French Navy orders 5 intermediate-sized frigates

DCNS to build intermediate-sized frigates for the French navy

The French shipbuilder was contracted by France's defense procurement agency to build five ships, which are expected to be finished in 2023 and in service by 2025.

By Richard Tomkins   |   April 25, 2017 at 12:11 PM

April 25 (UPI) -- Five intermediate-sized frigates are to be constructed for the French Navy by DCNS under contract from the French defense procurement agency, DGA.

The ships are to be developed and built using the company's new BELH@RRA frigate. The French version of the ships will enter into active service in 2025, the company said.

Thales is partnering with DCNS to supply the vessels with a new generation of radar and the frigates will carry Aster 30 missiles made by MBDA.

"DCNS is proud to contribute, alongside Thales, to the renewal of the French naval forces thanks to a new vessel responding to the needs of a world-class navy," Hervé Guillou, chairman and chief executive officer at DCNS, said in a press release. "It is a key component of our range of military vessels and the attribution of this contract also allows us to develop a frigate that addresses the expectations of a dynamic international market."

BELH@RRA digital frigates displace more than 4,000 tons and are intended for use in anti-submarine warfare, in addition to the latest digital technologies that DCNS and France says will be updated incrementally to keep the systems modernized and current.

The French version of the BELH@RRA will also have extended self-defense and special forces projection capacities, and will integrate Thales' Sea Fire four flat antenna radar.

Original post: upi.com

FTI Medium-Size Frigates: Details

The US State Department has approved a possible FMS to the Government of Canada for sustainment support for C-17 aircraft

C-17 support package for Canada approved by U.S. State Department

By Ryan Maass   |   April 21, 2017 at 8:44 AM

April 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department has approved the possible foreign military sale of C-17 Globemaster III sustainment to the government of Canada.

If approved by Congress, Canada will receive follow-on support for five C-17 aircraft, natively designated as CC177s. Tasks will include in-country field services, maintenance and technical support, spares and additional equipment.

According to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the program is expected to cost $195 million. The agency adds the proposed sale will advance U.S. foreign policy interests by strengthening military airlift capabilities for a close ally and NATO partner.

Boeing, the company that manufactures the C-17, has been selected as the primary contractor with additional support from Lockheed Martin.

The C-17 Globemaster III aircraft is a four-engine military transport plane used to carry troops and equipment. Additional users include Australia, India, Kuwait, Qatar, Britain and the United Arab Emirates.

Original post: upi.com

Government of Canada – Sustainment Support for C-17 Aircraft

Transmittal No: 

17-18

WASHINGTON, Apr. 20, 2017 - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Canada for sustainment support for C-17 aircraft. The estimated cost is $195 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on April 19, 2017.

The Government of Canada has requested a possible sale of follow-on support for five (5) CC177 aircraft (Canada’s designator for the C-17), including contractor logistics support (CLS) provided through the Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP), in-country field services support, aircraft maintenance and technical support, support equipment, alternate mission equipment, software support, spares, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, publications and technical documentation, and major modification and retrofit kits support. The total estimated program cost is $195 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by sustaining the military capabilities of Canada, a NATO ally that has been, and continues to be, an important force for ensuring political stability and economic progress in the world, including through its involvement in military, peacekeeping, and humanitarian operations. The sustainment of Canada’s C-17s will ensure the country’s continued capability to rapidly deploy its forces, as well as the continued interoperability between the U.S. and Canadian Air Forces’ C-17s.

The proposed sale of defense articles and services is required to maintain the operational readiness of the Royal Canadian Air Force C-17 aircraft. Canada’s current contract supporting its five (5) C-17s will expire on 20 September 2017. The Royal Canadian Air Force will have no difficulty absorbing this support.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

Sources of supply will award contracts when necessary to provide the defense articles ordered if items ordered are not available from U.S. stock or are considered lead-time away.

