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Naval News November 2020 Navy Forces Maritime Defense Industry POSTED ON FRIDAY, 06 NOVEMBER 2020 17:57 According to a Tweet published by NavyLookout on November 6, 2020, the MBDA Sea Ceptor air defense missile system has been selected for the Canadian Surface Combatant ships. Canadian Navy plans to acquire 15 ships to replace both the retired Iroquois-class Destroyers and the Halifax-class frigates, with an estimated cost of $56-60 billion. Canada's defence policy, “Strong, Secure, Engaged” (SSE), has committed to investing in 15 Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) ships. These ships will be Canada's major surface component of maritime combat power. To recapitalize the Royal Canadian Navy's surface combatant fleet by replacing and updating the capabilities found in both the recently retired Iroquois-class destroyers and the multi-role Halifax-class frigates and provide the necessary ammunition, training, support, and infrastructure. The new Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) will ensure that Canada can continue to monitor and defend its waters and make significant contributions to international naval operations. The Canadian Surface Combatant contract was signed on 7 February 2019. Lockheed Martin Canada was selected by Irving Shipbuilding and the Government of Canada for the design contract for Canada's new fleet of surface combatants. The ship will be based on the Type 26 frigate proposed by Lockheed Martin Canada and BAE Systems. The Canadian Surface Combatant will have a length of 492 ft (150 m) and a displacement of 8,000. The ship will feature advanced anti-submarine warfare capabilities. She will be armed with a 24-cell Mk 41 VLS (Vertical Launch System) for Tomahawk cruise missiles and other long-range strike weapons, a 48-cell silo for Sea Ceptor air defense missiles and a 5-inch naval gun. The flight deck will be able to operate a CH-47 Chinook-sized helicopters. The Sea Ceptor is new generation of ship-based, all-weather, air defence missile system developed and designed by MBDA. The Weapon System has the capability to intercept and thereby neutralize the full range of current and future threats including combat aircraft and the new generation of supersonic anti-ship missiles. Capable of multiple channels of fire, the system will also counter saturation attacks. Sea Ceptor will operate from the SYLVER and Mk41 launchers using a quad-pack configuration, various flexible canister configurations are also available. The Soft Vertical Launch technology reduces system mass and eases installation. The missile has a maximum firing range of 25 km. https://navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2020/november/9237-mbda-sea-ceptor-air-defense-missile-system-selected-for-canadian-navy-surface-combatant-ships.html

David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen, Postmedia News (dpugliese@ottawacitizen.com) Published: Nov 06 at 10:29 a.m. Updated: Nov 06 at 7:20 p.m. The Canadian government is spending around $650 million to buy new missiles and launchers from the U.S. for the Royal Canadian Navy. Canada is buying 100 Standard Missile 2 Block IIIC missiles and 100 MK 13 Vertical Launch Systems. The total estimated cost of the purchase is $500 million U.S., according to the U.S. government, which posted details of the deal on Thursday. The U.S. State Department announced it had approved the pending sale and Congress has also been notified. It is expected to proceed but there were no details about when the weapons would be delivered. The missiles will be installed on the 15 Canadian Surface Combatant ships, according to the U.S. Raytheon Missiles and Defense of Tucson, Ariz., will build the weapons. Last year the Liberal government signed a deal that would lead to the eventual construction of 15 Canadian Surface Combatant warships in the largest single government purchase in Canadian history. A final contract, however, has not yet been signed. Lockheed Martin offered Canada the Type 26 warship designed by BAE in the United Kingdom. Irving is the prime contractor and the vessels will be built at its east coast shipyard. Construction of the first ship isn't expected to begin until the early 2020s. But the Canadian Surface Combatant program has already faced rising costs. In 2008 the then-Conservative government estimated the project would cost roughly $26 billion. The overall project is currently estimated to cost around $60 billion. The $60 billion price tag is now being examined by the Parliamentary Budget Officer. That report was supposed to be delivered to the House of Commons government operations committee on Oct. 22 but has been delayed. No new date has been provided on when the report will be delivered. “Approximately one-half of the CSC build cost is comprised of labour in the (Irving's) Halifax yard and materials,” according to federal government documents obtained by this newspaper through the Access the Information law. But some members of parliament as well as industry representatives have questioned