DTN News: Thales Australia`s Hawkei Vehicle On Display At Armoured Vehicles Australia

DTN News: Thales Australia`s Hawkei Vehicle On Display At Armoured Vehicles Australia *Source: DTN News / Thales Australia (NSI News Source Info) CANBERRA, Australia - November 7, 2009: Hawkei is Thales's contender for the Department of Defence's LAND 121 Phase 4 program to replace Army Landrovers. The sleek 7-tonne 4x4 can carry up to six soldiers, and incorporates high levels of blast and ballistic protection.Thales Australia`s innovative Hawkei vehicle is starring at this week`s Armoured Vehicles Australia event in Canberra. An engineering mock-up of the Hawkei will be on display at Armoured Vehicles Australia (AVA), highlighting its internal seating layout and ground-breaking design. The mock-up is a full scale representation of the vehicle which engineers use to experiment with different internal configurations and ergonomic (human factors) aspects, ensuring the end result is a vehicle designed to optimise operational effectiveness. "The Hawkei is the best solution to meet the Australian Defence Force's light protected vehicle requirements," said Ian Irving, Vice President in charge of Thales's Land & Joint Systems activities in Australia. "Together with Plasan, Boeing and PAC Group, we have formed an unrivalled team. And our exclusive relationship with Plasan for LAND 121-4's Australian option has been a real bonus. We're proud to be working with one of the most sought after composite armour and hull design specialists in the world. "The response to the Hawkei's launch has been overwhelmingly positive and the work done by Thales, along with our partners, is seen as a very compelling offer." Thales will also display its Single Cab and Dual Cab Utility Vehicles from the Bushmaster Family of Vehicles, which are designed to offer maximum logistics capability in the harshest environments while incorporating the same levels of protection as troop-carrying Bushmasters. "Our Protected Mobility Vehicle range continues to grow, with new vehicles and new capabilities creating increasingly flexible options for armed forces," Mr Irving continued. "Our extensive experience with the Bushmaster program, combined with our systems integration expertise, gives the Department of Defence and the ADF a strategic local capability unrivalled in Australia and specifically tailored to Australian requirements." Armoured Vehicles Australia takes place 5-6 November at the Hyatt Hotel, Canberra.

DTN News: Dutch Forces Will Have 14 Additional Bushmaster Armoured Patrol Vehicles For Afghanistan

DTN News: Dutch Forces Will Have 14 Additional Bushmaster Armoured Patrol Vehicles For Afghanistan

*Source: DTN News / Defense Media

(NSI News Source Info) AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands - August 23, 2009: The Ministry of Defence has ordered 14 additional Bushmaster armoured patrol vehicles. These come on top of the 14 Bushmasters which were already bought in June, and have been deployed this month in Uruzgan for the first time.

The Dutch Army will buy 14 additional Bushmaster patrol vehicles for Afghanistan, bringing its total fleet of the vehicles to 86.

The purchase amounts to in sum 10.9 million euros, State Secretary of Defence Jack de Vries told Parliament yesterday.

The Bushmasters are of great value to Task Force Uruzgan (TFU) because they provide much-improved protection against roadside bombs.

Due to losses in previous periods, and the costs and time involved in repairing damaged vehicles, particularly in Australia, a shortage threatened. Nine new Bushmasters are added directly to the available fleet, while the remaining five will form a reserve to compensate for possible future losses.

The total number of Bushmasters procured by Defence thus increases to 86 vehicles, of which nine are fitted with a remotely-piloted arm for IED manipulation.

The contract with the manufacturer of the Bushmaster, Thalès Australia, will be signed shortly, so as to allow deliveries of the new vehicles to begin in October. The rapid purchase process for this type of urgently-needed equipment requires special acquisition procedures. These are known as ‘Fast Track Procurement’ and have been developed by the Defence Material Organisation.

