DIB_issue6_final

1 :: Defence Industry Bulletin 1

Issue #6 July 2015

Insider knowledge for the discerning defenceand security professional

ANOTHER LANDMARK DELIVERY FOR FRENCH FRIGATE

PARAMOUNT CHAIRMAN BLASTS DEFENCE INDUSTRY

INTERVIEW

TURKISH FIGHTER

FOREIGN PARTNERFOR F-X

NEW ARMOURED VEHICLES

UPDATES FROM ITALY, BRAZIL, SPAIN, MEXICO

GERMAN NH90

WILL IT ‘BLEND’?

FREMM

ITALIAN NAVY PROGRAMMEUPDATES: PPA, LHD, LSS

NEW AIRBUS CYBERSOLUTION: KEELBACK NET

RFI DETAILS FOR SWEDEN’SJET TRAINER

:: Defence Industry Bulletin1 :: Defence Industry Bulletin

France’s export machine has gone into overdrive in 2015 with

enormous deals with Egypt and Saudi Arabia recently announced. On 23 June the first FREMM frigate was delivered to Egypt and Defence Industry Bulletin (DIB) had Victor M.S. Barreira on the scene to report on the historic deal. In other maritime news we have details on the upgrade of the A-4 Skyhawk for the Brazilian Navy and insight on Italy’s new “Naval Law” passed to finance three new vessel types for its Navy. In the land domain, DIB interview General Dynamics European Land Systems on its future strategy and have exclusive updates on armoured vehicle

programmes from Italy, Spain, Brazil and Mexico. Elsewhere, Sweden has released its jet trainer RFI, and we look at the options as Turkey considers its impending foreign partner for its indigenous F-X fighter. Also, in The Briefing Room…Paramount Group Chairman Ivor Ichikowitz blasts the “antiquated” defence industry and extols the potential of the African market. He also discusses recent Paramount developments and plans for the future. Moreover, we also host a panel discussion with noted journalists, academics, and analysts on predictions for the outlook in Africa and its land systems market. We hope you enjoy this issue of

Defence Industry Bulletin and if you have any comments you would like to share, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at [email protected].

Andrew Elwell and Richard de Silva

Cyber 27Africa 29The Briefing Room 41More Information 44

Welcome 1The Broader Picture 2Land 5Sea 11Air 22

Front cover image: DCNS

The contract between DCNS and the Egyptian authorities was signed on 16 February 2015 in Cairo, Egypt (DCNS)

Defence Industry Bulletin :: 2

The Broader Picture

UK defence industry survey frowns on EU Exit Oliver Austin

A study commissioned by aerospace trade body ADS

Group on a possible British withdrawal from the EU has shown overwhelming support for the country to remain a member. Analysis undertaken by auditors at KPMG concluded that the EU provides key benefits to the country’s aerospace, defence, security and space sectors. According to the findings, the impact that membership has on the levels of European market access, skilled labour, supply chains and collaborative funding all place the UK in an advantageous position within the international scene. The evidence was supported by a GfK NOP survey of ADS’s 900 members that showed 86 percent of respondents holding a belief that membership retention was better for their business, where only two

percent indicated that leaving the EU would be preferred. Among companies ranging from electronics giants to SMEs, the offering of free trade and the simplification of regulations stood out as the most fundamental of membership benefits. Paul Everitt, CEO of ADS Group, said, “This ADS/KPMG economic assessment demonstrates the significant benefits the aerospace, defence, space and security industries get from UK membership of the European Union. Our industries are clear that the UK’s continued membership of the EU is good for companies, their employees and the future prosperity of the country. “Our sectors value the UK Government’s ability to influence the rules of the EU single market, its role in helping to shape

important international regulation and market access, as well as the investment in European science, technology and innovation.” Everitt did however point to findings that all relevant sectors desired change within EU processes to adjust its focus on promoting growth, investment in skills, innovation and competitiveness. The UK, he said, can then maximise its involvement to ensure further benefits. The ADS study may have been issued as a result of this year’s Scottish referendum debate, which many in the industry felt did not afford the aerospace and defence industry with enough of a voice ahead of the vote. Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to hold an EU referendum near the end of 2017.

UTC announces departure from helicopter market Joseph Carpenter

United Technologies Corporation (UTC) announced in recent

weeks that it will divest of its Sikorsky Aircraft business, subject to final Board approval, in what will mark an end to its involvement in the military helicopter business. The announcement follows a review of strategic alternatives for Sikorsky announced earlier this year. A decision on whether Sikorsky will be spun off or directly sold is expected by the end of the third quarter, but analysts expect a sale unlikely due to the hefty bill UTC would receive on gains tax. The more likely outcome is a spinoff with another company buying Sikorsky after a two-year period to avoid tripping over tax regulations. Gregory Hayes, UTC President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our strategic review has confirmed that exiting the helicopter business is the best path forward for

United Technologies. Sikorsky is the world’s premier helicopter company and through a series of strategic wins is well positioned for long-term growth. However, separation of Sikorsky from the portfolio will allow both United Technologies and Sikorsky to better focus on their core businesses.” Given that Sikorsky owns a significant share of the military rotorcraft customer base, the move has caused ripples across the helicopter market. However, Sikorsky is expected to remain afloat for the foreseeable future, albeit with a reduced overhead, beginning with the loss of 1,400 jobs, the consolidation of its Connecticut operations and the closure of its Bridgeport facility. According to a press release, UTC now expects 2015 earnings per share of $6.35 to $6.55 on sales of approximately $58 to $59 billion, excluding Sikorsky. The company

continues to expect organic sales growth of 3 to 5 percent and cash flow from operations less capital expenditures in the range of 90 to 100 percent of net income attributable to common shareowners. At time of publication, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Textron (Bell) and Airbus are all believed to still be in the bidding process.

The Sikorsky Blackhawk will soon be flying under a different name Image: SSGT Suzanne M. Jenkins, USAF

:: Defence Industry Bulletin3

UK invests in additive manufacturing R&D to bolster aerospace sector Andrew Elwell

The UK is investing in additive manufacturing

research and development to maintain its place at the forefront of innovation in the global aerospace market. Business Minister Anna Soubry officially opened the Aerospace Research Centre and National Centre for Net Shape and Additive Manufacturing in Coventry on 22 June. The research facilities are housed within the Manufacturing Technology Centre and form part of the government’s wider investment strategy for the aerospace sector, which is a £2.1 billion commitment overseen by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI). “Government and industry are working together to keep Britain at the forefront of the global aerospace market,” said the minister during the opening ceremony. “We are currently second only to the United States, but there is more to do and it is important that we continue to invest in R&D and develop ground-breaking technologies. “Demand for new aircraft is at

record levels - around 45,000 new aircraft and 40,000 helicopters are needed between now and 2032, worth over $5 trillion. This will provide billions of pounds of work to the UK economy given our leading capability in wings, engines, helicopters, advanced systems and services. “Getting this right will deliver economic benefit through our large, mid-sized and small companies across the breadth of the country.” As part of the investment in the UK’s aerospace sector, four funded projects were announced at the ceremony in Coventry: £7.2 million for Airbus to research ways to remove imperfections on wing surfaces; £5 million to research how pioneering technologies, such as the Internet of Things, can be applied to aircraft factory production; £6.4 million to research advanced automated assembly technologies to improve the cost competitiveness of the UK supply chain; and £4.4 million for UTC Aerospace Systems to set up production lines to manufacture high volume, low cost advanced

composite products. Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing as it is more commonly known, has the potential to transform military supply chains and profoundly change the dynamics of the aerospace and defence industry. In an exclusive Defence IQ survey, over half (54%) of respondents strongly agreed that the use of additive manufacturing would be widespread in the A&D sector. In total, 83% gave a positive response to the statement about the universal uptake of 3D printing in the future, indicating we may be approaching a new manufacturing revolution. Investment from government and industry will be critical for first movers in the market to lead innovation and push the boundaries of engineering. Soubry is right when stating that this could help deliver economic benefit in the long-term. That’s true not just for aerospace and defence companies but the wider economy too. There is hardly a company in the sector that is not looking to diversify its products and services into other adjacent verticals. The impact of the economic collapse in 2008 has weighed heavy on defence – companies need to de-risk their product lines and look to other markets for growth. Additive manufacturing can be a route into new markets as it helps firms diversify what they can manufacture.

UK invests in additive manufacturing technology for aerospace applications

The Broader Picture


The Broader Picture

Colt Defense files for bankruptcy Oliver Austin

I conic U.S. gun maker Colt Defense announced voluntary

Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June, a process that will allow for an accelerated sale of Colt’s business operations in the U.S. and Canada. The Connecticut-based company boasts a legacy dating back to the 19th Century when it developed the pistol it claims “won the West”. Since then, it has been the supplier of M4 rifles to the U.S. military until that contract was ended in 2013. Colt’s current sponsor, Sciens Capital Management, has agreed to act as a “stalking horse bidder” and has proposed to purchase almost all of Colt’s assets, assume secured liabilities and all liabilities related to existing agreements with employees, customers, vendors,

and trade creditors. Colt intends for the sale to ensure a “smooth and swift transition of the business with all of its iconic brands, products, and operations supported by a stronger balance sheet.” The company intends to continue its normal business operations throughout the process amid a development that was expected among market analysts after Colt has struggled in recent years with supply chain, limited working capital, and accounting missteps that required a revision of reported financial results. It hopes to reduce most of its $355 million debt burden by auctioning off its business and generating proceeds to repay lenders.

Colt has struggled in recent years with supply chain, limited working capital, and accounting missteps

The Colt M4 has been iconic to American battlefields for yearsImage: US DOD


Land

The Brazilian armed forces have taken delivery of the 16th

Helibras H225M (formerly known as the EC725) out from an outstanding order for 50 under the Ministry of Defence-run Project H-XBR. The helicopter was produced at the Itajubá assembly line of the Airbus Helicopter’s Brazilian subsidiary. Local industry participation has been growing and so far several companies are providing sections or components for the H225M. These include Aernnova, which produces the metallic structure fir the tail boom, Inbra does the composite structure for the intermediate section and tail boom, Toymatic produces the main rotor sleeves, Turbomeca do Brasil assembles the Makila 2A1 engines, and Elbit’s Brazilian subsidiary Aeroeletronica (AEL) provides the avionics. The sixteenth example is a

tactical transport and search and rescue (SAR) version for the Brazilian Navy, making this the fifth H225M delivered to that service. Other operators include the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) and Army Aviation Command. Each service will receive 16 helicopters for a variety of operational roles plus two VIP versions that will be used for the Presidential Transport Flight. The seventeenth helicopter is scheduled for delivery in 2015 and is a specialized combat search and rescue (CSAR) variant. That helicopter was presented at the 2015 Paris Air Show and is locally designated as the H-36 Caracal by the FAB. The FAB will take delivery of the airborne refueling prove-equipped H-36 Caracal for which its pilots have been undertaking flight refueling training on F-5FM and A-1B fighters. The CSAR Caracal will be able to refuel from the current

two KC-130H in service, as well as from the 28 future KC-390’s. The FAB will receive eight CSAR versions in total, which will also be equipped with an integrated self-defence suite including laser warning systems (LWS) and radar warning receivers (RWR). Specific CSAR training will begin on June 29 through July 3 at the Campo Grande Air Base and will include H-34 Super Puma, H-36 Caracal, H-60 Black Hawk, AH-2 Sabre (Mi-35M) and H-1H (UH-1H) aircrews using night vision goggles. Deliveries were originally to have ended by 2017 although they will now stretch to 2019 given the current state of Brazil’s financial difficulties. Following the CSAR on the delivery schedule will be the anti-surface warfare (ASuW) version for the Navy, which is still under development at Helibras. Eight will be delivered to that standard.

Continued delivery of the H225M for the Brazilian armed forces despite announcement of 2 year delay Iñigo Guevara

The Mexican Army-run Military Industries General

Directorate (DGIM) has developed and manufactures six prototypes of a remote controlled weapons station. Development of the Sistema de Accionamiento Remoto de Armas de Fuego SARAF-BALAM1 (Remote Controlled Firearms System) began in 2013 and trials took place in six infantry battalions during 2014. The SARAF-BALAM is required to allow personnel to fire from protected location either fixed or mobile, has now entered into its next development phase. Although not specified, the SARAF-BALAM RCWS is likely to be used on the

DN-XI light armoured tactical patrol vehicle, which is being built also by DGIM for a requirement of 1,000 vehciles by 2018. DGIM is also undertaking the development of a low-velocity 40 x 46 mm grenade launcher. The indigenous grenade launcher will be installed in the 5.56mm FX05 Xicoatl assault rifle being produced by the DGIM and the 7.62 mm H&K G3 currently in service. Minimum range is 30 m and maximum is 400 m. The first phase comprised the development of four competing prototypes with different characteristics which were merged into a single prototype for the second phase.

The main obstacle encountered was local development of the canon through traditional means, which gave way to the development of a titanium-based component. The third phase led to successful trials and development of a series production version. There is no indication of the number of grenade launchers to be built, but they will form part of the FX05 family for several decades to come. DGIM has so far built 56,000 FX05 assault rifles and intends to produce 121,000 by 2018.

Mexican Army develops a remote controlled weapons station andrifle-mounted grenade launcher Iñigo Guevara


Land

The Spanish Ministry of Defence has released a list of

essential capabilities that must be prioritised, including the need for a new 8x8 armoured infantry fighting vehicle to replace the existing 6x6 BMR fleet.

Following several years of severe budget restraints brought on by the economic recession, the MoD’s

release of the vehicle RFI provides a glimpse of optimism for local manufacturing and long-delayed military modernisation. The original call for information on an 8x8 platform occurred six years ago under a project aimed at upgrading the IFV fleet. The 8x8 project has been budgeted at $45 million and companies involved in the competition are likely to include General Dynamics-Santa Bárbara Sistemas (GDELS-SBS), Nexter, Patria, Lockheed Martin, ARTEC (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall), Iveco, Fiat and Oto Melara. While the projected number of vehicles to be produced has not been confirmed, the original RFI intended to see at least 300 vehicles delivered. The new contract is likely to be for a significantly smaller

volume but catering to a range of modular capabilities. The release of the MoD’s plan on May 29 was welcomed by the Spanish Association of Defence, Aeronautics and Space Technologies (TEDAE), Spain’s primary defence industry association, which stated that the national industry will finally have a tool similar to those of its competitors and possess a key resource for defending the technological and national industrial base. In June, Iveco Defence Vehicles signed a long-delayed contract to supply more than 700 military trucks to Spain, including tankers and recovery vehicles.

