Navy Adds Ships to 30-Year Plan | Ashvin Interceptor Fails Test | Army Re-Ups Recruitment Spending with McCann

Apr 07, 2015 02:43 UTC

The Navy’s latest thirty-year shipbuilding plan has been revised up to 308 ships. The addition of another San Antonio-class – to bring the total number of ships in class to twelve – and a third Afloat Forward Staging Base. The report – available here – was sent to Congress last week.
The Army’s shiny new Paladin PIM M109A7 artillery systems will be rolled out on Thursday, on the back of a $141.8 million contract modification in October.
The Army contracted to spend another $200.8 million on advertising and marketing services with McCann on Monday, whilst the Air Force awarded a $6.8 million contract for Wideband Global Satellite SATCOM systems, with the thirty-four terminals destined for the Danish Army and Air Force.

The Saudis are yet to call on US air refueling assets in the region, despite these being available and authorized for use, media reported Monday. The US has also reportedly offered combat rescue capabilities to the Saudis, with the Navy recovering two downed F-15S pilots last week.

India’s indigenous Ashvin interceptor – developed specifically to function in an anti-ballistic missile capacity – failed during testing Monday, a let-down following a successful series of tests of the Ashvin Air Defense system, with this latest test being the seventh.
Pakistan’s recently gifted Z-10 attack helicopter flew for the first time Monday. China gave three of the helicopters to Pakistan earlier this year.
India’s plans to buy Japanese US-2 amphibious planes could encounter problems, with the Indian Defense Ministry looking to review the operational requirements for the aircraft, Indian media reported Monday. Although the sale is unlikely to be scrapped, a slimming of the number of planned planes could be the result of this review.
Following the news in March that India’s first Scorpene-class sub was floated in Mumbai, the new boat has been handed over to the Indian Navy for sea trials.

US Filling Saudi Munition Holes | China, South Korea Talk Arms Control in THAAD’s Shadow | Airbus Seeks Indian Partner

Apr 07, 2015 00:28 UTC

Rockwell Collins was awarded a $495 million contract Tuesday for software and system integration on the Army’s helicopters, with a portion of these services earmarked for foreign sales. The company was also awarded a $8.1 million modification for the Common Avionics Architecture System to equip CH-47F helos.
In further good news for Rockwell Collins, the company will supply 44 Communication Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management systems for the KC-10 tanker fleet, following a similar contract in August.
The US is ramping up arms transfer to the Saudis, media reported Tuesday, with munitions high on the list of requirements. The assistance is being allocated through a Joint Planning Cell with the Saudis.

The European Defence Agency announced new funding for dual-use technologies, releasing a Request for Projects notice Tuesday.
Turkey is looking to speed up its development of a conceptual trainer aircraft, to be designed and built domestically. The new trainer will be specifically designed to train pilots to use new fighters procured through the indigenous TF-X program, with a RFI for this program released last month.

Pakistan wants to buy fifteen AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, gun systems, 1000 Hellfire II missiles and other equipment through a possible FMS. The cost? $952 million. The State Department has green-lit the deal, with the potential sale going to Congress.
India will not sign its stalled multi-billion Rafale contract with Dassault until the French company agrees to what the Indian government says was the original pricing structure for the deal. The drawn-out MMRCA program has seen multiple disputes between the Indian Defense Ministry and Dassault, with the Indians threatening to walk away from the deal in January. Although this may be simply bluster, the Russian vultures are circling, ready to supply the SU-30 fighter if the Rafale deal falls through.
China and South Korea are to hold arms control talks this week, an interesting development given the recent tension over US plans to base THAAD interceptors in South Korea to complement the existing jointly-operated Aegis/Patriot systems.
According to Japanese media, Indonesia is contemplating buying the US-2 amphibious plane, the same design India is currently in talks with Japan over.
Airbus is reportedly in talks with six Indian defense contractors in an effort to find a domestic company to reply to a $2 billion naval helicopter RFI, with Indian procurement regulation allowing only an Indian company to respond.