DTN News: UK Unveils Taranis Unmanned Combat Jet Prototype

DTN News: UK Unveils Taranis Unmanned Combat Jet Prototype

Source: DTN News - this article / report compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources BBC News & BAE Systems

(NSI News Source Info) WARTON/LONDON, U.K. - July 13, 2010: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has unveiled a prototype of its first unmanned combat aircraft. The plane will test the possibility of developing a stealth jet fighter with no pilots.

The MoD says the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) would be able to precisely strike targets at long range and would be controlled by military crews on the ground.

Speaking at its unveiling in Lancashire, minister for international security strategy Gerald Howarth said: "Taranis is a truly trailblazing project."

"The first of its kind in the UK, it reflects the best of our nation's advanced design and technology skills and is a leading programme on the global stage." Flight trials of the prototype unmanned combat aircraft will start next year.

Named after the Celtic god of thunder, the concept demonstrator will test the possibility of developing the first ever autonomous stealthy Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) that would ultimately be capable of precisely striking targets at long range, even in another continent.Should such systems enter into service, they will at all times be under the control of highly trained military crews on the ground.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony at BAE Systems in Warton, Lancashire, Minister for International Security Strategy Gerald Howarth said: “Taranis is a truly trailblazing project. The first of its kind in the UK, it reflects the best of our nation’s advanced design and technology skills and is a leading programme on the global stage.”

Representing the pinnacle of UK engineering and aeronautical design, Taranis is an informal partnership of the UK MoD and industry talents including BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, QinetiQ and GE Aviation.

Speaking on behalf of the industry team, Nigel Whitehead, Group managing director of BAE Systems' Programmes & Support business, said: "Taranis has been three and a half years in the making and is the product of more than a million man-hours. It represents a significant step forward in this country's fast-jet capability. This technology is key to sustaining a strong industrial base and to maintain the UK's leading position as a centre for engineering excellence and innovation."

The Taranis prototype will provide the UK MoD with critical knowledge on the technical and manufacturing challenges and the potential capabilities of Unmanned Combat Air Systems. or further information, please contact: Sqn Ldr Bruno Wood at UK Ministry of Defence Press

Office Tel: +44 (0) 207 218 1534,

Tim Foreman at the DE&S Press

OfficeMob: +44 (0) 7990 506591

Adam Morrison, BAE Systems

Tel: + 44 (0)1772 852714

Mob: + 44 (0)7525 390393

Email: adam.morrison@baesystems.com

Leonie Foster, BAE Systems plc

Tel: +44 (0) 1252 383777

Mob: +44 (0) 7540 630168

Email: leonie.foster@baesystems.com Issued by: BAE Systems, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 6YU, UK

Tel: +44 (0) 1252 384719 Fax: +44 (0) 1252 38394724

hr media hotline: + 44 (0) 7801 717739

http://www.baesystems.com/ Ministry of Defence (MoD) Related News:

*The British military's helicopters 15 April 10The P Word *How to fly an aerobatics plane 26 March 10 echnology *See inside an Apache helicopter 22 January 10 ront Page *Meet the man who arms Apache helicopters 22 January 10 ront Page *See the V-22 Osprey in action 16 December 09 The P Word *Training with an Armed Forces helicopter 16 July 09 The P Word