Spain reignites 8x8 AIFV tender Richard de Silva

The release of the MoD’s plan was welcomed by the TEDAE

The FireStorm Integrated Targeting System, the

Rockwell Collins system that has been benefiting JTACs and FACs for several years, is now being offered as a wearable technology as the defence market continues to adapt to demands for soldier mobility. The development will keep the company ahead of the curve in the artillery and mortar market. “We took our biggest step into the joint fires space back in 2007 when we satisfied a critical UOR for the British Army in Afghanistan to provide a system for accurate targeting for close air support,” said Graham Davenport, Marketing Director for EuMEA Surface Solutions at Rockwell Collins. “We provided a package of equipment based on two key elements: our

Rosetta software, which provides the communication interfaces and ability to absorb positional data and plot it on a map; and an augmentation unit for laser rangefinders which overcomes the shortfalls in the digital magnetic compass and provides a level of precision needed in this space – not just CAS, but also for artillery applications.” The company claimed that UOR, rolled out the equipment, and saw it become successfully rotated throughout Afghanistan from 2007 to 2014 when British combat forces finally withdrew from the conflict. “The requirement changes over time,” Davenport said. “The ability to have a more mobile system has become a major driver now and that’s partly due to the operational changes we’re seeing – in other

words, the need to operate out of FOBs has changed to a more mobile deployment. We have therefore continued to develop along this track with our mobile body-worn system, which can still be used in a static position, I should add, if you need a longer range. Alternatively, you can be mobile with a shorter range but still with the level of accuracy offered by an effective laser rangefinder.” After the UK adopted the system, Germany penned contracts for almost exactly the same product, along with new Link-16 VMF Gateway solutions that enabled an interface with the German Adler II solution. This software is at the heart of both the ESG MOBIFAST and multi-link system, and while Germany and the UK represent Firestorm’s two big European

We Bring You FireThe rise of Rockwell Collins’ mobile targeting system Richard de Silva


Land

successes, the company’s software and equipment is also integrated in systems from Scandinavia to Eastern Europe. Beyond the continent, the company has recently completed its work to entirely reconfigure the infrastructure for UAE joint fires and is now providing the provisions for training. In 2012, Rockwell Collins was also selected as the prime contractor for the Australian Defence Force Land 17 Digital Terminal Control Systems (DTCS) programme, delivering a total of 152 systems valued at $68 million to Special Forces and artillery forward observers. This represented the first ‘formal iteration’ of using FireStorm in an artillery-led environment. With that capability proven, the same offer has therefore also opened up for mortar operators. Aside to this, the U.S. Air Force signed Rockwell Collins to the Tactical Air Control Party Close Air Support System (TACP CASS) programme. The company is now under contract for the latest version of that software (TACP 1.4.5), continuing its run as the baseline for the U.S. Air Force JTAC system. “Across all of these nations, interoperability is fundamental,

and allied interoperability, in particular, is of course a critical requirement,” said Davenport. “We have to continue to meet VMF standards, the capability of which is seen on many of these CAS aircraft today – the U.S. F-18s and A-10s, the UK Tornados, for example – and

in fact this year we’ve proven our capability with an F-35, given the intentions to have that aircraft take on the CAS role.” April trials at Edwards Air Force Base, California, saw a current and qualified FAC from the UK

undertaking the flight test using a complete air strike mission thread in both a ground test and live flight. “Users of the F-35 will certainly therefore be on our prospective customer list for the near-term, but other aircraft are still likely to be pulling much of the weight in this area while the F-35 is undertaking other missions.” “Whether they are older aircraft or newly dedicated CAS aircraft, all of that will require us to continually update our software. VMF is unfortunately not a standard fixed in stone, varying across platforms and over time, so we have our work cut out if we intend to keep up. The standard that is becoming ubiquitous is Link-16, hence our priority that the software can translate data from Link-16 into VMF and display the air picture on the screen of any computer in use.” Davenport also clarified that with Rockwell Collins’ having identified the need to move to smaller, simpler and mobile solutions, the new FireStorm package “will be launching in the UK this September. It’s still FireStorm, but its capability will be revamped.”

Interoperability is fundamental, and allied interoperability, in particular, is of course a critical requirement

The Firestorm system is now easier to carry. Image: Rockwell Collins


Land

The Italian Parliament approved the second phase of

the VBM (Veicolo Blindato Medio) 8x8 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) programme for equipping a second Brigade, after PINEROLO Medium Brigade, with the new CIO medium wheeled vehicle. CIO is a consortium between Iveco Defence Vehicles and OTO Melara. The Italian Army has a long term plan to transform three of its Medium Brigades. One of them, the PINEROLO Brigade, has already completed most of the transformation process while the other two units will follow in future. With this second big programme announcement, it will be possible to start the transformation of a second unit. This second phase programme has an overall value of €2.65bn ($2.96bn) and is due to be completed in 2024. However, funding for the project is only guaranteed until 2017, but the

MoD is confident of finalising its financing soon. The new programme is for 281 vehicles; 163 are the combat variant (i.e. the standard one), 36 will be anti-tank versions, 14 mortar carriers, 8 command post variants, 40 recovery versions and 120 will be a recce variant. These last 120 vehicles will be designed in two different configurations, called E1 and E2 by the Army. These two vehicles are designed to operate together. The E1 VBM recce, called ‘Far’ by industry because it is designed to undertake reconnaissance missions at longer distances, is equipped with a radar/FLIR system (the new Selex ES VIRESS system) and with the micro-UAV HORUS made by OTO Melara. The E2 VBM recce, called ‘Close’ because it is designed for recognition at shorter distances, is equipped with Rafael SPIKE anti tank missiles and with the TRP-2 RISTA UGV (Unmanned Ground

Vehicle) made by OTO Melara. The VBM recovery variant is entirely new: the Army finally decided to equip its Medium units with a VBM able to recovery and partly repair similar vehicles. Regarding the main armament of the VBM combat, the VBM anti-tank and the VBM recce (in both variants) there are still discussions ongoing inside the Army Command about the opportunity to switch from 25 mm cannon to 30 mm. The Army decided to keep the 25 mm cannon – partly because over 800 of these entirely new weapons are depots waiting to be installed – but the newer vehicles are equipped with modified HITFIST turrets, which can accommodate the 30 mm cannon with no modifications. It’s likely that in a relatively short time period the final production VBMs will be armed with 30 mm ATK automatic cannons.

New VBM+ programme begins, Iveco OTO Melara 8x8 IFV family grows with new RECCE and recovery variants Eugenio Po

The Brazilian Army undertook the first operational

test of its LTE/4G technology on the 700 MHz band on May 29. The test is part of the Army-run Sistema Nacional de Comunicaçoes Críticas (SISNACC Critical Communications National System) programme, which aims to separate voice

communication through the Brazilian army’s trunking radio system and data through the 700 MHz band. That part of the spectrum has been reserved for national security and public safety communications. The communications technology has been developed by Brazilian

firm CPqD, an independent firm that specializes in information and communications technologies. The equipment is manufactured by Trópico S.A. a joint venture between CPqD and Organizaçao Promon, which develops and produces communications equipment.

Update on the Brazilian Army’s 4G/LTE 700 Mhz communications system Iñigo Guevara

The VBM combat, the standard 8x8 IFV vehicle


Land

The Italian firm OTO Melara – via its Brazilian

operation OTO Melara do Brasil – is teaming with the Brazilian companies ARES Aeroespacial & Defesa (of Elbit Systems of Israel) and state-owned Indústria de Material Bélico (IMBEL) to supply the company’s HITFACT 105 protected modular turret for the Brazilian Army’s future VBR-MR (Viatura Blindada de Reconhecimento-Média de Rodas) 8x8 armoured reconnaissance vehicle. The vehicle to be developed by Brazilian firm Iveco Veículos de Defesa (of CNH Industrial) also will be available in a recovery variant. The turret proposed to Brazil includes a 105mm/52 low-recoil gun, coaxial 7.62mm machine gun, digital fire control system by Elbit Systems Land & C4I consisting of commander’s panoramic sight and gunner’s stabilized sight, laser warning system, pintle mounted machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers, wire cutter and periscopes as well as provisions for communications and other electronics and other associated equipment. The HITFACT turret can also be armed with 120mm/45 gun barrel. HITFACT 105 is currently fielded by the armies of Italy (400) and Spain (84) on Iveco-OTO Melara Società Consortile (CIO) VBM Centauro 8x8 armoured vehicles, with 9 HITFACT 120 mounted on VBM Centauro vehicles of the Sultanate of Oman. The gun has been retained to arm the turret mounted on Japanese MCV

(Maneuver Combat Vehicle) 8x8 armoured vehicles. One prototype of the turret and a pilot-batch of 13 turrets will be purchased potentially in 2015 by the army’s Manufacturing Directorate (or Diretoria de Fabricação). Requirements include the 105 mm high-pressure gun as the main armament, 7.62x51 mm machine guns, 76 mm grenade launchers, electro-optical and fire control systems, and provisions for communication and command-and-control systems. Optionally, the turret could be capable of switching to a 120 mm gun, fire anti-tank missiles, and accommodate additional armour and ARES Aeroespacial & Defesa REMAX (REparo de Metralhadora Automatizada X) remote weapon station armed with 12.7mm or 7.62mm machine gun or 40mm automatic grenade launcher. CMI Defence has proposed the Cockeril 3105 turret system. Denel Land Systems teaming with Mectron Engenharia, Indústria e Comércio (part of Odebrecht Defesa e Tecnologia), and China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) also delivered proposals on 9 March 2015. ARES Aeroespacial & Defesa also proposed other remote systems for armoured vehicles, such as the UT-30BR system armed with 30mm Orbital ATK Mk44 Bushmaster automatic cannon, as well as the TORC 30 (Torre Operada Remotamente e estabilizada para Canhão 30mm) system being developed in cooperation with the Brazilian Army’s Technological Center (CTEx) and armed with Rheinmetall Defence Mk 30-2/ABM automatic cannon. The VBR-MR programme together with VBTP-MR Guarani 6x6 (Viatura Blindada Transporte de Pessoal-Média de Rodas) amphibious armoured vehicle purchased by the Brazilian Army, and VBMT-LR (Viatura Blindada

Multitarefa-Leve de Rodas) 4x4 multi-purpose light tactical protected vehicle is part of the Brazilian Army’s Strategic Project Guarani or Projecto Estratégico do Exército-Guarani (PEE Guarani). The Brazilian Army has so far inducted several of the VBTP-MR 6x6 armoured vehicles developed by Iveco Veículos de Defesa in cooperation with the Brazilian Army. Avibras Indústria Aeroespacial/Renault Trucks Defense with its Tupi vehicle, which is based on the Sherpa Light Scout vehicle, Iveco Veículos de Defesa with the LMV (Light Multirole Vehicle), the team of AM General and Plasan with the MLTV-BR vehicle and BAE Systems Land Systems South Africa (acquired by South Africa’s state-owned defence conglomerate Denel SOC Ltd) with the RG32M LTV are competing to supply the Brazilian Army with an initial batch of 32 4x4 armoured vehicles. Another 154 vehicles will be acquired in two separate tranches of 77 each.

OTO Melara proposes the HITFACT turret to Brazil Victor M.S. Barreira

HITFACT turret has been proposed to Brazilian VBR-MR program. Image: ARES Aeroespacial & Defesa

An improved configuration of the VBTP-MR Guarani vehicle during trials performed at the army Evaluations Center in Rio de Janeiro.Image: Victor M.S. Barreira


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Sea

The Egyptian Navy took delivery of the FREMM (Frégate

Européenne Multi-Missions) multi-mission combat frigate ENS “Tahya Misr” (FFG 1001) it ordered from French shipbuilder DCNS. The event took place at the company’s shipyard in Lorient, France in the presence of General Sedki Sobhy, the Minister of Defence and Military Production of the Arab Republic of Egypt; Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Minister of Defence; Admiral Osama Rabie, Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Navy; Admiral Bernard Rogel, the French Chief of Navy; and Hervé Guillou, Chairman and CEO of DCNS. Prior to being delivered to Egypt, DCNS conducted outfitting work that included the translation of interfaces to English language and removal of DCNS SYLVER A70 (SYstème de Lancement VERtical) vertical launching system for MBDA France MdCN (Missile de Croisière Naval) land attack long-range cruise missile Elettronica Nettuno 4100 electronic jammers and Thales Communications & Security Surfsat-L satellite communications (SATCOM) antennas. From March 2015, DCNS has been training the Egyptian crew with assistance of DCI (Défense Conseil International) NAVFCO including via the use of simulators. DCNS is also responsible for providing on-job training for Egyptian maintainers and a five-year through-life support (TLS) package to be carried out in Egypt that includes supply of spares and technical assistance. The ship will set sail to Egypt by late July to take part in the inauguration of the new Suez Canal on 6 August. The frigate was designed to conduct tasks such as escorting high-value units, anti-submarine warfare, anti-air warfare and act as the command ship of a naval force. It retains several of its original main

equipment including the DCNS SETIS (Ship Enhanced Tactical Information System) combat management system; Thales Air Systems Herakles phased array multifunction 3D rotating S-band radar with integrated identification friend or foe (IFF) capability; Thales Optronique ARTEMIS (Advanced Reliable Third generation Electro-optical Multiplexing Infrared Search and track) 360º infrared search and track system; Vigy MM electro-optical fire control system; Thales Air Systems Altesse-X communication electronic support measures system; DCNS BEST (Boosted Electrical System Technology) combined diesel electric or gas (CODLOG) propulsion suite; DCNS Shipmaster integrated navigation suite; Terma Scanter 2001 navigation and surveillance radar systems; Thales Underwater Systems UMS 4110 CL and CAPTAS 4 (Combined Active and Passive Towed Array Sonar) hull-mounted and towed sonar systems respectively; OTO

Melara Super Rapid 76/62mm gun system; Sagem NGDS (New Generation Dagaie System) soft-kill decoy launchers; DCNS Contralto-V anti-torpedo decoys launchers; Nexter Systems NARWHAL 20B (Naval Remote Weapon Highly Accurate Lightweight) remote weapon stations armed with 20M693 automatic cannon firing 20x139mm ammunitions; MBDA Aster 15 surface-to-air missiles fired from SYLVER A43 vertical launcher; MBDA Exocet MM40 Block 3 surface-to-surface missiles launched by two ITL 70A-B3 quad launchers; and launchers for EuroTorp MU90 lightweight torpedo. ENS “Tahya Misr” offers a displacement of 6000t, overall length of 142, width of 20m, max speed of 27kts, and cruising range of 6000nm, and is manned by a crew of 108. Space is available to accommodate rigid-hulled inflatable boats and 10t-class multi-role helicopter.

