Sep. 2, 2013 - By JUNG SUNG-KI  - Defense News

F-15SE Emerges From Long-Shot To Favorite

SEOUL — Boeing is set to inch closer to clinching a multibillion-dollar deal to sell 60 F-15 Silent Eagle jets to South Korea, as its competitors have effectively been priced out of the contest.

Lockheed Martin and Eurofighter, which vied for the US $7.4 billion fighter contract, failed to submit proposals below the budget.

“The bottom line is that we can’t sign a final contract with any bidder offering a proposal over the budget,” Oh Tae-shik, head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s (DAPA’s) program management bureau, said Aug. 28 in a meeting with local reporters.

“A bidder that offered a proposal under the budget is now only qualified for final evaluations,” Tae-shik said.

The DAPA will hold an executive committee presided over by Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin in mid-September to pick a final bidder.

The US government failed to submit a proposal below the budget for the sale of 60 F-35 joint strike fighters built by Lockheed Martin.

The Eurofighter consortium’s Typhoon was once thought to be competitive in a contest with Boeing, but the DAPA announced later that the European company was also priced out. The consortium includes Alenia Aermacchi, BAE Systems and EADS.

“Reviewing EADS’ final proposal in a careful manner, we found that some terms and conditions agreed upon by both sides in previous negotiations were modified arbitrarily,” a DAPA spokesman said Aug. 18. “We can’t accept such a proposal breaching bilateral agreements.”

According to the spokesman, for example, Eurofighter promised that it would modify 15 of 60 Typhoon jets into twin-seat aircraft at the request of the DAPA. In the final proposal, however, the European firm changed the number of twin-seat modification work to only six, apparently in order to lower the total price under $7.4 billion.

EADS also changed conditions regarding the costs of weapons integration, the spokesman argued, without specifying what armament integration it was.

Eurofighter officials rebut DAPA claims.

“We have repeatedly explained to DAPA why there was no operational rationale to opt for the number of twin-seaters requested to Eurofighter,” said Christian Scherer, Eurofighter’s chief sales officer. “Thanks to the present state of the art of the Eurofighter simulators, the twin-seater need is minimal, if any, as already proven by the Eurofighter operating in air forces.”

“We do not see any promises made but only different scenarios with preferences, which have been discussed respectfully by the parties all along the negotiation process,” he added.

Despite Eurofighter’s appeal, DAPA has reconfirmed that the Typhoon is not qualified for final evaluations.

Meanwhile, Lockheed spokesman Eric Schnaible said “The situation is DAPA and DAPA Executive Committee’s concern and we’re not going to speculate or intervene in their sovereign decision-making process.”

If a final contract is signed with Boeing, this will be the aerospace giant’s third consecutive win for South Korea’s F-X fighter jet acquisition project. The F-X aims to acquire 120 new high-end warplanes to replace the older fleet of F-4s and F-5s flown by the Republic of Korea Air Force.

Boeing won the two previous F-X deals to supply the Air Force with 60 F-15Ks.

Howard Berry, Boeing’s campaign director for the Korea competition, remains confident that the Silent Eagle is the right choice for Korea in terms of performance and cost aspects.

“Silent Eagle builds on a continuous evolution of capability in the combat-proven F-15 family of aircraft and with a bundle of additional advancements that allows Boeing to offer a ‘2-aircraft-in-1-platform’s solution that brings an unprecedented balance of survivability and lethality,” he said.

But skepticism remains high here about the F-15SE’s performances since the aircraft is still in development.

“The F-15SE is not the best choice. There is not even a prototype of the aircraft,” Lee Hee-woo, head of a logistics support research institute at Chungnam National University. “Stealth functions are not featured only by painting the aircraft and fitting the jet with an internal weapons bay. It is much better to buy more F-15Ks, not the F-15SE, which critics call a paper aircraft.”

The DAPA has been criticized for its zigzag stance on the F-X requirements.

This third phase of F-X, in fact, was launched to procure the so-called fifth-generation stealth aircraft. To promote competition, however, DAPA eased the required operational capability, including the level of radar cross section. As a result, the Silent Eagle and the Typhoon were invited to the contest.

“The [competition] has lost its original purpose to buy stealth fighters,” said Shin In-kyun, head of the Korea Defense Network, a civic group for defense affairs. “It seems like a boxer in the ring was knocked out by his sparring partner.”

Han Sung-joo, a former commander of the Air Force Logistics Command, is worried F-15SEs would lose an air superiority battle against neighboring countries.

