10 avril 2014 par  Didier Girault - electroniques.biz

Ivalua Buyer est un outil d’achats collaboratif. Son utilisation devrait permettre une meilleure coopération entre les 1350 acheteurs du groupe ainsi qu'une optimisation des achats de celui-ci.

Les achats de Thales représentent 5,7 milliards d’euros par an. Ils sont réalisés par quelque 1350 professionnels. Et, dans le cadre d'un plan d’optimisation des achats lancé en 2010, les responsables de cette activité chez Thales viennent de choisir la solution d’achats Ivalua Buyer.

Grâce à cet outil logiciel, Thales compte mieux faire coopérer ses différents acheteurs disséminés partout dans le monde. « Nous souhaitions un outil nous permettant de développer une approche collaborative à l’intérieur de la communauté achats afin d’apporter le meilleur niveau de services à nos clients » annonce ainsi Renaud Larramendy, directeur des outils, process et méthodes achats chez Thales.

Dans la pratique, Thales a retenu pour son Ivalua Buyer, les modules fonctionnels suivants : SRM (Supplier Relationship Management) ou Référentiel fournisseurs – avec la gestion des coordonnées, des informations concernant les fournisseurs et les activités avec ceux-ci, des documents légaux et des risques - ; Tableau de bord des achats ; Evaluation de la performance achats (incluant l’élaboration de plans de progrès en liaison avec les fournisseurs, ainsi que la gestion des litiges) ; et E-sourcing (pour l’aide à la constitution des dossiers achats ainsi qu'à la sélection des fournisseurs).

10 April 2014 army-technology.com

Ukraine's state enterprise Ukroboronservice is upgrading five BTR-80 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) at its own expense, in a bid to strengthen the country's defences.

Ukroboronservice director Sergey Mykytyuk said the company will upgrade four BTR-80 units and one similar vehicle, and then transfer them to the Ukrainian Army.

"Being under the difficult conditions for the state we, as special exporters, will contribute as much as possible to [the] army's rearmament and defence-industry development," Mykytyuk said.

Carried out by Kyiv Armoured Plant specialists, the work on the first four units is scheduled to be completed within two months, while more time is required for the overhaul of the fifth.

Decisions regarding the usage of the vehicles are expected to be made by the management of military structures, according to the company.

Manufactured by the Arzamas machinery construction plant of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, the BTR-80 8x8 APC is designed for troop transport, close-fire support, reconnaissance, and combat support and patrol missions.

It is currently used by units that are incorporated with the Ukrainian Land Forces and Naval Infantry of Naval Forces.

Ukraine is currently battling a pro-Russian uprising in the eastern part of the country, including in the cities of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv, where activists have seized government buildings and called for a referendum on secession from the country.

Having already lost the Crimean peninsula to Russia last month, the country has vowed to resolve the crisis, either through talks or by force, in the next two days.

April 08, 2014 Spacewar.com (AFP)

Riyadh - British defence minister Philip Hammond held talks in Riyadh Tuesday, just weeks after BAE Systems announced an agreement with Saudi authorities on the spiralling costs of a multi-billion-dollar fighter deal.

Saudi state media gave very few details of what was discussed in Hammond's meetings with his counterpart Crown Prince Salman and National Guard Minister Prince Mitab bin Abdullah.

His talks with Salman focused on "cooperation between their friendly states and means of developing and strengthening it," the official SPA news agency said.

British contractor BAE Systems announced on February 20 that it had reached a new pricing agreement with Saudi Arabia for the deal it struck in 2007 to supply 72 Eurofighter Typhoon jets.

BAE gave no figures for the new value of the deal, which was originally put at �4.5 billion. The costs had risen sharply with less than half of the planes delivered.

The February agreement was a boost for BAE after the United Arab Emirates pulled out of talks with the British government to purchase Typhoon Eurofighters last December.

BAE, hit by government cutbacks to military spending, is looking to push on after the collapse in late 2012 of a planned mega-merger with European aerospace giant EADS, now renamed Airbus Group.

BAE builds the Typhoon in cooperation with Airbus Group and Italian defence firm Finmeccanica.

A previous arms deal between BAE Systems and Saudi Arabia was mired in allegations of corruption.

10/04/2014 DGA

La direction générale de l’armement (DGA) a réalisé avec succès le deuxième tir de qualification du missile de croisière naval (MdCN) le 8 avril 2014.

Ce tir, effectué sur le site de Biscarrosse (Landes) du centre DGA Essais de missiles, est représentatif d’un tir à partir d’une frégate. Il a notamment permis de démontrer les capacités de vol en haute altitude du missile.

