timely helicopter transportation for the President and Vice President of the United States, heads of state and other official parties. Work will take place in Maryland and Virginia and is expected to be complete in February 2025.

The US Army awarded Boeing a $54.4 contract modification for retrofit kits and software development for the Apache Attack Helicopter. The Apache is a twin-engined army attack helicopter. It entered service with the US Army in 1984 and has been exported to Egypt, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the UK. The US Army has more than 800 Apaches in service. The US military first used the Apache in combat back in 1989 in Panama. It was also used in Operation Desert Storm and has supported low intensity and peacekeeping operations worldwide including Turkey, Bosnia and Kosovo. Boeing will perform work under the modification in Mesa, Arizona. Estimated completion date is November 30, 2021.

Middle East & Africa

The US Air Force has confirmed that one of its Bombardier E-11A aircraft was lost in Afghanistan. The aircraft went down in Taliban-controlled territory in eastern Afghanistan on January 27. The service has four of these aircraft carrying the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node. It is unclear how many people were on board. Taliban social media accounts have posted unverified footage showing a burnt-out plane with US Air Force markings. The E-11A is an electronics surveillance aircraft used to bridge communications on the battlefield. Given the mountainous and rugged terrain in Afghanistan, the E-11A is essential for transmitting communications between ground units, commanders as well as other assets in the region. The aircraft is assigned to the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan.

Europe

Lockheed Martin started building the first F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter for Denmark. Production began at its Fort Worth production facility in Texas. According to the company, the forward fuselage of aircraft L-001, the first of 27 F-35As destined for the Royal Danish Air Force entered production the week prior. Completion of this aircraft is scheduled for late 2020. Having selected the F-35A to replace its Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons in 2016, Denmark decided in 2018 to hedge payments of $3.7 billion so that the country’s department of defense could acquire the aircraft at a fixed price in its local currency, the Krone.

Croatia has lost a OH-58D on January 27 when the helicopter crashed off the country’s coast during a training flight. One pilot has been confirmed killed, while search is underway for the second crew member. The military helicopter crashed into the Adriatic Sea during a training flight. Reportedly the helicopter crashed between the island of Zlarin and the coastal town of Zablace near Sibenik. Croatia reportedly obtained 16 Kiowa Warrior helicopters, made between 2010 and 2012, as a donation from the United States in 2016.

Asia-Pacific

The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday his country will form a space defense unit to protect itself from potential threats as rivals develop missiles and other technology, noting that the new unit will work closely with its American counterpart recently launched by President Donald Trump. The Space Domain Mission Unit will start in April as part of Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force, Abe said in a policy speech marking the start of the year’s parliamentary session. He also said that Japan must defend itself from threats in cyberspace and from electromagnetic interference against Japanese satellites. Concerns are growing that China and Russia are seeking ways to interfere, disable or destroy satellites.

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Americas

General Dynamics won a $22.2 modification for construction of nine Virginia Class submarines, eight with Virginia Payload Module (VPM), from fiscal 2019 to fiscal 2023. The contract modification includes spare material and an option for one additional submarine with VPM. The deal is for the construction of the fifth block of Virginia Class submarines by General Dynamics Electric Boat and major subcontractor Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division, inclusive of design support and all efforts necessary to test and deliver each submarine. The Block V submarines built from 2019 onward will have an additional Virginia Payload Module. mid-body section, increasing their overall length. The VPM will add four more VPTs of the same diameter and greater height, located on the centerline, carrying up to seven Tomahawk missiles apiece, that would replace some of the capabilities lost when the SSGN conversion Ohio Class subs are retired from the fleet. Work under the modification will take place in Virginia, Rhode Island, Connecticut, California, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Work is scheduled to be complete by August 2029.

The US Navy awarded L-3 Technologies a $10 million modification to procure eight Common Data Link Hawklink AN/SRQ-4 systems for the MH-60R aircraft. AN/SRQ-4 is the shipboard element of a situational awareness system that links the MH-60R helicopter with surface warships in the area. The L3 Technologies’ next-generation AN/SRQ-4 provides Command/Control, sensor data transfer, data link operation and comprehensive built-in test. CDL Hawklink offers real time exploitation of aircraft sensors, extending situational awareness over the horizon. L3 Technologies’ Communication Systems produces network and communication systems, secure communications products, radio frequency components, satellite communication terminals and space, microwave and telemetry products. Work under the contract modification will take place in Salt Lake City, Utah, and estimated completion is in December 2022.

Middle East & Africa

Kellogg Brown and Root Services won a $14.1 contract modification for base operations support services at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Kingdom of Bahrain. Work will provide for, but is not limited to, all management, supervision, tools, materials, supplies, labor and transportation services necessary to perform security operations, galley services, unaccompanied housing, facility management, emergency service requests, urgent service, routing service, facilities investment, custodial, pest control service, integrated solid waste, grounds maintenance, utility management, wastewater, operate reverse osmosis water treatment system, chiller and transportation at NSA Kingdom of Bahrain. Work will take place at NSA Kingdom of Bahrain. Option period is from December 2019 to November 2020.

Europe

Saab inked a contract in support of the German Army. The company will help with the operation of their Combat Training Center Gefechtsübungszentrum Heer (GÜZ). The deal is valued at $91.3 million. Work includes management and maintenance of all live simulation training equipment, communication infrastructure and the exercise control center. Saab will provide additional logistical services such as the servicing of vehicles and radio equipment, storage and handling of weapons and ammunition, transportation of military personnel and the overall sustainment of GÜZ. Saab has partnered once more with Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH (FFG),

Asia-Pacific

A military expert from China said on a China Central Television (CCTV) program that the country has another hypersonic weapon besides the DF-17. The expert says the Xingkong-2 (Starry Sky-2) is still under development and not ready for deployment. Analysts said unlike the DF-17, the Xingkong-2 is protected by fairing during launch. “From the test subjects that were made available to the public, the Xingkong-2 (Starry Sky-2) might use a different flight pattern to the DF-17,” said military expert Ma Jun on Military Time, a China Central Television (CCTV) program on military affairs, on Saturday, without further elaboration. The Xingkong-2 Ma referred to is the first Chinese waverider hypersonic vehicle unveiled by the country, dating a year earlier than the DF-17.

A F-16 pilot assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing was ejected from his aircraft during a routine landing near Kunsan Air Base, South Korea at approximately 3:30 pm local time on December 2. The Wing said in a press release that the pilot suffered minor injuries and has been transported to a medical facility. The pilot was the only person onboard the aircraft. The aircraft was assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea.

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Americas

The United States will reportedly reduce its financial contribution to NATO in a largely symbolic gesture announced a week before the military bloc’s annual summit. Member nations agreed to a new formula for NATO’s common funding, under which the United States will pay about 16 percent of the alliance’s budget, a drop from the current 22 percent. This covers the amount of about $150 million, funding that covers the cost of NATO’s Brussels headquarters and limited military operations. Trump has insisted that other NATO countries pay more for their defense since the 2016 presidential campaign. He has also expressed doubts on NATO’s viability and value as it approaches its 70th year of operation. European members and Canada will now see their cost shares increase while that of the United States will decline, an unidentified NATO official said Wednesday.

The Ecuadorian Air Force ordered six H145M multipurpose helicopters for defense and security missions. Additionally Airbus will provide a training and support package. No contract value or delivery timeline for the helicopters was disclosed. The new helicopters will be assigned to the 22 Fighter Wing at Guayaquil and will be tasked with transport, search and rescue, combat, medical evacuation, surveillance, and security missions. The service is replacing its Indian-built HAL Dhruv helicopters with this new platform. Ecuador bought seven such helicopters a decade ago, four of which were lost in accidents with the remaining three being grounded.

Middle East & Africa

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed that they have downed a Saudi Apache helicopter and killed its two crewmembers near the Yemeni-Saudi border, Al Jazeera reports. “A Saudi Apache helicopter was shot down by a surface-to-air missile… and its two pilots were killed as it was completely burned,” the group’s military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said in a Twitter post. There was no Saudi confirmation of the group’s allegation. On Thursday, some 128 Houthi rebels held in Saudi Arabia were released and flown to the Yemeni capital Sanaa. A senior official in Riyadh said it had an “open channel” with rebels to end the five-year conflict.

Europe

General Designer of the Luch Design Bureau in Kiev, Ukraine, Oleh Korostelyov reportedly told Defense Express that development testing phase of the Neptune anti-ship missile is completed and will now move to operational testing. At a recent test on November 28, the missile flew a distance of 250km. The next stages of the testing will be essential to examine the combat characteristics of the missile. The R-360 missile weighs 870 kg; the weight of its warhead is 150 kg; its launch range is up to 280 km and speed is about 900 km/h. It is able to get at a height of from 3 m to 10 m above the surface.

Asia-Pacific

Japan’s Defense Minister disclosed that the Indian Air Force will be sending its Su-30MKI to Japan for training next year. Tar? K?no was saying to reporters at the sideline of the first “two-plus-two” dialog in New Delhi. The meeting in New Delhi took place for about 2 hours and a joint statement was announced centering on the advancement of the Indo-Pacific concept. The countries expressed willingness to continue to strengthen cooperation in the region toward the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

India has carried out the first night launch of its Agni-III intermediate-range ballistic missile on November 30. The missile was fired from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range in Odisha. The flight test of the intermediate-range missile, which has a strike range of over 3,500 km, was part of a user trial by the Army, sources said. The missile, which has a length of 17 m, a diameter of 2 m and launch weight of around 50 tonnes, has been inducted into the Armed Forces. The Strategic Forces Command of the Indian Army with logistic support from the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out the trials at launch complex-4 of the ITR.

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Americas

Bell Boeing won a $218.7 million contract modification for performance based logistics and engineering support for the V-22 platform. Using customers are Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Foreign Military Sales to Japan. The V-22 Osprey was developed to carry troops, ordnance and supplies into the battlefield as a presumed replacement for the aging AV-8b Harrier. It is the world’s only tilt-rotor aircraft, meaning that it can fly in multiple configurations: with the propellers pointing forward in a traditional aircraft stance, or the rotors can be rotated to take off in the same way as a helicopter. Work will take place in Texas and Pennsylvania. Estimated completion date is November 30, 2020.

Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems won a $74.7 million contract or design agent engineering services for networks and network user systems on operational landing platform/dock LPD-17 Class amphibious transport dock ships. LPD-17 or San Antonio Class landing platform dock is the latest class of amphibious force ship for the US Navy. The mission of the San Antonio Class is to transport the US Marine Corps ‘mobility triad’, comprising advanced, amphibious assault vehicles (AAAVs), landing craft air-cushion (LCAC) and the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft around the world. Construction of the first ship of 12, the San Antonio (LPD 17), began in June 2000. The ship’s keel was laid in December 2000. It was launched in July 2003 and commissioned in January 2006. The San Antonio is home-ported at the Norfolk naval base, Virginia. The vessel achieved initial operating capability (IOC) in May 2008 and made its first deployment in August 2008 as part of the Iwo Jima expeditionary strike group. Work under the deal will take place in California, Virginia and Florida. Expected completion is in December 2024.

Middle East & Africa

Jane’s reports that Iraq received its final Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50IQ Fighting Eagle light fighter and trainer aircraft. This delivery of the 24th T-50IQ marks the end of the six-year procurement process that was launched in December 2013. The Iraq Air Force fields the twin-seat T-50IQ primarily as a lead-in fighter trainer for its 36 Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters. The aircraft can be armed with air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, machine guns and precision-guided bombs.

Europe

Britain’s defense ties with the EU after Brexit are still uncertain, writes Martin Bank for Defense News. EU member states have yet to decide on a legal framework for third-party participation. Adm. Rob Bauer, chief of defense in The Netherlands, told Defense News he believes it is imperative that the UK remains very closely involved in such projects. British future involvement in EU-led initiatives such as the European Defence Fund and PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation) remains unclear. Bauer says it would be important for the EU and Britain to work together in the future. In a keynote address, Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, warned that UK involvement in EU defense and security would only become clearer once discussions start on a political agreement between the two sides.

Romania’s Supreme Council for the Country’s Defence approved the purchase of five F-16s. Earlier it was reported that Romania wants to buy another five F-16s from Portugal. The procurement deals in excess of $110.2 million must be endorsed by lawmakers, president Klaus Iohannis explained. The president also informed about the Government’s commitment to stick with the 2 percent-of-GDP budget earmarked for defense spending. The number of military troops approved for missions abroad was also increased by 200 to 2,100, under a CSAT decision. Romania will buy another five F16 jet fighters with the same configuration as the 12 already purchased, former defense minister Gabriel Les announced on July 3.

Asia-Pacific

Footage shows Uzbekistan adopting the Chinese QW-18 MANPADS air defense system, Army Recognition reports. The QW-18 MANPADS has been designed by the China National Precision Machinery Import & Export Corporation and is reported to be a modified copy of the Soviet-designed Igla-1 MANPADS. It weighs 18 kg in combat mode and is armed with a short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) capable of engaging aerial targets flying at a speed of up to 300 m/s at an altitude of up to 4,000 m and at a distance of up to 5,000 m. The Uzbek Ministry of Defense does not specify the type of MANPADS being operated by the country’s military. However, according to the open sources, the UA operates some 150 legacy 9K32 Strela-2 (SA-7 Grail) man-portable air defense weapons.

Today’s Video

Watch: Komodo – The 4×4 Tactical Vehicle Developed And Produced by Indonesian Pindad

Americas

United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney won a $522 million contract modification, which provides performance based logistics sustainment in support of the F-35 Lightning II F135 propulsion system for the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, non-Department of Defense (DoD) participants and foreign military sales (FMS) customers. Pratt & Whitney’s F135 propulsion system powers all three variants of the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft – the F-35A CTOL (Conventional Takeoff and Landing), F-35B STOVL (Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing) and F-35C CV (Carrier Variant). It is a two-spool afterburning turbofan engine. The combat-proven F135 delivers more than 40,000lb of thrust and delivers advances in safety, design, performance, and reliability. Work will take place in Connecticut, Oklahoma, Italy, Florida, California, Arizona and South Carolina. Estimated completion is in November 2020.

The US Army contracted Lockheed Martin with a $7.6 million modification for Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight Pilot Night Vision Sensor Systems, subcomponent production and technical services for the Apache Attack Helicopter. The Apache is designed to survive heavy attack. It can zero in on specific targets, day or night, even in terrible weather. The helicopter’s night vision sensors work on the forward-looking infrared (FLIR) system, which detects the infrared light released by heated objects. The FLIR sensor has three fields-of-view, a multi-target tracker, multiple-code laser spot tracking, and internal boresight. Work locations and relevant funding will be determined with each order. Expected completion date is January 1, 2023.

Middle East & Africa

Mobile Land Systems (MLS) applied for intellectual property design protection in Saudi Arabia and its home jurisdiction of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the Falcon V-Hull on its Viper 4×4 mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle. MLS developed Viper with internal research and development funding to meet potential domestic and export requirements. The low-profile vehicle has a modular interior design and includes the all-welded monocoque steel Falcon V-Hull, which was designed and developed by engineering teams in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The hull can be supplied with ballistic protection from NATO STANAG 4569 Levels 1 to 4, and blast protection to STANAG 4569 Level 3a/2b, depending on customer requirements.

Europe

According to Jane’s MBDA Deutschland is pitching an air-launched version of its Enforcer missile to Germany and beyond. Speaking at the Berlin Security Conference 2019 in the German capital, Head of Sales and Marketing, Guido Brendler, said that Enforcer Air, as the particular variant of the normally shoulder-launched missile is known, is being focused at the German customer in particular, but could also be offered to the wider international market. The Enforcer could be carried by helicopters, tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and medium-latitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs in particular. While the baseline-Enforcer is shoulder-launched, the Enforcer Air could be drop-launched, tube-launched, or rail-launched depending on the host platform and the customer requirement.

BAE System announced that it received deals to deliver $71 million in aircraft survivability equipment to several US allies via US Army Foreign Military Sales. The Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to purchase the AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning System CMWS and associated equipment to protect their aircraft and crews from sophisticated threats. The AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning System (CMWS) is a infrared-guided missile warning system available for fixed and rotary wing aircraft. The CMWS is designed for a wide variety of aircraft, and its line-replaceable units and customizable algorithms allow it to adapt to emerging threats. The third-generation system combines hostile fire indication and data recording with its core missile warning capabilities in a single unit – providing protection from more diverse threats and enabling detailed post-mission analysis.

Asia-Pacific

Two former AH-1S from Jordan have arrived in the Philippines on November 26, the country’s national security adviser has confirmed. Hermogenes Esperon says the rotorcraft are being assembled and will be operational by next month. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed the donation of the helicopters in 2018 in remarks reported by the official Philippine government news wire service. The Philippine Air Force has allotted $900.000 for maintenance and spare parts for the aircraft’s night targeting system. PAF pilots and a team of maintenance crew were also sent to Jordan to train and familiarize themselves with flying and handling the attack helicopters. The AH-1 Cobra is a two-blade, single-engine attack helicopter. The Royal Jordanian Air Force has at least one squadron of Cobras currently in service, and is supposed to have used them in combat in Iraq and Syria.

Today’s Video

Watch: SAAB DAMEN Team for the Dutch Walrus Submarine Replacement Program

Americas

Northrop Grumman Systems won a $958 million firm-fixed-price contract to deliver 30 full-rate production Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar systems for the US Marine Corps. The deal includes spares parts and retrofit kits. The AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR system provides multi-faceted detection and tracking capabilities to support engagement of a wide range of hostile threats, and offers robust air traffic control capabilities to ensure the safety of Marines worldwide. The G/ATOR comes in two distinct software variants: Block I conducts air defense and surveillance missions for aviation command and control squadrons, and Block II targets the source of incoming artillery and other ground-based fires. The radar is able to detect low-observable targets with low radar cross sections such as rockets, artillery, mortars, cruise missiles and drones. Northrop will perform work within the US and is expected to be finished by January 13, 2025.

