Defence`s Feeds

Key Points The US HAC introduced a USD577.9 billion defence spending bill on the House floor for FY 2017 during the week of 6 March 2017 The bill contains USD516.1 billion in the base budget and USD61.8 billion in wartime OCO accounts The US House Appropriations Committee (HAC) introduced a

The Portuguese Ministry of National Defence (MoND) currently considers the Embraer KC-390 multipurpose transport aircraft as an adequate solution to progressively replace the country's Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules aircraft, it told Jane's on 9 March. No contract has yet been placed, but up to

The Russian Navy's Project 949A Antey ('Oscar II')-class nuclear-powered attack submarines will be re-armed with the Kalibr-PL missile system during an extensive overhaul at the Zvezda shipyard in the country's Far East, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said while visiting the facility on 7

The Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant (KnAAZ: a subsidiary of Sukhoi) will deliver three T-50 (PAK FA) fifth-generation multirole fighters to Russia's Ministry of Defence (MoD) in 2017, Deputy Defence Minister Yuri Borisov said on 9 March during a working trip to the Far East and Siberia. "The

The United States has deployed approximately 400 additional personnel to Syria as it struggles to de-escalate the conflict between NATO ally Turkey and the Syrian Kurds, who have proved to be Washington's most effective partner against the Islamic State in Syria. The new deployments were first

Industry has been asked to submit cost proposals for a 40 ft (12.2 m) patrol boat (PB-X) to replace ageing force protection (FP) craft operated by the US Navy's Coastal Riverine Force (CRF). Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) intends to award a five-year design and construction contract for 18 PB-X

United Technologies Corporation (UTC) Aerospace Systems is transitioning its MS-177 multi-spectral sensor from a 7- to 10-band configuration, now designated the MS-177A. The systems will be integrated onto the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, and the first flight test of the 7-band sensor aboard

Spain is donating two patrol boats to Guinea-Bissau to help the West African nation monitor its coastal waters. The first vessel, M08, left Spain in late February 2017 aboard the Guardia Civil police maritime service (SEMAR)-operated Rio Tajo transport vessel with a team of Guardia Civil

Russian Iskander-K Cruise Missile

Tracking and shooting errors of a shipboard weapon system are often very hard and costly to investigate and require extensive and time-consuming testing at sea.

In this issue: The UK’s laser weapons project, US defence under Trump, industry trends for the year ahead, the challenges of maintaining effective land forces, new energy ideas for operating bases, a lesson in air readiness with NATO, and more.

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Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

The FSD195 fast patrol vessel (FPV) was designed and built by Italian shipbuilder Ferretti Group's subsidiary Ferretti Security and Defence (FSD), and was initially unveiled in February 2016.

BMT Asset Performance has launched a new maritime legislation database (MLD) for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) at the 9th Maritime Safety Forum held in Abbeywood.

Almaco Group has received an order from Canadian shipbuilder and industrial fabricator Davie Shipbuilding to deliver the accommodation unit for Canada's Resolve-class auxiliary oiler replenishment (AOR) vessel.

The British Royal Navy's HMS Iron Duke Type 23 Duke-class frigate has returned to sea after undergoing an extensive maintenance at the navy's facility in Portsmouth.

Americas

• The Brazilian Army has ordered an additional procurement of RBS 70 surface-to-air missile systems from Saab in a deal worth $11.7 million. In addition to the systems, the contract includes launchers, night vision equipment, training simulators and other equipment for operators and maintainers of the RBS 70. Deliveries will commence later this year and continue into 2018. A popular system, Saab has sold more than 1,600 RBS 70 units to over 19 countries.

• Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4B Global Hawk UAV has commenced flight testing with the UTC Aerospace Systems MS-177 long-range multispectral sensor. The February 8 maiden flight with the MS-177 is the initial step in a six-month integration, test and qualification phase that will mostly take place at Edwards AFB, close to Northrop’s facility in Palmdale, California, where the aircraft is built. Northrop’s RQ-4 is the second UAV to demonstrate compatibility with the sensor after General Atomics’ “Predator C” Avenger, which performed a series of flight tests in January and February 2016. Integration with the MS-177 will enable the Global Hawk to establish compliance with the USAF’s new Open Mission System standards, which allow different sensors and payloads to be rapidly installed and qualified.

• FAAC Inc has been contracted by the USAF to upgrade weapon systems for the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. Valued at $9.5 million, the contract calls for FAAC to update various F-16 weapon system components including software capabilities, multi-mission computers, and mid-life updates for F-16 Block 16 jets. Work will be completed by March, 2023. The most recent variant of the jet, the F-16V, is equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array radar system and weapons include one M-61A1 20mm multi-barrel cannon in addition to air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles.

Middle East & North Africa

• Turkey is expected to bring up Turkish interest in the S-400 surface-to-air missile system when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits Russia. Officials in Ankara have been touting the S-400 as an off-the-shelf solution to their long-range air-defense requirements, and it is noted that there is an interest in procuring Russian technical assistance for their own long-range SAM program, which was initiated following the collapse of an HQ-9 purchase from China. Turkey’s own efforts to develop an indigenous SAM system has progressed as of late with Roketsan successfully test-firing the medium-range HiSAR-O missile in December, and industry now focusing on validating the design and adapting the HiSAR-series to commercially-standard vertical-launch systems (VLS), which could prepare them for naval use in Turkey and abroad.