DTN News: EDA Orders Unmanned Vehicle Development

DTN News: EDA Orders Unmanned Vehicle Development

*Source: DTN News / Defense Media

(NSI News Source Info) DUSSELDROF, Germany - July 21, 2009: German military vehicle specialist Rheinmetall Defence has been given the lead in a $5.6 million project to develop unmanned vehicles for the European Defense Agency. Rheinmetall will head up the project with Germany's Diehl BGT Defence, France's ECA and France's Thales Optronique also involved. The contract calls for the construction of a demonstration version of an unmanned ground craft. Trials are expected to be conducted in 2013. The device is seen as a way to protect troops taking part in hazardous operations, a release from Rheinmetall stated. "Nations taking part in international peacekeeping and peace enforcement missions are understandably eager to keep casualties as low as possible to avoid losing public support at home," Rheinmetall said. "One way of meeting this challenge is to use unmanned systems which operate autonomously and can perform a variety of missions, making sure that friendly personnel are not exposed to danger unnecessarily." The German Army's new Puma infantry fighting vehicle meets the military's requirement for high strategic and tactical mobility as well as delivering excellent crew protection and massive firepower. It enables soldiers to react immediately to emerging targets and threats, mounting a flexible response tailored to the specific situation.Compared with its international rivals, Puma offers a level of performance never before attained, especially with regard to survivability. The German Army is expected to order 405 vehicles. The contract, including training equipment and logistical support, is worth around €3 billon. The political go-ahead to start series production is expected in 2007. The German procurement authorities already placed an order at the end of 2004 for five pre-production vehicles as well as logistics and training services, including an option for series production.The Puma is based on a completely new vehicle design that reflects the requirements of today's armed forces. New missions such as peacekeeping and peacemaking require a highly mobile weapon system that is light enough for rapid strategic deployment yet tough enough to assure maximum survivability: the Puma provides a level of crew protection against mines and rocket-propelled grenades (ubiquitous in the world's crisis regions) never seen before in a comparable vehicle. The program is referred as Semi-Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle System Demonstrator. Initial specifications call for a wheeled, all-terrain vehicle weighing between 660 and 880 pounds. The device would be operated remotely or autonomously though a built-in satellite-supported navigation system. It would operate for up to 24 hours and have a range of 240 miles. Additionally, planned 3-D laser radar, camera systems and ultrasonic sensors would aid the vehicle to avoid obstacles and other hindrances in its surroundings. The SAM-UGV is also seen as having the potential to carry out reconnaissance missions in areas subject to nuclear, chemical or biological contamination. "The system's suitability as a means of searching for improvised explosive devices will also be studied, responding to the acute threat these currently pose to forces deployed in global conflict zones," the Rheinmetall release said. The need for such unmanned vehicles is seen as growing for theaters such as Iraq and Afghanistan, where traditional military strategies are proving less effective. Rheinmetall said that cost pressures would make the development of a sophisticated system such as the SAM-UGV "all but impossible for a single, company-financed research and development program." But since the four companies are working together, with the European Defense Agency arranging financial backing "this project is a good example of the way the European defense industry is bundling its strengths -- one of EDA's prime objectives." News of Rheinmetall's involvement in the SAM-UGV contract came a week after the company said the German military ordered 405 Puma infantry fighting vehicles from the company's 50-50 PSM GmbH partnership with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH and Co. KG. That deal is worth $4.3 billion.

DTN News: France's EADS Wins Contract To Provide Border Security System For Saudi Arabia

DTN News: France's EADS Wins Contract To Provide Border Security System For Saudi Arabia

*Sources: DTN News / AP By Greg Keller 8:56 AM PDT, July 1, 2009

(NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - July 2, 2009: European aerospace and defense contractor EADS NV has won a major contract with Saudi Arabia to supply a border security system covering 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles) of the kingdom's land and sea frontiers, the company said Wednesday.

The European aerospace and defense contractor said the system will be put in place over the next five years. It didn't disclose the size of the contract, but the French weekly news magazine Le Point said it was worth about euro2 billion ($2.8 billion). A spokeswoman couldn't immediately be reached. EADS Defense & Security will carry out the contract with Saudi Arabian partner Al Rashid group for construction works.The company, a division of European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. NV, beat out French, British and U.S. rivals for the contract, with Thales SA, BAe Systems plc and Raytheon Co. also having reportedly been in the running.

EADS already had been awarded a contract for security along Saudi Arabia's border with Iraq. The planned security system "will ensure border coverage is visible and managed at the sector level, whilst simultaneously providing situational awareness at the regional and national level," EADS said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia's defence spending has been growing at one of the fastest rates in the world in recent years thanks to the oil price boom earlier this decade.The kingdom spend $38.3 billion on defence last year, and this is forecast to rise to $43.5 billion this year, according to Jane's Defence Budgets.

The United States, Britain and France have been Saudi Arabia's largest military suppliers, and in 2006 Saudi Arabia was France's largest defence customer with total sales of euro890 million, accoring to Jane's Industry Quarterly.

Saudi Arabia is slightly more than one-fifth the size of the U.S. The smuggling of weapons and narcotics across the Saudi border with Iraq and the Saudi border with Yemen has been a big problem.

Saudi officials believe most of the weapons used in militant operations in Saudi Arabia — including some suicide attacks — were smuggled from Yemen, an impoverished country at the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula that has long been awash in small arms.

Securing the 1,300-km border with Yemen is a top Saudi priority, especially after militants announced in January the creation of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, a merger between the terror network's Yemeni and Saudi branches. Several senior members of the group are Saudis who slipped over the border after going through a militant rehabilitation program in Riyadh.

In April, Saudis discovered a cave tucked in the remote Saudi mountains near the Yemeni border that was clearly a way station for Islamic militants.

The Saudi border with Iraq is inhospitable for militants: Its flat, desert terrain is equipped with image-recognition technology that can detect movement across the frontier.

DTN News: Rosoboronexport, Thales Sign Cooperation Memorandum

DTN News: Rosoboronexport, Thales Sign Cooperation Memorandum

*Sources: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) ST. PETERSBURG, Russia - June 28, 2009: Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and France's Thales Group agreed on Friday to market jointly-developed naval equipment internationally. "Today, Rosoboronexport and the Thales company signed at the International Naval Show in St. Petersburg a memorandum on cooperation in the sphere of naval equipment," said Mikhail Bychkov, a Rosoboronexport official. With operations in 50 countries and 68,000 employees, Thales is a world leader in information systems for the aerospace, defense and security markets. Bychkov said the deal would create opportunities for combining the export potential of both companies to promote future projects, including Russian-built Project 20382 Tiger class corvettes equipped with electronics manufactured by Thales.

