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aIrbus seLeCts avIo aero enGIne soLutIon For eurodrone
Getafe. Following a competitive tender process as well as an extensive technical analysis phase, airbus has selected avio aero from italy to power the eurodrone unmanned aerial system with its engine and propeller solution, dubbed Catalyst.
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The Catalyst is an engine proven in flight, entirely developed and manufactured in europe. as well as the eurodrone programme, this engine has been conceived as 100% iTaR-free (international Traffic in arms Regulation), thus enabling independence on export chances and avoiding additional requirements prior export clearance. as part of its responsibilities as main subcontractor for this major collaborative european programme, airbus defence and space is responsible for the selection of the engine supplier. key aspects in the selection of eurodrone suppliers are competitiveness, performance, the ability to meet the demanding delivery schedule and the capacity to meet the in-service demand.
tWo edGe entItIes sIGn deaL to desIGn CustoM PoWer dIstrIbutIon unIts For arMoured vehICLes
abu Dhabi-uae. edGe Group entity, aL TaiF, the Uae’s leading provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for military equipment, today announced that it has signed a contract to develop 413 enhanced power distribution units (PdU) for niMR and install them into their vehicles. designed to distribute power from a military vehicle’s auxiliary battery to various electrical systems, the PdUs are manufactured in-house by the company’s skilled emirati engineers and are tailored to meet customer specifications. To ensure short lead times, aL TaiF established a dedicated assembly line for their rapid production, delivery and installation. al TaiF provides essential lifecycle services and technical capability development to guarantee the ultimate asset performance and mission readiness for its customers. its nine state-of-the-art workshops are geographically distributed to offer seamless convenience and flexibility, while a mobile unit can quickly and efficiently address all types of MRO needs. aL TaiF is part of the Platforms & systems cluster within edGe, an advanced technology group which ranks among the top 25 military suppliers in the world.
strIke CaPabILIty oF brahMos MIssILe’s advanCed versIon suCCessFuLLy vaLIdated: IndIan navy
new Delhi: The long range precision strike capability of advanced version of BRahMOs missile was successfully validated on March 5. The missile hit the target with pin-point accuracy and demonstrated combat and mission readiness of navy’s frontline platforms. “Long range precision strike capability of advanced version of BRahMOs missile successfully validated. Pin point destruction of target demonstrated combat and mission readiness of frontline platforms. Yet another shot in the arm for aatmanirbhar Bharat,” the navy tweeted. The navy conducts regular tests of the BRahMOs, a supersonic cruise missile manufactured by an indo-Russian joint venture and one of the world’s most lethal cruise missiles. in november 2020, a land-attack version of the BRahMOs supersonic cruise missile was successfully tested from the andaman and nicobar islands.
bharat ForGe subsIdIary kssL InCorPorates Jv CoMPany sMtL WIth kyrGyzstan oJs dastan
new Delhi: kalyani strategic systems Limited (“kssL”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Bharat Forge Limited (“the Company”) has incorporated a Company “sagar-Manas Technologies Limited” (sMTL) in pursuant to a Joint venture agreement executed between kssL and kyrgyzstan Open Joint stock Company dastan Transnational Corporation Ltd (dastan) with an aim to participate in joint upgradation and manufacturing and providing solutions for marine and defence products which will be undertaken through sMTL as a special purpose vehicle. dastan is a leading multipurpose enterprise engaged in the development, manufacturing, and sale of defence equipment, electronic devices, and medical centrifuges. Upon completion of conditions as envisaged in the agreement, dastan will acquire 49% of stake in sMTL. Consequently, kssL will hold 51 %. These details are required under seBi (Listing Obligations and disclosure Requirements) regulations. kssL has promoted and incorporated sMTL to undertake design, development, manufacturing, assembly, testing, integration, trading, marketing, sales, providing services, spares support, after sales support, R&d for various marine and defence products and solutions.
hensoLdt suPPLIes CoMPLete reConnaIssanCe MIssIon systeM For aerIaL traInInG and Isr servICes
immenstaad/Germany.