The prime contractor will involve the following contractors:

Boeing Company, Long Beach, California
Boeing Company Training Systems, St. Louis, Missouri
Lockheed Martin Corporation/MFC, Lexington, Kentucky

There are no known offsets. Any offset agreements will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Canada. There is an on-going foreign military sales case providing C-17 sustainment services. There are currently 13 contractors from Boeing in-country providing contractor technical services support on a continuing basis.

There will be no adverse impact to U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

-30-

Original post: dsca.mil

C-17 Globemaster III: Details

F-35 will take millions more, months longer than expected

Government watchdog: F-35 will take millions more, months longer than expected

ALEX LOCKIE

APR 25, 2017, 6:57 AM

The Government Accountability Office released a report on Monday warning the Department of Defence against funding further software updates for the already $US400 billion F-35 program until the current software becomes operational.

The F-35 is already operational with the Air Force and Marine Corps, but it runs a limited version of its software, called the 3i block, which only provides 89% of the code required for full warfighting potency.

Meanwhile, as the US keeps buying the jets, Lockheed Martin, the F-35’s primary manufacturer, is scrambling to provide 100% of the code with their planned 3F update.

At a conference earlier this year, Lockheed Martin told Business Insider they hoped to have the updated software loaded into the factory and ready to go on new jets by the end of 2017, but the GAO found that claim unlikely.

“Program officials optimistically estimate that the program will need an additional five months to complete developmental testing,” the statement reads. But “according to best practices” and “credible estimates,” the GAO pegs that number at around 12 months.

And while F-35 program officials admit the delay will cost an additional $US532 million, GAO cites $US1.7 billion in cost overruns with “approximately $US1.3 billion of which will be needed in fiscal year 2018.”

One reason the F-35 costs ramp up so quickly, according to the report, is a high level of concurrency between the F-35’s development, testing, and procurement. Essentially, all three of those processes take place simultaneously, unlike past defence projects, so a delay in development immediately hurts testing, which then hurts procurement.

Lockheed Martin officials have told Business Insider that the best way to save money on the program would be a large investment allowing them to buy bigger blocks of F-35s at once, thereby leveraging economies of scale.

But the GAO recommends the opposite — essentially saying the F-35 should not put out request for proposals on the even further out block 4 of F-35 software until they can complete the 3F, base their estimates on historical program data, and resubmit a revised budget to Congress.

As many experts and US service members have told Business Insider, the military awaits the full combat potential of the F-35 for national security reasons as adversarial nations like Russia and China field advanced aircraft and threats of their own.

The F-35’s block 4 of software promises to open up the full range of combat potential inherent in the F-35, including expanding the jet’s arsenal to include nuclear weapons.

President Donald Trump has already weighed in several times on the F-35, with Lockheed Martin’s CEO Marillyn Hewson telling Business Insider in March that his involvement in a previous F-35 buy helped save hundreds of millions of dollars.

Original post: businessinsider.com

Lockheed Martin: Shrinking Yields

Apr.25.17 | About: Lockheed Martin (LMT)

Stone Fox Capital 

Summary

Lockheed Martin trades down following Q117 results.

The recent stock gains sit squarely on multiple expansion and not exactly value creation by the defense company.

The shrinking yields highlight how investors are getting less value for the stock above $270.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) is down nearly $8 after a mixed Q117 earnings report. 

Despite very bullish news for the defense sector over the last few months, my investment thesis hasn't changed much.

The stock is trading back down below $270 as the rally to new all-time highs stalls. Is now really the time to chase Lockheed Martin higher?

The headline numbers suggest that the defense company missed EPS estimates by a wide $0.18 margin. The reality is that a couple of one-time charges cost Lockheed Martin roughly $0.39 so the real issue is that revenues missed targets by $170 million.

Very noteworthy is that the company raised operating cash flows for the year to $6.0 billion, up from $5.7 billion. The lowered EPS guidance was due entirely to the one-time charges that Lockheed Martin doesn't adjust out of the reported numbers.

So while the headlines are problematic with the actual reality, the numbers further highlight the extremely stretched valuation. The company raised 2017 revenue guidance that still sits only slightly above 6% growth for the year while the stock trades at an incredible 22x EPS guidance for the year.

