British defense boss commiserates a bit with France over Australia submarine breakup

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  12 février 2020 | International, Terrestre

  Thales and MKU to co-develop the Elfie Night Vision Device for India and the world

  Lucknow, February 7, 2020 - Taking the association a step ahead, Thales and MKU today announced the co-development of the ELFIE Night Vision Device (NVD) for the armed forces in India and across the world on the sidelines of DefExpo 2020. With this, both companies have further solidified the MoU signed in 2018 for strategic co-operation on developing optronic devices. This co-operation involves co-development of these devices at MKU's facility in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. A lightweight monocular with the widest field of view, ELFIE provides unprecedented mobility and night combat capability. Whether hands-free (on a face mask or helmet mount) or weapon-mounted, ELFIE is suitable for left or right eye use and provides stereoscopic vision in binocular configuration. ELFIE is ideal for vehicle-driving and for paratroopers and special forces operators. When mounted on a weapon, it provides a red dot sight or laser pointer to the user. The integration of the first pre-series of ELFIE at MKU's facility in Kanpur is expected to be completed in the first trimester of 2020. A true model of the “Made in India” ELFIE night vision device is expected to be available in the first trimester of 2021. “We are enthusiastic about taking our strategic association forward with MKU with the co-development of ELFIE. This embodies the Government's ‘Make in India' initiative. Coming up in the Defence Industrial Corridor of Uttar Pradesh, this versatile night vision device will be offered to the armed forces in India as well as across the world. Together with MKU, we look forward to strengthening the industrial ecosystem while also contributing towards job creation in the country,” said Pascale Sourisse, Senior Executive Vice President – International Development, Thales. Neeraj Gupta, Managing Director, MKU Limited, said, “We are delighted about this partnership with a global technology leader like Thales. This association will combine Thales' expertise with the manufacturing abilities of MKU and boost local manufacturing for the defence industry. We will develop the entire supply chain and the devices will be manufactured to exacting international standards.' For more details on Thales' presence at DefExpo India 2020, please click here. About MKU Limited: MKU Limited is a leading defence company for soldier systems in India with a customer base in over 100 countries. Known for its capabilities of providing innovative protection and surveillance solutions, It has state-of-the-art manufacturing and test facilities for Electro-Optics in India that complies to JSS 55555 & MIL 810G standards. The company is already supplying night vision devices to Special Forces, CAPFs and State Police Forces in India and is participating in various tenders from the tri-services under MoD and CAPFs under MHA. MKU is a Global leader in the development and manufacture of Ballistic solutions for Personnel and Platforms. Its products are trusted and used by over 230 forces in the world. The company is currently executing an Indian MoD contract for 158,279 Ballistic Helmets for the Indian Army and Navy. About Thales Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global technology leader shaping the world of tomorrow today. The Group provides solutions, services and products to customers in the aeronautics, space, transport, digital identity and security, and defence markets. With 80,000 employees in 68 countries, Thales generated sales of €19 billion in 2018 (on a pro forma basis including Gemalto). Thales is investing in particular in digital innovations — connectivity, Big Data, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — technologies that support businesses, organizations and governments in their decisive moments. About Thales in India Present in India since 1953, Thales is headquartered in New Delhi and has other operational offices and sites spread across Noida, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai, among others. Over 1600 employees are working with Thales and its joint ventures in India. Since the beginning, Thales has been playing an essential role in India's growth story by sharing its technologies and expertise in Defence, Transport, Aerospace and Digital Identity and Security markets. Thales has two engineering competence centers in India - one in Delhi NCR focused on digital identity and security business, while the one in Bengaluru focuses on hardware, software and systems engineering capabilities for both the civil and defence sectors, serving global needs. View source version on Thales: https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/india/press_release/thales-and-mku-co-develop-elfie-night-vision-device-india-world

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  19 août 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  Finland’s $12 billion fighter plan dodges the post-pandemic budget ax