sensor solutions provider hensOLdT has received an order from aerial services specialist QinetiQ Gmbh, Mönchengladbach, to supply two complete systems for electro-optical reconnaissance. The reconnaissance system consists of the aRGOs-ii hd electro-optical infrared system (eO/iR) and the euronav control and evaluation software. These core elements will be pre-integrated by hensOLdT and scaffolded by QinetiQ for isR services and training of national and international JTaC customers and operators with the da62MPP aircraft manufactured by diamond aircrafts industries, austria. The mission system with the product name MissionGrid can be used on fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. in addition to air and naval forces, it is used for border protection, search and rescue, maritime patrol, law enforcement and asset protection. The German Federal Police use it to combat smuggling, illicit trafficking and border security operations. The reconnaissance system covers a range of up to 40 km and can detect ships as well as small inflatable boats or individual swimmers’ day and night as well as in bad weather. a thermal imaging camera records the images and transmits video and data in real time to base stations on the ground. The MissionGrid mission system can also be easily and modularly supplemented with the PrecisR reconnaissance radar, as well as the hensOLdT self-protection equipment aMPs. a virtual training facility also allows users on the installation to be trained “remotely” on the mission system via a secure internet connection.
edGe GrouP’s nIMr Inks ManuFaCturInG LICense aGreeMent WIth saMI
abu Dhabi-uae. niMR, the leading manufacturer of combatproven wheeled military vehicles, today signed a manufacturing license agreement with saudi arabian Military industries (saMi), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public investment Fund, to transfer technology and boost saMi’s domestic industrial capabilities, enabling the production of the combat proven Jais 4x4 vehicle in saudi arabia. Following the signing of the teaming agreement during ideX 2021, his excellency staff Major General Pilot Faris khalaf al Mazrouei, Chairman of the niMR Board and eng.Walid abukhaled, CeO of saMi, signed into the next phase of their partnership at the World defense show 2022 held in Riyadh, saudi arabia. designed to enable local manufacture of the Jais vehicle, the defence procurement programme between the two countries testifies the sides’ utmost commitment to diversifying their economies, developing local talent, and establishing high-technology industries. Jais 4x4 is the next generation of mine resistant, ambush protected (MRaP) vehicles, providing critical balance between firepower, survivability, and mobility for modern, conventional, and asymmetric operations. Crew survivability depends on a ‘crew citadel’ protection system that has demonstrated proven capabilities against mines, improvised explosive devices (ieds), and ballistic threats. edGe is an advanced technology group for defence and beyond that ranks among the top 25 military suppliers in the world.
Motherson WIns Its FIrst order FroM boeInG
noida / Delhi nCr. Motherson announced that it has won an order from Boeing to manufacture and supply aftermarket molded polymer parts for commercial airplane interiors. This is the first order for Motherson from Boeing. The order will commence from Q3 FY23 and will be produced in a Motherson plant situated in noida, located in the state of Uttar Pradesh in india. Motherson is scaling its capabilities to provide integrated solutions to the aerospace industry. With capabilities in aerospace ecosystem such as materials, aerostructures, wiring harnesses and global manufacturing footprint, Motherson has the necessary knowhow to support the upcoming ramp-up of production for major global aircraft manufacturers. This is in line with our growth strategy to strengthen nonautomotive business as announced during our five-year plan, vision 2025.
beL, arMy desIGn bureau sIGn Mou For Co-oPeratIon In deveLoPMent oF aI soLutIons For IndIan arMy
Bengaluru/new Delhi. navratna defence PsU Bharat electronics Limited (BeL) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the army design Bureau of indian army for collaboration in the field of artificial intelligence (ai) for defence applications. The MoU was signed by Major General k v Jauhar, vsM, additional director General (adG), army design Bureau (adB), indian army, and Mr M v Raja sekhar, director (R&d), BeL, in the presence of senior officers of indian army and BeL. The MoU seeks to bring together the indian army, adB and BeL under one roof to jointly carry out research activities for the development of innovative ai solutions for the indian army. BeL and adB will co-develop ai based projects for the indian army. The MoU will be executed in a collaborative manner through a nodal organisation named artificial intelligence incubation hub (aiih). The aiih will be co-chaired by the adG, adB, and director (R&d), BeL, with members from the indian army and BeL. The MoU also has the provision to co-opt representatives of academia and industry/ start-ups.
