November 3, 2020 | International, Land

UK government to retake control of its atomic weapons management from industry

LONDON – Britain's Ministry of Defence has taken back management control of its nuclear weapons facilities from an industry-led consortium that has been running the operation for two decades.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement to parliament that the Atomic Weapons Establishment will become wholly owned by the MoD, with the new arrangement expected to be in place by June 2021.

“Under the revised arrangements, AWE plc will become an arms-length body wholly owned by the MoD. It will continue to be managed by a world-leading team and a new board will be appointed by the MoD,” he told lawmakers.

Since 1999 AWE has been managed and operated by a Lockheed Martin-led consortium, which also includes Jacobs Engineering and Serco, in a deal which had been expected to run until 2025.

The arrangement, won in competition, followed several years of commercial management by Hunting-BRAE.

The establishment, based at Aldermaston in southern England, is at the core of British activities toward developing, producing and disassembling nuclear warheads for the Royal Navy's fleet of Trident missile-armed submarines.

In February the MoD committed itself to development of a new nuclear warhead to allow the Navy to field an effective deterrent for deployment on the new fleet of Dreadnought-class submarines due to start replacing the existing boats early in the next decade.

The MoD owns the AWE sites and facilities. The day-to-day management, operations and the maintenance of Britain's nuclear stockpile are the responsibility of the consortium, which employs the workforce and maintains the nuclear site operating licenses.

Wallace said the MoD has been looking at a successor arrangement for the current deal since July last year.

“Although the existing arrangements have brought stability to the organization the MoD has concluded that AWE will revert to a direct government ownership model,” said the defence secretary in his statement to parliament.

The MoD appears to have left the door open to some degree of commercial involvement in AWE.

In his statement Wallace said the new business model will see AWE “continue to draw on private sector specialist support to strengthen capability as well as playing a key role in managing capital projects and contracts.”

In a separate statement the defense ministry said removal of the current commercial arrangements would "enhance the MoD's agility in the future management of the UK's nuclear deterrent, whilst also delivering on core MoD objectives and value for money to the taxpayer.

“The decision was taken in order to simplify and further strengthen the relationship between AWE and the MoD,” the statement said.

AWE Management Limited, the name of the company formed by the consortium to manage and operate the nuclear facilities, only appointed a new chief executive, Alison Atkinson, in May.

An industry competition for what is thought to be a three-year transformation program at AWE is already in its early stages.

An industry executive who asked not to be named said the MoD had invoked what is known as a “termination of convenience” clause in the contract to prematurely end the deal with the consortium.

“It was not performance related. Lockheed Martin and its partners could be due compensation,” said the executive.

AWE has not been without its problems though, and, along with the MoD, most recently attracted criticism from the National Audit Office, the government financial watchdog, for its handling of a program known as Mensa to build a facility to assemble and disassemble nuclear weapons.

Progress on Mensa has quickened recently but the program is expected to be over six years late and 146 percent over budget, according to an NAO report published in the summer.

In a statement, a Lockheed Martin spokesman said the company remains “fully committed to the delivery of the UK's continuous at-sea deterrent. We'll continue to support the UK government, as the Atomic Weapons Establishment transitions to a new operating model and delivers current and future requirements.”

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/11/02/uk-government-to-retake-control-of-its-atomic-weapons-management-from-industry/

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June 2, 2020 | International, Aerospace

Bell 360 Invictus Attack and Reconnaissance Aircraft
Bell 360 Invictus is a new attack and reconnaissance helicopter being developed by Bell Textron to deliver improved lethality, survivability, and extended range for army aviation. The advanced helicopter is being offered for the US Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme, which mainly aims to replace the army's AH-65 Apache and OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters. The rotorcraft will offer security and situational awareness in the battlefield upon completion of its government flight test evaluation in 2023. It will serve as an affordable, lethal and sustainable solution, while delivering next generation performance. Bell 360 Invictus development Bell was contracted under other transaction authority for prototype (OTAP) agreement to design a vertical lift aircraft with advanced performance capabilities to face asymmetric threats in multi-domain operations, in April 2019. In September 2019, Bell Textron entered a partnership agreement with Collins Aerospace Systems for avionics hardware and software incorporating cyber-hardened and enhanced digital solutions. Collins Aerospace will also offer model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools and processes to integrate mission avionics into the Bell 360 Invictus aircraft. The attack and reconnaissance helicopter was unveiled at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) National Conference held in Washington DC in October 2019. In March 2020, Bell Textron was selected to continue its work on US Army's FARA programme, after almost a 12-month design and risk-reduction work. Bell Textron preferred Triumph Systems & Support for the supply of hydraulic components for the Bell 360 Invictus aircraft in May 2020. Design and features of Bell 360 Invictus The rotorcraft's design will be based on Bell 525 Relentless aircraft, which will feature hydraulic pump and reservoir assemblies. The robust, articulated rotor, lift-sharing wing and optimised tail rotor ensure effective attack and reconnaissance operations in both urban and rural areas. The helicopter will accommodate a pilot and a gunner. The lift-sharing wing of the aircraft will mainly reduce rotor lift demand during forward flight and will offer high-speed manoeuvrability without a complex propulsion and drive system. A digital toolkit aboard will help in reducing hundreds of man hours and downstream costs. The advanced digital flight control system will further offer an enhanced flight operations. The helicopter will be fitted with state-of-the-art sensors and air-launched effects to improve situational awareness and lethality across all domains. The modular open systems approach (MOSA) digital backbone will allow plug and play capability, while the platform will be compliant with future airborne capability environment (FACE). The digital fly-by-wire flight control system of the rotorcraft will be upgradeable throughout its life cycle. 3D digital twin will serve as a common data source as it helps in monitoring survivability and supporting test scenarios for evolving battlefield technology. Bell 360 Invictus weapon systems The payload capacity of the aircraft will be approximately 635kg (1,400lb) and the helicopter can carry internal and external weapons payloads. The aircraft will be armed with an integrated munitions launcher and a 20mm cannon and will have the capability to support air-launched effects. It can also accommodate future weapons and current inventory of munitions. Engine and performance Bell 360 Invictus will be powered by General Electric's T901 turbo-shaft engine, which will serve as the main power unit. The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207D1 engine aboard the rotorcraft will act as a supplemental power unit delivering power for ground maintenance and system checks. It will also enhance cruise airspeed, dash speed, hover payload and autorotative performance. The helicopter will be able to fly at a maximum cruise speed of 180k and offer a range of approximately 135nm with more than 90 minutes of time on station. The main rotor will have high flapping capability ensuring high-speed flight. It will achieve hover out of ground effect (HOGE) of 4k/95F. https://www.army-technology.com/projects/bell-360-invictus/
November 13, 2023 | International, Aerospace

Romania opens F-16 pilot training hub for NATO allies, Ukraine | Reuters
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December 17, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Land

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UK government to retake control of its atomic weapons management from industry

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Romania opens F-16 pilot training hub for NATO allies, Ukraine | Reuters Red is a Romanian fighter pilot with hundreds of flight hours and countless air policing missions on the NATO state's now retired fleet of MIG21 LanceR jets who will be flying Lockheed Martin F-16 planes as early as December.

Romania opens F-16 pilot training hub for NATO allies, Ukraine | Reuters
Red is a Romanian fighter pilot with hundreds of flight hours and countless air policing missions on the NATO state's now retired fleet of MIG21 LanceR jets who will be flying Lockheed Martin F-16 planes as early as December.