Quieting Discord: A new frontier in military leaks and extremism

On the same subject

• 

  January 25, 2021 | International, Land, C4ISR

  Elbit UK to make new target-marking kits for British foot soldiers

  By: Andrew Chuter LONDON – Britain's armed forces are investing just over £100 million ($134 million) acquiring equipment to improve sensor-to-shooter capabilities for dismounted troops, the Ministry of Defence announced Jan 21. Under the effort, the UK arm of Israeli-based Elbit Systems has been awarded an £101 million deal to supply the British dismounted joint fires integrators (D-JFI) program. The equipment will give British Army, Royal Marine, special forces and Royal Air Force units improved ability to find, identify and instantly distribute battlefield target information to artillery, aircraft and others. The new kit, based around the latest thermal sight technology, will primarily be used by joint terminal attack controllers and fire-support teams. The contract, which includes support, comes to a close in March 2026, although there is an option to extend it by two years. Elbit Systems UK secured the contract in mid-December, but officials only now announced it. British defense procurement minister Jeremy Quin said the contract “not only delivers the very latest in battlefield technology to our frontline soldiers, but also invests in the British defense industry, sustaining more than 500 jobs across the UK.” In a statement the company said their D-JFI solution will “enable fast and secured transition of target information across the British and allied armed forces, allowing swift and accurate utilization of artillery and close air support.” Several Elbit technologies are being used in the system, including: the TORCH-X battle management application; the HattoriX system for high-precision target marking, the CORAL thermal-imaging system, and the Rattler XR laser designator. This new contract is the latest of a number of deals secured by Elbit Systems UK in recent years, furthering the British Army's digitalization efforts. The company was awarded the £40 million Battlefield Management Application program in 2018 as part of the Morpheus communications modernization program, followed by the Joint Fires Mobile Trainer and the Joint Fires Synthetic Training contract in 2019. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/01/21/elbit-uk-to-make-new-target-marking-kits-for-british-foot-soldiers/

• 

  April 7, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  How Will Coronavirus Change The Aftermarket?

  Alex Derber If the ongoing corona-crisis does effect a structural shift in the air transport market, both the production and aftermarket sectors will have to adjust. Much has been made of aviation's ability to weather previous external shocks such as 9/11, SARS and the financial crash, but the present upheaval is likely to outdo all others in its severity, and there is a good chance we won't see demand bounce back as quickly as in the past. In fact, the best comparison may not be with other external shocks at all, but rather with the profound impact that low-cost carriers (LCCs) had upon the established airline sector. Granted, this occurred region by region on a rolling basis over many years, rather than as a discrete global event like coronavirus, but the demand hit to full-service short- and medium-haul operations was huge. The LCCs also prompted significant changes in the MRO market, including: a move away from letter checks to more flexible maintenance programs; a rise in outsourcing and full-service maintenance contracts; and consolidation as larger MRO providers sought to enhance their nose-to-tail capabilities. So, what further changes might be wrought by the present crisis? Much will depend on the extent of the disruption and the demand profile thereafter, but certain tentative predictions can be made. For example: many airlines will probably fail; the survivors will emerge as smaller operations; many older aircraft will retire earlier; and business travel may never recover its pre-crisis highs. For the aftermarket this may mean: more competition for contracts and a need to find greater cost efficiencies; a greater focus on new-technology inspection, testing and repair capabilities, such as for carbon fiber and the latest engines; and a trend towards simpler cabins. Also a fair bet, of course, is that the most significant ramifications of coronavirus for the aftermarket are ones that almost no-one is considering currently. For an in-depth look at the factors that have shaped the MRO market to this point, see the next Inside MRO. https://aviationweek.com/mro/how-will-coronavirus-change-aftermarket

• 

  April 7, 2023 | International, Land

  Ukraine, Poland to produce Soviet-era tank shells together

  Ukraine's state arms producer said on Thursday it would launch joint production of 125-mm rounds for Soviet-era tanks with Polish arms producer Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ).