23 juin 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Defense planning takes a back seat in Britain’s struggle to shake the coronavirus

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LONDON — Producing a promised new defense and security review was never going to be straightforward for the British government, but the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and the fast-evolving geostrategic position has muddied the waters even further, leaving open the question of future investment priorities.

The integrated defense, security and foreign policy review ordered by Prime Minister Boris Johnson soon after he entered office last December was meant to provide answers to how Britain would make its way in the world post-Brexit.

That exercise is partly, but not entirely, on ice as the government focuses its attention on trying to control COVID-19 without putting the economy back in the Stone Age.

Completion of the review has been pushed back from this summer to sometime next year.

Stephan Lovegrove, the Ministry of Defence's permanent secretary, told the parliamentary public accounts committee recently that some work on the review was ongoing, with early results expected to emerge this year.

“There will potentially be something direction-setting later this year. Exactly how full that is, I do not know. Our view is that the fuller it can be, the better,” Lovegrove said.

One MoD official, who asked not to be named, said one of the key items now being worked on was a look at the balance of economic priorities versus national security priorities.

It's a key question, the answer to which will likely set the scene for decisions on defense investment priorities for years to come.

Johnson's original claim that the review would be policy driven, not financially compelled, is no longer the case — if it ever was.

Independent analyst John Louth says that post COVID-19, it's going to be all about the money.

“Without doubt the pandemic has changed everything. It [the review] is going to be driven by affordability,” Louth said.

Defense commentator Howard Wheeldon of Wheeldon Strategic Advisory said funding was going to be a big problem across the West.

“Pressures on Western governments in relation to defense spending have probably never been greater. But while we are seeing a significant awareness of the need to invest in activities like cyber, space and ISTAR we cannot afford to ignore the ongoing need to invest in conventional weapons,” he said.

“China is investing heavily in air and maritime, and Russia, despite economic pressures, is increasing spend on conventional weapons. Given that COVID-19 has impacted on virtually every nation we must expect that defense spending will be impacted in the medium term,” Wheeldon said.

“For the UK we must anticipate cuts in legacy systems across all three services but I am of the view that the army will bear the brunt when it comes to capacity reduction,” he added.

It's not just affordability that is the issue.

The pandemic is focusing the minds of parliamentarians and others on issues like homeland resilience.

The military here have been lauded for their efforts supporting the fight against COVID-19 but it could eventually come at a cost, according to Doug Barrie, a senior analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank in London.

“The recognition for greater societal resilience, and the associated cost of this, as a result of the pandemic threatens to be a draw on the U.K.'s armed forces in terms of personnel and future investment — this will put pressure on defense expenditure across the board,” Barrie said.

“A neutral budget would be a success for MoD, but I can see some projects being postponed and platform capabilities trimmed as a near term measure,” he added.

It wouldn't be so bad if the defense equipment budget was currently under control, but it's not.

The National Audit Office, the government's financial watchdog, reckons the current equipment plan has been unaffordable for several years.

The worst-case scenario puts the 10-year equipment budget shortfall at £13 billion (U.S. $16 billion) says the NAO.

While a decision by Johnson and his advisors on Britain's strategic road map is thrashed out the MoD is living pretty much hand-to-mouth, balancing the books annually by in-year reductions in equipment spending and other measures.

Lovegrove told the parliamentary committee the MoD is focusing on smaller programs to cut to leave the government with space to make decisions on more strategic issues during the defense review. Such an approach does have financial consequences, though.

“What we typically seek to do is to look at some of the less strategic capabilities, which we are capable of making decisions on outside of a full-blown, multi-year strategic review, and ask difficult questions of those for the [Service] Commands. Ultimately, we would like the Commands to make their own decisions. Sometimes those are cut; more often, they are deferred and descoped,” he said.

“Deferring programs in order to give ministers proper choices within a strategic context has the result of pushing the bow wave of the unbalanced budget out a year or two, making it a bit bigger,” the permanent secretary said.

“There is a cumulative effect of doing what we have to do to maintain the integrity of the program of record when the balance is out of whack, in that we defer for a year, then defer for a year, then put projects on shorter rations. The bow wave becomes bigger. You see that in the nature of the more difficult financing position that we have for the next three or four years. ... So, yes, I think that the program is very tight and getting tighter,” Lovegrove warned.

Without the results of the review the defense sector is operating in a bit of a vacuum on the equipment front.

Louth said that ultimately what the MoD spends its money on will be dictated by an as yet unknown view of Britain's foreign policy goals in a post-coronavirus, post-Brexit era.

“Where the money is invested depends what they [the government] want to do. The problem is can anybody put their hand up and say ‘we understand what theUK strategic ambition is at the moment,” he said.

Despite the strategy vacuum the review likely heralds significant change to investment priorities, according to Wheeldon.

“I see a huge change of approach emerging in the UK — one that will concentrate more resources on internal defense, cyber and space and less on conventional armies and battlefield activities. The UK will remain committed to air and maritime and in particular ISTAR and carrier strike. Whilst retaining the overall air and maritime commitment to the NATO alliance I envisage a shift away from front-line land systems support to that of increased ISTAR, space and cyber,” Wheeldon said.