The US Navy contracted Bath Iron Works with a $61.7 million modification in support of the DDG 51 Class destroyers. The deal is for lead years services, which is a broad category encompassing necessary engineering support and configuration, baseline upgrades and new technology support, data and logistics management, analysis, acceptance trials, post-delivery test and trials and other elements of supporting construction of DDG 51 Class destroyers. DDG 51 Arleigh Burke destroyers are warships that provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. Destroyers can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups, and underway replenishment groups. The ships use the Aegis Combat System and the SPY-1D multifunction radar array. The ships were designed to use Tomahawk and other surface-to-air missiles and engage in antisubmarine warfare. Majority of the work under the contract modification will take place in Maine and is scheduled to be completed by June next year-

Middle East & Africa

Iran unveiled a new defense system called the „Khordad 15th“. The weapons system was displayed in a ceremony attended by Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami in Tehran, during which he said that it could detect targets as far away as 150 kilometers and hit several targets with the indigenous “Sayyad-3” missiles. According to reports, the missile system is a high-precision weapon capable of flying at low altitudes and able to carry a significant payload. Iran has worked in recent years to build its own weapons locally, rather than relying on foreign actors. Iran’s missile program was among the reasons cited by US President Donald Trump for leaving the 2015 nuclear deal last year and reimposing crippling sanctions. Recently Trump said he would be willing to reopen talks as long as Iran agreed to give up nuclear weapons.

Europe

China turns to the Ukraine to upgrade its military, the Washington Post reports. Chinese investors are reportedly asking staff at a Ukrainian aircraft engine factory about record-keeping and planning, the setup of production lines and the interplay between workshops. China is looking to upgrade its military and has found a willing partner in Motor Sich, because it can supply warplane engines as well as the know-how to possibly make a Chinese-built version in the future. Motor Sich has lost its biggest market, specifically supplying engines for military helicopters and other aircraft, after the Eastern Ukrainian War broke out in 2014.

Asia-Pacific

According to local reports, Kazan will be finishing up the upgrades of the Ansat helicopter next year. Ansat is a light twin-engine gas turbine multi-purpose helicopter with 7-9 seats. The fuselage has a pair of doors in pilot’s cab, and a pair of upwards and downwards opening side doors in transport compartment. After the seats have been removed, it can take 1000 kg of cargo inside. On external hook, it can take 1300 kg of load. The Kazan Helicopter Plant is upgrading the Ansat light multipurpose helicopter at the moment. Work is carried out in two stages: the first block of modernization was completed in 2018, the second will be finished next year. The company also continues work on starting a serial production of the modernized Ansat.

After the sudden crash of a Japanese F-35 into the Pacific Ocean in April, reports now saw this was caused by „spatial disorientation“ of its pilot. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force jet disappeared from radar while on a training mission with three other F-35s off northern Japan on April 9. There was no indication from the jet’s pilot, Maj. Akinori Hosomi, of any problems with the aircraft before contact was lost. The Ministry of Defense said Monday that Hosomi, a 41-year-old with 3,200 hours of flight experience, essentially flew the stealth fighter straight into the ocean during the night training mission. About 15 seconds lapsed between the pilot’s last communication and loss of contact with the plane. “We believe it highly likely the pilot was suffering from vertigo or spatial disorientation and wasn’t aware of his condition”, Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said in a briefing.

Today’s Video

Watch: The F-35 Could Intercept a N. Korean Missile Launch – but it Could Bring an All-Out Fight

Americas

General Dynamics won a $25.6 million firm-fixed-price contract to produce MK 46 Modification 2 Gun Weapon Systems for use on modern Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and Landing Platform Dock (LPD) ships. MK46 30mm all-weather, day/night, fully stabilized weapon system is a remotely operated system that uses a high-velocity cannon for shipboard self-defense against small, high-speed surface targets. It is the main deck gun for LPD-17 ships and is the secondary gun battery for LCS, and Zumwalt Class ships. The contract is for the procurement of two 30mm MK 46 MOD 2 GWSs for the LCS Surface Warfare Mission module, two 30mm MK 46 MOD 2 GWSs for the LPD-29, two 30mm MK 46 MOD 2 GWSs for the LPD-30, and associated spare parts. General Dynamics will perform work within the US and is expected to be finished by September 2021.

Sikorsky has flown its Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) technology aboard a UH-60A Black Hawk testbed helicopter for the first time. The company said in a press release that the flight took place on May 29 and it marked the official start to the flight test program for the soon-to-be optionally piloted aircraft. “This is the first full authority fly-by-wire retrofit kit developed by Sikorsky that has completely removed mechanical flight controls from the aircraft,” Lockheed Martin said. The OPV trials are part of a wider effort led by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to demonstrate unmanned helicopter operations under its Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System program. Follow-on flight testing aims to include envelope expansion throughout the summer leading to flights without any pilots in 2020.

Middle East & Africa

Five Rafales for the Qatari Amiri Air Force arrived at Dukhan Air Base on June 5. Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani was on hand to welcome the pilots and the jets home. Qatar inked a number of major arms deals after Riyadh and its allies the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain announced a total economic boycott of Doha in June 2017. Qatar ordered 24 of the Rafales from France in 2015, adding 12 more last year. It also has an option to buy 36 more. In February, France formally handed the first of the aircraft over to Qatar in a ceremony in Merignac, southwestern France, where the planes are built. Qatar has separately inked deals with France for 50 Airbus A321 passenger planes as well as a deal with Britain to buy Typhoon fighters.

Europe

Aero Vodochody delivered three new L-159T2 light attack/trainer aircraft to the Czech Republic. The new T2 twin seat aircraft, which made its maiden flight in 2018, has a newly built central and forward fuselage, and is fully NVG compatible. The L-159 aircraft is operated by Czech Air Force, Iraqi Air Force and US company Draken International. According to reports, the cockpit has a multi-function display and upgraded version of the VS-20 ejection seat, while the aircraft offers single-point pressure refueling capability and carries self-protection systems in the form of countermeasures and a radar warning receiver. This makes the trainer perfect to train for the fleet of Gripens that student pilots move onto.

Finnish defense and aerospace group Patria has acquired Belgian aircraft propulsion maintenance operation Belgium Engine Center (BEC) from AIM Norway, said an official press release from Patria. BEC is a military jet engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) center that services the Pratt & Whitney F100 engine which powers F-15 and F-16 aircraft around the globe. The center also provides material management services for those engines. BEC has its operating base in Herstal in Belgium, and has about 90 employees. AIM Norway acquired BEC in 2016. The acquisition comes after Patria acquired Norwegian aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul specialist AIM Norway in partnership with Kongsberg of Norway in December 2018.

Asia-Pacific

The Japanese defense ministry plans to deploy a radar-equipped Aegis Ashore unit in the Ground Self-Defense Force’s Araya training area in Akita, the capital of the prefecture. However, officials found several mistakes in the survey documents that supported the need to deploy missile interceptors in Akita, local news reported Thursday. The defense ministry said on May 27 that 19 other candidate sites were “unfit” for Aegis Ashore deployment, Jiji Press reported. The government survey in question included errors for terrain data on nine other areas that provided comparisons to the designated site. The US State Department approved the Aegis Ashore systems purchase to Japan in January. Total cost of the system is estimated at more than $2 billion.

Today’s Video

Watch: China’s first sea launch: Long March-11 launches from a ship at sea

Americas

The Navy awarded Raytheon a $28 million contract modification for integration and production support for the Air and Missile Defense Radar AN/SPY-6(V). The AN/SPY-6(V) next-generation integrated radar will be featured on the Flight III Arleigh Burke Guided Missiles Destroyers. According to Raytheon, the SPY-6 is built with so called Radar Modular Assemblies, each of them a self-contained radar in a 2’x2’x2’ box. They can stack together to form any size array to fit the mission requirements of any ship, which would make the SPY-6 the Navy’s first truly scalable radar. In January, the radar completed an important milestone when it successfully tracked a ballistic missile target in the system’s final development test. The radar is on schedule for delivery to the Navy in 2020, replacing the SPY-1 radar. The contract includes support for continued combat system integration and testing, engineering, training, software and depot maintenance as well as field engineering services. Raytheon will perform work at various locations within the US. The estimated completion date is in December this year.

Raytheon successfully completed a static test of its new DeepStrike missile rocket motor. The next-generation, long-range, surface-to-surface precision strike missile will replace the Army Tactical Missile System. Raytheon won the $116.4 million contract to build the missile in June 2017 under the technology up-gradation and risk trimming phase of the Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF) program. The missile will be compatible with two launch systems of the US Army, the M270 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) and the M142 high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS). The rocket motor test brought the weapon one step closer to its maiden flight test, scheduled for this year. A previous milestone for the DeepStrike was the successful preliminary design review, in which the Army evaluated every aspect of the new missile’s design, from its advanced propulsion system and innovative lethality package to its guidance system.

Middle East & Africa

Israeli company Rafael dropped out of Switzerland’s $8 billion air defense tender. Rafael had initially offered its David’s Sling system. David’s Sling is an Israeli system developed with the United States that is designed to defend against short-range and theater ballistic missiles, large-caliber rockets, and cruise missiles. However, the Israeli Department of Defense did not give the company the necessary permit to go further in the tender. Reasons for this decision are unclear. Companies still participating in the tender are Raytheon with the Patriot system and Eurosam with the SAMP/T.

Europe

Contributing to NATO’s increased presence in the Baltic states, the UK deployed five Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to the Amari Air Base in Estonia. The AH-64s are expected to participate in upcoming NATO military exercises and provide defense coverage for a military base near the Russian border. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson commented on the deployment: “It’s a very credible threat that we see from Russia and part of the reason that we’re deploying five Apache attack helicopters is making sure that we’re constantly adapting to a changing situation.“ According to the British Army, the Apaches will be working in tandem with the Wildcat battlefield reconnaissance helicopters to provide valuable training opportunities to NATO allies on Estonia’s annual Exercise Spring Storm and to the UK-led battlegroup deployed on NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence.

Asia-Pacific

The US and the Sri Lankan Navy ended the Cooperation Afloat and Readiness Training (CARAT) exercise four days earlier than scheduled due to the recent attacks in the Asian country. “All US personnel involved in CARAT are accounted for and redeployment is in progress,” it says in an updated news release. Several bombers carried out six coordinated attacks at churches and hotels on Sunday, killing at least 290 people. The government declared a state of emergency to take effect at midnight Monday. The declaration allows police and military forces to detain and interrogate potential suspects without a court order. The US-Sri Lanka CARAT exercise was slated to take place for a week and was based off the southern port city of Hambantota. Hambantota was not targeted in Sunday’s attacks, but the suspension of exercises will allow Sri Lanka to reallocate military resources should they become necessary in the aftermath. The CARAT is the US Navy’s oldest and longest continually-running regional exercise in South and Southeast Asia. Participants conduct partnered training focused on building interoperability and strengthening relationships.

According to reports, China’s Gas Turbine Research Institute designed and tested a prototype of a new turbofan engine for fighter aircraft within 18 months. The team of young engine designers will be given an award during China’s Youth Day on May 4. It took the development team only a year to design the engine, and just six months to finish testing the first prototype. No details of the engine, including its designation, have been revealed, but official statements claimed that the new engine would “rival advanced foreign fighter jets and represents China’s highest technical level in aero engines”. Until now, long-standing difficulties that have hampered China’s production of military aircraft engines forced it to import Russian-made engines for several of its major aircraft projects.

Today’s Video

Watch: New Advanced Version of its F 15 Eagle for the US Air Force, Next Super Fighter Electronic Warfare

Americas

Boeing won a $605 million modification for the production of the Air Force’s 11th Wideband Global Satellite (WGS) Communication Space Vehicle. The DoD uses the WGS system to communicate with warfighters across the globe. Ten Ka-band and 8 X-band beam can be positioned anywhere in the field of view of each satellite. WGS combines unique commercial spacecraft capabilities that Boeing has developed, including phased array antennas and digital signal processing technology, into a powerful, flexible architecture. United Launch Alliance ULA is scheduled to launch the 11th satellite aboard a Delta IV rocket in November 2023. Since 2001, Boeing has been the prime contractor of the WGS, which was first launched in 2008. GS 4, which was launched off in 2012, was the first Block II series. WGS-10 was meant to be the last of the constellation. But in March 2018, Congress added $600 million for the procurement of WGS-11 and WGS-12. Boeing will perform work under the modification in El Segundo, California and expects completion by November 20, 2023.

The US Army contracted General Atomics with $99 million in support of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAS. The deal provides performance based logistics support services for the Unmanned Aircraft System. The Gray Eagle UAS addresses the need for a long-endurance, armed, unmanned aircraft system that offers greater range, altitude and payload flexibility over earlier systems. US Army Special Operations Forces and Intelligence and Security Command have two Gray Eagle Extended Range (ER) systems, which include 12 unmanned aircraft, six Universal Ground Control Stations, nine Ground Data Terminals, three Mobile Ground Control Stations, one Satellite Ground Data Terminal, an automated takeoff and landing system, LMTVs, and other ground-support equipment operated and maintained by a company of 165 Soldiers. Work will take place in Poway, California and is scheduled to be completed on April 23, 2024.

Middle East & Africa

According to defensenews.com, Turkey’s homemade drones have the potential to boost local industry by raising export numbers. The combat proven Turkish drones don’t need foreign export licenses unlike other military platforms such as helicopters and tanks. The Turkish military has used unmanned systems in its fight against Kurdish militants in the country’s southeast and in counterinsurgency operations in neighboring Syria and Iraq. Currently the Turkish military operates 75 TB2 drones. The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude, long-range, tactical UAV system. It was developed by Kale-Baykar, a joint venture of Baykar Makina and the Kale Group. The UAV operates as a platform for conducting reconnaissance and intelligence missions. In January, Baykar Makina, a privately owned Turkish drone maker, won a contract to sell a batch of 12 of its Bayraktar TB2 UAVs to the Ukraine. Back in November, two Turkish companies – Tusas Engine Industries and Turkish Aerospace Industries – announced they had made significant progress toward building indigenous engines that would power locally made drones and armored vehicles. This would further independency from foreign engine suppliers. In February, it was reported that Tusas Engine Industries produced the first national UAV engine PD-170.

Europe

General Dynamics won a $269.3 million contract modification from the US Navy in support of the UK Dreadnought fleet and the US Navy’s Columbia Class fleet ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). The modification includes the manufacturing of 42 missile tubes as well as missile tube outfitting material. The Dreadnought Class submarines, the future replacement for the Vanguard Class, will like their predecessors carry the Trident II D-5 missiles. The upcoming Columbia Class of nuclear submarines will replace the UGM-133 Trident II-armed Ohio Class. Work will take place in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania and is expected to be finished by May 2028.

Asia-Pacific

According to local reports, India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) has launched the country’s third Project 15B guided-missile destroyer. Imphal, the third ship under Project 15B was launched on 20 April at MDL’s facilities in Mumbai. The Project 15B warships are also referred to as the Visakhapatnam Class. 15 ships are to be build under this class. The first Project 15B ship, Visakhapatnam, was launched in April 2015, while the second ship of the type, Mormugao , took to the water in September 2016. The warships are propelled by four gas turbines to achieve speeds in excess of 30 knots. They are 163 meters long and have a displacement of 7.300 tonnes.

Local media reported that Elbit Systems has won a tender to deliver its ATHOS (Autonomous Towed Howitzer Ordnance System) 2052 to the Indian Army, in a deal estimated at over $1 Billion. The bid by Israeli defense manufacturer Elbit Systems and its Indian partner Bharat Forge has emerged as the winner in the Indian Army’s 155 mm, 52 calibre towed artillery gun competition. The price point at which the Elbit-Bharat Forge gun is being offered is even lower than the indigenously developed Dhanush 155 mm, 42 calibre gun, which is being manufactured by the Ordnance Factory Board. According to Elbit Systems, ATHOS is capable of a range of more than 40km and utilizes a self-propelling capability and automatic laying mode. It is integrated with fully-computerized systems, achieving automatic control, accurate navigation, and target acquisition. The company has yet to command on the outcome of the Indian Tender.

Today’s Video

Watch: U S Navy Has a Serious Problem Now Too Few Ships

Successor Class
(click to view full)

“We are committed to working towards a safer world in which there is no requirement for nuclear weapons… However, the continuing risk from the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and the certainty that a number of other countries will retain substantial nuclear arsenals, mean that our minimum nuclear deterrent capability, currently represented by Trident, is likely to remain a necessary element of our security.”     — UK SDSR, 1998

Britain has a big decision to make: do they remain a nuclear weapons power, or not? In an age of collapsing public finances and an uncertain long-term economic future, the money needed to design new nuclear missile submarines is a huge cost commitment that could crowd out other needs. Then again, in an age of collapsing non-proliferation frameworks, clear hostility from ideologies that want nuclear weapons, and allies who are less capable and dependable, the downside of renouncing nuclear weapons is a huge risk commitment. Pick one, or the other. There is no free lunch.

This article covers that momentous decision for Britain, and the contracts and debates associated with it.

Contracts & Key Events

HMS Vanguard
(click to view full)

Britain’s government took the first big steps in 2006-2007, a joint US-UK “Common Missile Compatment” (CMC) project was launched in 2008, and initial gate approval for Britain’s “Successor” project followed in 2011. Other contracts have followed, covering design, infrastructure, and even the new kind of nuclear reactor the submarines are expected to use. What hasn’t quite followed yet, is full approval to launch the build program.

Note that the CMC sub-program, which is financed by the USA and UK, is covered in its own article.

