GenDyn tapped for Submarine, Carrier Industrial Base Expansion | Austria’s Eurofighter Investigation may end prematurely | IA looks to procure LMGs

Americas

General Dynamics’s subsidiary, Electric Boat, won a $497 million modification to grow the industrial base to support development and construction of the Columbia, and Virginia-class submarines as well as Ford-class aircraft carriers. The deal is part of the integrated enterprise plan and multi-program material procurement and production backup units, with the goal to support vendor stability and gain economic efficiencies. The contract will improve sub-tier vendor stability based on production economies for major components. This will subsequently help in reducing risk related to the Columbia, Virginia and Ford Class programs. Additionally, to support the increased demand associated with the Navy’s force structure assessment, the nuclear shipbuilding industrial base is significantly ramping up production capabilities. Electric Boat will perform work through December 2031 in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Virginia and other undisclosed locations.

Raytheon successfully completed technical testing during the US Army’s Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor sense-off at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the company said in a press release. Raytheon announced plans to participate in the sense-off back in February. The sense-off is supposed to help come up with design concepts for a new missile defense radar since the Army decided last year to reset the approach for the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor, or LTAMDS, program that has struggled to bring about a new radar for well over a decade. 5 days ago it was reported, that the Army has begun competition for a new air and missile defense system with the release of a request for proposals asking for prototypes to replace the Patriot AMD system. „Raytheon’s clean-sheet approach and decades-long investments in gallium nitride technology allowed us to demonstrate and deliver a mature solution that will meet the Army’s initial operational capability“, vice president of integrated air and missile defense at Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems business, Tom Laliberty said in the company’s news release. Raytheon’s LTAMDS demonstrated key mission capabilities to service members, validated the maturity of its design, acquired and tracked a variety of threat-representative targets, demonstrated advanced capabilities, and showcased ease of maintenance and sustainment during the sense-off.

The State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of MK 54 lightweight torpedoes to Canada. The deal is valued at $387 million. Canada had requested to buy 425 MK 54 lightweight torpedo conversion kits. The country intends to upgrade its current MK 46 torpedoes to MK 54 to be used on the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax class ships, the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CP-140 Aurora aircraft, and the CH-148 maritime helicopters. The sale also includes torpedo containers, recoverable exercise torpedoes with containers, fleet exercise section and fuel tanks, as well as air launch accessories for fixed wing, torpedo spare parts, training, publications, support and test equipment, US government and contractor engineering, and technical and logistics support services.

Middle East & Africa

Saudi Arabia claimed on Monday that it had intercepted two ballistic missiles, fired by Houthi rebels and headed for Mecca. This comes at a time of heightened tensions between Tehran and Gulf Arab states and a roughly four-year conflict in Yemen largely seen as a proxy war between the two sides. „Royal Saudi Defence Forces spotted aerial targets flying through restricted areas in the provinces of Jeddah and Taif and dealt with them as required by the situation“, a Saudi coalition spokesman said. In a tweet, Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Washington said the two missiles had been intercepted in Mecca province, which includes Jeddah and Taif. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement denied the reports.

Europe

The investigations into Austria’s Eurofighter purchase may come to an abrupt end once more as the coalition between the conservatives and the right-wing FPÖ collapsed on the weekend. The 2002 purchase of Austria’s Eurofighter Typhoons has been investigated due to a possible corruption scandal involving bribes in the amount of around $111.6 million. The current investigation committee is already the third on this matter. Investigation committees have to cease interrogations when the date of new elections is announced. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has announced a snap election on Saturday, after a video-scandal surrounding vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache forced him to end the coalition. However, a specific date for the new elections has not yet been declared. In 2017, the second investigation into the Eurofighter scandal has ended the same way, when snap elections were announced following the collapse of the coalition between the social-democratic SPÖ and the conservatives.

Greece received 70 Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed reconnaissance helicopters and one Boeing CH-47D Chinook heavy-lift helo. The Hellenic Army purchased the OH-58Ds through the US Excess Defense Articles program. The shipment consists of 36 fully equipped aircraft, plus 24 that lack certain avionics, navigation, and communication equipment, and will be dedicated to training. The remaining 10 airframes are to be used for spares. Six of the helicopters came ready to fly. The deal for the Kiowa Warriors is valued at $44,2 million.

Asia-Pacific

The Indian Army (IA) is looking to procure new light machine guns (LMG). A team of Indian Army officials is visiting three countries, namely Bulgaria, Israel and South Korea to evaluate 7.62 mm LMGs. The IA has an immediate requirement for 16,400 LMGs. India will invite either all three countries, or at least two, to India for confirmatory trials using indigenously made LMG ammunition before shortlisting one weapon system for purchase, starting price negotiations, and signing the deal.

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Eurofighter’s Rough Ride in Austria Continues

In 2003, Austria signed a EUR 2 billion contract to receive 18 EADS Eurofighters plus required support (just over $2.5 billion, or about $140 million per plane). The aircraft were already under construction in Germany when the 2006 election results forced the leftist SPO party, whose campaign promises included canceling the fighter deal, into the Austrian government coalition.

That shift led to a fraught series of negotiations within Austria, and then with EADS. The 2 sides played a game of billion-dollar chicken, leading to a settlement in 2007. The Eurofighter’s rough ride in Austria seemed to be over with delivery of the 15th and final aircraft in 2009, but controversies continue.

Comanche’s Wi’ane: No New Armed Scout Helicopter

The US Army’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) program aimed to replace around 375 Bell Textron OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters, after the $14.6 billion RAH-66 Comanche program, was canceled in 2004. Instead, the Army would buy a larger number of less expensive platforms, with reduced capabilities. Bell Helicopter Textron initially won the ARH competition with a militarized version of its highly successful 407 single-engine commercial helicopter, but despite significant private investment after Army funding stopped in March 2007, spiraling costs killed the ARH-70 in October 2008.

What hasn’t changed is the battlefield need for on-call, front-line aerial surveillance and fire support. With its existing OH-58D stock wither wearing down, or shot down, the Army needs to do something. But what? The eventual answer: scrap the Kiowa fleet for a combination of attack helicopters and UAVs.