New pact deepens Fincantieri’s stake in seabed warfare business

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  January 13, 2021 | International, Land

  Hanwha-led team launches Redback vehicle for Australian Army competition

  By: Mike Yeo MELBOURNE, Australia — Hanwha-led Team Redback officially launched its Redback infantry fighting vehicle on Tuesday ahead of delivering three for evaluation trials as part of a risk mitigation effort for the Australian Army. The infantry fighting vehicles are undergoing trials as part of Project Land 400 Phase 3, which is tasked to acquire about 450 tracked IFVs that will replace Australia's fleet of M113AS4 armored personnel carriers. The Redback, which is named after a venomous spider found in Australia, is up against Rheinmetall's Lynx KF41 for the program, which is due to announce a winner in 2022. The risk mitigation effort involves detailed test and evaluation of the vehicles throughout 2021 with the aim of providing objective quality evidence to support a government decision on the preferred platform. Team Redback is the group of companies led by Hanwha Defense Australia, and includes Electro Optic Systems, Elbit Systems and several other Australian companies. Protection for the Redback meets STANAG Level 6 requirements (a NATO standard), and is fitted with a range of active and passive protection systems in addition to survivable seats in the troop compartment, a floating floor to mitigate the effects of mines or improvised explosive devices, and Plasan-made add-on armor. The passive protection system includes Elbit laser warning devices providing all-around coverage, while active protection comes in the form of the Israeli company's Iron Fist active protection system. The Redback is based on South Korea's AS21 infantry fighting vehicle and is fitted with an EOS T2000 turret mounting a Mk44S Bushmaster II 30mm cannon and a 7.62mm coaxially mounted machine gun. An EOS R400 four-axis remote weapons station is also mounted on the turret roof and can be fitted with a range of weapons including machine guns or an automatic grenade launcher. Grant Sanderson, CEO of the Defense Systems division at Electro Optic Systems, told Defense News that the coronavirus pandemic has slowed efforts to integrate the turret, pointing out that having to fly engineers between Australia, Israel and South Korea has been a challenge. However, the lethality testing of the integrated turret is continuing and is expected to culminate in a live-fire demonstration of the turret with Australian optics and systems in August. The Redback is also designed with ride comfort in mind, with rubber tracks and independent suspension in lieu of more common metal running gear and torsion bar suspension. Hanwha added that noise reduction measures has also meant it is possible to conduct conversations in the troop compartment, even when the vehicle is moving. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2021/01/12/hanwha-led-team-launches-redback-vehicle-for-australian-army-competition/

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  August 14, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  B-21 Avionics Testbed Aircraft Now Operating, USAF Official Says

  Steve Trimble The U.S. Air Force has commissioned a flying testbed aircraft to test the avionics system and software for the Northrop Grumman B-21 bomber, a senior official said on Aug. 13. The first B-21 test aircraft is still being assembled in Palmdale, California, but the flying testbed allows the stealth bomber program to “buydown risk,” said Randall Walden, director of the Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office, which is managing the program. “We have a flight test aircraft that we've been hosting some of these subsystems on,” Walden said. “We're doing it kind of in a parallel approach, working out some of the bugs with the software as well as the subsystems.” Walden, speaking to the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute, did not identify the flying testbed, but his remarks come two months after the appearance of a green Boeing 737 owned by the Air Force with registration N712JM. The Lockheed Martin F-35 program also used a 737 to check out avionics and mission systems before test flights of the stealth fighter started in 2006. “When you can buydown risk with subsystems on even another platform, no matter what it is like you get into the air and use some of the software and work those bugs out it goes a long way,” Walden said. The Air Force expects to field the B-21 in the mid-2020s, about a decade after awarding the engineering and manufacturing development contract to Northrop in 2015. The development program remains on track, but Walden is eager to begin testing as soon as possible. “All of the tough critical designs, all of the hard engineering, is behind us,” Walden said. “I know we're not going to be immune from design flaws. We're going to have to work through those, and we're doing some of that today. I want to find out what those design deficiencies are as fast as I can to get on with the solution.” https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/b-21-avionics-testbed-aircraft-now-operating-usaf-official-says

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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