Anson Infographic - credits UK MoD

19 November 2015 Ministry of Defence, Defence Equipment and Support and Philip Dunne MP

A £1.3 billion contract to build the latest Astute Class attack submarine for the Royal Navy has been awarded by the Ministry of Defence.

Both time and money are being saved on the building of Anson, the Royal Navy’s fifth Astute submarine. Savings of £50 million for the taxpayer have been achieved during negotiations with BAE Systems, and the agreed build time is to date the shortest ever for the Astute Class, with a current schedule some nine months ahead of that for Boat 3 (Artful).

Defence Minister Philip Dunne made the announcement as he visited the home of the UK’s submarine manufacturing industry based in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria and viewed progress already made on the new submarine.

BAE Systems employs more than 7,600 people in its Submarines business, which includes those that work on the Astute programme, with thousands more working in the 400 suppliers across the UK submarine supply chain.

Defence Minister Philip Dunne said:

This £1.3 billion contract marks an important step in the progress of the Astute programme. This is a key part of our £166 billion plan to ensure that our armed forces have the equipment they need to defend the UK’s interests across the seas, in the skies and on land, both at home and abroad.

This new contract for Anson not only provides significant financial savings of £50 million to the taxpayer but also secures thousands of jobs in Barrow and across the UK supply chain, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to increase defence spending each year for the rest of the decade.

Director Submarines at the MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support organisation, Rear Admiral Mike Wareham, said:

The Astute Class provides the Royal Navy with the most technologically advanced submarines, offering much greater firepower, better communications, and more advanced stealth technology than their predecessors.

The first two of class, HMS Astute and HMS Ambush, are already in service and making a vital contribution to the defence of UK’s interest, both at home and overseas. Third of class Artful is undergoing sea trials and is due to be handed over to the Royal Navy by the end of 2015.

Featuring the latest nuclear-powered technology, the Astute class can circumnavigate the world submerged, manufacturing the crew’s oxygen from seawater as they go.

They also have the ability to operate covertly and remain undetected in almost all circumstances despite being 50 per cent bigger than the Royal Navy’s current Trafalgar Class submarines.

HMS Artful, the third of the Royal Navy’s new Astute Class attack submarines, set sail from Barrow in July.

On his visit, Mr Dunne was also able to see the progress being made on Barrow’s £300 million infrastructure upgrade programme, which is due to be completed by 2022. This will prepare the site for investment in a new fleet of four Successor Ballistic Missile submarines and the renewal of Britain’s nuclear deterrent.

9 nov. 2015 BAE Systems

15 oct. 2015 by BAE Systems

13 octobre 2015 Romandie.com (AFP)

Berlin - Le ministère allemand de la Défense a identifié un nouveau problème technique sur ses avions de combat Eurofighter et une nouvelle fois gelé les livraisons jusqu'à nouvel ordre, a indiqué mardi un porte-parole.

Un problème de même nature qu'un défaut identifié l'an dernier, à savoir des trous mal ébavurés sur le fuselage, est apparu, mais à un autre emplacement, a indiqué à l'AFP un porte-parole du ministère à Berlin.

Il y a pile un an, la découverte de ce premier défaut avait conduit à un gel des livraisons de l'avion de combat européen à la Bundeswehr, l'armée allemande. Les livraisons avaient depuis repris, et la Bundeswehr possède maintenant 110 Eurofighter, 33 devant encore être livrés.

Une fois de plus toutefois nous ne réceptionnons pas de nouveaux appareils jusqu'à nouvel ordre, a dit le porte-parole.

Mais contrairement à ce que rapportait mardi le quotidien Süddeutsche Zeitung, la mise au jour du nouveau problème ne conduit pas à un nouvel abaissement des heures de vol. L'an dernier le nombre d'heures de vol maximales par appareil avait été abaissé de 3.000 à 1.500 en attendant la résolution du problème, et le ministère espère toujours pouvoir ramener ce plafond à 3.000 l'an prochain.

