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  August 14, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  Update: F-35 test fleet struggles with low readiness rates as key deadline approaches

  Pat Host, Washington, DC Key Points The F-35 programme's test fleet has a fully mission-capable rating that is roughly 10% of its goal This could make it difficult for the Pentagon to make an educated decision on whether to enter full-rate production The Pentagon's Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test fleet has a fully mission-capable rate of 8.7% compared with an 80% goal, causing one watchdog to question whether the programme can accomplish all of its initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) test points before the phase ends. Dan Grazier, military fellow with the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) watchdog group in Washington, DC, said the Pentagon plans to make its full-rate production (FRP) decision by the rapidly approaching end of fiscal year 2019 (FY 2019) or early FY 2020. The fiscal year changes on 1 October. If the F-35 programme cannot accomplish all its IOT&E test points by this deadline, Grazier said the Pentagon cannot make an informed decision on FRP. The FY 2016 Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) report called for an 80% availability rate to conduct an efficient IOT&E and support sustained combat operations. According to an F-35 programme briefing slide provided by POGO and dated 19 July 2019, the 8.7% rate is an improvement from 4.7% in May. https://www.janes.com/article/90429/update-f-35-test-fleet-struggles-with-low-readiness-rates-as-key-deadline-approaches?from_rss=1

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  September 10, 2018 | International, Land

  Australia, Rheinmetall ink $500 million contract for military trucks

  By: Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany — Australia has signed a contract with Rheinmetall to supply military trucks worth €430 million (U.S. $500 million) to the country's armed forces, the company announced Thursday. The deal for 1,000 logistics trucks comes on top of a previous order for 2,500 such vehicles, worth €1.2 billion. Deliveries for the new order will begin next year and last until 2024, the German company said. The latest batch of vehicles stems from the Australian LAND 121 Phase 5B program, which is an extension of the larger 3B segment. “This follow-up order is of great strategic significance to us, providing an excellent reference for other important international projects,” Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger was quoted as saying in the company statement. “It reflects Australia's satisfaction with our performance and the quality of our vehicles,” he added. “Rheinmetall's latest success in the Asia-Pacific region proves that our products are at the cutting edge of technology, and that the customer see in us a proven and reliable partner, fully capable of carrying out sophisticated large-scale projects.” The Düsseldorf, Germany-based company currently is Australia's largest supplier of military vehicles, according to the website of the state of Queensland. Rheinmetall is establishing a “military vehicle center of excellence” outside of Brisbane, the state's capital. That location is slated to be a hub for the Australian military's LAND 400 program, for which Rheinmetall was formally tapped last month to build Boxer wheeled armored reconnaissance vehicles worth €2.1 billion. The award was first announced by the Australian government in March. There could be yet more business for Rheinmetall in Australia. The next phase of the multibillion-dollar LAND 400 program, which addresses a requirement for new infantry fighting vehicles, began with the release of a tender in late August. Rheinmetall is expected to put forward its Lynx vehicle. Companies have through March 1, 2019, to submit bids. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2018/09/07/australia-rheinmetall-ink-500-million-contract-for-military-trucks/

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  October 9, 2019 | International, Naval

  Babcock secures MOD gun system automation contract

  October 7, 2019 - Babcock International has secured a three year contract, with two year optional extension, for the Gun System Automation (GSA) 9 in-service support contract with the Ministry of Defence supporting the Royal Navy. Operating jointly from our South West facilities at Devonport and Portsmouth – specialising in warship support – this contract will provide support for all aspects of GSA9 support including Electro Optical Gunfire Control System (EOGCS), the Electro Optical Sensor Platforms (EOSPs), the Quick Pointing Devices (QPD) and below decks equipment of six Control Consoles, Gun Allocation Subsystem, Gunnery Check Fire System and two Maintenance and Analysis Facilities (MAF). Through GSA9, Babcock will deliver critical services to the Royal Navy's T45 Destroyers and manage a portfolio of sub-contractors and suppliers. Richard Drake, Managing Director Babcock DST, said: “Babcock is uniquely positioned to support the defence industry through our proven weapons expertise. By combining our comprehensive technical knowhow and joining multiple equipment's together, we are well placed to deliver a superior capability for the Royal Navy.” Babcock's end-to-end solution, backed by more than a century of maritime heritage, is trusted to deliver in support of naval gunnery programmes. View source version on Babcock: https://www.babcockinternational.com/news/babcock-secures-mod-gun-system-automation-contract/