FY 2015 – 2019

 

RUSI

April 23/19: Missile Tubes General Dynamics won a $269.3 million contract modification from the US Navy in support of the UK Dreadnought fleet and the US Navy’s Columbia Class fleet ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). The modification includes the manufacturing of 42 missile tubes as well as missile tube outfitting material. The Dreadnought Class submarines, the future replacement for the Vanguard Class, will like their predecessors carry the Trident II D-5 missiles. The upcoming Columbia Class of nuclear submarines will replace the UGM-133 Trident II-armed Ohio Class. Work will take place in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania and is expected to be finished by May 2028.

February 27/19: Maintenance Britain awarded Rolls-Royce a $307 million contract to maintain nuclear submarines. Until 2022, Rolls Royce will provide support and advice for systems on board the fleet of Trafalgar, Vanguard and Astute class submarines. The new deal, known as the Nuclear Propulsion Lifetime Management (NPLM) contract, forms part of a wider suite of contracts with Rolls-Royce to provide naval reactor plant design, support, advice and components to the submarine build program and provide enabling services such as infrastructure and IT. The British Defense Ministry also revealed the name of the third Dreadnought submarine, which will be called the HMS Warspite. The name Warspite goes back to 1595 and was the last “great ship” to be built during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The newest submarine is expected to see service in the early 2030s, and will be the eighth Royal Navy ship to carry the name Warspite.

October 4/16: BAE Systems will commence work on the UK’s newest nuclear submarines following the release of nearly $1.7 billion in funds. The announcement was made by the Minister of Defence on Saturday after approval was given by MPs earlier this year. Known colloquially as the Trident system, the first of the Vanguard-class submarines will enter service in the early 2030s.

March 10/16: Britain’s Ministry of Defense has confirmed that it is to invest £642 million (US $908 million) in preparation for the production of its new fleet of Trident missile-armed nuclear submarines. The funding had initially been set out in the government’s 2015 strategic defense and security review (SDSR), and will be spent on upgrading production facilities at BAE Systems’ Barrow-in-Furness nuclear submarine yard, essential long lead items for the submarines, and the nuclear propulsion program being led by Rolls-Royce. In total, the Successor submarine program is estimated to cost around $44 billion, with a contingency fund of $13 billion set aside for any emergencies that arise.

December 15/15: The UK government may nationalize the nuclear submarine arm of Rolls-Royce as concerns grow that the company may be subject to a takeover bid by a foreign company. The news comes as Rolls-Royce has reported its fifth profit warning in 20 months as the company struggles to come to grips with its finances. While it’s not usually the Conservative Party’s style to nationalize, the company is integral to the development of the powering of the Trident nuclear deterrent system. Other alternatives may see a partial or full merger with BAE Systems, although this has already been mooted. Either way, David Cameron will be impatient to keep the firm within British control to protect UK interests and the security of the Trident program.

FY 2014

 

Aug 21/14: Industrial. BAE is starting to demolish certain disused buildings at their Barrow-in-Furness site, as the 1st major stage in a large-scale 8-year industrial program. An old foundry and boiler shop are the first to go, and construction will eventually include:

• Refurbishment of the site’s main fabrication facility, together with its existing plant and machinery;
  
• An extension to the Devonshire Dock Hall construction facility to include a new state-of-the-art manufacturing and installation facility;
  
• An intent to build a 28,000 m2 off-site facility to store submarine parts and materials within the local area, for easier and faster access.

Sources: BAE Systems, “Demolition Begins To Transform Submarine Building”.

Feb 2/14: Politics. The buzz in Westminister is that Labour Party MPs are beginning to back away from their leader Ed Miliband’s support for the Successor Class. The erosion is serious enough that Conservative Party Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has told his junior ministers to lobby the shipbuilding unions and have them firm up Labour Party support.

The Liberal Democrats are openly against the project, but the Labour Party doesn’t want to head into the next election on a pledge to abandon Britain’s deterrent. Neither does the Conservative Party, despite reservations in some of its own quarters. Labour’s Miliband voiced his public displeasure over the perceived interference in his party’s affairs, but he has no way to block discussions with the shipbuilding unions. Sources: The Guardian, “Lobby ship unions over Trident, Philip Hammond tells ministers”.

Jan 31/14: RUSI Report. RUSI releases a report that looks at how a smaller or less active SSBN force would affect Britain’s deterrent, compared to the current arrangement of Continuous At-Sea Deterrence (CASD) that ensures at least 1 submarine ready at all times. A number of proposals are in play politically:

“At lower readiness, the ‘preserved deterrence’ posture presented in the TAR and the ‘contingency’ posture proposed elsewhere by the Liberal Democrat Party would have no nuclear platforms deployed on a day-to-day basis, and would only have the ability to reconstitute a force over a limited period of time (in the case of ‘preserved deterrence’, a matter of years).19 At medium levels of readiness, the ‘sustained’ or ‘responsive’ postures presented in the TAR would have nuclear-armed submarines patrolling on a day-to-day basis, interrupted by voluntary periods of inactivity of varying length (the former permitting fewer and shorter interruptions than the latter). At higher levels of readiness, the ‘focused’ posture would maintain back-to-back patrols, interrupted only for periods of technical or personnel recuperation.”

RUSI’s conclusion is that the lowest-readiness option, and proposals that would cut the submarine force to just 2 boats, are problematic because of the breadth of gaps and/or lag time they create. Medium levels of readiness, or a fleet of 3 boats, might work, but it means the UK has to change from deterrence as an undefined concept and invisible non-factor in crisis escalation. Instead, the need to activate the deterrent would require a very clear doctrine of deterrence and escalation that would play a significant role in future crises. This state of affairs also adds opportunities for British politicians to bungle things beforehand by ignoring vital signals, or create big problems during a crisis by managing their suddenly-public moves badly. Based on the historical record, RUSI is more complacent about future governments’ handling of such things than they ought to be.

Britain will also have to worry about rushed moves causing a submarine-related accident, and about the morale and readiness rot that afflicts personnel who see themselves as a sideline. RUSI uses the USA’s ICBM missile force as a negative example. Sources: RUSI, “A Disturbance in the Force: Debating Continuous At-Sea Deterrence” (see Additional Readings).

Key report

2013

Long-term nuclear infrastructure deal; Political turbulence in Scotland, Labour Party, and even the Conservative Party; Small long-lead buys begin.

Vanguard Class SSBN
(click to view full)

Dec 16/13: Procurement begins. GBP 79 million is a drop in the ocean for this program, but the UK MoD has begun the process of ordering known early-build items items like structural fittings, electrical equipment, castings and forgings, etc. The GBP 79 million in contracts are actually a set of 2, both awarded to BAE Systems Maritime – Submarines.

The Ministry of Defence also releases the 1st conceptual graphics of the Successor Class design, based on work done to date. At this stage, they don’t show much and shouldn’t be expected to. Sources: UK MoD, “News story: New investment in Successor submarines” | Royal Navy, “£79m investment in next generation nuclear submarines” | BAE, “First Successor procurement contracts awarded”.

Dec 15/13: Doubts. Former defense minister James Arbuthnot [Cons. – North East Hampshire], who chairs Parliament’s Defence Select Committee, tells the Guardian that he’s concerned about the UK armed forces, and is less sure that maintaining Britain’s nuclear deterrent is a good idea. He isn’t suddenly becoming a pacifist. Rather:

“Nuclear deterrence is essentially aimed at states, because it doesn’t work against terrorists. And you can only aim a nuclear weapon at a rational regime, and at rational states that are not already deterred by the US nuclear deterrent. So there is actually only a small set of targets.

“With the defence budget shrinking, you have to wonder whether [replacing Trident] is an appropriate use of very scarce defence sources. You have to wonder whether nuclear deterrence is still as effective a concept as it used to be in the cold war…. [If Russia wanted to attack, they] would organise for a terrorist group to put a nuclear weapon on a container ship and sail it into Tilbury docks, with the signature of Pakistan on the nuclear device. And what would the UK do? Launch a missile at Islamabad? We could not be sure against what we are retaliating. Nuclear deterrence does not provide the certainty that it seemed to in the past. It’s not an insurance policy, it is a potential booby trap.”

On the other hand, can Britain assume that the US nuclear deterrent will remain reliable over the next 50 years? The last half decade has greatly frayed their relationship, and the USA faces significant financial challenges of its own. Arbuthnot says he would still vote in favor of renewing Trident, but the extent and content of his reservations suggest that a “Syria moment” over nuclear weapons remains a possibility in Parliament. Sources: The Guardian, “Tory ex-defence minister voices doubts over need for Trident replacement”.

Oct 6/13: Not good. The Independent newspaper reports that a 90-minute breakdown of all reactor coolant supply at Devonport dockyard’s Tidal X-Berths in Plymouth, UK nearly led to a major nuclear incident. Based on a heavily redacted report from the Ministry of Defence’s Site Event Report Committee (SERC), both the electrical power for coolant supply to docked nuclear submarines, and the diesel back-up generators, failed at the dockyard on July 29/12. That failure followed a similar failure involving HMS Talent in 2009, and a partial failure involving HMS Trafalgar in 2011.

The newspaper adds that an internal Babcock investigation blamed the incident on the central nuclear switchboard, but added a note of concern about “inability to learn from previous incidents and to implement the recommendations from previous event reports.” This will not help existing uneasiness over the next generation of nuclear submarines, and “Nuclear scare at Navy submarine base after ‘unbelievable’ failures” adds that:

“Its own “stress test” on Devonport safety, launched after the Fukushima disaster, said that in the event of the failure of both power supplies, heat levels in reactors could be controlled by emergency portable water pumps, and added that such a failure had occurred a “number of times” previously.”

Dockyard failure

Oct 3/13: SSE. Babcock announces an unspecified contract from BAE Systems for the System Design phase of a new model of Submerged Signal Ejector (SSE Mk.12). It follows Babcock’s October 2012 system definition contract for the Successor Class’ WHLS (tactical weapons handling and launch) and SSE, thanks to a recent and successful concept review.

An SSE’s self-contained launch tubes sit in the submarine’s external under-casing, and are used for more than just communications beacons. Decoy devices, bathythermograph sensors, flares, and escape signals are all options for the SSE, hence Babcock’s description of it as a “first level system.” Babcock has extensive experience in SSE design and has been heavily involved in designing and making all UK SSE systems. Sources: Babcock International release, Oct 3/13.

March 19/13: Politics. With an SNP-sponsored debate on Trident set to take place in the Scottish Parliament this week, a Labour Party that depends on its advantage in Scotland needs to be clear on its policy. British media are reporting that the Labour Party is looking to backtrack slightly, and propose replacing the 4 Vanguard Class submarines with just 3 successors. Labour Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy continues to support the idea of a Trident replacement, saying that:

“North Korea is trying to develop nuclear weapons, as is Iran. If they do, then Saudi Arabia and Turkey may do the same. The UK shouldn’t just give up our nuclear deterrent by ourselves…. The precise shape of the future deterrent will be based on capability and cost.”

See: UK BBC | Daily Record | The Guardian | The Telegraph | left-wing New Statesman magazine.

March 7/13: Scotland. With a 2014 referendum looming that could deprive the UK of its nuclear submarine base in Scotland, Britain’s House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee weighs in. Bottom line? The SNP seems to have taken a leaf from their counterparts in Quebec, Canada, and decided to be extremely vague regarding their plans in a potentially controversial area. After all, 6,700 work at Falsane and Coulport now, which is expected to rise to 8,100 after they house all of Britain’s Astute and Trafalgar Class boats and other facilities. Parliament will be pressing the issue hard and publicly:

“Unfortunately, the Scottish Government has gone on evasive manoeuvres over the issue of what they will really do in the event of Separation. Their response dodges the central question, which is what they really mean by their stated policy of the ‘speediest safe transition’ of Trident from Scotland. As we said in our report, in reality, Trident can be deactivated within a matter of days and the warheads removed from Scotland within twenty four months. In the process, the UK would lose the ability to operate its nuclear deterrent. Alternatively, it would take approximately 25 years for new facilities to be created elsewhere in the UK. We believe the Scottish Government must be honest and open about their intentions. Tomorrow we will be taking evidence from the Convener and Shop Stewards at the Coulport and Faslane. They represent the workers who will bear the brunt of job loss…”

Really? 25 years? If so, the whole issue of the Successor Class could become moot very quickly. Which would be fine with the SNP, who want to eliminate the Trident program if Scotland does vote to stay in the UK. Expect to hear more of this sort of to-and-fro, what with another 5,000 jobs on the line in shipbuilding, 15,000 in the UK government 4 Army infantry battalions, 2 Royal Marine Commando units and 5 squadrons of Tornado and Typhoon fighter aircraft in Scotland. UK HoC | SNP | Aviation Week | The Scotsman.

Feb 13/13: Reactors. The UK MoD signs a 10-year, GBP 800 million (then about $1.2 billion) contract with Rolls Royce, financing the Submarines Enterprise Performance Programme (SEPP) envisioned in the 2010 SDSR. The goal is to consolidate costs under one contract with consistent incentives, and improve operational efficiency in the infrastructure that delivers and supports the UK’s naval nuclear propulsion systems. They’re hoping for a GBP 200 million saving over this 10 years. Time will tell.

SEPP isn’t technically part of any one program. Contracts for products and services to deliver and support the submarine programs themselves will continue in parallel. Royal Navy | Rolls Royce.

Jan 25/13: Electrical. HMS Vengeance’s GBP 350 million Long Overhaul Period and Refuel (LOP(R)) will feature a switch that’s likely to be a precursor for Britain’s next-generation SSBNs. Vengeance is replacing the maintenance-heavy rotating machinery of motor generators (MGs) with fixed solid-state Main Static Converters (MSCs), as a key component of the boat’s electrical system.

The new MSCs are derived from the system developed for Britain’s Astute Class SSNs, but adapted for the higher power requirements of an SSBN. They also had to be smaller, due to space limitations in the Vanguards. Finally, they had to successfully integrate into the Vanguard submarines’ existing electrical, control, and coolant systems. Installations have now begun, and a modified version is almost certain to to be part of Britain’s Successor Class. Its designers are likely to be watching the MSCs’ performance in the Vanguards closely. Babcock, via ASD.

2012

Design contracts; Reactors.

click for video

Dec 18/12: The British Ministry of Defense submits its 2012 report to Parliament [PDF] on the future nuclear deterrent, noting the ramp up in public and private resources via an Integrated Programme Management Team (IPMT). A whole boat System Definition Review is scheduled to take place in 2013. With respect to the big items:

“Of the [GBP] 3Bn we plan to spend in the Assessment Phase, the expenditure to the end of Financial Year 2011/2012 has totalled [GBP] 315M. This is some [GBP] 30M lower than expected at the time of the Initial Gate approval, principally as a result of slower than expected manpower build-up in our Industrial partners… still expects to deliver the Assessment Phase within the approved cost of [GBP] 3Bn… Current forecast costs, including planned SEPP efficiency measures, indicate that we remain within the 2006 White Paper estimates of [GBP] 11-14Bn (at 2006/7 prices) for the Successor platform costs (assuming a four boat fleet).

The 2006 White Paper also recognised that investment of [GBP] 4-6Bn (at 2006/7 prices) would be required for supporting infrastructure and a replacement warhead ([GBP] 2-3 Bn for each element). As set out in the 2011 report, the MOD plans to spend some [GBP] 8M between 2011 and 2013 assessing the requirement for additional infrastructure investment. The 2011 report also noted that a decision on whether to refurbish or replace the existing warhead design could be deferred until the next Parliament, as the current warhead design is now planned to continue in service until the 2030s.”

Oct 29/12: Design contracts. The UK commits GBP 350 million to design their next-generation SSBN submarine, which will incorporate CMC. The work will be divided GPB 315 million to BAE Systems, who already has over 1,000 people working on this program, and a further GBP 38 million to Babcock. This award is part of the GBP 3 billion design phase (vid. May 18/11 entry).

The current Vanguard Class submarines are scheduled for replacement from 2028, and Britain is busy moving its entire submarine force to Falsane in Scotland, which will grow to 8,000 jobs by 2017.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who leads Britain’s Liberal Democrat party, angrily denounced the way the move was presented by the government. The government presented it as another step toward renewing the submarine deterrent, but Clegg sees that as ‘jumping the gun.’ His party has set up a review that’s looking at options like shorter-range cruise missiles launched from the torpedo tubes of existing Astute Class fast attack submarines, or to air-launched nuclear missiles. UK MoD | BAE Systems | UK’s Daily Mail.

June 18/12: Reactors. Britain’s Ministry of Defense signs a GBP 1.1 billion contract with Rolls Royce for submarine nuclear reactor cores, (GBP 600 million) and industrial investment in the Raynesway plant that manufactures them (GBP 500 million). The contracts will secure 300 jobs at Rolls-Royce.

The nuclear reactor cores will be used to power the 7th and final SSN Astute Class fast attack submarine, and the 1st of the Royal Navy’s next generation of SSBN nuclear deterrent submarines, currently known as the Successor Class.

Rolls Royce is the sole Technical Authority for the UK Nuclear Steam Raising Plant, whose reactors have powered British nuclear-powered submarines for the past 50 years. The GBP 500 million infrastructure contract aims extend the operating life of the Rayneway plant in Derby, UK, by more than 40 years. Rolls-Royce will continue to maintain and operate its existing reactor core manufacturing facility, while undertaking a parallel phased rebuild and modernization of buildings on site. UK MoD | Rolls Royce | The Telegraph.

May 22/12: Design contracts. The UK MoD issues a series of design phase (vid. May 18/11 entry) contracts for its next-generation “Successor” Class SSBNs, while re-iterating that a decision on the final design and build contracts won’t be made until 2016. The design work has to be done, or it would be impossible to make an informed decision about costs.

BAE Systems Maritime – Submarines receives the main design contract, worth GBP 328 million.

Babcock receives a GBP 15 million contract to focus on designing parts of the in-service support program.