haL to venture Into MuLtI MIssIon tanker transPort ConversIon busIness, sIGns Mou WIth IsraeL aerosPaCe IndustrIes
new Delhi: in a move to provide india’s defence ecosystem with new capabilities and cost effective solutions in the market, hindustan aeronautics Limited has entered into a MoU with israel aerospace industries (iai) to convert Civil (Passenger) aircraft to Multi Mission Tanker Transport (MMTT) aircraft in india. haL in a statement on april 6 said that under the pact, the company will convert preowned Civil (Passenger) aircraft into air refuelling aircraft with cargo and transport capabilities. according to the statement, the MoU will facilitate haL and iai’s decades’ long expertise in developing, manufacturing and producing leading defence platforms. The scope of MoU also covers “passenger to freighter aircraft” conversion along with MMTT conversions.
FIrst batCh oF IndIan navy’s Mh 60r aIrCreW CoMPLetes traInInG
new Delhi: indian navy’s first batch of Mh 60R ‘Romeo’ aircrew successfully completed their training at naval air station, north island, san diego, Usa on april 1, 2022. The 10-month long course included conversion training and other advanced qualifications on Mh 60R helicopter. The crew flew extensively from helicopter Maritime strike squadron – 41 (hsM 41) and achieved day and night deck landing qualification onboard a Us navy destroyer. The crew would be responsible for inducting the versatile ‘Romeo’ into indian navy. The Mh 60R helicopters will provide the indian navy enhanced offensive role including anti-submarine Warfare, anti-ship strike, specialised maritime operations as well as search and Rescue operations. 24 Mh 60R helicopters were procured under a Government-to-Government FMs deal.
rnLaF to beGIn Mq-9 oPeratIons In CuraCao
San DieGo. The Royal netherlands air Force (RnLaF) has taken delivery of three MQ-9a Block 5 Remotely Piloted aircraft (RPa) and two Mobile Ground Control stations from General atomics aeronautical systems, inc. The RnLaF will begin operating the MQ-9s later this month out of Curacao to provide long-range, persistent surveillance to support missions protecting the netherland’s national interests. The delivery of the first three of four MQ-9as, their Ground Control stations (GCs), and support equipment is part of a UsaF Foreign Military sale to the RnLaF. MQ-9a Block 5 has endurance of over 27 hours, speeds of 240 kTas and can operate up to 50,000 feet. it has a 3,850-pound (1,746-kilogram) payload capacity that includes 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilograms) of external stores. it provides a long-endurance, persistent surveillance capability with Full-Motion video and synthetic aperture Radar/Moving Target indicator/Maritime Radar. an extremely reliable aircraft, MQ-9a Block 5 is equipped with a fault-tolerant flight control system and triple redundant avionics system architecture. it is engineered to meet and exceed manned aircraft reliability standards.
sChIebeL WIns PrestIGIous FoLLoW-on ContraCt WIth royaL thaI navy
vienna. schiebel wins another contract in Thailand to supply additional CaMCOPTeR® s-100 systems to the Royal Thai navy (RTn). Uas market leader schiebel has been awarded its second contract in just three years by the Royal Thai navy, signed with Lt. General apichai sompolkrang, director of the naval acquisition Management Office in Bangkok. RTn Programme director, Captain anurat siriwong, witnessed the contract signature. The contract will be completed before the end of 2022 and the RTn will deploy the CaMCOPTeR® s-100 systems for land and sea based intelligence, surveillance and Reconnaissance (isR) operations. schiebel won its first contract with the RTn in 2019 and those helicopters are fully operational in Thailand.
saab reCeIves order For GrIPen C/d uPGrade
saab has received an order from the swedish defence Materiel administration (FMv) to ensure the continued operation of Jas 39 Gripen C/d and to provide capability enhancements to preserve the operational relevance of the fighter aircraft. The order value is sek 500 million.
Gripen C/d is the system that will be used for many years to come in sweden and in other countries that have purchased Gripen. The development is also done to further ensure a cost-effective solution regarding construction, design and procurement.