Pour l'instant aucun des Eurofighter en possession de la Bundeswehr ne se rapproche des 1.500 heures de vol, a précisé le porte-parole.

La Grande-Bretagne, tout en se disant au courant du problème, n'a pas pris de mesure dans l'immédiat. Les Eurofighter Typhoon de la RAF volent normalement et les livraisons continuent, a indiqué le ministère britannique de la Défense.

L'Eurofighter est fabriqué par un consortium européen constitué du britannique BAE Systems, de l'italien Finmeccanica et d'Airbus.

Après plusieurs déboires, ce concurrent direct du Rafale du français Dassault et du Super Hornet de Boeing a remporté récemment un gros succès commercial, avec une commande de 28 exemplaires par le Koweït.

13/10/2015 Par Michel Cabirol – LaTribune.fr

Le ministre de la Défense Jean-Yves le Drian a annoncé le lancement par Londres et Paris de la "deuxième phase" du programme franco-britannique du futur drone armé Scaf.

La France et la Grande-Bretagne vont lancer la "deuxième phase" du programme "de démonstration franco-britannique du système de combat aérien futur (SCAF), dit drone armé", a annoncé fin septembre à l'Assemblée nationale le ministre de la Défense, Jean-Yves Le Drian. En novembre 2014, Paris et Londres avaient donné le coup d'envoi à des études industrielles pour un futur drone aérien de combat franco-britannique à l'horizon 2030. Dassault Aviation et BAE Systems coopèrent sur ce projet qualifié "d'historique".et se partagent une enveloppe de 150 millions d'euros.

Outre les deux avionneurs, les deux motoristes Snecma et Rolls-Royce ainsi que les deux électroniciens Thales et Selex UK font partie de l'équipe historique. "Aujourd'hui, la France et la Grande-Bretagne décident de préparer ensemble l'avenir de leur aéronautique de combat", avait assuré le PDG de Dassault Aviation, Eric Trappier. Ce contrat représente "une étape importante pour les deux pays et pour les deux industriels",  avait confirmé de son côté le patron de BAE Systems, Ian King

7 October 2015 Ministry of Defence and Philip Dunne MP

Construction of the final Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) took an important step forward today.

Construction of the final Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) took an important step forward today, as the Minister of State for Defence Procurement started a computer-guided laser to cut the first piece of hull.

During a visit to BAE Systems’ Govan yard in Glasgow, Defence Minister Philip Dunne saw progress on the build of the first and second OPVs and met members of the workforce on a programme that has protected more than 800 Scottish jobs.

HMS Trent is the third of three Offshore Patrol Vessels which will begin joining the fleet in 2017. Alongside HMS Forth and HMS Medway, HMS Trent will go on to take part in counter terrorism, combating piracy, halting smuggling and defending UK waters.

The vessels are being built at BAE Systems’ shipyards on the Clyde as part of a £348 million contract.

Defence Minister, Philip Dunne, said:

These new ships will provide an important capability to the Royal Navy and our Armed Forces‎. They will perform vital tasks in defending the nation’s interests around the world.

This investment forms part of over £160 billion in our 10 year Equipment Plan which is funded out of the newly protected Defence budget.

Manufacture of these ships sustains over 800 quality engineering jobs here in Scotland, ensuring that the shipyards on the Clyde continue to sit at the heart of a thriving naval shipbuilding capability. They are paving the way for work to begin on our new T26 frigates next year.

This third generation of River-class patrol ship is expected to displace approximately 1,800 tonnes, be about 90m long and 13m wide and have a range of over 5,000 nautical miles.

Director Ships Support at the MOD’s Defence, Equipment and Support organisation, Neal Lawson, said:

HMS Trent, along with HMS Forth and HMS Medway, will provide the Royal Navy with the flexibility to operate in a wide variety of roles in UK waters and overseas. More capable than the existing River class, they will have a flight deck to take the latest Merlin helicopters, fire fighting equipment, and increased storage capacity and accommodation.