Egypt receives advanced combat frigate from DCNS Victor M.S. Barreira

ENS “Tahya Misr” frigate was transferred to Egypt on 23 June 2015 (Victor M.S. Barreira)


SeaThe ship formerly known as FS “Normandie” (D651) was due to be delivered to the French armament procurement agency DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement) to integrate in the French Navy’s Aquitaine-class. However the ship was acquired by Egypt on 16 February 2015. The country also purchased 24 Dassault Aviation Rafale EM/DM fighters, precision guided kits, air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles and other associated equipment on the same day. Egypt is the second foreign nation to receive a FREMM frigate from DCNS after the Royal Moroccan Navy commissioned “Mohammed VI” (701) on 30 January 2014. The design is being actively marketed in several countries including Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Canada. DCNS has so far delivered anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates FS Aquitaine” (D650) in November 2012 and FS “Provence” (D652) in June 2015. Another four units will be inducted by 2019 according to the Military Programming Law 2014-2019. FS “Provence” ship

feature modifications to remote weapon stations installations and to electronic jammers antennas. A total of 11 ships (contracted in November 2005 and September 2009) were originally ordered by the DGA via the OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’ARmement). This number has been recently cut to eight units with two being of the anti-air warfare (AAW) variant or Frégate de Défense Aérienne (FREDA). DCNS is currently building for France the FS “Languedoc”, FS “Auvergne” and FS “Bretagne” boats, as well as modules for a fourth ship. DCNS offers four variants of the FREMM design featuring CODLOG or combined diesel-electric and gas (CODLAG) propulsion comprising multi-mission base ship; multi-mission ship with increased AAW capability equipped with SYLVER A50 vertical launchers for Aster 15 and 30 surface-to-air missiles; multi-mission ship with increased ASW capability; and ship with increased land attack capability featuring a 127mm main gun and

SYLVER A70 vertical launcher for MdCN missiles. From 2023, French FREMMs will be reinforced by five 4000t frigates currently locally known as FTI (Frégate de Taille Intermédiaire) that will replace the ships of La Fayette-class. The DGA awarded DCNS, Thales and MBDA France a 10-month feasibility study contract on 29 May 2015 for the ship. DCNS is currently building the first of four Gowind 2500 combat corvettes purchased by Egypt in July 2014 and to be delivered from 2017. The remaining three units will be built in Alexandria, Egypt. They will feature DCNS PSIM (Panoramic sensors and Intelligence Module) mast system; SETIS system; Thales Nederland SMART-S Mk 2 S-band 3D multi-beam radar; Thales Air Systems Vigile 200 electronic warfare system; Super Rapid gun system with multi-feeding; MBDA VL MICA surface-to-air missiles vertically launched by CLA (Conteneur Lanceur Autonome) autonomous launch containers; and MU 90 torpedoes.

The handover of ENS “Tahya Misr” frigate was held in Lorient, France with the presence of high-ranking officials from France and Egypt (Victor M.S. Barreira)


Sea

FREMM is not only proving to be an export success. This

June, DCNS delivered the second frigate, named Provence, to the French Navy. The vessel follows the delivery of the FREMM Aquitaine in November 2012, the first in line of the new class that has now successfully completed naval cruise missile firing tests. The series was ordered by the Organisation for Joint Armament (OCCAR) on behalf of French armament procurement agency, DGA.

The French industrial group has five of the frigates in various stages of construction, with twelve set to be completed and eleven to be provided to the French Navy. Each vessel requires a crew complement of 108, marking a significant

reduction on previous generation surface combatants. The vessel’s capabilities include anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare ASuW and anti-air warfare (AAW). Provence will have its systems fitted by DCNS specialists and subcontractors over the coming months, including significant installation of masts, radars and antennas. FREMM is heavily armed and equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, including a Herakles multifunction radar, and either Aster and Exocet MM40 surface-to-surface missiles or MU90 torpedoes, designed to meet the expectations of numerous navies. Aquitaine launched its first MM40 at the DGA testing centre off Levant Island, near Toulon. Anne Bianchi, FREMM programmes director at DCNS, said that the latest progress “underlines our ability to produce first of rank combat ships that meet our client navies needs, such as those of Morocco and Egypt,” referring to the landmark export orders of one and two FREMM vessels, respectively. Negotiations with the Hellenic Navy to purchase or lease a number of FREMM look increasingly unlikely to come to fruition given the economic turmoil in Greece.

Canada has also been pursued by DCNS as a customer as the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) is in need of replacing many of its ageing ships that do not meet international environmental standards and are therefore prevented from entering some ports overseas. Under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS) outlined in 2010, $25 billion has been budgeted to modernise the fleet over the next 30 years. Now, with Russia again pushing its military presence in the Arctic, the urgency to re-outfit the RCN may become a more urgent priority. In April, Italy ordered two more FREMM frigates, completing its planned order of ten vessels. Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, a joint venture between Italian shipyard Fincantieri and Finmeccanica, are building the ships and are scheduled to complete delivery by 2020. Under the latest French defence plan (2014/2019) the French Navy will receive six ASW variants to replace the Georges Leygues-class frigates by 2019, followed by two anti-air variants to replace the Cassard-class frigates. A decision will be taken next year on the variants of the remaining three.

French Navy receives second FREMM frigate Oliver Austin

Aquitaine launched its first MM40 at the DGA testing centre

Profile:• Total length: 142 metres• Width: 20 metres• Displacement: 6,000 tonnes• Maximum speed: 27 knots• Operation: 108 persons (including helicopter detachment)• Accommodation capacity: 145 men and women• Range: 6,000 nautical miles at 15 knots

Latest progress:• The FREMM Aquitaine, first in series, delivered in 2012.• The FREMM Mohammed VI, for the Royal Moroccan Navy, delivered in 2014.• The FREMM Provence, delivered 12 June 2015.• The FREMM intended for the Egyptian Navy, formerly the FREMM Normandie, will be delivered in summer 2015.• The FREMM Languedoc will make its first sea outing in autumn 2015.• The FREMM Auvergne is currently in the final stages of construction and will be launched in September 2015.• The FREMM Bretagne is currently being assembled.


Sea

The U.S. Navy has awarded two major contracts to

Newport News Shipyard subsidiary Huntington Ingalls Industries for work on the upcoming construction of its new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. $3.35bn has been offered for design and construction on the second Gerald R. Ford class (CVN-79) carrier, to be christened the USS John F. Kennedy (replacing the CV-67; decommissioned in 2007), while $941.2m has been provided as a follow-on to a previously agreed modification contract on the vessel. The cap on total construction costs for the CVN-79 has been scored at $11.5bn. Mike Shawcross, vice president for Newport News Shipbuilding’s CVN-79 carrier construction, released a statement saying: “These awards are important, not only for the shipbuilders at Newport News Shipbuilding, but for the thousands of suppliers nationwide who provide the steel, pipe, cable, paint and equipment that goes into this cutting-edge defence platform

– and for the sailors who will sail her. We look forward to continuing to implement lessons learned from the first-of-the-class ship, Gerald R. Ford, in the construction of Kennedy and delivering the next great carrier to the Navy.” The new Ford-class carriers have faced some criticism over their high costs and production delays, but both the Navy and the Defense Department are intent on speeding up delivery. Ford-class carriers offer enhanced design including flight deck changes, weapons handling systems and a redesigned island, in the aim of increasing the rates of aircraft sortie-generation. The vessels also feature higher electrical power-generation capacity and the flexibility to incorporate a range of future technologies, which are helping to improve efficiency and operating costs in spite of a reduction to the crew size. The first steel for Kennedy, which may replace the USS Nimitz (CVN-68), was cut in December of

2010. More than 450 of the ship’s 1,100 structural units have since been built under a construction preparation contract ahead of establishing the ship’s hull .The keel-laying ceremony scheduled for August 22.

U.S. Navy awards $4.3bn carrier shipbuilding contract Joseph Carpenter

The vessels feature higher electrical power-generation capacity and the flexibility to incorporate a range of future technologies

Concept image of the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79). Image: US Navy


Sea

Italy has ratified a new ‘Naval Law’, which is an extraordinary

ruling for the Italian Navy that sanctions funding to build 3 types of new vessels for Italian Navy. The first contracts for the design, development and construction of the next generation Italian Navy ships were signed as a result. The backbone of these new units is the PPA (Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura or Multifunctional Offshore Patrol Ship), which is a large multi-role frigate. The second is a logistic ship, LSS (Logistic Support Ship), which is not only a fleet tanker but a logistic ship able to support the fleet for longer missions; and the third is an amphibious ship, LHD (Landing Helicopter Dock). With an overall budget in excess of €5.4bn ($6.13bn), the general plan of the Naval Law is to build 6 PPA – with the option for another 4 – and one each of the LSS and LHD. If the cost for each unit is lower than scheduled it will be possible to build one or more PPA on option, and it seems already that a seventh PPA will be built thanks to some savings. OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement) will manage the LSS and PPA programmes, while the LHD programme is running as a “standard” Italian MoD programme. For PPA and LSS the value of the contracts signed by OCCAR with Fincantieri shipyard and Selex ES/Finmeccanica, is worth €3.5bn ($3.97bn). Of the contract – a Raggruppamento Temporaneo d’Impresa, which is like a temporary joint venture, limited only to this particular programme – €2.3bn will go to Fincantieri and €1.2bn to Finmeccanica. The contracts are divided is different phases. Phase 1 is already running and has a value of €372m and covers all the design work

prior to building both units. The following phases will start in the coming months. The delivery of the LSS is scheduled for 2019 while the first PPA will be ready in 2021, followed by one ship a year in 2022, 2023 and 2025. The programme plans for the delivery of two ships in 2024. Within the programme, Fincantieri will provide a life-cycle support of 10 years for the fleet, with logistics activities, in service support, and will provide shafts, stabilisation fins, automation solutions and a platform control system through its company Seastema. Finmeccanica with its Selex ES company will act as a prime contractor for all the Combat System (CS) and Combat Management Systems (CMS). Selex ES will have direct responsibility for the CMS and for the new set of AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar, one of which will be a “dual band AESA planar array radar” operating in I/J and C bands). OTO Melara, which is part of Finmeccanica as well, is developing a new version of its 76/62 mm cannon, called Sovraponte (translates to “over the bridge”), which is a new lightweight non

penetrating 3-inch weapon and will put its new 127/64 mm VULCANO cannon on all PPAs. MBDA’s Italian division will provide all the missiles for the PPA: anti-ship TESEO and anti-air ASTER). WASS (also part of Finmeccanica) will be responsible for the anti-submarine and anti-torpedo systems of the PPA and the LHD while Elettronica will design all the Electronic Warfare systems.

“Naval Law” passed to finance 3 new vessel types for Italian NavyEugenio Po

A computer generated image of the PPA in the so called “Light” configuration

The delivery of the LSS is scheduled for 2019 while the first PPA will be ready in 2021, followed by one ship a year in 2022, 2023 and 2025


Sea

The U.S. Navy is unable to issue a formal solicitation for

its Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike System (UCLASS) contract until the Defense Department has completed its future military aircraft review, according to those working on the project.

Rear Admiral Mike Manazir, director of air warfare at the USN, admitted in a speech at a Washington think tank that the UCLASS development

requirements had been finalised over a year ago but that taking the next step had been delayed over the DoD’s aviation study. The disgruntlement is not new to the project, which has been subject to a series of controversies and indecision. NAVAIR had planned to release the draft RFP by the end of March 2014 but has now pushed the deadline back by a year. While the Navy is optimising the platform for ISR and limited strike (rather than long-range strike), along with a potential tanker role, calls for the aircraft to have long endurance, penetrating strike, aerial refueling and broadband stealth capabilities are putting pressure on schedules, programme managers and manufacturers. Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman were already awarded $15 million each in 2013 to participate in the programme. In response to the most recent

delay, Boeing Defense, Space & Security President and CEO Chris Chadwick released an open letter expressing “disappointment” over the decision to re-examine mission requirements, stating: “If the industry is to continue investing in these opportunities, the Defense Department has to solidify its requirements. It does nobody any good to do R&D for the sake of R&D.” Chadwick cited the U.S. Air Force’s current T-X jet trainer programme, under which Boeing has teamed with Saab to pitch a new aircraft, as an example of a “steady, smart” partnership between industry and military end-user. Likewise, both Saab and Boeing have been active this year in company-funding other innovations, such as in converting the precision-guided GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb to a ground-launched variant (GLSDB).

U.S. Navy UCLASS programme rubs industry wrong way Oliver Austin

Taking the next step had been delayed over the DoD’s aviation study

In March 2015, Germany confirmed its long-awaited

deal to purchase 18 new NH90 NFH helicopters for its Navy from NHI Industries. The deal for the naval multirole platform, to be inaugurated into service as ‘Sea Lion’, is valued at $1.55 billion and marks another customer for a helicopter that has already been adopted by five other NATO nations. Meanwhile, the German helicopter

industry will be able to continue its work in the build, maintenance and modernisation of maritime helicopters. Deliveries of the Sea Lion model are due to begin in 2018 in line with the Navy’s scheduled retirement of its Westland Sea King 41s. In spite of this decision, the German Army is slashing its order of 122 NH90s to 80, with two further airframes for training and 22 more covered by options. An order for

the Airbus Tiger attack helicopter will also be decreased to 68 and a future frontline fleet limited to just 40. These are trying times for European forces when it comes to cost-effectiveness and making the most of any new procurement comes down to issues of flexibility and interoperability, including the capacity for use within a coalition environment.

Naval Helicopter Integration: Germany Richard de Silva


Sea

Defence Industry Bulletin: Captain, what has been the primary driving force behind the German Navy’s procurement of the NH90? To what extent will the multi-mission offering provide an advantage when addressing the demands of modern operations?

