13 septembre 2018 | International, Naval

French Naval Group and Germany’s ThyssenKrupp square off in Egyptian warship deal

By:

PARIS – Naval Group finds itself in direct competition with German rival ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in Egypt's acquisition of two more corvettes, Hervé Guillou, CEO of the French shipbuilder told Defense News.

The contest comes after Egypt in 2014 placed an order for four Naval Group Gowind corvettes worth some €1 billion, with options for two more units. Winning that two-year option has since become anything but certain for the French company.

“TKMS is not sitting on its hands,” Guillou said on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Summer Defense University event at the military staff college here.

There already is a “permanent presence of the Germans” in Egypt, which operates a fleet of German submarines, Guillou explained. Egypt attracts strong international interest, with the Chinese, Koreans, Dutch shipbuilder Damen and French electronics company Thales very active, he added.

The TKMS offer consists of two Meko 200 corvettes, worth €1 billion (US $1.2 billion) excluding weapons, business publication La Tribune reported Sept. 3. That is double the value of the two Gowind 2500 corvettes pitched by Naval Group, the report said.

A spokesman for Naval Group declined to comment on the prices.

If TKMS were to snatch the business in the end, the French interministerial committee overseeing arms export likely would approve a sale of MBDA-made Aster 15 missiles for the German ships, a French government official said.

The company, a joint venture by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo, is pursuing a “platform neutral” sales pitch, placing an emphasis on boosting foreign sales, according to an industry source.

Guillou said he attended Egypt's launch on Sept. 6 of the first locally built Gowind, christened Port Said. “It all went well,” he said.

The Egyptian Navy sails a FREMM multimission frigate and two Mistral-class helicopter carriers. The four Gowind corvettes will complement that fleet.

The day before the Egyptian launch, Guillou was in Poland pitching three Scorpene diesel-electric submarines to the Polish authorities.

“There is political support at the highest level,” he said, referring to the French government backing. That offer competes with TKMS offering its 212CD and Saab the A26 boat.

Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2018/09/12/french-naval-group-and-germanys-thyssenkrupp-square-off-in-egyptian-warship-deal

Sur le même sujet

  • British government signals support for Cobham takeover by private equity firm Advent

    20 novembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial

    British government signals support for Cobham takeover by private equity firm Advent

    By: Andrew Chuter LONDON — The British government has signaled it will give the green light to a £4 billion (U.S. $5 billion) takeover that would see local defense contractor Cobham acquired by a U.S.-based private equity company. Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom announced Nov. 19 that she was “minded to accept” the proposed takeover but would put out for public consultation assurances given by Advent International regarding British security concerns before making a final call. Advent moved to buy Cobham in July securing the approval of 93 percent of shareholders in the Wimborne, southwest England-based contractor best known for its world leading role of air-to-air refueling technology. Cobham's annual turnover of £1.86 billion took it to 57th place in the Defense News Top 100 companies listing earlier this year. Over 50 percent of its revenues were generated in the United States where the company has substantial manufacturing facilities. The British government intervened in the takeover in September following criticism led by Nadine Cobham, whose father-in-law formed the company in 1935. Members of Parliament also raised security concerns over the sale. The government has spent the last few weeks reviewing the proposed acquisition ahead of Leadsom outlining the government's current position. "Following my update to Parliament on 5. November, I have now reviewed further national security advice from the Ministry of Defence and met with both Cobham and Advent, who have offered legally binding undertakings designed to mitigate national security concerns, which I am minded to accept.” "They will now be considered by a public consultation, and I will provide a further update once that process has concluded,” said Leadsom. The consultation closes Dec. 17 – five days after the general election. The assurances include Advent giving the MoD prior notice of plans to sell off parts or all of Cobham, agreeing to honor the terms of existing contracts. In addition, the new owners would have to ensure existing security arrangements are strengthened and maintain the ability to supply key services for five years. Nadine Cobham has previously said assurances were not worth the paper they were written on. Alex Ashbourne-Walmsley, a defense consultant at ASC here in London, said she thought Leadsom had taken the right decision on the Cobham sale. “It's advisable for the government to respect the clear instructions of the Cobham shareholders. It is sensible, however, for government to build in conditions regarding any future sale of parts of the business. Private equity houses, unlike traditional industrial corporations, tend to take the shorter-term, more profit-driven view of disposal of their acquisitions, rather than considering matters such as national security of supply and the wider strategic interest,” she said. Criticism over the proposed acquisition of an important part of the British defense industry follows the controversial takeover last year of GKN by Melrose, another private equity company. Despite the furore over the Cobham sale the Financial Times said today the assurances sought by the government from Advent were weaker than those demanded to wave the GKN deal through. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/11/19/british-government-signals-support-for-cobham-takeover-by-private-equity-firm-advent

  • Babcock sets up engineering facility in Ukraine to support military vehicles - Army Technology

    27 mai 2024 | International, Terrestre

    Babcock sets up engineering facility in Ukraine to support military vehicles - Army Technology

    Babcock and UDI are establishing an engineering facility in Ukraine to repair and overhaul military vehicles.

  • British, Polish firms sign $5 billion deal for Poland’s air defense

    8 novembre 2023 | International, Terrestre

    British, Polish firms sign $5 billion deal for Poland’s air defense

    The contract will lead to the delivery of 1,000 missiles and more than 100 launchers for Poland’s Narew weapon system.

Toutes les nouvelles