Multi-million pound contract to equip Royal Air Force Typhoons with latest advanced radar capabilities

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  25 octobre 2019 | International, Naval

  Florence Parly, ministre des Armées, lance la fabrication d’une série de nouvelles frégates à Lorient

  L'événement s'est déroulé en présence du délégué général pour l'armement, Joël Barre, du chef d'état-major de la marine nationale, l'amiral Christophe Prazuck, de son homologue grec, le vice-amiral Nikolaos Tsounis , et de Hervé Guillou, PDG de Naval Group. Les FDI sont des navires de combat de la classe 4 500 tonnes avec un équipage de 125 marins. Aptes à intervenir dans tous les domaines de la lutte en haute mer, elles intègrent de nombreuses innovations, parmi lesquelles le premier radar à panneaux fixes entièrement numérique au monde. Le programme FDI a été lancé en 2017. La loi de programmation militaire 2019-2025 prévoit que les deux premières FDI seront livrées à la Marine nationale d'ici à 2025. Cinq FDI seront en service au sein de la Marinenationale en 2030. Sur proposition de l'amiral Prazuck, la ministre des Armées a décidé que l'une d'entre elles portera le nom de l'amiral Louzeau, décédé récemment. Le programme FDI participe au renouvellement et au renforcement de la flotte de surface de la Marine nationale, conformément aux conclusions de la revue stratégique de 2017 qui prévoit 15 frégates de premier rang en 2030 : 8 frégates multi-missions (FREMM), 2 frégates de défense aérienne (FDA Horizon) et 5 frégates de défense et d'intervention (FDI). La première FDI a été commandée en avril 2017 par la Direction générale de l'armement (DGA) à l'industriel Naval Group associé à Thales et MBDA. Sa livraison à la Marine nationale est prévue fin 2023. Complémentaires des FREMM, les FDI sont des navires de combat d'un déplacement de la classe 4 500 tonnes, polyvalents, endurants, embarquant un équipage de 125 marins. Les FDI intègrent dès leur conception un concentré d'innovations : Elles peuvent intervenir dans tous les domaines de la lutte en haute mer: antinavire, antiaérien, anti-sous-marin. Aptes au contrôle de vastes espaces aéro-maritimes, elles sont aussi capables de se défendre contre les menaces asymétriques et de projeter un détachement des forces spéciales. Pour évoluer dans un monde de plus en plus digital, les FDI disposent nativement d'une protection contre la menace cyber et de deux centres numériques (Data Centers) qui regroupent les capacités de calculs de tous les senseurs et armements du bord. Parmi les équipements de nouvelle génération installés à bord on trouve un radar à quatre panneaux fixes permettant une veille permanente sur 360 degrés, fixés sur une m'ture unique, et des lanceurs capables de tirer plusieurs types de missiles antiaériens en fonction de la menace. Ce sont également les premières frégates à pouvoir embarquer simultanément un hélicoptère et un drone de la classe 700 kg. Conçues pour être évolutives, les FDI évolueront en standards de manière à s'adapter à l'évolution de la menace. Depuis la notification du marché par la DGA au printemps 2017, chaque jalon technique a été franchi dans les temps que ce soit pour la conception du navire ou pour le développement des innovations embarquées, gr'ce à un travail collaboratif en plateau réunissant la DGA, l'industrie et la Marine. *L'amiral Pierre Alexis Ronarc'h, connu pour avoir été à la tête de la « brigade Ronarc'h », brigade de fusiliers marins ayant participé à la défense héroïque de Dixmude en 1914, commandant supérieur de la Marine pour la zone des armées du Nord de 1916 à 1918, un des pères de la lutte anti-sous-marine, puis chef d'état-major de la Marine entre 1919 et 1920. https://www.defense.gouv.fr/dga/actualite/florence-parly-ministre-des-armees-lance-la-fabrication-d-une-serie-de-nouvelles-fregates-a-lorient

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  15 juin 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  Trump administration considering new plan to ease drone export rules

