During the 2009 Dubai airshow, the United Arab Emirates signed a contract with Pilatus to buy 25 PC-21 intermediate trainer aircraft, in a package worth $511 million. That package also covers several training simulators and associated systems and services. The UAE will join Switzerland and Singapore as PC-21 operators; earlier PC-7 and PC-9 designs are widely used around the world. Pilatus | Dubai Airshow 09.
UAE Air Force flight training takes place at Al-Ain near the Omani border, beginning with basic training on Grob 115s. The PC-21s will replace the existing Pilatus PC-7 fleet. An expected contract for Alenia’s M346 advanced jet trainers will replace the BAE Hawks, and possibly the Alenia MB-339As, that are currently used in the lead-in-fighter trainer (LIFT) and instructor trainer roles. Staff Major General Pilot Faris Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Chief of Logistics Staff, United Arab Emirates GHQ Armed Forces:
“These [PC-21] aircraft will be used for basic and combat operational training which will help train pilots in modern systems, such as navigation, radar, early warning, night vision, thermal cameras and data link systems. They will also help in training them in launching munitions, bombs, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles.”
BAE Systems received a contract worth up to $233 million to support the US Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) with engineering services, production engineering, integration, testing, inspection, and installation of various C4ISR (command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) systems.
As part of the contract, BAE’s Electronics, Intelligence and Support division will provide information, operating system integration and related services at land-based facilities and on various platforms, such as ships, submarines, and ground vehicles.
A 2007 US National Intelligence Assessment [redacted NIE summary] believes Iran’s nuclear program has stopped, but others, including the United Nations and Israel are more skeptical. Intelligence is always a very uncertain and ambiguous exercise, and occasionally features assessments like the infamous NIE (National Intelligence Estimate) whose 1962 judgment was that there were no Soviet missiles in Cuba [1]. Uncertainty creates perceptions of risk, and perceptions of risk lead to behaviors aimed at reducing that risk. Iraq is no longer a missile/WMD threat, Iran’s regular and Revolutionary Guards air forces remain relatively weak, and Iran’s ballistic missiles based on North Korean designs lack accuracy. Still, even a lucky conventional missile could create havoc in some Gulf states if it hit important oil-related infrastructure, or hit the larger and more nebulous target of business confidence.
Arms spending is an incomplete but very concrete way of tracking a state’s real assessment of threats and priorities. It’s becoming clear that Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, have stepped up their defense spending in recent years. Those expenditures cover a range of equipment, but anti-ballistic missile capabilities appear to be rising to the top of the priority list.
In June 2008, over $10 billion worth of December 2007 Patriot missile upgrade requests in the UAE and Kuwait shone a spotlight on the region’s new defense priorities. In December 2008, a multi-billion dollar Patriot missile contract from the UAE seemed to lock in that shift, and Kuwait is proceeding with upgrades to its own Patriot systems. Upgrades that have led to recent contracts, and sales requests…
In the 1960s dark comedy Dr. Strangelove, a rogue US Air Force general succeeds in usurping the US “fail-safe” security system preventing unauthorized use of nuclear weapons. As a result, a nuclear weapon is dropped on the Soviet Union, the doomsday machine is activated, and the protagonists argue about who gets to ride out the war in mine shafts.
In the 21st century, the US Air Force is taking steps to make sure that nuclear-tipped ICBMs stay securely in their silos. Through the ICBM Security Modernization Program, the USAF has launched a number of initiatives to beef up silo security.
One of those initiatives is the Remote Visual Assessment Program, which is designed to improve the situational awareness of the security staff around the ICBM silos. To support that program, the USAF awarded Northrop Grumman a $31 million contract.
Valero Marketing & Supply Co. in San Antonio, TX won a maximum $118 million fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel to an undisclosed foreign customer under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
Valero has previously supplied fuel to Israel under FMS. On July 3/08, Valero won a maximum $46 million contract to supply fuel to the Israeli government.
KDX (Korean Destroyer eXperimental) is the Republic of Korea’s big surface combatant shipbuilding program. This 3-phased program involves 3 individual classes of ships. The 3 KDX-I Gwanggaeto the Great Class ships are called destroyers, but a 3,800 tons their size and armament more properly rank them as small frigates. The last ship of class was commissioned in 2000. The next 6 KDX-II Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin Class ships are indeed destroyers at 6,085 tons full load, with a hull design licensed from Germany’s IABG and more advanced systems that include SM-2 air defense missiles. They were commissioned between 2003-2008.
