29 juin 2020 | International, Aérospatial

Turkey’s ‘chronic engine problem’ is harming defense projects, warn officials

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's inability to produce a fully indigenous engine is harming some of the country's otherwise successful domestic defense programs, according to industry and government officials.

“We had it 15 years ago, we had it 10 years ago and we are still having it,” said a former defense industry chief. “It's our chronic engine problem.”

A government procurement official agreed, telling Defense News that “at best the problem causes major delays, and at worst it can be an existential threat [to programs].”

The Altay, a multibillion-dollar program for the production of Turkey's first indigenous tank, has long been delayed due to difficulties surrounding the engine and transmission used to power the new-generation tank.

BMC, a Turkish-Qatari joint venture that in 2018 won the serial production contract for the Altay, said in October 2020 that the tank would be fielded within 24 months. The original target was to have the Altay in the field this year 2020. Today, procurement officials and industry sources say even 2022 is an optimistic deadline.

Western countries with power pack technology, particularly Germany, have been reluctant to share technology or sell to Turkey for political reasons.

“Lack of a feasible power pack [engine and transmission] is depriving the program of any sensible progress,” noted an industry source.

Turkey also needs an engine for the new-generation TF-X fighter jet as well as indigenous helicopter models in the making.

At the center of these engine efforts is Tusas Engine Industries, a state-controlled engine maker.

TEI announced June 19 that it successfully tested its locally made TJ300 miniature turbojet engine, which the company produced for medium-range anti-ship missiles. The engine features a thrust rating of 1.3 kilonewtons.

Company officials say the TJ300 engine's more advanced, future versions could power larger anti-ship cruise missiles and land-attack cruise missiles. Turkey hopes to power its anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles with locally developed engines.

“The effort is about ending dependency on imported designs,” a TEI official said. Turkey currently imports miniature air-breathing engines from Microturbo — a unit of French company Safran — to power its domestically developed cruise missiles.

Separately, Turkey's Kale Group is developing a larger, albeit miniature turbojet engine called the KTJ-3200. It has a 3.2-kilonewton thrust rating, and will power the Atmaca and SOM missile systems. On a much bigger scale, Kale Group has ambitions to develop an engine to power the TF-X.

In 2017, Kale Group and British company Rolls-Royce launched a joint venture to develop aircraft engines for Turkey, initially targeting the TF-X. But the £100 million (U.S. $124 million) deal was effectively put on hold due to uncertainties over technology transfer. In December, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoğlu said the government is keen to revive talks with Rolls-Royce.

When asked for an update on negotiations, a Rolls-Royce spokesperson told Defense News: “We submitted an engine co-development proposal to Turkey, but the customer has not elected to pursue this to date.”

A year before the Kale Group-Rolls-Royce partnership, Turkish Aerospace Industries — a sister company of TEI — signed a $125 million heads of agreement with U.K.-based firm BAE Systems to collaborate on the first development phase of the TF-X. Turkey originally planned to fly the TF-X in 2023, but aerospace officials are now eyeing 2025 at the earliest.

TEI is also developing the TS1400, a turboshaft engine it intends to power the T625 Gökbey, a utility and transport helicopter developed and built by TAI. The Gökbey currently flies with the CTS-800A turboshaft engine supplied by Light Helicopter Turbine Engine Company, a joint venture between American firm Honeywell and Rolls-Royce.

The Gökbey made its maiden flight in September. TEI says it successfully tested the “core” of its TS1400 turboshaft engine and plans to deliver the prototype to TAI in late 2020.

But analysts remain cautious. “These efforts may eventually fail to materialize without meaningful foreign know-how,” said a London-based Turkey specialist. “Or they may come at costs not viable for mass production.”