Captain Thorsten Bobzin: Until 2010, the German Navy’s goal was to introduce a single model of helicopter to replace the aging fleets of both the 21 Sea King and, a little later, the 22 Sea Lynx currently in service. Inter-exchangeability in the various roles and tasks would have allowed the navy to reduce the total number of required helicopters to 30. The selection process between the two main competing models – the NH90 Naval Frigate Helicopter (NFH) and Sikorsky’s S92 (based on the CH148) – was finally decided politically. In 2013, following a decision to reduce the number of German Army helicopters to be procured, a new option arose for the German Navy to procure 18 NH90 NTH (Naval Transport Helicopter), solely to replace the Sea King. In 2015 German parliament approved these plans. I can confirm that delivery is now scheduled from 2019 with the last helicopters due by the end of 2022. With this, the idea

of a full multi-mission helicopter was abandoned, since the NH90 NTH Sea Lion is only going to be equipped for SAR, logistic support of the Navy’s supply ships and above water surveillance taskings. According to existing contracts the helicopters will not be equipped with dipping sonars, torpedoes or missiles. These capabilities will be limited to the Sea Lynx and its future successor. As the defining process for a Sea Lynx successor has only now started, there is still a possibility that another version of the NH90 will be chosen, which could bring our Navy back to operating a one-model-helicopter fleet. However, this decision will be taken outside the Navy. With our aging helicopter fleet and the already protracted process in mind, our main focus has shifted more and more towards bringing helicopters smoothly into service – helicopters that are reliable and cover all basic operational necessities. Even for a LYNX successor we are looking for readily available options rather than tailored high-tech systems. Fancy technical developments just don’t fit in today’s military budgets and they take too long languishing in development before they become operational.

DIB: What have been the priority considerations when it comes to integrating the NH90 into the service alongside existing or impending assets?

TB: So as mentioned, we primarily aim for a reliable and available fleet. Since the NH90 NTH is going to fully replace the Sea King fleet there is an opportunity to implement changes within the logistic support chain and towards modern European regulations (EASA conformity). For example, we intend to bring in industrial maintenance support to a larger degree, allowing us to concentrate our military maintenance on basic flight line maintenance ashore and on board our type 702 fleet supply ships. Additionally, we are going to introduce DEMAR (DEU European Military Airworthiness Requirements) specified maintenance training based on EASA regulations. Aside from a much higher degree of compatibility with other NH90 operating nations, this will also give our technical personnel a better chance to use their military knowledge for a consecutive civilian career.

Defence Industry Bulletin spoke with Captain (KZS) Thorsten Bobzin of German Naval Aviation Command (Marinefliegerkommando) to understand the operational thinking behind the purchase and how the aircraft will be absorbed into service.

Captain Thorsten Bobzin (left), German Naval Aviation


SeaDIB: On the subject of integration, how does the Navy ensure working cooperation and interoperability with other nation given the ‘coalition’ nature of today’s operations? What does this mean for the wider integration and use of naval helicopters, specifically?

TB: Regarding the question of how we are planning to integrate the NH90 in our own fleet, we are planning to make good use of experiences made elsewhere. To that end we are in contact with several other European navies which have already introduced the NH90 into service. The work the Royal Netherlands Navy has already done on developing SHOL (Ship Helicopter Operating Limits) for the NH90 on board their ships, for example, might be of excellent use to all NH90 operating navies including our own. Where integration into multinational coalitions is concerned, we are not yet pressed for time. Our SAR duty is to a large degree organised nationally. The main field for multinational operations is a requirement for interoperability within embarked/deployed operations. For the Sea Lions’ duties as a fleet transport helicopter, common ground will mostly be provided by the HOSTAC (Helicopter Operations from Ships other Than Aircraft Carriers) organisation. It is only within the Sea Lions’ tasks as a surveillance asset that tactical cooperation across nations is required. This will be based on today’s Sea King experience and is one reason why we will try our utmost despite all logistical problems with this aging helicopter – to maintain our expertise in embarked operations. A more complex task will be achieving interoperability for the Sea Lynx successor as a multi-mission tactical frigate asset.

DIB: Under the current sphere of operations for which the German Navy is responsible, what are seen as the priority mission types to be addressed or improved, or indeed the most pressing emerging threats?

TB: The German Navy puts the main focus on ‘classical’ warfare areas, e.g. Anti-Surface Warfare and Anti-Submarine Warfare. While other tasks (such as MIO, ISR, optical coast line reconnaissance during EUNAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta, and so on) will still be required in future operations, it is the classical warfare areas where complex tactical knowledge and procedures as well as military specific equipment is needed. Some of these current tasks are not far from police operations. Others, like drug interdiction, even go beyond what the German legal system allows for military forces. Therefore, our helicopters must have the sensors and the weaponry to complement the classical warfare capabilities of our frigates. Indeed, advances in submarine technology raise the need for modern anti-submarine sensors and anti-submarine torpedoes. The MU90 torpedo, for example, is already being integrated into the Sea Lynx fleet. The successor to the Sea Lynx should have a

modern dipping sonar, capable of supporting bi- and multi-static ASW operations. But again, our focus is not on procuring high-tech equipment, but rather reliable workhorses that cover that broad spectrum of tasks in a high operational tempo.

DIB: Is there any question at the forefront of your mind on which this community could help to shed more light?

TB: The German Navy puts the TB: One interesting question is how far we can and would like to go with a common European force, or if it is sufficient to focus on more common equipment. With regard to the latter, although the European defence industry already offers a large variety of products procured by several nations, the widespread national differences on technical specifications and operational demands still make it next to impossible to actually gain positive effects from ‘one product fits all’. The industry is forced to incorporate too many different criteria in a single product, which increases costs and development time while reducing the platform’s availability when in service. We need equipment that actually works and does the job. That’s what we should aim for.

Europe’s NH90 is being absorbed into the German Navy. Image: Julian Herzog


Sea

The Turkish armament procurement arm(Savunma

Sanayii Müsteşarlığı or SSM) awarded the local shipbuilder SEDEF Gemi İnşaatı (of Turkish TURKON conglomerate) a contract on 7 May to design and build one landing helicopter dock (LPD) for the Turkish Naval Forces Command (TNFC). The ship based on the BPE (Buque de Proyección Estratégica) strategic projection ship design of Spanish shipbuilder Navantia (of Spanish state-owned SEPI group) is scheduled to be delivered in 2021. The ship will be the bigger surface unit with the TNFC and will be used to conduct naval operations over the Aegean, the Black, and the Mediterranean seas, as well as on operations on the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Four of Navantia’s LCM-1E landing crafts also will be built in Turkey. Following a decision taken by the Turkish Defense Industry Executive Committee (SSIK or Savunma Sanayii İcra Komitesi) on 26 December 2013, the BPE design was selected according to a decision released by the SSM on 27 December 2013 to meet the requirements of the country’s Havuzlu Çıkarma Gemisi (or Landing Platform Dock) project. SEDEF Gemi İnşaatı was selected over proposals by other local shipbuilders RMK Marine Gemi Yapım Sanayii ve Deniz Taşımacılığı İşletmesi and DESAN Deniz İnşaatı Sanayi. The ship will be outfitted out with a wide range of equipment from the local state-owned companies Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret (Aselsan) and Havelsan Hava Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret (Havelsan). Both signed a business partnership agreement for the ship’s combat system in response to the request for proposals file issued by the SSM. Aselsan is responsible for the

development and integration of the whole combat system that includes weapon systems, electronic warfare systems, self-protection equipment (electronic warfare, acoustic and infrared), radar systems, electro-optical systems, integrated communications systems and navigation systems.

Havelsan, as the combat system solution partner, is responsible for command and control information system, navigation information distribution system, information system, video surveillance system, the message handling system and integration services related with these systems. The ship’s combat management system will be based on Havelsan’s GENESİS (Gemi Entegre Savaş İdare Sistemi) solution. Alongside providing Turkey with an impressive troop projection asset, the ship will generate lots of work for Turkish defence industry. The Spanish shipbuilder will be responsible for delivering the design and transfer of technology

services; technical assistance; equipment including diesel engines, and the company’s SICP (Sistema Integrado de Control de la Plataforma) integrated platform management system in a potential cooperation with the Turkish firm Aydin Yazilim ve Elektronik Sanayii (AYESAŞ). The ship will feature a light cargo garage of 1880 m2; heavy cargo garage of 1410 m2 for TEU containers, armoured vehicles such as main battle tanks, wheeled and tracked personnel carriers and amphibious assault vehicles and other equipment; a hangar of 900 m2 for S-70B Seahawk anti-submarine helicopters, CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters and AW149 multi-mission helicopters; a dock with capacity of 1165 m2 for four landing craft mechanised boats (LCMs) or two landing craft air cushion vehicles (LCACs); and a flight deck of 5440 m2 with 6 spots and sky-jump ramps at the front with vertical and/or short take-off and landing (VSTOL) capacity. It will offer a displacement of about 27.436t, length of 231m, maximum beam of 32m, height of 58m, top speed of 21kts, and maximum range of 9000nm. Main fittings will include a fully electric propulsion suite consisting of five 8000 Kw MAN Diesel & Turbo SE 16V32/40 diesel engines, two 11MW Siemens eSIPOD integrated electric drive pod systems; two 1500 Kw azimuth bow thrusters and diesel gensets; integrated platform management system; SMART-S Mk2 air and surface surveillance S-band radar laser warning system; electronic support measures system; infra-red search and track system; anti-torpedo system; HF/VHF/UHF and satellite communication systems; decoy launchers; radar-electronic counter measures system; two electro-optical fire directors; identification,

Turkey signs with local shipbuilder for amphibious ship Victor M.S. Barreira

Alongside providing Turkey with an impressive troop projection asset, the ship will generate lots of work for the Turkish defence industry


Seafriend or foe technology; one precision approach radar; two navigation radars; two low probability of intercept radar systems; one air traffic and control radar, tactical datalink systems; damage control system; and ammunition handling and stowage systems. As for self-protection armament, the amphibious assault vessel will carry four STOP remote weapon stations armed with 25mm automatic cannon; three STAMP remote weapon stations armed with 12.7mm heavy machine gun; and two Mk 15 Phalanx close-in

weapon systems. The Turkish ship was designed for amphibious operations, force projection troops and personnel, command and control, replenishment at sea, joint operations and military operations other than war (MOOTW) missions such as humanitarian assistance, medical support featuring large medical facilities and disaster relief. One BPE ship is in service with the Spanish Navy as SPS “Juan Carlos I” (L61), and two Canberra-class landing helicopter docks (LHDs) were jointly built

by Navantia and BAE Systems Australia for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The first vessel the HMAS “Canberra” (LHD-01) was delivered in October 2014, and the second unit HMAS “Adelaide” (LHD-02) scheduled to be delivered by late 2015.

SPS “Juan Carlos I” amphibious assault ship of Spanish Navy paid a visit to Istanbul in May 2011 Image: Cem Devrim Yaylali


MARITIMERECONNAISSANCE& SURVEILLANCE

Main Conference: 29th – 30th September 2015Location: Park Plaza Victoria, London, UK

Pre-Conference Workshop: 28th September 2015

Ensuring maximum domain awareness

www.maritimerecon.com

Sponsors:

THE GLOBAL MARITIME

RECONNAISSANCE COMMUNITY

EVENT OF THE YEAR

Our esteemed 2015 speaker panel includes:

Vice Admiral Stanislaw Zarychta, Commander Maritime Operations Centre, Polish Navy

Captain Michael Napolitano, Chief of Staff, Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, US Navy

Rear Admiral Thomas Ernst, Commander, NATO Maritime Air Forces, NATO

Brigadier David Evans, Head of Information Services, Royal Navy

Vice Admiral Roberto Sachica, Head of Naval Operations, Colombian Navy

Rear Admiral Dato’ Azhari bin Abdul Rashid, Commander Naval, Region 1, Royal Malaysian Navy

Vice Admiral Kazuki Yamashita, President, Japan Maritime Self Defense Force Staff College

13th Annual

An excellent opportunity to share experiences and keep abreast of the latest developments in maritime surveillance.Major Jose Muñoz Cárave, Surveillance Escuadron 3 Commander, Spanish Air Force


Air

The Russian Air Force is to receive its first batch of PAK FA

T-50 fifth-generation fighter jets by late 2016 or early 2017, according to the head of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). Yuri Slyusar, told press at the Paris Air Show that Sukhoi has now delivered four prototypes and two test beds, with three more prototypes expected for delivery by the end of 2015. The additional prototypes are intended to allow for the testing programme to be expanded and accelerated. The multirole aircraft will be a single seat, twin engine platform that combines the functions of a strike aircraft with a fighter. According to state corporation Rostec, the jet will be built with composite materials, and come with advanced electronic systems

and engines to ensure the plane can stay mostly undetected by radars or other optical and infrared technologies. Slyusar also announced intentions to sign an R&D collaboration contract with India for joint work on the derivative variant of the aircraft – known as the Perspective Multi-role Fighter – which will be heavily customised for the requirements of the Indian Air Force, including the potential of outfitting it as a two-seater. However, as previously reported by Defence Industry Bulletin [issue 3; Oct], a number of factors – including cost overruns, a lack of reliable high-performance engines and alloys, a reluctance for Russia to share design knowledge with India, and reports of dissatisfaction among Indian departments over

current prototype performance – may all result in further delays to the PMF. In March, Russia scaled back its commitment to the number of T-50s it will purchase, reducing the figure from 52 by 2020 to just 12 (a single squadron) and deciding later on whether it needs – or can afford – further orders. Some analysts are pondering whether the continued health of the Russian economy, in the wake of western sanctions, will further impact production and sales. India meanwhile has downgraded its initial purchasing size from 200 to 144 planes at an estimated total cost of $30 billion. In total, Russia expects to sell 1,000 units worldwide as it hopes to rival worldwide procurement of the F-35.

New Russian Fighters for 2017 Oliver Austin

The Argentine Air Force (FAA) is upgrading an

unknown number of FMA IA-58A Puacará twin-turbooprop attack-fighters with new avionics and engines. Prime contractor is the government-run Fábrica de Aviones (FAdeA) Brigadier San Martin, which has subcontracted the redesign of the Puacar’as 48-foot span wings to accommodate the new engines. FAdeA will re-engine the aircraft with the more efficient 950-shp Pratt & Whitney PT-6A-62 turboprops that will replace the two 988-hp ageing Turboméca Astazou XVIG used in the original aircraft. The Turboméca engines are now out of production and are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. The modified wings were delivered by IAI to the FAA in late May for refit into Pucará A-561, which is the new-engine prototype. A separate new avionics prototype

is Pucará A-568. Nevertheless, given the large stock of parts from the 108-plus IA-58A Pucará fleet procured by the FAA in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, FAdeA was able to completely remanufacture a IA-58D Puacará (serial A-580) and redeliver it to the

FAA’s III Air Brigade at Reconquista in January 2015. The number of aircraft to be upgraded is thought by several sources to be 12 although so far only three sets of wings have been funded.