DTN News: Eurofighter Typhoon Sales Boost Hope To BAE Future Targets

DTN News: Eurofighter Typhoon Sales Boost Hope To BAE Future Targets *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) LONDON, UK - December 7, 2009: BAE Systems expects a £10bn boost to revenues if new targets for the sales of Typhoon jets are reached. The defence company said the Eurofighter consortium, which includes Germany, Spain and Italy, expects to sell 300 Typhoons worth £30bn to ten countries over the next decade. Eurofighter production ~ An overall production contract for 620 aircraft was signed in January 1998 with 232 for UK, 180 for Germany, 121 for Italy and 87 for Spain. By mid-2009, a total of 707 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft had been ordered including 72 Saudi Arabia and 15 for Austria. Initial orders have been placed for 148 aircraft - Germany (44), Italy (29), Spain (20) and UK (55). Prime customer is the Nato Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA), representing the four governments. Series production of the aircraft is underway at EADS Military Aircraft (Germany), BAE Systems, Alenia Aeronautica and EADS CASA (Spain). The first four series production aircraft for the four participating nations took maiden flights in February 2003 and the Eurofighter Typhoon received type acceptance on 30 June 2003. First series production twin-seat aircraft were delivered to the German Air Force in August 2003, to the Spanish Air Force in September 2003, to the UK Royal Air Force in December 2003 and to the Italian Air Force in February 2004. First single-seat batch 2 aircraft were delivered to the four participating nations in early 2005. Deliveries of all 148 tranche 1 aircraft (including one airframe for fatigue testing) to the four partner nations concluded in June 2008. The success of the export mission is vital to BAE's Warton factory near Preston, Lancashire, which assembles the Typhoon, also known as the Eurofighter. About 20,000 skilled workers in the area depend on the factory. Last month the Government said it was cutting back on an order for 232 jets. It will now buy just 160. This could have left the factory vulnerable to closure in five years, but the world-leading design is expected to secure about one third of the world fighter market. BAE Systems has been given the task of leading the export drive in Japan, where there is a fierce battle-between the Europeans and Americans for a 50-aircraft programme worth about £5bn. BAE is also trying to net an Indian order for 66 planes. It has already sold 24 planes to the Saudis and hopes to win further orders from Oman. A key selling point is the transfer of technology to the countries buying the jets, allowing them eventually to build their own. This is in contrast to the Typhoon's closest rival, the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22, whose technology the Americans are keen to keep secret. But Mark Parkinson, BAE senior vice president international, said: 'You cannot ignore the fact that politics plays a very big role.' •• The British and US governmentsare still locked in talks over the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, it has emerged. The UK Government intends to buy the plane, which is partly built by BAE Systems, as well as Lockheed Martin/Boeing, to replace the Harrier Jump Jet. But the US government is still refusing to hand over some technology, which would mean the RAF would not be able to completely service the plane itself.

Royal Air Force's Nimrods May Retire Sooner Due To Fatigue

Royal Air Force's Nimrods May Retire Sooner Due To Fatigue

Britain Pulls Nimrods For Safety Upgrades....Defense-Technology News March 10, 2009

(NSI News Source Info) March 14, 2009:Britain is withdrawing all of its Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft from overseas, until all can have problems with fuel leaks and air circulation fixed. This is a major problem in Afghanistan, where the Nimrods have been very useful in providing ground surveillance and electronic monitoring. It was hoped some Nimrods could be kept in service overseas, but the need for repairs proved more urgent than expected. The main cause of the problems is age related. The Nimrod is a 1960s design that uses the airframe of the 1950s era Comet airliner. There has been work on a replacement aircraft, but money shortages, and disagreements over specifications, have delayed this. Crews have complained about the problems for years. The repair program was largely motivated by a Nimrod crash in Afghanistan in 2006, because of fuel leak problems, and the remaining 18 Nimrods are considered too old to be fixed by anything short of a complete rebuild. This is underway, but the first rebuilt Nimrod won't be available until next year. Three of the Nimrods are the R1 variant, and used as signals intelligence aircraft, and are considered essential over Afghanistan. Britain needs the electronic monitoring aircraft now. So they leased two U.S. Air Force electronic monitoring aircraft (RC-135 Rivet Joint) to fill in because of shortages.

The aircraft will have joint British and American crews, but will be painted in Royal Air Force colors. Britain is also buying three RC-135s from the United States, at $350 million each. Most of this money is for the electronics. The aircraft itself is a rebuilt KC-135 tanker.

