Defense`s Feeds

Americas Boeing has been awarded a $271-million deal to produce six “remanufactured” MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters for the US Army. Boeing said the updates to the chopper answer the US Army Special Operations Aviation Command’s need for battle-ready heavy-lift helicopters capable of adapting to increasingly complex missions. The contract brings the total number of Block […]

CH-47Fs take off (click to view full) DII FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record; this FOCUS Article covers the CH-47F/MH-47G Chinook helicopter programs, in the USA and abroad. These helicopters’ distinctive “flying banana” twin-rotor design stems from the brilliant work of aviation pioneer Frank Piasecki. It gives Chinooks the […]

Americas Collins Aerospace won a $34.7 million modification for B-52 aircraft wheels and brakes. The performance completion date is August 31, 2028. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2023 through 2028 Air Force working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Hill Air Force Base, Utah. […]

B-52H: flyin’ low, dyin’ slow… (click to view full) Officially, it’s the B-52H Stratofortress. Unofficially, it’s the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat F–cker). Either way, this subsonic heavy bomber remains the mainstay of the U.S. strategic fleet after more than 50 years of service. A total of 102 B-52H bombers were delivered from FY 1961-1963, and […]

Americas Lockheed Martin Aeronautics won a $32.3 million deal for F-16 Systems Program Office Foreign Military Sales support. This contract provides for FMS support to Poland for the F-16 Multifunction Information Distribution System-Joint Tactical Radio System Integration. Work will be performed at Fort Worth, Texas; and Poland, and is expected to be completed by December […]

Americas Lockheed won a $13 million modification, which dds scope to provide reach back support for sustainment of all Norway and Italy Reprogramming Laboratory systems, as well as associated consumables and spare material/tooling support in support of the F-35 program for non-US Department of Defense (DOD) participants. Work will be performed in Eglin, Florida (80%); […]

Americas Airbus Defence and Space has recently concluded a successful two-week flight-test campaign for its A400M Roll-on/Roll-off firefighting prototype kit. The campaign, conducted in south-western and central Spain, showcased the prototype’s ability to drop 20,000 liters of retardant, creating high concentration lines over 400 meters long on the ground. Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Military Air […]

Americas Kratos won a $23 million modification, which adds scope to provide continued non-recurring engineering in support for the XQ-58A Unmanned Aerial Systems mission systems and subsystems integration for the Marine Corps. Additionally, this modification provides for flight test and demonstration events, associated spares, materials, and repairs. Work will be performed in Sacramento, California; and […]

KC-390 refuels AMXs (click to view full) Global competition in the 20-ton air transport segment continues to intensify, with Brazil’s launch of its KC-390 program. Embraer figures reportedly place the global C-130 replacement market at around 700 aircraft. In response, it will develop a jet-powered rival to compete with Lockheed Martin’s C-130J, the larger Airbus […]

Americas General Atomics Aeronautical Systems won a $389 million deal by the US Army for the purchase of MQ-1C-25M Gray Eagle Modernized Extended Range systems. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of November 29, 2024. HII Ingalls […]

ER/MP, armed (click to view full) Its initial battles were fought within the Pentagon, but the US Army’s high-end UAV has made its transition to the battlefield. The ER/MP program was part of the US Army’s reinvestment of dollars from the canceled RAH-66 Comanche helicopter program, and directly supports the Army’s Aviation Modernization Plan. The […]

Americas Mercury Mission Systems won a $16.8 million modification, which exercises an option to procure 48 data transfer units and 121 high-definition video recorders for retrofit on F/A-18C-F Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircrafts in support of Small Business Innovation Research Phase III topic N102-0129 titled, “Automatic Real-Time, Reconfigurable Interface Generalization Hardware Multiprotocol Data Recorder”. Work […]

EA-18G at Pax The USA’s electronic attack fighters are a unique, overworked, and nearly obsolete capability. With the retirement of the US Air Force’s long-range EF-111 Raven “Spark ‘Vark,” the aging 4-seat EA-6B Prowlers became the USA’s only remaining fighter for radar jamming, communications jamming and information operations like signals interception [1]. Despite their age […]

Since 2018, the European Defence Agency (EDA) Defence Innovation Prize has been rewarding companies and research entities that come up with technologies, products, processes or services applicable to the defence domain. The prize promotes defence innovation in Europe and provides civilian industries, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), research organisations and universities with an opportunity to showcase their know-how.

This year, the prize focused on two categories: 

• Technologies for situational awareness Innovative solutions and technologies for immersive training, battlefield situational awareness and other defence applications.

• Technologies for communication and information systems Innovative solutions and technologies for implementing Zero Trust Architecture in tactical defence communication and information systems.

