31 juillet 2020 | International, C4ISR

Exclusive: As Japan weighs missile-defence options, Raytheon lobbies for Lockheed's $300 million radar deal

TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. defence company Raytheon (RTN.N) is lobbying Japanese lawmakers to replace Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) as the supplier of powerful radars as Tokyo reconsiders plans for two Aegis Ashore missile defence sites, three sources said.

“It's game on,” said one of the sources, who has direct knowledge of Raytheon's lobbying campaign. Raytheon's pitch includes a proposal to put its SPY-6 radar on refitted destroyers, as the U.S. Navy plans to do. The company says that would save money and time as Japan tackles new missile threats, drones and stealth aircraft.

Lockheed Martin has a contract with Japan to build its $300 million SPY-7 radars at the two cancelled Aegis Ashore sites, but says other sites or ships are possible.

But critics say dedicating ships to missile defence pulls them away from other duties, and new destroyers can cost hundreds of millions of dollars. And Japan could face financial penalties if it pulled out of its contract with Lockheed Martin.

“We are looking at the various options available to us,” a defence ministry spokesman said.

A key battle for the two companies will be winning the support of former defence ministers and deputy ministers who as early as next week will make recommendations to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

That group, led by former defence minister Itsunori Onodera, formed in June after current defence chief Taro Kono suspended the Aegis Ashore plan. It has weighed in on missile defence and discussed proposals that Japan acquire strike weapons for that mission, Japanese officials have said.

The group of lawmakers will release their recommendations on Friday after they present them for approval to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's defence policy committee, Onodera told reporters after the group met on Thursday.

Japan under Abe has beefed up its military with stealth fighters designed to fly off carriers, longer-range missiles, new amphibious units and stronger air defences meant to deter threats from neighbours, including North Korea and China.

Kono said he ordered the Aegis sites relocated because rocket boosters that accelerate interceptor missiles into space could fall on residents. But concern over mounting costs was the main reason for that decision, according to the three sources.

China is rapidly expanding and improving its ballistic missile arsenal, and in 2017 North Korea tested a missile that flew over the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

With around three times the range of radars currently used by Japan, both SPY-6 and SPY-7 would greatly enhance Japan's ability to detect multiple attacks.

One option for Japan that would avoid any political fallout would be to buy both radars, using SPY-6 on Aegis ships and deploying Lockheed's SPY-7 as an early warning radar, one of the sources said.

CHOICE

Onodera's backing would make that change more likely because he approved the Lockheed Aegis radar acquisition two years ago. At the time he was unaware that testing in Hawaii could add at least $500 million to Aegis Ashore's $4 billion budget, separate sources told Reuters last year.

In an interview in the Asahi newspaper on Thursday, Onodera said the “ideal option” for Japan would be to find a safe ground-based location. He also noted that building Aegis ships would cost both money and manpower.

Onodera's office declined an interview request, but one source familiar with his position on the radars described him as “flexible.”

Masahisa Sato, a former deputy defence minister who also served as a deputy minister of foreign affairs, said Japan's choice is between SPY-7 at new sites, with the missile launchers deployed elsewhere, or building Aegis ships equipped with SPY-6.

“I am recommending an increase in Aegis ships,” he said. “SPY-7 is under development and there is a question about how it would perform in a new configuration,” Sato added.

Lockheed Martin said its system could be adapted to ships, and disputed questions about performance.

“SPY-7 radar is the most advanced radar in the world today and we believe it is the best solution for Japan's defence needs,” the company said in an e-mail.

For its part, Raytheon said the SPY-6 will be deployed on 50 U.S. Navy ships, calling it the “most advanced radar technology in production today.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-defence-aegis-exclusive/exclusive-as-japan-weighs-missile-defence-options-raytheon-lobbies-for-lockheeds-300-million-radar-deal-idUSKCN24V0VQ

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15 juillet 2019 | International, Terrestre

U.S. Army Awards BAE Systems $45 Million Contract for Extended Range Cannon Artillery Prototype
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Army has awarded BAE Systems a $45 million contract for the Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) Increment 1 prototype with the purpose of increasing the range and rate of fire on current and future M109A7 self-propelled howitzers. The development of ERCA is in collaboration with the Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Armaments Center. This prototype phase will address capability gaps in the Army's indirect fire systems and improve the rate and range of fire with the development of power distribution software and hardware integration solutions. ERCA will be integrated onto the M109A7 and will require the M109A7's current 39-caliber turret to be replaced with a 58-caliber, 30-foot long gun barrel with the objective of creating firepower double the current range. “ERCA is a significant technological step forward for the Army's artillery portfolio,” said Scott Davis, vice president or programs, BAE Systems' Combat Vehicles business. “We were selected based on our years of experience in the development of self-propelled howitzer systems. Long-range precision fire is a top priority for the Army, and we are pleased to be a partner in efforts to equip soldiers with the latest technology.” The development program aims to provide the warfighter with extended range while maintaining the weight found in current systems to minimize performance impacts on the chassis. Under separate contracts, BAE Systems is also developing precision guidance kits with anti-jamming capabilities (PGK-AJ) that can operate in the challenging ERCA firing environment. PGK-AJ is compatible with existing and new long-range rounds for multiple firing platforms, including the M109 self-propelled howitzer. BAE Systems is currently producing the M109A7 configuration for the Army in the low-rate initial production phase. Development work on ERCA Self Propelled Howitzer will take place at the Army's Picatinny Arsenal and BAE Systems' facilities in York, Pennsylvania; Sterling Heights, Michigan and Minneapolis, Minnesota. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190715005684/en
17 mai 2021 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Entretien avec Florence Parly, ministre des Armées
La ministre des Armées, Florence Parly, accorde une interview à La Tribune. Elle aborde notamment le programme SCAF, soulignant : « les négociations qui sont aujourd'hui en phase finale concernent la réalisation de travaux qui se dérouleront sur la période 2021-2027 et qui visent à mettre en vol un démonstrateur commun à cet horizon. C'est un jalon majeur pour assurer une entrée en service d'un nouvel avion opérationnel en 2040 ». Au sujet du Rafale, la ministre se félicite du choix récent de l'avion de combat de Dassault Aviation par la Grèce et l'Egypte, rappelant que « d'autres compétitions sont encore en cours ». Ces contrats représentent « une bonne nouvelle en termes de visibilité pour la continuité de la chaîne industrielle de Dassault Aviation, Safran et Thales et les plus de 500 sous-traitants, PME et ETI, de l'écosystème Rafale. Nous pouvons placer nos commandes nationales dans un échéancier cohérent au plan opérationnel et par rapport à ce que nous avions budgété ». En matière d'exportations, « l'année 2021 sera exceptionnelle, elle l'est déjà avec 48 Rafale exportés. La dynamique est bonne », souligne la ministre. Florence Parly se félicite par ailleurs de l'attention croissante portée à la souveraineté européenne en matière de défense : l'Europe « commence à s'interroger sur la prise de participation et le rachat de groupes européens par les groupes chinois notamment », estime-t-elle. La Tribune du 14 mai
23 novembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial

IAI names Boaz Levy as new chief exec
By: Seth J. Frantzman JERUSALEM — Israel Aerospace Industries has named Boaz Levy, its former vice president for the Systems Missiles and Space Group, as its new CEO. Levy's group oversaw major contracts for IAI over the years, including billion-dollar deals in India in 2018. He was also central to the Arrow 3 program, which was developed with U.S. support to intercept high-altitude targets in space, such as ballistic missiles. In his new position, Levy said he plans to lead the company through the challenges of the future. “IAI has transformed in recent years, but we still have a considerable way to achieve the company's potential and strengthen our position in existing and new markets,” he said. Levy's appointment was approved by the Board of Directors, according to a statement from the company. The search committee chose Levy to replace Nimrod Sheffer after announcing in July he would step down. Sheffer had replaced Joseph Weiss as CEO in 2018, who had been at the helm of the company for six years. Sheffer came from the strategic planning area of the company and had drafted a new growth strategy for IAI. In March the company said its annual revenue surpassed $4 billion for the first time. That was an increase from $3.6 billion in 2018 and $3.5 billion in 2017. IAI's chairman of the board, Harel Locker, praised the unanimous decision to nominate Levy. “Levy has successfully managed the Systems Missiles and Space Group — IAI's most profitable group that in recent years has made technological and financial groundbreaking achievements. Boaz knows the domestic and international defense market and understands our customer's needs,” Locker said. Sheffer officially stepped down on Oct. 31, and Levy's nomination has been submitted to Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Minister for Cyber and National Digital Matters Dudi Amsalem, who supervise the government's authority over IAI. IAI is one of Israel's three large defense companies along with Elbit Systems and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Many of the companies' capabilities are integrated into key Israeli weapon systems, such as the Iron Dome air defense system, which uses radar made by IAI subsidiary Elta Systems. Similarly, the new Sa'ar-class corvette will combine capabilities from IAI, including a new sea-to-sea missile the company recently tested. Levy was previously head of IAI's air defense division between 2010 and 2013. A graduate of Israel's Technion, he came to IAI in 1990 as an engineer and worked on the Arrow program in the 1990s and 2000s. According to IAI, he “headed the induction of the Arrow-2 into operational service.” He also headed the Barak-8 program, which IAI claims is one of the world's most advanced air defense systems. The Barak-8 is also a major revenue source for the company. In 2017, Levy indicated Israel aimed to build future interceptors beyond Arrow 2 and Arrow 3. The Arrow 3 is currently Israel's top tier in a multilayered air defense system that includes the Iron Dome and David's Sling, all programs supported by the U.S. More than 20 American states are involved in the production of Arrow 3. Israel faces increasing threats from Iran and also challenges at sea, which is partly why it has shifted its naval doctrine amid adoption of the new Sa'ar 6 corvettes, and also why it rolled out a new multiyear defense strategy called Momentum. The country has aso begun modernizing training, creating new military units and upgrading communications systems for its armed forces. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2020/11/20/iai-names-boaz-levy-as-new-chief-exec

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