21 août 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Podcast: Could Military Sustainment Shifts Impact Broader Aftermarket?

Lee Ann Shay August 21, 2020

Changes in military sustainment--including the push for agile development and the use of cloud-based software—could hint at broader shifts in the overall aftermarket. Listen as Aviation Week speaks to Accenture's aerospace team talks about these developments.

https://aviationweek.com/mro/podcast-could-military-sustainment-shifts-impact-broader-aftermarket

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    20 mars 2024 | International, Aérospatial

    Republican hawks denounce defense budget caps from debt ceiling deal

    Defense hawks are criticizing the $895 defense spending cap for FY25 under the debt ceiling deal, but it's unclear Congress has the will to undo it.

  • Fincantieri CEO on winning the US Navy’s frigate competition

    5 mai 2020 | International, Naval

    Fincantieri CEO on winning the US Navy’s frigate competition

    By: Tom Kington ROME — As CEO of Italy's state-controlled Fincantieri since 2002, Giuseppe Bono, has built cruise, merchant and naval vessels, including the FREMM frigate, for the Italian navy. Last week the type was picked by the U.S. sea service for its newest frigate, the FFG(X), in a deal worth $5.58 billion if options for nine vessels are exercised after the first ship. The FFG(X) will be produced at Wisconsin's Marinette Marine shipyard, which Fincantieri bought in 2008 and where it already builds Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships for the U.S. Navy and Saudi Arabia with Lockheed Martin. In an interview with Defense News, Bono explained why FREMM beat off the competition, why shipyards should always be prime contractors, and why building cruise ships makes you punctual. What are the reasons you won this competition? In the U.S., more than elsewhere, the quality-price ratio was crucial. And our vessel fit the requirement. The U.S. wanted a ship with anti-submarine capability and this ship is unique in its class because it has that capability. The other competitors offered ships derived from other designs. The customer also wanted a ship which was already at sea. In a way we were lucky. On paper, the other offerings might have been great, but we are operational. Our proposal was also more complete because the design is extremely flexible thanks to the possibility of fitting different defense systems. We had also studied an AEGIS version of the FREMM with Lockheed Martin and knew it would not need large, structural work. What was your reaction when you heard you had won? My colleagues were more emotional about than me. I pursue objectives and strategy. You teamed with Lockheed Martin on the LCS program but here you went alone. We never considered a U.S. partner. This bid was different to the past, with a new approach. In this case the shipbuilders were candidates to be prime contractors. And with a track record with 16 LCS orders for the U.S. and four for Saudi Arabia we are an American shipyard, this time with an Italian design. We have worked very well with Lockheed Martin, but as prime contractor on the Littoral Combat Ship it was the point of contact with the customer, meaning the yard was a step back and that sometimes led to a short circuit. When the shipyard is speaking to the customer as prime, it facilitates the relationships and leads to a better product and lower prices because certain decisions can be made faster. You will, however, work with U.S. firm Gibbs and Cox on the FFG(X). Gibbs and Cox frequently works with the U.S. Navy and knows its needs perfectly. We have a long and positive experience working with them on the LCS and we teamed with them to adapt the FREMM for the U.S. Navy. As work gets underway at Marinette will you need to hire new workers and make further infrastructure improvements? A lot of the work we needed to do at Marinette has already been done. When we first took over, in a springtime, we were shocked to find that the forecourts were muddy due to snowmelt. Now we have paved them over and increased efficiencies in terms of the yard's layout. We will need to find extra space because the FFG(X) will overlap with LCS construction, but we have shown we can build two FFG(X) vessels simultaneously as well as LCS vessels at Marinette. That said, depending on future programs, if the opportunity arose to buy a new yard, we will consider it. We would not be against the possibility, but it is not an issue now. There have been some legislative provisions requiring Buy American for certain FFG(X) components. How will this affect you going forward on this ship? On the LCS there are a number of Italian components, albeit a very limited number. The vessel also has Rolls Royce gas turbines, not GE, showing that price and quality always win out. On the LCS, the four diesel sets for power generation were built by our subsidiary Isotta Fraschini Motori. They are also on the Italian FREMMS. Now we will see if they can be used on the U.S. vessels. The Freedom LCS class experienced delays at the outset. How are you going to try and avoid that for FFG(X), understanding that there are always challenges with a first-of-class ship? There is a difference between a ship and other platforms like an aircraft or an helicopter. A ship does not have a prototype, only the first in class. The prototype of a ship becomes operational. This means the first vessel needs more time than the successive ships. On the LCS program the construction time sped up and prices fell as it accelerated. Is this the biggest ever win for an Italian firm in the U.S. defense market? Yes, I think so. It the result of working well and showing you are serious, of delivering on time and on budget. All these aspects are strongly taken into account by the customer and they give you an advantage. This is fundamental and one of our characteristics, derived in part from our work on cruise ships, which are built on a turnkey basis. The discipline there is unique. You need to deliver on a specific day which is established years earlier, otherwise the penalties never stop. Being punctual is in our DNA. Add to that we are always prime contractor, and a cruise ship is no less complex than a naval ship. In the military sector, delivering on time happens rarely. There are many examples of delays in some countries which can be almost infinite. Turning to Europe, there is ongoing consolidation in the German shipbuilding sector. How does that affect your plans to launch a type of European naval Airbus with French yard Naval Group? With Germany we have a consolidated and long-standing partnership related to the submarine sector. Consolidation must happen in Europe if it wants to count for something in the world, for this reason our goal must be a common defence. There are four of five major yards in the U.S. We cannot think of having more than that in Europe. We must consolidate. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/05/04/interview-fincantieri-ceo-bono-on-winning-the-us-navys-frigate-competition/