Rolls Royce receives over GBP 4 million to integrate a new reactor design into the submarine. The reactors themselves will be separate design/ build contracts.

May 15/12: 5 bn for AWE. The UK MoD announces a multi-billion pound agreement with the AWE Management Limited (AWEML) joint venture, which manages Britain’s Atomic Weapons Establishment. The AWEML joint venture includes Jacobs Engineering, Serco and Lockheed Martin, and they signed the current 25-year management contract in 2000.

Scientists at the AWE’s Berkshire sites are involved from the initial concept and design of British nuclear warheads, through manufacture and support, to their decommissioning and disposal. Under the agreement, the ministry will invest GBP 1 billion a year over the next 5 years in skills and facilities at the company’s Aldermaston and Burghfield sites in Berkshire, where more than 4,500 staff are based. Around 40% cent of this money will be invested in essential capital projects, including production and research facilities. The remainder will be spent on operating and maintaining the AWE.

2010 – 2011

Initial Gate. SDSR.

UK Trident launch
(click to view full)

May 19/11: Initial Gate. The British government approves the initial Successor Class assessment phase, known as Initial Gate. This allows a design phase to begin that could be worth up to GBP 3 billion.

The new submarine class will retain the current Trident II D5 missiles, and introduce a PWR3-based passive cooling nuclear reactor design for the Royal Navy. The cost for 4 boats is estimated to be GBP 15-20 billion at 2006/7 prices, but the final decision to build 3 or 4 submarines will be taken in 2016. UK House of Commons, “Statement on the Nuclear Deterrent.” | UK MoD.

Design Phase approved

March 23/11: New reactor? Britain is reportedly shifting toward the passive-cooling PWR3 nuclear reactor design for its future SSBN nuclear missile submarines. The PWR2 design used in its SSBN Vanguard Class, as well as the SSN Trafalgar, and new SSN Astute Class fast attack boats, reportedly shares unwelcome features with the Fukushima reactors, in that they entirely on back-up power supplies to provide emergency cooling in the event of an accident.

In contrast the PWR3, which is widely used in modern US nuclear submarines, uses “passive” cooling. That makes it less reliant on back-up power, and offers additional methods of injecting coolant into a reactor.
www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/23/navy-submarines-nuclear-reactors

Oct 18/10: SDSR Britain’s new government releases its 2010 Strategic Defense and Strategy Review [PDF]. With respect to its future SSBNs, the government intends to move forward, but:

“Under the 1958 UK-US Agreement for Cooperation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defence Purposes (the ‘Mutual Defence Agreement’) we have agreed on the future of the Trident D5 delivery system and determined that a replacement warhead is not required until at least the late 2030s. Decisions on replacing the warhead will not therefore be required in this Parliament. This will defer £500 million of spending from the next 10 years. We have also reached agreement with the US over the size of the missile tubes in the new submarines; this has enabled us to reduce the cost of the submarine missile compartment by up to [GBP] 250 million.

As a result of our value for money review, we will reduce the number of operational launch tubes on the submarines from 12 to [8], and the number of warheads from 48 to 40, in line with our commitment vigorously to pursue multilateral global disarmament. This will help reduce costs by [GBP] 750 million over the period of the spending review, and by [GBP] 3.2 billion over the next ten years. ‘Initial Gate’ – a decision to move ahead with early stages of the work involved – will be approved and the next phase of the project will start by the end of this year. ‘Main Gate’ – the decision to start building the submarines – is required around 2016.”

There is tension in the governing coalition between Conservative party members, who want to maintain the deterrent, and the Liberal-Democrat party members, who do not.

SDSR

2006 -2009

Concept designs. Integrated project team.

Vanguard cutaway
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March 19/09: Report. Edward Leigh MP, Chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts, makes a statement as the committee publishes “The United Kingdom’s future nuclear deterrent capability” :

“The Department’s timetable for completing the design and build process for the replacement submarines is extremely tight. It has 17 years to do it, even though the Department itself accepts that such a process usually cannot be completed in under 18. The MOD’s track record in delivering major defence projects on time is not exemplary.

The MOD must make absolutely fundamental decisions about the design of the new submarines by September of this year. These include the main design features; whether to develop a new type of nuclear reactor requiring substantial research and development; and, crucially, the design and size of the missile compartment.”

Oct 26/07: Concepts. BAE presents 2 SSBN concept designs at DSEi 2007, labelled Concept 35 and Advanced Hull Form (AHF). Concept 35 is an evolution of the SSBN Vanguard Class and SSN Astute Class. The Advanced Hull Form uses a broad y-shaped stern with twin propulsor shrouds, which reportedly houses much of the boat’s machinery outside of the pressure hull. See Beedall for pictures.

Oct 18/07: IPT opened. BAE Systems announces that Rear Admiral Paul Thomas CB, FREng chairman of the defence nuclear safety committee, has officially opened the Future Submarines (FSM) Integrated Project Team office at Barrow-in-Furness.

“This element of the Future Submarines IPT will be based on the BAE Systems Submarine Solutions site and will be manned by a collaboration of up to 128 personnel made up from the Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and Babcock Marine. Working with the FSM IPT office in the MoD’s Abbey Wood offices, the team will, over the next two years, develop a concept design for the submarine component of the future deterrent programme.”

March 4/07: Vote. Britain’s Labour government wins a 409 – 161 vote to build a new SSBN successor the Vanguard Class. 95 Labour Party MPs vote “no,” but the motion passes with the support of most Labour Party MPs and Britain’s Conservative Party. Britain’s Liberal Democratic Party, Green Party, and Scottish National Party are all opposed as matters of party policy. BBC | The Guardian | The Telegraph.

Commons vote

Dec 4/06: Britain’s government releases “The Future of the United Kingdom’s Nuclear Deterrent” [PDF] white paper, and decides to maintain the UK’s nuclear deterrent. That will mean building a class of 3 or 4 SSBNs, to replace the current fleet of 4 Vanguards.

White Paper

Additional Readings UK SSBNs

• BAE – Successor.

• Navy Matters – Future Submarines.

• DID – CMC Program to Define Future SSBN Launchers for UK, USA.

• DID – Trident II D5 Missile: Keeping Up with Changing Times.

• DID (March 27/12) – GBP 350M for Final Refit of UK’s Vanguard Nuclear Missile Subs. Final? Other refits may be needed in future, in order to keep the Vanguards in service until the new submarines arrive. These will be the last British nuclear submarines to require a Long Overhaul Period and Refuel (LOP-R) during their service lives. The New PWR2 Mk.2 reactor in refitted Vanguard and current Astute submarines, and the PWR3 reactors in the new submarines, will last for the submarine’s entire lifetime.

Official Reports

• UK Ministry of Defence (Dec 18/12) – The United Kingdom’s Future Nuclear Deterrent: 2012 Update to Parliament [PDF].

• UK Parliament (May 19/11) – Statement on the nuclear deterrent.

• UK Committee on Public Accounts (March 19/10) – The United Kingdom’s future nuclear deterrent capability.

• UK Defence Committee (May 24/07) – The Future of the UK’s Strategic Nuclear Deterrent: the White Paper: Government Response to the Committee’s Ninth Report of Session 2006-07.

• UK Defence Committee (Dec 19/06) – Fourth Report of Session 2006-07, The future of the UK’s strategic nuclear deterrent: the manufacturing and skills base, HC 59.

• UK MoD (2006) – The Future of the United Kingdom’s Nuclear Deterrent: Defence White Paper 2006 [PDF].

News & Views

• RUSI (January 2014) – A Disturbance in the Force: Debating Continuous At-Sea Deterrence [PDF]. See also their release, complete with YouTube video.

• Naval Technology (July 30/13) – Deep impact: inside the UK’s new Successor-Class nuclear submarine.

• RUSI, on TouTube (July 16/13) – Danny Alexander on the Trident Alternative Review [59:14].

• LabourList beta (Jan 29/13) – Will Trident split the Labour Party in half?.

• RUSI (July 29/10) – Like for like renewal of Trident will come at expense of conventional forces.

FH-77Bs, Kargil War
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India has marked over $4 billion worth of artillery projects to purchase several hundred new 155mm howitzers. They are intended to supplement India’s dwindling artillery stocks, while out-ranging and out-shooting Pakistan’s self-propelled M109 155mm guns. It seemed simple enough, and in the main towed artillery competition, BAE Systems Bofors had been competing against systems from Israel’s Soltam and Denel of South Africa.

Unfortunately, India’s 2 towed howitzer competitions, and its 2 self-propelled artillery procurements, have mostly served as cautionary tales. If the stakes weren’t so high, they’d qualify as farce. The simple process of buying off-the-shelf artillery guns has become a decades-long affair filled with legal drama, accusations of corruption, and multiple re-starts – but not one new gun. Competitions are declared, and canceled, again and again. One is on its 5th iteration. Another is on its 3rd. Meanwhile, India’s stock of operational 155mm FH77 howitzers has dwindled to around 200, and their last successful artillery buy was over 2 decades ago. Is there an end in sight to any of these competitions? Or a potential winner?

Towed Artillery Competition Saga

Soltam Rascal
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US-India Defense and Strategic Affairs reported on the competition in 2004, and noted that this was expected to be one of the first large defense procurement decisions made by India’s new United Progressive Alliance government. The question became whether a decision could be made within that government’s term(s) of office. The answer: no.

The saga is illustrative of the problems India’s defense bureaucracy is creating across all of its artillery competitions, as it attempts to field working products before its existing artillery systems expire.

After multiple firing trials and several years, India’s towed artillery competition managed to end up without any competitors left standing. All 3 competitors (Bofors FH-77 B05, Soltam TIG 2002, Denel G5/2000) failed to meet India’s accuracy specifications in 2003 trials. Which might lead one to question the specifications, but all 3 improved their guns to compete again in 2004. There are reports that Soltam fell out of the race entirely, after a barrel burst during field trials. Then South Africa’s Denel was sidelined in 2004 and eliminated in 2005, after the Indian government accused the manufacturer of corruption in another defense deal.

That created problems on 2 fronts. One front involved a key competitor. Denel’s financial situation was deteriorating, and The Times of India reported that the contract may have been critical to the firm’s financial survival. In hindsight, that concern was valid, but Denel managed to survive the loss. A win certainly would have made a significant difference, and might have allowed Denel to delay its major corporate restructuring and associated strategic rethinking for several years.

Bofors’ FH-77B05:
Winner by default?
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The other problem involved India’s Ministry of Defence. India’s defense procurement establishment has shown an extreme risk-averse behavior and Defense India observes that when a competition devolves to a single-vendor solution, the practice is often to re-tender. Soltam and Denel’s exit left just BAE Bofors, until they, too were eliminated by allegations that Bofors had paid INR 640 million (about $16 million) in bribes, trying to secure the order.

The net effect of corporate blacklists, plus single-vendor prohibitions, is a process that can’t field equipment to India’s military when it’s needed – and sometimes ever. Unfortunately for India’s front-line soldiers, their need for working artillery hasn’t changed.

Indian history suggests that this is a long-standing problem. Bofors Defence AB had been blacklisted by India before, after allegations of kickbacks in a 1987 deal during Rajiv Gandhi’s regime. That scandal had derailed a planned 1,500 gun buy, reducing it to 410 FH-77 B02 howitzers. Fortunately for India, those guns arrived in time to become an iconic feature of the 1999 Kargil War with Pakistan. On the civil front, meanwhile, those accused in the Bofors case eventually had their day in court, and won. Leaving behind a number of questions that India’s political class would rather leave unasked.

In April 2007, India re-opened its towed howitzer competition again, and the passage of time had created a number of changes in its requirements and options. By November 2009, however, it was the same old dynamic. The mere allegation of bribery had frozen the competition again, by leaving just 1 eligible contender. Would the January 2011 re-start fare any better?

Meanwhile, the support contract with Bofors for India’s in-service howitzers expired in 2001. As of January 2009, India’s stock was believed to sit at just 200 operational 155/39 caliber guns. They are accompanied by existing stocks of Soviet-era 130mm artillery, and 105mm light guns. A contract with Soltam (now Elbit) of Israel has converted some of those 130mm howitzers to 155mm/45 caliber weapons, raising the guns’ range from 26 km to 39 km/ 24 miles.

India’s Howitzer Competitions

Zuzana SPH
(click to view larger)

The competition for Indian artillery is actually several competitions.

Towed Howitzers

The competition covered in the previous section involves about $1.8 billion for 400 towed 155/52 artillery guns, to be followed by production of up to 1,180 in India.

Current Status: 5th RFP is now out. Winter and summer trials planned in 2010, now in limbo. BAE Bofors’ FH77 was competing against ST Engineering’s FH-2000, but BAE pulled out, and ST Kinetics is barred by a 10-year blacklist. France’s Nexter is now partnered with India’s Larsen & Toubro to offer the purpose built Trajan gun, while Israel’s Elbit Systems is partnered with The Kalyani Group to offer its ATHOS 2052.

On the sidelines, India’s DRDO has used the blockage to start a design project of its own. It also turned out that India’s incompetent Ordnance Factory Board has been sitting on the plans it was given for the 155/39 caliber Bofors FH77B02, as the tech transfer piece of the 1990s buy that allowed licensed production in India. An October 2011 decision directed the OFB to begin manufacturing 155/39 and 155/45 caliber “Dhanush” versions of these guns for trials, for delivery beginning in December 2012, but there have been issues with the guns, and they’re still tied up in testing. India’s government has approved a potential contract for 114, but plans could add another 400.

Farther into the future, some private Indian firms are collaborating with the DRDO’s Armament Research and Development Establishment in Pune to design a 155 mm/52-caliber Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) with a 50 km strike range by 2016. Maybe they can field a gun with substantially longer range than existing global offerings. Maybe they can’t. Maybe the unfulfilled chase will end up derailing the purchase of actual working weapons, which is the usual pattern in India.

Ultra-Light Howitzers

A 2nd competition involves about $700 million for the ultra-light 155/39 howitzer competition, covering about 145 pieces. These would be portable, towed guns.

Current status: India’s government may be doing a government-to-government deal, as an emergency end-run to buy BAE’s M777, and bolster its dwindling artillery.

Singapore’s Pegasus was picked in 2009, but ST Kinetics’ 10-year blacklisting has derailed them, pending a legal fight. The reasons for the M777’s holdup are a combination of the Indian bureaucracy’s inability to conduct the required trials in over 2 years since the DSCA request, reports that legal advisors were worried about a decision in the ST Kinetics’ legal case entangling any M777 buy, and unwillingness to pay the $4.48 million per gun cost for a unique product with lots of titanium in it.

In May 2012, India’s MoD was reportedly cleared to negotiation an M777 contract worth around $550 million. As of November 2014, they haven’t managed to get anything done. Meanwhile, India has been pushed off high-altitude territory on the Chinese border, where air-transportable M777 guns would have strengthened its position considerably.

Self-Propelled Tracked Howitzers

A 3rd competition would spend about $800 million for about 100 155mm self-propelled tracked guns. The BHIM (Denel G-6 gun on Arjun tank chassis) winner was terminated in 2006, when Denel was barred following a corruption case. Partner Bharat Earth Movers was the big loser. Another RFP in 2007 failed, as all of the firms with products to offer were barred from India.

Current contenders include Samsung-Techwin’s K-9 Thunder, in partnership with India’s Larsen & Toubro. A Russian tie-up with India’s state-run Ordnance Factory Board offers a modified 155mm/52 caliber MSTA-S system on a T72 main battle tank chassis.

Current status: After a period of limbo, India gave indications that some kind of process was underway in 2013, with 3 Indian firms participating. In the mean time, India has ordered 40 locally-designed Catapault Mk.IIs, which mount a Russian 130mm gun on an Arjun tank chassis. They’ll replace aging Catapult Mk.Is, which mount the same gun on license-built Vijayanta (T-72) chassis, but neither system can match the range of a 155mm gun.

As a point of comparison, India’s rival Pakistan began its own process in 2005, and bought 115 tracked M109A5 155mm self-propelled howitzers from the USA at a very cheap price. The M109s have greater range than the Catapults, and the last one was delivered to Pakistan in 2010.

Self-Propelled Wheeled Howitzers (Mobile Gun System)

A 4th competition involves about $900 million – $1 billion for 180 self-propelled wheeled guns.

Current status: Canceled November 2011. RFP responses were reported to pit Slovakia’s 155/45 Zuzana system against Germany’s Rheinmetall and their RWG-52 155/52 system, which uses the PzH-2000 turret. Samsung Technwin’s entry, which is no longer listed in their product line, was eliminated from competition in 2009.

Indian firm Ashok Leyland has partnered with France’s Nexter, and will offer the Caesar 155/52 caliber artillery system mounted on their Super Stallion 6×6 truck.

Contracts and Key Events 2018-2019

April 23/19: ATHOS 2052 to India Local media reported that Elbit Systems has won a tender to deliver its ATHOS (Autonomous Towed Howitzer Ordnance System) 2052 to the Indian Army, in a deal estimated at over $1 Billion. The bid by Israeli defense manufacturer Elbit Systems and its Indian partner Bharat Forge has emerged as the winner in the Indian Army’s 155 mm, 52 calibre towed artillery gun competition. The price point at which the Elbit-Bharat Forge gun is being offered is even lower than the indigenously developed Dhanush 155 mm, 42 calibre gun, which is being manufactured by the Ordnance Factory Board. According to Elbit Systems, ATHOS is capable of a range of more than 40km and utilizes a self-propelling capability and automatic laying mode. It is integrated with fully-computerized systems, achieving automatic control, accurate navigation, and target acquisition. The company has yet to command on the outcome of the Indian Tender.

2015-2016

FARP modernization plan overview; Conditional order for 114 guns from the geniuses at OFB; 40 Catapult Mk.II SPHs; DAC clears mounted gun program; Major shortages in artillery charges & fuses; Denel & IMI Blacklistings rolled back for lack of evidence; Elbit signs Indian joint venture; JV for Nexter.

