October 29, 2015: Strategy Page

Iraq is buying a lot more armored vehicles. While Russia offers cheaper prices and faster delivery the Iraqis prefer to buy American. Since mid-2014 Iraq has ordered 1,000 armored M1151A1 HMMWVs (hummers) from the United States. Even before ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) captured Mosul in June 2014 Iraq had ordered 200 M1151A1s at a cost of $505,000 each. This included a ring mounted 12.7mm (.50 caliber) machine-gun, maintenance equipment, training and warranties. The M1151 is a hummer built to handle the additional weight of armor protection. Thus one of the key changes in the M1151 is a stronger suspension and a larger engine (a 6.5 liter turbo-diesel). This allows the vehicle to easily handle an additional 680 kg (1,500 pounds) of armor. More importantly, the armor is easily installed, or taken off. This allows the hummers to operate more efficiently without the armor when the threat of attack is much reduced. The M1151 also has some armor underneath. This is not a lot of protection against mines and roadside bombs, but it is better than none. The M1151 is basically an armored car, with a crew of four and a payload of one ton (plus two tons that can be towed.) Top speed is 80 kilometers an hour and a max range (on one tank, on roads) of 480 kilometers. All the armored protection is good against 7.62mm machine-guns and rifles, bombs, landmines and nearby bursting shells of up to 155mm. The M1151 hummer also comes with Vehicle Emergency Escape (VEE) Windows. These are bulletproof windows with a latch system. It takes about five seconds to turn the latches and push the window forward. This enables troops to get out of vehicles that have rolled over, or gone into the water, and jammed the doors. If the vehicle catches fire, either from an accident or roadside bomb, the VEE has already proved to be a lifesaver since it was introduced in 2007. The M1151 was developed in 2005 based on experience in Iraq. The M1151A1 has become the preferred HMMWV model in areas where there is a lot of violence.

Iraq has also ordered 175 M1A1 tanks, 15 M88A2 tank recovery vehicles (that can tow disabled M1 tanks off the battlefield) and numerous accessories and support equipment and spare parts. When ISIL made its unexpected advance in 2014 the Iraqi Army had already equipped one of its armored divisions with M-1 tanks. In 2008 Iraq ordered 140 M1A1-SA tanks, along with over a hundred support vehicles (for maintenance and transportation, like 35 tank transporters). The request includes training and technical support, for a total contract cost of over $2 billion. The tanks were delivered by 2011. Since mid-2014 Iraq has lost about a third of their 140 M1s. Some were captured but most were abandoned when damaged or because they broke down and the Iraqis could not get them going again.

The M1A1-SA (Situational Awareness") is equipped with features that the U.S. Army developed in 2006. The M1A1-SA includes the latest thermal (FLIR, or heat sensing) sights, a special engine air filter system developed to deal the abundant sand and dust in Iraq, the telephone on the rear fender, which allows accompanying infantry to communicate with the crew, and numerous small improvements.

There are several items the Iraqi SA tanks will not get, that those used by American troops do have. These include no depleted uranium armor, no ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) on the absence of some other features meant to protect against anti-tank missiles. Also missing is Blue Force Tracker (a U.S. satellite tracking system that shows the location of all American vehicles and aircraft in the vicinity.)

Iraq is not the first Arab country to operate the M1 tank. Egypt, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia already operate over 1,600 of them, and Egypt has built hundreds of them (mainly using components imported from the U.S., but with some locally made parts). All the other Arab users have at least some of the latest model (M1A2 SEP).  The Arab users of the M1 have been very happy with their American tanks. This satisfaction increased when they saw how the M-1 performed in Iraq. While most Arabs deplored U.S. operations there, Arab tank officers and M-1 crewmen were quietly pleased that their tanks appeared invulnerable, and able to assist the infantry in any kind of fight. Iraqi army officers have spoken to fellow Arab officers who have used the M-1, and were told this was the way to go.