The purpose of the order is to start implementation of the upgrade to fulfil the swedish armed Forces’ need to maintain the continued high capability and availability of Gripen C/d up to 2035.
dPsus In the Fray For settInG uP seMIConduCtor Fab PLant
new Delhi. in keeping with the government’s policy of becoming self-dependent, two defence public sector units have entered the fray to jointly set up a semiconductor fab plant in india for strategic projects in military and space sectors. The two PsUs, which are the main producers as well as consumers of electronics for the armed forces, seek to take advantage of the production-linked-incentive (PLi) scheme of the central government. They have tied up with next Orbit ventures and propose to set up a plant in Gujarat’s dholera if the application is accepted by the government. sources said the decision to go in for a joint bid was taken as the PsUs would be able to reduce dependency on foreign suppliers for the building blocks of all electronics and would be able to innovate cutting edge products domestically. it would also enable the PsUs to design custom chips domestically for strategic systems like missiles and combat aircraft. next Orbit ventures did not comment on the matter citing the application process was still underway. sources said the technology partner is israeli Tower semiconductor that has recently been acquired by intel. according to an official, the foreign partner has committed to procuring a large chunk of the fab units output itself.
south korea PLans to PurChase sIkorsky’s 12 Mh-60r antIsubMarIne WarFare heLICoPters
Goa shIPyard-buILt ICGs suJeet, seCond In the serIes oF FIve oPv, CoMMIssIoned
Seoul. south korea plans to buy 12 sikorsky Mh-60R seahawk anti-submarine warfare helicopters, the country’s defence procurement agency announced on december 15. The contract, valued at about Us$878 million, is expected to be signed by the end of this year, according to the defence acquisition Program administration (daPa), an executive branch of south korean government under the Ministry of national defense to administer improvement projects of defense capability, the procurement of munitions, and the fostering of defense industries. The 19.76-meter-long and 5.1-meter-high chopper with a maximum cruising speed of 267 kph can handle multiple missions, including operations of warfare, search and rescue, and medical evacuation. The Us navy is the main operator of the “Romeo” maritime helicopter, with 289 units in its fleet. south korea has been added to the list of Romeo operating countries that includes india, saudi arabia, denmark, australia and Greece.
vasco da Gama. indian Coast Guard (iCG) ship ‘sujeet’, the second in the series of five Offshore Patrol vessel (OPv) built by Goa shipyard Limited (GsL), was commissioned in Goa on december 15. iCG said that this vessel has been made in line with Prime Minister narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in india’.
milan: in a move to optimize its portfolio and focus on core business, italian defence group Leonardo said its Us unit dRs had agreed to sell its satellite communications business Ges to ses for $450 million, gross of taxes, media reports said. The reports said the deal is likely to be closed by the second half of 2022, Leonardo said in a statement, confirming its net debt guidance for this year at around 3.1 billion euros ($3.40 billion). Ges is the largest provider of commercial satellite communications to the Us government and also supplies satellite communications and security solutions to customers across the world, Leonardo said.
boeInG and aIrbus heLICoPters sIGn strateGIC h-47 ChInook PartnershIP to suPPort GerMany’s sth requIreMents
philadelphia, Boeing and airbus helicopters today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to partner on the h-47 Chinook in support of Germany’s schwerer Transporthubschrauber (sTh) heavy-lift helicopter requirements.
The new partnership between Boeing and airbus aims at bolstering German defense readiness while supporting German industry and economic growth. The partnership will draw on the strengths and combined expertise of the world’s leading aerospace companies to deliver advanced capability, readiness and innovative solutions as part of the German Chinook industry offering. The partnership agreement builds on the existing Chinook partnership team consisting of aeRO-Bildung Gmbh, Cae elektronik Gmbh, esG elektroniksystem- und Logistik-Gmbh, Lufthansa Technik, honeywell aerospace and Rolls-Royce deutschland. Boeing is committed to working with German industry on aircraft sustainment, including post-delivery modifications and installations, aircraft maintenance, supply chain services, training and logistical support, as well as the potential for subsystems Maintenance Repair and Overhaul work. as chosen by eight naTO nations – netherlands, italy, Greece, spain, Turkey, United kingdom, Canada and the United states of america – the Chinook has proven its unique capabilities and mission readiness in several theatres and has delivered on many other mission requirements, including air-toair refueling, Medevac, troop transport, search and rescue and humanitarian and disaster relief, and special operations. Chinook air-to-air refueling operations have spanned the globe and the number of tanker hook ups, behind a variety of tanker aircraft is estimated to be in the 10.000’s.