Project-20382 “Tiger” corvette is a ship for acting in the near sea zone against ships and submarines, for supporting landing troops, and against air targets. The corvette is equipped with Uran anti-ship missiles. Kashtan antiaircraft missile system, and Ka-27 helicopter. The “Tiger” corvette’s baseline is project-20380 Steregushchy [“Guarding”] corvette, which is now undergoing factory and state tests, and which is to enter Russian naval forces’ combat strength in late 2007. Experts estimate one export “Tiger” corvette at about $120-150 million. Primarily South-East Asian countries, as well as Venezuela and Qatar are interested in the corvette. A wide range of products of the Russian defence industrial complex is represented at the international exhibition of naval machinery and weapons Euronaval'2004, which opened at Le Bourget near Paris on 24 October 2005. The Russian chief delegate made special note of the latest Project 20382 Tigr corvette, featuring Stealth technology. After experiencing the Western military equipment embargo, Admiral Slamet Soebijanto turned to the East for possibilities. In September 2005, the Navy Chief of Staff and his team visited Russia to explore the purchase of warships from Rosoboronexport, Russia's armament industry. The navy's Strategic Plan for 2003-2013, created by Soebijanto's predecessor Bernard Kent Sondakh, included the purchase of four Sigma Class corvettes from Holland. The plan was already approved by the House of Representatives (DPR). The four ships were to be purchased in two stages-the first in 2003. The Dutch government provided export credit facilities. The first two ships were currently being constructed and were expected to be ready in 2007. After the presentation of the project 20382 Tiger Corvette, an export variant of the project 20380 Steregushchiy (Guardian) Corvette, a number of participants of the International Naval Salon held in June 2007 in St. Petersburg, there was some customer interest in it. Rosoboronexport (Russian Defense Export State Corporation) was working actively in this direction and hoped to have some particular contracts by the summer of 2008. On 29 June 2007, at the 3rd International Naval Exhibition in St. Petersburg, Rosoboronexport’s First Deputy Director General Vladimir Pakhomov and Indonesian Naval Forces Commander Admiral Slamet Subijanto signed a contract agreement on building project-20382 “Tiger” corvettes for Indonesia’s Navy. Later a firm contract would have to be signed, fixing the terms for the project’s implementation and the number of ships to be built. The corvette hulls would be built in Spain according to Russia’s design. There they would be equipped with engines and navigation equipment. The corvettes would sail under their own power to Severnaya Verf, where communication equipment, radio-electric equipment, armaments and other systems would be installed. It was Indonesia that required the corvette’s hull to be built in Spain. Rosoboronexport agreed to this plan in order to gain access to Indonesia’s naval market. Spain had been successfully working at Indonesia’s defense market for a long time. Thus it was said to be easier for Rosoboronexport to promote Russian ships to Indonesia thru Spain. Spain had not initially chosen the dockyard for building the corvettes.*

In June 2007, Rosoboronexport and Indonesia signed an agreement on the construction of two Project 20382 vessels for the Indonesian navy.

DTN News: Dutch Order Additional Bushmaster Vehicles

DTN News: Dutch Order Additional Bushmaster Vehicles *Sources: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands - June 21, 2009: In a further boost for Bushmaster exports, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence has ordered 14 new vehicles.The contract will take the total of Bushmasters supplied to the Netherlands to 72. The Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle or Infantry Mobility Vehicle is an Australian-built wheeled armoured vehicle. It was originally designed by Irish company Timoney Technology Ltd under a licence agreement with Perry Engineering in Adelaide; that licence was sold, with permission granted by Timoney as required by the licence terms, to Thales Australia. Once the Bushmaster was selected by the Australian Army after trials in 1998 to meet the Bushranger project requirements, the range of variants was developed further by Thales Australia in Bendigo. Oshkosh Truck has a contract to provide support and would manufacture in the US if there was an American order. The Bushmaster is currently in service with the Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Netherlands Army and British Army. Production work on the new vehicles has already begun, with delivery to the customer to be completed later this year.In a demonstration of the Bushmaster's flexibility, Thales will supply internal modular kits to allow vehicle reconfiguration in theatre. Additional EOS-SRWS stabilized remote weapon stations, which Thales is providing in conjunction with Australian-based EOS Ltd., are also part of the order. "This order is yet a further confirmation of the Bushmaster's suitability for a variety of tasks, and as a platform for different systems to suit every user's specific requirements," said Ian Irving, Vice President of Land & Joint Systems at Thales Australia. "The Bushmaster has been very successful on deployment with Dutch forces, and we have an ongoing close working relationship with the Netherlands Ministry of Defence. Through life support for this contract will take place at Thales's local industrial presence in the Netherlands." "Our highly skilled workforce in Bendigo, Victoria, are Australia's leaders in delivering protected mobility solutions, with unrivalled local expertise along every stage of the process - from design and manufacturing to systems integration and through life support."