Despite the removal of some features, the Iraqis are glad to have their M-1s. Since 2003 Iraqis have been very impressed by the U.S. military. Although the U.S. initially advised the Iraqis to expand upon their use of Russian equipment (which they had been using for over three decades) the Iraqis insisted on adopting U.S. gear and tactics. Thus Iraqi troops wear similar uniforms, and use many identical weapons and items of equipment. Iraqi soldiers, especially the younger ones, imitate American moves to the point that, in the field, U.S. troops sometimes have to look closely to determine if the G.I. down the street is American or Iraqi.

source Association des entreprises partenaires du ministère de la Défense
 

Mardi 19 mai 2015 : Soirée-débat avec le responsable ministériel des achats de la Défense et chef de la Mission Achats (SGA)

 « Les achats de la Défense hors armement, quelles stratégies et quelles relations avec le monde de l’entreprise ? »

Le ministère de la Défense est le premier acheteur de l’Etat. Ses achats s’élèvent à environ 17 Md€ par an, dont 4 Md€ hors armement (infrastructures, maintenance aéronautique et navale, formation, habillement, santé, informatique…).

L’Association des entreprises partenaires de la Défense organise le mardi 19 mai de 18 heures 30 à 20 heures 30 à l’Ecole militaire à Paris une soirée-débat avec Jean Bouverot, responsable ministériel des achats (RMA) de la Défense et chef de la Mission Achats (SGA).

Stratégies d’achats, achats responsables, performance économique, attentes vis à vis des entreprises, etc… un rendez-vous exceptionnel pour le monde de l’entreprise, de la TPE au grand groupe international.

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25 March 2015 Ministry of Defence

The MOD is pleased to announce the appointment of Tony Douglas as the Chief Executive of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S).

Mr Douglas, who is currently Chief Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, was appointed by the Prime Minister, in consultation with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary, under the new arrangements announced by the Civil Service Commission in October last year.

source Abu Dhabi Airports

Tony Douglas joined Abu Dhabi Airports as Chief Executive Officer on 1st March 2013 to spearhead the development of the airports’ infrastructure in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, including its crowning jewel, the iconic 700,000 sqm Midfield Terminal Building (MTB).

Tony joins Abu Dhabi Airports after completing his latest mega project, Khalifa Port and Industrial Zone (KPIZ) on schedule and below budget, as the CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) since 2010.

Prior to his landing in the UAE, Tony was the Chief Operating Officer and the Group Chief Executive designate for Laing O’Rourke, where he had abroad executive remit covering strategic business development and operational management across the Group’s three geographic hubs: Europe;
Middle East and South Asia; and Australasia. As a member of the Group Executive Board, he led accountability for the Group’s largest and most complex project delivery activities.

Before joining Laing O’Rourke, he held a number of senior executive positions with BAA, the UK’s leading airport infrastructure operator and a FTSE40 company, culminating in his appointment as Chief Executive in charge of Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airports. He was an executive
member of the BAA Group Board and an active participant in the £16.3bn takeover of BAA by Grupo Ferrovial.

Tony was previously Heathrow Terminal 5 Managing Director, with overall executive responsibility for the delivery of the £4.3bn Terminal 5 build programme. Prior to this he was BAA’s Group Technical Director with responsibility for technical functions, including development, design, group supply chain, construction and maintenance of new and improved airport facilities. He has also held the position of BAA’s Group Supply Chain Director, accountable for £1bn annual expenditure for construction and related products and services.

Earlier in his career, Tony worked for the Kenwood Group as Manufacturing and Global Logistics Director. This was his first role on the board of a major internationally-focused PLC. A mechanical engineer by training, his career began in 1979 at General Motors, where he joined as an apprentice industrial engineer. In 1990 he moved to British Aircraft Engineering (BAE), where he rose to become Product Manufacturing Director in its regional aircraft division.

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2015 – By Nick Simeone DoD News

Pentagon officials are preparing to unveil the latest version of Better Buying Power, a multibillion-dollar equipment and service-buying program aimed at improving the acquisition process while maintaining the nation’s significant technological edge on the battlefield, the department’s chief acquisition officer said here yesterday.

Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, told a defense conference that Better Buying Power 3.0 will be largely about innovation, excellence and maintaining technological superiority -- “the things we can do that will make a substantial difference and give us a significant edge for a decade or more on future battlefields.”

More Capability, More Value

The Defense Department introduced Better Buying Power in 2010 to extract more capability for the warfighter and more value for the taxpayer. “This is largely about efficiency and productivity,” Kendall said.

The new version, which will roll out in the weeks ahead, will bring the intelligence community further into the acquisition process, Kendall said. It also will be more responsive and agile to threats while taking full advantage of quickly advancing technologies, including countering what he said is a growing threat of anti-satellite technology posed by Russia and China.