BAE Buys U.S. UAV Maker

BAE Buys U.S. UAV Maker

(NSI News Source Info) LONDON - March 13, 2009: BAE Systems has taken another step toward building its unmanned air vehicle business by acquiring the privately owned Advanced Ceramics Research for an undisclosed sum. Silver Fox UAV - From the original Silver Fox research and development program funded by Small Business Innovative Research grants and Science Technology Transfer programs under the Office of Naval Research and by the Naval Air Systems Command came evaluations of it by units of the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard. Through spiral development grounded in battle front use and in employment for training and exercises the Silver Fox UAV has proven to be the unmanned aerial vehicle of choice by many. The Silver Fox UAV provides lower cost, high endurance and exceptional autonomous aerial surveillance imaging, carrying miniaturized sensor payloads for day or night operations with a small operations footprint. The Silver Fox engineering team can integrate cameras and sensors for image or data collection and transmission via its integrated ground control system (iGCS). It can be launched from the portable, lightweight, closed gas piston rail system mounted atop its storage case, on board small boats, submarines and ships, armored vehicles, HUMVEEs or trucks. Arizona-based Advanced Ceramics Research produces three small UAVs and related ground support equipment. It also sells ceramic materials in the military and civil aerospace markets. Unmanned systems, primarily for air applications, are for the moment a fledgling business for BAE but it is one of the sectors targeted for major growth by the company through acquisition and organic growth. To date, BAE's work in the UAV business has centered on larger tactical and strategic platform developments based in the U.K. The company has started marketing its Herti autonomously operated UAV and is center stage in British efforts to develop a wider capability in the sector with the much larger Reaper-sized Mantis and Taranis vehicles. Mantis is already in Australia, awaiting its maiden flight from the Woomera test range early in the second quarter of this year. Taranis is now in final assembly with ground trials slated to begin in late 2009. Both programs are part U.K. government funded. Advanced Ceramics' UAVs range from the Silver Fox with its 8-pound payload and 10-hour duration, to the Coyote with a 1-pound payload and 90-minute duration. Walt Havenstein, the president and chief executive of BAE's U.S. operations, said in a statement that the acquisition will "provide BAE with an excellent set of mature, operational products within the small/mini and tactical unmanned air systems market. The addition of these smaller platforms will complement the larger UAS being developed by BAE in the U.K."

Britain Pulls Nimrods For Safety Upgrades

Britain Pulls Nimrods For Safety Upgrades

(NSI News Source Info) March 10, 2009: Royal Air Force Nimrod surveillance aircraft are being withdrawn from overseas operations in order to have vital safety upgrades fitted, Britain's Ministry of Defence announced March 9. The upgrade was to have been fitted to all Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft by the end of March, but the program has been delayed by supply problems with the fuel seals that will replace existing equipment on the aging aircraft. Starting in 1975, 32 aircraft were upgraded to MR2 standard, including modernisation of the electronic suite and (as the MR2P) provision for in-flight refuelling and additional ESM pods on the wingtips. The in-flight refuelling capability was introduced during the Falklands War, as well as hardpoints to allow the Nimrod to carry the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile (giving rise to the aircraft being called "the largest fighter in the world"). Eventually all MR2s gained refuelling probes and the "P" designation was dropped. The Nimrod MR2 carries out three main roles. Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Anti-Surface Unit Warfare (ASUW) and Search and Rescue (SAR). Its extended range enables the crew to monitor maritime areas far to the north of Iceland and up to 4,000 km out into the Western Atlantic. With Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR), range and endurance is greatly extended. The MR2 is a submarine killer carrying up to date sensors and data processing equipment linked to the weapon systems. In addition to weapons and sonobuoys, a searchlight can be mounted in the starboard wing pod for Search and rescue (SAR) operations. The crew consists of two pilots and one flight engineer, two navigators (one tactical navigator and a routine navigator), one Air Electronics Officer (AEO), the sonobuoy sensor team of two Weapon System Operators (WSOp ACO) and four Weapon System Operators (WSOp EW) to manage passive and active electronic warfare systems. Two of the WSOps will be used as observers positioned at the port and starboard beam lookout windows when flying in dense air traffic. The MR2 has the longest bomb bay of any NATO aircraft. The Nimrod MR2 is based at RAF Kinloss in Scotland and flown by 201, 120 and 42(R) Squadrons. First maintenance of the MR2 is carried out by the Nimrod Line Sqn. Software Support for the MR2 is carried out by the Nimrod Software Team also based at RAF Kinloss. The aircraft will be withdrawn from service on March 31 and returned to Britain for modifications. They will return to operation by early summer, an MoD spokeswoman here said. The ministry says other British and coalition surveillance assets will plug the gap while the aircraft are upgraded. The RAF is known to operate the aircraft over Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as in the United Kingdom where it has homeland security, maritime surveillance and other duties. The upgrade follows the 2006 crash of a Nimrod in Afghanistan. The crew of 14 was killed when a midair fuel leak ignited a fire on the aircraft soon after it had completed air-to-air refueling. As a result, inflight refueling on the Nimrod has been banned. After a board of inquiry in late 2007, the MoD directed that the 18 Nimrods have their fuel seal and engine bay hot air ducting replaced by the end of the first quarter. That didn't happen, so the aircraft are being withdrawn from overseas service. About half a dozen of the MR2 and R1 intelligence aircraft have been modified with the new hot air ducting, but it is not clear how many of the revamped aircraft have had new fuel seals fitted. In a parliamentary statement, Bob Ainsworth, armed forces minister, said, "Problems with the provision of replacement fuel seals mean that both programs will be delayed beyond that date" of March 31. The minister said that while the hot air ducting changes were essential, the aircraft could continue to fly safely without the new fuel seals. "In order that the risks involved in operating the aircraft remain tolerable and as low as reasonably practicable, no Nimrods should fly after 31 March 2009, unless their hot air ducts have been replaced," Ainsworth said. "Delays to the replacement of fuel seals will, however, have no impact on flying since our experts assess that the risk is tolerable." BAE Systems is the contractor that is doing the work as part of a wider support deal it has on the Nimrod fleet. It is not clear whether the company or the government is responsible for supplying the fuel seals. One official with knowledge of the program said the seals were to be provided as government-furnished equipment. A spokesman for BAE said it was a matter for the MoD. It is "inappropriate for the company to comment," he said. The work is being undertaken at the RAF MR2 base at Kinloss in Scotland and the R1 base at Waddington in England. The minister said the work would temporarily reduce routine U.K.-based Nimrod flying. The MR2s were to have been replaced by the new Nimrod MRA4 surveillance aircraft being developed and built by BAE. The new aircraft should have been in service in 2003 but a series of delays mean the MRA4 is now not expected to be operational until 2010.