Which sectors will see the money invested ?

“My money would remain very much on ensuring we have sufficient air and maritime capabilities, particularly ISTAR, and fast jet and surface and sub-surface maritime capability. Investing in space is crucial, investing in cyber is hugely important. I also remain committed to replacement of our nuclear deterrent capability,” Wheeldon said.

Barrie agreed about the key requirement to invest in sectors like cyber, space and ISTAR, but cautioned that even here “ambitions will have to be shaped by budgetary reality.”

In a paper published in March as the COVID-19 crisis took hold, the Royal United Services Institute's deputy director-general, Malcolm Chalmers, and Will Jessett, a former strategy director at the MoD, offered a view of Britain's defense priorities should be in the future.

Britain's new policy should be encapsulated in a new doctrine of enlightened national interest, they said.

“Under such an approach, the first priority for the armed forces should be the defense of the UK homeland and its immediate neighborhood. ... The shape of expeditionary forces should now be determined primarily through the need to work closely with NATO allies in defense of Europe and its immediate neighborhood,” the two analysts said.

The analysts' view of local and regional defense is partly reflected in their equipment list for Britain's future forces.

“Defence priorities over the coming decade need to include robust air defense of the UK (and the Republic of Ireland), strengthened coastal defenses against limited incursions, protection of infrastructure (defense and civil) against virtual and physical attack, and maintaining the ability to provide adequate support to the civil power in national emergencies,” they said in their RUSI paper.

A move towards defense of the U.K. and, through NATO, its immediate neighborhood, would represent a significant shift.

Just a little over 15 months ago then-Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson was making the case for Britain competing for its interests on a global playing field.

“In an era of great power competition we cannot be satisfied simply by protecting our own backyard” Williamson said in a speech at RUSI.

Britain has spent billions of pounds building two new F-35 equipped aircraft carriers as part of that policy and needs to invest heavily to buy additional jets and carrier strike support vessels.

But a swing towards beefing up defenses in Europe may gain more traction following U.S. President Donald Trump's recent announcement he was withdrawing thousands of troops from Europe.

Whether or not Trump means it, or is playing to the gallery ahead of the U.S. elections in November, is unclear, but a significant reduction in U.S. manpower would go right to the heart of NATO planning assumptions. Causing European powers like Britain to rethink how they address the need for their forces to maneuver against a potential adversary like Russia without significant US military support.

Louth said the Russian's pushing west to regain territory lost since the end of the Cold War is not as unthinkable as it once was.

“We have to be able to address that level of uncertainty and in defense that must be about protecting Europe's borders. What it means is you have to have an investment strategy and a capability generation process that allows you to protect those borders by being able to maneuver across a highly amorphous battlefield across a number of domains.The physicality of force goes to the heart of deterrent,” the analyst said.

https://www.defensenews.com/smr/transatlantic-partnerships/2020/06/22/defense-planning-takes-a-back-seat-in-britains-struggle-to-shake-the-coronavirus/

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  • Space Force walks back stimulus contracts for small launch providers

    6 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial

    Space Force walks back stimulus contracts for small launch providers

    Nathan Strout Less than two weeks after the U.S. Space Force invoked the Defense Production Act to prop up six small launch providers, those awards have been withdrawn. On June 16, the Space and Missile Systems Center announced in a beta.SAM.gov post that it was awarding rideshare contracts to six companies approved by the Industrial Base Council: Aevum, Astra, X-BOW, Rocket Lab USA, Space Vector and VOX Space. Each company was to be awarded two rideshare missions to be conducted over the next 24 months. The value of those contracts was not revealed. But as first reported by SpaceNews, SMC has withdrawn those awards. A new statement on beta.SAM.gov notes that the government “is re-evaluating its strategy on how best to proceed with this action” after receiving several responses to its decision. As a result, the contracts will not be awarded at this time. A Justification and Approval document was supposed to be made public within 14 days of contract award, but the withdrawal of the awards occurred before that deadline. While Space Force officials haven't spoken publicly about the Defense Production Act awards since they were announced online, the Pentagon was vocal in expressing concern about COVID-19 impacts on the small launch market in the months leading up to the announcement. On April 20, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord stated that the small launch market was one of three sectors she was most worried about. The Space and Missile Systems Center elaborated on her remarks in a statement to C4ISRNET. “There is concern that the current financial and market constraints resulting from the COVID-19 have reduced funding sources necessary to continue development and operations for the nascent small launch industry,” said Col. Rob Bongiovi, director of SMC's launch enterprise directorate. “Much of the industry have limited flight capability or are in the critical transition from development to flight and this funding restriction may prevent or delay these systems. The Space and Missile Systems Center is evaluating the impacts to the small launch industrial base to consider actions to enable a robust U.S. launch industrial base.” Shortly thereafter, the Space Force Acquisition Council held an emergency meeting to discuss how they could support industry partners negatively impacted by COVID-19. The council ultimately sent out a survey to members of the Space Enterprise Consortium to see what industry needed from the Department of Defense. Finally on June 16, the same day the announcement went live, SMC Commander Lt. Gen. John “JT” Thompson suggested that the Space Force would use Defense Production Act awards to support the small launch market. “In the small launch environment, Secretary Lord and [U.S. Space Force Service Acquisition Executive Will] Roper have both commented about how important small launch is to our enterprise, and I can't give you the details right now but I would anticipate here very shortly some very critical Defense Production Act awards to our small launch providers to keep that industry going,” Thompson said https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2020/07/02/space-force-walks-back-stimulus-contracts-for-small-launch-providers/