DTN News: Estonia, Finland Order 14 Medium-Range Radars / Estonia Concluded A Contract For The Procurement Of Two Medium Range Radar Systems

DTN News: Estonia, Finland Order 14 Medium-Range Radars / Estonia Concluded A Contract For The Procurement Of Two Medium Range Radar Systems

(NSI News Source Info) June 4, 2009: Today, Estonia concluded a procurement contract, together with the Finnish Ministry of Defence and the French company Thales-Raytheon Systems, for the procurement of two 3D medium range radar systems, which will cover Estonia and its surrounding airspace with a single radar image.

ThalesRaytheonSystems has been selected to deliver Medium Range Air Surveillance Systems including 14 Ground Master 403 radar systems, 12 for Finland and two for Estonia, and a Long Range Air Identification and Surveillance Radar System Mid Life Upgrade for five Teresa 22XX radars for Finland, which were previously supplied by Thales. The order value for the Ground Master radars and the Teresa upgrade is expected to be approximately €200 million ($265 million). ThalesRaytheonSystems has also been selected to provide 12 Sentinel radars as part of the air defense system selected by the Finnish Ministry of Defense to fulfill Finland's future Medium Range Air Defense Missile System (MRADMS) requirements.

Estonia and Finland will together procure a total of 14 radar systems of the Ground Master 403 series. The two radar systems intended for Estonia are meant to supplement Estonia’s current sole 3D medium range radar in Kellavere, in West-Viru County, and to also provide a sufficient air surveillance image for Western and South-eastern Estonia.

The formidable air surveillance image created thanks to the procurement will increase early warning time in case of possible crisis situations, and is also the prerequisite for the operation of air policing fighter craft and air defence missile systems, the procurement of which is planned for the future. Also, as a member of NATO, Estonia is required to provide elementary radar coverage on its territory and to some extent also outside of the Alliance’s external border. Minister of defence Jaak Aaviksoo expressed hope that the joint procurement with Finland creates good premise for future joint procurements. “Several priorities of the Estonian National defence development plan for 2009-2018 – air surveillance and defence, communications and command systems, rapid response capability – overlap with the long-term planning directions of Finnish national defence,” noted Aaviksoo.

According to Finland’s Minister of Defence, Jyri Häkämies, the joint radar procurement with Estonia benefits both parties. “Combining our procurements is very economical financially. And the cooperation, in terms of procurements and equipment, also strengthens the relations between Estonia’s and Finland’s national defence structures,” said Minister of Defence Häkämies.

For Estonia, the procurement totals MEEK 350, to be paid based on a flexible schedule for payments during the period 2009-2014. Since Finland and Estonia have procured a total of 14 radar systems, the producer can, thanks to production efficiency, offer the systems at very reasonable prices – technically Estonia gets two radar systems for the price of one thanks to the joint procurement with Finland.

The Thales-Raytheon Systems Ground Master 403 radar systems are capable of detecting aircraft at a range of up to 470 km and at an altitude of up to 30 km. These are mobile systems, meaning that when necessary the radar can be relocated from its permanent position and set up elsewhere within an hour.

In addition to two primary radar systems, the procurement includes secondary radar systems, generators for the radar systems, containers, vehicles, training and radomes (domes to cover the radar systems when they are in their stationary positions).

According to the procurement contract, Thales-Raytheon Systems has the obligation to make offset purchases with a procurement contract of similar scope from Estonian enterprises. Preferable for the offset purchases would be areas such as research and development, strategic goods and high-tech goods.

This way, the radar procurement also provides support for the development of innovative and high-tech industries in Estonia. The spectrum of the offset purchases reaches from the export of products and services, research and development, investments and technology transfers to corresponding marketing support.

The Estonian and Finnish Ministries of Defence concluded a Memorandum of Understanding in October 2007, for carrying out the joint radar procurement. According to the memorandum, the Finnish Air Force, with the participation of the Estonian Ministry of Defence and experts of the Defence Forces, prepared an invitation for tender to determine the most suitable radar system. One of the priorities of the National defence development plan for 2009-2018, which was approved by the government in January 2009, is the further development of the reconnaissance, surveillance and early warning systems of the Estonian Defence Forces. The procurement for the air surveillance radar systems is the first of the larger procurements planned in the recently approved development plan.

