Nouvelles

Brian Kim SEOUL — Research on the long-awaited upgrade of Chinook helicopters flown by the South Korean military shows it would be cheaper to buy new aircraft, according to a local lawmaker. Rep. Min Hong-chul of the ruling Democratic Party revealed the result of the latest preliminary research on the Chinook upgrade during a parliamentary audit of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on Oct. 20. The lawmaker, who sits on the National Assembly's Defense Committee, said the research concluded in September that the cost of upgrading 17 of the 43 CH-47D Chinook helicopters would be about 1.35 trillion won ($1.2 billion), which is higher than the estimated cost of 1.22 trillion won for buying new ones. The upgrade cost is partly driven by the fact that Chinook manufacturer Boeing no longer produces parts for older variants, like those owned by South Korea, so specially ordered parts could prove expensive, Min said, citing the research conducted by the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, which is affiliated with DAPA. Furthermore, some Korean military task equipment such as the Korean Variable Message Format data link cannot be installed on the upgraded helos due to incompatibility, the research suggested. “A series of reverses and delays on decision-making have foiled key arms acquisition projects, including the Chinook upgrade,” Min said, expressing concern about an operational gap in military transport trainings and missions. South Korea operates about 50 Chinooks, with some of them in service for up to 50 years. With some parts of the older Chinook no longer being produced, the South Korean fleet's operational rate has suffered, according to the lawmaker. For instance, the Air Force's Chinook utilization rate from the first half of the year was around 40 percent. DAPA is expected to hold a meeting soon to decide whether to buy new heavy-lift helicopters rather than upgrade the existing fleet. But industry sources expect buying new helos would take more time and end up costing more, depending on the variant. “To get Block I CH-47F Chinook cargo helicopters, which have been on the shopping list of the South Korean Army, the letter of offer and acceptance should be issued by July next year at the latest, but it would be very difficult to finalize the decision-making procedures within the timeline,” said Ahn Seung-beom, a military analyst and writer with Defense Times Korea. “[If it doesn't] buy Block I, South Korea has an option to get Block II, which is to be produced for the U.S. Army first, and then it could take more time and costs to get the up-to-date, heavy-lift helicopters.” A source at Boeing told Defense News that both cost and an export license stand in the way of South Korea's CH-47F Block II purchase. “The development of the CH-47F Block II is still underway, so the price cannot be expected at this moment,” the source explained on condition of anonymity. “The U.S. Army has yet to place an order for the new cargo helicopters, so it's unclear how many aircraft would be produced.” It's also unclear if a foreign sale will receive approval, the source added. “The U.S. government strictly controls arms technology, so getting an export license for key weapons systems is a hurdle.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2020/10/27/south-korean-study-finds-chinook-upgrade-more-expensive-than-buying-new-helos/

Le groupe de Thousand Oaks a déclaré avoir obtenu un « accord de principe » pour acquérir le leader français de l'optronique à un prix 15 % moins élevé que celui de départ, soit 425 millions d'euros. Une réduction accordée par le vendeur Ardian suite aux conditions imposées les pouvoirs publics tricolores. Anne Drif La pépite de l'optronique militaire Photonis s'apprête bien à basculer sous pavillon américain... et pour 15 % moins cher. « Je pense que nous avons un accord de principe maintenant et nous avons besoin de finaliser les formalités administratives », a déclaré à la séance de questions analystes Robert Mehrabian, le président exécutif de l'acquéreur américain Teledyne, lors de ses résultats fin octobre. Le groupe de Thousand Oaks compte mettre ainsi la main sur Photonis pour 75 millions d'euros de moins, soit au final 425 millions d'euros, confirment des sources proches du dossier. Fin septembre, après des mois de négociations avec le ministère des Finances, des Armées et la reprise en main du dossier par l'Elysée suite à la vaste polémique soulevée par ce projet de cession auprès des parlementaires, Teledyne avait fait part à la SEC son intention de retirer sa demande d'autorisation d'achat auprès du gouvernement français. Une décision que ses opposants dans l'Hexagone ont immédiatement interprété comme un abandon à l'usure, lié aux exigences de gouvernance et le droit de veto imposés par les pouvoirs publics tricolores. https://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-services/air-defense/defense-lamericain-teledyne-va-racheter-photonis-a-prix-solde-1259299