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 27, 2020

    28 février 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 27, 2020

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Arnold Defense and Electronics, Arnold, Missouri, is awarded $10,487,500 firm-fixed price modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00174-19-D-0001 to exercise the option ordering period for the manufacturing of the 2.75-inch rocket launchers and subcomponents to support Navy, Army, Air Force and the governments of South Korea and Pakistan under the Foreign Military Sales program. This option exercise is for the manufacture of 2.75-inch rocket launchers and subcomponents to support the Army for the M260 and M261 Launchers; the Air Force for the LAU131 Series Launchers; the Navy for the LAU61 and LAU68 Series Launchers and the Intervalometers that will be utilized by all services. Work will be performed in Arnold, Missouri, and is expected to be completed by February 2021. No funding is being obligated at the time of award. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, is awarded a $7,713,504 cost-plus-award-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-19-C-2322 to exercise options for the accomplishment of planning yard efforts such as engineering, technical, planning, ship configuration, data and logistics efforts for DDG 1000-class destroyers post-delivery and in-service life-cycle support. Work will be performed in Bath, Maine (95%), and San Diego, California (5%), and is expected to be completed by December 2020. This option exercise is for planning yard efforts which will provide Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG) 1000-class technical, engineering and support services, including emergent technical problem investigation and resolution, maintenance and modernization planning, integrated logistics support, configuration data management, maintenance, repair and/or overhaul availability planning and scheduling, modernization planning and scheduling, industrial yard/facility planning and scheduling and material orders, and fabrication and kitting. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $7,226,568 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Canadian Commercial Corp., Ottawa, Canada, has been awarded a $39,262,254 firm-fixed and cost-type contract with 100% subcontracting to Coulson Aircrane Ltd., Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada. The contract award provides a 27 month period of performance. The location of performance is Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada, and work is expected to be completed by Feb. 2022. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 procurement funds are being obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $39,262,254. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8504-20-C-0004). FlightSafety Services Corp., Centennial, Colorado, has been awarded a $33,151,551 not-to-exceed modification (P00038) to previously awarded FA8621-13-C-6247 for the exercise of the KC-46 Aircrew Training System production year 5 options. The contract modification is for the exercise of option contract line item numbers for two additional weapon system trainers, two boom operator trainers, fuselage trainer, fuselage trainer sprinkler system and installation, two pilot part task trainers, boom operator part task trainer, additional learning management workstations, fuselage trainer support equipment, McGuire and Altus Site Activations, systems engineering and program management, Visual Database Airfield Models and new refresher training scenarios. Work will be performed in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 2022. Fiscal 2018 purchasing and procurement funds are being obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $280,871,734. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. LMR Technical Group LLC, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, has been awarded a $7,053,303 contract for the Optimizing the Human Weapon System Services. The contractor provides services to increase the physical capacity of fighter aircrew, decreasing the rate of injuries and accelerating return to duty. Contractor personnel will work with active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Component fighter aircrew to optimize physical performance targeting neck and back pain prevention while monitoring, analyzing and resolving physical readiness concerns. Work will be performed at multiple bases across the Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces, and United States Air Force Europe. The award provides services for the base year with a completion date of March 22, 2021. This contract is issued as a result of a competitive acquisition with ten offers received. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated at the time of the award. Headquarters Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4890-20-C-0005). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Travis Association for the Blind,** doing business as The Lighthouse for the Blind, Austin, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $20,727,424 modification (P00022) exercising the second one-year option period of a two-year base contract (SPE1C1-17-C-B003) with three one-year option periods for warehousing, storage, logistics and distribution functions. This is a firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract. Location of performance is Austin, Texas, with a Feb. 28, 2021, performance completion date. Using customers are Air Force, Marine Corps and Defense Logistics Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Marathon Medical Corp., Aurora, Colorado, has been awarded a maximum $12,600,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for hospital equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This was a competitive acquisition with 110 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Colorado, with a Feb. 26, 2025, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-20-D-0031). Southern Counties Oil Co., doing business as SC Fuels, Orange, California, has been awarded a minimum $7,065,718 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for various types of fuel. This was a competitive acquisition with 39 responses received. This is a 54-month contract with one six-month option period. Location of performance is California, with a Sept. 30, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SPE605-20-D-4521). *Small business **Mandatory source https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2096872/source/GovDelivery/

  • New arms purchases for Eastern Europe | Defense Dollars

    6 avril 2022 | International, Terrestre

    New arms purchases for Eastern Europe | Defense Dollars

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