But the importance of this programme is not only that the OPVs will have the latest technology in new ships, but also that the build programme acts as a stepping stone to work on our future multi-mission warship, the Type 26 Global Combat Ship.

Construction of the first two ships, HMS Forth and HMS Medway, is already well underway.

30.09.2015 BAE Systems

BAE Systems today delivered the first production series ARCHER artillery system to the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) during a ceremony at the company’s Karlskoga facility.

The ARCHER system is one of the world’s most advanced artillery systems with high mobility and precision. ARCHER provides fire support that is powerful and flexible, and features high levels of autonomous operation under protection. It is based on proven subsystems and has an extensive ammunition portfolio.

“BAE Systems Bofors and FMV have been working very closely to achieve our high-level requirements for the ARCHER program. This is an important milestone as we begin the delivery of all systems for our Swedish customer,” said Lena Gillström, managing director for Weapon Systems, Sweden at BAE Systems, Inc. “ARCHER will provide the Swedish armed forces with an advanced artillery system that focuses on the safety of our soldiers.”

BAE Systems’ employees and representatives from FMV, the Swedish Armed Forces, and the Ministry of Defence were in attendance as Gillström delivered the first system to Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvst.

“ARCHER is an important part of strengthening the Swedish defense,” said Dan Ohlsson, Acting Director General for FMV.

BAE Systems delivered the pre-serial ARCHER systems to the Swedish government in 2013, which have been in use by the Swedish artillery regiment.

An MBDA Meteor long-range, ramjet-powered air-to-air missile launches from a Typhoon during recent trials in the UK, part of the flight test campaign for Typhoon’s ‘Phase 2 Enhancements’ (P2E) program.

Sept 15, 2015 defense-aerospace.com/

(Source: BAE Systems; issued Sept 15, 2015)

Our Company has successfully completed guided firing trials of the Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air missile launched from a Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft.

The trials took place at the Ministry of Defence’s Hebrides range in the United Kingdom and saw Typhoon conduct guided Meteor firings against real air targets in pre-planned scenarios. The trials formed part of the flight test campaign for the ‘Phase 2 Enhancements’ (P2E) programme which will introduce a range of new and improved long range attack capabilities including Meteor and Storm Shadow missiles.

Typhoon aircraft IPA6, a Tranche 2 standard aircraft equipped with the latest P2E software, was used for the trials. Our test pilot Nat Makepeace, who flew the aircraft, said: “The missile separated very cleanly and guided very successfully towards its target maintaining a datalink communication between the weapon and the aircraft.

“This year is undoubtedly one of the most exciting years I have experienced in the development of Typhoon. We are taking to the skies with upgraded software, trialling new nigh

t vision helmet technologies, developing and expanding weapons capabilities and looking forward to flying the Captor E-scan radar – all in the space of one year.”

The integration of the Meteor weapon further enhances Typhoon’s swing-role capabilities, allowing the pilot to engage hostile air threats at long range, at the same time as identifying and engaging targets on the ground.

The flight trials were conducted with support from QinetiQ, MBDA and Selex and form part of a NETMA contract to fully integrate the Meteor missile onto Typhoon by 2017.

Information on further developments in the Typhoon Phased Approach can be found here.

15 Sep 2015 By Vin Shahrestani, and agencies

A new state-of-the-art fighter pilot helmet by BAE Systems is able to to see in the dark, as well as to 'see through' the aircraft

BAE Systems has unveiled the Striker II, its most advanced fighter pilot helmet which removes the need for external night-vision goggles. The helmet has a fully integrated digital night vision and can also track the pilot's head movement, a feature that allows the aircraft computer system to work in sync with its human operator.

Read more

28.07.2015 fr.sputniknews.com

Le magazine américain Defense News a publié le Top 100 des entreprises d'armements et de matériels de guerre.

Sans surprise, les Etats-Unis restent hégémoniques sur le marché des armes, avec sept entreprises américaines parmi les dix premières du classement annuel présenté par Defense News.