The award for Technologies for situational awareness goes to the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre, and its concept ‘Tactical Environment Model for Battlefield  Awareness (TEMBA)’.  The award for Technologies for communication and information systems goes to Cyber Noesis, and its concept paper for ‘AI-assisted dynamic risk management for context-aware access control in Zero Trust Architecture.

For a full article see: European Defence Matters Issue 26

The prize winners are given access to EDA’s network of experts, having the opportunity to form valuable partnerships to leverage some of the EDA and EU funding opportunities.

Proposals judged to be at a high level by the evaluation committee, including the winners, will be presented to EDA’s Capability Technology groups, known as CapTechs, in a dedicated workshop to explore ways to apply them within the CapTechs’ areas of responsibility.

 

 

Americas Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW), a naval aviation repair and maintenance facility based at the NAS North Island, is embarking on a significant transition in naval aviation maintenance as the Navy gradually phases out its legacy F/A-18A-D series. This shift marks the inclusion of the F-16 fighter as a major program for FRCSW’s Depot […]

F-35B: off probation (click to view full) The $382 billion F-35 Joint Strike fighter program may well be the largest single global defense program in history. This major multinational program is intended to produce an “affordably stealthy” multi-role fighter that will have 3 variants: the F-35A conventional version for the US Air Force et. al.; […]

Europe should consider Ukraine as the "arsenal of the free world" and learn lessons from the conflict with Russia, Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukrainian Minister of Strategic Industries, told the European Defence Agency's annual conference.

"We are paying a terrible price but (the war) allows us to guarantee the quality of our defence products," Kamyshin told the 300 delegates gathered in Brussels, who included Ministers of Defence, EU lawmakers, members of Europe’s armed forces, defence industry representatives and experts.

"We offer you a chance to get ready, we ask you not to miss it. We didn’t choose this way, we have been a peaceful country But this world pushes us to build an arsenal, the arsenal of the free world, let’s build it together," Kamyshin said.

He added that the 'innovation cycle' in Ukraine during wartime was as short as two weeks: from the moment the military sees something is not working to its reestablishment as a reliable asset. 

Speaking on a panel dedicated to supporting the European Defence Technological Industrial Base (EDTIB), Timo Pesonen, Director General, DG DEFIS, European Commission, said that the Commission, EDA and NATO were working together to develop industry.

Wendy Gilmour, Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment at NATO, recalled that collective defence, planning and setting standards have allowed the transatlantic alliance to deliver interoperable capabilities. She said EDA, OCCAR and NSPA worked together to deliver on European goals, citing the Multinational Multi Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF).

"A more effective European defence industrial base will make NATO stronger," Gilmour said, urging European cooperation with Turkey, Britain and the United States. Gilmour said that Ukraine was firing 15,000 rounds a day of large calibre ammunition, showing the challenge for Western production facilities to help meet the demand.

Radka Konderlova, Director-General for Industrial Cooperation, Ministry of Defence, Czechia, said there must be better access to financing for defence companies. She said Czechia was trying to address the issue with banks. "The devil is sometimes in the details," she added.

'European preference'

Antoine Bouvier, Head of Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions at Airbus, said volume and performance were both crucial to a successful defence industry in Europe. "You can get volumes through inventories ... but this is not sustainable. It is sustainable to invest. It means you have to take a political decision from governments and a business decision from industry." 

Bouvier called for a "European preference" when it came to Member States buying military assets and equipment, saying it would give more predictability to industry. He also said it was important to attract young people to work in European defence companies. "Funding, predictability yes. But if we are missing human resources, we will be prevented from doing our job," he said. 

The European Union should strive towards a fully-fledged ‘European Defence Union’, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen told the European Defence Agency’s annual conference.

Warning Member States against buying too many assets and too much equipment without coordination, and from abroad, President von der Leyen said the Commission was preparing a new ‘European Defence Industrial Strategy’ for early in 2024. 

“We have made tangible progress towards a European Defence Union, but the strategic challenges we face have grown even faster,” von der Leyen told the 300 delegates gathered in Brussels, who included Ministers of Defence, EU lawmakers, members of Europe’s armed forces, defence industry representatives and experts. “The next chapter is a fully-fledged European Defence Union.”

Forged out of the ashes of the Second World War, the EU has always seen itself as a peace project. Von der Leyen urged Europeans to now think of the EU as a security project. “Peace needs security,” she said.

The EU should also include Ukraine's military needs as the Union designs the future strategy of Europe's defence industry, von der Leyen said.

"Our strategy can only be complete if it also takes into account Ukraine's needs and Ukraine's industrial capacity," von der Leyen said

Josep Borrell, EDA’s Head of Agency and EU High Representative, welcomed a €70 billion increase in defence spending, following what he called a “silent process of disarmament” in Europe in previous decades.

