Nouvelles

By: Tom Waldwyn and Haena Jo Over the next decade, companies from emerging defense industrial nations will provide greater competition for the Western and Russian firms that have previously assisted in their development. Successive Turkish, South Korean, Brazilian and Polish governments have invested heavily in their defense industries over the past decade, leading to much-improved capabilities and the introduction of complex platforms. While many of these are license-builds of Western equipment, a growing share is of original designs. However, their reliance on key subsystems from Western and Russian companies will likely continue for much of this period, presenting a potential vulnerability. License-building platforms with technology transfer has been used as a means of developing a local industrial capability with a more realistic chance of success than starting from scratch. For example, in the 1980s and 1990s, Turkey and South Korea assembled hundreds of F-16 fighter jets, and both have also license-built German submarines, as has Brazil. Significant investment in these programs has meant that these countries now have the industrial capability to produce an increasing number of platforms with original designs. South Korea's T-50 Golden Eagle (a trainer and light-attack aircraft with multiple variants) was developed based on both the country's experience and technology transfer from assembling F-16s. Poland's initial license-build of Finnish armored personnel carriers has now led to several local variants based on that design, and Turkey has begun to design a new attack helicopter based on its experience building the Italian-designed T129. This has gone hand in hand with procurement and industry reform. South Korea created the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in 2006 to manage procurement and develop industrial capability. Poland consolidated most of its state-owned industry under the PGZ holding company in 2015. South Korea's threefold increase in defense exports over the past decade — $1.52 billion in 2019 with a record high of $2.36 billion in 2016 — has been boosted by its companies winning contracts against European and Russian competitors. The aforementioned T-50 family has won competitions in countries such as Iraq, Indonesia and Thailand at the expense of Western and Russian aircraft. Similarly, South Korean shipyards have now signed deals to export frigates and tankers to a variety of countries including Thailand and the U.K. Significantly, in 2011, a South Korean shipyard secured a contract to supply Indonesia with submarines, beating the German original equipment manufacturer that transferred technology to South Korea in the 1980s for license-production. Although Turkey's high-profile export successes have largely come due to its political relationships rather than success in open competition, it too has seen its defense and aerospace (including civil) exports more than treble during this time, reaching $2.78 billion in 2019. Brazil's export successes ($1.3 billion in 2019) have largely come in the aerospace sector with the A-29 Super Tucano trainer/light-attack aircraft being widely exported. Recently the country has begun to secure the first sales of its KC-390 transport aircraft. Despite strong growth in defense manufacturing capability (both South Korea and Turkey report overall localization rates of around 70 percent, for example), these nations continue to rely on Western and Russian suppliers for key subsystems, with high-end electronics and engines being particular weaknesses. Attempts to fit a locally designed power pack into the K2 Black Panther main battle tank have been wracked with difficulty, forcing South Korea to order additional engines and transmissions from German suppliers. Similarly, Poland's production of its Krab howitzer ran into problems early on due to technical issues with the chassis and engine, forcing a switch to South Korean and German replacements, respectively. Turkey provides a case study of what can happen when a reliance on foreign subsystems clashes with those countries taking a dim view of your actions. Since the mid-2000s, development of the Altay main battle tank proceeded relatively smoothly, in part because the prototypes were fitted with proven German power packs. However, arms embargoes since 2016 have derailed series production. A 2015 contract to develop a local propulsion system was canceled in 2017 when the Austrian company selected to assist pulled out. Similar issues have hampered the sale of attack helicopters to Pakistan (an Italian design fitted with American engines) as well as the production of armed UAVs (Canadian sensors and engines). Beyond these emerging challengers for defense exports, other nations also warrant consideration. Japan, a country with a high localization rate since the 1990s, produces a variety of advanced platforms across different sectors. However, changing government and business practices to support export campaigns will take time. India has also invested heavily in its industry, yet bureaucratic conflicts and technical challenges have made fulfilling local requirements a challenge. The United Arab Emirates has begun to export equipment, albeit low-tech materiel. All this being said, the impact of COVID-19 on government spending will likely be felt for several years, with some importer nations already postponing programs. Whether local demand in exporter nations can make up for this remains to be seen. Tom Waldwyn is a research associate for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, where Haena Jo is a research analyst for defense and military analysis. https://www.defensenews.com/outlook/2021/01/11/iiss-analysts-russian-and-western-defense-firms-face-greater-competition/