Cette réussite, qui vient une nouvelle fois confirmer la très haute technicité de ce missile, est le fruit d’un travail intense et coordonné de nombreux acteurs étatiques (le service de la qualité et les centres d’expertise et d’essais de la DGA, et la Marine Nationale notamment) et industriels (MBDA France).

Le MdCN équipera à partir de fin 2014 les frégates multi-missions (FREMM) et les sous-marins Barracuda à l’horizon 2018.

Doté d’une portée de plusieurs centaines de kilomètres, le MdCN est destiné à frapper des objectifs situés dans la profondeur du territoire adverse. Il est complémentaire du missile de croisière aéroporté Scalp dont il est dérivé. Embarqué sur des bâtiments de combat positionnés, de façon prolongée, à distance de sécurité dans les eaux internationales, ostensiblement (frégates) ou discrètement (sous-marins), le MdCN est adapté à des missions de destruction d’infrastructures de haute valeur stratégique.

La DGA a notifié le marché MdCN à la société MBDA fin 2006.

09.04.2014 Helen Chachaty - journal-aviation.com

L’US Air Force a réceptionné le mois dernier un premier lot de missiles JASSM-ER (Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile - Extended Range) de série. Les missiles air-sol de longue portée ont été livrés sur la base aérienne de Dyess, au Texas.

Parmi les améliorations apportées par Lockheed Martin, une portée accrue, le missile pouvant aller « plus de 2,5 fois » plus loin que son prédécesseur.

Le JASSM-ER est pour l’instant uniquement prévu pour le bombardier B-1B, mais des études sont en cours pour pouvoir éventuellement l’intégrer aux F-15E, F-16 et B-52.

09 avril 2014 Usinenouvelle.com

L'innovation technologique industrielle revêt de multiples formes, y compris militaires. L'US Navy le prouve encore avec ces trois technologies spectaculaires qu'elle teste en vue d'un déploiement prochain.

La marine de guerre des Etats-Unis travaille depuis de nombreuses années au développement de technologies de combat avancées au travers de son bureau de la recherche navale. Plusieurs de ces projets d'envergure s'apprêtent à se concrétiser dans les mois ou les années à venir.

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Apr 8, 2014 ASDNews Source : TenCate

The TenCate armour systems to be supplied, represent a very weight-efficient way of significantly increasing the survivability of the people inside the vehicles and represent cutting-edge technology and engineering. The solutions are engineered to fit the EAGLE V perfectly to ensure maximum protection and minimum weight.

Steen Tanderup, Managing Director TenCate Advanced Armour EMEA & APAC, states: “We are very pleased to be selected as supplier for GDELS for this project. The EAGLE V for the German Army is a great match for TenCate lightweight protection solutions, and we are proud to contribute to the exceptional performance of the vehicle”.

Read more

Apr 9, 2014 ASDNews Source : Alliant Tech Systems, Inc (ATK)

    ATK Will Deliver Ammunition and Ammunition Services to U.S. Allies

ATK (NYSE:  ATK), a world-leading producer of ammunition, precision weapons and rocket motors, announced today that it has received international contracts from U.S. allies totaling $186 million for ammunition that spans multiple calibers as well as ammunition services that will increase allied defense capabilities.

"Partnering with our allies to help maintain their defense capabilities aligns directly with our core business competencies and international growth strategies," said Mike Kahn, Senior Vice President and President ATK Defense Group. "ATK is uniquely positioned within the defense industry to deliver these products and services, given the company's expertise in design and manufacturing of a wide variety of military munitions."

Read more

SIC sécurisés à Balard photo Thales / Philippe Coni

09.04.2014 Arnaud Bivès - Boursier.com

Le nouveau ministère de la Défense, localisé sur le site de Balard à Paris, a accueilli ses premiers résidents. Le cap des 2 000 utilisateurs des systèmes d'information et de communication sécurisés par Thales est franchi. Le groupe assure également l'exploitation de ces systèmes sur une période de 27 ans.

Thales assure d'ores et déjà les services d'exploitation des systèmes d'information critiques et de sûreté pour 2 000 utilisateurs qui ont déjà emménagé dans leurs nouveaux locaux.

Le groupe joue un rôle majeur dans la conception, la construction, l'exploitation et la maintenance sur une durée de 27 ans du nouveau siège du ministère de la Défense. Il réalise la conception générale de l'ingénierie de défense du projet et l'exploitation des systèmes d'information et de communication du nouveau ministère, ainsi que des systèmes de sûreté du site.

"Si le projet architectural est de grande envergure, la sécurisation du site et de ses systèmes d'information et de communication sont également des missions hautement critiques", explique Thales.