Update on the IA-58 upgrade for Argentina Iñigo Guevara

New Puacará being upgraded by Argentine Air Force. Image: FAA


Air

NATO has unveiled its first Intelligence Surveillance

Reconnaissance UAV in the form of the first of five Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk aircraft set to fulfil the Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme requirement.

The multinational effort has been in development since 1995, with

15 nations participating, including the Czech Republic, Italy, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, the Baltic States and the U.S. The aircraft is derived from the U.S. Air Force Block 40 Global Hawk and will offer wide-area long-endurance for use in a variety of ISR missions, including troop support, border security and crisis management. The complete AGS system will involve an expansive range of intelligence-gathering equipment on the ground with fixed, mobile and transportable control stations, along with an advanced “PED” data processing, exploitation and dissemination element. Erling Wang, chairman of the NATO AGS Management Organization (NAGSMO), declared the unveiling as a “significant step forward in achieving NATO’s goal of acquiring NATO-owned and operated AGS Core Capability. What you see here today is the result of one of the commitments made at the 2012 NATO Summit;

to bring this advanced and critical persistent ISR capability to the alliance to help ensure we can continue to address the range of challenges our member and other allied nations face.” The $1.7 billion contract includes involvement from Airbus Defence & Space, Selex ES and Kongsberg, underscoring the level of multinational collaboration. The Global Hawk has a flight endurance of up to 30 hours and features the U.S. Air Force Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) sensor and a Raytheon developed AN/ALR-89 self-protection suite consisting of the AN/AVR-3 laser warning receiver, AN/APR-49 radar warning receiver and a jamming system. Programme managers are anticipating a challenging integration and certification process as the equipment is largely unique and differs from that of the U.S. Air Force Global Hawks.

First NATO ISR UAV revealed Joseph Carpenter

The complete AGS system will involve an expansive range of intelligence-gathering equipment

Sweden has released an RFI to find a replacement platform

for its ageing Saab 105 (SK 60) twin-engine jet trainer fleet. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) is aiming to integrate the new platform into its forthcoming Military Flight Training System (MFTS) to meet IOC as early as 2018 and full operational capability by 2020. It should remain in service for up to 30 years as the launch pad for the next-generation of fighter pilots preparing to fly the Saab JAS-39E Gripen. The MFTS is intended to provide up to 8,000 live flying hours per year, along with an additional 3,000 simulator flying hours, but the FMV is also asking respondents to consider potential future increases of between 10

and 30 percent as part of their calculations. Sweden may adopt a one- or two-aircraft solution, with the latter path involving both a basic and advanced trainer. Instructors would use the advanced trainer to download training from the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), which includes training for reconnaissance, night flying, air-to-surface attack, lead-in fighter training and air-to-air refueling. The advanced flying training and fighter lead-in training phases require Mach 0.65 at an operational ceiling of over 25,000ft and a speed of 300kt at 1,000ft. Meanwhile, the basic trainer must feature the ability to operate above 20,000ft and to maintain 230kt (425km/h) in level flight at 15,000ft. The Saab 105 has been in service

since the 1960s and is far from advanced enough to instill the skills currently required for present day operations and capabilities, a fact that has resulted in the air arm having to use the front-line aircraft as the platform for practice in combat techniques and onboard information management. An operational fleet of around 50 of the aircraft currently log approximately 5,500 hours per year. The RFI requires prospective tenders to submit material – including aircraft numbers and lifecycle cost estimates – by July 1 and anticipates contracts to be agreed and signed in late 2016 or early 2017.

Swedish call for new jet trainers Joseph Carpenter


Air

The NATO AGS programme remains of critical importance

to the alliance and to the future shape of unmanned aviation in Europe. But the problems facing both the platform and the general sector aren’t quite as close to being solved as appearance suggests judging by reports from the rollout event for the first AGS airframe. There are a number of key challenges facing beyond-line-of-sight unmanned aircraft operations. Perhaps the most significant are those involving airframe certification and the need for the aircraft to demonstrate an equivalent capability to a manned platform to see an inbound aircraft on a potential collision course and to take evasive action. No solution for either problem has yet been approved. There have been several instances where certification has been achieved, and some flights of larger UAS have taken place in unsegregated airspace - including a series of flights made by a Block 40 Global Hawk between Sigonella, the future operating location for AGS, and Norway, including transits of the UK. Northrop staff were correct to draw this to the attention of journalists at the rollout, and it does show that the operational concept works. But there are a number of important caveats… Firstly, the 2014 Global Hawk flights took extensive amounts of planning. Separation from other air traffic was achieved by flying it above everything else. Its transits of the UK seem to have been very deliberately plotted to minimise the time it spent over land. It also seems significant that the flight plan did not take the aircraft anywhere near Germany. The Luftwaffe has its own Global Hawk-based programme, but the Euro Hawk has seen problems. The project appeared dead in 2013 after German legislators expressed

concerns about certification. In January, some work on the Euro Hawk was restarted, but sources close to the programme have suggested that transitioning the payload to a Triton – the Global Hawk derivative Northrop is building for the U.S. Navy, which contains additional technologies necessary to achieve a sense-and-avoid capability – represented a more viable means of getting the

project back on track. At Palmdale, Northrop officials spoke of the Euro Hawk restart as if all integration and certification problems had been solved: if this is the case, the company has been unusually reluctant to trumpet the fact (the most recent news story listed on the Northrop website’s Euro Hawk page relates to a test flight carried out in September 2013). Where this leaves AGS is unclear. At the time of Euro Hawk’s cancellation, German politicians behind the decision to cut the system were also urging Germany to withdraw from AGS. Italy has become a leader in flying larger UAS in Europe and is the only nation on track to generate a domestic training capability for its fleet of Reaper UAS (expressing an intention to offer training to European allies once its system is running; France and the UK also operate the aircraft, with the Netherlands in the process of buying it, but none of those nations can fly it domestically). But AGS will be of only limited use if it cannot traverse the airspace of all European nations.

Opinion: NATO AGS hurdles higher than they appear Angus Batey

The problems facing both the platform and the general sector aren’t quite as close to being solved as appearance suggests

The NATO AGS is expanding shared intelligence options – but challenges persist…Image: NATO


Air

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $78 million contract

from the UK MoD to deliver the design and build for a new training facility to for the Royal Air Force’s Mk6 Chinook operators. The contract will cover 12 years of the establishment and running of synthetic training for crews based at the RAF Odiham training facility in Hampshire, UK, where up to 16 employees from the Lockheed UK site will deliver a medium to long-term support package. The facility will include a suite a digital training solutions, two flight deck device simulators and a rear crew training device. 30 employees at Lockheed’s Orlando facility will support the design and

development, and assist in the programme management. Lockheed Martin UK Chief Executive Stephen Ball said, “This new, purpose-built facility will use the very latest technology and simulators to replicate real-life operational scenarios and ensure RAF Chinook pilots and crew are trained to the highest standard.” Alongside Babcock International, the company currently provides training support to the UK Ascent organisation in its provision of the Military Flight Training System (MFTS). The RAF received the first of its 14 Mk6 aircraft in June 2014, as part of a $1.5bn injection to significantly improve its helicopter fleet. The new variants incorporate a new

Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS) and the updated cockpit of the Mk4 and 5. They are equipped for a variety of roles and can be armed with two M134 six-barrelled Miniguns, one in each front side window, and an M60D machine gun on the ramp. When delivery is complete by the end of 2015, the total RAF Chinook force will stand at 60 and is expected to be fully operational by 2017. Meanwhile, the MoD has also awarded a $45m contract to AgustaWestland to deliver Merlin Mk 4/4a aircrew synthetic training devices which will see pilots will be trained on new simulators in Somerset.

Lockheed Martin wins RAF Chinook training contract Joseph Carpenter

The Turkish Government has announced plans to

select a foreign partner for its indigenous fighter jet programme by 2016.

Dubbed ‘F-X’, the experimental twin-engine fifth generation aircraft was pushed into development in 2010. It will be manufactured by Turkish Aerospace

Industries (TAI) to replace the existing F-16 fleet and work in tandem with the incoming F-35s. According to sources, the foreign partner will be awarded around $1bn to support the design phase of the programme for four years.

Turkey’s procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), released the RFI

for the F-X programme in March of this year, resulting in a flurry of interest from some of the world’s biggest players, including Saab, BAE Systems, Airbus, Alenia, Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), and China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. Further tender interest is anticipated to emerge when the programme reaches the RFP stage.

The F-X is expected to be introduced into service from 2023. In January 2015, Turkey’s Defense Industry Executive Committee, chaired by then-Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, decided to ramp up development of the programme, along with other defence programmes including production of the indigenous MPT-76 service rifle, and agreement to commit to four more F-35s and five additional CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

In May, Turkey selected SNC to provide Dornier intellectual property as primary base models for its future regional jet programme, which will eventually accompany the indigenous fighter jet in operation by 2023.

Turkey F-X set to welcome foreign partner Oliver Austin

One of several concept designs for Turkey’s future fighter


Air

Alenia Aermacchi, part of Finmeccanica’s group, has

unveiled the Ground based training Demonstrator Device (GDD), a ground system demonstrator for the new basic/advanced jet M-345. The system is an advanced flight simulator that is able to replicate the flying characteristics of Alenia Aermacchi’s M-345 HET (Highly Efficient Trainer) and has a replica of the cockpit and its main flight instruments. The entire ground based training

system constitutes an e-learning system with its Computer Based Training (CBT), a Procedural Training Device (PTD) and an Operational Fight Trainer (OFT). The PTD and the OFT share the same software and part of the hardware, but the OFT additional features. These include a wide screen with 180 degrees of field of view and a cockpit simulating the real one. The final simulator will introduce students to tactics that will be completed during fights thanks to the ETTS (Embedded

Tactical Training System), a system able to create targets on Multi Function Displays of the jet. The M-345 HET is an evolution of the previous M-311 with a new Williams International FJ-44-4M turbofan engine and with an advanced, larger cockpit. The trainer, which can act as a basic trainer or as an advanced trainer, is under development by Alenia Aermacchi with funding coming from Italian MoD.

Alenia Aermacchi presents new training system for M-345 HET Eugenio Po

A Computer generated image of the new Ground based training Demonstrator Device

The demonstrator of the M-345 HET in flight with the Italian Air Force Actobatic Team camouflage


Cyber

Japan’s cyber defence team is miniscule compared to the current Pentagon workforce

In May, officials from the U.S.-Japan Cyber Defense Policy

Working Group issued a joint statement declaring an agreement for the U.S. to extend its cyber defence capabilities for government data protection to its Asian ally. Most important to the decree will be an increase to the level of security afforded to critical national infrastructure (CNI) and military installations. The Policy Group was established in 2013 amid the enacting of the U.S. ‘pivot’ strategy, a rise in Chinese territorial claims, and clear signs of Japan veering further from its long-standing and restrictive defence policy. Other efforts for support and integration between Japan and the U.S. includes a pact on ballistic missile defence, off-shore radar installations and providing Tokyo with a more influential role in regional security. Both nations have identified an increasing level of sophistication in the nature of malicious attacks from both state-led/sponsored and non-state sources. Meanwhile, recent incidents and research point to a rise in malicious activity from China and North Korea, allegedly including the 2014 attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment

that caused significant financial and diplomatic fallout. The White House has been taking a number of legal steps towards enforcing a more secure global infrastructure, including economic sanction on nations that are believed to be behind cyberattacks on American systems and prosecution of private companies involved in CNI that fail to meet security regulations. Despite Japan’s reputation as a leader in technology, reports suggest that less than a hundred

personnel work for the nation’s cyber defence unit, compared to over 6,000 employed at the Pentagon. Japan is also under pressure to raise its cyber resilience before Tokyo hosts the 2020 Olympic Games. On the same day the cyber pact was announced, Japan suffered a breach of its national pension system and a leaking of personal data for 1.25 million people, underscoring the level of vulnerability in effect. In June, the White House directed all federal agencies to take a series of rapid measures to lock down government systems in the wake of a March attack on the Office of Personnel Management. Some analysts believe the breach to have been orchestrated by Chinese sources.

U.S. to help Japan defend government data Oliver Austin

Less than a hundred personnel work for the nation’s cyber defence unit, compared to over 6,000 employed at the Pentagon


Cyber

Keelback Net was unveiled at the Paris Air Show in JuneImage: Airbus D&S

A key challenge for companies operating in

the cyber-defence market is in providing solutions that leverage both technological capability and human expertise. Buyers may be unwilling to pay solely for a managed service if they already have invested in an information-security team of their own - and few enterprises active in the defence industry will have progressed beyond sole-trader startup status without having done so. Airbus Defence & Space’s Keelback Net product, therefore, may represent a new model. At the heart of the Keelback Net solution is a physical product - a sensor, which is deployed on customer networks at strategic locations to intercept and interrogate data flowing into and out of the system. When the sensor detects network traffic which appears anomalous when checked against databases of known threats or an understanding of what constitutes normal behaviour of users and nodes on the system, it triggers an alert to Airbus staff located at one of three European Cyber Defence Centres, and

analysis and a cogent, holistic response can be set in motion. Combining a product with a service, Keelback Net can augment a client’s in-house cyber-defence capabilities rather than supplanting them. As well as allowing clients to benefit from Airbus’s awareness of the threat environment, the system brings a forensic investigation capability to bear on the problem - providing enhanced understanding without tying up in-house staff. “Over the past few years we’ve been increasingly operating in this cyber-security space and supporting our customers with security operations - that’s protective monitoring and analysis, but also the investigations side,” explains Matt Bennett, cyber-security incident-response team lead at Airbus D&S’s Newport centre. “Over that period we’ve developed a number of tools and technologies to support our analysts and consultants. And a decision was taken to turn it into a more formalised solution set, of which Keelback is one component.” Keelback Net permits storage and analysis of metadata, meaning that investigators can track incidents

to their source. This is particularly important given that most so-called APTs (advanced persistent threats) go undetected for months: a company doesn’t just need to know it’s been breached, it has to know when, what information has been exfiltrated from the network since the attack began, and where the data were sent. Cyber-defence philosophy has moved on from the idea of firewalls and defending the perimeter to an acceptance that infiltration is inevitable: understanding and limiting damage from an attack is now the primary goal. Investigation therefore becomes vital. “It’s very difficult and very expensive to invest in technologies,” Bennett says. “And it’s very difficult to find the right expertise, recruit people and retain them. So we’re taking that burden off their hands, and basically giving a range of customers, from very small to very large, access to this level of protection and service. It enables us to put our customers in the best position possible to detect these types of advanced attacks; but also be in a position to respond in a timely and effective manner.”