Le géant des groupes de défense Lockheed Martin reste le premier vendeur d'armes de la planète, avec 40,128 milliards de dollars de chiffre d'affaires (dans l'armement). Boeing (29 mds USD) est deuxième et le groupe britannique BAE Systems est troisième (25,5 mds USD).

Sept sociétés russes figurent parmi les meilleures entreprises d'armements et de matériels de guerre au monde, selon le magazine américain.

Le meilleur producteur d'armes russe est Almaz-Anteï qui monte du 12e au 11e rang dans la nouvelle version du classement. Il a réalisé, en 2014, un chiffre d'affaires (dans l'armement) de 9,209 milliards de dollars.

Le Consortium aéronautique unifié (OAK) entre dans le Top 100 à la 14e place avec 6,244 mds USD de ventes d'armes, et le groupe Hélicoptères de Russie se situe au 23e rang (3,960 mds USD).

Le Consortium unifié de construction de moteurs (ODK) qui produit des propulseurs et moteurs pour l'aviation militaire et civile ainsi que pour les vaisseaux spatiaux progresse de 8 places pour se retrouver au 26e rang avec un chiffre d'affaires (dans l'armement) de 3,324 mds USD.

Le consortium russe Missiles tactiques (KTRV), qui fait aussi ses débuts dans le classement de Defense News, est 31e (2,812 mds USD) et le groupe de recherche et de production Uralvagonzavod est 52e (1,545 mds USD).

Le consortium RTI Sistemy, qui était 78e en 2014, se hisse à la 69e place avec 947,2 millions de dollars de ventes d'armes.

La France est représentée par cinq sociétés dont Thales (12e, 8,472 mds USD), Safran (20e, 4,081 mds USD), DCNS (21e, 4,074 mds USD), Nexter (57e, 1,392 md USD) et Dassault Aviation (58e, 1,332 md USD). Thales, qui occupait la 9e place en 2014, quitte de nouveau le Top 10.

8 juin 2015 by BAE Systems

26 mai 2015 by BAE Systems

29 April 2015 by defenceWeb

State-owned defence conglomerate Denel has now acquired Land Systems South Africa (LSSA) from BAE Systems, with BAE yesterday announcing the sale of its 75% stake in LSSA.

Denel took over the majority ownership stake for R641 million ($53 million) in cash. The complete acquisition cost Denel R855 million, as it also bought the remaining 25% stake from BAE Systems’ partner DGD Technologies.

Speaking to defenceWeb last week, Denel Group CEO Riaz Saloojee said that with the acquisition of LSSA, the whole landward mobility capability of the South African National Defence Force will once again be invested in the state. LSSA, Denel Land Systems, Mechem and LMT will be under one roof.

Regarding the future of LSSA, Saloojee said Denel plans to grow the division to produce more vehicle capacity than there is at present. LSSA will be focused on the international market, particularly in areas like the Middle East and Africa.

“This proposed divestiture will further focus our portfolio on our core capabilities and strong franchise positions in tracked, combat, and amphibious vehicles and weapon systems which represent markets where we possess strong franchise positions and discriminating capabilities,” said Erwin Bieber, president of BAE Systems’ Platforms and Services sector, when the deal was initially announced. “We also recognise that the LSSA employees have made a significant contribution to BAE Systems over the last 10 years, and we believe that transitioning ownership to Denel will better position the LSSA business to achieve its full potential working with a strong South African company.”

BAE Systems and Denel signed an agreement to proceed with the sale in August last year, which was anticipated to conclude during the fourth quarter after receiving regulatory and other approvals.

LSSA has comprised three business segments employing approximately 500 people. The LSSA business specialises in the design and manufacture of military tactical-wheeled vehicles, mechanical driveline products, precision-machined components and gears, fire directing systems, and remote weapon launching platforms, subsystems and products.

LSSA already works with Denel, supplying commander and gunner sights for the Badger 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle being developed by Denel Land Systems for the South African Army.

The deal comes as BAE sells off various divisions, such as its Safariland protective clothing and body armour business for $124 million, commercial armoured vehicle activities for $10 million and a small unmanned aerial vehicle business.