Borrell reiterated his view that the EU continues to lack critical capabilities. Presenting EDA’s 2022 defence data, Borrell said that, at a record €240 billion, 2022 European defence spending again increased by 6% on the previous year, marking the eighth year of consecutive growth. 

“We have to increase the level of our ambition,” Borrell said of European cooperative military projects. “This is an opportunity to think bigger.” He also called for more joint spending in research and technology (R&T), after a 6% fall in 2022. "This, we cannot afford."

  European Defence Industry Programme

Building on EDA’s work in military collaboration, von der Leyen said the Commission’s strategy would seek to deepen further defence cooperation in the EU. “We need a strategic planning function that ties together national and EU-level planning. This will give predictability and reduce fragmentation,” she said. “We need simpler and more efficient rules … We can use our regulatory framework.”

In her policy speech, von der Leyen told the EDA annual conference that the Commission will first consult with industry. In addition to a White Paper on dual use research, the EU executive will “explore all possible ways to reward, incentivise and compensate the costs of cooperation and industrial competitiveness,” von der Leyen said.

She said the Commission will propose a European Defence Industry Programme early next year. This will integrate the experience of recent EU legislation, ASAP and EDIRPA.

ASAP stands for Act in Support of Ammunition Production.  It aims to facilitate the ramp-up of ammunition production capacity in the European defence industry. ASAP has a budget of €500 million over 2023-2025. EDIRPA stands for European defence industry reinforcement through common procurement act.  EDIRPA has a budget of €300 million.

Von der Leyen also said the Commission was working closely with EDA on VAT exemption to support joint procurement, as well as joint ownership of defence capabilities. The Commission will also look at how a government’s defence investments might be taken into account under EU fiscal governance rules.

Von der Leyen said it could be a “relevant factor when we assess if Member States have an excessive deficit.”

The European Union should consider ‘European defence bonds’ to fund investment in European defence and security as part of a new push for deeper military coordination, the President of the European Council Charles Michel told the European Defence Agency’s annual conference.

Member states should pool what could amount to €600 billion in defence investment over the next 10 years, Michel told the conference, urging for better coordination of how it is to be spent. He also proposed a European cyber force equipped with offensive capabilities to counter attacks through computer networks.

“We must fortify our European continent. We must beef up our European defence,” Michel told the 300 delegates gathered in Brussels, who included European Ministers of Defence, EU lawmakers, members of Europe’s armed forces, defence industry representatives and experts.

Michel said European defence bonds would be an attractive asset class, including for retail investors. Michel also said the time was ripe to channel more military investment and activities into a combined European effort to defend the EU’s values of liberal democracy.

“The idea of EU defence is not new,” Michel said. “Russia’s invasion have injected a new urgency. Our ambition must match the urgency (of the moment).”

No more ‘peace dividend’

Belgium’s Minister of Defence Ludivine Dedonder warned that, given that the war in Ukraine was likely to last for some time, the EU must strengthen its industrial base.

“We must consider that our security needs real investment in a defence capability that is sufficiently robust to act as a deterrent and sufficiently resilient to support a war effort if required," she told the conference. Belgium will take over the EU Presidency of the Council of the European Union in January.

“Our major challenge will be continue to rebuild our defence capabilities.” Minister Dedonder outlined how she took over a defence ministry that had been badly underfunded, but that was now changing.

Cyprus Minister of Defence Michalis Giorgallas said: "In recent years, Cyprus' defence SMEs have specialized in cutting-edge technologies such as cyber-defence, tactical to strategic communications, maritime surveillance, intelligence, and unmanned vehicles."

Both ministers said the EU should be more independent. Eric Beranger, Chief Executive Officer, MBDA Missile Systems, highlighted that more than 70% of European orders for military assets and equipment are made outside of Europe. Only about 30% are procured inside Europe, he said. "Europe will become more autonomous when this ratio is reversed. This is what will break the vicious circle."

EDA’s Chief Executive Jiří Šedivý underscored the work that EU Member States already engage in, but called for deeper integration. He also argued for sharper, higher-end, full-spectrum capabilities along the lines of the Agency’s newly agreed Capability Development Priorities.

“If I have one message for you today, it is that we cannot continue in EU defence as we did before, with the mentality of peace time. We have lived too long on the peace dividend,”  Šedivý told the conference. “Never before have we had such a convergence with the NATO priorities,” he added.

‘Different planets’

During the conference’s first panel, Nathalie Loiseau, Chairwoman of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence, shared President Michel’s urgency. She called for the EU to move closer to something resembling a war footing in its support for Ukraine. She also urged EU Member States to dedicate more shared funds to defence.