By: Harjit Sajjan For any military force, maintaining an advantage requires innovation and investment. It is why Canada is modernizing our Army, Navy and Air Force while putting our serving members in the Canadian Armed Forces at its core. To ensure our people have the most advanced capabilities and tools for the future, Canada is putting a greater focus on research and development, supporting innovators in industry and in government, and building a closer relationship between these two worlds. Since 2017, when we published our fully funded 20-year defense policy “Strong, Secure, Engaged,” we have seen significant changes in the global security environment. These new challenges underscore the need to invest in defense as a matter of national security and economic vitality. “Strong, Secure, Engaged” was released at a time when the dominant forces of the current security environment were just beginning to take shape. Today, Canada faces a world defined by great power conflict, rapid military modernization by states set on upending the international rules-based order, and advances against disruptive technologies in which North American geography no longer affords the protection it once did. While we have traditionally been able to address threats abroad before they reach our shores, our security requires reinforcement. While this new space has many unknowns, we know that multilateralism and supporting the rules-based international order is critical to our success and our safety. Since 2017, Canada has increased our support to NATO partners through Operation Reassurance — which has seen Royal Canadian Navy ships deployed in the Black Sea region, the Royal Canadian Air Force supporting air policing in Romania, and Canadian Armed Forces members leading the Enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup in Latvia — as well as through our work leading NATO Mission Iraq and our support for the coalition. We also know that this changing security landscape means we need to take a thorough look at how we can secure North America against the threats of today and the future. It is why Canada continues to work with our American partners on the modernization of North American Aerospace Defense Command to build continental resiliency. This critical work will ensure that Canada and the United States of America have the ability to detect, deter and respond to threats, and that the only binational command in the world can meet the challenges of the 21st century. For many years now, the Department of National Defence has worked hard to keep defense industries informed of future investment opportunities that will continue generating jobs and improving Canada's capacity for innovation. It is one reason that we have a forward-looking, 10-year defense investment plan that is updated every three years. This engagement with industry has become an integral part of the procurement process, providing critical insights while showing industry that we are a predicable partner. Despite the unexpected challenges during 2020, Canada reached important milestones for key defense projects. In July 2020, the first Arctic and offshore patrol ship was delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy, followed in the fall by delivery of the first new fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Construction of armored combat support vehicles for the Canadian Army began in May 2020, with the first vehicle delivered to the Armed Forces in December 2020. We also continue to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into equipping members of our armed forces. We now see unprecedented innovation in all corners of the world, which militaries can harness to quickly understand and respond to potential threats before they cause harm. It is why new and emerging technologies in cyber and artificial intelligence are becoming an integral part of defense projects. Canada is growing its defense industry by leveraging research and development from both industry and government to achieve the best results. By working together, we can come up with innovative solutions to increase Canada's operational effectiveness while showing that defense is forging a path to the future. In addition to embracing innovation within defense institutions and industry, more work is needed to support our people. The Canadian Armed Forces is a diverse institution, and our equipment needs to recognize that. It is why the Gender-based Analysis Plus process looks at factors such as gender, race, religion and ethnicity so that our defense projects better meet the needs of armed forces members. These