US Advances $500M for Ukraine Training | AF Awards Big 3 Contracts to Replace JSTARS | Baltic States Mull Joint Procurement in View of Bellicose Neighbor

Americas

• The Air Force has handed out three one-year contracts to further develop competing designs for the JSTARS replacement program. The competition to replace the fleet of Northrop Grumman E-8Cs is scheduled to lead to a production contract before the JSTARS fleet is retired from FY2019. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman were each awarded pre-engineering and manufacturing (EMD) contracts – Boeing and Northrop Grumman each approximately $10 million, with Lockheed Martin receiving the largest at $11.5 million – as a risk-reduction measure ahead of a planned production contract expected in late 2017. A Request for Proposal (RFP) is anticipated ahead of this date, with the Air Force planning to award two EMD contracts for test aircraft, followed by a further contract for three low-rate initial production aircraft.

Middle East North Africa

• Jordan has opted to buy Swiss turboprop trainers, signing a contract with Pilatus for nine of the company’s PC-9M aircraft, as well as a simulator and support services. Delivery will begin in January 2017. Oman also operates the PC-9M, with the model at the heart of a political scandal in 2008 centered around Chad’s breach of Swiss export controls.

Africa

• Nigeria has received a thousand new Polish rifles, following a contract signed in 2014. The M762 rifles were ordered from Fabryka Broni Lucznik last December, marking the company’s first successful export order for the rifle. Under the terms of the agreement with the Polish manufacturer, a further four thousand rifles are scheduled to be delivered this year to the west African state.

Europe

• The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are discussing the possibility of collaborative defense procurement. The NATO states border an increasingly belligerent Russia and may also seek to join the development activities of the Nordic Defence Cooperation’s (NORDEFCO) Military Cooperation Areas in a bid to maximize rising defense investment. Estonia already meets NATO’s target defense spend of 2% GDP, with Latvia and Lithuania planning to meet this target by 2020. Lower per-unit costs through larger equipment buys are likely to drive joint investment, with air defense systems specifically mentioned. The US and Poland have been keen to develop the Baltics’ air defense systems, with Sweden also planning a revamp of its capabilities.

• Ukraine will receive an additional $500 million from the US government to finance the training of Ukrainian military personnel. The Obama administration modestly increased US training to include Defense Ministry forces in June, after US personnel were first deployed to train Interior Ministry troops in April. The announcement comes several days after a report published by the Center for New American Security identified several strategic deficiencies with US policy on defense assistance.

• Georgia’s Defense Minister has criticized the country’s largest state-owned defense firm, the Delta State Military Scientific-Technical Center. Tinatin Khidasheli has called for greater accountability and oversight, as well as having taken aim at the lack of export success for the company’s flagship product, the Didgori armored vehicle. The company has been marketing the vehicle to Azerbaijan, Congo, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, all to no avail.

Asia

• Following the induction of the Akash surface-to-air missile into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in mid-July, the Indian Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is now clearing a procurement of fourteen units to equip the IAF. The indigenous Akash also entered service with the Indian Army in May, with the IAF currently operating two squadrons.

• RAC MiG has delivered more MiG-29 upgrade kits to the Indian Air Force, for fitting onto the IAF’s Flankers by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. The kits will bring the fleet up to the MiG-29UPG standard, with a number of the 63 fighters already delivered to the IAF following upgrade work by RAC MiG in Russia. The company is also reportedly planning to deliver six carrier-capable MiG-29K fighters to India by the end of the year, with a further six following in 2016. A local maintenance, repair and overhaul center is also being established, to allow for these services to take place in-country rather than in Russia, with this following a contract signed in August 2013.

• China’s state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) is reportedly looking to bolster partnerships with French firm Thales and US-based Honeywell. The company’s subsidiaries include Chengdu Aerospace Corporation – manufacturer of the J-10 multi-role fighter and J-20, J-31 stealth fighters, Shenyang and Xian companies, which are responsible for the majority of China’s military aerospace development in recent decades. The extent to which the firms will engage in defense technology is likely limited, however there will likely be opportunities for dual-use technological development to spill over into China’s defense technology base. Honeywell’s relationship with AVIC dates back to 2011, whilst Thales and AVIC signed a MoU to develop a joint solution for the Chinese helicopter market last November.