Singapore Awarded Thales With LEP Its Mine Countermeasure Vessels / Thales Appointed Prime Contractor For Modernisation of Singapore's Mine Vessels

Singapore Awarded Thales With LEP Its Mine Countermeasure Vessels / Thales Appointed Prime Contractor For Modernisation of Singapore's Mine Countermeasures Vessels (NSI News Source Info) SINGAPORE - May 13, 2009: Following a call for international tender, the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) of Singapore awarded Thales with the Life Extension Programme (LEP) of its 4 Bedok class mine-countermeasure vessels. The Bedok class are mine countermeasures vessels (MCMVs) of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). They play an important role in the maritime security of Singapore, ensuring that the Singapore Strait and the sea lanes surrounding Singapore remain mine-free and open to international shipping. It is estimated that closure of Singapore’s ports would result in direct trade losses amounting to more than US$1.2 billion daily, posing a serious threat to Singapore's economy. The four ships form the 194 Squadron of the RSN. In November 2007, it was reported that three companies were shortlisted to compete for the supply of a new one-shot mine disposal system to equip the Bedok class. Atlas Elektronik, ECA and Gaymarine were selected for detailed technical and commercial evaluation following an initial assessment of five candidate systems. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and L-3 Ocean Systems, offering their Minesniper system and Mk 8x Expendable Mine Destructor respectively, were eliminated from consideration. BAE Systems was unable to provide its Archerfish system for evaluation within the required timescale. In November 2008, the Bedok class upgrade programme was revealed. Of the four vessels, two are planned to be fully refitted with modifications to the hulls and mine-hunting systems, while the other two will receive partial refits. A decision between two competing European bids is expected to be made by April 2009, with completion of the first platform expected 18 months later. This significant contract highlights the relevance of both Thales's naval technology portfolio and its comprehensive set of skills and capabilities to address key modernisation programs in an ever-more competitive international naval market. Thales will provide an advanced, integrated mine-countermeasure (MCM) Combat System, including the Mine Information System, a Hull Mounted Sonar, a Towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) and Expendable Mine Disposal Systems. Thales will also be in charge of making any structural alterations to the vessels in relation to the integration of new systems and equipment. "Thales is honoured to have been selected by the DSTA as Prime Contractor for the modernisation program of the Bedok Class MCM vessels. This contract award underlines the cutting edge of Thales's naval technology portfolio to address the very challenging maritime environment of the Republic of Singapore", says Marc Darmon, Senior Vice President of Thales and Head of Naval Division. Within the framework of the contract, Thales will also closely cooperate with the ST Electronics Group, building on the successful history of cooperation in various other programs. "Upon completion of the modernisation program, the RSN will benefit from a high coverage rate of MCM operations, with a very high level of detection and classification accuracy of the most advanced sea mines. This enhanced capability constitutes a key contribution to a safer maritime environment", says Benoit Ribadeau-Dumas, Vice President of Thales's Underwater Systems Business. In 2007 and 2008, Thales has been awarded significant MCM modernisations programs in Norway, India and Lithuania. BACKGROUND NOTES: With an every higher degree of sophistication and the potential use by terrorists in high traffic sea lines of communications, sea mines pose an increasing threat to naval forces and commercial vessel traffic. In order to counter such threats, navies around the world are maintaining a cutting edge mine-hunting capability. This requires innovative sensors and algorithms able to rapidly and with a high degree of confidence detect and classify mines are necessary, along with the effectors to dispose of them. Effectors may include expendable drones so as to remove the human operator from being exposed to the threats posed by mine disposal operations.

U.K. To Extend UAV-By-The-Hour Deal

U.K. To Extend UAV-By-The-Hour Deal

(NSI News Source Info) LONDON - March 13, 2009: Britain's Ministry of Defence is to extend a UAV-by-the-hour deal with Thales UK that provides the military in Afghanistan with key intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capabilities. Company officials attending an engineering and science event here March 11 confirmed that they are close to completing arrangements for the ISTAR deal to run through to the in-service date of the British Army's Watchkeeper UAV system scheduled for 2011.

In July 2004, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that Thales UK had been selected as the preferred bidder for the Watchkeeper Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicle (TUAV) system. Watchkeeper will provide the UK armed forces with intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability. "Watchkeeper will provide the UK armed forces with intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capability." In August 2005, Thales UK was awarded the contract for the development, manufacture and initial support (DMIS) phases of the Watchkeeper programme. The number of Watchkeeper systems has not yet been formally announced, but is thought to be about 54 systems. Watchkeeper is a tactical system that will be operated in theatre by the British Army Royal Artillery. Thales UK's Watchkeeper proposal included a large UAV and a smaller UAV, support equipment and ground stations. The MoD has decided that a single UAV solution is more cost effective and only the larger WK450 UAV will be developed. The air vehicle will be capable of carrying a range of sensors including day and night cameras and surveillance radars. In June 2007, following completion of the critical design review, Thales unveiled the final design which features the dual payload, all-weather operation with de-icing and automatic take-off and landing capability. First flight of the Watchkeeper UAV was in April 2008, from Megido Airfield in northern Israel. Trials of Elbit's Magic X-band automatic take-off and landing system were successfully completed in August 2008. Trials with the I-Master radar and electro-optic payloads are due later in 2008. Flight testing will move to Parc Aberporth in Wales in early 2009. The Watchkeeper system will enter service in the British armed forces Royal Artillery in 2010. A full Watchkeeper system can be deployed to theatre in a single C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. As an urgent operational requirement to provide intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) until Watchkeeper enters service, the British Army has ordered a Hermes 450 UAV (on which the Watchkeeper is based) unit from Thales UK / Elbit. The unit has been operational in Iraq since June 2007. Thales has been providing the service for British forces since mid-2007 to help plug a gap in British ISTAR capabilities in Afghanistan and Iraq. Under an urgent operational requirement deal with the MoD, Thales provides the Elbit Hermes 450 tactical UAV, contractor logistics support and program management services. It also trains the military in the use and maintenance of the system. The UAV-by-the-hour service has drawn considerable attention from Canada, France and other NATO nations that need similarly rapid hikes in ISTAR capabilities. To date, the Hermes 450s have flown more than 18,000 hours for the British in the two operational theaters, a Thales UK spokeswomen said. The original two-year deal was expected to be worth around 60 million pounds ($83 million), much of that going to UAV provider Elbit. British forces are likely to pull out of Iraq later this year and it remains unclear whether the UAVs in that theater will be switched to bolster capabilities in Afghanistan. MoD officials at the event declined to discuss the ISTAR plans, citing operational security issues. The British arm of Thales was selected in 2005 as the winner of the 900 million-pound Watchkeeper program. Based on a much-modified version of the Hermes 450, the first platform and associated ground segment equipment is scheduled to be delivered to the Army here in October 2010 and enter service a few months later. The platform is currently undergoing flight testing in Israeli prior to transitioning to Britain in the fourth quarter of this year to begin U.K. eyes-only tests on sensitive equipment such as the radar and datalink.