changes help get the best out of our people, producing meaningful results. For example, changes made to the brake pedal assembly in the new armor-protected cab of the Standard Military Pattern vehicle ensure all soldiers, no matter their size, can safely operate these vehicles. By building an agile, well-educated, flexible, diverse, combat-ready military, we will be able to deal with threats abroad to protect stability at home. This historic investment through “Strong, Secure, Engaged” allows Canada to modernize our military by putting our people at its core as we continue to step up our contribution to North American and global security. When our partners and allies call upon Canada, we will be there for them. Harjit Sajjan is Canada's minister of national defense. https://www.defensenews.com/outlook/2021/01/11/canadas-defense-minister-our-investment-in-defense-is-an-investment-in-north-american-security/

Nathan Strout WASHINGTON — Following a protest by Raytheon Technologies, the Space Development Agency has reevaluated awards it made for eight satellites capable of tracking hypersonic weapons, opting to stick with its original vendors: SpaceX and L3Harris. “The reevaluation confirmed the original selection decision announced in October and concluded that [SpaceX] and L3Harris Technologies' proposals offered the best value to the government,” said SDA spokesperson Jennifer Elzea in a Jan. 7 statement. The agency initially announced contracts Oct. 5 for the eight satellites. L3Harris and SpaceX were awarded $193 million and $149 million respectively to each design and develop four satellites equipped with wide field of view (WFOV) overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) sensors. Those satellites would make up the agency's inaugural tracking layer, a low Earth orbit constellation capable of detecting and tracking ballistic and hypersonic weapons. Shortly thereafter, competitors Raytheon Technologies and Airbus U.S. Space and Defense individually filed protests against the award with the Government Accountability Office. A stop work order was put in place, preventing L3Harris and SpaceX from moving forward with the contracts. In response to the protests, SDA elected to reevaluate proposals. Raytheon filed another protest Dec. 17 claiming the agency's corrective was inadequate, but the GAO dismissed that action as premature. SDA completed its reevaluation in late December, confirming its original awards, and on Dec. 28 the stop work order was lifted. “SDA is confident that reevaluation resulted in a fair outcome for all involved parties,” said Elzea. “The agency continues to make all efforts to keep the tracking layer of the National Defense Space Architecture on schedule.” In dismissing Raytheon's protest as being premature, GAO did note that the company could still protest the agency's actions following the corrective action. Neither Raytheon nor Airbus immediately responded to inquiries as to whether they would file more protests. Back in October, SDA Director Derek Tournear told C4ISRNET the contracts were the result of a full and open competition based purely on technical merit. “SpaceX had a very credible story along that line — a very compelling proposal. It was outstanding,” he said. “They are one of the ones that have been at the forefront of this commercialization and commodification route.” In addition, “L3Harris had an extremely capable solution. They have a lot of experience flying affordable, rapid, small satellite buses for the department,” he said. “They had the plant and the line in place in order to produce these to hit our schedule.” The tracking layer is just one facet of the agency's National Defense Space Architecture, a planned mega-constellation that will eventually be made up of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit. SDA is using a spiral development approach to build out that constellation, by adding more satellites every two years. These eight satellites in question will be part of the first tranche, which is set to launch starting in 2022. More tracking layer satellites will be launched in later tranches. Tournear has previously stated that one of the agency's priorities is avoiding vendor lock, hosting an open competition for tracking layer satellites for future tranches. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2021/01/07/space-development-agency-confirms-spacex-l3harris-awards-following-protest

