Western Countries Lining Up to Court New Indian Government

• France’s foreign affairs minister Laurent Fabius is the first of a series of Western officials to meet with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and is #2 Arun Jaitley to discuss what some hope may be a new wave of defense acquisitions. Fabius is eager to finalize the Rafale contract, but like Qatar that may still stay in the “not quite done deal” category for a while. Meanwhile Modi is touting India’s cost effective satellite launching capabilities.

UK MoD’s Umbrella Contract for Small Boat Maintenance

Pacific 24 RIB

Britain’s Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army, and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Police have about 1,450 small boats that need to be maintained. They include offshore raiding craft, pontoons up to 50 metres in length, police launchers, Pacific 24 rigid inflatable boats (RIBs), and inflatables. Large ships get a lot of attention, but many of day-to-day missions rely on these craft in various ways.

Over the next 5 years, the UK will maintain work among 6 UK companies to provide maintenance, upkeep, repair, chartering, defect rectification, technical support, provision of spares and replacements:

Germany’s Defense Efforts Fall Short of Recent, More Assertive Rhetoric

• Germany’s defense minister Ursula von der Leyen might think that “Russia has destroyed a massive amount of trust” and claim that her country “wants to take on more responsibility”, echoing recent declarations from the Germans. But in practice Germany’s role in UN missions is minimalist and its parliament just passed a defense budget down 2.5% to €32.4B ($44.2B).

Iraqi Conflict Takes An Increasingly Regional Dimension

• American officials say Iran is flying surveillance UAVs over Iraq as well as sending supplies and equipment to the Maliki government.

• FT: Iran-Saudi proxy war heats up as Isis entrenches in Iraq. Recent developments indicated a thaw might be starting between the two countries, but that detente now seems to have been extremely short-lived.

• Al Monitor shows how the implications and effects of the ISIS insurgency go beyond Iraq and Syria: Saudi Arabia threatened by ISIS advance in Iraq, Jordan shaken by threats from ISIS, Iraq, Syria, Iraqi Kurds seize control of key Syria border crossing.

• ISIS insurgents are attacking Balad Airbase north of Baghdad. It would be really bad news for the Iraqi Security Forces if they were to lose the few air support assets they currently have. American contractors who were training ISF personnel there were evacuated earlier this month.

Turkey Seeks Engine for Future Local Fighter

• Turkey seems determined to go ahead with their local TF-X fighter, which is being designed in conjunction with Saab, rather than become part of a Korean-led KF-X. To that effect they have just solicited bids from GE and PW for the research project’s engine.

South Africa’s Next IFV: Honey Badger Doesn’t Care

Hoefyster/ Badger –
Denel concept

DID has covered a number of contracts for wheeled armored personnel carriers; in Europe, the 3 perennial combatants are GD-MOWAG’s Piranha/LAV, GD-Steyr’s Pandur II, and Patria’s Armored Modular Vehicle (AMV). Now Denel Land Systems has announced a contract from the South African government’s Armscor procurement agency to develop the South African Army’s new generation infantry combat vehicle. The “Hoefyster” program aims to produce an 8×8 wheeled APC in the 25 ton class, designed as a family of vehicles that can be equipped with various turrets and on-board options.

The Rand 8.3 billion program for 264 vehicles involves the largest single contract Denel has landed in its 16-year history, and South African companies will deliver more than 70% of the total value of the contract. The other 30% will be delivered by Finland’s Patria Oyj, whose amphibious AMV will be Project Hoefyster’s base vehicle…

DARPA Kicks Off Blue Wolf Undersea Vehicle Project, Aims to Go Faster & Further

• DARPA is organizing an industry day on July 10 in Arlington, VA to discuss Blue Wolf, a program meant to create prototypes of undersea vehicles that go beyond the speed-range boundaries of existing fixed-size platforms. There is $13.9M in the agency’s FY15 budget request to get this started, as a follow-up to earlier programs that were initiated almost a decade ago.

GAO Afraid DLA Is Ditching Inventory It Will Have to Buy Again

• The Government Accountability Office (GAO) thinks the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) should reassess its inventory reduction goals and schedule, lest they risk disposing of items only to have to buy them again.

• Stan Soloway, president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, says the way the US federal government is buying IT and services is starting to go through a major shift, though not necessarily for the better.

US Marines to Brief Industry on Wheeled ACV

• The US Marines’ Program Executive Office Land Systems (PEO-LS) will hold an industry day on July 15/16 in Fredericksburg, VA to discuss its Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) 1.1 requirement for an 8×8 wheeled amphibious combat vehicle. An RFP may come by late 2014 or early 2015 for a vehicle that will have to be significantly cheaper than the canceled EFV. Dakota Wood from the conservative Heritage Foundation thinks the Marine Corps has a good plan this time around.

US Wants Better Iraqi Governance As Condition for Help Against Insurgents

• Iraq asked the US to launch air strikes against jihadists, but the US Administration and prominent US lawmakers hinted that prime minister Maliki should first resign to make room for a more inclusive government. Maliki says he won’t quit. The Pentagon reportedly submitted to the President a plan to send special operations advisers in Iraq.

• Iraq was expected to provide a significant chunk of the newly available oil required by future world markets, but ISIS’ offensive is sending jitters through energy markets.

• The kidnapping of Turkish and Indian workers is making this crisis directly felt by their respective governments.