trans-atLantIC teaM to deveLoP teChnICaL ConCePt For nato’s Future surveILLanCe and ControL CaPabILItIes
munich / Falls Church, va. airbus defence and space together with northrop Grumman Corporation and seven industrial players forming the asPaaRO (atlantic strategic Partnership for advanced all-domain Resilient Operations) team have been selected by the naTO support and Procurement agency (nsPa) to conduct one of three Risk Reduction and Feasibility studies (RRFs). The studies aim to suggest technical solutions for the alliance Future surveillance and Control (aFsC). in november 2021, airbus with subcontractors northrop Grumman, Bae systems (Uk), exence (Poland), GMv (spain), iBM (Us), kOnGsBeRG (norway), Lockheed Martin (Us) and Mda (Canada) submitted a proposal to nsPa outlining how this transatlantic team would address the complexities of naTO’s future capability requirements. The selection of the asPaaRO team as a study partner represents an important step toward providing naTO with unmatched tactical surveillance, command and control capabilities to overcome the challenges of the future and replace the current airborne Warning and Control system fleet which will reach the end of its service life around 2035. Over the next months the asPaaRO team will perform a thorough assessment of a fully distributed surveillance model; refine details; assess related feasibility, risks and costs; and provide a recommended technical solution with proven technologies, open standards and interfaces for the multi-domain capabilities aFsC shall provide. The outcome of the three studies will help naTO and individual allies make informed decisions on the final aFsC technical concept and acquisition of surveillance systems.
beL sIGns ContraCts Worth rs. 3,102 Cr WIth Mod MaJor boost For IaF’s eW CaPabILItIes, atManIrbhar bharat
Bengaluru/new delhi. The Ministry of defence (Mod), Government of india, on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, signed two contracts worth totally Rs. 3,102 Crores with the Bengaluru and hyderabad Units of navratna defence PsU Bharat electronics Limited (BeL), at new delhi. The Mod and BeL-Bengaluru concluded a contract for supply of advanced electronic Warfare (eW) suite for fighter aircraft of the indian air Force. The overall cost of the contract is estimated to be Rs. 1,993 Crores. The supply of advanced eW systems will significantly enhance the battle-survivability of iaF fighter aircraft while undertaking operational missions against adversaries’ ground-based as well as airborne fire control and surveillance radars. The eW suite has been indigenously designed and developed by defence Research and development Organisation (dRdO).
The Mod also signed a contract with BeLhyderabad for instrumented electronic Warfare Range (ieWR) for the indian air Force. The contract is a significant step towards enhancing the capabilities of iaF to prepare for future warfare. The overall cost of the contract is estimated to be Rs. 1,109 Crores. The ieWR will be used to test and evaluate airborne electronic Warfare (eW) equipment and validate their deployment in an operational scenario.
haL set to deLIver FIrst batCh oF IndIGenous LCh
Bengaluru. defence Public sector Undertaking hindustan aeronautics Limited (haL) will deliver the first batch of three indigenous Light Combat helicopters (LChs). The three LCh will be delivered to indian army and indian air Force before March 31; media reports said quoting defence officials. These helicopters are a part of 15 Limited series Production (LsP) LCh helicopters approved by the defence acquisition Council (daC). earlier this month, the Ministry of defence (Mod) said that contracts for the following are likely to be signed in the first quarter of 2021: LCh from haL, additional harop (P-iv) loitering drones from israel and upgrade of Unmanned aerial systems (Uav) in service. apart from this, the army variant of the Light Utility helicopter (LUh) is scheduled to receive its initial Operational Clearance (iOC) at the aero india. Last september, it completed all tests and also demonstrated its high-altitude capability in hot and high weather conditions. LUh is a three-tonne helicopter positioned as replacement for the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. it is capable of flying at 220 kmph, service ceiling of 6.5 km and a range of 350 km with 500 kg payload, according to haL.