Europe

• The European Defense Agency (EDA) has completed a project aimed at improving the accuracy for artillery munitions. Known as the Course Correcting Fuze (CCF), the program is designed to provide near-precision capabilities for conventional munitions by placing fins in the fuze body that can then be used along with GPS technologies to make strikes with 155mm and 105mm munitions more accurate. Work was carried out by munition experts from EDA member states Belgium, Poland, Sweden and Britain participating in the project with additional support from Norway. The agency concluded it would be beneficial for EDA member states to develop common munitions and artillery systems, allowing CCF solutions to be integrated more easily.

• Russia is expanding their military support fleet with a focus on long-range vessels as they looks to increase the capability to ship military hardware and equipment to far-flung battlefields. Since the start of their military intervention in Syria in September 2015, Moscow has been sending supplies via the “Syrian Express” sea route through the Black Sea, however, this has put immense strain on their naval auxiliary fleet and has resulted in buying of Turkish cargo ships as well using an arctic ice breaker to help fill the void. In response to the shortfall, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that “our main efforts must be directed into building large-tonnage ships and other universal and multi-functional ships capable of meeting the needs of the armed forces in distant maritime areas,” and that Russia would build more than 60 such new ships before 2020.

Asia Pacific

• Iran tested two ballistic anti-ship missiles based on the Fateh-110 over the weekend. One missile successfully hit its target — a floating barge — over 155 miles away, while the second is believed to have landed in the vicinity of the target. Alongside the test, Iranian vessels forced a US Navy surveillance ship — the USNS Invincible — and three Royal British Navy vessels to change course in the Strait of Hormuz last week, and were also met with an earlier attempt by an Iranian vessel to position itself between the Invincible and a British ship. The launch comes less than a week after Tehran tested their new S-300 air-defense system for the first time.

• The US military has begun to deploy the first elements of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea. Speaking on the commencement of the deployment, US Pacific Commander Admiral Harry Harris said that the “continued provocative actions by North Korea, to include yesterday’s launch of multiple missiles, only confirm the prudence of our alliance decision last year to deploy THAAD to South Korea.” Meanwhile China has asked Pyongyang to cease their ongoing ballistic missile testing, and for South Korea and the US to stop joint military drills and seek talks instead.

Today’s Video

RBS-70 w. night sight
(click to view full)

Vladimir Putin liked the Winter Olympics so much, he decided his army needed its own event. Brazil isn’t eyeing its neighbors’ territories, so they’re more focused on defensive preparations as they prepare for soccer’s World Cup in 2014, and a 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Air defense is part of standard security preparations, and Brazil’s array needed an update anyway. Early reports had Brazil looking to Russia, and that may still happen, but the 2014 World Cup will see Brazil deploy a new system from Sweden…

RBS 70

March 8/17: The Brazilian Army has ordered an additional procurement of RBS 70 surface-to-air missile systems from Saab in a deal worth $11.7 million. In addition to the systems, the contract includes launchers, night vision equipment, training simulators and other equipment for operators and maintainers of the RBS 70. Deliveries will commence later this year and continue into 2018. A popular system, Saab has sold more than 1,600 RBS 70 units to over 19 countries.

March 3/14: Saab announces an SEK 80 million / $12.2 million contract with Brazil for RBS-70 soldier-portable anti-aircraft missile systems:

“The deal comprises an undisclosed number of RBS 70 man-portable launchers, Mk II type missiles, simulators, night vision equipment, a test set, maintenance tools, spares, associated equipment, and training for the weapon’s operators and maintainers. The systems are among others intended to protect Brazil’s strategic infrastructure, and would be employed in protection of major incoming events, including the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.”

This small order (likely 12-16 systems) makes Brazil the RBS-70’s 19th customer. Unlike the Army’s more widespread Russian SA-18/24 Igla system, which depends on a seeker, the RBS-70 is a laser beamrider that homes in only on manually designated targets. That makes it essentially unjammable. It also makes the RBS 70 an excellent choice for very public venues that are likely to have a number of legitimate flying machines crowding the airspace at any given time.

The Mk.II is the most advanced form of the standard RBS-70 missile, with a speed of Mach 1.6 and a 7 km range. Saab’s release appears to make deliberate distinctions between Brazil’s buy and the most modern RBS-70 NG core system, and also between the standard Mk II missile and the top-tier Mach 2.0, 8 km Bolide. Sources: Saab, “Saab signs contract for RBS 70 with Brazilian Army”.

Brazil buying RBS-70s

Dec 17/13: Testing. Brazil’s Army confirms the BRL 4.5 million/ $1.9 million purchase of 1 RBS-70 MK2 BOLIDE system and firing rounds for tests. The announcement clearly specifies testing only, but it also recommends the system’s adoption for the 2014 World Cup. Sources: Tecnologia & Defesa, “Defesa antiaérea da Copa FIFA 2014: Brasil vai de RBS-70 MK2 Bolide”.

Brazil buying RBS-70s

Additional Readings

• DID – F-X2: Brazil Picks Saab’s JAS-39 Gripen-NG over Rafale, Super Hornet. New fighters for Brazil, but they won’t come in time for the World Cup or Olympics.

• DID – Rio 2016: Brazil Looks to Russia for Air Defense Systems. SA-24 Igla-S portable missiles and vehicle-mounted Pantsir-S1 systems.

K806 Armored Personnel Carrier

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