Defence`s Feeds

Americas

• The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a $171 million contract to Lockheed Martin as part of its Hypersonic Air-Breathing Weapon Concept (HABWC) program. A joint effort between DARPA and the USAF, the program looks to develop and demonstrate critical technologies to enable an effective and affordable air-launched hypersonic cruise missile. Lockheed will undergo a research project for the program and follows a recent $147 million award for DARPA’s Boost Glide program.

• Northrop Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton has been cleared for low-rate initial production, the first piece of the production and deployment phase of the UAV. 68 Tritons are expected to be fielded, with the first to be deployed in 2017. The Triton will operate as a forward-deployed, land-based, autonomously operated system that provides persistent ISR within a range of 2,000 nautical miles using a multi-sensor mission payload including maritime radar, Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR), Electronic Support Measures (ESM), Automatic Identification System (AIS), and basic communications relay.

• Contracts worth $43 million each have been doled out to Lockheed Martin and Boeing in order “to conduct risk reduction activities in support of the MQ-25 unmanned carrier aviation air system.” Both companies are expected to complete their work on the UAV by October 2017. Now known as the Stingray program, the UAV integrates the first operational, carrier-based, catapult-launched drone and will provide long-endurance ISR and organic refueling capabilities for the carrier air wing.

Middle East &North Africa

• The UK government has blocked EU attempts to establish an independent international inquiry into the ongoing war in Yemen, sparking accusations that London is putting its multi-billion arms deals with Saudi Arabia first. A proposal by the Netherlands was submitted to the UN last Friday which, if successful, would have seen the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva investigate alleged war crimes committed by the Saudi-led coalition and opposing Houthi militants. Brexiter and UK Foreign secretary Boris Johnson last week rejected the need for such an inquiry, arguing that the UK was “using a very, very wide variety of information sources about what is happening to acquaint ourselves with the details” about Yemen.

• Oskosh will provide 1,543 medium tactical vehicles in a foreign military sales contract awarded by the US Army. Valued at $378 million, the vehicles will be delivered to the governments of Somalia, Cameroon, and Iraq. The deal also covers the provision of three 78-gallon armor B-Kit corrosion prevention compound for vehicles to ship outside of the continental United States.

Europe

• Heckler & Koch’s 5.56mm 416 F assault rifle has won a Europe-wide competition run by France as part of its Future Individual Weapon program. The rifle will replace the domestically-produced FAMAS rifle, with deliveries to commence next year and continue over a ten-year period. Chambered for the NATO caliber 5.56mm cartridge, the rifle has the ability to fire rifle grenades and can be fitted with a 40mm grenade launcher to increase its firepower.

Asia Pacific

• Nine types of missiles have been tested by the South Korean military this year, however, only five of the missiles actually hit their targets, indicating a drop in accuracy over previous years. As a result, opposition lawmakers have used the accuracy drop to hammer the government over concerns with the proficiency of the country’s aged computerized command and control system as well as guided missile systems. Some of the missiles that failed to make the grade include the indigenous SSM-700K anti-ship missile and Raytheon’s RIM-66 anti-air missile.

• An upgraded Mirage 2000 fighter operated by the Indian Air Force has successfully test-fired the Mica air-to-air missile. The MBDA made missile system was recently acquired from France and follows a $2.4 billion deal to upgrade the IAF’s fleet of 51 Mirage fighters. Once completed all of the fighters will be of the Mirage 2000-5 Mark 2 variant, which boasts new radar systems, a new weapon suite, missiles, electronic warfare system and modern electronic warfare.

Today’s Video

Israeli and Hellenic Air Force helicopters train in Greece:

Curtiss-Wright's INDAL facility combines a high level of engineering and manufacturing capability with expertise in the management of large and complex defence programmes to produce specific solutions for the world's navies.

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has won a contract from the Vietnam Border Guard to design and build high-speed patrol vessels in India.

Schiebel and Diehl Defence have renewed an agreement to market the Camcopter S-100 unmanned helicopter to German Navy.

