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  May 19, 2020 | International, Naval

  German shipyard shuffle clears path for MKS 180 warship program to proceed

  By: Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany — An agreement by two German shipyards to merge has dislodged a major legal roadblock in the multibillion-dollar program to build the Navy's MKS 180 large frigate-type warships. The Defence Ministry's confirmation on Friday that German Naval Yards Kiel had dropped its protest against Dutch shipbuilder Damen, who was announced as the winner of the contract in January, was the final building block in a turbulent week for the European naval industry. Days prior, the German shipbuilder said it would merge with Bremen-based Lürssen, giving the latter company the lead in building surface combatants together. Lürssen, for its part, is already part of the MKS 180 team as a subcontractor to Damen, and the Dutch said they would lean heavily on their German partner in building four initial vessels under the program. Earlier this year, German Naval Yards Kiel lamented an unfair evaluation of its MKS 180 bid by the Defence Ministry, announcing it was prepared for a potentially lengthy legal battle. But just as litigious as the company sounded in its public proclamations, industry insiders said there appeared to be a willingness early on by all companies to come to an agreement outside of duking it out in court. Damen, meanwhile, is expected to rethink the distribution of its MKS 180 workshare plan now that the former competitor is also onboard, albeit only by extension. Considerations to that effect would be a “logical next step,” one company official said. “We are pleased with the consolidation of the German shipping industry under the leadership of the Bremer Lürssen Group,” a Damen statement read. “We look forward to intensive cooperation in the future. As Damen, we see this consolidation as a positive development.” The company also believes the merger would “increase the chance of equal cooperation between Northern European countries in the field of naval construction — a development that we can only applaud in an otherwise unevenly distributed European playing field.” That leaves the question of what will happen with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, another losing bidder in the MKS 180 race. The company previously reported to be part of the German consolidation talks, leading to reports that a single, national shipbuilding “champion” was in the works. For now, however, TKMS is still weighing its options, as Reuters reported this week. In one scenario, the shipbuilder could merge with Italy's Fincantieri, with talks ongoing to that effect, according to the news service. It is also possible TKMS could join the other two German yards at a later time. Whatever happens next, it appears a broader move toward naval-industry consolidation may be gaining steam in the wake of the Lürssen-GNY Kiel deal, according to experts. “The cards are reshuffled,” said Sebastian Bruns, a naval analyst with the University of Kiel in northern Germany. “The consolidation is a significant step forward — and potentially not the final evolution in the Central European warship sector yet.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/05/15/german-shipyard-shuffle-clears-path-for-mks-180-warship-program-to-proceed/

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  April 17, 2020 | International, Land

  Nammo signs major ammunition contract with Sweden

  April 16, 2020 - Nammo has signed a contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration for delivery of small caliber ammunition worth SEK 670 million. Covering deliveries from 2020-22, the contract builds on a framework agreement signed in 2017, and will enable to Swedish Armed Forces to strengthen its levels of training and readiness. ”We are honored that the Swedish Armed Forces have placed their trust in us as their primary supplier of small caliber ammunition. Customers like Sweden accept only the best, and also have some very specific requirements that we have to fulfil, so in our view this is a major achievement by Nammo's product and manufacturing teams,” said Reijo Bragberg, Nammo's Executive Vice President for Small and Medium Caliber Ammunition. This contract is the second issued under the 2017 framework agreement, and covers six different ammunition types, both for training and combat. Going forward, Nammo is looking to expand its cooperation with the Swedish government in line with the strategic partnerships it has developed with both of Sweden's Nordic neighbors. Nammo CEO Morten Brandtzæg sees this kind of collaboration between industry and governments as essential in dealing both current and future security challenges. ”Recent events have again underscored the need to ensure security of supply in all situations, ranging from peace to crisis, conflict and even war. In our view this relies on both industry and governments cooperating more closely, and we stand ready to support from our side,” said Brandtzæg. Related / Contacts Endre Lunde Endre Lunde Press Contact Senior Vice President, Communications endre.lunde@nammo.com +4790853270 View source version on NAMMO: https://www.nammo.com/newsroom/#/pressreleases/nammo-signs-major-ammunition-contract-with-sweden-2991652

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  October 1, 2018 | International, Naval

  LOCKHEED MARTIN CONTRACT TO MARRY MACHINE LEARNING WITH 3-D PRINTING FOR MORE RELIABLE PARTS

  U.S. Navy research contract could make complex metal additive manufacturing a reality both in production centers and deep in the field DENVER, Oct. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, 3-D printing generates parts used in ships, planes, vehicles and spacecraft, but it also requires a lot of babysitting. High-value and intricate parts sometimes require constant monitoring by expert specialists to get them right. Furthermore, if any one section of a part is below par, it can render the whole part unusable. That's why Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and the Office of Naval Research are exploring how to apply artificial intelligence to train robots to independently oversee—and optimize—3-D printing of complex parts. The two-year, $5.8 million contract specifically studies and will customize multi-axis robots that use laser beams to deposit material. The team will develop software models and sensor modifications for the robots to build better components. Lockheed Martin Metal 3D printer "We will research ways machines can observe, learn and make decisions by themselves to make better parts that are more consistent, which is crucial as 3-D printed parts become more and more common," said Brian Griffith, Lockheed Martin's project manager. "Machines should monitor and make adjustments on their own during printing to ensure that they create the right material properties during production." Researchers will apply machine learning techniques to additive manufacturing so variables can be monitored and controlled by the robot during fabrication. "When you can trust a robotic system to make a quality part, that opens the door to who can build usable parts and where you build them," said Zach Loftus, Lockheed Martin Fellow for additive manufacturing. "Think about sustainment and how a maintainer can print a replacement part at sea, or a mechanic print a replacement part for a truck deep in the desert. This takes 3-D printing to the next, big step of deployment." Currently, technicians spend many hours per build testing quality after fabrication, but that's not the only waste in developing a complex part. It's common practice to build each part compensating for the weakest section for a part and allowing more margin and mass in the rest of the structure. Lockheed Martin's research will help machines make decisions about how to optimize structures based on previously verified analysis. That verified analysis and integration into a 3-D printing robotic system is core to this new contract. Lockheed Martin, along with its strong team, will vet common types of microstructures used in an additive build. Although invisible from the outside, a part could have slightly different microstructures on the inside. The team will measure the performance attributes of the machine parameters, these microstructures and align them to material properties before integrating this knowledge into a working system. With this complete set of information, machines will be able to make decisions about how to print a part that ensures good performance. The team is starting with the most common titanium alloy, Ti-6AI-4V, and integrating the related research with seven industry, national lab and university partners. About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. This year the company received three Edison Awards for ground-breaking innovations in autonomy, satellite technology and directed energy. SOURCE Lockheed Martin https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2018-10-01-Lockheed-Martin-Contract-to-Marry-Machine-Learning-with-3-D-Printing-for-More-Reliable-Parts