Canadian Army To Receive New Com. Software

Canadian Army To Receive New Com. Software

(NSI News Source Info) OTTAWA - March 11, 2009:Thales Canada and General Dynamics Canada have been awarded contracts to provide the Canadian Army with new communications software and support over the next five years. Effective communications is the cornerstone of the digital battlefield. Without effective communications, an otherwise powerful force can be rendered unable to function in a coordinated manner. Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced on March 9 the two contracts totaling 524 million Canadian dollars ($420 million). They are both related to the Land Command Support System project that integrates various Army communications and command-and-control systems. A 184 million Canadian dollar contract was awarded to Thales Canada for software support and provision of a battle management system. The second contract for 341 million Canadian dollars went to General Dynamics Canada for engineering and integration support of the system. MacKay called the Land Command Support System (LCSS) critical for Canada's Army. "The LCSS pulls together a variety of functions such as radio communications, in-theater force positioning and surveillance, and the reconnaissance sensors to create something that is best described as the Army's battlefield Internet," he explained at the news conference. "The LCSS is essential for our soldiers, as it gives them rapid connectivity that is so crucial on today's battlefields." Both contracts are for a five-year period, with the Canadian government having the option of exercising five additional one-year terms. "This will provide stability in how we design, develop and sustain the LCSS going forward, with General Dynamics supplying engineering and integration support and Thales Canada providing software support for the system," MacKay said. "The expertise and capability of these two companies will prove indispensable in maintaining the superior quality of the LCSS over the long term." Amy MacLeod, a spokeswoman for General Dynamics Canada, said most of the work will be done in the company's facilities in Calgary, Alberta. General Dynamics Canada has provided in-service support for the Army's digital communications system since 2003. Conrad Bellehumeur, a spokesman for Thales Canada, said the firm is looking at building on the Canadian contract by marketing such software in the future to international markets, as well as to security-related civilian organizations such as police forces.

First Superjet 100 Plane To Be Delivered To Aeroflot In Dec.

First Superjet 100 Plane To Be Delivered To Aeroflot In Dec.

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - March 5, 2009: Russia's Sukhoi Civil Aircraft company will deliver its first Superjet 100 medium-haul airliner to the country's flagship carrier Aeroflot in December, the SCA president said on Wednesday. The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is a modern, fly-by-wire regional jet in the 75- to 95-seat category. The Superjet 100 will be produced by Russian aerospace firm Sukhoi's civil division, of which Finmeccanica of Italy owns 25%. The jet is being developed in collaboration with Finmeccanica subsidiary Alenia Aeronautica. Italian design group Pininfarina will design optional interiors. The Superjet 100 project is a family of medium-haul passenger aircraft developed by Sukhoi in cooperation with U.S. and European aviation corporations, including Boeing, Snecma, Thales, Messier Dowty, Liebherr Aerospace and Honeywell. Viktor Subbotin said a total of 30 airplanes were to be supplied to Aeroflot. The company had initially been scheduled to deliver the first plane in November 2008. He said the next consignment of Superjet 100s would be provided to the Rosavia airline, a successor to the now defunct AiRUnion. The plane manufacturer earlier said the first Superjet 100 aircraft had made 40 test flights, clocking a total of 100 hours, and that a total of four planes would take part in the certification program, which should be completed in the third quarter of 2009. Sukhoi earlier said there were at least 100 orders for the aircraft. Sukhoi, part of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), plans to manufacture at least 700 Superjet 100s, and intends to sell 35% of them to North America, 25% to Europe, 10% to Latin America, and 7% to Russia and China.