whether the CSC cost is too high. There have been suggestions that Canada could dump the Type 26 design and go for a cheaper alternative since the project is still in early stages and costs to withdraw could be covered by savings from a less inexpensive ship. In 2017 then Parliamentary Budget Officer Jean-Denis Fréchette, estimated the CSC program would cost $61.82 billion. The entry of the BAE Type 26 warship in the Canadian competition was controversial from the start and sparked complaints the procurement process was skewed to favour that vessel. Previously the Liberal government had said only mature existing designs or designs of ships already in service with other navies would be accepted, on the grounds they could be built faster and would be less risky. Unproven designs can face challenges as problems are found once the vessel is in the water and operating. But the criteria was changed and the government and Irving accepted the BAE design, though at the time it existed only on the drawing board. Construction began on the first Type 26 frigate in the summer of 2017 for Britain's Royal Navy. Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2020 https://www.thetelegram.com/news/canada/canada-spending-650-million-on-us-missiles-for-new-warships-517604/

Shared Services Canada (SSC) is seeking a user-friendly solution for using Quantum Computing-as-a-Service (QCaaS) to optimize complex problem solving. Think you can solve this challenge? Compete for funding to prove your feasibility and develop a solution! This challenge is open until December 15th, 2020. Quantum Coputing-as-a-Service

November 9, 2020 Soucy International Inc., Defense Division, has been awarded the $7.5M contract to manufacture and deliver composite rubber track (CRT) systems for the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency's (NDMA) Armoured Combat Support Vehicle (ACSV). In May 2018, as part of the Norwegian Armed Forces logistic and support vehicle recapitalization program, Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) won the tender to manufacture and supply ACSV's to the Norwegian Army. FFG proposed to base the ACSV around their current PMMC G5 vehicle. The ACSV is a 26mT tracked platform with the capacity to transport freight goods containers weighing up to 6mT. It has container mounts to accommodate both 6.5- and 10-feet freight containers and in conjunction with the increased durability and low maintenance attributes of composite rubber tracks (CRT) can enhance the military's battlefield logistical reach. The reduced vibrations enabled by the integration of CRT also aids in the protection of sensors and electronics located on other military equipment such as radars which may also be mounted on the ACSV's stable framed platform. Due to the ACSVs open and closed hull configurations, it can be adapted in the closed configuration to house a command centre or ambulance (casualty evacuation). The ACSV can be adapted to a wide range of operations including domestic disaster relief and international peace support missions. About Composite Rubber Tracks Increased durability over conventional steel tracks. Reduced vibration (up to 70%), noise (up to 13dB), thermal signature, braking distance, vehicle weight (up to 50%) and fuel consumption (up to 30%). Reduced vehicle crew fatigue. Significant reduction in life cycle costs and virtually maintenance free. Elimination of damage to infrastructure. About Soucy Soucy has been established for 50 years and specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of composite rubber tracks. Soucy supply a variety of components and parts for major manufacturers of Powersports, industrial, agricultural and defense vehicles around the world. Since entering the defense market 26 years ago, the demand for Soucy's products has grown, and now being utilised in 12 counties worldwide. Soucy's expertise and knowledge of rubber track applications lie in compounding and track construction. The key elements in exceeding the specifications of traditional steel tracks and meeting customer requirements are the relationship between the gross vehicle weight (GVW) and rubber heat generation, this balance is critical in the design of composite rubber tracks. For more information: www.soucy-defense.com https://blog.soucy-group.com/soucy-defense-division-awarded-contract-composite-rubber-track

New IDEaS Challenges Our colleagues at The Department of National Defence's Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program have launched their 4th Call for Proposals! Check out their website to learn how you can support our troops with your logistics solutions, new armour designs and visual and data security. Here are their current opportunities: Essential Deliveries: Getting Vital Supplies to Troops Using Autonomous Vehicles Armour Up! Modular Lightweight Armour for Land Vehicles It's not just Noise – Innovative Tools for Acoustic Sensor Operators Better than Meets the Eye: Reliable Object Detection Amongst the Waves Making Data Make Sense: Real-time Data Analysis for Rapid Decision Making Knot Vulnerable - Locking Down Cybersecurity on Naval Vessels Navigating Your Next Chapter – The Transition Back to Civilian Applications must be submitted by December 10th, 2020. Learn more