Boeing Delivers 1st CH-47F Chinook Manufactured Under Multiyear Contract Award

Boeing Delivers 1st CH-47F Chinook Manufactured Under Multiyear Contract Award

(NSI News Source Info) RIDLEY TOWNSHIP -February 27, 2009: Boeing today announced delivery of the first CH-47F Chinook manufactured under a five-year U.S. Army contract awarded in August 2008. The helicopter will be assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., the fourth unit scheduled to be equipped under the Army's ongoing Chinook modernization program. Boeing has delivered 48 F model helicopters to the United States Army; on August 26, 2008, Boeing announced that the Army has signed a five year contract, worth over $4.8 billion for 191 more, plus 24 options. In February 2007 the Netherlands was the first international customer to order the F model, six helicopters were ordered to expand their current fleet to 17. These six helicopters will be equipped with an upgraded version of the Honeywell Avionics Control Management System (ACMS) cockpit. Additional orders are expected from Canada, Italy and the United Kingdom. "The timely delivery of our first multiyear CH-47F helicopter signifies the continued commitment of the U.S. Army and its Team Chinook partners to keep pace with our soldiers as they continue to serve this great nation," said Lt. Col. Thomas Todd, CH-47F product manager. "Boeing has once again stepped up and proved it is a steadfast partner in our efforts to keep America safe and strong." "The Boeing Company has shown its commitment to this important program by applying company funds and working in advance of the contract award to meet the delivery schedule," said Tommy Filler, CH-47F program director for Boeing. "It takes a dedicated group, including the U.S. Army customer, suppliers, and Boeing teammates, to achieve this milestone event. Our performance is measured daily and our commitment to 'Soldiers First' sets high expectations for first-time quality, on-time delivery and customer satisfaction." Under the multiyear contract, Boeing will deliver 24 aircraft in 2009 and then begin a graduated delivery rate through successive years, culminating in 2015. The multiyear contract also contains priced options for an additional 24 aircraft, for a total of up to 215 Chinooks. The 82nd Airborne has a long history of using the Chinook in combat, resupply and transport operations. The unit is simulating these missions in training with the new F-model aircraft. Built at the Boeing Rotorcraft Systems facility in Ridley Township, the CH-47F helicopter features a newly designed, modernized airframe, a Rockwell Collins Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) cockpit and a BAE Digital Advanced Flight Control System (DAFCS). The CAAS greatly improves aircrew situational awareness, while DAFCS provides dramatically improved flight-control capabilities through the entire flight envelope, significantly improved performance, and safety in the harshest of environments. CAAS also incorporates an advanced digital map display and a data transfer system that allows storing of preflight and mission data. Improved survivability features include the Common Missile Warning and Improved Countermeasure Dispenser systems. Powered by two 4,733-horsepower Honeywell engines, the new CH-47F can reach speeds greater than 175 mph and transport more than 21,000 pounds. The CH-47F, with the Robertson Aviation Extended Range Fuel System, has a mission radius of more than 400 nautical miles.

