San Diego shipyard inks $10 million contract for Bonhomme Richard firefighting and cleanup

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  November 20, 2020 | International, Land

  GM Defense conducting nationwide search for new president

  By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — GM Defense President David Albritton is headed to Amazon so the company is conducting a nationwide search for a new president, according to a GM spokesperson. Albritton is joining Amazon Web Services as the vice president of global communications in the company's public sector and vertical industries. GM Defense's website already reflects the change. Tim Herrick, the company's vice president of global product programs, is serving as the interim president and will be dual-hatted until a permanent replacement is found. Herrick “has been a champion of GM's defense business since its inception and serves on GM Defense's Board of Managers,” a GM Defense spokesperson told Defense News in an emailed statement Nov. 19. GM Defense is conducting a “national search to find a candidate who is qualified to lead GM Defense and will make an announcement when the right person is identified,” according to the spokesperson. The company is coming off a big win with the U.S. Army after being selected to build its new Infantry Squad Vehicle. The first of the vehicles was delivered to the service in a ceremony last month at GM Defense's proving grounds and production facility in Milford, Michigan, just 120 days after being chosen to build the new troop carrier. The Army awarded the company a $214.3 million contract to produce 649 vehicles by the end of fiscal 2024. The service is planning to procure a total of 2,065 ISVs. With the success of the ISV program, GM Defense is setting its sights on other opportunities with the Army and other military services such as the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program. The service is planning to re-compete for the JLTV and for new Humvees to round out the tactical vehicle fleet. And while the company can offer fully integrated vehicles, it is also looking to partner with others for such programs like the Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle for the U.S. Marine Corps or the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle, the Army's Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle replacement effort. Such technologies like power and propulsion, lighter weight materials and cybersecurity are all areas in which GM Defense is looking to contribute. GM spent several recent years helping the Army evaluate a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle using a ZH2 Chevy Colorado and the Army is now taking some renewed steps at getting after an electric vehicles in its fleet to include the pursuit of an electric light reconnaissance vehicle. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/11/19/gm-defense-conducting-nationwide-search-for-new-president

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  October 30, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  UAE could get up to 50 F-35s in $10B sale

  By: Joe Gould , Aaron Mehta , and Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department is backing the sale of as many as 50 F-35 joint strike fighters to the United Arab Emirates in an arms deal worth an estimated $10.4 billion, according to multiple reports. The news came as the Trump administration informally briefed Congress on its plan to sell the advanced F-35 fighter to the United Arab Emirates Thursday. It follows weeks of speculation and behind-the-scenes debates about how to structure an F-35 deal with the UAE without cutting into Israel's qualitative military edge. If the sale is permitted by Congress and the UAE opts to buy the full number of F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variants covered by the deal, it would have parity with Israel, which has 50 F-35 “Adir” jets under contract, although the country is considering buying 25 more. (The quantities and values of such deals often change from initial estimates.) Amid reports the Trump administration is fast-tracking the F-35 sales, key Democratic lawmakers are continuing to urge a deliberate approach, citing concerns for Israel's security and the security of the warplane's sensitive technology. “This technology would significantly change the military balance in the Gulf and affect Israel's military edge," House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said in a statement. "The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is a game-changing stealth platform boasting advanced strike capability and unique sensor technology. The export of this aircraft requires very careful consideration and Congress must analyze all the ramifications. Rushing these sales is not in anyone's interest.” The consultations came days after Israel said last week it will not oppose the U.S. sale of “certain weapon systems,” widely considered to mean the F-35. That followed an agreement between Israel and the United States to upgrade its capabilities to preserve its edge. Engel said he plans to weigh the U.S. legal obligation to maintain Israel's military superiority in the region, as well the question of whether the sale would drive demands from other Middle Eastern nations to buy the F-35 in exchange for normalized ties with Israel. (The Trump administration recently brokered such a pact between Israel and the UAE.) “Israel currently has exclusive access in the region to the F-35, which has guaranteed its military edge over the last several years. As Congress reviews this sale, it must be clear that changes to the status quo will not put Israel's military advantage at risk,” Engel said. “This technology also must be safeguarded from our greatest global adversaries. With Russia and China active in the region, the American people will require unimpeachable assurances that our most advanced military capabilities will be protected.” For decades, the State Department has informally consulted with the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees before formally notifying Congress of sales, which affords lawmakers a chance to block them. Though lawmakers typically consider such deliberations sensitive and rarely speak publicly about them, Engel broke the news Congress had been informally notified. Assistant Secretary Bureau of Political-Military Affairs R. Clarke Cooper told reporters Wednesday the department plans to honor that process. Though Reuters has reported there is a goal to have a letter of agreement between the U.S. and the UAE by Dec. 2, Cooper said “there are no dates associated with the work that's being done.” He declined to provide specifics of a potential deal and the State Department declined to comment on Thursday. F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin referred questions to the State Department. Israeli opposition would be fatal to the deal in Congress, where Israel enjoys strong support. Two key Democrats introduced legislation earlier this month that would place restrictions on F-35 sales to Middle Eastern nations to address their concerns about both the Israel's security and the security of F-35 technology. On Thursday, Engel invited colleagues to join him in legislation, “to ensure that the sale of these types of weapons adhere to our most important national security goals.” https://www.defensenews.com/2020/10/29/uae-could-get-up-to-50-f-35s-in-10b-sale/

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  April 14, 2022 | International, Aerospace

  Guillaume Faury livre un entretien sur l’Europe de la Défense et le SCAF

  Reconduit le 12 avril à la tête d'Airbus, Guillaume Faury revient sur l'urgence de se doter d'un système européen de sécurité et de défense et de lancer de grands programmes en coopération à l'image du SCAF. Le projet, lancé en 2017 par la France et l'Allemagne et rejoint par l'Espagne, doit succéder aux avions de combat Rafale et Eurofighter Typhoon à l'horizon 2040. Guillaume Faury revient sur les rivalités nationales autour du projet : « Il n'y aura pas de SCAF national, aucun pays européen n'en a les moyens, que ce soit en ingénierie ou en financement. Nous avons donc une responsabilité historique. Nous avons besoin d'un partenaire fort comme Dassault Aviation dans le système de combat aérien ». Un des enjeux du SCAF est de garantir l'interopérabilité pour répondre aux impératifs militaires européens discutés et définis à l'OTAN. L'entretien rappelle la nécessité de se doter d'un système de sécurité et de défense commun et de lancer de grands programmes en coopération. « Si nous avons des leaders mondiaux comme MBDA dans les missiles ou Airbus Helicopters, c'est que nous avons aussi mis nos forces en commun. Je pense que nous pouvons faire de même dans bien d'autres domaines de la défense, y compris dans la partie spatiale. » insiste Guillaume Faury. Une des préoccupations principales du moment concerne le risque de rupture d'approvisionnement du titane, la Russie étant l'un des plus importants producteurs. Le dirigeant d'Airbus reste néanmoins rassurant, si l'aéronautique en est le plus gros consommateur, le titane ne représente qu'un petit montant d'achat. Le Monde du 14 avril