  By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON —The Trump administration reportedly plans to reinterpret a key arms agreement that governs the sale of unmanned aircraft, opening the door for more countries to buy drones from U.S. defense contractors. According to Reuters, the Trump administration plans to loosen its interpretation of the Missile Technology Control Regime, an agreement among the U.S. and 34 other nations that governs the export of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. The report does not exactly lay out how the White House's interpretation of the MTCR will change, but it likely involves how the administration construes the phrase “strong presumption of denial.” Currently, the U.S. government's interpretation of that clause leads to a blanket denial of most countries' requests to buy “category-1” systems capable of carrying 500-kilogram payloads for more than 300 kilometers. The White House's National Security Council is set to review the change during a June 16 meeting, according to Reuters. The departments of Commerce, Energy, Justice and Homeland Security signed on to the new interpretation in May, and key industry stakeholders — including General Atomics and Northrop Grumman — have already been notified. The State Department could approve the first UAV sales under the new interpretation as soon this summer, a U.S. official and multiple industry executives told Reuters. The Trump administration has made loosening arms sale restrictions a major priority, but so far the changes to drone export policies have not had the impact desired by defense companies, which argue that they continue to lose sales to China and Israel. During a June 3 event on drone export policy, Keith Webster, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's defense and aerospace export council, said the administration has made some positive changes — including the approved sale of General Atomics MQ-9 Sea Guardian drones to India — but “for the policy changes, it has been disappointing.” In April 2018, the White House announced changes in policy allowing companies to sell certain unmanned aircraft through direct commercial sales to international militaries rather than having to go through the more laborious Foreign Military Sales process, where the U.S. government plays a large role in negotiating an agreement. It also struck rules that categorized unarmed drones with laser-designator technology as “strike enabling,” which grouped them with more highly restricted armed drones. The United States also attempted to change the MTCR by proposing language that would assign drones that fly under 800 kilometers per hour to “category-2” status, where sales are subject to approval on a case-by-case basis, said Heather Penney, a senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies. However, that proposal was not approved by all members of the regime and was thus denied. “We have information that the U.S. is potentially looking at an additional airspeed proposal, not from 800 kilometers per hour, but dropping that to 600 kilometers per hour — which is roughly about 320 knots,” she said at a June 3 event hosted by the Mitchell Institute. “This does not solve the problem set. It enables the look of advancement, the look of change, but really it does not move the ball forward.” Webster agreed, calling proposed changes to the MTCR a Band-Aid. “That buys us a year or two, but we're right back to square one because we haven't resolved the issue,” he said. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/06/12/trump-administration-considering-new-plan-to-ease-drone-export-rules/

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  7 décembre 2018 | International, Naval

  Egypt, France’s Naval Group reach five-year maintenance agreement

  By: Chirine Mouchantaf CAIRO — France's Naval Group and the Egyptian Navy have finalized an agreement over the In Service Support (ISS) program, providing a five-year maintenance deal for vessels provided by the French shipbuilder. The two parties signed an agreement on Dec. 3 during Egypt's first Defense and Security Exhibition (EDEX 2018). Hervé Guillou, CEO of the French shipbuilder, told Defense News his firm has “agreed on a five years contract for support and maintenance, and signed a memorandum with Admiral Ahmad Khaled, Commander in Chief of Egyptian Navy, to seal our five years cooperation plan based on supporting seven ships we have already contracted.” The maintenance activity will further enhance the industrial cooperation program supporting the construction process of the three locally built Gowind corvettes. It will also be managed through a new Naval Group subsidiary, based in Alexandria, which will focus on developing and training a local work force. According to Naval Group, the subsidiary — called Alexandria Naval for Maintenance and Industry (ANMI) — will enable the Egyptian Navy to obtain an increased level of performance during the whole ship's lifecycle. It will also guarantee the optimal use of the vessels, as well as carrying out upcoming upgrades on the four Gowind corvettes, the two LHD, the FREMM and other potential vessels. The new entity is also expected to generate direct and indirect jobs in the related industrial sectors in Egypt. “We are establishing a company in Alexandria and investing in a new building while preparing for a joint venture that seals in fact our multi-decade relationship for the long term,” Guillou added. “Naval Group is going to hire Egyptian engineers, technicians and workers to really strengthen the capabilities, in order to better serve the navy and further enhance the relationship with Egypt.” In July 2014, the Egyptian Ministry of Defense signed an agreement for the construction of four Gowind corvettes. The first vessel was built in Lorient, and delivered to Egypt on September 2017. The second of the series was built through technology transfer at the Alexandria Shipyard, and was launched in September 2018. Naval Group also delivered the FREMM multi-mission frigate “Tahya Misr” in August 2015. In June 2016, the shipbuilder delivered two Mistral-class Landing Helicopter Dock vessels to the Egyptian Navy. Pressing the need to maintain Egypt's navy, the CEO said his near-term priority is making sure “that the seven ships are sailing and with the highest level of availability. Today, four out of seven ships are operational, and considered unprecedented in terms of high technology.” “The Egyptian navy seems really satisfied,” he added. “The operational and military capabilities of our corvettes and frigates are strictly high as they are equipped with a great combat system, extremely good anti-submarine capabilities, as well as having a homogeneous fleet which is largely in service with the French Navy, in addition to a single logistic and support system and communality in terms of the equipment.” Eying the future, Guillou declared that the French shipbuilder's next step is helping the Egyptian navy get a larger fleet. “We are proposing offers to the Egyptian navy and leadership either for further Gowinds or to participate in the new French Frigate Program ‘Belhara,' which consists of a future digital multi mission ship for the French navy,” he said. The CEO also pushed the message that France represents a long-term strategic partner for Egypt, one who will be there reliably for the future. “It's not only buying goods and products, but building a long-term relationship,” he said. “France is the only European country today which is operating 365 days a year on all seas.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/mideast-africa/2018/12/06/egypt-frances-naval-group-reach-five-year-maintenance-agreement