One of the driving forces behind Airbus’ A400M military transport program, and of “pool” programs like NATO’s SALIS with Russian AN-124s or its recent SAC C-17 pool, is Europe’s shortage of transport aircraft to support military missions. This shortage will not be fixed any time soon. In the interim, NATO pools are about to be augmented by a more local partnership.

As the Netherlands struggled over proposed defense cuts in 2007, its Ministerie van Defensie signed an agreement with Germany, France and Belgium to create “European Air Transport Command” (EATC) as a coordination pool for their own military transports. By 2009, it was a multinational program, and by 2011 it had become an EU EDA “Category A” program:

• The EATF/ EADC
• EATC/ EATF Timeline & Events
• Additional Readings
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• The British National Audit Office’s 2011 Major Projects report says that short-term cuts spurred by its Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) has added GBP 500 million (about $785M) to its 15 largest defense projects. The UK MoD responds.

• Britain’s first-of-class fast-attack submarine, HMS Astute, fires UGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles for the first time. Unlike the US Navy, Britain’s Tomahawks are only based on attack submarines.

• Rumors of a British Harrier jump-jet fleet sale to the US Marines get stronger.

• The US House Armed Services Committee had a hearing yesterday on USMC acquisition and modernization (ACV, AAV, JLTV). Video at the bottom of this entry.

• The US Air Force updated its AFDD 1 doctrine document [PDF] with the addition of a whole new chapter on airpower. Some might find the USAF’s definition of airpower as “control and exploitation of air, space, and cyberspace” (emphasis ours) as familiar overreaching.

• After spending lobbying & design dollars, Smith & Wesson decided that its M&P4 won’t be competing in the US Army’s Individual Carbine competition.

• One of Pakistan’s JF-17 fighters crashed; the pilot was killed when his parachute failed to open.

• A report from the French Assemblée Nationale concludes [in French] that the Franco-German Brigade could be the nucleus for a EU military, but found that its financing could be perfected, not to speak of its cumbersome deployment procedures. German Jägerbataillon 291 is stationed in French city Illkirch-Graffenstaden since last year.
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Mi-26 recovers MH-47E
Chinook, Afghanistan

As the 2007 Paris Air Show drew to a close, France and Germany confirmed the rumors and signed a joint declaration of intent to set up a heavy-lift helicopter program. The French DGA procurement agency’s announcement lists an intended in-service date of around 2020. The new machines would be designed to carry personnel, light armored vehicles, and/or cargo, with good performance under a wide range of conditions including hot weather and high altitudes (both of which reduce helicopter performance due to thinner air). The project is known as Helicoptère de Transport Lourd (HTL) in France, and Future Transport Helicopter (same FTH in Deutsch) in Germany.

In terms of future force structure, these helicopters would replace Germany’s aging CH-53G Mittlerer Transporthubschrauber, and offer France a heavy-lift helicopter option for its future force that would sit above its planned NH90s and/or AS 532 Cougars. Both countries would rely on the forthcoming Airbus A400M tactical cargo plane and its 35-tonne capacity for larger loads or longer distances.

Note that some reports have stated that the new helicopter would be “capable of carrying a 30-tonne load.” Unless they’re planning to use gyrodyne technology or something similarly revolutionary, this is very, very doubtful. Meanwhile, the program may be morphing into an off-the-shelf competition, complete with international contenders:

• Carry That Weight: The Specifications
• The Key Competitive Variable?
• Hello, Goodbye: Off the Shelf Contenders
• Contracts & Key Events
• Additional Readings & Sources
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• The USAF proposed the debarment of 3 contractors: Advanced C4 Solutions, Inc. (headquartered in FL), Superior Communications Solutions Inc. (GA), and Iron Bow Technologies (VA) because of a “history of failure to perform [or] unsatisfactory performance.” Washington Technology | WBJ.

• Count us among those disappointed that the Commission on Wartime Contracting’s records will remain sealed for 20 years.

• In case the DoD acquisition lifecycle gets you confused, yes a program can be in its Production & Deployment Phase and in its Operations & Support Phase at the same time. Procurement funds are channeled to the former while Operations & Maintenance (O&M) budgets line up with the latter. In practice the end of the acquisition lifecycle is less formally structured than earlier, milestone-constrained phases.