The reality is that a lot of the stock gains have come from expanded P/E multiples over the last year. If Lockheed Martin traded at the same forward P/E multiple as the start of 2016, the stock would trade closer to $210, not $270.

Source: seekingalpha.com

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Certification tests of S-350 Vityaz will be completed by the end of 2017

Testing of Russian air defense system Vityaz to be completed by 2017

Military & Defense

April 24, 12:31UTC+3

Radar and control systems have been tested in full

MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. Government certification tests of the air defense system S-350 Vityaz will be completed by the end of 2017, the general designer of the Almaz- Antey air and space defense concern, Pavel Sozinov, said on Monday.

"Government certification tests will be through this year. Preliminary firing tests are in progress," he said in an interview to National Defense magazine.

Radar and control systems have been tested in full with no fundamental objections made.

"Over the available period of time the required statistics of combat launches and of interception of real targets in various maneuvering conditions are to be gathered," Sozinov said.

Original post: tass.com

S-350E Vityaz (50R6) SAM: Details

Thailand's Cabinet has approved US$393 million for the first of three planned submarine purchases from China

Thailand approves China sub purchase

Source: Agencies | 00:01 UTC+8 April 25, 2017

THAILAND’S Cabinet has approved the first of three planned submarine purchases from China worth US$393 million, a government spokesman said yesterday.

The plan to buy the three Chinese-built submarines worth 36 billion baht (US$1.05 billion) was confirmed in July, signaling warming ties since relations with the United States cooled after a May 2014 military coup.

“The Cabinet approved one submarine purchase on April 18,” spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd told reporters, adding that a budget of 13.5 billion baht (US$393 million) has been earmarked for the Yuan Class S26T submarine over a six-year period.

The media were not told about the purchase following a meeting last week because it was a matter of national security, he added.

Navy spokesman Admiral Jumpol Loompikanon said the Thai navy owned four Japanese submarines nearly 60 years ago, so new submarines were necessary to protect maritime interests.

“Thai people can rest assured that the navy’s submarine spending will be worth it and beneficial to Thailand,” Jumpol told reporters.

Thailand’s navy chief, Admiral Na Arreenich, will visit China soon to finalize the purchase, a source at the defence ministry said.

Maritime security is a hot issue in Southeast Asia, given competing claims over the South China Sea, but Thailand is not a claimant in that dispute.

Thailand’s defense budget this year is more than 210 billion baht, about 9 percent more than the year the military took power.

Original post: shanghaidaily.com

It seems the Royal Thai Navy have been receiving flak from a certain group of people! 

Take for example the post below:

Sorry no English

In short it says "The Navy submarine acquisition budget is not from the Central government budget but from the Navy's own budget.  The author does not understand all the fuse against the purchase"

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Lee Hsi-ming to head military: ministry

RETIRING:Chief of the General Staff Chiu Kuo-cheng turned down an invitation to extend his term, saying that the system of elevation of rank should be respected

By LoTien-pin, Chen Wei-han and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporters, with staff writer

The Ministry of National Defense yesterday confirmed President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) appointment of Deputy Minister of National Defense Lee Hsi-ming (李喜明) as the nation’s new chief of the general staff, among a reshuffle of positions at the top of the military and the ministry.

Lee is to fill the position left vacant by Chief of the General Staff Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正), who assumed the post in December last year, but will reach the retirement age of 64 for the position by the end of this month.

Chiu turned down an invitation to extend his term, saying that the system of elevation of rank should be respected and that he would be retiring at the end of this month, sources who requested anonymity said.

Lee’s ministry post is to be filled by another admiral, Deputy Chief of the General Staff Pu Tze-chun (蒲澤春), while Deputy Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Chen Pao-yu (陳寶餘) is to take over from Pu and be promoted to general.

Deputy Minister of National Defense General Cheng Te-mei (鄭德美) is to transfer to the Presidential Office to act as Tsai’s strategic adviser, the ministry said in a statement, adding that National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology president Chang Guan-chung (張冠群) would fill Cheng’s position and would be promoted to general.