En quoi va consister l'arme laser à haute énergie nouvelle génération développée par Boeing et General Atomics HUBERT MARY ONERA , BOEING , DIGITAL/TECHNOS , L'USINE AÉRO , TECHNOS ET INNOVATIONS PUBLIÉ LE 26/10/2020 À 13H21 Les industriels américains Boeing et General Atomics ont noué un partenariat pour concevoir un système d'arme laser à haute énergie (HEL) pour les défenses aériennes et antimissiles. Portée quasi-illimitée, coût d'exploitation réduit, célérité (un laser se déplace à la vitesse de la lumière), nombre illimité de coups tant qu'il y a de la puissance disponible... Les systèmes utilisant l'énergie dirigée prennent de plus en plus de place dans la R&D des grandes https://www.usinenouvelle.com/editorial/en-quoi-va-consister-l-arme-laser-a-haute-energie-nouvelle-generation-developpee-par-boeing-et-general-atomics.N1020734

Murray Brewster It's not the Space Force you may have heard about. Still, NATO's newly announced space centre boldly takes the seven-decade-old institution where no international military alliance has gone before. Most of its leading members and adversaries have sought individual advantage in the final frontier over the decades. And while the European Space Agency is a collective body, its civilian mission and its politics are inarguably different from those of NATO. That difference was on display this week as NATO defence ministers, meeting online, put the final pieces in place for the new centre, which has been in the works for a couple of years. "The space environment has fundamentally changed in the last decade," said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. "Some nations, including Russia and China, are developing anti-satellite systems that could blind, disable or shoot down satellites and create dangerous debris in orbit." NATO "must increase our understanding of the challenges in space," he said. Unlike U.S. President Donald Trump's much-hyped plan to make the Space Force a separate branch of the U.S. military, the North Atlantic alliance has been careful to present its space centre not as a "war fighting" arm but as something purely defensive. A 1967 international treaty commits 110 countries, including the United States and Canada, to limiting their use of space to "peaceful purposes" alone and prohibits the basing of weapons of mass destruction (nuclear bombs, for instance) in orbit. It further prohibits the militarization of the moon and other celestial bodies. Stoltenberg has insisted that alliance activities will be in line with international law. The rising threat of war in space That's an important point for Paul Meyer, adjunct professor of international studies in international security at Simon Fraser University in B.C. He warned in a recent policy paper for the Canadian Global Affairs Institute that the "prospects for armed conflict in space appear more likely than they have been since the days of the Cold War." Meyer said world leaders should think hard about what role — if any — arms control could play in avoiding a war in space. "Diplomatic solutions are not being pursued, despite the fact that irresponsible state conduct in space can ruin it for everyone," he said Friday. NATO has no satellites or space infrastructure of its own — but many member nations do and Stoltenberg said the alliance will draw on their expertise in setting up the new centre. Almost all modern militaries rely on satellites. In any major conflict between NATO and either Russia or China, the orbital communication and navigation grid would be the first piece of infrastructure to be hit. Not only does NATO need satellites for surveillance, reconnaissance and communications, an increasing number of military operations are being targeted from space. A good example is the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, during which 68 per cent of airstrikes employed smart bombs guided by lasers and satellites. Those "eyes in the sky" are also important for defence against ballistic missiles and (naturally) weather forecasting. Diplomacy and deterrence Dan Coats, the former U.S. director of national intelligence, warned Congress almost two years ago that China and Russia have trained and equipped their military space forces with new anti-satellite weapons. Those warnings have not been limited to the Trump administration. In the spring of 2019, Norway accused Russia of "harassing" communications systems and jamming Norwegian Armed Forces GPS signals. Last spring, the NATO space centre reported that Moscow had test-fired a satellite-killing missile. Frank Rose, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said in a recent online policy analysis that outer space will need to be "mainstreamed" within NATO when it comes to planning and operations. He also argued that the alliance will need to find a way to "incorporate diplomacy into any eventual strategy." Meyer agreed and noted in his October 2020 policy paper that Canada is largely absent from any meaningful debate on the militarization of space. The Global Affairs website, he said, contains outdated material, is full of banal, non-specific references and is largely devoid of Canadian content. "Pity the Canadian citizen who wishes to understand where our country stands on this troubling issue of outer space security," Meyer wrote. It's not clear what sort of contribution Canada might make to the new NATO space centre. In a statement, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said it's important for Canada's allies to develop a strategy that "ensures a peaceful use of space while protecting ourselves. "Canada has been a leading voice in NATO about the importance of space for the Alliance and we remain committed to working with our Allies and partners to prevent space from becoming an arena of conflict." https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/nato-space-command-space-militarization-stoltenberg-1.5775269

WASHINGTON ― Even an ongoing pandemic can't stop the U.S. Army's largest conference. The Association of the United States Army held its annual summit virtually this year from Oct. 13-16. Pentagon officials, service leaders and defense industry representatives gathered online to discuss the state of the Army. This included updates for industry, changes for personnel, ideas for future warfare and plans for tech acquisition. As the service ― really, the military as a whole ― pivots from its counterterror mission to great power competition against advanced adversaries, it's seeking to take a technological leap that will prepare war fighters for the future battlefield. Defense News, Army Times and C4ISRNET attended the webinars. Catch up on some of our best stories from this year's AUSA conference and can find more at defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa and c4isrnet.com/show-reporter/ausa.