M777: Chinook pick-up
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March 24/16: India has received a tender from French state-owned weapons manufacturer Nexter to supply its army with 1,400 155mm towed cannons. Nexter’s participation in the $1.1 billion bid was made when its chairman, Stéphane Mayer, informed the National Assembly defense committee that it would be “the contract of the century for artillery.” The company has teamed with local partner Larsen & Toubro to offer its Trajan 155mm/52 caliber gun and faces competition from Elbit Systems, partnered with Bharat Forge.

February 23/16: BAE Systems UK is to cooperate with India’s Mahindra Group to produce 145 light howitzer guns for the Indian Army. The arrangement follows the 2015 proposal by BAE’s US subsidiary to sell 145 M777A2 LW155 howitzers at a cost of $700 million, and are dependent on BAE commitments to set up assembly, integration and test (AIT) facilities in India. Mahindra Group won out against other domestic defense companies including India’s state-owned Ordnance Factory Board and private sector companies Larsen & Toubro, Tata Power (Strategic Engineering Division), Punj Lloyd and the Kalyani Group.

October 9/15: The Indian Defence Ministry has shortlisted the Samsung Techwin K-9 Thunder howitzer for the country’s self-propelled tracked gun requirement, a much-delayed competition thought to value approximately $800 million. One hundred guns are required for the Indian Army, with local firm Larson & Toubro partnering with the South Korean firm to offer manufacturing in India. The Thunder beat the Russian-designed MSTA-SP 2S19 howitzer mounted on a T-72 tank chassis, with the Russian bid partnering with the Indian state-run Ordnance Factory Board to satisfy offset requirements.

2013 – 2014

Nov 23/14: India’s Defence Acquisition Council, with new defense minister Manohar Parrikar, clears the INR 157 billion (about $2.56 billion) proposal to buy 814 mounted 155mm artillery guns. A fresh RFP will be issued, with “Buy and Make India” terms that allow foreign partnerships, but force the systems to be manufactured in India. Larsen & Toubro, TATA, and Bharat Forge are expected to bid.

At the same time, the DAC approved an INR 71.6 billion integrated Air Command and Control System, but left programs for 56 light aerial transports and 106 basic-intermediate trainer turboprops in limbo. Note that programs approved by the DAC still need top-level approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security, which includes the Prime Minister. Sources: NDTV, “A Hurdle for ‘Make in India’ Push in Defence: Why Air Force Plane Deal Was Put on Hold” | dna India, “Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar clears proposal to acquire 814 artillery guns for Rs 15,750 crore” | Times of India, “Govt clears proposal to acquire 814 artillery guns for Rs 15,570 crore”.

Nov 18/14: IMI. India quietly lifts a ban on Israel Military Industries (q.v. Nov 12/09, July 7/10, March 5/12), in the face of a situation where its state-owned Ordnance Factory Board is manifestly failing to deliver key fuses, precision-guided shells, and artillery firing charges. The result is a critical set of shortages (q.v. Sept 15/14). IMI offers a full line of shells and charges, plus the GMM 120 laser/GPS-guided 120mm mortar shell, and tank design and manufacturing experience from its Merkava family.

The ban is actually lifted on the grounds that India’s CBI hasn’t substantiated its charges that IMI bribed OFB officials, which may touch off some interesting conversations with other blacklisted firms like Singapore’s ST Kinetics (q.v. March 5/12). Sources: Defense News, “India Removes IMI From Blacklist”.

Sept 15/14: Update. After a 5th set of towed howitzer trials, featuring Nexter’s Trajan and Elbit’s ATHOS 2052, India’s MoD is readying its report. That report will supposedly arrive in the Ministry of Defence by the end of 2014. Domestically, license-built “Dhanush” variants of Bofors’ FH77B (q.v. April 29/13) are conducting their own final round of trials, following a burst barrel in summer 2013. Meanwhile:

“The [Army’s Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan] envisages inducting a perplexing mix of 1,580 TGS, 814 mounted platforms and the outright purchase of 145 BAE Systems M777 155 mm/39-caliber ultra-light howitzers; that too is mired in unnecessary red tape and confusion. Also included is the outright purchase of 100 SPT howitzers and 180 self-propelled wheeled howitzers with another 120 to be built locally under a technology transfer agreement. The critical howitzer shortage and obsolescence of existing platforms is possibly the worst of the Army’s innumerable deficiencies…. Proposals are also afoot to privatise ordnance manufacture to meet shortages. The Army faces a shortfall of some 50,000 155 mm precision-guided munitions rounds, more than 21,200 bi-modular charge systems, and around one million electronic fuses which the OFB is incapable of fulfilling.”

Lovely. Sources: The Hindu, “Feeble fire in the big guns”.

Aug 29/14: SPH. India’s high-level Defence Acquisition Council clears an INR 8.2 billion (about $137 million) purchase of 40 Catapult Mk.II tracked artillery systems from DRDO’s Combat Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) in Avadhi. The new system uses the same aging, short-range Russian D-30 130mm guns as the 1980s-era Catapult Mk.I, but it substitutes an indigenous Arjun tank chassis for a license-built “Vijayanta” (modified Vickers Mk.1) chassis. The result is a tracked, self-propelled system with good mobility and much improved access to spares and maintenance, but a firing range of just 24 km.

Clearance must still come from the CCS, but this purchase is effectively done. An Indian officer points out that this works out to $3.75 million per system for a small handful of units, which can’t reach critical high-altitude contested areas like Kashmir or the Chinese border. Meanwhile, helicopter-transportable M777 155mm guns that can fire GPS-guided shells 40km remain in limbo, because India is balking at a price of $4.48 million per gun. That works out to about $650 million for the desired 145, or $179 million as an equivalent emergency buy of 40.

As an even more invidious comparison, neighboring Pakistan bought 115 used M109A5 self-propelled 155mm howitzers from the USA in 2005 – and paid just $56 million. They outrange the Catapults, of course, and all of them were fielded by 2010. To add injury to insult, Pakistan is also working with China’s North Industries Corp. to upgrade 400 of its own D-30 towed guns to 155mm caliber. Sources: Defense News, “Indian Analysts Rap Plan To Buy Homemade 130mm Artillery Gun”.

SPH: 40 Catapult Mk.II

Aug 19/14: Denel. The new BJP government quietly lifts its 9-year ban on Denel in an Aug 12/14 letter, judging that India’s CBI had failed to substantiate corruption charges stemming from the NTW-20 anti-material rifle competition. Those charges cancelled the NTW-20 contract, led to Indian design of the suspiciously similar Vidhwansak anti-materiel rifle, and sank the 155mm BHIM (G-6 gun on Arjun chassis) self-propelled howitzer contract in 2005.

The G-6 is an outstanding 155mm gun, and fielded options could become strong competitors in the towed competition (if that is re-opened), or the wheeled Mobile Gun System requirement. The Catapult Mk.II’s small production run could also insert the G-6 back into the self-propelled howitzer competition, re-launching BHIM as as Catapult Mk.III. Sources: South Africa’s defenseWeb, “Huge Indian market to become available to Denel as blacklisting resolves” | South Africa’s Engineering News, “India ends ban on Denel” | Defense World, “India Clears Denel Of Corruption Charges, De-Blacklists Company”.

Feb 25/14: M777. With elections looming, India’s Ministry of Defence clears a whole series of defense projects: upgrades for 37 airbases, modernization of 5 ordnance depots, 4,000 hand-held thermal imagers for soldiers, 5,000 thermal imaging sights for tanks and infantry combat vehicles, 44,000 light-machine guns, 702 light armoured multi-purpose vehicles, and 250 RAFAEL Spice IIR/GPS guided smart bombs. The M777 isn’t among them:

“The M-777 howitzer contract, which is a direct government-to-government deal under the US foreign military sales programme, has been hanging fire since January 2010. Due to the long delay, the American Defence Security Cooperation Agency has hiked the cost of the M-777 deal from the earlier $ 647 million to $885 million now. The Army wants these 155mm/39-calibre howitzers since they can be swiftly deployed in high-altitude areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh by helicopters and aircraft to counter China.”

China has been seizing Indian territory again in this high-altitude region, but apparently that isn’t urgent enough to prompt action. Thermal imagers and light machine guns are useful, but they aren’t going to change the situation anywhere. Sources: Times of India, “Decision on four key defence deals put off”.

February 2014: MGS. Indian truck firm Ashok Leyland, whose trucks have a huge presence in the Indian military, announces a number of new vehicles for their product line. these include a brand-new 2.5t “Garuda” 4×4, a new Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV), and variants of the new Super Stallion heavy truck. The latter include a 10×10 configuration, an 8×8 configuration that will be integrated with Saab’s BAMSE missile system for India’s SR-SAM air defense competition, and a partnership with France’s Nexter to mount the Caesar 155mm artillery system on its 6×6 Super Stallion truck.

Larsen & Toubro is Nexter’s other Indian partner, and an example of their offering is later unveiled at DefExpo 2014 in June. Sources: Ahok Leyland, “Ashok Leyland unveils a two-pronged strategy for Defence” | The Hindu Business Line, “Nexter Systems, L&T and Ashok Leyland to develop artillery system”.

Feb 12/14: Towed. Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) of India displays its 155/45mm Dhanush towed howitzer at India’s Defexpo 2014. They’ve manufactured 6 prototypes so far, and the most recent prototype includes several changes.

OFB is aiming to improve range over the base FH77 from 27 km – 38 km, and the added a modern computerized fire control system. Mechanical redesigns have had to include the gun cradle, muzzle brake, and of course the higher-caliber gun. According to the presenter, they’re hoping to reach the approval stage in India within 6-8 months, and to triple manufacturing capacity to 3 guns/ month. Cold weather and desert testing has been conducted (+45C to -15C), and Dhanush will be sent to Sikkim firing range for another round of trial tests to check its accuracy and range. Sources: Army Recognition, “OFP Dhanush 155mm howitzer at Defexpo 2014”.

Aug 7/13: M777. The US DSCA publishes [PDF] an official follow-on export request from India for 145 M777 guns, under modified terms compared to the Jan 26/10 request, which is superseded by this one.

The Indian guns will use the same Laser Inertial Artillery Pointing Systems (LINAPS) equipment as Canada’s M777s, and the estimated cost for the guns plus warranty, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, training, and other US government and contractor support has risen from $647 – $885 million.

The other item that has changed is the acknowledgement of a 30% industrial offsets contract, in conformance to India’s official Defense Procurement Procedure (DPP). That has to be part of a negotiated contract, which can be signed within 30 days of this notice.

The principal contractors haven’t changed: BAE of Hattiesburg, MS; Watervliet Arsenal of Watervliet, NY; Seiler Instrument Company of St Louis, MO; Triumph Actuation Systems of Bloomfield, CT; Taylor Devices of North Tonawanda, NY; Hutchinson Industries of Trenton, NJ; and Selex in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Likewise, implementation of this proposed sale will still require annual trips to India involving up to 8 U.S. Government and contractor representatives for technical reviews/support, training, and in-country trials, over a period of approximately 2 years.

DSCA: M777 Request, Revised

Aug 3/13: M777. Negotiations are still underway in India. So what’s new? According to the Business Standard, the expected price is now INR 40 billion due to the falling rupee, and the industrial offsets issue is almost resolved. If India can manage to finalize the sale, the Mountain Strike Corps that they announced in July 2013 would receive the 145 guns.

The key seems to be offsets. The initial DSCA announcement (q.v. Jan 26/10) didn’t include offsets, but BAE sees the potential to equip artillery regiments in up to 7 more Indian corps, given deployment patterns and India’s mountainous borders. As such, they’ve accepted a standard 30% offset liability of about $195 million. About $58.5 million can be discharged by transferring technology, as India badly needs to field bi-modular charge systems (BMCS) for artillery. If they hadn’t blacklisted Denel and Israel Military Industries, they’d have it already. The rest will reportedly be discharged by manufacturing some components in India, including work for its “future artillery gun” and “future naval gun” programs.

India’s challenge is to break with its general practice and place a timely order. BAE’s Mississippi plant is being kept active in anticipation of an Indian order, but if India dithers much, the price will rise sharply to pay production line restart costs. On the other hand, early execution could see India field the new gun by early 2014. India’s Business Standard.

June 25/13: SPH. A draft document [PDF] available on the Indian Army’s website confirms renewed activity to procure vehicle-mounted 155mm / 52 calibre systems. The Request for Information is still labeled as a draft, though it stipulates answers by September 1st, which leaves little time for both the Army to finalize it then vendors to send their replies. The RFI is explicitly addressed exclusively to Indian firms. However, joint ventures with foreign partners seem acceptable. Among the technical questions, the Army inquires whether the vendors’ sighting system will use a GPS-based inertial navigation system.

May 6/13: SPH. A Parliamentary reply indicates that India is pursuing another avenue for new self-propelled guns, in the wake of the 2007 RFP’s failure:

“A case for procurement of Qty.100 x 155mm/52 Calibre Tracked (self-propelled) Guns is in progress wherein three Indian vendors, including two private sector companies, have been selected for trials of their equipment. The recent amendments to the DPP-2011 which have been accepted by the Defence Acquisition Council aim to give higher preference to indigenous capacity in the Defence Sector.”

It will be interesting to see which companies are involved, and what they’re offering. Bharat Forge’s partnership with Elbit (q.v. Feb 7/13 entry) would allow them to offer the Rascal system, for instance.

April 29/13: 114 from OFB. Minister of state for Defence Shri Jitendra Singh confirms the contract details with India’s Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), who discovered that they had been sitting on blueprints to license-produce the 155/39 FH77 howitzer for over 20 years (vid. Oct 15/11), even as OFB personnel destroyed previous competitions by soliciting bribes.

OFB have carried out several firings of their derivative 155mm x 45 calibre gun, but it hasn’t been submitted for user testing yet, and hasn’t received production clearance. Once they get that clearance, there’s a contract for 114 towed guns. The first 6 will be delivered within 8 months of clearance, and another 6 over the next 4 months. Year 2 will produce 36 guns, and the last 60 will be manufactured in year 3. Indian government.

OFB contract for 114 license-built FH77/45s

April 29/13: What, me worry? Defense Minister AK Antony offers the usual non-response to a Parliamentary question that asks about the delays in getting India’s Army new artillery. We’ll save you the verbiage. Summary: “Nothing’s happening, and we’re not doing much about it, either.”

Feb 7/13: Elbit/Bharat JV. Israel’s Elbit Systems is forming a joint venture with the Kalyani Group’s Bharat Forge, to market advanced artillery and mortar systems in India.

Elbit products in this field include their Athos towed and Atmos wheeled self-propelled artillery, and their 120mm vehicle-mounted Cardom mortar. They also upgrade Soviet caliber artillery systems. Defense Update | Economic Times.

Feb 6/13: M777, FH-77. India Strategic quotes Chief of the Army Staff Gen Bikram Singh as saying that “whatever the reasons earlier [for delaying the M777 purchase], there would be no delay now.” India has held its firing trials, asked for some changes, and verified that BAE has made them. The Maintainability Evaluation is done, and negotiations are now focused on the price of 145 of the 155mm/ 39 caliber guns, plus a support package.

India’s 2004 buy of counter-fire artillery radars in 2004 reportedly omitted support considerations, and they don’t want to have to go through that problem again.

On another front, trials of the state-run OFB’s license-built Bofors FH-77Bs are now slated for the summer of 2013. The original guns and plans are 155 mm/ 39 caliber, but OFB’s version will be 155/45 caliber instead. Many standard towed 155mm guns these days are 155/52 caliber or more, and if India’s towed guns solicitation ever goes ahead, it will probably be to that specification. India Strategic writes:

“Senior officers of the Army are confident that the acquisition of M-777 will not go beyond 2013, and if there is a delay, it would not be beyond the coming fiscal year April 2013-March 2014. That is, a delay of not more than three months beyond 2013.”

2011 – 2012

M777 buy cleared; Wheeled tender canceled; 5th towed RFP – but not for BAE; DRDO launches indigenous 155mm development; OFB had India’s solution the whole time!?!

US M777A2
fires Excalibur
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May 16/12: License-build. A written reply by Minister of State for Defence Dr MM Pallam Rajuin sets out India’s initial plans to license-build FH-77B02 155mm guns for initial trials, and confirms that India has a standing license agreement with M/s AB Bofors to produce the FH-77B02 155/39 caliber gun and its ammunition. If trials go well, full-scale production may begin.

Meanwhile, India’s state-owned Ordnance Factory Board will produce 2 FH77 155mm /39 caliber prototypes by December 2012. This is the same gun India is currently using. By June 2013, the OFB will also produce 2 upgraded FH77 155/45 caliber guns, with electronic and mechanical upgrades, and apply the same upgrades to 1 existing 155/39 gun. India’s MoD says that the Technology Transfer Agreement allows those changes. India MoD.

May 11/12: M777 approved. CNN-IBN reports that India’s MoD has cleared a Rs 3000 crore deal to buy 145 of BAE’s M777 ultra-light 155mm howitzers, as a government-to-government deal through US Foreign Military Sale channels.

They’re careful to note that this isn’t a contract yet, which may explain the absence of any announcement from BAE. At current conversion rates, the deal would be worth around $557 million, but exchange rates may change when and if negotiations produce an actual contract. CNN-IBN | India Defence.

March 5/12: 10-Year Blacklist. India’s MoD debars Singapore’s ST Kinetics, Israel Military Industries Ltd., Rheinmetall Air Defence, Corporation Defence Russia (CDR), and Indian firms TS Kisan & Co. Pvt. Ltd. and RK Machine Tools Ltd. The firms are prohibited “from further business dealings with the Ordnance Factory Board, Department of Defence Production, MoD, for a period of ten years.”

