New German government revisits Tornado replacement options

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  August 29, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  Brazil’s Gripen E makes first flight, F-35 parts deal underway and other defence industry news

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN Saab says it completed a successful flight for Brazil's first Gripen E fighter jet. This aircraft is the first Brazilian production aircraft and will be used in the joint test program as a test aircraft, according to the firm. If it decides to bid on the future fighter project for the Canadian Forces, Saab is expected to offer the Gripen E. The first Gripen E for the Swedish military is expected to be delivered later this year. The first of the 36 aircraft ordered by Brazil in a $5-billion program will be delivered in 2021. The Pentagon is moving forward to deal with issues about a lack of spare parts for the F-35. It has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $2.4 billion U.S. to provide more spare parts for the aircraft. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported in April that the lack of parts had a significant impact in 2018 on the availability of the aircraft worldwide. The latest issue of Esprit de Corps magazine has some more industry news. It noted that earlier this year Seaspan Shipyards announced that Algoma Steel Inc. has won the contract to provide steel plates for the Royal Canadian Navy's new Joint Support Ships. Seaspan's supply partner, Samuel Custom Plate of British Columbia, conducted the competition that selected Algoma. Under the contract, Samuel Custom Plate will subcontract Algoma to provide steel plates which will be used to construct part of the hull of the JSS. In other developments, the MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft – designed and developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. – has now flown more than 100 test flights as development continues towards its first delivery to the Royal Air Force as part of the Protector RG Mk1 program. The Royal Air Force is acquiring SkyGuardian as part of its Protector RG Mk1 program and is scheduled for first delivery in the early 2020s. Belgium's government has approved the Belgian Defence Ministry to negotiate for the acquisition of SkyGuardian to meet that nation's remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) requirements. The aircraft is also being considered by the Australian Defence Force, who chose GA-ASI to supply an RPA system for Project Air 7003. Contracts are being awarded for the Joint Support Ship program. Leonardo DRS announced that its Canadian subsidiary, DRS Technologies Canada Ltd will be providing tactical integrated communications systems to Seaspan's Vancouver Shipyards for the Royal Canadian Navy's Joint Support Ship program. This includes the provision of the Secure Voice and Tactical Intercommunication System, the ship's telephone system and the main broadcast and alarm system. In addition, DRS's scope includes the flight deck communications system, the sound and self-powered systems and the medical communications system. To satisfy the Canadian Navy's Tactical and Secure Voice requirements, DRS TCL will provide its Shipboard Integrated Communications System (SHINCOM 3100) including the helicopter audio distribution system, recorder storage units, and a selection of DRS TCL's 3D spatial audio tactical terminals and ancillaries. For external communications, the company will provide the wideband audio network data switching system for automated switching of any source to any radio. SHINCOM 3100 is the latest generation in shipboard communications technology, which provides reliable, red/ black security-certified tactical communications for naval operators. SHINCOM was originally developed for the Canadian Patrol Frigate program, and later installed on board the Iroquois-class destroyers and Protecteur-class auxiliary oiler ships of the Royal Canadian Navy. The system is already installed on board the Royal Canadian Navy's Halifax-class frigates, and with the United States Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal New Zealand Navy, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, and the Republic of Korea Navy. For JSS, DRS TCL will produce two shipsets, the first of which will be delivered in early 2020. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/brazils-gripen-e-makes-first-flight-f-35-parts-deal-underway-and-other-defence-industry-news

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  September 24, 2018 | International, Land, C4ISR

  Army makes strides toward network modernization with much anticipated radio award

  By: Mark Pomerleau The Army has awarded Harris Corp. and Thales Defense a much anticipated radio contract that leaders say is critical for mission command on contested battlefields in the future. The two-channel leader software-defined radio will allow commanders on the ground to switch frequencies if one is being jammed by adversaries. The Army said it plans to exercise a delivery order for 1,540 Leader Radio sets and 338 vehicular mounting kits. The value of the order was not immediately clear. “This is an important step in providing critical tactical communications capabilities that are interoperable and effective in a contested electronic warfare environment,” Col. Garth Winterle, project manager for tactical radios, said in a Sept. 21 Army release. Army leaders have described the radios as critical to the Army's overall network modernization strategy. The contract allows for annual orders and for the easy integration of new capabilities. “The award of the two-channel Leader radio contract is an important milestone in the modernization of the Army's tactical network and Harris is honored to be part of it,” Dana Mehnert, President, Harris Communication Systems, said. Maj. Gen. David Bassett, the program executive officer for Command, Control, Communications-Tactical, told reporters in March that these types of radios have shown themselves to be able to run a wide range of waveforms. This has proven to be a critical feature as the Army considers more advanced, harder-to-jam waveforms for the future. This could be especially important in electronic warfare as adversaries make strides in their jamming and sensing abilities within the electromagnetic spectrum. The two-channel Leader radio will also be a key component of what the Army is calling the integrated tactical network, which focuses on a simplified, independent, mobile network solution at the battalion level. That solution is intended to provide network availability down to the small unit dismounted leader for better mission command, situational awareness and air-to-ground integration. https://www.c4isrnet.com/c2-comms/2018/09/21/army-makes-strides-toward-network-modernization-with-much-anticipated-radio-award

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  May 7, 2019 | International, Land

  Turkish, Indonesian firms team up on medium-weight tank

  By: Burak Ege Bekdil ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish armored-vehicles manufacturer FNSS and its Indonesian partner PT Pindad have signed a contract to co-produce scores of medium-weight, new-generation battle tanks for the Indonesian army. The deal was signed during this year's IDEF defense and aerospace show in Istanbul Apr. 30-May 3. The companies will initially produce a batch of 18 Kaplan MT tanks within two years. The second stage of the contract involves mass production of the Kaplan MT. FNSS and PT Pindad have designed, developed and built two prototypes of the Kaplan MT under a 2015 deal. The prototypes have passed field tests in Turkey and Indonesia and were certified by the Indonesian military. The deal is part of a defense industry cooperation agreement between Turkey and Indonesia. The first prototype of the Kaplan MT tank was exhibited during IDEF'17. The tank was showcased in Indonesia during a military parade on National Armed Forces Day in October. The Kaplan MT is equipped with a battlefield management system, a wireless crew intercom system, a navigation system and an automatic fire extinguishing system. The tank is fitted with a CMI Cockerill 3105 turret mounting a Cockerill 105 mm high-pressure gun. The lightweight gun features an advanced autoloader to deliver rapid fire. The 105 mm gun can fire NATO-standard ammunition and can engage targets at a maximum distance of 10 km. The secondary weapon system includes a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun mounted to the left side of the main gun. The Kaplan MT is powered by a new-generation diesel engine coupled to a fully automatic electronic-controlled transmission. The fuel is supplied from two separate fuel tanks. The tank has a maximum road speed of 70 km/h and a minimum operating range of 450 km. It can negotiate a gradient and side slopes of 60 percent and 30 percent, respectively. It can climb a vertical obstacle of 90 cm and can cross a trench of two meters. https://www.defensenews.com/global/2019/05/06/turkish-indonesian-firms-team-up-on-medium-weight-tank