Today’s Video

• A civilian Pilatus PC-9:

Swiss Kerfuffle Over Chad’s Use of Pilatus Aircraft

Darfur refugees

The Swiss Pilatus PC-9M was a recent candidate to an RFP for COIN aircraft issued by Iraq. An incident involving the African nation of Chad would appear to have removed this possibility for them, and shrunk Pilatus’ market sharply in favor of competitors in Korea (KT/A-1), Brazil (EMB 314), etc.

Chad’s government borders Sudan, and the same janjaweed forces that perpetrated the Darfur genocide have also been involved in attacks inside neighboring countries like Chad. Relations between Chad and Sudan have deteriorated badly in response, with Chad accusing Sudan of having a destabilization plan for their country, and of using the same Darfur tactic of arming and unleashing terrorists to that end. A series of mediation efforts and agreements have followed, which have mostly been ignored as the fighting continues. Now, one of those battles has wider ramifications.

German Defense Ministry Faces Laundry List of Problems

• Consultants hired by the German government confirmed that its defense procurement is messed up because of poor corporate management and weak institutional culture: Deutche Welle | Süddeutschen Zeitung [in German].

• Germany will make a decision [Reuters] next year on whether they’ll continue to develop MEADS.

Army Backs Block II Design for Chinooks | Saudis Intent on French Mistrals | Germany Opts to Spend Billions to Correct Eurofighter, NH90, Other Flubs

Americas

• The Army wants to restart production of the Boeing MH-47G Chinook special mission helicopter in a new Block II design. With eight Block I variants scheduled for delivery by the end of 2015, the specific upgrades incorporated into the Block II version have not been disclosed. The first MH-47G Block I was delivered in October 2014, with the pace of SOCOM operations driving the requirement for new build helicopters. The new Block II variants will reportedly replace some or all of SOCOM’s 61 Block I MH-47Gs.

• The Army is looking to use man-portable air defense missile systems to counter cruise missiles, issuing a sources sought Request for Information for FIM-92 Stinger-based defense systems on 4 August. The Stinger has previously been investigated for possible use in countering cruise missiles, with a Block II configuration dropped during development fifteen years ago.

• The Air Force has allocated $400,000 of additional funding for the development of millimeter wave (MMW) technology munitions, smart weapons designated as part of the GBU-X/Flexible Weapon program. L-3 has been awarded a contract to progress research into automatic target recognition, tracking and clustering. The company produces the SMART Seeker, a MMW seeker marketed as an affordable, all-weather targeting solution.

• Brazil’s Federal Senate has approved [Portugese] the renegotiated financing deal agreed with Sweden in late July, authorising a loan of $4.6 billion from Sweden’s Export Credit Corporation. The funds will facilitate the procurement of 36 Gripen E/F fighters from Saab, the winner of Brazil’s FX-2 competition, which beat out rival bids from Boeing and Dassault. Brazilian prosecutors opened a probe into the competition’s award in April, citing apparent discrepancies between Saab’s bid price and subsequent negotiations.

Middle East North Africa

• Saudi Arabia is reportedly [French] looking to purchase France’s pair of Mistral LHDs for Egypt, following an agreement between Russia and France last week which opened up the possibility of a foreign buyer for the two ships. China expressed interest in the two ships when negotiations between Paris and Moscow began in May. Egypt has been a major customer for French shipyard DCNS in recent years, including a FREMM frigate and Gowind corvettes.

• Bahrain has requested follow-on support for its fleet of 22 F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters, ordered from the US through two Foreign Military Sale contracts known as Peace Crown I and II in the late 1990s/early 2000s. The proposed $150 million program follows a similar logistics support contract requested in July 2005. A prime contractor for this latest proposed contract has not yet been selected.

Europe

• The German Defense Ministry is investing EUR6 billion ($6.5 billion) in fixing problems with in service equipment. The investment will be spread over seven or eight years and focus principally on high-value assets, including the Eurofighter jet and NH90 helicopter. The German military has been criticized considerably in recent weeks, with low aircraft availability hampering operational efficacy.

Asia

• The State Department has approved a possible sale of MK 7 AEGIS Weapon Systems, Undersea Warfare Systems and Cooperative Engagement Capability sensor netting systems, as well as support equipment and services. The proposed $1.5 billion sale would support Japan’s first two new destroyers based on modified Atago-class hulls, seeing delivery of equipment and services spread over a six or seven year period and Lockheed Martin operating as prime contractor. Japan is ultimately aiming to acquire eight Ballistic Missile Defense-capable destroyers, with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force already operating AEGIS systems on other platforms, including the Atago-class.