India’s MoD says that the debarments took place based on CBI evidence re: former Director General of Ordnance Factories Shri Sudipto Ghosh’s bribery case, and after the firms were issued notice to show cause. IMI and Rheinmetall have made no public comment yet, but ST Kinetics is angry, and says more or less that India’s MoD is lying:

“Since 2009, we have offered the authorities full cooperation and assistance as appropriate to clear our name. We had even offered on several occasions to open our account books for inspection by the Indian authorities but these offers were never taken up by them… To seek clarification on the alleged blacklisting and to protest against the arbitrary suspension of ST Kinetics’ defence business activities, we have filed three petitions with the Delhi High Court. The petitions were accepted by the Delhi High Court in March 2011. In all the court hearings and its affidavits filed, the MoD repeatedly stated that ST Kinetics is not blacklisted, and that the “putting on hold” of ST Kinetics’ defence business activities is but an interim arrangement only.

With this latest ruling by the MoD, we will seek legal advice and we intend to vigorously take appropriate actions to clear our name and defend our reputation… As a responsible public listed company, we abide by all laws and regulations stipulated by the local government and we engage fully in good corporate governance practices.”

MoD blacklists – but on what grounds?

January 2012: India Strategic sums things up, by quoting Chief of Army Staff Gen VK Singh:

“The procurement game is a version of snakes and ladders where there is no ladder but only snakes, and if the snakes bite you somewhere, the whole thing comes back to zero,” he said adding that he was hopeful of some guns to be cleared for acquisition shortly. It was 25 years ago that the Indian Army had acquired Bofors guns from Sweden… The gun had come with designs for production in India, with the much-needed Transfer of Technology, but its production was never undertaken by the designated public sector body, the Ordnance Factory Board… Bofors has since been sold several times to US and British companies. There has also been a proposal to acquire 145 ultra light howitzers M777 from the BAE Systems’s US arm. But it is also stuck somewhere.”

As the Hindustan Times notes, at least 3 of the few foreign vendors that make artillery systems are on the MoD’s blacklist, over allegations that don’t seem to get resolved in any timely way. This is true, but Israel’s IMI makes rocket artillery and shell charges. Only Singapore’s ST Kinetics and Germany’s Rheinmetall would matter for these competitions, though it’s worth noting that their absence has already derailed 2 artillery programs. The newspaper also cites Brig. Gurmeet Kanwal (ret.) of The Centre for Land Warfare Studies think tank, as one voice beginning to make the argument that blacklisting is a failure, and arguing that other approaches are needed.

Dec 12/11: Why so late? A Parliamentary question about India’s howitzer plans gets an answer from the defence minister, which is informative but not encouraging. Basically, India’s bureaucracy has had almost 2 years to get its act together on trials, and has not:

“Ultra Light Howitzer is amongst the equipment that is included in the Artillery Profile 2027 prepared by the Artillery Directorate of Army, The procurement on Single Vendor basis from M/s ST Kinetics, Singapore is sub-judice [DID: a legal case]. The option of procuring the equipment through US Government (FMS route) is also being pursued.

The field evaluation of Ultra Light Howitzer comprises three parts viz. user trials, DGQA trials and Maintainability trials. Out of these, only user trials of the gun proposed to be procured through US Government have been completed. The performance of the gun can be ascertained only after evaluation of all three trial reports.

The field evaluation trial report of the guns was a confidential document. Four pages of draft field trial report were received in an anonymous envelope by the Army Hqrs. An enquiry in the matter is underway. Detailed instructions exist about security of classified documents. Aberrations, if any, are dealt with as per the relevant rules.”

One wonders what the over/under odds would be in Vegas, on the subject of India actually having some new artillery pieces by 2027.

Nov 1/11: Wheeled cancellation. India’s MoD cancels the tender to purchase 180 wheeled 155/52mm howitzers, after complaints were made to Defence Minister A.K. Antony that a Zusana gun burst during 2010 trials last year. While Rheinmetall and Konstrukta were shortlisted after technical evaluations (Samsung was not), an MoD committee later concluded that the guns on offer were not in service anywhere, and as such were only prototypes. Which can happen, if your requirements force that. Indian Defence | Defense News.

Wheeled SPH canceled

Oct 15/11: You had WHAT all this time? The Times of India reports that India’s Ordnance Factory Board, whose leadership has been involved in bribery scandals that have derailed some of India’s attempted artillery buys (vid. July 7/10 entry), has been sitting on licensed design documents for India’s Bofors FH77 155mm gun. In other words, they had the full plans thanks to technology transfer and licensing agreements, but didn’t mention this, and didn’t produce the guns. Incompetent is the nicest adjective that can be used for this conduct.

“A senior official, not very amused at the turn of events, told TOI that they have now asked OFB to manufacture six prototypes of the Bofors artillery guns within the next 18 months. “If we had indigenous capability, then all these years of effort to buy foreign guns and such crippling shortage in capabilities wouldn’t have been there,” he said. A senior military source said the OFB has now been asked to manufacture two guns of the 155/39 mm caliber, the original make of the Bofors gun bought in the 80s. Two others would be of the same caliber but upgraded with new capabilities. The OFB has also been asked to make two guns of 155/45 mm caliber. All the six guns would be towed guns, sources said. Once they are ready, the Army would put them through extensive field trials and once cleared, OFB could then resort to mass production, one of the officials said.”

India OFB wins incompetence prize

June 29/11: DRDO DIY. India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has started developing an indigenous 155mm 52 caliber howitzer for the armed forces, with its Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in Pune as the lead agency. DNA India.

May 18/11: M777. In “India’s consolation prize to US,” The Times of India reports that India is close to an M777 buy, pursued as government-to-government Foreign Military Sale. The Times of India reports that:

“…the Army has dispatched a team to the US to carry out quality assurance assessments of maintenance and other technical specifications of M777… Once the team returns, “it wouldn’t take much time to conclude the deal”, sources said, adding that a June-end deadline was being looked at. He also hinted that this order too could go up, now that the government is expected to approve Army’s recommendation to raise a dedicated mountain strike corps for China border.”

April 29/11: BAE out. BAE Systems opts out of India’s Jan 23/11 tender for 1,580 towed artillery guns. They seem to have tired of the headaches, and will settle for the limited M777 ultralight howitzer procurement conducted outside of India’s normal processes. Guy Douglas:

“While we are certain that the FH-77B05 is the most capable 52 calibre towed gun available, and it was specifically designed for and demonstrated to meet the Indian Army… the company will not submit a proposal… We found that the new RFP includes technical and performance relaxations that allow less capable weapon systems to enter the competition. This significantly reduces the competitive advantage FH-77B05 derives from its greater capability… the decision not to bid is a commercial one based on the high investment costs required to participate in a complex artillery competition of this nature, where the win probability has been reduced…”

The question is whether this will leave India facing a single-vendor situation again, which will force them to cancel a 5th time. The RFP was not sent to Singapore’s ST Kinetics, but it did go to firms in France, the US, Israel and the Czech Republic. The question is who will respond. See StratPost.

Jan 23/11: (5th) Towed RFP. After 4 failed attempts in the last 25 years, and no new gun inducted since the mid-1980s, the Army has issued a fresh global tender for over 400 towed artillery howitzers. PTI reports that the latest RFP was issued in the 3rd week of January, for over 400 guns from foreign vendors, and local production of over 1,000 guns in India.

The last tender was canceled after Singapore Technologies was blacklisted by the Defence Ministry, and BAE Systems was the only company left. PTI adds that “it is not yet clear as which firms other than BAE Systems have received the RFP this time,” especially given that key competitors like Denel are also on Indian blacklists. Meanwhile, a government-to-government effort to circumvent these roadblocks and buy 145 M777 ultra-lightweight howitzers “for use in mountainous regions” is “in an advanced stage of negotiations.” India Defence (PTI) | Deccan Herald | Silicon India || defpro on the Denel G6’s woes | Hindustan Times on the Bofors scandal’s long echo.

5th Towed Howitzer RFP

2009 – 2010

3rd time for wheeled howitzer RFP; Towed competition canceled for 4th time; Pegasus wins ultralight competition – then blacklisted; US DSCA request for BAE’s M777.

Bofors Archer System
(click to view full)

Sept 10/10: SPH. The Indian defense ministry is expected to issue its 3rd wheeled howitzer RFP, for 140 wheeled guns, by the end of September. BAE’s Archer apparently doesn’t fit the RFP criteria, which implies requirements that aren’t in line with global norms for the class. France’s Caesar is also unmentioned in this competition, leaving just Rheinmetall’s RWG-52 and Slovakia’s Zuzana as known contenders. Aviation Week.

July 27/10: Canceled again. India cancels towed artillery field trials, as it suspends its artillery competition yet again. The Bofors FH77B05, now owned by BAE Land Systems, and STK of Singapore’s IFH 2000 were the only 2 guns in the competition for the 155mm/52calibre howitzers. STK has been blacklisted due to its involvement in the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) scandal, leaving just one competitor. India’s government, burned by the Bofors allegations, then canceled the competition.

The Defence Ministry must now decide what to do next. A government-to-government Foreign Military Sale from the USa is one of the possibilities, in lieu of re-bidding the contract yet again. An Indian Army delegation reportedly visited the USA in January 2010, and the US government reportedly proposed 2 units for field trials and requested 84 rounds of Indian ammunition for that purpose. A draft Letter of Request is reportedly winding its way through India’s the Ministry of Defense to that end. AGE | India Defence Online | StratPost.

Towed cancellation #4

July 7/10: Blacklists, again. India’s CBI has asked the Defence Ministry to blacklist 6 firms for their alleged involvement in the Ordnance Factory Board graft scandal: Cooperation Defence in Russia, Singapore Technologies Kinetics (ST Kinetics), Israel Military Industries Ltd (IMI), Rheinmetall Air Defence (RAD) in Zurich, T S Kisan and companies Pvt Ltd in New Delhi, and R K Machines Tools Ltd in Ludhiana. If the Defence Ministry agrees, it would likely derail the self-propelled howitzer competition, where a different division of Rheinmetall is one of 2 finalists.

The move follows a 2,700-page chargesheet in a special CBI court against former Director General of Ordnance factory Board, Sudipta Ghosh and 11 others. The CBI alleges that Ghosh had entered into criminal conspiracy with other accused personnel, with the object of demanding and obtaining huge bribes in return for supply orders placed by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). Indian Express.

March 15/10: Still stalled. Indian Defence Minister Shri AK Antony responds to Shri Asaduddin Owaisi and others in Parliament:

“In March, 2008, the Government had issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for procurement of towed guns. The name of one of the firms participating in the said procurement case figured among the names of seven firms in the FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in May, 2009 in respect of various supply orders placed by Ordnance Factory Board. The procurement / acquisition cases in pipeline with any of the firms figuring in the said FIR were put on hold until further orders. Later, it was decided that multi-vendor procurement cases, presently held up at various stages of technical evaluation / trials, may be progressed further as per Defence Procurement Procedure – 2008. However, no tender will be awarded to the companies mentioned in the FIR unless CBI investigation clears them totally.

No towed guns / howitzers have been procured during the last three years. The proposals presently being processed include production of towed guns by Ordnance Factory Board under transfer of technology from the selected vendor. The procurement proceeds as per the provisions of the Defence Procurement Procedure 2008. The induction of the equipment, as and when it takes place, will enhance the firepower of the Indian Artillery.”

Feb 15/10: Towed. The Wall Street Journal reports that BAE Systems Ltd. expects to start trials in India for its FH77 B05 towed howitzer by early March. That’s a month or so behind the original February 2010 expectation for winter trials. The FH77 B05 would be manufactured and marketed in India by BAE’s joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

BAE also reportedly expects to start trials for the M777 ultra-light howitzer in India by the end of 2010. Speaking at DefExpo 2010 in New Delhi, BAE Systems India (Services) Pvt. Ltd. VP and General Manager Mark Simpkins reportedly said that the initial M77 order “is likely to be for 145 units, which could increase to 1,000 units in the future.”

Feb 15/10: SPH. As part of its DefExpo 2010 push, Rheinmetall Defence discusses its RWG-52 and RTG-52 candidates for India’s self-propelled programs.

Jan 28/10: M777. Indian sources tell DID that that the M777 request could also become an attempt to sidestep India’s paralyzing procurement bureaucracy. Single-vendor competitions are problematic when following India’s Defence Procurement Procedures (DPP), but can reportedly be used for government-to-government foreign military sales deals, per Section 71 of the DPP 2008:

“There may be occasions when procurements would have to be done from friendly foreign countries which may be necessitated due to geo-strategic advantages that are likely to accrue to our country. Such procurements would not classically follow the Standard Procurement Procedure and the Standard Contract Document but would be based on mutually agreed provisions by the Governments of both the countries.”

While ST Engineering’s Pegasus is still an ultra-light howitzer contender, the question is whether the legal steps required to make that deal would take too long – even though nothing has been proven concerning the firm’s conduct in India.

Jan 26/10: M777 request. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announces [PDF] India’s formal request to buy 145 M777 155mm Light-Weight Towed Howitzers with Laser Inertial Artillery Pointing Systems (LINAPS), warranties, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, maintenance, personnel training and training equipment, and U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance and support.

The estimated cost is $647 million, but a DSCA announcement is not a contract. In this case, it may not even be an intended sale. DSCA requests can be issued as a way of ensuring that the way is clear for a contract, if a competition continues, and if that vendor requiring American arms export approvals turns out to be the winner.

If the 9,700 pound/ 4,400 kg, part-titanium M777 should bypass the competition altogether, or win a re-started competition against the likes of ST Kinetics’ Pegasus semi-mobile lightweight howitzer, the principal contractors will be BAE of Hattiesburg, MS; Watervliet Arsenal of Watervliet, NY; Seiler Instrument Company of St Louis, MO; Triumph Actuation Systems of Bloomfield, CT; Taylor Devices of North Tonawanda, NY; Hutchinson Industries of Trenton, NJ; and Selex in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

Uncharacteristically for India, the DSCA says that there are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale – another sign that India’s DPP may be side-stepped. Implementation of this proposed sale will require annual trips to India involving up to 8 U.S. Government and contractor representatives for technical reviews/support, training, and in-country trials, over a period of approximately 2 years.

US DSCA: M777 request

Jan 22/10: ST Kinetics. Singapore’s ST Kinetics announces that it is keen to set up a manufacturing base in India, if it wins some of the 5 contracts it has bid for. The tenders comprise 2 artillery gun projects (ultra-light and towed howitzers), a light strike vehicle for the army, and 2 carbine rifle projects for internal security forces.

Jan 15/10: ST Kinetics speaks. Singapore’s ST Kinetics issues a release touting “the longest in-service 155 mm 52 Calibre towed Howitzer, the FH 2000,” which is expected to enter field trials in February 2010. It also says that:

“The company is hopeful that the stalled [Indian] trial of the 155 mm calibre 39 Pegasus Lightweight Howitzer (LWH) will also recommence very shortly… ST Kinetics plans to address India’s strategic needs and is fielding tailored solutions to meet the requirements of the modernisation programmes of the armed forces. These include the iFH2000 155mm 52 Calibre Howitzer for the Towed Gun requirement and the Pegasus 155mm 39 Calibre Lightweight Howitzer for the Ultra Lightweight Howitzer program. ST Kinetics has also offered the SAR 21 Carbine with its proven reliability and performance.

Speaking at the Press Conference, Brig Gen Patrick Choy, Chief Marketing Officer, said “…The company is respected for its integrity, transparency and high standards of corporate governance. [The Pegasus 155mm / 39 howitzer]… is already in India in Gwalior and is awaiting a call to trials.”

SLWH Pegasus

Nov 23/09: Blacklistings. India’s MoD publicly confirms the blacklisting and terms for all 7 firms mentioned in the Nov 12/09 Defense News report:

“In regard to the tender cases of procurement/execution, where the tender process has already been started and where the companies mentioned in the FIR are figuring, each case should be dealt as per the tender conditions, keeping in view of the FIR in question. No tender should be awarded to the companies mentioned in the FIR unless the CBI investigation clears them totally.”

Nov 12/09: Frozen again. Defense News reports that India’s artillery competition is frozen yet again. Singapore Technologies has been disqualified, and under India’s rules, competitions can’t proceed with just one qualified vendor.

In June 2009, corruption charges filed against the former director-general of India’s Ordnance Factory Board placed 7 firms on the “tainted” list, blacklisting them from defense contracts: Singapore Technologies, Israel’s IMI, Poland’s BVT, Singapore’s Media Architects, and India’s HYT Engg, T.S. Kishan and R.K. Machine Tools. The latest Indian MoD advisory will not allow them to participate in defense procurements, pending a full Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) report.

Towed competition frozen, 7 firms blacklisted

Oct 7/09: Bofors. Indian Express reports that:

“The government may have decided to let Ottavio Quattrocchi off the hook, but the Bofors ghost continues to haunt the armed forces, with several key artillery modernisation programmes put in the limbo due to wrongdoing charges levelled against three major international manufacturers.”

March 12/09: Pegasus picked. The Singapore Straits Times reports that India has picked ST Kinetics’ “Pegasus” semi-mobile light howitzer for its $1 billion, 145-gun ultralight howitzer competition. At 5,000 kg/ 11,000 pounds, the 155mm/39 caliber Pegasus SLWH is not quite as light as BAE Systems’ M777. What it does have, is an unusual feature that allows the towed gun to be moved limited distances, at up to 12 km/h, under its own power. This is a very useful feature when trying to sidestep return fire cued by artillery tracking radars.

Unlike the 155/52 caliber competition for larger and heavier howitzers, the “ultralight” competition reportedly contains no clauses requiring manufacture in India.

Singapore was also sent an RFP for the 155/52 caliber competition, which the Straits-Times reports could involve up to 400 foreign-made and 1,180 domestically-produced howitzers. ST Kinetics’s other products include the 155/52 FH2000 towed field howitzer, and the Primus 155/39 caliber 28.5-ton tracked self-propelled howitzer. Singapore Straits-Times.

Towed guns: Singapore’s Pegasus picked

Jan 14/09: An anonymous Army official tells Indian reporters that:

“The procurement process for the towed and light howitzer is proceeding as planned. Bids have been received from all the vendors and trials of the guns are planned in February or March [of 2009]… The trials for self-propelled howitzers are planned in May-June [2009].”

According to the IANS report, the initial contract involves 180 guns, but the eventual contract is to include up to 400 guns, thanks to transfer of technology to build the howitzers in India. Of these, 140 will be light howitzers that will be spread over 7 regiments. They will still be 155/52 caliber, just lighter thanks to advances in metallurgy and design. The remaining 260 guns will be towed and self-propelled variants. IANS via India Defence | Hindustan Times.

2007 and Earlier

Denel’s blacklisting kills tracked Bhim SPH; 2nd wheeled & tracked howitzer RFPs issued.

G6 Base, Bleeding?

April 4/07: SPH Re-tender. The Calcutta Telegraph reports that India has reopened its artillery competitions entirely, refloating 2 global RFPs to 12 makers of 155mm/52 calibre self-propelled guns. The Indian Army reportedly proposes to buy 400 systems at the outset: 180 tracked and 220 wheeled.

The first new tender was for wheeled guns, with an RFP floated in early March 2007. The second tender for tracked guns was floated at the end of the month. Expected competitors include BAE Land Systems USA (M109A6 Paladin possible for tracked), BAE Bofors (FH77B towed, Archer wheeled), France’s Nexter (Caesar wheeled), Rheinmetall (Zuzana wheeled from Kerametal in Slovakia, possibly PzH-2000 for tracked), Korea’s Samsung Techwin (K9 for tracked), and Israel’s Soltam (Atmos 2000 for wheeled, Rascal for tracked).

In making its decision to re-float the RFP, the cabinet committee on security reportedly concluded that:

• A single-vendor situation must be avoided;
  
• South Africa’s Denel had emerged as the single vendor for the tracked version, but they were blacklisted in 2005 on another deal;
  
• The process delays of 5 years since the first tender have been so great that the field as a whole has advanced since then;
  
• The standards for the selection of the guns need to be revised; and
  
• India’s defence procurement policy has been revised in the interim, and the RFP should reflect that.

Self-propelled howitzers RFP v2.0

Jan 16/06: A new scandal is swirling around re-opened allegations of kick-backs involving Bofors, and complicity by the current government in covering them up.

Jan 13/06: New trials. The Press Trust of India (PTI) reports that Army Chief General J J Singh has ordered a 4th round of extensive trials for the guns, in which only the Bofors and Soltam guns will be taking part. He said the two contending 155mm/52 caliber guns would be evaluated through summer and winter trials, with the winner inducted by 2007.

DID thought that was a bit optimistic…

Jan 12/06: BMCS RFP. The Times of India reports that India’s UPA government has floated new global tenders for collaboration in the Nalanda ordnance factory project to manufacture 155mm Bi-Modular Charge Systems (BMCS) for India’s artillery. See this link from BAE’s SWS Defence for a more in-depth look at a particular BMCS solution.

South Africa’s Denel had been picked, but the blacklisting stemming from the anti-material rifles’ deal is having further ripple effects. The winner of this competition will be well positioned for any follow-on orders involving India’s new howitzers.

July 28/05: Denel blacklisted. South African competitor Denel is blacklisted from Indian defense contracts by the Ministry of Defence, as a result of the CBI’s bribery investigation.

Denel blacklisted

June 15/04: Madison Government Affairs, summarizing Defense News:

“The Indian Army will choose among three foreign contenders for a $2 billion purchase of about 400 155mm self-propelled howitzers after field trials in the Rajasthan desert later this month, an Indian Defence Ministry official said. The candidates are the Swedish SWS Defense AB FH77B05 L52, the Israeli Soltam TIG 2002 and the South African Denel G5/2000 gun. All three failed to meet India’s accuracy specifications in last year’s trials; all three improved their guns to compete again this year, said an Indian Army official from the artillery directorate”

Additional Readings

• India MoD, via Slideshare – Defence Procurement Procedure 2013: Capital Procurement

• Indian MoD (June 1/13) – Salient Features of Defence Procurement Procedure- 2013.

Towed Guns

• Bharat Rakshak – 155mm BOFORS FH-77B.

• DID – M777: He Ain’t Heavy, He’s my Howitzer. An alternative from BAE Systems for the towed segment.

• Soltam Systems – Athos [PDF]. Towed 155mm howitzer.

Self-Propelled Guns

• DID – Sweden, Norway to Cooperate on Archer Artillery Project. Uses the FH-77.

• Army Technology – Caesar 155mm Self-Propelled Artillery System, France (Nexter).

• Global Security – 152mm ShKH Dana vz.77 (ZTS).

• Denel Land Systems – G6 SP Gun Howitzer and T5-52 Truck-Mounted gun Howitzer.

• GlobalSecurity – K9 155mm self-propelled howitzer (Samsung Techwin).

• DID (Oct 30/05) – Singapore Unveils New Air-Portable, Semi-Mobile 155mm Pegasus Howitzer.

• Army Technology – Soltam’s Atmos towed/truck-mounted howitzer, and tracked Rascal systems.

• Rheinmetall Defence – RWG-52 and RTG-52 for India’s artillery modernization programme.

News & Views

• The Hindu (Aug 20/14) – Feeble fire in the big guns.

• Force India (April 2012) – Stuck in the Stack: Indian Artillery marred by the S factor, stagnation and scandal.

Americas

BAE Systems won a $23.9 million contract modification for post-shakedown-availability (PSA) of the Arleigh Burke Class destroyer USS Paul Ignatius. The post-shakedown-availability is accomplished within a period of approximately 16 weeks between the time of ship custody transfer to the Navy and the shipbuilding and conversion obligation work limiting date. The PSA comprises all of the manpower, support services, material, non-standard equipment and associated technical data and documentation required to prepare for and accomplish the PSA. Work will include correction of government responsible trial card deficiencies, new work identified between custody transfer and the time of PSA, and incorporation of engineering changes not incorporated during the construction period, which are not otherwise the building yard’s responsibility under the ship construction contract. Huntington Ingalls delivered the USS Paul Ignatius to the US Navy during a ceremony on February 25. It is the 67th ship in its class and and is scheduled to sail away from the shipyard in June. BAE Systems will perform work in Jacksonville, Florida, and the expected completion date is in May 2020.

The US Navy awarded Raytheon a $19 million modification for engineering and technical services on the Standard Missile-2 and Standard Missile-6. The SM-2 missile provides anti-air warfare and limited anti-surface warfare capability against advanced anti-ship missiles and aircraft out to 90 nautical miles. According to Raytheon, the SM-6 is the only missile considered a “triple threat,” with anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare and sea-based terminal ballistic missile defense enabling the US and its allies to cost-effectively increase the offensive might of surface forces. The missiles are deployed on cruisers and destroyers in the US Navy, as well as by international customers approved by the Defense Department. The combined contract is 90 percent for the Navy, with the rest under Foreign Military Sales for Australia, Germany, Denmark, Korea and Japan. Work will take pace in Tucson, Arizona and is scheduled to be completed by April 2020.

Middle East & Africa

According to local reports, the Israeli Defense Forces conducted a training exercise that involved the Patriot and the Iron Dome missile defense systems. Israel Air Force aerial defense personnel conducted interceptions of targets at various heights and distances. The drill was carried out at a base in central Israel and included a range of scenarios in order to test the capabilities of the Israel Air Force’s air defense fighters and technicians and their missile systems. Several missiles were launched against a combination of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles. Military delegations from the US and Greece attended and observed the trial and were able to draw conclusions from its results.

Europe

MBDA together with the UK’s Ministry of Defense presented details on the development of the SPEAR-EW and SPEAR-Glide, Jane’s reports. They are prospective air-launched missile variants evolved from MBDA’s baseline SPEAR stand-off, air-to-surface developmental weapon system. SPEAR is a long-range missile powered by a Pratt & Whitney TJ-130 turbojet engine with a range of over 140 km. It is the MBDA’s solution for the UK Ministry of Defense’s 100 kg class Selective Precision Effects At Range Capability 3 (SPEAR Cap 3) requirement. The weapon is supposed to be used within the internal weapons bay of the UK Royal Air Force and Royal Navy F-35 Lightning multirole stealth aircraft. Integration of SPEAR onto the Eurofighter Typhoon is also a program of record for the RAF.

Ukrainian Company Kyiv Armored Plant has developed a new wheeled command post armored vehicle called BTR-3KS, based on a BTR-3 wheeled APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) chassis. Kyiv Armored Plant is part of the State Company Ukroboronprom. The new command vehicle is fully equipped with modern battle management system, secure digital communication system coupled to tactical computer and network. The vehicle has also its own unmanned aerial systems that can be used to perform reconnaissance missions. This UAV is attached to the right side of the tank when it is not in use. Ukroboronprom claims that this battle management system can combine and process all information transmitted from command stations, combat vehicles, counter-battery radars, and unmanned aerial vehicles via secured digital communications regarding the location of divisions and targets.

Asia-Pacific

The Indian Air Force (IAF) inaugurated a repair and overhaul facility for its fleet of Russian-made Mil Mi-17 V5 ‘Hip’ medium-lift helicopters on April 17 at Chandigarh, north of New Delhi. Local reports say that the new facility comes in a boost to India’s self-sufficiency in carrying out defense repairs. The new facility will help repair Mi-17 V5 helicopter airframes and their aero engines. The Mil Mi-17 V5 is one of the world’s most advanced helicopters. It is designed to transport cargo inside the cabin and on an external sling. It can also be deployed in troop and arms transport, fire support, convoy escort, patrol, and search-and-rescue missions. India had acquired 151 twin-engine Mi-17-V5s between 2008 and 2016 for $2.87 billion.

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Americas

The Navy awarded $33.4 million to Raytheon to supply the Naval Warfare Center in Philadelphia with up to 28 electronic throttle control units (ETCU) and auxiliary components in support of the Virginia Class program. The deal has Raytheon provide replacement ETCU hardware, which is currently obsolete and can no longer be efficiently supported. The Virginia Class are attack submarines. The Navy’s newest undersea warfare platform is designed to seek and destroy enemy subs as well as surface ships. Virginia Class boats can carry up to 24 torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles. They can be deployed for a wide range of operations including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations forces support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare, and mine warfare missions. According to the DoD, the proposed contract includes the hardware fabrication for new construction platforms and all back-fit systems to mitigate parts obsolescence, update and maintain the ETCU technical data package, and design verification testing on limited production units for quality assurance. Work is scheduled to be completed by April 2024.

BAE Systems won an $8.1 million contract modification from the Navy for USS Wichita (LCS 13) post-shakedown availability (PSA). The Wichita is a Freedom Class Littoral Combat Ship. The 378-foot highly maneuverable lightweight combatant features a steel monohull with a draft of only 13 feet allowing access to more ports and locations than other ship designs. LCS warships are designed to perform humanitarian aid and rescue, anti-submarine warfare, minesweeping, defending against piracy and drug trafficking, small assault transport and deterrence, while operating in shallow coastal waters known as the littorals. The Navy commissioned the ship in January this year. The PSA encompasses all of the manpower, support services, material, non-standard equipment and associated technical data and documentation required to prepare for and accomplish the PSA. The work to be performed will include correction of government-responsible trial card deficiencies, new work identified between custody transfer and the time of PSA and incorporation of approved engineering changes that were not incorporated during the construction period. BAE Systems will perform work in Jacksonville, Florida, and is expecting to be finished by March 2020.

Middle East & Africa

The US Navy contracted Al Qabandi United with $30 million for vehicle lease services. According to the DoD, the deal provides for non-tactical vehicles for transportation purposes in support of the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait as well as surrounding tenant units. Al Qabandi United Company is a private General Trading, Supplying, and Contracting firm established in 1993. The company will perform work at the Ali Al Salem Air Base. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $16,000 are being obligated on a task order at the time of award.

Raytheon won $47.4 million from the US Navy to procure 62 LAU-115 and 68 LAU-116 guided missile launchers for the government of Kuwait to enable the F/A-18 aircraft to carry and launch AIM-120 and AIM-9X missiles. This deal also includes 99 LAU-115 and 100 LAU-116 guided missile launchers for the US Navy. The LAU-115 and LAU-116 provide the structural and electrical interfaces that allow the F/A-18 aircraft to carry and launch missiles such as Sparrow, Sidewinder and the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). The LAU-115 are rail launchers designed for carry and launch AIM-7 missiles from the F/A-18 aircraft. The launcher is suspended from the BRU-32 bomb rack on wing stations. The LAU-7 launchers or LAU-127 launchers may be attached to the sides of the LAU-115 to carry AIM-9 or AIM-120 missiles. The LAU-116 provides for the launch of the AIM-7 series Sparrow missile from the F/A-18A aircraft. The LAU-116A/A is also capable of launching the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. Two launchers, one on the left hand and one on the right hand, are installed in the underside of the aircraft fuselage at stations 4 and 6.

The US Air Force awarded Textron Aviation Defense a $15.4 million modification for the completion of the reconstitution of 15 T-6A aircraft. According to the DoD, the deal provides for a schedule extension to complete the reconstitution of 15 T-6A aircraft and procure cartridge actuated devices and propellant actuated devices. The contract is a Foreign Military Sale to Iraq. The T-6A military trainer provides performance and handling characteristics that will safely lead the student from ab-initio through primary and well into advanced training curricula. The Iraqi Air Force awarded HBC with a contract for eight T-6A trainers in August 2009. A second contract for seven more was awarded in September 2009, bringing the total to 15. The first four T-6A trainers were delivered to Iraqi Air Force in December 2009.

Europe

Thales announced that Switzerland selected the company for an Image Intelligence System. Thales will supply elements of an Image Intelligence (IMINT) Center built around the Thales MINDS / SAIM system. The MINDS / SAIM platform is designed to digitally process real-time data feeds from all types of sensors using advanced processing tools to address issues arising from the volume of data and diversity of sources. According to Thales, MINDS / SAIM will enable the Swiss Armed Forces to precisely target the data they need to process and to identify threats, thanks to a set of highly sophisticated tools based on AI and other technologies. MINDS (Multisensor image Interpretation and Dissemination System) is described by Thales as a combat-proven solution providing real-time digital acquisition and processing of raw data from all EO/IR sensors including wet films, SAR and MTI radars. Deliveries of the Image Intelligence System will begin in early 2020.

Asia-Pacific

The State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Japan regarding 56 Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IB missiles for an estimated cost of $1.2 billion. Also included are missile canisters, US Government and contractor representatives’ technical assistance, engineering and logistical support services as well as other related elements of logistics and program support. Prime Contractor for the Missile System will be Raytheon. For the canisters BAE Systems will be the prime contractor. The supersonic SM-3 Block IB interceptor is an upgraded variant of the original SM-3 missile fitted with an enhanced two-color infrared seeker and features an upgraded steering and propulsion capability. The SM-3 Block IB, first flight tested in 2011, is designed to destroy incoming short- to intermediate-range ballistic missile targets in midcourse. The weapon system became first operational with the Navy in 2014.

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Virginia Block I-II
(click for SuperSize)

“GDEB Receives $148M as Virginia Class Lead Yard” described changes to the Virginia Class submarine’s design that are expected to reach 20% of the $200 million savings goal by the time orders for the versatile sea attack/ land attack/ special forces submarines rise to 2 per year, in 2012.

The bow changes cover the FY 2009-2013 ships, referred to as Block III. SSN 774 Virginia – SSN 777 North Carolina are Block I, and SSNs 778-783 will be Block II. Block III begins with the 11th ship of class, SSN 784. Long lead time component orders began May 22/08, and the submarine is expected to be ready for delivery around 2015. A fuller explanation of Block III’s extensive bow changes, and an accompanying graphic, may be found below – along with contract updates that include additional improvements and sonar development.

The Virginia Class Program: “2 for 4 in 12”

SSN 777 costruction
(click to view full)

The SSN-774 Virginia Class submarine was introduced in the 1990s as a Clinton-era reform that was intended to take some of the SSN-21 Seawolf Class’ key design and technology advances, and place them in a smaller, less heavily-armed, and less expensive platform. The resulting submarine would have learned some of the Seawolf program’s negative procurement lessons, while performing capably in land attack, naval attack, special forces, and shallow water roles. In the end, the Seawolf Class became a technology demonstrator program that was canceled at 3 ships, and the Virginia Class became the naval successor to America’s famed SSN-688 Los Angeles Class.

The Virginia Class program was supposed to reach 2 submarines per year by 2002, removing it from the unusual joint construction approach between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding – but that goal has been pushed back to 2012 in progressive planning budgets.

In FY 2005 dollars, SSN-21 submarines cost between $3.1-3.5 billion each. According to Congressional Research Service report #RL32418, and the Navy is working toward a goal of shaving FY05$ 400 million from the cost of each Virginia Class boat, and buying 2 boats in FY2012 for combined cost of $4.0 billion in FY 2005 dollars – a goal referred to as “2 for 4 in 12”. In real dollars subject to inflation, that means about $2.6 billion per sub in 2012, and $2.7 billion in 2013. The Navy believes that moving from the current joint construction arrangement will shave FY05$ 200 million from the cost of each submarine, leaving another FY05$ 200 million (about $220 million) to be saved through ship design and related changes.

Block III: The Changes

Block III bow mods
(click to view full)

The most obvious change is the switch from 12 vertical launch tubes, to 12 missiles in 2 tubes that use technology from the Ohio Class special forces/ strike SSGN program. The Virginia’s hull has a smaller cross-section than the converted ballistic missile SSGNs, so the “6-shooters” will be shorter and a bit wider. Nevertheless, they will share a great deal of common technology, allowing innovations on either platform to be incorporated into the other submarine class during major maintenance milestones. Net savings are about $8 million to program baseline costs.