Airbus D&S introduces new APT cyber solution Angus Batey


Africa“Why is an African life worth less than a French, Belgian or German one?”Paramount Group bosses take aim at industry

Defence Industry Bulletin’s Georg Mader talks to Ivor Ichikowitz, Chairman, and John Craig, CEO of South Africa’s Paramount Group on the company’s benefit to the continent, the emergence of its jigless manufactured aircraft, and why the global defence industry needs to change its approach to Africa.

Chairman Ivor Ichikowitz made headlines with his “Give war a chance!” comment.Image Georg Mader

EO John Craig sees Paramount as leading a philosophical change to the African defence industry.Image Georg Mader

Defence Industry Bulletin: You and Paramount are one of, if not the, ‘biggest player’ in African defence. Would you please give us an overview on how you see Africa today – its defence capabilities and its markets?

Ivor Ichikowitz: In the 21 years since we founded Paramount, we have seen Africa evolve. One thing that has not changed is the reality that if you are going to expect countries to introduce democratic systems, if you are going to keep countries stable for investment, you have to give these governments the ability to protect their democracies. This has been our theory, this is why I am in this business, and why I started Paramount. Back then, 100 percent of our business was in Africa and we considered – and still consider – the technology that Paramount has as an asset of the African continent. It is a mindset. 21 years ago, there were 300 armed conflicts taking place in Africa. Dictators, coups, insurgencies, liberation-movements – and crime was rife. As governments start to invest in

police and military capabilities, and as companies like Paramount help them to create such capacities, we saw these conflicts reduce exponentially. I think we’re down to around twelve today. That’s still too many, but now the continent has become a viable investment destination. People talk about the ‘rise of Africa’ but actually nothing has changed except one thing: African governments today are improving their ability to protect their people, their assets, and keep them safe. We are not completely there yet, but we have made a huge amount of progress in that time.

DIB: While we’ve of course known Paramount for quite some time and followed your recent agreements with Ukraine and Jordan at IDEX, some of our readers won’t know the full background story…

John Craig: As the CEO of the industrial-holdings organisation, I’m happy to fill them in. As our chairman said, we turn 21 this year. He and his family founded Paramount in 1994 and he still is very active in business

development and promotion. 1994 was an important date as this also was the year of a new democratic beginning in South Africa. Paramount focuses on providing a broad spectrum of fully-integrated turnkey solutions to global defence, peacekeeping and internal security forces. The Group has established itself as a global innovator with the development of one of the world’s most modern and advanced families of armoured combat vehicles and also of a revolutionary aircraft, the first aerial platform of its kind. Integrated with the latest technologies in electronic systems, these world-class platforms enable Paramount to deliver a total defence system to its customers. But while our business in Africa itself is only small, we never lost our ‘African’ approach in understanding clients’ requirements or in using our extensive local knowledge to design cost-effective, future-proof solutions. Thus we enjoy growth, thanks to an excellent track record of delivering successful projects.


Africa

DIB: And Paramount really is the largest African security or defence enterprise in existence?

JC: The Group at this point is Africa’s largest private defence contractor and one of the fastest growing defence companies in the world. Most of our technology centres and facilities are in South Africa, but we are operating globally through partnerships. The Group is a leading innovator in the design and development of state-of-the-art products that it manufactures in locations throughout the world. It is partnered with some of the world’s largest and most reputable organisations in the global defence community. We have an office in Cyprus, one in London, a company in Hong Kong...Meanwhile, our armoured vehicles are being produced in a joint-venture in Baku, Azerbaijan and we will also do so in Kazakhstan and Jordan…

II: ...and we do that without any governmental aid or financial support, I’d like to add! Also important for me is that what we do and what we achieve is done not for the Group alone or for South Africa, but for the support of Africa as a whole. I strongly believe in the future prosperity of this continent and its people, but of course it needs a lot of gradual support. That’s the case in any sector – Economics, Health, Infrastructure, Education, Environment and Defence too. Many countries in Africa have so far invested in less than 10 percent of their actual requirements. There is a huge pressure, from the World Bank for instance, to invest into all these branches of society and not into military spending. However, if you don’t have a secure environment, then all the money you invest in schools and hospitals could be meaningless…could even be lost! That’s just a fact. So we believe the African market is expanding exponentially and that there is a mindset-change. We try to support this and our success so far lies in our confidence and faith in Africa’s

technical ability. Our investment drives R&D in high-tech fields.

DIB: When you mention this ‘industrial-holdings organisation’, you’re talking about the different branches of Paramount. What are these?

JC: Well, our industrial investments developed in response to the market opportunities we noticed. In 2006, we decided to begin producing our own range of armoured vehicles. Today we have a combat systems division, producing a range of armoured vehicle systems for land forces. The vehicles are fully designed from scratch – no adaptions of existing designs, no Land Cruisers taken and up-armoured. That’s not a market for us. Instead, it offers fully own-designed and manufactured (with protected bodies) for military or security forces. We have mine- and blast-resistant infantry vehicles, internal security force vehicles, and so on. We entered that market very successfully and we now have more than a 1,000 vehicles in service around the world. We’re producing them in several hubs. For example, we have recently announced the launch of vehicle production in Kazakhstan, with Kazakhstan Engineering – a

government entity previously not engaged in armoured vehicle production. So we marry our skills and intellectual property with local manufacturing capabilities. The factory there is already built.

DIB: Are you able to name some of your vehicle customers?

JC: I can talk about some of them. We have vehicles in service in Azerbaijan, in Gabon, in the Congo, in Jordan...

DIB: Like the 6x6 Mbombe, your largest vehicle, which is now also going to Jordan...

II: No, it’s not ‘going to’ Jordan, it will in fact come from Jordan. In line with the partnership principles we cultivate, reinforcing the rise of indigenous manufacturing in the Middle East was behind a deal signed between Paramount Group and KADDB [King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau], allowing the latter to manufacture an initial tranche of 50 Mbombe 6x6 protected patrol vehicles for the Jordanian Armed Forces.

JC: The 50 vehicles are actually a part of a multi-million (US$) deal between the company and KADDB. We signed this at IDEX on 23 February 2015 and the contract followed months of testing in Middle Eastern deserts with temperatures reaching around 50°C as well as winter trials in Kazakhstan where temperatures plummeted to -50°C. Providing protection against 14.5 mm ammunition and 155 mm artillery shells, Mbombe also boasts STANAG Level IV protection against 10kg mines detonated under its flat-hull or wheels. The vehicle can withstand a 50kg TNT blast. By the way, all our vehicles are not based on a donor chassis per se, our won-designed fully-welded armoured structure hulls are strong enough to carry COTS suspension and driveline components without the need for a chassis.

If you don’t have a secure environment, then all the money you invest in schools and hospitals could be meaningless


Africa

DIB: And, is Paramount going 8x8...?

JC: Yes, we will. From knowledge gained by our previous designs, we’ve now arrived in the upper-echelon of 8x8 full fighting vehicles. Paramount will thus have a comprehensive range of wheeled vehicles for military and homeland security applications, including the Mbombe, the Maverick 4x4 ISV, Marauder 4x4 Wheeled Troop Carrier and Matador 4x4 MRPV.

DIB: Let’s have a deeper look at the air branch. Helicopter upgrades, fast jet modernisation and support, and even its own aircraft…Is this all carried out by your own engineers and workforce?

JC: We are a defence & aerospace company, with strategic investments. Look at Aerosud, a well established company that once started as the lead designers of the Rooivalk attack-helicopter. Today they are a very important partner to the likes of Boeing and Airbus, supplying them with over 1.5 million parts per year. It’s perhaps not well known, but Aerosud had a military aviation division with competence in upgrading, weaponising and sustaining even supersonic combat aircraft. Paramount has worked closely with this division in providing and sustaining the former SAAF Mirage F1s to Gabon and Congo-Brazzaville. That’s been a very

successful programme. Meanwhile, Paramount has acquired this division and rebranded it as Paramount Aerospace, including it within our aerospace cluster. It has the ability to upgrade and modify almost any platform.

DIB: So with this division, Paramount still has to care for the old Mirages in those countries? Are they really being flown or are they dusty hangar queens?

II: Hangar queens? No! We have a life-long marriage with these customers. And old? These were ‘low-mileage’ F1s – only flown on Sundays! They’re still, fantastic, useable aircraft. They fly and they have a long life ahead of them, so we need to support them – as we always do, in contrast to many OEMs who only look for profit and often do not come to Africa with decent lifecycle support.

DIB: Got it. What about that new indigenous aircraft, the AHRLAC?

JC: AHRLAC has been developed by our dedicated AHRLAC division, but within that ‘Paramount Aerospace cluster’, there is a division called Paramount Advanced Technologies [PAT]. This division was born 30 years ago as the company ATE – Advanced Technologies & Engineering. For many years, among many things, they were very successful in upgrading helicopters like the Russian Mi-24 Hind.

They even did the Super-Hind* programme [see information box, p.35]...

DIB: ...Those are the 28 for Algeria, right? And for Azerbaijan? These central-Asian nations seem fairly critical to the company...

JC: Exactly – you’re well researched! We’ve added several sets of competencies in the aerospace segment, including the ability to design, modify and sustain fixed-wing and rotary-aircraft, but also – through the Advanced Technologies division – the ability to take those platforms and develop fully-integrated systems, be it recce, airborne-surveillance or full weaponisation. Our chairman said one day: ‘We should not limit ourselves to upgrade existing aircraft or helicopters. We have the capability here, so we should undertake our own design.

II: You mentioned Azerbaijan. In 2014, we signed a joint venture with AirTech Services Corporation of Azerbaijan. This move will see the establishment of manufacturing capabilities for the modernisation, upgrade and enhancement of rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. The joining of our two companies positions us a leader in the region, providing the advantage of various capabilities across a range of platforms, including Mi-17 and Mi-24 helicopters, and Su-25 or MiG-29 aircraft. Our partnership began with land systems and this relationship strengthened as the country developed into the fast-growing, regional economic powerhouse that it is today. I’m very excited that we can build on this foundation to establish advanced aerospace capabilities in this country. But we’re expanding beyond Central Asia, into the Middle East, Asia in general, and South America. These are our key markets.

Marauder vehicles on parade in Azerbaijan


AfricaJC: As we’ve learned from vehicles, if you own a platform, you can bring in partners to do the mission kit, but it’s still your intellectual property. We’re following the same concept in aerospace now. The deal we signed with Ukrainian engine manufacturer Motor Sich JSC, for example, allows us to really get into the OEM league on large helicopters. You may have heard our composite rotor blade sets for Russian helicopters never need to be replaced again within the platform’s lifetime. But that’s a developing story for another time...

DIB: OK, just back to the AHRLAC – there’s this one prototype flying...

JC: Yes. You’ll have seen it flying since August 2014 as a manifestation of our chairman’s vision, four years after the concept was put on the table. So far, it’s seen 65 hours, problem free, all engineering validated. This has also been a spin-off opportunity for young engineers. There’s now a full career path available – you can live your dreams in the aerospace environment, in South Africa! When I entered the market as a young graduate engineer, I wanted to do just that, but I didn’t have the opportunity. South Africa was under sanctions. You could work in upgrading aircraft or you could work in civil aviation, working out flight-paths for minimum fuel-burn. Today, we have that opportunity in place for aerospace aficionados and we’re getting the world’s attention. We’ve already cut metal for the second and third AHRLAC. We call them the Advanced Demonstrators and on them we will validate all mission systems. One airframe isn’t enough to test all sensors and weapons.

DIB: So this means that AHRLAC was not designed for South Africa. Is it a COIN platform, or a concept like Textron‘s similar new Scorpion jet?

II: No. This is a sort of product that has global application and

relevance. Never before has an advanced design like AHRLAC been finalised up to flight-tests in such a short time. Contrary to the SCORPION [who benefits from many parts from across CESSNA’s portfolio], every single component in this aircraft except the engine, the propeller and the cockpit displays, have been 100 percent designed and manufactured from scratch. It is already fully industrialised, while the Scorpion people now need to do that. Our factory is infinitely scaleable, but we will build AHRLAC in several locations around the world with indigenous aerospace industries. We plan to be in serial production by early 2016. And yes, COIN is one of its roles. It is however built to perform multirole missions such as patrol and reconnaissance, intelligence gathering or CAS. It can be configured for light attack capabilities. It can be used for disaster management. Not to mention internal-security, border-control, maritime patrol and environmental-protection, or levels of flight training.

JC: I can’t resist mentioning that every single part of the aircraft was pre-designed on a computer which allowed it to have a jigless construction. This method saved vast amounts in cost and time and was made possible by parts being pre-drilled and machine made, allowing for accuracy, reducing the need for hand skills and therefore taking less time to build. We’ve made all the tools for production for sheet metal pressings and composite parts so it enables us to hit production much quicker than other aircraft. The first aircraft was already built from production tooling and methodology. To implement this process, Paramount invested in one of only two computer-measuring machine (CMM) facilities in the world [the other is located in the U.S.]. So in many ways, AHRLAC is a unique type of aircraft, a manned aircraft operated by two – a pilot and a systems operator – sitting

in a tandem configuration as they would in an attack helicopter. To our knowledge there is currently no other aircraft in this solution space. AHRLAC offers a number of unique aspects. This includes its unrestricted canopy, purpose-designed to give you all-round visibility. Because it has a turboprop pusher-propeller configuration, with 800kg of weapons, you can loiter until you see a situation on the ground that requires you to intervene. So we have no conventional ‘engine front/propeller front’ aircraft that has been pressed into an armed reconnaissance role for which it was not originally conceived. Currently there is a 1,000 hp engine, but there’s an upgrade path with more power and more payload. It’s actually just at the beginning of its cycle, with 30 or 40 years of potential. So I think we are hitting the ‘sweet spot’ in price-to-performance with this platform. With the price we have in mind, there’s nothing else competing in this arena. Jets, even low-end ones like Scorpion, are and will remain comparably expensive.

DIB: What about your activities on the unmanned aircraft side? Are high-tech UAVs entering Africa?