India: Murky Competition for $2Billion Howitzer Order May End Soon… Or Not

India: Murky Competition for $2Billion Howitzer Order May End Soon… Or Not

(NSI News Source Info) January 23, 2009: India’s $2 billion purchase of about 400 new 155mm self-propelled howitzers is intended to supplement India’s dwindling artillery stocks, while out-ranging and out-shooting Pakistan’s self-propelled M109 155mm guns. It seems simple enough, and BAE Systems Bofors has been competing against systems from Israel’s Soltam and Denel of South Africa.

Haubits 77 (Field Howitzer 77 or FH77), sometimes referred to as Haubits 77A (FH 77A), is a Swedish 155 mm howitzer. It was developed and manufactured by Bofors. Unfortunately, the competition has mostly served as a cautionary tale, a years-long affair filled with legal drama, accusations of corruption, and more than one re-start. Meanwhile, India’s stock of operational 155mm howitzers has dwindled to around 200. In 2007, a new RFP was issued, and the competition was expanded. Is there an end in sight? Or a potential winner? *Competition Background *Contracts and Key Events Competition Background Soltam Rascal US-India Defense and Strategic Affairs reported on the competition in 2004, and noted that this was expected to be one of the first large defense procurement decisions made by India’s new United Progressive Alliance government. The question now is whether a decision can be made within that government’s term(s) of office. The Rascal Light Self-Propelled Howitzer is a lightweight mobile artillery system developed by Soltam Ltd, Israel. After multiple firing trials and several years, India’s competition managed to end up without any competitors left standing. All 3 competitors (Bofors FH-77B05, Soltam TIG 2002, Denel G5/2000) failed to meet India’s accuracy specifications in 2003 trials, but all three improved their guns to compete again in 2004. There are reports that Soltam fell out of the race after its barrel burst during field trials, while South Africa’s Denel sidelined in 2004 and then eliminated in 2005, after the Indian government accused the manufacturer of corruption in another defence deal. That created problems on 2 fronts. Denel’s financial situation was deteriorating, and The Times of India reported that the contract may have been critical to the firm’s financial survival. In hindsight, that concern was valid, but Denel managed to survive the loss. A win certainly would have made a significant difference, and might have allowed Denel to delay its major corporate restructuring and associated strategic rethinking for several years. Bofors’ FH-77B05:Winner by default? The other problem involved India’s Ministry of Defence. DID has noted the extreme risk-averse behavior of India’s defense procurement establishment and its effects on contract awards, however, and Defense India notes that when a competition devolves to a single-vendor solution, the practice is often to re-tender. The resulting dithering was relieved when allegations that Bofors had paid INR 640 million (about $16 million) in bribes to secure the order eliminated the last contender. Bofors Defence AB had been blacklisted by India before, after allegations of kickbacks in a 1987 deal during Rajiv Gandhi’s regime. That scandal had derailed a planned 1,500 gun buy, reducing it to 410 FH-77B howitzers. Those accused in the Bofors case would eventually have their day in court, however, and win. In April 2007, India re-opened its howitzer competition again, and the passage of time had created a number of changes in the requirements and options. Meanwhile, the support contract with Bofors for India’s in-service howitzers expired in 2001, and India’s stock is believed to sit at just 200 operational 155/39 caliber guns as of January 2009. Contracts and Key Events Bofors Archer System The ARCHER Artillery System is an international project aimed at developing a next-generation self-propelled artillery system for Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The heart of the system is a fully automated 155 mm/L52 gun howitzer and a LEMUR Remote controlled weapon station mounted on a 6x6 Volvo dumper chassis . Aside from this, the system consists of an ammunition resupply vehicle, a support vehicle, BONUS Sensor-fuzed Artillery Shell and the Excalibur guided projectile. Jan 14/09: An anonymous Army official tells Indian reporters that: “The procurement process for the towed and light howitzer is proceeding as planned. Bids have been received from all the vendors and trials of the guns are planned in February or March [of 2009].... The trials for self-propelled howitzers are planned in May-June [2009].” According to the IANS report, the initial contract involves 180 guns, but the eventual contract is to include up to 400 guns, thanks to transfer of technology to build the howitzers in India. Of these, 140 will be light howitzers that will be spread over 7 regiments. They will still be 155/52 caliber, just lighter thanks to advances in metallurgy and design. The remaining 260 guns will be towed and self-propelled variants. April 4/07: Re-tender is exactly what happened. Sujan Dutta of The Calcutta Telegraph reports that India has reopened its artillery competitions entirely, refloating 2 global RFPs to 12 makers of 155mm/52 calibre self-propelled guns. The Indian Army reportedly proposes to buy 400 systems at the outset: 180 tracked and 220 wheeled. The first new tender was for wheeled guns, with an RFP floated in early March 2007. The second tender for tracked guns was floated at the end of the month. Expected competitors include BAE Land Systems USA (M109A6 Paladin possible for tracked), BAE Bofors (FH77B towed, Archer wheeled), France’s Nexter (Caesar wheeled), Rheinmetall (Zuzana wheeled from Kerametal in Slovakia, possibly PzH-2000 for tracked), Korea’s Samsung Techwin (K9 for tracked), and Israel’s Soltam (Atmos 2000 for wheeled, Rascal for tracked). In making its decision to re-float the RFP, the cabinet committee on security reportedly concluded that: *A single-vendor situation must be avoided; *South Africa’s Denel had emerged as the single vendor for the tracked version, but they were blacklisted in 2005 on another deal; *The process delays of 5 years since the first tender have been so great that the field as a whole has advanced since then; *The standards for the selection of the guns need to be revised; and *India’s defence procurement policy has been revised in the interim, and the RFP should reflect that.