• Japan is reportedly considering offering three modified Beechcraft TC-90 King Air patrol aircraft to the Philippines for use in maritime patrols. Japan currently uses the King Airs to train pilots, while the Philippines is competing claims by other regional powers in the South China Sea, including China. In order for the Japanese government to donate the aircraft, financial legislation will have to be amended, potentially opening up a channel for further equipment transfer to other powers contesting territory in the region.

• India is seemingly close to finalizing a deal with BAE Systems for 20 additional Hawk Mk-132 trainer jets, with these negotiations reportedly at the Contract Negotiation state. The procurement of the Hawks was cleared by India’s government in 2010, with the country originally contracting for a fleet of 66 Hawks in 2004, with BAE Systems handed a $1.2 billion order. The 2004 contract included options for 40 more aircraft, with the majority of the Indian fleet assembled by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

Today’s Video

• The FIM-92 Stinger taking down practice drones:

DoD Wants to Give Harriers Link 16 | Virginia Class Subs Beached on Pipes Concern | UK’s Type 26 Gets Foreign Interest

Americas

• The Defense Department wants to upgrade US AV-8B Harriers with the Link 16 datalink system. The proposed $71.5 million, six-year upgrade is currently in the DoD’s FY2016 budget request, but if designated for re-programming, Harriers could begin to receive the new equipment this year through a $7.5 million acquisition. With the AV-8B fleet scheduled for retirement in 2025, the tactical datalink system will enable the older aircraft to integrate with more modern platforms, including the F-35.

• The Navy has restricted the operation of three new Virginia-class submarines, concerned over steam pipes manufactured through a General Dynamics Electric Boat subcontract with Jacksonville-based Nuflo. The three subs – USS Minnesota (SSN 783), USS North Dakota (SSN 784) and USS John Warner (SSN 785) – the last of which was commissioned on 1 August, will all be investigated for quality assurance issues related to the pipes, with an official probe having begun in April.

• The French have reportedly offered Brazil the Siroco, a Foudre-class landing platform dock decommissioned earlier this year as part of a French Navy restructuring [French]. The Brazilian Navy sent a team to evaluate the ship in December 2014, with a subsequent study by the General Directorate of Naval Material recommending that the Brazilian Navy procure the vessel. Portugal previously expressed interest in the Siroco, but dropped plans to acquire the ship in late July citing interoperability concerns with the country’s air force.

Middle East North Africa

• Israel has opened up the possibility of procuring a different design other than the KC-46A to replace its fleet of Boeing 707 refuelling tankers. The pricey US design is now pitted against the IAI K-767 MMTT, which recently won an export contract to Brazil. Colombia also operates one aircraft. The Israeli design is now competing against the KC-46A owing to schedule slippages in the US Air Force-funded program, as well as its per-unit high cost.

Europe

• Moscow and Paris have reached an agreement over the Mistral LHDs currently sitting idle in St. Nazaire, with France cancelling the two contracts and returning Russia its sunk investment. The two ships are now property of the French state, which suspended their delivery in November last year in response to Russia’s support for separatists in Ukraine. Negotiations began in May, with the total amount to be paid by France reported to be less than the €1.2 billion value of the original June 2011 contract. The French government is now looking for possible buyers for the two ships, with several potential customers reportedly interested.

• Meanwhile, the first Kamov Ka-52K helicopters previously expected to operate from the two Mistrals are expected to be delivered in 2017 or 2018, according to Russian media on Thursday. Russia ordered the thirty-two Mistral-bound helicopters in August 2014, with the first Russian Navy receiving its first series-produced model in September 2014.

• The Royal Navy’s future frigate program, the Type 26 Global Combat Ship has received a boost with the announcement of a number of long-lead production contracts totalling $265 million. The subcontracts were placed with principal suppliers for the delivery of key system components. Prime contractor BAE Systems is executing a $1.3 billion, one-year demonstration contract awarded in February, with negotiations on the production and delivery schedule of the thirteen Type 26 ships planned still underway. Manufacture of the first ship is provisionally timetabled to begin in late 2016, with the first ships in class thought to be scheduled to enter Royal Navy service in the early 2020s. Other states have reportedly taken an interest in the Type 26, including Australia, Canada and Germany.

