Brussels - 04 November, 2015 European Defence Agency

Member States can as of now profit from VAT exemption for projects run by the European Defence Agency (EDA). The recently adopted revised Council Decision defining the statute, seat and operational rules of the EDA includes the clause that cooperative defence projects and programmes are exempt from VAT as long as the Agency adds value to the initiative. 

With the entering into force of the revised Council Decision on 13 October, the new provision can be applied immediately for any new EDA initiative meeting the Decision’s conditions. VAT exemption is not linked to the nature of the activity. It can thus be applied to any project and programme where the Agency adds value ranging from technical expertise, pooling demand, building a multinational capability or synergies with EU wider policies, promoting interoperability to full administrative and contractual management of a cooperative initiative. Member States are and remain the end-users of the capability. 

Background

The European Defence Agency was set-up in 2004 to support the Council and the Member States in their effort to improve the European Union’s defence capabilities for the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). This means running and supporting cooperative European defence projects; supporting research and technology development; boosting the European defence technological and industrial base; and working on wider EU policies.

More information:

• Council Decision CFSP 2015/1835
• News "Outcome of the EDA Steering Board" (28 October 2014)

SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, Calif., Oct. 6 (UPI)

The U.S. Navy's networked Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile has demonstrated new capabilities in a special test conducted with missile-maker Raytheon. In the test, a missile was launched from the destroyer USS Gridley carrying a camera, and captured battle damage indication imagery and then transmitted the image to fleet headquarters with a two-way UHF SATCOM datalink. The missile then engaged in a loiter pattern to await further instructions. Strike controllers at the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain retargeted the missile to a new aim point on a Navy range off the coast of California, which it successfully struck.

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Brussels - 26 June, 2015 European Defence Agency

16 juin 2015 by Thales

28/05/2015  Economie et technologie

Jean-Yves Le Drian, ministre de la Défense, se félicite du succès du lancement dimanche 26 avril 2015 du satellite franco-italien de télécommunications militaires Sicral 2 (Sistema Italiano per Comunicazioni Riservate ed Allarmi). Sicral 2 a été mis en orbite depuis Kourou par une fusée Ariane 5 à 22h00, heure de Paris.

Jean-Yves Le Drian a déclaré : « Cette réussite consolide la coopération franco-italienne dans le domaine spatial et contribue à renforcer les capacités opérationnelles européennes. Elle est le fruit de l’excellent niveau technologique de l’industrie spatiale européenne. »

Sicral 2 est cofinancé par la France et l’Italie. Le montant de la part française de cet investissement est de 120 M€. Dans le cadre de cette coopération, la direction générale de l’armement (DGA) est l’interlocuteur français du ministère de la Défense italien qui assure la maîtrise d’ouvrage du programme. Thales Alenia Space a développé Sicral 2 en cotraitance avec Telespazio. L’assemblage du satellite a été effectué par Thales Alenia Space sur son site de Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes). Ce projet a mobilisé 170 emplois à forte valeur ajoutée à Cannes et à Toulouse.

Sicral 2 vient compléter les capacités nationales actuelles, constituées des deux satellites militaires Syracuse IIIA et IIIB, lancés en 2005 et 2006, ainsi que le satellite franco-italien de communications civilo-militaire Athena-Fidus lancé en 2014. Cette constellation permet de répondre, en toute autonomie, aux différents besoins des forces armées pour des télécommunications à longues distances, sécurisées et résistantes à la menace de guerre électronique. La relève de ces capacités en France sera assurée au début de la prochaine décennie par le programme Comsat NG qui sera lancé pendant l’actuelle loi de programmation militaire 2014-2019.

Sicral 2, plateforme dont la durée de vie est prévue pour 15 ans, embarque trois charges de télécommunications séparées : deux pour l’Italie et une pour la France. La charge française utilise la bande de fréquences SHF, permettant l’emploi des stations au sol fixes et des terminaux déployables du système Syracuse.

13 mai 2015 by Thales

Mar 18, 2015 (Sputnik)

In December 2014, the Russian Defense Ministry said it planned to carry out at least 4,000 military drills in 2015.

Units of Russia's signals troops began on Monday large-scale communications field exercises in nine regions of the Eastern Military District, the district's press service said.

"The drills envision the use of advanced relay broadcast stations, mobile video-conferencing systems, modern radio stations and satellite communications that were put in service with the Eastern Military District in 2014-2015," the press service said in a statement.