• Back in September Chairman of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee J. Randy Forbes (R-VA) sent a letter [PDF] to Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert to argue in favor of maintaining all CVNs currently homeported in Forbes’ state. Greenert recently sent back his reply [PDF], and while he supports the strategic rationale behind moving a CVN to Mayport, FL, he leaves the door open to reconsidering based on budgetary concerns. Forbes had sent his letter on the day Greenert was appointed as the 30th Chief of Naval Operations. Last month several lawmakers from Florida asked Greenert to consider moving the date of the planned carrier move from FY19 to FY16. Expect them to fire back.

• US SecDef Leon Panetta gave a classified briefing to the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) yesterday, but its chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA) told reporters that “he [Panetta] wants to take 50% of the [$450B] cuts out of modernization,” i.e. weapons procurement, the other half coming from personnel. Forthcoming HASC hearings: FY12 Combat Aviation, US Nuclear Weapons Policy and Posture (both this afternoon); Institutionalizing Irregular Warfare Capabilities, and A Day Without Seapower and Projection Forces (both tomorrow).

• On a backdrop of sovereign debt crisis and Euro bailouts, yesterday the Greek government made sweeping changes at the top of its military.

• Recent Pentagon reports of interest: State of U.S.-India Security Cooperation, BRAC 2005 Implementation, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction quarterly report [all PDFs].

• While the US is refocusing its attention to Asia/Pacific, China has dramatically ramped up its investments in Africa. The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations just had an interesting hearing on this topic. Not a hotspot defense issue now, but of increasing geostrategic significance nonetheless.

• US Army acquisition personnel has updated the Joint Assault Bridge (JAB) website several times in recent days to help contractors position themselves for the forthcoming Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the project. JAB has an undisclosed amount of funding for FY12 and FY13. The current (very early) schedule looks at starting production at a low rate in FY15 and finishing deliveries in FY22, for a potential of 168 JABs for the Army and 29 for the USMC. Lots of Ts to cross and Is to dot until then. Because JAB will use the Abrams M1A1 hull, bidding involves ITAR exports control and a lot of the relevant material is posted as controlled unclassified information (CUI).

• In light of recent events in North Africa and the Middle East, the UK’s Foreign Secretary William Hague intends to introduce a “mechanism to allow immediate [defense/security export] licensing suspension to countries experiencing a sharp deterioration in security or stability.”

• Work got started on Anson, the 5th of a planned 7 British Royal Navy Astute class submarines.
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• The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) awards Teledyne Brown Engineering an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract worth up to $595 million for the development, deployment and sustainment of an Objective Simulation Framework (OSF).

• AeroVironment unveils its lightweight man-portable Shrike VTOL UAV. Shrike is the result of a contract from DARPA to develop a persistent perch and stare (SP2S) UAV.

• BAE Systems announces a successful testing of its Mk 38 MOD 2 Tactical Laser System (TLS) at Eglin Air Force base, Eglin FLA. The test system fired against air and surface maritime targets.
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• Two members of the Commission on Wartime Contracting say that $30 billion-worth of expenditure on contracts and grants in Afghanistan and Iraq have been wasted through poor planning, shifting requirements and negligence. As a result, federal agencies and contractors must do better.

• Flight Global/PricewaterhouseCooper’s (PwC) Top 100 Special Report: 2010 a year of rebound says that while the aerospace sector enjoyed a 2% growth in revenue, defense spending remains flat. The list of the 20 largest aerospace companies by revenues [PDF] remains relatively unchanged, with Boeing and EADS maintaining their top positions.

• China continues to refute the findings of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) annual report on its military and security policies. The deputy secretary of the China Society of Military Science labels the report as ‘groundless’ and a product of Cold War thinking.

• BAE Australia has delivered the 1st Hobart Class Destroyer ship block to project lead, ASC, but only after some very high profile problems at their shipyard.

• Dragon, Britain’s 4th Type 45 Air Defense Destroyer, is sailing to Portsmouth for acceptance by the Royal Navy.

• Indian media say that the freed ship MV Nafis-1 contained evidence that Pakistan is supporting some Somali pirates.