Andrew Chuter in London contributed to this report.

https://www.defensenews.com/industry/techwatch/2020/06/26/turkeys-chronic-engine-problem-is-harming-defense-projects-warn-officials/

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2 décembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - December 01, 2020
U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND Raytheon Technologies, McKinney, Texas, (H92408-21-C-0001) was awarded a $235,576,667 C-Type, multi-year procurement contract for the production and delivery of the Silent Knight Radar in support of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) requirements. Fiscal 2020 procurement funds in the amount of $8,181,918; and fiscal 2021 procurement funds in the amount of $61,181,024 are being obligated at time of award. The work will be performed in McKinney and Forest, Mississippi, and is expected to be completed by July 2025. This is a sole-source award in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. USSOCOM, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. ARMY Better by Design LLC,* New Boston, Missouri (W912P9-21-D-0011); Davinroy Mechanical Contractor Inc.,* Belleville, Illinois (W912P9-21-D-0012); Eagle Eye Electric LLC,* Las Vegas, Nevada (W912P9-21-D-0013); Gale Construction of Illinois,* Joliet, Illinois (W912P9-21-D-0014); Bloomsdale Excavating Co. Inc.,* Bloomsdale, Missouri (W912P9-21-D-0015); Keller Construction Inc.,* Glen Carbon, Illinois (W912P9-21-D-0016); Magruder Construction Co. Inc.,* Eolia, Missouri (W912P9-21-D-0017); Shinn Kellogg LLC,* Albia, Iowa (W912P9-21-D-0018); Syte Corp.,* Chicago, Illinois (W912P9-21-D-0019); Medvolt Construction Services LLC,* Kansas City, Missouri (W912P9-21-D-0020); and A&H Ambica JV LLC,* Livonia, Michigan (W912P9-21-D-0021), will compete for each order of the $95,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of various civil and flood recovery projects. Bids were solicited via the internet with 13 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2025. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis, Missouri, is the contracting activity. Exp Federal Inc., Chicago, Illinois (W912HN-21-D-2000); Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. Inc., Kansas City, Missouri (W912HN-21-D-2001); and Barge/Emersion JV, Nashville, Tennessee (W912HN-21-D-2002), will compete for each order of the $20,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect-engineer general design services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 25 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2025. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity. NAVY Kellogg Brown and Root Services Inc., Houston, Texas, is awarded a $28,324,156 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification for the incorporation of additional services for Option Periods Three through Seven under the base operating service contract at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Kingdom of Bahrain. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $139,809,309. The work to be performed provides for, but is not limited to, all management, supervision, tools, materials, supplies, labor and transportation services necessary to perform security operations, galley services, unaccompanied housing, facility management, emergency service requests, urgent service, routing service, facilities investment, custodial, pest control service, integrated solid waste, grounds maintenance, utility management, wastewater, operate reverse osmosis water treatment system, chiller and transportation, at NSA Kingdom of Bahrain. Work will be performed in Kingdom of Bahrain. Performance period is Dec. 1, 2020, to Nov. 30, 2021. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (O&M) (Navy); fiscal 2021 O&M (Coast Guard); and fiscal 2021 O&M (Army) contract funds in the amount of $912,863 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Europe Africa Central, Naples, Italy, is the contracting activity (N62470-17-D-4007). Kellogg Brown and Root Services Inc., Houston, Texas, is awarded a $22,251,961 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification for the exercise of Option Three under the base operating services contract at Naval Support Activity (NSA), Kingdom of Bahrain. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $168,133,467. The work to be performed provides for, but is not limited to, all management, supervision, tools, materials, supplies, labor and transportation services necessary to perform security operations, galley services, unaccompanied housing, facility management, emergency service requests, urgent service, routing service, facilities investment, custodial, pest control service, integrated solid waste, grounds maintenance, utility management, wastewater, operate reverse osmosis water treatment system, chiller and transportation at NSA Kingdom of Bahrain. Work will be performed in Kingdom of Bahrain. Performance Period is Dec. 1, 2020 to Nov. 30, 2021. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (O&M) (Navy); fiscal 2021 O&M (Army); and fiscal 2021 O&M (Coast Guard) contract funds in the amount of $22,251,962 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Europe Africa Central, Naples, Italy, is the contracting activity (N62470-17-D-4007). Lockheed Martin Corp., Owego, New York, is awarded a $12,350,767 modification (P00021) to previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00019-19-C-0013. This modification adds scope to provide non-recurring engineering and obsolescence services in support of the Airborne Low Frequency Sonars integration into MH-60R production aircraft for the governments of India and Denmark. Work will be performed in Brest, France (58%); and Owego, New York (42%), and is expected to be completed in October 2024. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $12,350,767 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Advanced Acoustic Concepts LLC, Haupauge, New York, is awarded a $9,322,942 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Angler System for Seabed Warfare effort. This contract provides for the design and development, fabrication, assembly, integration and test and operational utility assessment of a weapon technology that is capable of operating in a deep-water environment. Work will be performed in Haupauge, New York, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 2, 2022. The total cumulative value of this contract is $9,322,942. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,322,942 are obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-20-S-B001, “Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science & Technology.” Since proposals are received throughout the year under the long range BAA, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-21-C-1006). Kellogg Brown and Root Services Inc., Houston, Texas, is awarded a $7,826,832 cost-reimbursement task order modification (N33191-18-F-4417) to exercise Option Period Two and provide additional services under the cost-plus-award-fee contract for base operating support services at Naval Support Facility (NSF) Redzikowo, Poland. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $19,712,582. The work to be performed provides for furnishing all labor, supervision, management, tools, materials, equipment, facilities, transportation, incidental engineering and other items necessary to provide the base operating support services at NSF Redzikowo. Work will be performed in Slupsk, Poland. This option period is from Dec. 1, 2020, to Nov. 30, 2021. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2021 research and development (Department of Defense) contract funds in the amount of $7,826,832 will be obligated on individual modifications to this task order during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Europe Africa Central, is the contracting activity (N62742-16-D-3551). Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is being awarded a $7,654,990 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost (no fee) modification to previously awarded contract N00024-14-C-5104 to exercise options for ship integration and test of the AEGIS Weapon System (AWS) for AWS baselines through Advanced Capability Build (ACB) 12. This option exercise will provide AEGIS shipboard integration engineering, AEGIS test team support, AEGIS modernization team engineering support, ballistic missile defense (BMD) test team support and AWS element assessments. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (33%); San Diego, California (25%); Everett, Washington (25%); Bath, Maine (10%); Moorestown, New Jersey (3%); Camden, New Jersey (2%); and various locations across the U.S., each less than 1% (2%), and is expected to be completed by November 2021. Fiscal 2013 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,409,269 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Awarded Nov. 30, 2020) AIR FORCE CORRECTION: A contract announced on Nov. 23, 2020, to Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Clearfield, Utah (FA8202-21-D-0001), in the amount of $185,700,000 for the A-10 Aircraft Structural Integrity Program Legacy VII has not yet been awarded. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2431502/
29 mai 2020 | International, Terrestre