On March 12, Eastern Military District press head Col. Alexander Gordeyev said that a military exercise involving anti-air defense troops started in the region.

Prior to that, on March 3, the district's press service said that more than 2,500 artillerymen were participating in a major military exercise in Russia's Far East, completing long-distance marches and practicing inter-unit coordination.

In December 2014, the Russian Defense Ministry said it planned to carry out at least 4,000 military drills in 2015

Mar 17, 2015 ASDNews Source : Harris Corporation

Two unfurlable mesh antenna reflectors developed by Harris Corporation have successfully deployed onboard the third Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite built by Lockheed Martin. This represents the fifth and sixth successful Harris reflector deployments in the planned 5-satellite MUOS system. The announcement was made during Satellite 2015 being held March 16-19 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

The MUOS satellite constellation operates like a smart phone network in the sky, vastly improving current secure mobile satellite communications for warfighters on the move. Unlike previous systems, MUOS provides users and on-demand, beyond-line-of-sight capability to transmit and receive high-quality, prioritized voice and mission data, on a high-speed IP-based system. Once fully deployed, MUOS will be compatible with, but provide 16-times the capacity of the legacy UHF satellite system.

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March 5, 2015: Strategy Page

In January the U.S. launched the third (of four) MUOS (Mobile User Objective System) communications satellites. As a result about 70 percent of earth’s surface is now covered by the new MUOS military communications system. MUOS gives military users cell-phone-like capabilities anywhere in the world. Eventually four MUOS communications satellites operating in 36,000 kilometer stationary (geosynchronous) orbits will provide superior satellite phone service worldwide. This will also include encrypted communications that will work despite being in forests or most buildings. In effect, MUOS can replace cell phone towers in any area on the planet once the signals from one of the four satellites are aimed at the area of operations. The complete system is supposed to be active by 2016. The first satellite went up in early 2014. The four ground stations (one for each satellite) are in Sicily, North America, Hawaii, and Australia.

Yet sometimes newer isn’t better. Such was the case with trying to get the infantry to give up their existing PRC-117/150 manpack (carried) radio for the new MUOS compatible PRC-155 radio. “PRC” means “portable radio,” and while the PRC radios have been getting lighter since World War II (when they weighed more than twice as much as the PRC-155), range and interference remained a problem. Thus although the PRC-155 had lots of neat new features field tests brought forth lots of complaints from potential users (infantry who have to carry and use the PRC-155). For starters the PRC-155 weighs 50-100 percent more than the older models. It has less than half the range (three kilometers versus seven) and the batteries last only six hours (versus over 30), The PRC is subject to overheating and the user interface is considered inferior.

The 6.4 kg (14 pounds, one third of that is batteries) PRC-155 radios are used in vehicles and carried by infantry. This is the latest vehicle/manpack radio design and is replacing the PRC-150, which were widely adopted in the last decade, initially by SOCOM (Special Operations Command). The army wants to buy over 50,000 of them. The big selling point for the PRC-155 is MUOS upgrade kits (some additional hardware and software). Most of PRC-155s will have the MUOS add-on kit. With this kit the PRC-155 is equipped to provide Internet-like capabilities on the battlefield and MUOS gives access to a world-wide net. This is a big deal for ground troops because existing radios often had their range greatly reduced by terrain (hills or many tall buildings) or weather (electric disturbances high up). A satellite link eliminates this problem and ground troops have been asking for this for a long time. Sat links are still expensive and a rationed resource.

But when the infantry were asked to try out the PRC-155 many concluded that the negatives were not worth it. Moreover the delays in getting the PRC-155 to the troops forced the military to seek out an off-the-shelf design (the AN/PRC-117G) in the 1990s. This is a 5.45 kg (12 pound) radio that can be carried or installed in vehicles. About a third of its weight is the battery. It has a maximum output of 20 watts and handles FM, UHF, and VHF signals, including satellite based communications. On the ground max range is 20 kilometers (depending on hills and the antenna used). These cost about $40,000 each. There is an improved AN/PRC-117G (the MNVR) that cost $56,000 each. That includes development costs (for the wish list of tweaks and upgrades the military wants). The U.S. has been using the AN/PRC-117 since the late 1990s as an interim radio and found it a solid piece of equipment.