CNIM Group was established in 1856 and continues to develop and supply turnkey industrial equipment to various industries worldwide.

Russian Stereguschiy Class Corvette

Senior Japanese and US officials on 23 September celebrated the rollout of the first Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II combat aircraft at the company's Forth Worth, Texas, production facility. The ceremony was attended by more than 400 government, military, and

The US Army's Joint Multirole-Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD)/Future Vertical Lift (FVL) effort is moving towards first flights in 2017, but meanwhile is focused on crucial system architecture demonstrations. Dan Bailey, the army's programme director for JMR/FVL, said the effort is demonstrating

The commander of US Marine Corps (USMC) forces in the Pacific ordered a squadron of McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II combat aircraft to stop operations temporarily after one of the jump jets crashed off Okinawa on 22 September. The pilot ejected safely and was rescued by the US Air Force's 33rd

The Pentagon has approved the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for low-rate initial production (LRIP), the US Navy (USN) announced on 22 September. The Milestone C decision, signed by Pentagon acquisition executive Frank Kendall, "brings us

Engility Holdings has been awarded a contract by Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SSC) Atlantic to train and support warfighters on US Marine Corps (USMC) command and control systems across the globe.

General Dynamics (GD) has successfully conducted an operational test of the US Marine Corps’ (USMC) common aviation command and control system (CAC2S).

The US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) and USS Lassen (DDG 82), have tested counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) capabilities during the Black Dart exercise, held off the coast of Destin, Florida, US…

Kongsberg Maritime (KM) Camera Group provides marine closed-circuit television (CCTV) and underwater camera imaging technologies to navies, special forces, coastguards and security specialists worldwide.

American M47 Dragon Anti-Tank Guided Missile

Recent developments in the EU have created a “window of opportunity” which should be seized to relaunch the European defence policy and strengthen the European defence industry by taking decisive action, the Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA), Jorge Domecq, has said.

Speaking at an industrial event in Brussels Thursday night (22 September), Mr Domecq stressed that “never before over the last 10 years have we had such opportunity to relaunch the European defence project and provide it with renewed impetus and commitment”. The EU Global Strategy (EUGS), the various initiatives taken by different Member States, the Commission President’s State of the Union address have all added to this “general sense of step change”, he said. “I sincerely believe that what we now need is action, not words: seizing a window of opportunity not window dressing or declarations of intent”.

The EUGS, Mr Domecq said, has to be backed up by a “concrete and ambitious Implementation Plan” which will have to tackle many issues at the same time: Permanent Structured Cooperation, Defence Semester, a more output oriented Capability Development Plan, the identification of key strategic activities, the advancement on critical enablers such as standardization, certification and airworthiness.

 

Strengthen the EDTIB

 The EDA Chief Executive, who was delivering the key note speech at a diner-debate organized by the Saab Group, particularly insisted on the need to strengthen the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) to ensure its remains competitive, efficient and capable of providing Europe’s Armed Forces with the capabilities they will need in the future.

Investing more in Research and Technologies (R&T) will be absolutely key, especially given that today’s defence R&T expenditure is down to its lowest level since 2006. “The massive decline in budgetary terms of our defence R&T efforts is a matter of the highest concern.

It is the capabilities of the future which are at stake here. It is also the competitiveness of our defence industry which is at risk”, he said. “Without a strong and competitive EDTIB we will not only loose our freedom of action, an appropriate level of strategic autonomy, our ability to design and develop, operate and maintain state-of-the-art defence equipment, but our defence culture altogether”, Mr Domecq warned.

 

Better exploiting EU funding

 Mr Domecq also called for an optimal use all available means to incentivize cooperation among Member States and improve the quality of spending. “The EDA can play a key role here, including by closely cooperating with the European Commission to better exploit the relevant EU funding, policy and programmatic instruments that the European Defence Action Plan is going to highlight by the end of the year”, he said.