G6 Base, Bleeding? The G6 self-propelled howitzer is a South African artillery piece, developed around the ordnance of the G5 howitzer. It is one of the most powerful self-propelled guns on a wheeled chassis. In addition to the logistical mobility afforded by a wheeled chassis, the G6 is protected against counter battery fire and is able to defend itself in an unsecured area. The chassis is mine-protected. The G6 is produced by the LIW division of DENEL Corporation in South Africa. It entered production in 1987. Jan 16/06: A new scandal is swirling around re-opened allegations of kick-backs involving Bofors, and complicity by the current government in covering them up. Jan 13/06: The Press Trust of India (PTI) reports that Army Chief General J J Singh has ordered a 4th round of extensive trials for the guns, in which only the Bofors and Soltam guns will be taking part. He said the two contending 155mm/52 caliber guns would be evaluated through summer and winter trials, with the winner inducted by 2007. Jan 12/06: The Times of India reports that India’s UPA government has floated new global tenders for collaboration in the Nalanda ordnance factory project to manufacture 155mm Bi-Modular Charge Systems (BMCS) for India’s artillery. See this link from BAE’s SWS Defence for a more in-depth look at a particular BMCS solution. South Africa’s Denel had been picked, but the blacklisting stemming from the anti-material rifles’ deal is having further ripple effects. The winner of this competition will be well positioned for any follow-on orders involving India’s new howitzers. July 28/05: South African competitor Denel is blacklisted from Indian defense contracts by the Ministry of Defence, as a result of the CBI’s bribery investigation. June 15/04: Madison Government Affairs, summarizing Defense News: “The Indian Army will choose among three foreign contenders for a $2 billion purchase of about 400 155mm self-propelled howitzers after field trials in the Rajasthan desert later this month, an Indian Defence Ministry official said. The candidates are the Swedish SWS Defense AB FH77B05 L52, the Israeli Soltam TIG 2002 and the South African Denel G5/2000 gun. All three failed to meet India’s accuracy specifications in last year’s trials; all three improved their guns to compete again this year, said an Indian Army official from the artillery directorate”