The AN/PRC-117 is based on a commercial design (the Falcon series) that several foreign armed forces and many civilian operations use. The AN/PRC-117 has been regularly upgraded in that time (going from version A to the current G). The upgraded Falcon (PRC-150) appealed to SOCOM (Special Operations Command) which proceeded to buy half a billion dollars' worth of AN/PRC-150 radios. These cost about $2,500 each and all of them were delivered on schedule. The 4.6 kg (ten pounds, without batteries) radios are very flexible (are used in vehicles or backpacks) and are able to use several different types of transmission (including bouncing signals off the ionosphere, for longer range or just to get a signal out of a built up area). Digital transmissions allow for data to get through under poor atmospheric conditions or when in a built up area. The radios also have good encryption and the ability to send and receive all forms of digital data. These radios are also now used by the army.

A similar situation occurred back in the 1990s, when SOCOM realized it needed a new personal radio for its troops and an army “new radio technology” program (JTRS) was supposed to take care of that but did not. Rather than wait SOCOM got together with a radio manufacturer, told them what they needed, and within two years they had MBITR (which soon got official sanction as AN/PRC-148). When the rest of the army saw MBITR many troops bought them with their own money. After Iraq army units began buying the AN/PRC-148 on their own. Soon, over 100,000 MBITR radios were in use.

Some elements of the JTRS (which was cancelled in 2011) survived in the form of radios like the PRC-155. While this radio was acceptable for use in vehicles, it did not make it when troops had to carry it. The military is determined to make the PRC-155 work. By early 2015 about 1,200 PRC-155s have been delivered to the U.S. Army for troop use. Now that three MUOS birds are up there American soldiers in most parts of the world can actually sample the advantages of the PRC-155, along with the disadvantages they already know about.

Jan 8, 2015 ASDNews Source : General Dynamics Corporation

During the recent Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) Increment 2 Development Test 2, a U.S. Army field artillery team found that the WIN-T Soldier Network Extension (SNE) significantly increased their communications reach and improved their call-for-fire response time. The SNE supported call-for-fire mission 'threads' during the Development Test 2 and Network Integration Evaluation 15.1 that took place in October and November at Fort Bliss, Texas, and White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

Prior to the SNE, forward observers and fire support officers relied on legacy line-of-site (LOS) radios to transmit calls for fire and counter fire at the far-edges of a mission area. During the tests, soldiers with the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment (4/27), 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, used the SNE's satellite communications capability to accomplish their mission.

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16.12.2014 45eNord.ca
 

IMP Aerospace delivered the first of three CP-140M Aurora fitted with an advanced Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) satellite communications system on schedule and under budget today approximately a month after its arrival. Participation at the delivery ceremony included the Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Lieutenant General Yvan Blondin, as well as Director Air Requirements, Colonel Ian Lightbody, and 14 Wing Commander Iain Huddleston.

The prototype CP-140M Aurora aircraft will provide an improved Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability in support of Canada’s military requirements internationally. In concert with DND personnel, IMP Aerospace provided the installation design and modification of the IBLOS system in Halifax, NS. The system enables secure high-speed data streaming from the aircraft via satellite in areas which are remote from familiar ground stations.

« IMP Aerospace has supported the CP-140 Aurora fleet since its entry into service with the RCAF and has engineered and installed numerous modifications and enhancements to the aircraft on behalf of the RCAF. I’m very pleased that this urgent requirement was completed on schedule and under budget to the RCAF and will provide them with enhanced operational capabilities, » stated David Gossen, President of IMP Aerospace & Defence.

Brussels - 18 November, 2014 European Defence Agency

The Steering Board of 18 November was chaired for the first time by Federica Mogherini, the new Head of the European Defence Agency. It was an important opportunity for Defence Ministers to assess the progress achieved since December 2013. It was also an ideal forum for the new High Representative and Vice-President of the European Commission to discuss cooperation on military capabilities with European ministers and to prepare for the June 2015 European Council.

Progress on the four key programmes

Four projects have been endorsed by the 2013 European Council: Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR), Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), Governmental Satellite Communications (GovSatcom) and Cyber Defence. In line with their respective roadmaps, the progress made in each of these four key capability areas has been welcomed by Defence Ministers during the Steering Board:

• Air-to-Air Refuelling: under the lead of the Netherlands, work is progressing towards the establishment of a European strategic tanker capability by 2020. A contract for new air-to-air refuelling aircraft is expected to be placed by the end of 2015.