JC: Of course, we do UAVs. Our Mwari [Pelican] is in fact based on the design of AHRLAC, but in a quarter scale. This platform is ‘commoditised’ and the real specialty is that we have long learned to master launch, recovery and autonomous flight, such as for artillery spotting. These are technology building blocks we can apply across the range. We’ve developed our own sensor capabilities as well. In South Africa, we have sensor pack solutions that not only include observation but aircraft-applications up to the guidance-systems for missiles. We had to develop those capabilities in the past, meaning it’s now free of ITAR-restrictions and controls.


Africa

II: I have to add here that sanctions-busting is a thing of the past. South Africa respects all international regulations and resolutions and supplies nothing to illegitimate regimes. We hear this at trade shows, even from the European industry, that ITAR, UN- or OSCE-rules are for sure hampering business. Regarding Africa, it is my impression that for example the U.S.-administration is not really blocking African nations in desperate need, but it is also not ‘unblocking’ the obstacles that its state apparatus is creating, such as for Nigeria in their life-and-death struggle with Boko Haram. At the recent U.S.-Africa Summit in Washington, I made it very clear that the world needs to come to terms with the fact that if they want Africa to be stable and secure, they have to allow African governments to create ‘world class’ defence capabilities.

DIB: This was that controversial headline you made recently – ‘Give war a chance!’?

II: Well, how can the U.S. or the EU, as a responsible partner to these African frontline-nations in the war on terror, not allow them to be properly equipped to engage in this fight, let alone win? Further to that, as you asked about high-tech assets entering Africa,

look at the realities of African peacekeeping deployments around the world. French or German troops are in air-conditioned, beautiful accommodations and are provided with the latest vehicles and other fancy gear - and here come the Africans, sleeping under they sky and going into combat in unprotected vehicles and no UAVs securing ahead of them! Why is an African live worth one dollar less than a French, Belgian or German one? This is a huge issue for me. A big part of what Paramount has done over the years is to make the latest and highest level of protection available to African troops in an affordable way. We achieved that. We’ve got hundreds of our products in service around peacekeeping missions in Africa and beyond. But we have to be realistic as well because Africa will never be a defence market like the Middle East or the U.S. That said, there is an understanding in Africa that we can’t look further to the West for our solutions, we should look for them from within.

DIB: That is a really striking point. A question then: is a part of your business delivering to the South African Defence Forces?

JC: A part of it today is, yes. Even in the days of fight against oppression in South Africa, our chairman

was and today is a supporter of the ANC, the ruling party. But he didn’t want to build an industry on political privileges. So he – and we – built a company with a business today that operates over 95 percent outside of South Africa and 70 percent outside of Africa. Only quite recently, through acquisition of companies like ATE, who had been delivering to the SANDF, do we now have a customer relationship with the South African Defence Force. So of course we are now throwing our hat into the ring also for open and transparent business within South Africa.

Paramount’s AHRLAC is intended to compete with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the marketplaceImage: Georg Mader

For Africa to be stable and secure, they have to allow African governments to create ‘world class’ defence capabilities


Africa

DIB: And in Brazil, I assume – since there is now a lot of work taking place between them and South African defence companies?

JC: That’s right. The Brazilian market is very interesting as they’ve done a very good job in growing aerospace business. In the vehicle arena, we are already very proud that they have selected our Maverick internal-security vehicle. We delivered a fleet of those just before the World Cup in Rio. Generally we can learn a lot from them as I think we have similar visions. And let’s not forget, we are the ‘S’ closing the ‘BRICS’-countries

and they are leading with their ‘B’, so that’s an environment quite appropriate for us. We will of course share programmes multilaterally in India or China as well. It is a dream at present and there is a need to find the programmes of turning that into reality. In general, Brazil and the whole of Latin America is an absolute focus area, exhibiting a lot of parallels to where we come from.

DIB: And then there are the naval platforms, also new territory for Paramount…

JC: Yes. In our pursuit to become a fully fledged organization that can speak to all armed services, we acquired a controlling interest in a company called Nautic Africa. They were just about five years old, but they built a very nice business in their field within this short time, mainly in commercial type vessels for the oil and gas sector. This was crossing over with our interest in supporting the offshore-industry’s installations. Often it is the case that the oil companies are funding acquisitions like OPVs, which the navies then operate. The mission for Paramount in this sector is to take that competence and apply it in a more focused manner, adapted for naval applications. That is what we are doing around fast craft and OPVs in Cape Town with the Paramount Naval-Systems brand, while Nautic continues to undertake its civilian business. We are now even constructing our own shipbuilding-capacity down there, as it looks like we have more business than we can handle!

DIB: West African naval commanders told me last year in Morocco [AFSEC Summit], that one persistent problem they face is that newly-acquired equipment, like OPVs or helicopters, end up crippled, broken or out-of-service after some three to five years. The Nigerian SEPECAT ‘Jaguars’, for example, have flown just 100 hours and then gathered dust on flat tyres for two decades. What is the factor making this happen? Is it simply that fresh money has to first be allocated schools, railways, doctors, and so on?

II: I can tell you exactly why – and I see it differently. This is the fault of the OEMs, the fault of the shipyard that supplied the ship in the first place. And I tell you why: their business model is that the platform is supplied – against the budget – and they then look to ongoing support to make their ‘super profit’. So it becomes increasingly unaffordable for these countries to operate this equipment. What Paramount does is quite different. When we sell a piece of equipment to a government, part of the initial purchase price is at least five years of support. In addition to that is the training and the establishment of capacity within the country to support that equipment. That’s non-negotiable. If they say ‘we don’t need that’, we will not do the deal. You know, African governments have lived hand-to-mouth – that’s how they survived. That is neither a good or bad thing, that’s reality. As a manufacturer, you have to be responsible in your engagement and you have to build the safeguards in from the beginning. In Paramount’s eyes and in my eyes, your name and reputation is your most important asset. When you sell a system to a government, you are getting into a 25 year relationship, so you have to make sure it’s going to work. I say this again with absolute conviction: those sad images of long inoperable platforms mouldering under an African sun is the fault of the initial OEM. Those people look at Africa with only one mission and that is to make as much profit as they possibly can. We are sick and tired of this ‘colonial’ mentality of plundering a continent. We don’t want that in Africa anymore.

Those sad images of long inoperable platforms mouldering under an African sun is the fault of the initial OEM


Africa

* The ‘Super-HINDs’…

Modernisation of this ‘warrior’ popular throughout Africa was launched in South Africa in 1996, directed at export customers as SANDF does not operate the Mi-24. It was conducted by (former) Advanced Technology & Engineering (ATE). To make the venerated combat helicopter more modern and accessible to western pilots, it included upgraded navigation with INS/GPS, plus a digital map display, glass cockpit with day/night head-up-displays (HUD) and a new fire-control system. The last was mounted in a lengthened nose in the form of the KentronN ‘Argos-550’ EO-turret, carrying a dual-mode FLIR and a long-range TV camera. The crews received the ‘Archer’ helmet-mounted display and cueing system. Apart for the dual-feed ‘Vector’ 20x139 mm cannon, the original (Russian) weapon-system was either retained or replaced by indigenous South African munitions such as the Denel-Dynamics ZT35 ‘Ingwe’ or ZT6 Mokopa ATGMs. Self-protection is provided in Avitronic’s Helicopter Self-Protection System (HSPS), which integrates a RWR, missile- and laser-warners and chaff/flare dispensers. In 2000, Algeria decided to modernise between 28 and 40 Mi-24Vs – as the newest part of its large Mi-24 fleet – to a level called ‘Super-Hind Mk. III’, with a contract awarded to ATE two years later. The subsequent ‘Super-Hind Mk. IV’ has been upgraded with Pall-vortex engine-air particle-separator systems over the engine intakes and later with an EO-turret. Weight of the helicopter was reduced by around two tons to increase manoeuvring capacities and combat readiness. Azerbaijan’s Mi-24G (G stands for ‘Gecæ’ or ‘Night’) is effectively a ‘Super-Hind Mk. IV’ but with a slightly less sophisticated cockpit, with Thales-displays and standard intake filters. It was arranged by ATE and Ukraine’s Aviakon company at the latter’s aircraft repair plant in Konotop. 10-15 Azeri Mi-24s were brought into full compliance with NATO standards (under the ‘SOVA’-designation for a Bulgarian programme in 2005) with their most notable feature being the introduction of laser-beam riding Baryer V ATGM by Ukraine’s Luch DB. All of these capabilities combined by (fmr.) ATE has made a much more agile (and a lot less jittery) ‘Hind’. Meanwhile ATE’s ‘Super Hind’ is both considered and marketed as a platform fit for any first-rate world military. With ‘Paramount Aerospace’ there are currently three prototypes/demonstrators, a Mi-24D, a –V and a Mi-25.

Advanced Technologies & Engineering (ATE) developed and sold the SuperHind upgrade of the Russian Mil Mi-24 helicopter.Image: Georg Mader


Africa

Africa has been on something of a spending

spree in the past few years, upping their stake in the global defence market while addressing urgent security challenges at home. For most states, reinforcing the reputation of a secure and civilised environment is the first step in encouraging foreign investment and commerce. Ahead of the Armoured Vehicles Africa conference (August, Botswana), Defence IQ spoke to some of the leading journalists and analysts active in African defence to get a rounded perspective on the progress, challenges, plans and predictions seen across the continent.

Significant developments

Helmoed Heitman, a South Africa-based defence journalist,

author and historian, notes: “For South Africa, the loss of the MRAP and MDV market has been significant. There have however been positives, including the success of the South African land systems business in other areas – particularly in the stabilisation of state-owned defence conglomerate Denel.” In 2012, Malaysia signed a $416 million contract for Denel turrets and weapons to be integrated into its own FNSS/Deftech AV-8 8x8 armoured vehicles, manufactured by Deftech of Malaysia. The contract included 69 two-man turrets fitted with a South African GI30 30mm main gun and 54 anti-tank turrets equipped with the GI30 30mm gun and the Denel Dynamics Ingwe anti-tank missile system, along with 216 laser-guided Ingwe missiles and 54 remote-control weapons systems. Riaz Saloojee, the CEO of Denel Group, described the contract as having made the

company a global player and generating international interest in state-of-the-art artillery produced locally. Two years later, Denel acquired Land Systems South Africa (LSSA) from BAE Systems for $79.85 million, affording the opportunity to grow the division to produce more vehicle capacity and further target the international market, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. “I believe consolidation like this is good for the local industry,” says Guy Martin, editor of defenceWeb, the online African defence and security news publication. “Before, there were too many players in the South Africa market following the withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq and Afghanistan and the subsequent reduction in demand for MRAP-type vehicles.” “Beyond South Africa, there has also been a new focus for vehicle production in Nigeria and, to a lesser extent, in other African countries,” Heitman adds. “Uganda, for instance, has been moving from simple acquisition to local assembly and beyond.” Heitman also highlights the “dumping” of Chinese equipment in Africa. Indeed China is now the third biggest global arms exporter and within Africa, Sudan is one of its main clients. Tanzania, Morocco and Algeria have also become customers in the past five years – as has Namibia and Cameroon in smaller number – all purchasing relatively low-end technology. The Sudanese business in particular has been met with some controversy, given China’s dual role as arms supplier and peace broker. Sudan has also been complicit in transferring equipment to Darfur in breach of a UN embargo, further highlighting the complexities of foreign arms sales in the continent. Other countries are of course

also providing military equipment and at varying levels of restrictions and volume depending on political sensitivities. Russia has long been an important supplier to a range of African states and Ukraine has found business in providing second hand equipment.

Budget and conflict forecasting

African defence budgets have been on the rise in North, East

and West Africa owing largely to the deteriorating security situation brought about by civil and political insecurity and terrorism. This includes the rise of Islamic State, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQUIM) and other terrorist organisations in North Africa, al Shabaab in Somalia and Kenya, and Boko Haram in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad.

“It deserves close attention,” says Martin, “as IS and other radical terrorist organisations are expanding their grip on the region, from Yemen to Libya. Destabilisation in North Africa is affecting surrounding countries in terms of migrants, the flow of weapons, training camps, and a

African Defence: The Outlook Richard de Silva

China is now the third biggest global arms exporter and within Africa, Sudan is one of its main clients


Africa

number of other issues. In addition, piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is a defence budget driver, and the aftermath of the Arab Spring continues to see poor security situations across North Africa. “All that said, with the recent fall in oil prices, many defence budgets have dropped, notably from oil and gas producers like Algeria and Angola – the latter cut tens of billions off its national budget while Algeria has eased its defence spending.” Colonel (Rtd) Daniel L. Hampton, associate dean of the Africa Center at Washington D.C.’s National Defense University, also believes the oil issue will have major consequences. “It would not be surprising to see defence spending in places like Angola and Chad taper off due to these decreasing oil revenues. Sudan and South Sudan would also seem likely candidates to see defence spending impacted by decreasing oil prices, but the current instability and tenuous border security environment may well counter this causal relationship.” Nigeria has in many ways been at the forefront of the African defence market, both in terms of having domestic military requirements and of launching its own manufacturing plants (such as Proforce Ltd). Hampton believes Nigeria may also see a defence spending decrease on the basis of oil prices, as well as from a possible shift in spending priorities for the new Buhari government. “There will be high expectations for the new government to show immediate improvement in service delivery and infrastructure improvement,” he says. “It will be difficult to increase defence spending in this type environment. Additionally, it is not a lack of defence spending that has contributed to the violence and insecurity associated with Boko Haram. The strengthening of

defence institutions and the military and security sector reforms needed to establish rule of law and enhance citizen security in Nigeria can occur through political will and strategic leadership and is not dependent upon increased defence resources.” The situation in the Lake Chad Basin, in light of these political changes, remains at risk of renewed violence unless President Buhari and the northern governors are able to address many of the underlying challenges that have so far fostered conditions for Boko Haram to gain and maintain support in the country. Nevertheless, core ideologues may then simply move to more fertile ground. That scenario could place a neighbouring country like Cameroon under further pressure, where conditions for an emerging threat – an ageing leader and the chance of political instability – could prove ripe for extremism. Such an occurrence would of course demand a regional or international response depending on the severity of the violence. “It is reasonable then to expect budgets in the Sahel to rise in

response to the rising insecurity there,” adds Heitman. “That’s the entire Sahel region, with a particular eye on the southward spread of conflict into central Africa – such as in the CAR – where there is growing cooperation among guerrilla, terrorist and criminal groups; sharing of local knowledge and contacts, experience and expertise. All of that is not just being caused by rebel and terrorist groups, but also by the growing presence of the international drug cartels.” Indeed the transatlantic drug trade has been flourishing in recent years, with contraband being smuggled from Latin America to West Africa thanks to its reputation as an ‘easier’ gateway into the European, Asian and Middle Eastern drug markets. The trade has become so prevalent that it has, in some states, been threatening government control over cities and utilities. Naturally, as with maritime piracy and animal poaching, the drug trade has its roots in organised crime, which in turn is now a key source of funding for militant groups.