• Spain has decided to buy four unarmed MQ-9 Reaper UAVs, along with two ground stations. The fifth European country to purchase the Reaper, the Spanish defense ministry has allocated $186.9 million for the acquisition. The United Kingdom, France and Italy operate the Reaper, with the Netherlands requesting four in February.

Asia

• An Indian firm is partnering with AeroVironment to develop a new small UAV based on the US company’s Raven and Puma models. The development was outlined as a planned collaborative project in January and formally announced as part of the bilateral Defense Technology and Trade Initiative program. Dynamatic Technologies will partner with AeroVironment to produce a land and maritime-capable UAV, known as the Cheel, which operates from a Ground Control Station also compatible with other AeroVironment systems.

• The United Kingdom has offered Pakistan a three-year package of counter-IED support, renewing a similar package from 2012 to this year. The package includes C-IED equipment, as well as training and capacity-building measures. The Pakistani military has used the previous package of assistance to counter the use of IEDs in the country’s volatile western regions, particularly those bordering Afghanistan, with approximately 5,000 Pakistani personnel trained to deal with IED threats since the program’s inception. UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon first proposed the renewed package to Parliament in January.

Today’s Video

• The Kamov Ka-52 at the Paris Air Show:

Aerovironment’s Global Observer: Flying High, Again

ISR CONOPS(CONcept of OPerationS)

The late Dr. Paul McReady’s Aerovironment, Inc. has achieved just renown for the success of its small UAVs like the Army’s RQ-11 Raven and the US Marines’ RQ-14 Dragon Eye/Swift. Outside the military sphere, however, it is best known for civil successes like the human-powered Gossamer Condor, the giant, solar-powered Pathfinder and Helios aircraft, and the flying Quetzalcoatlus northropi ornithopter on display in the Smithsonian museum.

Those traditions have fused in a major Advanced Concept/Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (ACTD/JCTD) contract for a UAV that runs on hydrogen fuel cells, and can cruise at 55,000-65,000 feet for up to 7 days at a time, while carrying a 1,000 pound payload. Meet Aerovironment’s Global Observer, which promises formidable advantages in roles as diverse as communications relay, persistent ISR (intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance), maritime patrol, and even storm tracking and weather applications:

• The Global Observer JCTD
  
• Contracts & Key Events [updated]
  
• Additional Readings
  

Mistake Slows K-46 Timetable | MINUSMA Takes Delivery of Tatas | K-Max Set to Pass ARES, AACUS

Americas

• The Marines are closing in on an acquisition program for unmanned cargo helicopters, with two K-MAX UAVs headed for the Corps’ VMX-22 test squadron by the end of September. The optionally-manned helicopters will be used to develop the cargo UAS (CRUAS) concept of operations, building on a three-year Afghanistan demonstration tour involving two K-MAX aircraft. Despite other firms offering CRUAS solutions to the Marine Corps, including the Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES) and the Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS), both of these are in flight demonstration phases, making the K-MAX the most probable recipient of a production contract timetabled to begin in 2022.

• In a further setback for the Boeing KC-46 program to the $536 million charge last month, a mistake during ground vibration testing is likely to have delayed the tanker’s first flight scheduled for September. A chemical was mistakenly inserted into the aircraft’s fuel system, with this incident seemingly unrelated to the charge Boeing incurred in July to develop the tanker’s fuelling system as part of the program’s $4.9 billion cost-capped contract awarded in 2011. The extent of the damage is still unclear, however the incident will undoubtedly delay Boeing and Air Force development timetables.

• Raytheon’s Block IV Tomahawk cruise missile demonstrated mission planning capability during flight tests announced on Wednesday. The upgraded software allowed planners to adapt the missile’s mission profile on the fly, with this new capability now set to be rolled-out across the fleet of Tomahawks in service. The Block IV missile demonstrated similar capabilities in March 2014, when the missile received information in-flight and re-targeted itself to strike a moving vehicle.

Africa

• With Indian defense exports slowly climbing, Tata Motors has delivered 585 military logistics vehicles to the UN mission in Mali, MINUSMA. The Indian firm also won a contract with the Indian government in July to supply over 1,200 6×6 trucks to the Indian Army. The delivery to MINUSMA took approximately five months and will equip Mali’s neighbors.

