February 3, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
LE BREXIT ET LES ENTREPRISES Londres veut continuer à assumer un rôle majeur dans la sécurité européenne, mais le pays sort de l'Union au moment où celle-ci s'engage davantage pour assurer la sécurité des Etats membres. Ce qui soulève de nombreuses questions. Anne Bauer @annebauerbrux
Les Britanniques ne cessent de le répéter : leur départ de l'Union européenne ne remet pas en cause leur volonté de continuer à jouer un rôle de premier plan dans la défense de l'Europe. Ainsi la Grande-Bretagne participe, depuis le premier jour, à l'Initiative européenne d'intervention (IEI), le club des Etats-Majors européens lancé par le président Emmanuel Macron. Elle est, avec la France, le principal appui des Américains dans la coalition internationale au Levant et au Sahel, elle soutient les forces françaises par la mise à disposition de trois hélicoptères Chinook.
En termes de coopération militaire, les Britanniques sont à bord de l'avion de chasse européen, Eurofighter, de l'avion de transport militaire A400M, de la constellation Galileo et de divers programmes de missiles, notamment via la firme européenne MBDA. Et en novembre prochain, la France et la Grande-Bretagne, les deux seules armées du continent européen dotées de l'arme nucléaire, devraient fêter les dix ans du traité bilatéral de Lancaster House et lancer, à l'occasion, un projet clé : le démonstrateur d'un nouveau missile de croisière franco-britannique .
Chez le missilier européen MBDA, on insiste d'ailleurs sur « la force et la pérennité de la relation franco-britannique en matière de défense et de sécurité, initiée en 1998 à Saint-Malo et formalisée en 2010 par le traité de Lancaster House ». Et de rappeler que cette relation bilatérale est au coeur même du projet de l'entreprise , qui est de b'tir un champion mondial des missiles, en partageant l'effort industriel au travers de programmes en coopération européenne.
De fait, du côté des industriels de la défense, le Brexit inquiète peu à court terme. Les biens de défense sont exonérés des règles générales de l'OMC sur les droits de douane. Et le commerce des armes est un sujet à part, régi par des conventions particulières. Dans l'aéronautique en outre, chacun est désormais certain que Londres restera membre de l'Agence européenne de sécurité aérienne, qui édicte les normes et veille à leur application.
Interrogé par « Les Echos », le patron d'Airbus, Guillaume Faury, déclarait en septembre dernier que « les craintes relatives à la perte des certifications aéronautiques de production et de conception pour les pièces produites au Royaume-Uni, ainsi que pour la libre circulation de nos employés, ont été écartées, à force de travail en interne et avec les gouvernements. »
Toutefois, le Brexit intervient au moment même où l'UE engage une dynamique nouvelle en matière de défense. Pour la première fois, le budget européen pourra servir à subventionner la recherche et le développement de programmes d'armement. Or de facto, les Anglais sont déjà hors jeu.
Dans l'anticipation du Brexit, ils ne participent pas à la nouvelle politique de « coopération structurée permanente », qui a donné naissance à une quarantaine de projets de coopération dans la défense entre divers pays européens. Et, faute de répondant côté anglais, Paris s'est tourné vers Berlin pour envisager le futur de deux équipements clé de défense : l'avion de combat du futur et le char de nouvelle génération.
Les Britanniques ne font pas non plus partie du futur Fonds européen de défense, qui doit aider au financement de ses projets. Enfin, ils quittent les instances dirigeantes de l'Agence européenne de défense. Au sein des industriels du secteur, nombre d'opérateurs souhaitent le retour de la Grande-Bretagne dans les instances européennes.
Car personne n'a intérêt à maintenir des tensions, comme celles nées de l'exclusion de Londres du réseau protégé de communication gouvernementale, de la constellation Galileo. Dans l'aéronautique, chacun espère que le futur avion de combat franco-allemand, le SCAF, et son concurrent britannique, le projet Tempest mené avec les Italiens et les Suèdois, se rejoindront un jour.
« C'est dans l'intérêt des Britanniques comme dans celui des Européens, qu'un terrain d'entente soit trouvé dans les futurs traités d'association qui seront négociés cette année », commente le président de MBDA, Eric Béranger. « Le Royaume-Uni devrait pouvoir bénéficier d'un statut particulier qui permettra de poursuivre les nombreuses coopérations qu'il a en Europe, dans les missiles bien évidemment, mais aussi dans l'aviation militaire ou le spatial de défense », ajoute-t-il.