Jen DiMascio The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated some of the risks that have always existed in the defense industrial base. Although government assistance and a robust Pentagon budget have helped offset initial trials, more challenges are looming. One of the biggest risks to the defense industrial base is that some companies serving the military are too heavily leveraged toward the commercial sector or too reliant on international companies, financial analysts told Aviation Week's DefenseChain Conference. “Some of these places are two weeks from bankruptcy,” says Chris Celtruda, managing principal at Destiny Equity Partners, says. Suppliers are beginning to falter because of a combination of factors, including the need to comply with cybersecurity standards, the pressure that prime contractors such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin have applied to them and their reliance on commercial business. A prime example is the recent bankruptcy of Impresa Aerospace, a Wichita-based company that made parts using computer numerical control machines as well as sheet metal parts and assemblies for Boeing and Lockheed military aircraft but was highly dependent on its work for the commercial Boeing 737 MAX. The U.S. federal Paycheck Protection Program helped delay some business failures, but others are inevitable, says Rick Nagel, managing partner of Acorn Growth. “The Impresa bankruptcy is an example of a lot more insolvencies we may see,” he adds. Weakness among niche companies could pose a problem for the Defense Department in the future. “I'm always amazed at how many critical systems have multiple single points of failure on major programs,” he says. At the Pentagon, officials have been working to keep essential suppliers afloat and to keep production moving through its sprawling international industrial base. For the U.S. Army, that has meant initial disruptions to Apache fuselage production in India and to the flow of generators from Mexico. The Pentagon and the State Department helped ease the stoppage, but the incident has caused them to review the full range of risks to its international supply chain. “I think that we can navigate through this, though it's certainly always going to be complex in today's global economy,” says Patrick Mason, deputy program executive officer for U.S. Army Aviation, adding that he is in the position of putting pressure on vendors to reduce cost, particularly to provide savings on multiyear aircraft contracts. One trend emerging along with the pandemic is a movement toward onshoring or reshoring overseas business for reasons of cybersecurity and the protection of the U.S. industrial base. As that happens, and as the commercial aviation market sags, Raanan Horowitz, president and CEO of Elbit Systems of America sees opportunity. “We are trying to position ourselves around some of those discontinuities,” Horowitz says, adding that the company likes going after opportunities that are not necessarily glitzy but hold value. “We are intensifying efforts toward looking at licensing, taking over orphan product lines and positioning ourselves to be part of the long-term solution.” Horowitz says Elbit is investing in U.S. infrastructure to capture new business. Industry officials see broad support for bringing more of the defense supply chain back to the U.S. The shift stems in part from the COVID-19-related economic downturn but also from longstanding concerns about China. In the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress passed restrictions on contracting with companies that use Chinese telecommunications equipment. Though companies first look for the best value, the threat posed by Chinese parts that either do not work or could transmit classified information back to China is an ongoing concern, says John Luddy, vice president for national security policy at the Aerospace Industries Association. “The concept of reshoring of supplies to better connect our allies and friends, both from a production standpoint and from an operational functionality and alliance standpoint, I think the volume is getting turned up on that a little bit,” he says. “There's also a strong impetus in Congress to look at exactly how vulnerable we are. That's going to be a more intense discussion in the year to come than it has been.” And that trend toward reshoring could have unintended consequences, warns Steve Grundman, founder and principal of Grundman Advisory. “I'm genuinely concerned that benign moves to secure our supply chain to prevent nefarious supplies and code [coming] into particularly our defense supply chain or commercial aerospace supply chain could slip very easily into protectionism,” Grundman says. “If you want to really put pressure on the defense budget, ask the defense industry to reshore the supply chain. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/supply-chain/how-covid-19-affecting-defense-industrial-base