Seth J. Frantzman JERUSLAEM — Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is presenting a number of technologies during the Euronaval conference meant to counter “asymmetric power projection” at sea. The Israeli company is making its pitch to navies during the European maritime trade show, which is being held virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ran Tavor, vice president of Rafael's naval systems business and a former Israeli Navy officer, said the company's offerings are divided by offensive and defensive purposes. For the former, it is offering naval versions of the Spike ER and NLOS missiles with increased range. The missiles are typically used by ground forces and on helicopters. The NLOS version can reach up to 32 kilometers, and the ER variant can reach up to 10 kilometers. The company says they can operate in GPS-denied environments and penetrate areas defended by electronic warfare systems. The weapons are equipped with electro-optical target automatic recognition as well as artificial intelligence to make them more lethal and precise. The Spike naval system is mounted with a launcher that has multiple cannisters for different systems in the missile family. “You don't need to be too close to the enemy, and this capability allows [it] to launch ship to ship and ship to shore," Tavor said, "and basically it is [a] relatively small footprint due to size and weight, and you can leverage a fast patrol boat to [become] a missile boat, so we change the way the fast patrol boat is used.” The missile systems are operational, but Rafael, like most Israeli defense companies, does not disclose where they have been sold outside of Israel. Rafael is also pitching its Typhoon naval remote weapon station that could be used to counter drones. The company says the platform is aided by multispectral sensors. The system fires 30mm rounds, which can prove ineffective against small drone targets at a distance that might have cross-sections of about 1 foot. Rafael has increased the weapon's magazine to 400 rounds to give it more firepower. Rafael is also showing off its C-GEM rocket decoy and fourth-generation Torbuster decoy for torpedo threats as another example of defensive technology. Tavor said the key to defense at sea is not any one item, but tailored solutions for navies that are part of an integrated, multilayered system involving a variety of sensors, algorithms and artificial intelligence to reduce the necessity for “man-in-the-loop” technology. “You need to detect, classify and engage to deal with a single threat, and if there is multiple-layer threats you are limited with [in terms of] line of sight and you have a big challenge — so here we come into play with all capabilities of detecting and classification and automatic tracking and automatic engagement,” he added The company reports that it has done business with 34 navies, including those of the U.S. and Australia, but doesn't identify other customers. http://https://www.c4isrnet.com/industry/2020/10/23/rafael-pitches-naval-capabilities-to-counter-asymmetric-power-projection/

AIR FORCE AMI Industries Inc., Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a $700,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the delta qualification, production and fielding of a next generation ejection seat for various Air Force Mission Defense systems. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is expected to be completed Oct. 22, 2030. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $5,200,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8606-21-D-0001) L-3 Technologies, Greenville, Texas, has been awarded a $9,090,496 firm-fixed-price modification (P00008) to contract FA8620-18-F-4816 for management support services. The contract modification provides for the exercise of a pre-priced option for additional management support services. Work will be performed in Greenville, Texas, and is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2021. This contract involves 100% Foreign Military Sales (FMS), and is the result of a sole-source acquisition. The total face value of the contract is $40,316,767. FMS funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of the award. The 645th Aeronautical Systems Group, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY American Posts LLC,* Toledo, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $30,000,000 firm-fixed price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for fence posts in various sizes. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a two-year base contract with three one-year option periods. Location of performance is Ohio, with an Oct. 23, 2022, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE8E6-21-D-0025). Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, California, Maryland, has been awarded an estimated $27,897,619 firm-fixed-price requirements contract for removal, repair and replacement of V-22 spindle bearings. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a four-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Maryland and Texas, with an Oct. 23, 2024, performance completion date. Using military services are Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2025 Navy and Special Operations Command operations and maintenance funding. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPRPA1-17-D-009U). UPDATE: Federal Contracts Corp., Tampa, Florida (SPE8EC-21-D-0070), has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract for agricultural equipment, issued against solicitation SPE8EC-17-R-0007, and was awarded June 12, 2020. WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES Guidehouse LLP, McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a $15,697,724 firm-fixed-price, labor-hours, and time and material contract. The operation support services contract provides audit and data analytics support to the deputy chief financial officer of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). Fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $15,697,724 are being obligated at the time of award. The expected completion date is Oct. 25, 2025. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-19-A-0017). ARMY Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, was awarded an $11,131,723 modification (P00030) to contract W56HZV-17-C-0095 for simulation-based reliability and safety virtual prototyping of autonomy-enabled ground systems. Work will be performed in Mississippi State, Mississippi, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 22, 2022. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Army) funds in the amount of $11,131,723 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2393050/source/GovDelivery/