 

More information

Mr Domecq's full speech

A two-week-old Syrian ceasefire deal appeared to collapse on 22 September with the launching of a major offensive by Syrian government troops around the city of Aleppo. The offensive, across several districts of the northern Syrian city, was backed by Russian and Syrian fixed-wing strike aircraft,

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has signed an agreement with his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar in New Delhi, putting an end to nearly 18 months of negotiations on the financial market conditions. According to the biggest agreement never signed by Dassault, India buys from France 36 Rafale fighter built by Dassault Aviation, for an amount close to € 7.87 billion.
This is the first big purchase of fighter by India since twenty years. Negotiations were difficult because India wanted to have also a transfer of technology, the broadest possible, but airplanes will be built in France.

The first devices are scheduled for delivery in 2019. The contract covers 264 Indian total Rafale today sold 180 to the French army - of which 146 had been delivered on June 30 - 24 in Egypt and 24 in Qatar . The first success of Dassault concerning Rafales for the sale was an agreement with Egypt; in 2015. Egypt shall already received 6 aircraft, the first delivery to Qatar is scheduled for 2018.

India already has Dassault Mirage-2000 fighters in service, and are know-how of service requirement of French fighters. This helps in logistics as well as fighter training. Rafale is more suited for multi-role combat like Typhoon and PAK-FA air dominance fighters. Rafale has distinct adventage in Air to Ground attack, role which is vital for IAF. The Rafale cost about 20% less than Thyphoon. The maintenance cost is also significantly lower. Rafale life cycle cost is 40 million USD less than of the Typhoon.

Jean-Yves Le Drian en Inde : des Rafale et des... von libezap

Le ministre de la Défense français Jean-Yves Le Drian a signé l'accord avec son homologue indien Manohar Parrikar à New Delhi, mettant ainsi un terme à près de 18 mois de négociations sur les conditions financières du marché. Selon l`accord le plus important jamais conclu par Dassault, l'Inde achète de la France 36 avion de combat Rafale construits par Dassault Aviation, pour un montant proche de 7,8 milliards d'euros.
C'est le premier gros achat de chasseurs par l'Inde depuis une vingtaine d'années. Cela faisait une vingtaine d'année que l'Inde n'avait pas effectué un tel achat de chasseurs. Les négociations étaient difficiles car l`Inde souhaitait aussi le transfert de technologie le plus large possible, mais ces avions seront construits en France.

Les premiers appareils devraient être livrés en 2019. Le contrat indien porte à 264 le total des Rafale aujourd'hui vendus : 180 à l'armée française - dont 146 appareils avaient été livrés le 30 juin - 24 à l'Égypte et 24 au Qatar. Le premier succès de Dassault concernant la vente des Rafales a été un accord conclu avec l`Egypte en 2015. L`Egypte a déjà reçu 6 appareils, la première livraison pour le Qatar est prévue pour 2018.

L'Inde possède déjà des avions Dassault Mirage-2000 en service, et ont le savoir-faire pour les avions de combats français. Cela aide à la logistique ainsi qu`à la formation pour le combat. Le Rafale est plus adapté pour le multi-rôle combat comme Typhoon et PAK-FA, combattants de dominance en air. Rafale a advantage distinct à l`attaque air-sol, rôle vital pour l'IAF. Le Rafale coûte environ 20% moins que le Thyphoon. Les coûts d'entretien sont également significativement plus faibles. Le coût du cycle de vie d`un Rafale est de 40 millions de dollars moins que celui du Typhoon.

Tag: IndiaRafale

Armenia paraded newly-acquired weapon systems, including 9K720 Iskander (SS-26 'Stone') short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), during its Independence Day parade on 21 September. The revelation marks Armenia as the first export customer for the Russian system. Two Iskander launchers and two

BAE Systems has been awarded a long-delayed USD54 million contract to provide 32 upgraded 155 mm M109A5+ BR self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) to the Brazilian Army, the company announced on 19 September. "Production is anticipated to begin in October with vehicle deliveries beginning in