  By: Gerard O'Dwyer HELSINKI — The Finnish government's budget proposal for 2021 has allayed concerns of delays or reduced funding for the Armed Forces' (FAF) HX Fighter Program. The plan will effectively increase the military's budgetary framework in 2021 by $2 billion to $5.8 billion to meet phase one of the project's procurement costs. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced Finland to significantly increase international borrowings and further load national debt, was feared to have a negative bearing of the fighter replacement project, particularly against the backdrop of a potential economic recession and grim forecasts of an 8 to 10 percent drop in GDP in 2020. Instead, the 2021 budget both protects and moves forward the $12 billion national security capital investment. The HX Fighter Program will have a “substantial effect” on the FAF's budgetary position and finances from 2021, said the HX Program's Director, Lauri Puranen. The $5.8 billion allocation represents a massive 54 percent increase on the FAF's defense budget for 2021 compared to 2020. Moreover, the higher financial provision will elevate military non-aligned Finland's defense spend, as a ratio of GDP, from 1.4 percent in 2020 to over 2 percent in next year. Finland plans to procure up to 64 fighters to replace its ageing fleet of F/A-18C/D Hornets. The government is slated to finalize its decision on the choice of fighter aircraft in 2021. The project timetable, with oversight from the FDF's Logistics Command, envisages the Finnish Air Force taking delivery of new fighters over the period 2025 to 2030. International fighter aircraft in contention for the $12 billion contract include the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-35 and the Saab Gripen. Phase two of the HX project is currently underway. This is focused on the content of the procurement in respect to each individual bidder. A request for best and final offers will be sought at the end of the second phase of negotiations in the fourth quarter of 2020, and ahead of a government decision on selection in the first half of 2021. Although the 2021 budget has secured project-specific funding for the HX Fighter Program, the overall fragile state of Finland's national finances threatens to curtail capital increases to other areas of defense, including training and multi-branch field exercises, in that year. Gen. Timo Kivinen, the FAF's defense chief, said that while the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the postponement of exercises, it has not affected Finland's military readiness. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/08/18/finlands-12-billion-fighter-plan-dodges-the-post-pandemic-budget-axe/

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  16 janvier 2019 | International, Aérospatial

  France: Dassault Aviation renouvelle sa convention avec le ministère des Armées pour le soutien aux PME

  M. Eric Trappier, PDG de Dassault Aviation, et Mme Florence Parly, ministre des Armées, ont signé le renouvellement de la convention entre Dassault Aviation et le ministère des Armées pour le soutien aux PME de la Défense. Mérignac, le 14 janvier 2019 – M. Eric Trappier, PDG de Dassault Aviation, et Mme Florence Parly, ministre des Armées, ont signé le renouvellement de la convention entre Dassault Aviation et le ministère des Armées pour le soutien aux PME de la Défense. Cet événement a eu lieu dans le cadre de la visite que Mme Parly a effectuée ce jour à l'usine Dassault Aviation de Mérignac. L'adhésion initiale de Dassault Aviation à cette convention était intervenue en janvier 2014. En renouvelant cette convention, Dassault Aviation confirme la démarche qui a toujours été la sienne de soutenir les centaines de PME qui sont ses partenaires dans les programmes militaires. Le tissu industriel français auquel appartient Dassault Aviation s'est patiemment constitué depuis des décennies, accumulant et partageant des connaissances, des méthodes de travail, des règles de métiers, des outils de conception et production qui sont précieux et doivent être absolument préservés. Ces compétences, résultat de la réalisation de toutes les générations d'avions depuis 1945, sont synonymes de souveraineté technologique : très peu de pays les possèdent. Elles sont également synonymes de croissance : par exemple, plus de 150 PME françaises se sont vu proposées des opportunités de développement liées au contrat Rafale en Inde. « En tant qu'architecte industriel et intégrateur de systèmes complexes, Dassault Aviation se sait investi d'une responsabilité particulière, a déclaré Eric Trappier. Nous sommes fiers de contribuer au développement du formidable écosystème des PME de la Défense. Les dispositions de la convention que nous venons de signer prolongent très utilement les efforts des grands donneurs d'ordres, dans un contexte économique plus exigeant que jamais ». https://www.dassault-aviation.com/fr/groupe/presse/press-kits/dassault-aviation-renouvelle-convention-ministere-armees-soutien-aux-pme/