Royal Air Force’s New £13 Billion Tankers Take Shape

Royal Air Force’s New £13 Billion Tankers Take Shape

(NSI News Source Info) February 26, 2009: A major milestone was reached today as the first set of wings for the RAF's advanced new fleet of tanker aircraft left Airbus UK's Broughton plant in North Wales. The wings were loaded onto a giant Beluga aircraft to transport them to the Toulouse-based production facility where the new tanker aircraft will be assembled. Air Tanker Consortium comprised of Rolls-Royce, EADS, Cobham and Thales were confirmed as bidder most likely to offer a value for money solution. It is believed that Air Tanker are proposing the A330-200 aircraft as the FSTA platform. Some analysts predict an FSTA fleet of about 10 aircraft. The Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) is planned to replace the air-to-air refuelling (AAR) and some elements of air transport (AT) capability currently provided by the RAF’s fleet of VC10 and TriStar aircraft. The wings are destined for the first of 14 A330-200 based tanker aircraft ordered last year under an innovative £13 billion contract with the AirTanker consortium. The Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) will replace the RAF's long-serving fleet of VC-10 and Tristar tankers, undertaking a range of transport and air refuelling tasks. Witnessing the wings leaving Broughton, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support Quentin Davies said: "Today's wing ceremony marks a significant stage in the life of the Future Strategic Air Tanker and is good news for the RAF and good news for industry and UK jobs. These state-of-the-art tanker aircraft will provide an important contribution to operations, enabling the RAF to continue its essential air to air refuelling tasks, as well as providing more reliable and economical transport for our personnel, delivering them to the heart of our operations around the world." While the basic aircraft will be assembled in Toulouse, there will be significant input into manufacture in the UK with the programme creating up to 600 jobs in the UK, as well as directly sustaining up to 3000 and indirectly a further 4500. Rolls-Royce at Derby is assembling the Trent 700 engines with technical support from its Filton plant, Airbus UK at Broughton and GKN Filton are involved in wing production, Cobham at Wimborne and Bournemouth is installing refuelling equipment and carrying out related conversion work, and Thales UK at Crawley, Raynes Park and Wells supplies simulators, defensive aids, avionics and mission planning systems. Notes to Editors: 1. The FSTA (Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft) cabin will be able to transport up to 290 personnel and the cargo hold 44 tonnes of payload. The aircraft represents a significant advance in capability over its predecessors, with improved reliability, performance and economy. 2. In its air-to-air refuelling role it will have the ability to offload 60 tonnes of fuel 1000 miles from base, and remain on station for 2 hours. 3. The £13Bn PFI contract will allow AirTanker to operate the aircraft on commercial tasks when not required for military duties. RAF crews will operate the aircraft on military duties, together with some Sponsored Reservists employed by the contractor. The contract was signed on 27 March 2008 4. The 27 year contract covers all aspects of the operation, including the provision of new infrastructure, currently being constructed at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, which will be the fleet's main operating base. 5. The AirTanker consortium comprises Cobham, EADS, Rolls-Royce, Thales and VT Group. The Airbus Military division of EADS will be responsible for designing, developing and converting the tankers and for delivering the completed aircraft to AirTanker. 6. For further information please contact the following Tim Lewis, Defence Equipment & Support Press Office, 0117 913 0526 tim.lewis684@mod.uk; Sqn Ldr Al Green, MOD Press Office, 020 7218 7950 al.green633@mod.uk; Mary Ann Griffiths, AirTanker, 01993 847804 maryann.griffiths@airtanker-services.co.uk

Thales Wins Radar Contract For New British Carriers / United Kingdom Selects Thales’s S1850M Radar For New Aircraft Carriers

Thales Wins Radar Contract For New British Carriers / United Kingdom Selects Thales’s S1850M Radar For New Aircraft Carriers

(NSI News Source Info) HENGELO, Netherlands - February 13, 2009: Thales Nederland has formalised a contract with BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies Limited for two S1850M Long Range Volume Search Radars to be installed on the new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy.

The carriers are being built by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance comprising the UK Ministry of Defence, BVT Surface Fleet, Babcock Marine, BAE Systems and Thales.

The first radar system is scheduled to be delivered during 2011 and the second radar system in 2013. The scope includes minor enhancements to the earlier Type 45 design to meet the specific needs of aircraft carrier operation.

BACKGROUND NOTES:

The S1850M surveillance radar is based on Thales's SMART-L radar and was previously delivered to the Type 45 vessels for the UK Royal Navy and the Horizon class vessels of the French and Italian Navies, in a collaboration between BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies Limited and Thales Nederland.

The system is capable of 3D long range automatic detection, track initiation and tracking of air targets. Its performance has been demonstrated in many tests and the system has proven to be capable of detecting stealth targets in high clutter environments.

Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, addressing defence, aerospace and security markets worldwide.

Thales’s leading-edge technology is supported by 22,000 R&D engineers who offer a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and deploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries with 2007 revenues of EUR 12.3 billion. Thales Nederland, established in 1922, is one of the leading companies in integrated naval systems for surveillance, weapon control, combat management and system integration worldwide.