Europe

• Croatia has received the first batch of twelve PzH 2000 howitzers it ordered in December 2014. The howitzers are all former-German Army stock, with the dozen vehicles ordered along with software and communications upgrades for $32.8 million. Lithuania has also reportedly ordered sixteen PzH 2000s, with reports from April detailing a planned procurement of the howitzers along with Boxer APCs, despite initial reluctance from the Germans in February.

• With the delivery of a third Airbus A400M transporter to the Royal Air Force in July, the UK’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has begun construction of a new maintenance facility for the fleet. The $65.7 million project at RAF Brize Norton is slated for completion next year, with the RAF expecting the delivery of nineteen more A400Ms.

• Serbia is reportedly buying a mixture of European and Russian helicopter designs to replace Soviet-era Mil Mi-8s. The former is thought to be a pair of Airbus AS532 Cougars, with the Russian helos likely to be two Mil Mi-17s. The four aircraft are timetabled for delivery next year, with the Serbian government also looking to replace its Antonov An-26 transport aircraft.

• Russia has merged its Air Force and Aerospace Defense forces into a single entity. The Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VKO) will be responsible for air, space, air-defence and missile-defense operations, with the merger following a similar coupling of the country’s air-defense and space forces in 2011. Control over the country’s nuclear ballistic missiles will remain with the Strategic Rocket Forces, with the new merger making the Russian’s organization more reflective of the US Air Force than its former Soviet-era, delineated structure.

Asia

• As relations thaw, Iran may be looking to bolster its beleaguered air force with surplus French Mirage fighters. Following a visit by the French Foreign Minister in July, an Iranian government spokesman indicated [Farsi] that the procurement of new fighters – specifically Mirage fighters from France – would be a high priority following the lifting of sanctions. As the French Air Force brings in new Rafale jets, the older Mirage 2000 5-EI fighters it operates will be phased out. With Dassault’s Mirage production line closing in 2007, the Iranian Air Force may look to buy ex-French Mirages in order to resupply the depleted 24 older models it currently possesses, or to acquire a new, proven multirole fighter fleet on a budget.
  
• The Australian government has signed a $72.9 million contract with Thales Australia for 30,000 F90/Enhanced F88 assault rifles, after the procurement was cleared by the country’s Defence Ministry in July. The new rifles will come in two barrel lengths, a 16″ carbine and a 20″ rifle, with the contract also covering the supply of 2,500 SL40 grenade launchers, selected by Thales to equip the new rifle last year.

Today’s Video

• A K-MAX helicopter operating in Afghanistan:

AF Scientists: UAVs Could Be More Lethal, Survivable | More $ for F-35 Program Mods | Orion Fends Off Fatigue

Americas

• The Navy has successfully demonstrated the use of a Standard Missile-6 to intercept a short-range ballistic missile. The tests, conducted off Hawaii, also included the use of a SM-2 Block IV missile against a ballistic missile and two more SM-6s against cruise missile targets. Moving from initial-rate to full-rate production in May, the Navy ordered 74 SM-6 missiles from Raytheon in June. The Navy also announced in January that the missile will be deployed on more than 35 vessels equipped with the Aegis combat weapons system.

• The Air Force’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) has recommended adding new sensors, weapons and countermeasures to MQ-9 Reaper and RQ-4 Global Hawk UAVs to increase survivability and lethality in contested airspace. The SAB is also pushing for Manned-Unmanned Teaming, something already baked into the latest iteration of the AH-64E Block III Apache, with tests in June demonstrating the helicopter operating alongside a MQ-1C Gray Eagle, with the UAV assisting in target-painting and surveillance. A full report on the topic – ‘Enhanced Utility of Unmanned Air Vehicles In Contested and Denied Environments’ – will be published in December.

• The Air Force’s P-3 Orion maintenance monitoring system, the Fatigue Life Management Program, was bolstered with a $32.3 million five-year contract with Lockheed Martin on Tuesday. Covering P-3 aircraft from the Navy and several other government agencies, the contract also provides engineering services for international operators, including the German Navy, which recently handed the company a contract to re-wing its eight P-3Cs. Similarly, Norway will also benefit from the contract, with the Scandinavian country also re-winging its Orions.

• Lockheed Martin was also awarded the latest contract modification in the F-35 program on Tuesday, totalling $431.3 million. The modification to the Joint Strike Fighter’s Lot IX advance acquisition contract covers special tooling and test equipment, and follows a pair of contract modifications valued at $819.6 million in mid-July for the procurement of helmet mounted display systems and the Autonomic Logistics Information System, among several other things.

