Thursday, December 18, 2008

French Detail New Orders, Procurement Changes

French Detail New Orders, Procurement Changes (NSI News Source Info) December 19, 2008: The Délégation Generale pour l'Armement (DGA) ordered 116 véhicules blindés de combat d'infantrie (VBCI) armored personnel carriers for an unspecified amount Dec. 5, bringing the total number bought to 298 units, the procurement office said in a statement. The 2009-14 military budget law cut total numbers of VBCI units to 630, giving an estimated value of 2.6 billion to 2.7 billion euros ($3.8 billion to $3.9 billion) for the development and production of the six-wheeled vehicles, based on the initial 700 units for just under three billion euros. Nexter Systems and Renault Trucks Defense build the VBCI. The government has also authorized funding to bring forward orders for five Caracal EC725 utility helicopters, as part of an accelerated defense investment drive, defense ministry spokesman Laurent Teisseire said. Defense officials said it was not yet known which service would receive the helicopters, which are built by Eurocopter. The company declined to give price details. The special forces operate 10 Caracals, and the air force has four for search-and-rescue operations. Three Caracals are deployed in Afghanistan; the third arrived in October as part of efforts to boost equipment levels for French troops. The Sperwer tactical drone from Safran's Sagem Defense & Security has been sent to Afghanistan and made its first operational flight Nov. 15, a defense official said. As part of the accelerated investment, the government plans to order a third Mistral-class projection and command ship from 2009, advancing an order which had been expected in the military budget law which followed the present 2009-14 exercise. An unspecified number of Syracuse 3 telecommunications ground stations for the army and navy are expected to be bought, Teisseire said. DGA also planned to buy heavily protected escort vehicles and munitions of different caliber. The government has also said orders of Tiger attack helicopters could be advanced. In total, the defense ministry has brought forward 2.3 billion euros of spending from the military budget law, to inject into industry, as part of a wider 26 billion euro national reflation package. Of the defense investment, 1.43 billion will go into equipment, with smaller amounts earmarked for payment to small and medium-sized suppliers, research studies and maintenance of ministry buildings.

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