April 8, 2014 Source: Defense-Aerospace.com

PARIS --- Having canceled the GE/Rolls-Royce F136 alternate engine program for short-term savings, the Pentagon finds itself powerless to force Pratt & Whitney to reduce the cost of its own F135 engine, now the single-source powerplant for the entire F-35 program.

While many in Congress tried to block cancellation of the F136 program for several years, arguing that competition had very effectively reduced fighter engine acquisition costs in the past, the program was eventually killed in December 2011 when GE and Rolls-Royce finally decided to stop funding the project in the hope the Pentagon would restore funding. At the time, the Pentagon opted to cut F136 funding as part of a program-wide campaign to reduce the F-35’s ballooning costs.

Pratt & Whitney’s single-source, monopoly position is so strong that the F-35 Joint Program Office cannot even force the company to reveal the true cost of the engines, Rear Adm. Randy Mahr, deputy program manager of the F-35. “I can’t force somebody to go ahead and report something that by law they are not” required to report, he told Aviation Week at the Sea Air Space 2014 conference in Washington, DC on April 7 (see below).

The most recent F135 production contract, announced Oct. 23, 2013, covers 38 engines for Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 7 and is worth $1.1 billion, or an average cost of $28.9 million per engine. More precise cost figures are not available.

At the time, Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, F-35 Program Executive Officer, said that "The engine price has been going down and that trend will continue." He added that "I've met with Pratt & Whitney's senior leaders and they are working closely with the supply chain to continue to bring down the cost to the government."

Six months later, Bogdan’s comments appear very optimistic. The following two stories show that Pratt & Whitney is dragging its heels in reducing engine costs, and that the company, which now holds an unassailable monopoly position on F-35 engine production, is virtually immune to Pentagon pressure.

Raytheon's air missile defense radar is meant to increase detection range, according to the company. (Raytheon illustration)

Apr. 8, 2014 - By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS – Defense News

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. — With a temporary work stoppage lifted, Raytheon is working to develop its air missile defense radar (AMDR) for the US Navy’s future Aegis destroyers.

“We’re two months into the contract, but we’re more than two years into technical development,” Tad Dickinson, Raytheon’s AMDR program manager, said at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exposition outside Washington.

The company already has built a test array structure, a roughly 14-by-14-foot array to check fittings of the components of the electrically scanned radar, which will replace SPY-1 radars used on today’s Aegis ships.

The S-band AMDR will have more than 30 times the sensitivity of the SPY-1, and is designed to dramatically increase the fidelity of the system to track ballistic missile targets.

Raytheon beat proposals from Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to win the AMDR contract. Work was temporarily halted when Lockheed filed a protest, but the work stoppage ended in January when the protest was dropped. Raytheon and Lockheed will both work on AMDR, which will be integrated into the Lockheed Aegis system.

Raytheon is working toward the program’s first critical design review, scheduled for November. The system is intended to be installed in the yet-to-be-named DDG 124, a destroyer to be funded in 2016. Delivery of the first set of AMDR radars is scheduled for 2019, Dickinson said.

One of Japan's hi-tech Soryu class submarines (photo : kure-news)

08 April 2014 Defense Studies

ALMOST 72 years after Japanese midget submarines attacked Sydney Harbour killing 21 sailors, Australia could buy Japanese subs for its $30 billion replacement program.

Possible access to Japanese technology and even a so-called “military off-the-shelf” deal to buy the boats is on the agenda during high-level defence talks in Tokyo between Prime Minister Tony Abbott and senior Japanese officials.

Mr Abbott’s talks follow a top-secret mission to Japan in February by the nation’s defence purchasing guru and head of the Defence Materiel Organisation Warren King to open negotiations with Japan’s defence agency for possible access to its Soryu Class submarines.

Defence Minister David Johnston has also met Japanese officials to discuss submarines and senior navy officers have been on board the Japanese boats to examine technologies such as the Swedish-designed air independent propulsion (AIP) system.

The AIP system allows the diesel-electric vessels to remain submerged for long periods of time without the need for fresh air for diesel power-plants.

When asked yesterday what aspects of the Japanese boats might be included in an Australian design, a senior government source replied: “Everything.”

When pressed on whether that included buying the boats off-the-shelf from the Japanese the answer was an emphatic “yes”.


 

Soryu class cutaway (image : goo)

At a submarine conference in Canberra tomorrow Senator Johnston will tell Defence and industry that “all bets are off” when it comes to options for the future Australian submarine fleet.

He will also debunk the myth that Australia needs 12 submarines and will make it plain that the government is not a job-creation agency for local shipbuilders.

That means shipbuilder ASC would need to prove its credentials as a competitive and skilled shipyard.

Japanese officials have visited the ASC shipyard at Port Adelaide, where the navy’s six Collins Class boats were built.