Détails du programme La bourse « CRIAQ Start-Up » est ciblée pour les entreprises québécoises en démarrage et actives dans le secteur aérospatial. Le CRIAQ souhaite accorder, sur concours, deux bourses de 10 000$ par année soutenant le développement technologique de deux start-up, dans une perspective où le financement contribue à augmenter l'arrimage du développement du produit ou service avec d'éventuels utilisateurs et clients. Présentation des demandes et processus d'approbation Pour être admissible à cette bourse, l'entreprise doit être une start-up dont au moins une partie de ses activités vise l'industrie de l'aérospatiale (produits, services et solutions) et doit être membre en règle du CRIAQ ou s'engager à le devenir avant l'octroi. Parmi les éléments qui seront considérés : date d'incorporation (+/- 2 ans), nombre d'employés (inférieur à 10) participation à un incubateur ou accélérateur reconnu, etc. Les propositions seront évaluées en fonction des quatre (4) critères suivants: i) Nouveauté du produit ou service, ii) Faisabilité technique, iii) Potentiel de l'opportunité d'affaires pour l'aérospatiale, et iv) Qualité de l'équipe. Il est aussi important de noter que les candidatures d'entreprises qui découlent d'un projet de recherche du CRIAQ seront évaluées positivement. Application et informations additionnelles Le formulaire ci-dessous doit être complété et transmis au plus tard le 22 janvier 2021. L'évaluation sera complétée le 5 février 2021. Les récipiendaires devront être disponibles entre les 16-19 février 2021 pour l'annonce prévue lors du RDV Forum CRIAQ. https://www.criaq.aero/programme/criaq-startup/

Lee Berthiaume The Canadian Press OTTAWA -- An internal Defence Department report has warned that Canadian Armed Forces operations and security may be at risk due to major problems with how the military's computer networks are built and supported. The report follows a review of the Defence Department's information management and technology systems, which are described as "critical" to the success of Canadian military operations and training. That review uncovered a patchwork of IT systems across the Defence Department and Armed Forces that was not only inefficient and expensive to maintain, but also often out-of-date and poorly supported. The brunt of the report's criticism is directed at the technical support provided to the military by another federal entity, Shared Services Canada, the agency that took over management of most federal networks in August 2011. Nearly all defence and military officials who participated in the review were upset by the amount of time it took Shared Services to respond to requests for help, according to the report. In some instances, those delays harmed operations. The report cited one instance in which an email server that went down during an unspecified domestic mission couldn't be fixed right away because it was a weekend and Shared Services did not have staff on call. The reviewers also found that a quarter of requests for assistance made to Shared Services remained unresolved after six months, and the agency did not have anybody in Europe to help the hundreds of Canadian troops posted there. While the problems were partly attributed to a lack of appropriate IT resources and staff, the report also flagged the lack of an agreement between the Defence Department and Shared Services establishing clear expectations for network support. Without such an agreement, the report, defence and military officials believed Shared Services not only didn't understand their needs but also wasn't required to respond quickly, "which led to putting clients at great risk on a number of fronts, including security." Delays in tech support weren't the only point of contention between the Defence Department and Shared Services, with the latter upsetting the navy by requiring the removal of equipment that had increased bandwidth on warships. Shared Services also stopped supporting some older intelligence systems while they were still being used by the air force, army and navy, according to the report recently published on the Defence Department website. Defence Department spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier on Monday described the review as a "valuable tool" for improving IT support even as he defended the department's relationship with Shared Services Canada. "We have a good working relationship with Shared Services Canada and the two departments continue to work collaboratively to ensure the appropriate and timely delivery of IT services to DND/CAF," he said. "We are also reviewing our relationship with Shared Services Canada with a focus on improving the service delivery model to help better support the department and the Canadian Armed Forces." The internal report also took aim at the military's troubled procurement system, which was found to deliver IT equipment with inadequate or out-of-date technology. Poor planning was partly to blame but the report also blamed onerous levels of oversight. While that oversight was described as the result of cost overruns and delays on past IT projects, the report said that it nonetheless created new problems in delivering modern equipment. "The complex processes associated with the capital projects and procurement are very slow and cumbersome," according to the report. "The process cannot keep up with the rate of change of technology." Those delays -- and their potential impact on operations -- were also cited as a major reason for why a patchwork of IT systems and programs now cover different parts of the Defence Department and military. While that patchwork might serve the day-to-day needs of the military, it was also found to be inefficient and expensive. To that end, the reviewers could not pinpoint exactly how much was being spent by the Defence Department and military on IT services and support every year, but estimated it at more than $700 million. In response to the report, senior officials told reviewers that they were looking at ways to better calculate annual spending on IT and address the problems that have contributed to the creation of so many systems in the first place. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2021. https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/poor-it-support-hurting-canadian-military-operations-internal-review-finds-1.5253148