Thales To Upgrade Radar Of Dutch M-Frigates / Thales To Modernize Netherlands' M-Frigates Radar Suite

Thales To Upgrade Radar Of Dutch M-Frigates / Thales To Modernize Netherlands' M-Frigates Radar Suite

(NSI News Source Info) February 10, 2009: The Netherlands' Defence Materiel Organization and Thales Nederland signed a contract for the delivery of SEASTAR and GATEKEEPER sensors that are to be installed on the two M-class frigates.

The modernization will take place in 2011 and 2012 in the scope of the M-frigates' upkeep program. Simultaneously, a contract was signed for the delivery of a GATEKEEPER system that will be installed on the LPD Johan de Witt.

HNLMS Van Speijk (F828) is the eighth and last ship in the Karel Doorman-class of multi-purpose frigates. *Van Speijk was laid down 1 October 1991, launched 26 March 1994, and commissioned 7 September 1995. She is the seventh ship in the Royal Netherlands Navy to be named after Jan van Speijk, who during the Belgian Revolution blew up his ship rather than let it fall in Belgian hands.

The M-Class frigates were introduced in the nineties and were intended for air defence and submarine warfare in the Atlantic. However, these ships are deployed mainly in littoral waters to counter frontier-running, pollution, drugs trafficking and piracy. The SEASTAR and GATEKEEPER sensors provide the vessels with the capability to detect the small targets encountered in such situations. The two new sensors will be matched with the tried-and-true SMART-S surveillance radar and the STIR weapon control radar that are on board of the M-frigates.

This contract includes an option for the same modernization of the two M-Frigates that have been purchased by the Belgian Navy in 2005. The Joint Support Ship that will be built for the RNLN is expected to be equipped with an Integrated Mast, similar to the Mast on the OPVs that also includes SEASTAR and GATEKEEPER.

This contract marks another step in the long-standing and very successful cooperation between the Royal Netherlands Navy and Thales Nederland and proves that Thales's systems can be integrated in existing platform configurations.

BACKGROUND NOTES:

-- SEASTAR is a non-rotating active phased array radar for naval surface surveillance. The system automatically detects and tracks asymmetric threats and very small objects such as swimmers, periscopes in all weather conditions. SEASTAR can also be used for helicopter guidance. SEASTAR has been contracted for two ship classes at present.

-- GATEKEEPER is a 360° panoramic electro-optical surveillance and alerter system based on IR/TV technology. Designed to counter emerging asymmetric threats down to small boats and swimmers, GATEKEEPER increases short-range situational awareness in littoral environments. GATEKEEPER has been contracted for two ship classes at present.

-- Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, addressing defence, aerospace and security markets worldwide. Thales's leading-edge technology is supported by 22,000 R&D engineers who offer a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and deploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries with 2007 revenues of EUR 12.3 billion. Thales Nederland, established in 1922, is one of the leading companies in integrated naval systems for surveillance, weapon control, combat management and system integration world-wide.

Pakistan: JF-17X Stealth Fighter

Pakistan: JF-17X Stealth Fighter

(NSI News Source Info) Source; Tempur - January 27, 2009: In what is seen as a counter to India’s effort to jointly develop the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) with Russia’s Sukhoi Aircraft Corp, Pakistan’s Kamra-based Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China’s Chengdu Aerospace Corp (CAC) last October inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop an advanced, stealthy, single-seat and single-engined derivative of the JF-17 Thunder fourth-generation light multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) that is already being co-developed by PAC and CAC.

Consequently, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is expected to induct only 100 JF-17s into service between this year and 2014, and subsequently switch over to the acquisition of another 150 JF-17-derived fifth-generation stealthy MRCAs between 2015 and 2025.

Present plans call for the latter MRCA to be powered by SNECMA Moteurs’ M88-3 twin-shaft bypass turbofan, incorporate a digital glass cockpit and open-architecture avionics suite, and use SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems’ Vixen 500E X-band multi-mode active phased-array radar, or AESA, an integrated electronic warfare/defensive aids suite being developed by China’s CETC, along with a helmet-mounted sighting-cum-cueing system for which systems from THALES, BAE Systems and Denel Aerospace are being evaluated.

The M88 turbofan for this aircraft will have variable camber inlet guide vanes, while its high-pressure compressor will have a sixth stage, and its exhaust nozzle will be of the ejector type. The turbofan will deliver 50kN (11,250lb) of dry thrust and 75kN (17,000lb) with afterburning. The primary offensive armament to be carried by this aircraft will be two underwing-mounted Hatf-8 (also called ‘Raad’ or ‘thunder’ in Arabic) air-launched cruise missile, which has a range of 350km.

For air combat engagements, the stealthy MRCA will be armed with three types of air-to-air missiles: 60km-range PL-12 beyond visual range missile; 15km-range PL-13 within visual range missile; and PL-14 ramjet-powered 100km-range missile. The latter two have been developed by China in cooperation with South Africa’s Denel Aerospace.

In contrast, the JF-17, which is due to enter service late next year, is a light MRCA that will be eventually replace the PAF’s existing CAC-built F-7P Skybolt and F-7MG light MRCAs...