The Japanese vessels cost about $600 million each, or less than half the price of an Australian-made alternative.

The 4200-tonne (submerged) Soryu submarines would be an ideal fit to replace the ageing 3400-tonne Collins boats.

It is understood the Japanese technology could also be used to extend the life of the Collins boats beyond the late 2020s.

Senator Johnston will also urge Defence to get moving quickly so a decision can be taken by March 2015.
He will point out that it took Singapore just 10 months to move from concept to decision for its new submarine.

(News)

08.04.2014 by Rostec
 

The state corporation Rostec has unveiled a new brand for the concern Radio-Electronic Technologies (KRET). The rebranding will improve capitalization and allow the concern to implement its strategy for international expansion, including integration into world markets and the introduction of an IPO.

The KRET Brand

The rebranding allows the concern to be identified by the same abbreviation of KRET in both Russian and English. This policy coincides with the strategy of its parent company Rostec, who implemented its own name change in late 2012. Given that 75% of its production has military purposes, KRET has become the leader of Russia’s military-industrial complex. The concern has also adopted a policy of increased transparency in communicating with partners, investors, and the media. The new brand gives KRET an image of strength and severity, along with openness and readiness to pursue mutual beneficial partnerships.

As KRET CEO Nikolai Kolesov noted, the rebranding will allow the concern to increase its capitalization in the long term. “An international brand and dual-language site are designed to help implement KRET’s strategy of international expansion, including integration into the world markets and the introduction of an IPO,” he said.

The new brand and dual-language site are designed to help implement KRET’s strategy for international expansion and the introduction of an IPO

Nikolai Kolesov, KRET CEO

Logo

KRET’s new logo consists of its abbreviated name graphic design, a stylized image of a pixel grid on which three symmetrical diamonds are visible. This symbolism is the essence of most of the concern’s technology: the transformation of real objects into a digital model.
“Competition in the global market is not possible without a strong, recognizable brand. Yet due to specifics of the dual-purpose enterprise, this resource is insufficiently used in Russia. Still, effective communication with the outside world is a competitive factor in the global market,” noted Vasily Brovko, Rostec communications director. “The rebranding aims to create a modern image of the concern as an innovative company with the strategic resources and objectives to develop unique, high-performance military and civilian technologies of the future that can also reach a new level of business.”

Site

KRET now has a new, multimedia website at www.kret.com. The site advances the concern’s new brand, presenting a multimedia portal for interaction with the outside world. KRET intends to adopt a policy of maximum openness with its partners, investors, and the media, which a new internet forum for feedback will help promote. To make communication with foreign colleagues as efficient as possible, information on the new site will be published in two languages, Russian and English. To increase visibility, the site will also provide videos, photos, and text about all aspects of KRET.

The strategic communications center Apostle, in partnership with SomeOneElse, one of the top creative agencies in the UK, developed the website. This team has also worked on projects for HSBC, Land Rover, BBC, Yota, Universal, and Rolling Stones. Warren Hutchinson, founder and design director of SomeOneElse led the project, which began in 2013 and took more than a year to complete.

This project sets a high standard for companies in the international market for radio-electronic technologies

Steve Haggarty, Apostle art director

“The developers were able to convey in their unique graphic language the product reliability of KRET and the stability of the company, along with its openness to cooperation, innovation, and investment. This project sets a high standard for companies in the international market for radio-electronic technologies,” said Steve Haggarty, art director for Apostle.

As part of its rebranding, the concern will use all digital communication channels, including video blogs and social networks. KRET already has official accounts in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, VKontakte, and official channel in YouTube.

Strategy

KRET has adopted a range of initiatives for building effective communication in an effort to implement its development strategy by 2020. The concern’s priorities include creating new products for civil and military purposes, improving the competitiveness of its avionics systems, modernizing its production facilities on a large-scale, and transitioning to a complex supplier model. According to the strategy, KRET’s net profit will grow 4.5 times to 20 billion rubles in 2020, with revenue increasing more than 3 times to 204 billion rubles. By 2020, the projected capitalization of the concern is expected to exceed 237 billion rubles.

The concern Radio-Electronic Technologies (KRET) is Russia’s largest holding company in the radio-electronics industry. Founded in 2009, it is now a part of the state corporation Rostec. KRET specializes in the development and manufacture of avionics systems for civil and military aviation, air-based radar, state identification systems, radio warfare complexes, multipurpose measuring instrumentation, electrical connectors and cable systems. Additionally, the concern’s enterprises produce various household appliances, medical equipment, and control systems for energy, transportation, and engineering industries. KRET, which includes 97 enterprises, design bureaus, and production plants located in 28 constituent territories of the Russian Federation, employs more than 66,000 people.