February 25, 2019 | Local, Aerospace
BERLIN (Reuters) - The German Defence Ministry is evaluating a bid from Canada to buy a high-altitude surveillance drone that has been parked at a German air base for years after the cancellation of the Euro Hawk program in 2013, with a further bid possible from NATO.
Canada has submitted a formal bid for the prototype aircraft, which was stripped of key equipment and demilitarized by the United States in 2017, a ministry spokesman said on Wednesday without providing further details.
Canadian media have reported that Canada could use the drone, built by Northrop Grumman, to monitor oil spills, ice levels and marine habitats in the remote Arctic region.
NATO, which is buying its own fleet of Northrop drones, is also considering a bid for the mothballed German aircraft but has not yet submitted it, said sources familiar with the process. NATO had no immediate comment.
There was no immediate reply from the Canadian government.
A sale of the drone would end an embarrassing chapter that raised concerns about the German military's procurement process and triggered the transfer of former Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere to another cabinet post.
Berlin told lawmakers last year that it had spent about 700 million euros ($793.5 million) on the Euro Hawk prototype, and the ISIS surveillance system built by Airbus.
Berlin initiated plans in 2000 to buy five Euro Hawk drones based on Northrop's Global Hawk unmanned system at a cost of about 1.2 billion euros but later canceled the program because of cost overruns and problems obtaining certification for use in civilian airspace in Germany.
It had only received the one prototype aircraft that is now being sold.
Berlin is now negotiating with Northrop to buy several MQ-4C Triton drones for delivery after 2025. Northrop last year said the process could take years to complete.
German opposition lawmaker Andrej Hunko, a member of the radical Left party, said the government had declared the aircraft incapable of flight after the U.S. Air Force removed U.S. built radio equipment and other key systems when it demilitarized the aircraft in 2017.
“The airplane has salvage value at best,” he told Reuters.
“Any proceeds from the sale would be a drop in the bucket, compared with the huge amounts spent on the program.”
For NATO, the drone could provide additional support to the fleet of five high-altitude unmanned Global Hawk planes it agreed to buy from Northrop in 2012 for $1.7 billion, along with transportable ground stations.
Industry officials said the Euro Hawk saga underscored problems in military procurement, noting that NATO's sister aircraft regularly traverse German air space to conduct surveillance missions over the North Sea. They also have no blanket approval for use in German civilian airspace but use case-by-case permissions from air traffic authorities.
It was not immediately clear what steps would be needed to return the Euro Hawk prototype to flight.
Additional reporting by David Ljungren in Ottawa; Editing by Riham Alkousaa, David Goodman and William Maclean
https://www.kitco.com/news/2019-02-20/Canada-bids-for-mothballed-prototype-drone-from-Germany.html
January 9, 2023 | Local, Aerospace
ACF Associates, Defense Tech Canada Solutions/Service Company, Peterborough, ON - ACF Associates: Canadian Defense and Aerospace Industry's Partner For Growth - Leveraging...
September 23, 2021 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, C4ISR, Security
NEW DEADLINE EXTENTION: IDEaS fifth Call for Proposals for six Competitive Projects challenges closes October 5, 2021 The deadline to apply for the CFP5 challenges has been extended to Tuesday, October 5, 2021. The Department of National Defence (DND) is hoping for more applications to help find the best technology to solve its newest challenges covering a wide scope of DND/CAF needs from real-time surveillance, rotary blade maintenance, antennas, and greenhouse gas reduction: • Worth a thousand sources: A fused picture for continental surveillance • We Sea You: Digital tracking and accounting on navy vessels • Erosion from Motion: Reducing wear and tear on rotary blades • Wireless is where it's at: Secure and Seamless Wireless Network Onboard Ships • High Bandwidth, Low Profile: Next generation point-to-point communication solutions for the field • Less GHGs on the Seas: Practical solutions to measure and record energy consumption Apply now or share the news! To learn more about what our Program offers, visit the IDEaS website. The IDEaS Team NOUVELLE DATE LIMITE PROLONGÉE : Le cinquième appel de propositions IDEeS pour les six défis de projets compétitifs prend fin le 5 octobre 2021 La date limite pour postuler aux défis ADP5 a été prolongée au mardi 5 octobre 2021. Le ministère de la Défense nationale (MDN) espère recevoir un plus grand nombre de soumissions afin de trouver la meilleure technologie pour résoudre ses nouveaux défis couvrant un large éventail de besoins du MDN/FAC de la surveillance en temps réel, l'entretien des pales rotatives, les antennes et la réduction des gaz à effet de serre : • Une image vaut mille sources: image fusionnée pour la surveillance continentale • On vous voit: Suivi et comptabilité numérique sur les navires de la marine • Érosion due au mouvement: Réduire l'usure des pales de la voilure tournante • Le sans-fil est là où il se trouve: Réseau sans fil sécurisé et transparent à bord des navires • Large bande passante, courte portée: Solutions de communication point à point de nouvelle génération pour le terrain • Moins de GES en mer: des solutions pratiques pour mesurer et enregistrer la consommation d'énergie Appliquez dès maintenant ou passez le mot! Pour en savoir plus sur ce que propose notre programme, visitez le site Web IDEeS. L'équipe IDEeS IDEaS website.
April 10, 2023 | Local, C4ISR
D-TA Systems Inc. has already briefed U.S. military officials twice about its over-the-horizon radar technology.