 “We are starting to do something about this, but we really haven’t made a great deal of progress yet,” he said. “We rely on a small number of very capable and very expensive satellites that are increasingly at risk, and that trend is going to continue to get worse.”

March 6, 2015: Strategy Page

Over the last decade a growing number of weapons used by African rebels, warlords and nations under arms embargoes have been traced to Sudan. A lot of ammunition (especially grenades and bullets for AK-47s) has been made in Sudanese factories and shipped all over Africa, to anyone who could pay or whose goals coincided with those of Sudan. Many more weapons were from China and Iran but shipped via Sudan. A lot of this stuff ended up in Gaza. Some of this stuff made headlines when Israel intercepted shiploads of it being smuggled into Gaza and put the captured material on display for the world to sea. Sudan denies everything but has become notable as the only nation on the planet run by a man who is an indicted war criminal.

Sudan was also found to be the source of weapons purchased by Qatar and delivered by Sudan to rebels in Syria. This gives Sudan the distinction of being an ally and arms distributor for Iran as well as some Arab nations on the other side of the Persian Gulf who are threatened by Iranian aggression.

Israel always saw this Sudanese effort as a direct threat and has attacked Sudan several times in an effort to stop or slow down the arms smuggling going through Sudan. Thus in late 2012 Sudan reported that one of their ammunition factories blew up and blamed an Israeli air raid. Many Sudanese believe the bombed factory actually belonged to Iran. Sudan says they have proof it was an Israeli attack, in the form of fragments of Israeli missiles. Israeli officials refused to comment. Earlier in 2012 a local businessman in Port Sudan, Sudan died when his vehicle exploded. The dead man turned out to be a major arms smuggler (to Egypt and eventually Gaza) and the Sudanese government blamed his death on Israel. Sudan denies that it allows weapons to be smuggled into Egypt, but the Egyptian government believes otherwise. Israel denied any involvement with the Port Sudan explosion, as well as with similar events in the past. Egypt has since made it more difficult for Sudanese weapons to travel through Egypt.

Israel has been attacking the Iranian weapons pipeline via Sudan since at least 2008. The 2012 attack was documented by subsequent satellite photos showing large craters, like those made by large (one ton and half ton) bombs. The Israelis were apparently aiming for specific targets, like a number of shipping containers that had recently arrived from Iran. Two buildings in the factory compound were destroyed and 21 structures damaged. Not only are the Israelis bombing Sudan, but they are getting good information about what is where and when. This sort of thing has been going on for some time.

For example, in January 2009, Israel sent warplanes down the Red Sea to attack a convoy of trucks, near the Egyptian border in Sudan, carrying Iranian long range rockets destined for Gaza. Iran brings the rockets (and other weapons) in through Port Sudan, and then trucks them to Egypt. Sudan does not interfere. Egypt is not a friend of Iran but the border police can be bribed. The 2009 attack destroyed 17 truckloads of weapons and killed the 39 drivers. Since then the smugglers resorted to individual trucks and the use of small boats moving up the Red Sea coast.

In a 2011 incident a car travelling north, from Sudan towards Egypt, exploded. One of the dead was a Hamas official. Sudan blamed Israel for this, claiming that an Israeli aircraft must have fired a missile. No proof was offered, other than fragments from a Hellfire missile. But these could have been obtained from any number of Islamic terror groups who have lost members to Hellfire attacks. The Sudanese claimed that a U.S. AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship was used for the attack. The helicopter was said to have flown in from the sea.

In November and December 2011, Israeli aircraft bombed truck convoys carrying weapons from Sudan to Egypt. The Sudanese military refused to admit that Israeli aircraft were operating over northern Sudan but the Sudanese don't really have the means to prevent it.

In 2012 Israel and the newly independent South Sudan became allies, an arrangement sealed by a visit by the South Sudan president to Israel. For years Israel quietly aided the South Sudan rebels, who are largely Christians or animists. In 2011 South Sudan became a separate state, and Israeli aid, via Kenya, increased as a result. Israeli has long been on good terms with Kenya and most non-Moslem African nations. Israel and non-Moslem African nations have a common enemy in Islam, and especially radical Islam. As Islamic radicals have become more active in the past four decades, these alliances with Israel have become more popular in Africa.