Le parlement allemand a donné son feu vert à un investissement de 5,4 milliards d'euros pour 38 avions de chasse de quatrième génération pour la Luftwaffe. Airbus salue une commande qui représente 100.000 emplois en Europe. Par Anne Bauer Publié le 5 nov. 2020 à 21:13Mis à jour le 5 nov. 2020 à 21:14 La commission budgétaire du Parlement allemand a approuvé un contrat d'achat de 38 avions de combat Eurofighter à Airbus pour un montant évalué à 5,4 milliards d'euros. Un contrat très attendu par le constructeur aéronautique, éprouvé par la crise du covid. Pour la Luftwaffe, l'armée de l'air allemande, il s'agit d'une première tranche sur un objectif de commandes à long terme de 93 Eurofighter ainsi que de 45 F-18 auprès de Boeing. 5,4 milliards d'euros Le président d'Airbus Defense and Space, Dirk Hoke, s'est réjoui de cette décision. « La décision du Bundestag d'acheter 38 Eurofighters de dernière génération est une bonne décision pour l'armée allemande mais aussi pour l'Europe et l'industrie de défense européenne », a-t-il déclaré, en soulignant que plus de 100.000 emplois dépendent d'une telle commande. Il a aussi déclaré que ce soutien affirmé de l'Allemagne au programme Eurofighter était un bon signal pour la crédibilité des campagnes à l'exportation en cours, notamment en Finlande et en Suisse. De son côté, le groupe britannique BAE Systems, partenaire de l'Eurofighter, a aussi salué cette décision : « l'engagement pris aujourd'hui par la Luftwaffe d'acheter 38 avions Eurofighter renforce le rôle de Typhoon au coeur de la défense européenne pour les décennies à venir. Notre équipe au Royaume-Uni est prête à travailler aux côtés de nos partenaires à travers l'Europe pour honorer nos engagements ». Une confirmation européenne La commande allemande est importante car elle grave dans le marbre l'abandon de la tentation d'acheter le F-35, l'avion de chasse de Lockheed Martin, que les Etats-Unis voulaient à tout prix vendre à Berlin. Par ailleurs, les 38 appareils seront d'une quatrième génération et vont embarquer de nombreuses nouvelles technologies, lesquelles vont préparer la route vers le Futur système de combat aérien franco-allemand qui doit prendre la relève vers 2040. Gr'ce au feu vert du Parlement allemand, le contrat Quadriga sera signé en novembre. L'arrivée des 38 nouveaux appareils devrait intervenir entre 2025 et 2030, en remplacement d'Eurofighters de première génération. Pour l'avionneur et ses partenaires européens, la commande tombe à pic alors que 570 appareils ont été livrés, dont 143 à l'Allemagne, sur 623 exemplaires commandés. https://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-services/air-defense/lallemagne-commande-38-avions-de-chasse-eurofighter-a-airbus-1262506

By Mike Stone, Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department gave Congress notification it plans to sell 18 sophisticated armed MQ-9B aerial drones to the United Arab Emirates in a deal worth as much as $2.9 billion, people briefed on the notification said. The move comes on the heels of last week's notification of a potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to the middle-eastern country. This would mark the first armed drone export since the Trump administration reinterpreted a Cold War-era arms agreement between 34 nations to allow U.S. defense contractors to sell more drones to allies. Reuters has reported that UAE has long shown interest in purchasing drones from the United States and would be among the first customers in line after U.S. export policy changed this summer. A $600 million deal to sell four unarmed but weapons-ready MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones to Taiwan was the first to be formally notified to Congress on Tuesday. This informal notification for the Reaper-style drones is the precursor to the State Department's formal and public notification. The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committees - whose members have criticized UAE's role in civilian deaths in Yemen's civil war - have the ability to review and block weapons sales under an informal review process before the State Department sends its formal notification to the legislative branch. The U.S. State Department may wait to formally notify Congress of the sale once staff and members are briefed on the potential sale, one of the people said. The formal notification gives Congress 30 days to object to any sales. A U.S. State Department spokesman told Reuters, “As a matter of policy, the United States does not confirm or comment on proposed defense sales or transfers until they are formally notified to Congress.” The armed MQ-9B drones will also be equipped with maritime radar and could be delivered in 2024. The package notified to Congress is for 15 with an option for three additional drones, one of the people said. The UAE is also seeking a package of Boeing Co EA-18G Growlers, an electronic warfare version of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft, that are capable of jamming radar and other advanced capabilities. Growlers are operated buy the U.S. and Australia. The United Arab Emirates, one of Washington's closest Middle East allies, has long expressed interest in acquiring the stealthy F-35 jets and was promised a chance to buy them in a side deal made when they agreed to normalize relations with Israel. The informal notification for 50 Lockheed Martin Co F-35 jets was made on Oct. 29. But any deal the U.S. makes to sell weapons in the region must satisfy decades of agreement with Israel where the U.S.