Mais avec un groupe principal de défense BAE Systems, qui est déjà un important fournisseur de l'armée américaine, la tentation britannique peut être de regarder davantage outre-Atlantique qu'outre Manche.
June 23, 2021 | International, Naval
Ukraine is on course to rebuild the capabilities of its navy with the help of a possible deal with British warship builder and support-services company Babcock International.
June 16, 2020 | International, Aerospace
This year, at UAV Technology, SMi Group has announced the Royal Australian Air Force's Deputy Director RPAS, Lieutenant Colonel Keirin Joyce, as a speaker on the last day of the two-day event. Initially starting off his career in engineering and helicopters, Lieutenant Colonel Keirin Joyce found himself getting involved on the new drone program for the Australian Army, eventually progressing onto being one of the key assets for the organisation as the Australian Army Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Sub-Program Manager responsible for all Australian Army UAS activities 13 years later.* (Source: Flight Safety Australia). Interested parties will be able to save £200 off the conference price by 30th June: http://www.uav-technology.org/robtommPR4 The 5th annual UAV Technology will reconvene in London, UK on the 28th - 29th September 2020. The meeting will provide delegates with an opportunity to meet with high profile military and government personnel and hear their key insights as they present their exclusive briefings and exhibit their new technologies at the conference. Following his extensive background in the UAS sector, Lieutenant Colonel Keirin Joyce, Deputy Director RPAS, Royal Australian Air Force will provide an exclusive presentation on: ‘Royal Australian Air Force Armed RPAS Procurement' • Shift towards armed RPAS: why the RAAF is acquiring the MQ-9B Sky Guardian and how this fit into wider defence modernisation - "Jericho Edge" • Acquisition programme progress and lessons learned from working with industry • How the RAAF is preparing its manpower and infrastructure to support the MQ-9B and further opportunities for industry to engage • Where the RAAF is going future force development with UAVs, both UCAV and ISR For the full speaker list and the programme, visit: http://www.uav-technology.org/robtommPR4 UAV Technology 28th - 29th September 2020 London, UK Sponsored by: AeroVironment, Fizoptika, Leonardo and Mynaric For sponsorship and exhibition queries please contact Justin Predescu jpredescu@smi-online.co.uk or call +44 (0) 20 7827 6130 For delegate queries please contact Sadia Malick smalick@smi-online.co.uk or call +44(0)207 827 6748 For media queries please contact Carina Gozo at CGozo@smi-online.co.uk. *'Drone Flyer Diaries - LTCOL Keirin Joyce' (Source: Flight Safety Australia, Dec 2019) https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2019/12/drone-flyer-diaries-ltcol-keirin-joyce/ https://www.roboticstomorrow.com/news/2020/06/15/royal-australian-air-force-to-speak-at-uav-technology-2020-/15355/
November 1, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is being awarded a sole-source, cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification (P00345) under previously awarded contract HQ0276-10-C-0001. The total value of this contract modification is $139,663,509. The total value of the contract increases from $3,024,726,153 by $139,663,509 to $3,164,389,662. This modification provides for scope supporting Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, including additional upgrades to Baseline 5.4, flight test, ground test, post-certification engineering, in-service support, and future studies. This contract modification contains a three month option period which, if exercised, will increase the cumulative value of this contract to $3,210,363,559. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey, with an expected completion date of July 31, 2020. If all options are exercised, the period of performance would extend through Oct. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 research, development, test and evaluation; fiscal 2018, 2019 and 2020 procurement defense wide; and fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $12,080,453 will be obligated at the time of award. The Missile Defense Agency, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity. NAVY General Dynamics Mission Systems, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is awarded a $90,686,673 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price contract for sustainment of the Littoral Combat Ship Integrated Combat Management System and associated combat system elements. The work includes development, integration, test and delivery of future combat system baseline upgrades for in-service ships; supporting ship integration, installation and checkout; developmental test/operational test; developing training and logistics products; providing field technical support for the combat system; providing hardware engineering and equipment procurement; providing life-cycle supportability engineering; and providing fleet support for fielded baselines. Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (79.4%); San Diego, California (19.3%); and Mobile, Alabama (1.3%), and is expected to be completed by October 2024. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $393,837,142. Work is expected to be complete by October 2024. Fiscal 2018 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,013,124 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1); only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia., is the contracting activity (N00024-20-C-5603). Management Services Group Inc., doing business as Global Technical Systems,* Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded an $83,726,453 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, and cost-only contract modification to previously awarded contract N63394-19-C-0008 to exercise options for the sustainment of the Common Processing System. This option exercise is for production and installation of ordnance alteration (ORDALT) kits and associated engineering services, logistics and incidental materials in support of the Common Processing System. ORDALT kits are anticipated to be installed on Aegis destroyers, Aegis cruisers, Landing Helicopter Deck, Landing Ship Dock, aircraft carriers and Japanese destroyers. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (21%); San Diego, California (16%); Yokosuka, Japan (11%); Honolulu, Hawaii (8%); Dahlgren, Virginia (6.5%); Wallops Island (6.5%); Aegis Ashore (5%); Everett, Washington (5%); Mayport, Florida (5%); Moorestown, New Jersey (5%); Port Hueneme, California (5%); Washington, District of Columbia (3%); Rota, Spain (3%); Deveselu, Romania (2.5%); and Redzikowo, Poland (2.5%), and is expected to be complete by October 2020. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $116,436,973 and be complete by July 2024. Fiscal 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding for $1,483,823 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity. Dyncorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $56,496,749 modification (P00033) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable contract (N68936-17-C-0052). This modification exercises an option that provides aircraft maintenance, modification and aircrew support. This modification includes organizational-level aircraft maintenance and logistics support on aircraft, systems/subsystems, aircrew systems, search-and-rescue equipment and support equipment for P-3 Orion, C-130 Hercules, F/A-18 Hornet, E/A-18 Growler, AV-8B Harrier II and H-60 Seahawk for the Naval Test Wing Pacific. Work will be performed in China Lake, California (50%); Point Mugu, California (40%); Hickman Air Force Base, Hawaii (2%); Lemoore, California (2%); Patrick Air Force Base, Florida (1%); Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico (1%); Patuxent River, Maryland (1%); Yuma, Arizona (1%); Miramar, California (1%) and North Island, California (1%), and is expected to be completed in October 2020. Fiscal 2020 working capital (Navy) funds for $42,121,234 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded a $46,103,818 modification (P00024) to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (W15QKN-15-D-0001) to execute Award Term 4 for integrated logistics support for multiple Foreign Military Sales customers. Work will be performed at Patuxent River, Maryland (52%); Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (5.5%); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (5.5%); Jacksonville, Florida (2.5%); Pensacola, Florida (2.5%); various other locations within the continental U.S. (4%); Kuwait City, Kuwait (24%); Atsugi, Japan (1%) Iwakuni, Japan (1%); Koahsiung, Taiwan (1%); and Cairo, Egypt (1%), and is expected to be completed in October 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Boston Consulting Group, Bethesda, Maryland, is awarded a $16,054,435 modification (P00007) to a previously issued firm-fixed-price order (N00421-19-F-0106) against a General Services Administration, Federal Supply Schedule contract (GS-10-F-0253V). This modification exercises the option to continue the implementation of a new Naval Sustainment System (NSS) to include the development of governance, coordination and accountability mechanisms across the Naval Aviation Enterprise. The Commander for the Fleet Readiness Center's contribution to the NSS will deploy commercial maintenance best practices, tailored to the Navy's operational requirements and starting position; in order to reduce component repair and heavy maintenance periodic maintenance inspection turnaround times and better enable aviation readiness recovery. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in April 2020. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds for $16,054,435 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co., Tewksbury, Massachusetts, is awarded an $11,517,079 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to a previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-5145 to exercise options for DDG 1000 ship class integrated logistics support and engineering services. The DDG 1000 ship class is a multi-mission surface combatant designed to fulfill volume firepower and precision strike requirements. DDG 1000 combat systems provide offensive, distributed and precise firepower, and long ranges in support of forces ashore, while incorporating signature reduction, active and passive self-defense systems and enhanced survivability features. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Rhode Island (51%); Tewksbury, Massachusetts (21%); San Diego, California (11%); Nashua, New Hampshire (6%); Bath, Maine (5%); Los Angeles, California (3%); Marlboro, Massachusetts (2%); and Fort Wayne, Indiana (1%), and is expected to be completed by October 2020. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); and operation and maintenance (Navy) funding for $3,164,948 will be obligated at time of award, and funds for $712,934 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $10,000,353 modification (P00003) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-19-C-0016). This modification extends the period of performance and increases scope to include obsolescence redesign in support of the production and delivery of Harpoon Block II missiles for the government of Saudi Arabia. Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas (63.46%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (21.61%); and St. Louis, Missouri (14.93%), and is expected to be completed in November 2019. Foreign Military Sales funds for $10,000,353 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Physical Optics Corp.,* Torrance, California, is awarded an $8,631,282 firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for the design, test, production and delivery of up to 503 C-Band radar tracking transponders in support of the Aerial Targets program. Work will be performed in Torrance, California, and is expected to be completed in October 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured as a small business set-aside via an electronic request for proposal; three offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-20-D-0005). Sealift Inc., Oyster Bay, New York, is awarded an $8,592,948 modification under a previously awarded firm, fixed-price contract (N32205-17-C-3510) to fund the third one-year option period. The option will continue to provide one U.S. flagged vessel (M/V Bernard Fisher) for prepositioning and transportation of cargo for the Department of the Air Force. The current contract includes a 12-month base period, four 12-month option periods, and one 212-day option period. Work will be performed worldwide, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 5, 2020. This contract option will be funded by fiscal 2020 working capital funds for $7,747,740; and fiscal 2021 for $845,208, for a total amount of $8,592,948. Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N32205-17-C-3510). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Raytheon Co., Marlborough, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $36,306,061 firm-fixed-price contract for multiple radar equipment components. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one-time procurement contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Virginia and Massachusetts, with a June 14, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (SPRMM1-20-F-DK02). Rockwell Collins Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been awarded a maximum $35,902,768 firm-fixed-price contract for control display units. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Iowa, with an Oct. 31, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRRA1-20-D-0003). AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., Layton, Utah, has been awarded a $22,571,000 firm-fixed-price contract modification (P00009) to previously award contract FA8204-19-C-0001 for ICBM Cryptography Upgrade Increment II (ICU II) production. This modification exercises production Lot 2, Option 1 and provides the government 54 A-4 drawers. Work will be performed at Huntsville, Alabama; Huntington Beach, California; and Layton, Utah, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 12, 2022. The total cumulative face value is $104,213,725. Fiscal 2019 missiles procurement funds in the amount of $1,826,000; and fiscal 2020 missiles procurement funds in the amount of $20,745,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, ICBM Contracting Division, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co., Tewksbury, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $22,250,138 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification (P00039) to previously awarded FA8730-15-C-0002 for the Qatar Air Missile Defense Operation Center (ADOC). The contract modification is for the procurement of the outside continental U.S. transfer of ADOC prime mission equipment (PME), installation of ADOC PME, integration activities, training of ADOC operators, and development of a communications cabinet. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Massachusetts; and Qatar, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2020. This modification involves 100 percent foreign military sales to Qatar. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $303,037,178. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $22,250,138 are being obligated at the time of the award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity. L3Harris Technologies Inc., Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a $9,331,526 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification (P01025) to a previously awarded contract F19628-02-C-0010 for sustainment of the Ground-Based Electro Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) weapons system. Work will be performed at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory; Maui, Hawaii; and Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2020. The total cumulative face value is $9,331,516. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $3,463,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the contracting activity. ARMY Olsson Industrial Electric Inc., Springfield, Oregon, was awarded a $14,644,904 firm-fixed-price contract to replace the four main unit 15kV switchgear line-ups, replace the 480V station service switchgear, replace the unwatering/sump pumps and motors, transformer deluge containment, rehab of transformer fire protection system, replace the governor kidney loop system and install new generator step up transformers at the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir Powerhouse. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Keota, Oklahoma, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2021. Fiscal 2010 operations and maintenance; and civil works funds in the amount of $14,644,904 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (W912BV-20-C-0002). Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors,* Houma, Louisiana, was awarded an $8,731,775 firm-fixed-price contract for planning, scheduling, engineering, construction, testing and delivery of an inland z-drive workboat. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Olmsted, Illinois, with an estimated completion date of March 9, 2022. Fiscal 2019 civil works and civil construction funds in the amount of $8,731,775 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-20-C-0002). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2005134/source/GovDelivery/