With that experience under their belts, Korea has now launched into the 3rd phase of the program. The KDX-III King Sejong the Great destroyers are by far the largest, at 8,500 tons standard displacement and 11,000 tons full load. They carry the AEGIS combat system, along with a wide array of American, European, and Korean weapons and missiles.
DID’s article offers details regarding the class, as well as some of the relevant contracts. The latest item is a $41.1 million award to Lockheed Martin for combat systems engineering, installation, and testing aboard the 2nd ship being built in the KDX-III class…
The French DGA procurement agency recently announced [in French] that its 2009 urgences operations (UO, formerly “crash programs”) budget doubled from EUR 131 million in 2008 to EUR 260 million in 2009. This change is in line with a broader international trend, as front-line operations in Afghanistan and beyond reveal limitations in existing equipment, as well as new equipment needs. One change from 2008 was an increased emphasis on naval systems, as 4 of 36 UO programs focused on counter-piracy efforts.
Key 2009 programs included 32 armoring kits for France’s Puma and Cougar medium helicopters, 200 vehicle up-armoring kits, 150 IED jammers, 5 Buffalo mine-clearing vehicles, 60 RWS remote-control turrets for vehicles, The Venus project for on-the-move communication with the Syracuse satellite system, 10 SATCOM on-the-move stations, Integration of America’s Remote Operational Video Enhanced Receiver (ROVER) ground-to-air communications for 25 Mirage 2000 fighters, and retrofitted IRST optical systems for existing French frigates that allow long-range passive scan and identification of naval targets.
Finmeccanica subsidiary SELEX Galileo recently announced [PDF] a EUR 26 million (about $38.7 million) contract for SM-1S radar seekers, as part of an MBDA contract for the provision of Marte MK2/N anti-ship missiles to “a Middle East customer.” The SM-1S integrates a new digital processor developed to enhance processing of the missile’s radar data, in order to improve detection and accuracy in environments that include near-shore’s high clutter levels.
The Marte Mk2/N anti-ship missile was introduced in 2006 as a naval variant of the helicopter-launched Mk2/S. The customer in this case is almost certainly the UAE, which became the Marte Mk2/N missile’s first customer when it contracted for 24 refit and new-build Ghannatha class 26.5 meter patrol boats at IDEX 2009. Some of these boats will carry the Mk2/N missile, while at least 6 will carry Patria’s 120mm Nemo automatic mortar turret instead, creating a flexible form of naval fire support that mirrors similar efforts in Finland.
The 14 variants in the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) form the core of the USA’s new state-of-the-art medium military transport truck fleet. Which in turn forms the core of the “mature logistics capability” seen in the Iraqi theater and elsewhere. FMTV trucks are all automatic transmission, and range from 2.5-ton cargo and van models to 5-ton cargo, tractor, van, wrecker, tanker, specialty, and dump-truck models in various 4×4 and 6×6 configurations. Some models also have attached trailers that increase their carrying capacity. Even so, the use of common engines, transmissions, drivelines, power trains, tires, cabs, etc. create over 80% parts commonality between FMTV models. Where possible, commercial components are used for added savings.
There have been 3 main phases of the FMTV program, including the last “SO23” open competition in 2003. All told, more than 50,000 FMTV trucks in various models have been delivered to the US Army. A bridging order to BAE will continue production in Sealy, TX from 2008 through 2010, but unless something changes, the 4th phase re-compete will see a new firm begin FMTV production – alongside heavy truck production for the Army (FHTV) and Marines (LVSR), and medium trucks for the US Marine Corps (MTVR) – unless the GAO protests now underway short-circuit that award.
BAE recently released additional details regarding its protest, and recent GAO hearings. Lobbying from the Houston area is well underway to keep BAE’s Sealy facility, while Oshkosh discusses local tax deals to expand its own manufacturing in Wisconsin by adding an E-Coat facility – a discussion that triggers a sharp BAE response…
DID covers the competition, and adds some quick background re: the Turkish Navy’s existing fleet, where its rival Greece stands, and potential submarine competitors. Turkey has a signed multi-billion Euro contract for HDW’s U214 subs… and Hurriyet says they got a better deal than previously reported.
Contracts & Key Events [updated]
Additional Readings [updated]
Appendix A: Current Incumbents, and Future Possibilities
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