Middle East North Africa

• As President Obama attempts to placate both Israel and GCC states following the framework deal signed with Iran in April, US defense firms are likely to benefit on both sides of the geopolitical equation. US military aid to Israel could increase by over a billion dollars annually, if a proposed increase to Foreign Military Financing is accepted from 2017. The Gulf Cooperation Council states are also set to benefit from expedited US arms transfers following talks in Doha, particularly advanced air and ballistic missile defense systems such as Patriot PAC-3 systems, recently requested by Saudi Arabia.

Europe

• Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defense Industries procurement agency has released a Request for Information [Turkish] regarding the purchase of manned ISR aircraft platforms, despite the country having already sunk significant investment into UAV development. The agency is reportedly planning to purchase five such aircraft for around $50 million, with firms given until 12 August to respond. Turkey leased five modified Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350s in 2012, with the Beechcraft aircraft also in service with US forces and Iraq, among others. Turkey has also been pursuing the development of unmanned ISR platforms, most notably the TAI Anka.
  
• Russia has completed testing of its new ‘improved Kilo’ Varshavyanka-class diesel-electric submarine, the Novorossiys, which included firing cruise missiles in the Barents Sea. The new boat was launched in December 2013 and will join the Russian Navy’s fleet in the Black Sea. Vietnam has ordered six Varshavyanka-class subs, commissioning two of these in recent days to bring the total number in service to four. The remaining pair are expected to be delivered in 2016.
  
• A squadron of Royal Air Force GR4 Tornado bombers will see their service lives extended until at least March 2017, as the UK plans for continued operations against ISIS over Iraq. 12 (Bomber) Squadron has already had its service life extended by a year in January, with the squadron previously scheduled to become equipped with Eurofighter Typhoons, ahead of the Tornado’s planned exit from service in 2019. The Ministry of Defence accelerated the upgrade of the Tornado bombers in October 2014 ahead of their deployment, kitting them out with Brimstone precision missiles.

Asia

• Australia’s government is backing domestic shipyards to produce the country’s next generation of warships. The Defence Minister announced on Tuesday an A$89 billion ($65.8 billion) shipbuilding program to sustain the country’s shipbuilding industry and bring forward plans for the construction of new vessels. The plan covers the construction of Australia’s new surface vessels and the procurement of next generation submarines under the SEA 1000 program. The announced plan will bring forward construction of new Offshore Patrol Vessels (under the SEA 1180 program) and the Future Frigate program (SEA 5000). These will both be competed through Competitive Evaluation Processes, with the Future Frigates already earmarked for construction in South Australia.

• The Royal Thai Air Force is reportedly planning to stand-up two new squadrons of unmanned aerial vehicles in coming years, with plans to rotate the RTAF’s three Israeli-manufactured IAI Arava patrol out of service to create space for the new UAVs. As other regional powers flex their unmanned muscles, most notably China, smaller states are likely to continue looking for cost-effective ways of monitoring and patrolling disputed areas throughout the South China Sea.

Today’s Video

• Air Force Special Operations Command receives its first AC-130J Ghost Rider gunship on 29 July:

GAO Details Big Bomber Spend | Israel Upgraded Super Stallions for $2 Mil Per | FRES/SCOUT SV Turrets Get Boost

Americas

• A GAO report released at the end of July has detailed how US government expenditure on strategic bombers is expected to reach $58 billion over the next ten years. This figure is projected to be split between the development and manufacture of the Air Force’s new strategic bomber, the Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B), and upgrading of two in-service platforms, the B2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress. The LRS-B program is expected to eat up $33.1 billion over the 2015-2024 period, whilst the upgrading of the B-2 and B-52 fleet is expected to total $24.4 billion. The LRS-B program is due to announce a contract decision in August or September, slipping from a previous timetable of a June or July announcement. The report also forecast $1.3 billion spend on new tailkits for the B61-12 nuclear bomb, which was successfully flight tested in mid-July.

• The Navy has test-fired modified AGM-114L Hellfire missiles as part of its Surface to Surface Missile Module, successfully launching the missiles against small moving targets in recent tests. One of the Littoral Combat Ships‘ intended Mission Modules, the SSMM is intended to increase the lethality of the Navy’s growing LCS fleet and is scheduled for deployment in late 2017.

