November 10, 2024 | International, Naval
NATO allies ready sea drones for the task of repelling enemy warships
A key exercise next year will focus on the feasibility of using unmanned vessels to enforce a security perimeter at sea.
December 7, 2018 | International, Naval
Four shipbuilding firms and a British consortium have been selected to compete for the Fleet Solid Support ships contract
A syndicate of British firms, along with four international shipbuilding companies, have been selected to compete for the Fleet Solid Support ships contract, Defence Minister Stuart Andrew has announced.
The crucial vessels, which will deliver ammunition, food and supplies to UK forces across the globe, will work alongside the Royal Navy's fleet of warships and will be an important part of the UK Maritime Task Group.
The British consortium is made up of leading manufacturing and engineering companies Babcock, BAE Systems, Cammell Laird and Rolls-Royce.
They join Italian firm Fincantieri, Spanish company Navantia, Japan Marine United Corporation, and Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering of South Korea as the five successful firms who have been invited to submit a tender for the competition.
Defence Minister Stuart Andrew said:
The widespread interest in this competition shows that our Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary remain among the most prestigious in the world.
These support ships will be vital for supporting our formidable Queen Elizabeth Class carriers and will ensure our warships can deploy in a range of challenging environments and across huge distances, wherever they are in the world.
The five companies, which were selected from eight interested firms, will now develop bids before a final decision is made regarding the winning bidder in 2020.
The Fleet Solid Support ships, up to three of which will be procured through international competition as they are not warships, will be fitted with specialist and classified equipment at a British shipyard before entering service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary from 2026.
Shipyards across the United Kingdom will be able to bid for this work in 2022.
As part of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the vessels will be civilian-manned and carry self-defence weapons only.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/shipbuilding-firms-chosen-for-fleet-solid-support-competition
November 10, 2024 | International, Naval
A key exercise next year will focus on the feasibility of using unmanned vessels to enforce a security perimeter at sea.
May 12, 2020 | International, Aerospace
L'avion d'entraînement M-345 de Leonardo a reçu sa certification initiale émise par la DAAA (Direction de l'armement aérien et de la navigabilité), soit l'autorité du ministère italien de la Défense. Le nouveau M-345 de Leonardo, sur le point d'entrer en service avec l'armée de l'air italienne et futur avion de l'équipe acrobatique de l'armée de l'air italienne Frecce Tricolori, est un appareil capable d'offrir des performances et une efficacité de type avion à réaction au prix d'un turbopropulseur, selon l'avionneur. 200 vols d'essais La DAAA (Direction L'armement aérien et la navigabilité), l'autorité italienne de certification du ministère italien de la Défense, a émis la « certification initiale » pour le nouvel avion d'entraînement M-345 de Leonardo. Cette étape du programme M-345 est le résultat d'intenses activités avec deux cents vols dédiés enregistrés parallèlement aux essais en vol de l'armée de l'air italienne. La certification initiale du M-345 marque le premier cas d'application de la nouvelle règlementation AER (EP) P-21 pour un aéronef à voilure fixe. Règlementation qui applique en fait l'EMAR-21 européen - (European Military Airworthiness Requirements, Exigences militaires européennes en matière de navigabilité) - une exigence de certification internationale stricte qui sera également bénéfique pour l'exportation de l'appareil. Coûts réduits Le M-345, gr'ce à ses performances et son système de formation intégré avancé, fournit à l'Armée de l'air italienne une amélioration significative de l'efficacité de l'entraînement avec une forte réduction des coûts d'exploitation, avance Leonardo. Le nouvel avion, conçu pour répondre aux besoins de formation de base et de base/avancé, complétera les M-346 utilisés pour la phase avancée de la formation des pilotes et, dans le cadre du projet « International Flight Training School », soutiendra le renforcement et l'internationalisation de l'offre de formation lancée par Leonardo en partenariat avec l'armée de l'air italienne. https://air-cosmos.com/article/le-leonardo-m-345-dcroche-sa-certification-de-type-23070
August 14, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
By: Vivek Raghuvanshi NEW DELHI — To bolster self-reliance for its defense industrial base, India on Sunday released a list of 101 weapons and platforms that will be banned from import over the next seven years. The list incorporates major armaments such as artillery guns, assault rifles, corvettes, sonar systems, transport aircraft, ammunition, radars, conventional diesel-electric submarines, communication satellites and shipborne cruise missiles. In announcing the move, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called it “a big step toward self-reliance in defense production in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat,' ” or “Self-Reliant India.” Singh added the decision will bring with it a great opportunity for the local defense industry to manufacture the items on the negative list by using domestic design and development capabilities. “The embargo on imports is planned to be progressively implemented between 2020 to 2024,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement. “The aim behind the promulgation of the list is to appraise the Indian defense industry about the anticipated requirements of the [Indian] armed forces so that they are better prepared to realize the goal of indigenization.” The items on the list, worth a total of $53.4 billion, are to be manufactured in India, with local companies as prime contractors. Of these, about $17.3 billion will be either Army or Air Force programs, and defense contracts worth $18.6 billion will be meant for naval programs. The MoD said these orders will be placed with domestic companies within the next five to seven years. The domestic industry will now stand a better chance to compete among itself and cater to local demand, an MoD official told Defense News. “Foreign-origin technology transfer will be key. However, the Indian companies will be in the driver's seat,” the official said. Domestic private companies have welcomed the government's move, but some defense experts doubt change will come. Baba Kalyani, chairman of Bharat Forge Limited, said this decision is a strategic step that will “propel the Self-Reliant India narrative and bolster the Indian defense equipment-manufacturing industry.” He added that the growth of the domestic sector will lead to self-reliance, reduced expenditure on imports, the saving of foreign currency, job creation and the revival of consumption, and that it will get India closer to its goal of a $5 trillion economy. Jayant Patil, senior executive vice president of India's largest private defense company Larsen & Toubro, said the defense policy reforms will provide long-term visibility, which he said is needed to drive investment. In contract, Vivek Rae, a former MoD chief of acquisitions, said the “gradual ban on imports of 101 weapons and platforms signals the strong intent of government to boost domestic defense production. However, some of these items are already made or assembled in India, and import content is also high. Therefore, business as usual will continue unless more orders are given to the private sector and import content reduced.” Rae also noted the cost of items manufactured or assembled locally tends to be higher than the cost of imported items. The quality of locally produced materiel is also a concern for Rae. The embargo may not adversely affect foreign original equipment manufacturers, as they can continue involvement in MoD acquisition programs, either by way of direct product orders or through technology transfer or collaboration with the Indian companies, in respect to items not covered by the list, according to Amit Cowshish, a former financial adviser for acquisition at the MoD. It doesn't matter whether an embargoed item is made by a joint venture or any other entity, so long as it is designed and developed in India, Cowshish added. Indeed, an MoD official confirmed that foreign original equipment manufacturers now can set up joint ventures with a majority control up to 74 percent. The ventures would be considered Indian companies and thus be eligible for manufacturing the embargoed items, the official explained. https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2020/08/13/india-announces-ban-on-101-imported-arms-who-benefits-and-who-loses-out/