“We do need to increase the money for the European Defence Fund,” she said, noting that the €8 billion in the EDF for the 2021-2027 period is less than the €13 billion originally proposed. She said that the European budget for defence amounted to €4 a year per European citizen.

Christian Molling, Deputy Director, German Council on Foreign Relations, told the conference that there were still big issues to address. He said that over the past two decades, EU institutions, defence companies and governments were on “different planets” and that their goals were not aligned.

He said EDA was trying to bridge the gaps, also with NATO. “Future conflict is not 2024. Future conflict is tomorrow and preparation is today,” he warned.

Reacting to Michel’s prediction of the €600 billion in future defence investment, Molling said: “The demand in Europe is tremendous. Take the economic risk now to evade the military risk later.”

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has today published its annual Defence Data report for 2022, for the first-time detailing defence spending from all EU Member States. At a record €240 billion, 2022 European defence spending again increased by 6% on the previous year, marking the eighth year of consecutive growth. 20 of the 27 EU Member States increased defence expenditure, with six increasing spending by over 10%.

2022 European Defence Spending - Key Findings

• Sweden (+30.1%), Luxembourg (+27.9%), Lithuania (27.6%), Spain (19.3%), Belgium (14.8%) and Greece (13.3%) recorded the highest increases in overall expenditure among the EU 27.

• A record €58 billion was allocated to defence investments; overwhelmingly towards the procurement of new equipment, which increased by 7% on the previous year.

• Significant jump in value of projects managed by EDA; with 18 projects starting in 2022 worth more than € 76 million, for a combined value of € 250 million across 46 projects managed on behalf of Member States by EDA.

High Representative/Vice-President and Head of the European Defence Agency Josep Borrell said: “Our armed forces must be ready for a much more demanding era. Adjusting to these new realities first and foremost means investing more on defence. A record €240 billion underpins the commitment of Member States to bolster European defence. However, we have key capability gaps and continue to lag behind other global players in spending. This is why it’s not just about spending more in defence, but also about spending better and together. We must find extra value in our ability to cooperate and seize the opportunities to strengthen our armed forces through common planning, shared projects and joint procurements.”

Commitment to investment 

The allocation of €58 billion of total defence expenditure to defence investment by the 27 EU Member States marks a robust growth of 5.9%. The agreed benchmark of 20% total expenditure to this area is surpassed for the fourth year with a 24.2% total across the EU. 20 Member States reached this collectively agreed benchmark, with Luxembourg (53.5%), Hungary (48.1%), Greece (42.6%), Finland (37.4%) and Lithuania (34.8%) with the highest allocation of their overall defence expenditure to investment.

Research spending slips  

Despite record overall spending, expenditure dedicated to defence research and technology (R&T) is down, €200 million compared to the previous year. Only two MS meet the agreed 2% benchmark of defence expenditure dedicated to R&T activities, together accounting for more than 80% of all defence R&T expenditure. EU collaborative endeavours such as the EDA Ad Hoc framework and funding via the European Defence Fund can collectively bring the EU closer to achieving the benchmark for defence spending allocated to R&T activities.

 

BACKGROUND

EDA collects defence data on an annual basis, and has done so since 2006, in line with the Agency’s Ministerial Steering Board Decision of November 2005. The Ministries of Defence of the Agency’s 27 Member States provide the data. EDA acts as its custodian and publishes the aggregated figures in its “Defence data” booklets and on its website. On 23 March 2023, Denmark joined the Agency, allowing for the first time EDA’s Defence Data Publication to account for all European Union MS. Of note, this edition incorporates Denmark’s defence data for 2022 only. Datasets of MS are available since 2006 on the Defence Data Portal on EDA’s website.

Notes for editors

1. EDA Defence Data Report 2022
2. EDA Defence Data webpage
3. The European Defence Agency (EDA), the hub for European defence cooperation:
   1. Created in 2004 to support and facilitate defence cooperation in Europe, EDA has become the place where countries willing to develop their defence capabilities collaboratively can do so.
   2. EDA’s expertise and activities cover the whole spectrum of cooperation: from harmonising requirements to delivering operational capabilities; from research & technology (R&T) and innovation to developing technology demonstrators; from training and exercises to support to CSDP operations.
   3. EDA also closely engages with the European defence industry to enhance Europe’s defence technological and industrial base and help make the industry stronger and more competitive.
   4. The Agency’s role and impact have constantly grown, especially with the implementation of the EU’s Global Strategy (2016) which also led Member States to reinforce the Agency’s mission in 2017, and more recently with the adoption of the EU Strategic Compass.

 4. Follow #EUdefence on social media (X, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube) for more and    visit our website www.eda.europa.eu.