• A Colombian Air Force CN-235 aircraft came down in the country’s north-east over the weekend killing eleven crew members. The Airbus-manufactured aircraft was reportedly modified for electronic intelligence (ELINT) collection purposes.

Middle East North Africa

• Israel has completed nine years of upgrade work on its fleet of 23 CH-53 helicopters, with the Sikorsky-manufactured helicopters now reportedly capable of flying to 2025. The aircraft were upgraded by the Israeli Air Force at approximately $2 million per unit, reportedly a fraction of the cost that outsourcing the work would have entailed.

Europe

• The British Ministry of Defence awarded two contracts totalling $2.3 billion on Monday for the overhaul of the MoD’s IT and communications systems. Named the New Style of IT and Global Connectivity respectively, the contracts were announced by UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. The Atlas consortium, comprised of Airbus Defence and Space, CGI and Fujitsu, led by HP, was awarded the first, $1.45 billion contract to improve upon the MoD’s existing Defence Information Infrastructure. Fujitsu was also awarded an $857 million contract to develop global communication systems, with further contracts for the voice and cellphone portions of the project anticipated.

• Rheinmetall Defence and Thales have been awarded subcontracts on the United Kingdom’s FRES/SCOUT SV armored vehicle program, both related to the vehicle’s turret. The former will provide Lockheed Martin with the turrets’ structure, following the awarding of a $1 billion contract to the US company in October 2014 for the delivery of 245 turrets and a $143 million contract to Rheinmetall on Monday. French firm Thales will provide sighting system for the 245 turrets, with the Ministry of Defence awarding a £194.9 million contract to the company at the end of July. CTA International (a BAE System and Nexter joint venture) was awarded a $234.2 million contract in late May to produce the vehicle’s 40mm cannon. General Dynamics was awarded the program’s prime contract in September 2014.

• The British Army has retired the AH7 version of the AgustaWestland Lynx utility helicopter. However, the AH9 version will remain in service, with the AW159 Wildcat set to form the backbone of the next generation of Royal Navy and British Army helicopters, particularly as the Lynx AH9 retires in 2018.

Asia

• Talks between India and France over the agreed sale of 36 Rafale fighters in April have now missed a negotiation deadline. Disagreement over India’s offset arrangements are thought to be the sticking point, despite France reportedly offering a 25% price reduction to initially bag the sale. The official demise of India’s MMRCA competition will likely see the Indian Air Force put additional pressure on India’s negotiators to come through, particularly as the Dassault production line is becoming swollen with new orders, pushing the Indian Rafales down the line.
  
• India and Israel will test-fire the jointly-developed Barak-8 Surface-to-Air missile this month, as Bharat Dynamics Ltd prepares for series production of the system. Further testing from an Indian Navy ship is also likely in coming weeks, with the INS Kolkata the likely platform for this. BDL has been contracted to fit out the Kolkata with 32 missiles, with India and Israel agreeing in February to also co-develop an air defense system for the Indian Army. A November 2014 test conducted by Israel Aerospace Industries saw the Barak-8 system take out a target during testing in Israel.

• China is tightening up its export controls, with a particular focus on unmanned aircraft and high-powered computers. China has been developing both highly advanced military and budget commercial UAVs, with the sale of these abroad likely to form a major part of China’s defense export strategy in coming years. States failing to acquire more established (i.e. US or European) systems – either through expense or political blockage – could look to China, with a recent example being Jordan.

Today’s Video

• A Chinese Predator UAV…

India’s M-MRCA Fighter Deal: Cancelled

IAF: Jaguar, Mirage 2000
SU-30K, MiG-27, MiG-21BiS

India’s planned multi-billion dollar, 126+ plane jet fighter buy certainly captured the attention of global fighter manufacturers. Boeing’s Mark Kronenberg, who runs the company’s Asia/Pacific business, put it succinctly: “[India’s M-MRCA program is] the biggest fighter aircraft deal since the early 1990s.”

What began as a lightweight fighter competition to replace India’s shrinking MiG-21 interceptor fleet soon bifurcated into 2 categories now, and 2 expense tiers. What changed? In a word, lots. The participants changed, India’s view of its own needs changed, and costs changed dramatically. With the long-delayed release of the official RFP, the competition began at last – and like all Indian decisions, it takes a very long time.

DID offers an in-depth look at the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition’s changes, the RFP, and the competitors. After a decade-long slog, Dassault’s Rafale appears to be closing in on its 1st export order.