• Chile is set to receive its final batch of F-16 fighters from the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF).

• A French Mirage fighter and Lithuanian L-39 Albatross trainer collide midair during exercises.

• The first photographs emerge of Chinese aircraft on display at the Changchun First Aviation Open Day. The pictures come days after photographs suggesting that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF) J-11B heavy fighter is operational.

• Opinions vary as to the make and role of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that crashed over southwest Pakistan last week.

• The UK Minister for International Security Strategy says that the findings of the 2015 defence review may allow the Royal Navy to operate both Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.

• Congressman J. Randy Forbes (R-VA) sends a letter to the Secretaries of Defense and State, as well as the National Security Advisor, requesting publication of the Annual Report to Congress on the Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China.

• As conflict in Libya reaches the endgame, defense officials and think tank analysts line up to give their opinions on the NATO campaign and its implications for future operations.

• A Turkish defense procurement official claims that Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is in talks with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Saab regarding the development of fighter aircraft.

• Lockheed Martin enters into a definitive agreement to acquire QTC Holdings, a medical services provider to the Department of Defense.

• Germany’s economic ministry reportedly rules out the purchase of Daimler’s stake in EADS.

• The US Army awards Canadian Commercial Corporation a $20.5 million contract for miscellaneous military vehicular components. A US Army contract potentially worth up to $9 million is also awarded to Materials Sciences Corporation for engineering services.

• Interest and intrigue regarding China’s J-20 stealth fighter maintains momentum with the publication of pictures showing the aircraft doing a roll.

• Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and South Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell, says that US foreign policy needs to make the transition from the immediate challenges of the Middle East to address ‘long term and deeply consequential issues in Asia’.

• Israel sees the visit of the Chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as an opportunity to influence China’s arms sales to the wider Middle East.

• Russia makes a number of announcements regarding the future shape of its air defense systems. The mid-range Vityaz air defense system is expected to replace the S-300 by 2014, with the short-range Morfey due to be introduced by 2013. It is also expected that S-500 air defense systems will be deployed around Moscow by 2015.

• Saab completes the acquisition of air traffic and defense management systems provider Sensis Corporation.

• The CIA’s former Director of Operations, Chad Sweet, outlines to the Washington Journal US strategies to counter homegrown terrorism.

• South Korean media relays that a Chinese Army publication sees the country’s first aircraft carrier as being utilized to deal with territorial disputes. This contradicts the Chinese Defense Ministry’s assertion that the carrier is for training purposes only.

• The UK’s Disposal Services Authority (DSA) is assuming greater responsibility for plugging the £36 billion black hole in the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) budget. Products it is seeking to dispose of include a replica Harrier jet, Saxon armored personnel carrier and luxury watches for intelligence agents.

• Rumors are circulating that the Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency provided Chinese engineers with access to the remnants of the Black Hawk stealth helicopter that crashed during the US raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound.

• Moody’s Investors Service predicts that the US debt ceiling agreement could result in a downgrading of defense contractors’ credit ratings. Major defense projects like the V-22 Osprey and Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) are identified as vulnerable to quantity reductions, deferrals and even cancellation.

• US debt reduction policies may also prompt European defense contractors to continue their expansion into military technologies deemed safe from spending cuts, as well as cyber-security and energy industry opportunities.

• EADS’ chief financial officer says the company will not be able to reach its target of $10 billion-worth of non-Airbus sales in the US by 2020 without further acquisitions.

• CAE’s first quarter results for fiscal year 2012 report a 14 per cent increase in defense business revenue to $206.4 million compared with $181.8 million for last year’s corresponding quarter. However CAE’s President and Chief Executive acknowledges that the market outlook will become more challenging as governments evaluate their armed forces’ structures.

• RSK-MiG and Sukhoi are to collaborate on the development of a future unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). The vehicle is expected to be modeled on the Skat UAV demonstrated at the MAKS air show in 2007.

• The US Air Force awards Honeywell an $11.5 million contract to provide heat stack and brake components for F-15 fighters.

• The Hong Kong Commercial Daily publishes a picture apparently showing the final preparations for the maiden voyage of China’s first aircraft carrier.