David Pugliese, Two reports by the parliamentary budget officer looking into the costs of major Canadian naval equipment projects have been delayed. The Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates had unanimously passed a motion in June to request the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer undertake a costing analysis of the Royal Canadian Navy's new joint support ships as well as the leasing of the Asterix supply ship from a private firm. The PBO study was to also look at the cost of building the joint support ships in Canada at Seaspan shipyard in Vancouver. The committee asked that the PBO report be provided by Oct. 15. Another motion from the committee, passed later in June, asked the PBO to examine the $60 billion price tag of Canada's proposed new fleet of warships – the Canadian Surface Combatant or CSC. Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux was tasked to investigate the cost of the CSC as well as examine the cost of two other types of warships: the FREMM and the Type 31. That study was supposed to be presented to the committee by Oct. 22. But those original motions from the committee expired when Parliament was prorogued. So new motions have to be provided to the PBO. The Commons committee passed a new motion on Oct. 19 on the Asterix and Joint Support Ship analysis. That analysis is to be delivered by Nov. 30, PBO spokeswoman Sloane Mask told this newspaper. A date for the analysis to be made public has not yet been determined. “Currently, we are also in the process of confirming the revised timelines for the CSC report,” she added.There is particular interest in the defence community about what the PBO determines is the current price-tag of the Canadian Surface Combatant project. Last year the Liberal government signed an initial deal on CSC that is expected to lead to the eventual construction of 15 warships in the largest single government purchase in Canadian history. Lockheed Martin offered Canada the Type 26 warship designed by BAE in the United Kingdom. Irving is the prime contractor and the vessels will be built at its east coast shipyard. Construction of the first ship isn't expected to begin until the early 2020s. But the Canadian Surface Combatant program has already faced rising costs. In 2008, the then-Conservative government estimated the project would cost roughly $26 billion. But in 2015, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, then commander of the navy, voiced concern that taxpayers may not have been given all the information about the program, publicly predicting the cost for the warships alone would approach $30 billion. The overall project is currently estimated to cost around $60 billion. “Approximately one-half of the CSC build cost is comprised of labour in the (Irving) Halifax yard and materials,” according to federal government documents obtained by this newspaper through the Access to Information law. But some members of parliament and industry representatives have privately questioned whether the CSC price-tag is too high. There have been suggestions that Canada could dump the Type 26 design and go for a cheaper alternative since the CSC project is still in early stages and costs to withdraw could be covered by savings from a less expensive ship. Canada had already been pitched on alternatives. In December 2017, the French and Italian governments proposed a plan in which Canada could build the FREMM frigate at Irving. Those governments offered to guarantee the cost of the 15 ships at a fixed $30 billion, but that was rejected by the Canadian government. The other type of warship the PBO will look at is the Type 31, which is to be built for the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Those ships are to cost less than $500 million each. In 2017, then Parliamentary Budget Officer Jean-Denis Fréchette estimated the CSC program would cost $61.82 billion. The entry of the BAE Type 26 warship in the Canadian competition was controversial from the start and sparked complaints that the procurement process was skewed to favour that vessel. Previously the Liberal government had said only mature existing designs or designs of ships already in service with other navies would be accepted on the grounds they could be built faster and would be less risky. Unproven designs can face challenges if problems are found once the vessel is in the water and operating. But the criteria was changed and the government and Irving accepted the BAE design, though at the time it existed only on the drawing board. Construction began on the first Type 26 frigate in the summer of 2017 for Britain's Royal Navy. https://www.thetelegram.com/news/canada/defence-watch-new-dates-set-for-budget-watchdogs-reports-on-major-naval-projects-512897/

HASSAN MEDDAH Réglementation des investissements étrangers en France, fonds d'investissements ciblés sur les acteurs de la défense, service d'intelligence économique... La direction générale à l'armement (DGA) estime disposer des outils nécessaires pour protéger les entreprises critiques et stratégiques pour les armées. https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/photonis-aubert-duval-cilas-comment-la-dga-protege-les-entreprises-strategiques-francaises.N1020104