Vice Admiral Art McDonald will take over as the Chief of the Defence Staff next Thursday. He will be promoted to full admiral for his new position. McDonald replaces Gen. Jon Vance who has been CDS since July 2015. Vance announced last year that he was retiring. McDonald is currently the commander of the Royal Canadian Navy and has served in a variety of positions, both at National Defence headquarters in Ottawa and on board various frigates. As a Capt(N), he was the maritime component commander of Canadian Joint Task Force (Haiti), leading sea-based humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. He then commanded a seven-ship combined, multi-national Task Group in the High Arctic later in 2010 during the annual Op Nanook. Later, as a rear admiral he also led the Canadian Forces' responses to fires and floods in British Columbia while commanding Joint Task Force Pacific from 2016-2018. McDonald will be replaced in his current position by Rear-Admiral Craig Baines. Baines will be promoted to vice-admiral. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/vice-admiral-mcdonald-to-take-over-as-defence-chief-on-jan-14

Le Département d'État américain a approuvé la vente potentielle d'avions de combat et du système Patriot à la Suisse. Cette décision fait suite au référendum qui a eu lieu dimanche dernier en Suisse. Lors d'un vote national, les Helvètes ont accepté d'acheter de nouveaux avions de combat pour remplacer les machines Northrop F-5E / F Tiger II et Boeing F / A-18C / D Hornet en service. Deux fournisseurs d'outre-mer et trois européens se sont disputés le contrat. Les États-Unis proposent à la Suisse des avions Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II et Boeing F / A-18 Super Hornet. En prévision d'une éventuelle décision, les Américains ont déjà accepté d'exporter lesdites armes. Dans le cas des avions F-35A, on parle de la vente potentielle de 40 machines, ainsi que de pièces détachées et d'armes, pour un montant d'environ 6,58 milliards de dollars. 40 chasseurs F / A-18E / F Super Hornet avec un package similaire ont été évalués à 7,45 milliards de dollars. Parallèlement, le département d'État américain a également approuvé la vente de systèmes de missiles de défense aérienne et antimissile Patriot à la Suisse. Cinq batteries sont évaluées à 2,2 milliards de dollars. Aucune partie ou la totalité des œuvres contenues dans la revue ne peut être reproduite et diffusée ou diffusée ultérieurement sous quelque forme et par quelque moyen que ce soit (y compris électronique ou mécanique ou autre ou dans tout domaine d'utilisation), y compris la copie, la numérisation au sens large, la photocopie ou copie, y compris publication sur Internet – sans le consentement écrit de Gremi Media SA. Toute utilisation ou utilisation des œuvres en tout ou en partie sans le consentement de Gremi Media SA ou des auteurs en violation de la loi est interdite sous peine de sanction et passible de poursuites. https://www.mercatoshow.com/la-suisse-a-recu-lapprobation-du-departement-detat-pour-acheter-des-combattants/

BY KEVIN M. BAERSON After years of experimentation and analysis, the government of Canada has procured a new Hermes 900 StarLiner from Israeli UAV manufacturer Elbit Systems that can withstand and patrol its massive, inhospitable Arctic territory. Extreme weather with high winds and low temperatures, limited and unreliable satellite communication and navigation, and continuous darkness during the winter months make controlling UAVs in the Arctic especially challenging. Combined with a lack of ground infrastructure, both line of sight and satellite control of a UAV can become nearly impossible. The hope is that the Starliner can conquer these harsh Arctic conditions. This version of Elbit's Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) military UAV is fully certified to operate in civilian airspace and will take off from and land on civilian airfields. It will perform myriad operations to reduce harmful environmental impacts, including detection of oil pollution and wildlife surveying, as well as ice patrol and reconnaissance. It will also support search and rescue, humanitarian efforts and illegal fishing enforcement, and will aid the development and regulation of Canada's drone industry. The $36.16 million contract includes communication links, ground control stations, sensor packages, training and the optional purchase of spare parts. The Starliner is expected to be delivered by December 2022, but procurement has been years in the making. Arctic Takeoff In 2017, Canadian officials began research and development test flights using a Sea Hunter drone produced by Alabama-based Griffon Aerospace. The data collected, including BVLOS results, contributed to developing requirements for the eventual Hermes purchase. Timothy