Chang’s promotion would be the first time an academic has taken a post as deputy minister of national defense, the sources said.

The reassignments are set to take effect on May 1.

Meanwhile, Minister of National Defense Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) yesterday told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the ministry would formally declare its intention to procure Lockheed Martin F-35 jets to US officials in July when Washington is expected to finalize its appointment of Taiwan affairs officials.

Asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) if the ministry would be seeking F-35s, Feng said that the ministry “has such a plan in response to the enemy’s military development.”

“Because the appointments of [US] officials have not yet been completed, [a formal proposal] would be made to Washington in July,” he said.

The military wants F-35s because their short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities, as well as their advanced stealth features, would allow the air force to retain combat capacity should its air bases be destroyed.

The attempt to acquire F-35s became the main topic of yesterday’s legislative session after the ministry announced that it would test the nation’s defensive capabilities with F-35s factored in during the computer simulation in this year’s Han Kuang exercises.

The simulation would be based on the cross-strait military balance in 2025, when Chinese People’s Liberation Army is expected to have three aircraft carriers and a fleet of Sukhoi Su-35 jets, Lieutenant General Chiang Chen-chung (姜振中) said.

Original post: taipeitimes.com

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India should be less eager to speed up building aircraft carriers and focus more on its economy, Says China

India Too Impatient to Develop Aircraft Carrier, Should Focus More on Development, Says Chinese Media

BEIJING

24 APRIL 2017 Last Updated at 1:38 PM NATIONAL

India should focus less on speeding up the process of building aircraft carriers to contain China in the Indian Ocean and more on its economic development, Chinese official media said today.

"New Delhi is perhaps too impatient to develop an aircraft carrier. The country is still in its initial stage of industrialisation, and there will be many technical obstacles that stand in the way of a build-up of aircraft carriers," an article in the state-run Global Times said.

"In the past few decades, India and China have taken different paths in terms of aircraft carriers, but the different results achieved by the two countries point to the underlying importance of economic development," it said.

"New Delhi should perhaps be less eager to speed up the process of building aircraft carriers in order to counter China's growing sway in the Indian Ocean, and focus more on its economy," it said.

China yesterday celebrated 68th anniversary of the establishment of its navy amid massive expansion of its fleet.

A fleet of three Chinese naval ships left Shanghai in the morning for a friendly visit to more than 20 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa.

"With the expansion of foreign trade, as well as China's 'One Belt and One Road' initiative, the Chinese navy has taken on a new mission, which is to protect the country's overseas interests," a report in the same daily said.

As a consequence, China's military strategy for the navy has changed and it must increase its presence overseas to meet the new requirements, military expert Song Zhongping said.

As a signature achievement of the navy, the Liaoning aircraft carrier built from an empty hull of former Soviet ship has finished its blue sea training, he said.

While the Chinese navy flexed muscle with massive expansion of overseas with new "logistic" based in Gwadar in Pakistan and Djibouti in the Indian Ocean, the Chinese official media sought to project India deploying aircraft carriers decades ahead of China in a negative light.

"As the world's second-largest economy, China is now capable of building a strong navy to safeguard the security of strategic maritime channels. China's construction of its first aircraft carrier is a result of economic development," an article in the Global Times said.

"The country would have finished work on it several years ago if Beijing had simply wanted to engage in an arms race to have more influence in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions," the article said in defence of China deploying its first aircraft carrier in 1912.

"India itself could be taken as a negative example for a build-up of aircraft carriers," it said.

Unlike China, India operated the aircraft carrier since 1961.

INS Vikrant which was purchased as an incomplete carrier in 1957 played a key role in enforcing the naval blockade of the East Pakistan in 1971 before it was decommissioned in 1997.

Its successor INS Virat that was commissioned in 1987 has just been decommissioned this month after an eventful four decades of service.

It was succeeded by INS Vikramaditya, a modified version of Russian ship Admiral Gorshikov, which became operational in 2013.

The second INS Vikrant being built in Cochin Shipyard is expected to be ready by 2018.

Original post: outlookindia.com

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