The other big change you can see in the above diagram is switching from an air-backed sonar sphere to a water-backed Large Aperture Bow (LAB) array. Eliminating the hundreds of SUBSAFE penetrations that help maintain required pressure in the air-backed sonar sphere will save approximately $11 million per hull, and begins with the FY 2012 boats (SSNs 787-788).

The LAB Array has 2 primary components: the passive array, which will provide improved performance, and a medium-frequency active array. It utilizes transducers from the SSN-21 Seawolf Class that are that are designed to last the life of the hull. This is rather par for the course, as the Virginia Class’ was created in the 1990s to incorporate key elements of the $4 billion Seawolf Class submarine technologies into a cheaper boat.

The SUBSAFE eliminations, plus the life-of-the-hull transducers, will help to reduce the submarines’ life cycle costs as well by removing moving parts that require maintenance, eliminating possible points of failure and repair, and removing the need for transducer replacements in drydock.

The bow redesign is not limited to these changes, however, and includes 25 associated redesign efforts. These are estimated to reduce construction costs by another $20 million per hull beginning with the FY 2012 submarine.

With the $19 million ($11 + 8) from the LAB array and Vertical Payload, and the $20 million from the associated changes, General Dynamics is $39 million toward the $200 million baseline costs goal of “2 for 4 in 12”. While the changes themselves will begin with the FY 2009 ship, the savings are targeted at FY 2012 because of the learning curve required as part of the switch. Recent discussions concerning an earlier shift to 2 submarines per year would result in faster production of the Block III submarines, but would be unlikely to make a huge difference to that learning curve.

Contracts and Key Events

Tomahawk launched

April 11/19: ETCU The Navy awarded $33.4 million to Raytheon to supply the Naval Warfare Center in Philadelphia with up to 28 electronic throttle control units (ETCU) and auxiliary components in support of the Virginia Class program. The deal has Raytheon provide replacement ETCU hardware, which is currently obsolete and can no longer be efficiently supported. The Virginia Class are attack submarines. The Navy’s newest undersea warfare platform is designed to seek and destroy enemy subs as well as surface ships. Virginia Class boats can carry up to 24 torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles. They can be deployed for a wide range of operations including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations forces support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare, and mine warfare missions. According to the DoD, the proposed contract includes the hardware fabrication for new construction platforms and all back-fit systems to mitigate parts obsolescence, update and maintain the ETCU technical data package, and design verification testing on limited production units for quality assurance. Work is scheduled to be completed by April 2024.

March 20/19: Long Lead Time Material The US Navy awarded General Dynamics a $2 billion contract modification to provide additional materials required to build the Virginia Class submarines from fiscal 2019 through fiscal 2023. The deal includes additional Long Lead Time Material and Economic Ordering Quantity items for SSN-802 to SSN-811 underwater vessels. The SSNs 802 -811 Virginia Class submarine hull numbers have not been named yet. The Virginia Class is the Navy’s newest undersea warfare platform. Attack submarines are designed to seek and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships, project power ashore with Tomahawk cruise missiles and Special Operation Forces, carry out Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, support battle group operations, and engage in mine warfare. The modification falls under a previously awarded sole-source contract. General Dynamics is the lead contractor of the Virginia Class submarine program. In February 2017, General Dynamics won an initial $126.5 million contract by the US Navy for long lead time material for the first two Block V Virginia Class submarines, SSN-802 and SSN-803. The Block V submarines built from 2019 onward will have an additional Virginia Payload Module (VPM) mid-body section, increasing their overall length. Work under the contract modification will take place within the USA.

February 27/19: Universal Modular Mast The US Navy awarded L-3 KEO a $19.3 million contract modification for the production of the Universal Modular Mast, which serves as a lifting mechanism for the Virginia class mast payloads. The Universal Modular Mast is standard equipment for above-water sensors on U.S. and international submarines. It is a non-hull penetrating mast for Navy Virginia-class fast-attack submarines and Ohio-class guided missile submarines that can host five different sensor configurations: the photonics mast, the multi-function mast, the integrated electronic mast, the high-data-rate-mast, and the photonics mast variant. The Virginia class or SSN-774 class are nuclear powered fast attack submarines. The submarines form the Navy’s new undersea warfare platform designed to seek and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships as well as project power ashore. Work under the contract will take place in Italy as well as Massachusetts and is scheduled to be finished by August 2021.

April 02/18: Post-delivery work General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp, is being contracted for the provision of post-delivery work on the USS Colorado (SSN 788). The awarded contract is valued at over $14 million. The USS Colorado is the 15th Virginia Class submarine delivered to the US Navy. She was delivered on September 21, 2017 and was commissioned on March 17, 2018. The SSN 788 is part of a 5-year, $17 billion deal to strengthen the USA’s nuclear submarine fleet. The SSN 788 belongs to Block III submarines that took a big step forward by replacing the 12 vertical launch tubes with a more flexible “6-shooter” approach, and swapping a water-backed, horseshoe-shaped LAB sonar array for the existing air-backed spherical array. Electric Boat Corp. will perform planning and execution efforts, including long lead time material procurement, in preparation to accomplish the maintenance, repair, alterations, testing, and other work on USS Colorado. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut and is expected to be completed by September 2018.

Jan 5/09: Goodrich in Charlotte, NC received a $49 million contract from Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding to provide composite components for the next 8 Virginia Class nuclear fast attack submarines referred to as Block III.

Goodrich’s Engineered Polymer Products team in Jacksonville, FL is building components to support the construction of 1 ship per year in 2009 and 2010, rising to 2 ships per year from 2011 through 2013. The components include the bow dome, and sonar and weapons equipment.

Dec 22/08: The US Navy signals its a href=”/Early-Xmas-Big-Virginia-Contracts-for-GDEB-NGC-05218/”>approval of the Virginia Class’ progress, and of the new Block III design, with a $14.011 billion contract to fund 8 Virginia Class block III submarines. Work on these boats will run until 2019.

Dec 12/08: General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp. in Groton, CT received a $16.8 million cost-plus-fixed-fee material order to fund the Block III Common Weapon Launcher (CWL) design, and includes the total scope associated with the vendor portion of the inboard electronics design as well as the scope required for in-house (Electric Boat) tasks. The CWL will sit in the Block III bow’s “six shooter” holes, and is so named because that space can be used to launch a wide variety of items besides UGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles; aerial UAVs and underwater UUVs are the most obvious.

GDEB services will include engineering support, Engineering Development Model (EDM) hardware, continued development of the CWL for use with SSN 784 VPT, development of interface documents, and defining changes to support interfaces to the Weapon Control and Payload Tube Control Panels. Work will be performed in Manassas, VA, and is expected to be complete by 2013. This contract was not competitively procured by the supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion and Repair in Groton CT (N00024-09-C-2101).

Dec 12/08: Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors in Manassas, VA received a $38.3 million modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-6207) for engineering services in support of the Acoustic – Rapid Commercial off The Shelf (A-RCI) program. The 550,000 additional engineering services hours will be used on TacLAN tasking related to Special Operations support, and to complete the new “BSY-2 Wrap Around Antenna (WAA),” which is listed as being a Virginia Class sonar.

DID requested clarification, and got it. BSY-2 is a Seawolf class system only. WAA is the Wide Aperture Array, and on the SSN-774 Virginia Class it evolved to the L-WAA (Lightweight Wide Aperture Array). The Virginia Class Block III bow has been redesigned to save money beginning with SSN 784; it will use the Large Aperture Bow (LAB) Array.

It turns out that the DefenseLINK release should read “technology insertions for the USS Jimmy Carter’s [SSN 23 Seawolf Class] BSY-2 WAA, and USS North Carolina [SSN 777 Virginia Class] LWAA TI-08 integration.” The exact work involved is technology insertion, integration, and modernization on USS Jimmy Carter and USS North Carolina, as well as the completion of the existing TI-08 effort and the Virginia Class Block III TI-10 Large Aperture Bow (LAB) Array effort for SSN 784.

Work will be performed in Manassas, VA (90%) and Syracuse, NY (10%) and is expected to be complete by June 2009. This contract was not competitively procured by US Naval Sea Systems Command.

Nov 5/08: The Virginia Class nuclear fast attack submarine Program Office Virginia Class Sub Program Wins Acquisition Awardreceives the 2008 David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award during a ceremony at Fort Belvoir, VA. This marks the third time (1996, 1998, 2008) that the Virginia Class Program Office has earned the award. The Virginia Class Program was recognized for excelling in 4 specific areas: reducing life-cycle costs; making the acquisition system more efficient, responsive, and timely; integrating defense with the commercial base and practices; and promoting continuous improvement of the acquisition process.

Americas

The Air Force awarded Boeing a $91.3 million contract modification for a super high-speed computer intended to improve the F-15’s electronics warfare capability. The modification provides for the production and integration of the Advanced Display Core Processor II (ADCPII) boxes into the F-15 platform. The ADCP II is also known as Suite 9. According to Boeing, it is the world’s fastest flight mission computer, capable of processing up to 87 billion instructions per second. In 2016, the F-15E tested the flight computer during a flight on July 8 at Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base. The ADCP II is part of a wider $12 billion modernization program taking place across the range of Eagle types being flown in the USAF inventory. The F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft. It is the Air Force’s primary fighter jet aircraft and intercept platform. The Eagle’s air superiority is achieved through a mixture of unprecedented maneuverability and acceleration, range, weapons and avionics.

DRS Laurel Technologies won a $53.7 million supply contract in support of the guided-missile destroyer (DDG) modernization program. The deal includes cost reimbursable services for the repair station console (RSC). According to the DoD, the RSC installation is accomplished in whole or in phases that minimize interruption in ship operating schedules while maximizing the capacity of type Commander and Naval Sea System Command agencies to upgrade and modernize hull, mechanical as well as electrical and electronic systems. DRS Laurel will deliver supplies to various Navy bases, shipyards, repair and contractor facilities. The DDG program commenced with the USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) in mid-2010, to provide comprehensive mid-life upgrades that will ensure Arleigh Burke class ships maintain mission relevance. With an expected life of 35 years or more, the sustained maintenance and modernization of these ships is crucial to their continued role as an essential component of surface warfare. The Navy modernization program provides a full spectrum of technical support encompassing all phases of the alteration/installation process. DRS Laurel Technologies will perform in Virginia and various other places and expects to be finished by April 2024.

The Navy contracted Hamilton Sundstrand with $11.1 million for repair of the processor signal utilized on the Super Hornets. The F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III or Advanced Super Hornet is the newest highly capable, affordable and available tactical aircraft manufactured by Boeing. The Super Hornet Block III comes equipped with Distributing Targeting Processor Network (DTP-N) and Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT). These are a computer and a big data platform that work together to aid in even more efficient movement and management of data within assets. The Block IIIs sensors along with the APG-79 AESA Radar coupled to DTP-N and TTNT systems plots information on the Advances Cockpit System making it easy for aircrews to view and manage information. A key capability of the aircraft is the installation of the Raytheon AN/APG-79 multimode AESA tactical radar which has passive detection, active radar suppression modes of operation to provide air-to-air, air to ground, targeting, tracking and self-protection. This radar provides critically important data. Work will take place in Windsor Locks, Connecticut and is scheduled to be completed by April 2024.

Middle East & Africa

Local media reports that the French Army started to withdraw its troops from Iraq. According to officials, the French artillery group, which was deployed on the Iraqi-Syrian border against the Islamic State (IS) group, has completed its mission. The 150-strong Task Force Wagram, an artillery battle group armed with three Caesar 155 mm howitzers, was deployed in Iraq since September 2016 alongside the anti-jihadist coalition. French Army Caesars participated in the liberation of the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Qayarah Forward Base. They then were deployed along the Iraqi-Syrian border, near the Iraqi city of al-Qaim, in support of the Syrian Democratic Forces (FDS).

Europe

Finland shortlisted Saab as a Combat System provider for the Finnish Squadron 2020 program. The potential contract would have Saab provide and integrate the Finnish Navy’s four new Pohjanmaa Class corvettes within the Squadron 2020 program. The program is a project by the Finnish Navy. Its aim is to replace the seven vessels the Navy will decommission. Four modern corvettes will be procured to replace the vessels to be decommissioned. All of the Finnish Navy’s current vessels feature at least one system from Saab, with the majority of vessels operating several systems from Saab. According to the company, Saab has not yet signed any contract or received an order relating to Squadron 2020.

Asia-Pacific

Thales announced, that the company together with the Kalyani Group have formalized a new collaboration for the design, development and manufacture of next generation weapons systems for the Defense and Law Enforcement sectors in India and abroad. The two companies have inked an agreement for the joint venture. According to the company, the collaboration will leverage Thales’s more than 100 years of experience in the design, development and manufacture of the world’s leading defense systems. The agreement was signed onboard the HMAS Canberra.

The Australian Army successfully tested its new Sensor-fused Munition for Artillery (SMArt) 155mm round. The projectile was tested during Exercise Chimera, conducted on 24 and 25 March, at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area near Rockhampton, Queensland. The SMArt 155 is a fire and forget artillery round that is very effective in GPS denied environments and against targets with large target location errors (TLE). It uses high performance explosively formed penetrator (EFP) technology and a multi-mode sensor suite to provide predictable and precise lethal areas of effects in all weather and environments. According to the Australian Department of Defense, the SMArt 155 projectile will provide the army with the ability to effectively engage and destroy heavy armored fighting vehicles, such as main battle tanks, at operationally significant ranges, in all weather and terrain.

Today’s Video

Watch: China Third aircraft carrier taking shape in Shanghai

Americas

Leidos won a $19.4 million ceiling cost-reimbursement contract for system integration and field testing of a laser weapon system at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. Specifically, the deal is for the advancement of laser weapon system technology through research and development of systems as well as evaluating performance in relevant operational environments. The Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate at Kirtland Air Base develops technologies in laser systems, high power electromagnetics, weapons modeling and simulation as well as directed energy and electro-optics for space superiority. With its laser programs the lab is trying to achieve a laser weapon system that can operate in all flight regimes against targets that are approaching at supersonic speeds, which must be intercepted at significant range, according to a report. By 2021, the Air Force plans to test laser weapons from fighter jets to destroy high-value targets, conduct precision strikes and incinerate enemy locations from the sky. Work is scheduled to be finished by April 2022.

Lockheed Martin contracted Saab to deliver Sea Giraffe AMB 3-D surveillance radars to the Royal Canadian Navy’s two new Protecteur Class Joint Support Ships. According to a press release by Saab, the Sea Giraffe AMB will form part of the command management system for the new ships. The Sea Giraffe Agile Multi Beam (AMB) is a C-band maritime 3D mid-range multifunction radar. The radar provides airspace reconnaissance and simultaneous target tracking, weapon system targeting and high-resolution navigation. The Sea Giraffe AMB has been optimized for use on the Swedish Visby Class corvettes and the Independence Class US Coast Guard. The AMB contains a number of independent elevation-angle antenna beams. Saab will perform work in Gothenburg, Sweden and Halifax, Canada with deliveries scheduled between 2020 and 2022.

Middle East & Africa

Israeli Weapons Industries (IWI) introduced a new assault rifle during the LAAD 2019 exhibition in Brazil, local media reports. The so called Carmel is a conventional configuration rifle, which is offered in four different barrel lengths: 267mm, 305mm, 368mm and 406mm. The rifle features special steels, aviation grade aluminum and high impact polymers for high performance in small unit operations across a wide range of environments and different combat scenarios. It has a rotating bolt system and is equipped with picatinny rails on all sides to allow 100 percent compatibility with any available sights, devices or accessories. The weight of the rifle without a magazine or sight is 3.3 kg.

Europe

Britain will send its F35B aircraft on their very first overseas deployment this year. According to the British government, the aircraft will make their way from Royal Air Force home station Marham in Norfolk to Cyprus. This marks an important milestone for the F35B’s journey to become fully operational. The deployment will see personnel from the Royal Air Force as well as the Navy gain vital experience in maintaining and flying the aircraft in an unfamiliar environment. Britain currently owns 17 F-35B aircraft, and plans to procure 138 over the life of the program. The country plans for the jets to hit targets in Syria as soon as this summer, the Times reported last December.

German defense company Rheinmetall won a $122.8 million contract from the German Bundeswehr to deliver 32,000 rounds of artillery ammunition. The deal includes an option for a further 11,000 for $41.7 million. The ammunition ordered by the Bundeswehr is the 155mm DM121. At the end of March, the German parliament approved $28 million in funding for procurement of 155 mm ammunition for the Panzerhaubitze (PzH) 2000 self-propelled howitzer. The DM121 can attain ranges of up to 30 kilometres and can also be used in training as well as field exercises. According to Rheinmetall, the DM121 is capable of penetrating a several-centimeter-thick wall of reinforced concrete before detonating in controlled fashion on the opposite side. Rheinmetall Waffe Munition will produce the 155mm artillery ammunition for the five-year-contract in Unterlüß, Germany.

Asia-Pacific

According to Jane’s, South Korean company Korean Aerospace Industries started ground-based engine trials of the Light Attack Helicopter (LAH) it developed for the Republic of Korea Army. The LAH, developed around the Airbus H155 twin-engined platform, features a turreted 20 mm Gatling-gun under its nose, stub wings provisioned to carry rocket pods as well as a nose-mounted electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, fuselage- and tail-mounted missile warning receivers, and upwards-directed exhausts for a reduced IR signature. The 214 LAHs that are currently being produced are scheduled to enter into service in 2022/2023.

Today’s Video

Watch: Here’s How F-35 Technology Would Be Compromised If Turkey Also Had the S-400 Anti-Aircraft System

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAV8dMtc1A8