Sudanese weapons and ammunition were recently found in use by Moslem rebels in the Central African Republic and by Moslem rebels in other nations all the way to the Atlantic coast. Islamic terrorists in Somalia have often been caught using Sudanese made ammunition. Libyans complain of Sudanese aircraft flying in with tons of munitions on a regular basis. These transports have been seen all over Africa for years and the cargo was often weapons or ammunition. While the Israeli attacks on Sudanese weapons movements gets a lot of attention, all these other Sundanese weapons smuggling activities do not. Overall Sudan has become a major source of weapons for terrorists and others who mean to do bad things to a lot of people. Sudan, as always, denies all and if the evidence is too compelling blames that on Israel.

Armement - Le Premier ministre indien Narendra Modi va-t-il faire entrer l'Inde dans une ère moderne en matière d'acquisition d'armes?

09/02/2015 Michel Cabirol – LaTribune.fr

Contrats cassés, négociations qui traînent, appels d'offre annulés, exigences extravagantes... L'Inde ne ne comporte vraiment pas en pays responsable en matière d'achats d'armements.

18.12.2014 Defense Studies

MANILA (PNA) -- In a bid to improve its territorial sea interdiction capabilities, the Philippine Navy (PN) announced that it will be acquiring missile-armed MPACs (multi-purpose assault craft) to beef up its patrol force.

This was announced by PN vice commander Rear Admiral Caesar C. Taccad during Tuesday's briefing on modernization.

"It will be armed with stabilized weapon system with fire control complemented with a short to medium range missile system," he added.

The MPACs will be designed for territorial sea interdiction operations with maritime situational awareness and limited credible deterrence in the protection of the country's interest at the West Philippine Sea, Taccad stated

"And it may also be used for internal security operations and humanitarian assistance disaster response operations," he stressed.

The Department of National Defense (DND) earlier announced that it is allocating Php270 million to acquire three missile-armed MPACs.

The money will be sourced from the AFP Modernization Act Trust Fund of 2000.

The contract includes mission essential equipment.

Mission essential equipment includes day/night electronic navigation systems, communication suites, safety-of-life-at-sea, propulsion system and seamanship and ship-handling gears.

The PN currently operates a force of six MPACs.

Three of the PN's MPACs are sourced from Taiwan while the remaining three were ordered from Filipino shipbuilder Propmech Corporation, which is based in Subic Bay, Zambales.

These ships are 16.5 meters long, 4.76 meters wide and has a draft of one meter and a top speed of 45 knots.

Each one costs around Php90 million. It has a range 300 nautical miles. The hull is made of high-quality aluminum and is crewed by one officer and four enlisted personnel. It is capable of carrying 16 fully-equipped troopers or two tons of cargo.

The MPAC is capable of operating in territorial waters up to "Sea State 3" (slight waves) without any system degradation. It is armed with one .50 caliber and two 7.62mm machine guns. 

(PNA)

Sep. 29, 2014 – Defense News

Bernard Gray’s scorchingly critical 2009 report on Britain’s defense procurement performance sparked a chain of events that eventually resulted in the Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) organization being reformed into a bespoke government trading entity starting in April. An arm’s-length body of the Ministry of Defence, DE&S now has the freedom to break through civil service pay constraints and compete for the engineers, project managers and other top skills required to keep budgets and project schedules on target.

Gray was an independent businessman when he wrote the report, but in 2011 was appointed by the government to push through the improvements he recommended.

Controversy followed with a radical plan to turn Britain’s defense procurement into a government-owned, contractor-operated organization. That plan collapsed at the last moment, causing the MoD to turn to the trading entity approach. DE&S is negotiating with private-sector companies to inject skills into the organization across project management, human resources and eventually IT and finance.

Read full article

Aug. 13, 2014 - By MARCUS WEISGERBER – Defense News

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA — The Pentagon needs to fundamentally change the way it buys satellites in an effort to lower costs as US defense spending contracts, a top Air Force general said.

The military oftentimes spends between $3 billion and $5 billion to design, develop and test new satellites, Lt. Gen. John Hyten, vice commander of Air Force Space Command, said. Those so-called non-recurring engineering costs come before DoD buys an operational satellite.

"We should not have to spend billions of dollars in non-recurring engineering … to build these kinds of satellites," Hyten said Tuesday while speaking at the annual Space and Missile Defense Symposium.

Read full article

Brussels - 01 July, 2014 European Defence Agency

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).