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European Union tees up new military-cooperation proposals
By: Martin Banks
The European Union will launch a call for a new batch of proposals as part of Europe's new Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) initiative this week.
At the same time, officials said that the 34 existing PESCO projects are still considered to be at a very initial “incubation phase,” meaning they have yet to come to fruition.
The PESCO defense pact – a show of unity and a tangible step in EU integration – was set up in December 2017 between EU governments and involved two phases of joint initiatives, each consisting of 17 projects.
The third and latest phase, to be launched this week, is for an unspecified number of new projects. The founding PESCO members, including France, Germany and Italy, have been asked to table proposals by the summer with a view to these being approved by the end of 2019.
The new batch of projects is likely to be smaller than the previous two, the second of which was launched last November, and is expected to be more “mature” when it comes to the projects' setup, including support by member states, one official said.
EU members are responsible for developing and implementing PESCO projects. An EU defence source said, “They are still at an initial stage, or incubation phase.”
Twelve of the existing 34 schemes are expected to reach initial operational capability by 2022, with four of these due to be implemented later this year, according to the source.
The 34 schemes include a harbor and maritime surveillance and protection (HARMSPRO) project, designed to deliver a new maritime capability with the ability to conduct surveillance and protection of specified maritime areas, from harbors up to littoral waters.
Another is the Training Mission Competence Centre which aims to improve the availability and professionalism of personnel for EU training missions. The list also includes a European armoured infantry vehicle and cyber rapid response teams.
Other projects involve developing new equipment, such as infantry fighting vehicles, amphibious assault vehicles, light armored vehicles, indirect fire support, strategic command-and-control systems for EU defense missions, minesweeping drones, upgrading maritime surveillance and developing a joint secure software defined radio.
Long blocked by London, PESCO, is one of the most tangible steps in EU integration since Britons voted to leave the bloc, as militaries begin to plan, spend and deploy together.
The eventual aim of PESCO is to develop and deploy forces together, backed by a multi-billion-euro fund for defense research and development. The idea aims to bring together European countries with a military capacity and political desire to collaborate on planning, carry out joint analyses of emerging crises and to react to them quickly.
Speaking recently in the European parliament in Brussels, Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä welcomed the establishment of PESCO as a “step in the right direction” but said PESCO members “should now concentrate on implementation and reaching results.”
The EU source said, “Some might find it surprising that the 34 projects are still at the ideation phase but you have to remember that the PESCO project was launched only recently so the record is not bad. We are not talking about a ‘project factory' but a commitment on the part of participating members to work more closely in the area of security and defence.”
EU defence expert Paul Taylor wrote, “It is worth noting that the PESCO effort is still at a relatively early stage of development.”
Jamie Shea, a senior fellow at Friends of Europe, a leading Brussels think tank, commented, “It is welcome news that the number of PESCO projects is likely soon to grow still further beyond the current 34. But to sustain political and public interest in this initiative it is important that we see soon the first deliverables to show that the good intentions are being followed with real and new European military capabilities.”
Shea added, “Moreover the key test for the success of PESCO will not just be to generate more multinational efforts but also to produce capabilities that plug the current shortfalls in the EU's most urgent requirements and move it towards its goal of strategic autonomy.”
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LONGBOW LLC Secures Contract For Up To $235.8 Million For Fire Control Radar Sustainment Work
Orlando, Fla., February 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - The U.S. Army recently awarded LONGBOW Limited Liability Company (LBL), a joint venture of Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), a five-year sustainment indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract for up to $235.8 million to provide post production support services for the AH-64 Apache helicopter AN/APG-78 LONGBOW Fire Control Radar (FCR) to international customers. The IDIQ contract value is estimated over five years and now provides tailorable services as individual orders for foreign military sales customers. Post-production sustainment services include program and logistics management, repair of system modules as required, replenishment of depot parts, field engineering support, and operator and maintainer training for AH-64D and AH-64E configurations."With a tailored sustainment approach, customers have the flexibility to add services as needed based on fleet demands," said Jim Messina, LBL president and Lockheed Martin program director. "This contract also enhances LBL's agility to achieve our customers' sustainability requirements." The sustainment IDIQ contract includes initial task orders for 12 foreign military customers in 11 nations, three of which have been awarded, with others planned for transition by year-end. Additional customers may also be added during the five-year contract period of performance. "A significant benefit of the sustainment IDIQ contract vehicle is rapid contract award timeline for our international allies," said Shalini Gupta, LBL vice president and Northrop Grumman director for LONGBOW programs. "LBL can now be awarded sustainment task orders within weeks after Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) signature, versus the previous timeline of years to complete the contract process." The LONGBOW FCR provides Apache aircrews with automatic target detection, location, classification and prioritization, while enabling rapid, multi-target engagement in all weather conditions over multiple types of terrain and through battlefield obscurants. During the U.S. Army's AH-64E Apache Follow-On Test and Evaluation II (FOT&E II), the modernized Version 6 LONGBOW FCR successfully demonstrated many new operational modes and capabilities, including maritime, single target track, and 360-degree surveillance mode, as well as extended detection range capability against land, air and sea targets. To date, nearly 500 LONGBOW FCR systems have been delivered to the U.S. Army and 12 nations. About LONGBOW LLC Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 110,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide. Our 90,000 employees define possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services. For additional information, visit our websites: www.lockheedmartin.com/fcr or https://www.northropgrumman.com/ SOURCE Lockheed Martin View source version on Lockheed Martin: https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2020-02-18-LONGBOW-LLC-Secures-Contract-for-Up-to-235-8-Million-for-Fire-Control-Radar-Sustainment-Work