Kuwait wants to spend over $1.4 billion on Patriot upgrades
By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department has OK'd a trio of packages to update Kuwait's Patriot missile defense systems, with a combined potential price tag of $1.425 billion. The three packages, announced on the website of the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Thursday, include $425 million for sustainment and technical assistance, $200 million for a repair and return program, and $800 million for 84 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) missile segment enhancements. DSCA notifications are not final sales; if cleared by Congress, Kuwait will then enter negotiations over the package, during which quantities and costs can shift. The potential sales “will supplement and improve Kuwait's capability to meet current and future threats and provide greater security for its critical oil and natural gas infrastructure,” according to the DSCA. “Kuwait will use the enhanced capability to strengthen its homeland defense. Kuwait will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and services into its armed forces.” The repair and return program involves shipping items that can't be serviced on the ground back to the U.S. military for refurbishment, and then inducted into the military's regular repair cycle. When the repairs are complete, the parts are shipped back to the country that owns them, which is then billed for the repairs. Work will be performed at a number of locations, primarily the Huntsville, Alabama, locations of Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Leido and KBR. In addition, work on the PAC-3 missile segments will be done at Lockheed's Dallas, Texas, office. Kuwait has been a reliable customer for American military goods. Excluding Thursday's announcements, the country has been cleared for 13 Foreign Military Sales cases since the start of fiscal 2017, with an estimated price tag of $13.9 billion. https://www.defensenews.com/global/mideast-africa/2020/05/28/kuwait-wants-to-spend-over-14-billion-on-patriot-upgrades/
19 juillet 2022 | International, Aérospatial

Exclusive: Pentagon nears F-35 jet deal worth about $30 bln - sources
The U.S. Department of Defense is nearing an agreement with Lockheed Martin Corp for around 375 F-35 fighter jets over three years, three sources said on Monday, amid expectations of a price increase for the most common version of the jet due to lower quantities and inflation.

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