• RPAS: EDA supports the development of a European Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) RPAS through a number of projects focusing on certification, air traffic insertion, airworthiness and harmonisation of flight crew training. The Agency is facilitating efforts to develop a new MALE RPAS capability for the next decade by supporting Member States willing to join such an initiative. EDA is also backing a “European MALE RPAS community” for systems that are already in service.

• GovSatcom: the requirements of European military users (Common Staff Target) for the next generation of Governmental Satellite Communications have been formally endorsed by Member States. This paves the way to the preparation phase of a future cooperative programme, to be completed by the end of 2016 under Spanish lead.

• Cyber Defence: in line with the EU Cyber Security Strategy, EDA is working on specific projects to increase its Member States’ capabilities in this domain. The Agency has already supported the operational headquarters of Operation EUFOR RCA by providing cyber awareness training. Work is underway to develop deployable “Cyber Defence situational awareness kits” by 2015.

Incentives for cooperation

As tasked by the European Council, the Agency has developed proposals to incentivise cooperation, mainly through non-market distorting fiscal measures and pooled procurement. During the Steering Board, Defence ministers welcomed this progress as a basis for further work.

• Fiscal measures: in March 2014, the Belgian Ministry of Finance granted VAT exemption to EDA’s ad hoc projects and activities. Three projects have already benefitted from that exemption: JDEAL, C-IED Manual Neutralisation Techniques and EU Satcom Market. This VAT exemption gives a real bonus to defence cooperation among Member States.

• Pooled procurement: Proposals were discussed for the establishment of a pooled procurement mechanism to facilitate cooperative acquisition and support of defence equipment, while improving interoperability. This mechanism, whose creation still requires deeper discussion among Member States, would address priorities defined by them.

Strategic outlook

As requested by the December 2013 European Council, Defence Ministers have adopted a Policy Framework to foster more systematic and long-term defence cooperation. This document aims to provide a coherent basis for defence cooperation in Europe, from priority setting through to in-service support, disposal and decommissioning. It offers tangible support to national defence reviews and provides a platform for greater convergence in defence planning.

Complementing this Policy Framework, the revised Capability Development Plan (CDP) endorsed by Member States earlier this year will be an essential element for the setting of cooperative capability development priorities. It provides a list of priority actions based on lessons learned from European operations, future security scenarios and long-term trends. It addresses the Member States’ priorities for their armed forces and, as such, will form the basis of future European collaborative programmes.

More information

• Watch the video of the Steering Board press conference
• Capability Development Plan brochure
• Conclusions of the 2013 European Council

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. -- Oct. 6, 2014 – Northrop Grumman

Delivering on its commitment to protect the nation's warfighters with secure, affordable satellite communications in an increasing threat environment, Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) will feature three variants of protected low-cost terminals (LCTs) at MILCOM 2014.

The annual conference is being held Oct. 6-8 at the Baltimore Convention Center and attracts military and government experts to discuss the latest advances in protected communications. The company's exhibit – No. 403 – will feature three extremely high frequency LCTs that deliver rapid, jam-resistant connectivity for tactical missions at the same cost as unprotected military communication terminals:

-- Protected communications on the move (P-COTM) are rugged terminals with low-profile vehicle antennas that address unmet, near-term requirements to expand Army communication networks. The terminals are critical beyond-line-of-sight nodes that provide protected connectivity through Milstar and Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellites.

--Airborne terminals are an extension of the hardware and software of P-COTM designed for special operations aircraft. The terminals are readily extendable into other manned and unmanned applications and are scheduled to be demonstrated in 2015.

--TCS Protected ULTRA terminals are packaged in airline-checkable transit cases that can be set up within 10 minutes to support modular quick-change feeds and upgrade kits. The terminals are significantly smaller and lighter than current protected communication alternatives.

The LCT variants are a result of a joint investment by Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and TeleCommunication Systems to provide secure, assured command and control to the tactical warfighter. The technology advancement can be produced at a cost significantly below currently fielded protected communication terminals, and will be available for fielding within the next two years.

The company also will participate in a panel, "Supporting the Warfighter with Assured Military SATCOM," Monday, Oct. 6 at 2:30 p.m.in Room 314. The Northrop Grumman panelist will be Tim Frei, vice president, communication systems.

Learn more about Northrop Grumman programs to be featured at the conference by visiting the online media kit at MILCOM 2014 Media Kit.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.