  • AIR2030: A la rencontre de Dassault et du Rafale

    18 octobre 2018 | International, Aérospatial

    AIR2030: A la rencontre de Dassault et du Rafale

    Alexis Pfefferlé Une industrie de la défense en Suisse ? Existe-t-il une industrie de la défense en Suisse ? Cette question, pertinente, fut posée par certains parlementaires à l'heure de décider si le programme AIR 2030 devait être conditionné à des affaires compensatoires. La réponse à cette question en Suisse n'est pas aussi claire que ce qu'elle pourrait être en France ou en l'Allemagne, pays qui possèdent des industries lourdes dévolues entièrement au secteur sécurité & défense. En Suisse, dont on rappelle que le tissu économique se compose à 90% de PME, l'industrie de la défense se compose d'une myriade de PME/PMI qui produisent principalement des machines ou des composants qui rentrent dans la chaine de production de groupes étrangers actifs dans le domaine. Par exemple, nos machines à haute précision sont aussi utiles et demandées dans le domaine civile que militaire. Selon SWISSMEM, l'association faîtière des PME et des grandes entreprises de l'industrie suisse des machines, des équipements électriques et des métaux (industrie MEM), l'industrie MEM concerne près de 320'000 emplois en Suisse et un chiffre d'affaire à l'export trois fois supérieur à celui de l'industrie horlogère. La part de l'industrie de défense est nettement plus faible mais permet de maintenir en Suisse des postes de travail à très haute valeur ajoutée. A la lecture de ces chiffres, les affaires compensatoires prévues dans le programme AIR2030 sont indiscutablement une opportunité exceptionnelle pour l'économie suisse. Dassault – Safran – Thalès, l'excellence industrielle française Retour à Lausanne le mercredi 16 octobre, 0800, pour la seconde journée BtoB entre les industriels suisses et les avionneurs retenus dans le cadre du programme AIR2030. Au menu de ce jour, le Rafale du consortium Dassault – Safran – Thalès. Le Rafale est un biréacteur de 4ème génération voire 4ème génération +, selon les classifications, en vertu d'une certaine furtivité active et tactique. C'est le fleuron de l'armée de l'air française et probablement le chasseur européen le plus avancé en matière technologique. La présentation est dirigée par Monsieur Florent SEYROL, responsable du Business Développement et Coopération Internationale pour Dassault Aviation et par Monsieur Pascal DIDIERJEAN pour le groupe Safran. Le programme Rafale étant un programme achevé en matière d'étude et bien rodé en matière de production, la présentation de Dassault est principalement axée sur la compensation indirecte. Les maîtres mots de la présentation sont l'innovation et la recherche. Poids lourd de l'industrie française et mondiale, Dassault c'est 4.8mia de chiffre d'affaire dont 20% sont alloués à la recherche et au développement. Hormis les pharmas, peu de sociétés suisses ont accès à un tel niveau de financement. Le fil conducteur semble tout trouvé et le consortium formé par Dassault, Safran et Thalès, au travers de leurs divisions combinées, offre de nombreuses possibilités pour les sociétés suisses et des perspectives intéressantes en matière de croissance dans des secteurs allant de l'aéronautique à l'optique en passant par la motorisation et l'électronique. Monsieur Florent SEYROL le souligne, Dassault a une taille internationale, l'expérience de la croissance et des grands contrats, et c'est également cette expérience que le groupe transmet à ses partenaires pour que ceux-ci puissent exploiter pleinement leur potentiel économique. Monsieur Pascal DIDIERJEAN, pour le groupe Safran, abonde dans ce sens, illustrant son propos avec l'exemple de la technologie VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing aircraft), où la Suisse, je l'apprends, à une carte à jouer, surtout aux cotés d'un motoriste comme Safran. Premier avionneur à le souligner, Dassault est également très sensible à l'innovation dans le milieu académique et les succès suisses des EPF ne sont pas passés inaperçus. A l'heure des difficultés rencontrées par ces institutions dans le cadre des projets européens, des financements indirectes de ce type dans le cadre des affaires compensatoires seraient pertinents et bienvenus. Pour Dassault, la force de la Suisse c'est l'innovation et investir dans notre pays et nos entreprises c'est investir dans les technologies du futur, un win win français. On notera enfin que plusieurs sociétés suisses présentes se sont félicitées du contact franc et direct qu'ils ont pu avoir avec les représentants du consortium Rafale, plus faciles d'accès et moins rigides que certains concurrents. RAFALE, points forts et points faibles Points forts Dassault-Safran-Thalès ont les moyens de leurs ambitions en matière de R&D et l'innovation suisse pourrait en profiter pleinement Des coûts à l'export réduits compte tenu de la proximité géographique Un calcul politique intéressant avec un allié influent à Bruxelles Points faibles Faible implantation en Suisse à l'heure actuelle Certains cantons où il faudra être très persuasif lors de la votation https://blogs.letemps.ch/alexis-pfefferle/2018/10/17/air2030-a-la-rencontre-de-dassault-et-du-rafale/

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