LonGest sortIe reCord set by IaF’s ChInook, FLIes 1910 kM non-stoP
new Delhi: a new record was created by indian air Force by flying Boeing-made Chinook - Ch-47F (i), the heavy-lift transport helicopter on april 11. The non-stop, 1,910 km flight from Chandigarh to assam’s Jorhat was the longest in india. it took seven-and-half hours to complete the distance, reported the iaF officials. PRO defence Palam tweeted, ”Chinook is a multi-role, vertical-lift platform, used for transporting men and material. it also plays an important role in humanitarian and disaster Relief Operations. Rapid mobility will allow@iaF_MCC to employ this asset optimally as required.”
The helicopter used additional fuel tanks for the mission. The iaF variant of the helicopter does not have mid-air refuelling capability.
Chinook helicopters, best suited for operations in the himalayas region or any hilly areas, help india during disaster relief operations, medical evacuation, search and rescue missions, aircraft recovery, and parachute drops. They are capable of carrying cargo and goods weighing up to 9.6 tonnes. The cargo includes men, artillery guns, and light armoured vehicles. it can also fly with heavy equipment used for the construction of roads over difficult terrain. india placed a $3.1-billion order for 15 Chinooks and 22 apache attack helicopters to scale up the air force’s capabilities in september 2015,. all the platforms have been inducted. The Chinook helicopters can carry the army’s new M777 ultra-light howitzers as under-slung load for swift deployment in high-altitude areas.
navy, IaF to aCquIre ChaFF teCh FroM drdo
New Delhi: The indian air Force and the indian navy have tied up with the defence Research development Organisation (dRdO) to get the ChaFF technology, which protects the warship from an anti-ship missile during hostilities. india is now the second country after the United states to develop this ability, a major aatmanirbhar push in the field of defence. This assumes significance as the indian navy is currently studying the sinking of Russian missile cruiser Moskva and focusing on how to protect indian warships from anti-ship ballistic missiles like the Chinese dF-21. ChaFF is a critical defence technology used to protect fighter aircraft or naval ships from enemy radar-guided missile during war. The significance of this technology lies in the fact that very less quantity of ChaFF material deployed in the air acts as a decoy to deflect enemy’s missiles to ensure safety of the fighter aircraft or naval ships. ChaFF creates a metal particle cloud near the warship and deflects the missiles from it.
The dRdO has developed this advanced ChaFF technology to defend naval ships and fighter aircrafts against modern day broadband (including high frequency) radar threat. The technology includes all three variants of ChaFF rockets namely short Range Chaff Rocket (sRCR), Medium Range Chaff Rocket (MRCR) and Long Range Chaff Rocket (LRCR), and have been inducted in the indian navy after successful user trials.
key MILestone reaChed For roLLs-royCe uLtraFan
Rolls-Royce has reached another key milestone in its UltraFanTM technology demonstrator programme as the world-leading power gearbox (PGB) is dispatched from the company’s site in dahlewitz, Germany. The power gearbox, which has set a world aerospace power record on test, has been shipped to the Uk where the first UltraFan engine demonstrator (UF001) is being assembled.
UltraFan offers a step change in gas turbine sustainability, saving 25% fuel compared with the first generation of Rolls-Royce Trent engines. Critical to that performance is the PGB, which has a planetary design and can transmit more power than an entire grid of Formula 1 cars when running at maximum power. On test it has delivered 87,000 horsepower or 64 megawatts – enough to power a medium-sized city.
The engine demonstrator – the largest engine in the world with a fan diameter of 140 inches – will go on test in derby, Uk, this year and its first run will be on 100% sustainable aviation Fuel.
UltraFan, which is scalable for narrowbody or widebody aircraft, is a key element of RollsRoyce’s commitment to making aviation more sustainable. Gas turbines will continue to be the bedrock of long-haul aviation for many years, and UltraFan’s efficiency will help improve the economics of an industry transition to more sustainable aviation fuels, which are likely to be more expensive than traditional jet fuel in the short-term.