Choi, a maritime strategy expert and Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, has said the Canadian government had limited options in its search for a proven maritime drone with Arctic capabilities. “Large maritime surveillance drones—that is, ones equipped with downward-looking radar and AIS [automatic identification system] receivers to detect shipping—have not been as prevalent in the global drone market as their land-centric counterparts,” Choi told the website Eye On The Arctic. “Of these, there are even fewer that have been tested in Arctic conditions.” The model Canada is acquiring has been undergoing operational trials in Iceland via the European Maritime Safety Agency since summer 2019. At 1.6 tons, the StarLiner includes detect and avoid (DAA) systems, redundant datalinks and an advanced terrain avoidance warning system. Its ability to automatically take off and land in near-zero visibility, and to sustain deicing procedures and direct lightning strikes, makes it ideal for the Arctic's extreme weather challenges. According to Canadian officials, the new UAV can operate at up to 72 degrees north latitude and has a range of more than 1,400 nautical miles. It comes equipped with back-up command and control and navigation systems, electrical optical infrared camera, synthetic aperture radar and a mapping camera system. For now, the majority of Canada's Arctic surveillance data will continue to come from RADARSAT, the country's remote sensing earth observation satellite program. But while the satellites can detect emergencies such as an oil spill, their brief visits over the Arctic make it difficult to identify causes and consequences. The same is true for identifying nefarious activities such as illegal dumping and unpermitted fishing. “The ability of a drone to loiter for long periods of time with higher resolution sensors will help fill this gap,” Choi explained. “Operationally, the new drone will greatly help ‘connect the dots' when it comes to surveilling Arctic waters and enforcing Canadian regulations.” Drone Diplomacy While this Hermes version will be used in civilian missions, its acquisition is just one part of Canada's Arctic Unmanned Aircraft System Initiative, and it will join the country's National Aerial Surveillance Program's manned aircraft fleet. With 75% of Canada's coastline and 55% of its landmass located in the Arctic, Canada and its main regional rival, Russia, potentially contest for resources and the new shipping routes being created by global warming. Russia is deploying a fleet of dual-use extreme-weather UAVs featuring a GIRSAM alternative navigation system. China, which is talking about a “Polar Silk Road,” also is developing dual-use UAVs optimized for Arctic conditions. “Canada is committed to protecting our endangered species and our marine environment,” Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau said in a statement. “Integrating remotely piloted aircraft into Transport Canada's fleet will make federal surveillance operations more robust than ever.” https://insideunmannedsystems.com/canadas-new-drone-can-better-surveil-its-challenging-arctic-environment/

While commercial aviation stalled in 2020, many military programs did not so. As a result, 2021 is going to be an eventful year for aviation enthusiasts. Let's see, what new fighter jets are going to see the skies or finish their development cycle in the new year. Shenyang FC-31 A decade ago, China surprised the world with Chengdu J-20, becoming the second nation in the world with domestically-produced fifth-generation fighter jets in operational capability. But J-20s are large and expensive, and just as the United States several years before, China became interested in smaller, cheaper alternatives. One alternative was offered by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. While not much is known about the secretive aircraft, it is likely it was export-oriented at first, and repurposed as a light, possibly carrier-based companion to the J-20 later. The prototype of FC-31 first flew in 2012, but disappeared from the public eye shortly after. The aircraft returned in 2020, much improved, and with the rumors that the mass-production is about to start. We will probably see the resolution of its story in 2021: the aircraft may be officially adopted, deployed, or at least showcased in its primary role on one of China's aircraft carriers. KAI KF-X The first Korean fifth-generation fighter jet entered the development back in 2001. The project evolved, partnering with Indonesian Aerospace and United States' Lockheed-Martin, and gaining more and more government's interest as the geopolitical situation in the region heated up. KAI began building several prototypes in 2019, at least part of them scheduled for completion in mid-2021. According to the developers, the work is going as planned, so, the rollout of the first prototype will likely happen in the coming summer, followed by a round of ground tests. The maiden flight is scheduled for 2022 though, so, we will have to wait another year to see the new jet taking to the skies. Boeing F-15EX https://www.aerotime.aero/26839-New-fighter-jets-to-look-for-in-2021