-made weapon must not impair Israel's “qualitative military edge,” guaranteeing U.S. weapons furnished to Israel are “superior in capability” to those sold to its neighbors. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-emirates-drones-exclusive/exclusive-trump-administration-advances-2-9-billion-drone-sale-to-uae-sources-idUSKBN27M06L

By: David B. Larter WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy announced Thursday it had inked a $9.47 billion contract with builder General Dynamics Electric Boat for the full construction cost of the lead boat of the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, as well as advanced procurement money for the second boat, the future USS Wisconsin. The announcement marks the end of the beginning for the Columbia class, which the Navy has for years said is its top priority. The 12-ship class will replace the retiring Ohio-class submarines. The Columbia is slated to make its first patrol in 2031, and the Navy says it must meet the timeline to maintain continuous sea-based deterrent patrols. The contract also covers continued component testing and engineering, according to the DoD contract announcement. “The contract modification exercises an option for construction and test of the lead and second ships of the Columbia class SSBN 826 and SSBN 827, as well as associated design and engineering support,” the contract reads. From here on out, the program is about getting things in order to prepare for full production in the second half of the 2020s, when the Navy plans to buy one per year, the service's top acquisition official told reporters Thursday. “Now it's really about execution,” said James Geurts, the Navy's head of research, development and acquisition. "It's making sure that now, with the contract in place, transitioning into full construction. ... “The design, maturity of this program surpasses any other submarine we have ever done. We've got a solid design. Now it's moving to design refinement to design complete, and advanced construction into full construction for the first ship. And then not taking our eye off the ball of the fact that we will quickly move into, by the third, annual construction.” Getting the first ship right will be key, Geurts continued. “There's a whole lot of effort to get the first ship out, and get the first ship out right,” he said. “That's necessary, but not sufficient. We've got to make sure the enterprise is ready to execute the full scope of the program so that we can meet the requirements for the nation.” The second hull is fully priced into the contract, Navy officials said on the call, meaning that when the Navy wants to exercise the option planned for 2024, it will not have to renegotiate for the cost of full construction. The Columbia program is a massively expensive undertaking, with the Navy estimating it will run about $7.5 billion per hull over the class. By 2026, when the Navy will be buying one Columbia per year, considering the FY21′s roughly $20 billion shipbuilding request as a guide, Columbia would eat up to 38 percent of the Navy's shipbuilding money at a time when DoD believes the Navy needs to expand the fleet to meet a rising Chinese naval threat. In January, the cost of Columbia drew a blunt assessment from Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday, who said if the Navy is going to expand, it needs more cash. “Here's the deal, we need more money,” Gilday said. "We need more top line. “If you believe that we require overmatch in the maritime domain, if you believe that in order to execute distributed maritime operations and to operate forward in numbers now that we need more iron, then, yes, we need more top line.” Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., who represents the district where GDEB is located, said the contract was a victory for the submarine industrial base, which has been under enormous strain as the Navy ramps up to building two Virginia-class submarines per year and the Columbia class. “This isn't just a milestone for the shipbuilders at EB — the Columbia-class program will also be a major opportunity for industry partners up and down the supply chain for years to come, and a foundational piece for our region's economic future,” Courtney said. "Generations of shipbuilders and manufacturers will get their start working on this multi-decade program, and it's an exciting time to get more people into the pipeline for the jobs and opportunities that will come with the start of this effort.: https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/11/05/navy-inks-contract-for-two-columbia-class-nuclear-missile-submarines