Nyala APC based on the Mamba. Image: SFC David D Isakson


Africa

What it means for armoured vehicles

With few exceptions – namely, the Ethiopian-Eritrean border

and the Sudan-South Sudan border – the continued involvement of these insurgent groups, non-state actors and criminal elements will not only influence the threat profile but also the market for land systems. The adversary operates chiefly amongst the populace and within built-up, urban areas. As such, the African armoured vehicles market is under particularly close watch. Heitman believes that acquisition decisions, in many cases, are erratic but that “generally speaking, I would expect to see an increase in protected patrol vehicles that will survive an ambush, in light armoured vehicles that can overmatch the typical ‘technical’ and in mine-protected, MRAP and mine-detection vehicles in response to the expansion of the IED threat.”

Hampton agrees with this prediction, and while the acquisition of heavy armoured vehicles and self-propelled artillery is rare for African states, he expects requirements for them will be even further diminished. “Instead, more armoured vehicles with large calibre guns and area fire weapons will be reconfigured with machine guns and precision weaponry,” he says, explaining that this will be driven in part by the strategic importance of reducing collateral damage and civilian casualties. “The result is a trend towards armoured vehicles and IED resistant personnel carriers that can provide mobility and protection for security forces. The ground vehicle will be a platform for quick reaction, targeted-engagement, ISR, over-watch and medical evacuation more so than ensuring overwhelming combat power. Additionally, the continued growth in African contributions to multinational peace operations and crisis response will drive this

shift to a ground vehicle acquisition strategy focused on the mobility of troops and supplies. The defence economics of peacekeeping almost demands that Troop Contributing Countries attain and maintain APC’s and trucks as the priority ground vehicle systems in their inventory if they are to maximize the potential financial return of participation in UN missions. Hampton projects a resulting defence industry trend for the continued growth and emergence of small manufacturers that refit and refurbish the more common ground vehicles systems currently extant and prolific on the continent. Martin also anticipates continued demand for armoured personnel carriers and MRAPs, due to the fact that they have already been proven within the region as being “extremely useful for peacekeeping, counterinsurgency, civil security and riot control situations. Nigeria is notably increasing its armoured vehicle numbers, as is Egypt and Algeria, so their utility is clearly valued.”

Ratel IFVs of the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment during a mechanized training exerciseImage: wikimedia


Africa

Predicted priorities for Africa

According to our experts, African states will continue to come

to the realisation that they need increased strategic capability. At the same time, there is a heightened belief among African governments that they can take a more proactive and sustainable approach to their involvement in the defence market. Now that global industry is looking to Africa as a major source of income, regional states are rightly looking at leveraging their own benefits from the demand.

“More and more customers are insisting on local manufacturing, offsets and long-term support for defence equipment,” Martin explains. “Manufacturers are responding by becoming more involved with their customers. This also extends to joint ventures

and partnerships, especially as many countries wish to build up their own defence industries. Denel has partnered with the UAE (Tawazun Dynamics) and Brazil (on the A-Darter), for instance. DCD Protected Mobility is building armoured vehicles in Nigeria. So I anticipate bilateral partners and joint ventures to become more common as nations look to share development costs, deliver new projects and gain access to new markets. “I expect the most critical armoured vehicle capability for African forces in the next few years will be mobility. Militaries are buying fewer heavy armoured vehicles and are increasingly going for lighter, more manoeuvrable vehicles which are easier to operate and sometimes cheaper than their larger stablemates.”

Meanwhile, Hampton notes that conflict and violence in Africa are becoming increasingly difficult to define and categorise.

“State-on-state conflicts are rare, civil wars that pit two or more organised armed factions against each other or against government security forces, “ he says. “They are a twentieth century legacy. Despite frequent references to insurgencies and insurgent forces, the blurring of lines between armed rebellion and criminal enterprise calls into question the relevancy and efficacy of traditional counter-insurgency (COIN) doctrine. In other words, effective COIN strategies in Africa must cross-cut the entire security sector, identifying, balancing and prioritising the roles of the police, judicial, military and intelligence services.”

Heitman reasserts the belief that protected patrol vehicles, armoured cars and possibly some

air-transportable vehicles will continue to be in demand while African states will inevitably look at smarter ways of doing business.

“Denel and Paramount and other South African companies will seek to expand their market in Africa,” predicts Heitman. “Other African countries will begin to insist on offsets in technical and defence fields, and on growing levels of local assembly and even moving into manufacture. Meanwhile, African armies are building operational experience, and Africa’s people are increasingly impatient with incompetence, corruption and nepotism in government. Together those trends will see acquisitions being more professionally handled, with less room for poor quality equipment, for contracts that do not include support, and for irregular contracting.”

The blurring of lines between armed rebellion and criminal enterprise calls into question the relevancy and efficacy of traditional COIN doctrine


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The Briefing Room

“Local production or assembly is now part of almost all customers’ re-quirements...”

General Dynamics European Land Systems-Steyr, based in Vienna, is the company’s eastern-most plant on the continent. With more than 2,000 highly skilled technical employees, GDELS designs, manufactures and delivers land combat systems worldwide. Of course, times are tough in Europe when it comes to this business and the localised market is even less predictable. Georg Mader speaks with Steyr CEOs Martin Reischer and Thomas Strasser to find out whether there is a future in Austria…

Martin Reischer and Thomas Strasser of GDELS-Steyr.Image: Georg Mader

DIB: Gentlemen, in Austria, there has been a great deal of public displeasure expressed over the apparent end of tank production in Vienna, under which the plans are to ‘sell off’ the knowledge and skills to the Czechs and Portuguese and for Austria to possibly cancel its plans to acquire its own 8x8 Pandurs. So what actually is the state of the GDELS Vienna plant and the Steyr-Spezialfahrzeuge (SSF) subsidiary?

GDELS-STEYR: Firstly, the Pandur was declined due to the general lack of orders in recent years, not only with us, but across the wider defense industry. In the wake of the changed security situation, budgets are beginning to open up again but, as we all know, that’s still not the case in Austria. The Vienna site was actually cut back before the downturn. It is now running – as we call it – overhaul programmes, such as payload upgrades, engine and transmission exchanges, and stronger air-conditioning, on vehicles like the Pandur I for Belgian forces and U.S. Special Forces.

DIB: Just no more manufacturing of new parts at this time...

GDELS-STEYR: Well, what’s important for us – and we believe for the capacity for Pandur to continue development in the future – is in partnering with Excalibur Army (EA) in the Czech Republic. This comes with some history as we’ve already seen the Czech Pandur manufactured in the Czech Republic. The first 17 vehicles were made in Vienna but the remaining 90 were made at what is now EA’s facility at Sternberk. All of them have been delivered and are in service. And they like them. We still undertake business on them in the aftermarket. But as you know, local production or assembly meanwhile is now part of almost all customers’ requirements. An example of expected further involvement for us is in the overdue replacement of the Czech BMPs, due for around 2017/18. That is why we brought the ASCOD here to IDET. For this project, domestic EA has a good ‘footprint’ thanks to the success of the Czech ‘Pandur II’.

DIB: Just no more manufacturing of new parts at this time...

GDELS-STEYR: Yes, a Czech company but having acquired the Slovakian subsidiary MSM in Martín. EA has modernized the old BMP/BVP into the new ‘Jakal’-model and has a contract for a prototype and three vehicles in Slovakia but their replacement remains undecided. This then brings up the question of whether also a BMP base revaluation ought to be made in the Czech Republic or whether a total replacement (with a new vehicle) is required. The final decision has yet been made but modernization has now been almost completely excluded. In this environment, we’ve been looking for synergies in the market and have simply been drawn to EA. There have been intensive negotiations under which we have both explored our future prospects as well as found avenues for the Pandur market.


The Briefing Room

DIB: So those contracted partnership involves the transfer of knowledge and work from Simmering (in Vienna’s 11th district) to the Czech Republic?

GDELS-STEYR: It’s in the – by the way, time-limited – partnership to essentially transfer the so-called production data packets; the data for selected Czech and Portuguese versions of the Pandur II for specific markets that we think EA has better access to than we have in Vienna.

DIB: Because it is a manufacturer based in a NATO country?

GDELS-STEYR: Not quite. It’s because the Czech products have already been introduced to many countries, so they have a long and well-established brand. We have thus gained a strategic partner for selected areas and we’ve take advantage of this partnership to further sales opportunities. Close cooperation with the Czech industry and the greatest possible promotion of local content are needed for our work in the Czech Republic, and we see this one of our strengths. The Pandur programme demonstrates this well.

DIB: So it’s a myth that Vienna is ‘dead’ and nothing happens there?

GDELS-STEYR: It’s not true. Cooperation with EA relates to certain markets and does not mean that we would necessarily succeed elsewhere with the Pandur. The effort will also depend on the overall strategic aspects of GD. We’ve had the complete production based in Vienna up until May 2014 and there are still regions or customers who insist on us manufacturing material in Austria.

DIB: That is to say, there are countries where the Austrian ‘brand’ has status?

GDELS-STEYR: Absolutely. For instance, in Arab countries, such as

Kuwait. Not only do these places see it a benefit to have Austria as the country of origin, but the quality products from German-speaking countries holds much weight.That has to do with word of mouth and is one of the reasons many of these countries are willing to pay a higher price.

DIB: One problem is that there is no foreseeable domestic market at this time…

GDELS-STEYR: Yes, that’s a major drawback for us compared to other sites, no question. But we always try to maintain and revitalise our relationship with the armed forces in little ways, such as in installing the current air conditioning systems for the domestic Pandur. We are just waiting on whether there will be any call for new procurement.

DIB: Is the GDELS site a relatively free-roaming subsidiary or is it kept on a rather short rope?

GDELS-STEYR: More on a short rope, but that’s not just specific to Vienna – it’s the same for all locations. Again, the main difference falls on the domestic market. We have locations in Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Spain. For example, Switzerland – even with its neutral status – has an immense market, but domestically it exists in a completely different dimension.The German plant at Kaiserslautern does a lot of mobile bridges, but also has the 4x4 Eagle – a Swiss MOWAG design, by the way – in local production for the Bundeswehr. And while Spain has certainly suffered a dent because of the financial crisis, our site there is secure because the indicators show that spending and prospects will pick up again – to a different level than in Austria…

DIB: An Austrian commission would then give a guarantee for Vienna...

GDELS-STEYR: Absolutely. For example there are yet no 8x8 vehicles in Austria. If there is to be such a contract, what better place to run the production than in Austria – in Vienna? Then the country could preserve the long term core technology and retain jobs in Simmering.

DIB: How do the current locations in Vienna work, because it was rumored the workforce would quit and – some saying (exaggeratedly) that only the heater and the security guard would be left...

GDELS-STEYR: (laughs): No, it is not so bad. There was a lot of misinformation back then.Once there were indeed more than 300 positions, but politicians everywhere – even in Arab countries – consider a procurement decision to come hand-in-hand with the ability to let them point to jobs being established at home. In that sense Portugal was nothing revolutionary. We delivered ‘production data packages’ only for this specific contract. No right to re-market. That only includes Czech EA, since it has historic access to markets we don’t have and it therefore increases our market presence and our chances

Czech Republic Defence Minister Martin StropnickyImage: Georg Mader


The Briefing Room

of selling abroad. Due to all of these developments, 150 employees are now in Vienna on the production side, primarily engaged with overhauls, smaller modernisations and spare-parts. On the engineering side – in other words, about 40 percent of the staff – they are now very much integrated into the ASCOD programme developed for the British Army. GD UK is the actual contractor, but the core competence comes from our hub where we worked on the basic development, in close cooperation with Spain. Subsequently our efforts are therefore not to avoid a claimed further ‘deterioration’ of the situation in Vienna than to view the situation as an opportunity for maximisation for this site...

DIB: Like the (later reduced) Czech Pandur – that was actually a ‘success story’?

GDELS-STEYR: It was, and it had a great deal of involvement from local firms and suppliers. If you look across the market, you’ll find many companies that have worked with us on that project. We have underlined the fact that we can integrate the local industry very well.We want the ASCOD to be demonstrated also in Slovakia

where the Czech army has a role and reception of Pandur has been very good. However, they see a constant change to the General Staff and to the government.

DIB: So what are you aiming for in Slovakia?

GDELS-STEYR: Well, the Slovaks have largely outdated material. Looking at where the Czechs were 10 years ago, they were almost completely subsistent on Soviet T-72s and BMPs. Apart from that there was – until Pandur – just a few Land Rovers and a couple of IVECO vehicles. Since then, almost nothing has changed. Meanwhile there were suggestions that Czech equipment should be lent or leased to Slovakia, but in the light of the Czech order being reduced from 199 to 107 vehicles, this came to nothing. But of course, some logistical pooling would be clever, even if Slovakia would have smaller numbers. They would then not need to be advertised with a logistics package but could undertake the 200km drive to the Czech Republic. It would be very interesting for us to integrate Slovakia into the portfolio, because we could then really speak of being a ‘neighborhood’ of operations…

DIB: So you could have an exchange between existing users. Pandur can then be considered a universal vehicle?

GDELS-STEYR: That’s the plan. One that organises itself and is not controlled by us. Every year, one of the relevant countries will host the forum in a kind of guest role’. It is divided between the 6x6 and 8x8 users, albeit without the Americans (Special Forces) or the the Kuwaitis, who now operate 150 vehicles. So, in principle, it’s a European user group involving Slovenia, the Czech Republic (with its 8x8), Belgium and Portugal, the latter being the largest operator with 188 units. In Austria, every few years, these Pandur users exchange experiences, as well as concerns and desired improvements, all of which is not insignificant. We then sit down with each client and as a result of these discussions we approach options for upgrades or overhauls, as are currently ongoing in Simmering. Expanding the customer-base is not easy, so the idea is that we provide the existing user with excellent support in order that they become – effectively – an ‘inter-military’ PR agent.

Users of the Pandur meet in Austria to discuss improvements and share development options.Image: Georg Mader


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Editors: Richard de Silva Andrew Elwell

Editorial contact: [email protected]

Correspondents: Oliver Austin Victor M. S. Barreira Angus Batey Joseph Carpenter Georg Mader Eugenio Po Iñigo Guevara

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