“Japan will introduce 42 F-35 stealth aircraft and is expected to get more up to 200 eventually. China’s J-20 stealth jet is likely to enter service by 2016,” the retired three-star general said. “Then why do we have to choose fighter aircraft falling behind those of the neighboring countries?”

DAPA’s stringent cost evaluation is also at the heart of debate here.

The aircraft acquisition cost only accounts for about 15 percent of the total evaluation. Mission capability takes up the largest portion with 35 percent, while compatibility accounts for nearly 18 percent, operational costs, 15 percent. The remainder is about technology transfer and offset programs.

DAPA had sought to increase the third F-X budget by 20 percent this year, but the budget authorities rejected the request, according to DAPA officials.

Critics say DAPA was easygoing about the budget issue. Rejected by the Finance Ministry, DAPA was upset and offered the 15-percent acquisition cost as an absolute condition to sway all other evaluation results.

“Certainly, it’s not reasonable that the whole evaluation is swayed by a 15-percent element,” said Kim Dae-young, a researcher at the Korea Defense & Security Forum, a Seoul-based private defense think tank. “In terms of regulations, there is no fault with the DAPA, but the acquisition process is too stringent to shop the best-performance product.”

Andrew Chuter in London and Aaron Mehta in Washington contributed to this report.

Sep. 1, 2013 - By GERARD O’DWYER – Defense News

HELSINKI — Job creation will stand as the chief factor when the Danish government convenes to select a replacement type for its aging F-16 fleet in mid-2015.

Denmark will look for substantial long-term industry value from bidders in the restarted Fighter Replacement Program (FRP), said newly appointed Defence Minister Nicolai Wammen, who replaced Nick Hækkerup following a Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Thorning-Schmidt’s coalition government on Aug. 9.

The government, which hopes to use the FRP as a mechanism to inject significant new investment into an economy weakened by the global financial crisis, has set job creation as the cornerstone of its revised fighter procurement policy, Wammen said.

Moreover, the FRP will be used to bolster sustainable export growth within the country’s tiny defense industry

“All four candidates will be informed of our thinking and requirements. It will be made crystal clear that if there are not jobs coming to Denmark, then we will not be buying planes from that quarter,” Wammen said in a statement.

The bidding line-up includes Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, Saab’s Gripen-DK NG and Cassidian’s Eurofighter Typhoon. Denmark is looking to begin retiring the first of its F-16 fighters in 2020.

Denmark is expected to purchase 24 to 30 new fighters at an estimated cost of $3.8 billion to $5.5 billion. A final decision on the number of aircraft to be acquired is anticipated in the next six months.

All bidders will need to bring real jobs to the negotiating table for what will be a “huge” capital investment undertaking by the Danish state, Wammen said.

Denmark’s defense industry has welcomed the government’s clear message to potential bidders. However, industry chiefs want the government to ensure any future supplier agreements with 100 percent countertrade guarantees.

“This is about maximizing gains for Denmark, the national economy and for industry,” said Jan Falck-Schmidt, CEO of Falck-Schmidt Defence Systems, a domestic supplier of missile, force protection and life-cycle systems and services. “It is not enough to ask candidate manufacturers if jobs will emerge. What is needed is for the Danish government to demand 100 per cent countertrade. This will focus attention on value-added contracts and serious job creation initiatives.”

Only time will tell if the Danish government is serious about pushing job creation to the front when it comes to implementing the FRP, said defense analyst Jens Ringsmose. Other considerations, including a wish to retain a strong political alliance with the U.S, can also be expected to play a crucial role in the aircraft selection process, he added.

“The message is that jobs will be the most important parameter in this massive acquisition. In this way [Wammen] avoids having to explain the other major contributory reasons that are at least as important; not least the alliance with the United States,” Ringsmose said.

While the FRP competition needs to be industry and value centered, it must also be run in a fair and equitable manner, said Lene Espersen, the opposition Danish Conservative party’s defense spokeswoman.

“This is a very large item of expenditure for Denmark, and we must derive as much value in terms of jobs and long-term economic growth as possible. The project must be used not alone to expand the order books of our defense groups but help them grow into more export-driven niche suppliers of weapons and military systems in the future,” Espersen said. “Above all this competition must be about buying the best aircraft from European and the American bidders in an environment of trust where all are competing on a level playing field.”

The government’s final decision could favor the purchase of a reduced number of fighters as part of a broader strategy to purchase specialized unmanned aircraft, Espersen said.

“Drones will never replace conventional combat aircraft, but they will play an increased role in international operations. They will become increasingly used in Denmark’s Arctic territories. The drone dimension could add an interesting feature to the fighter replacement competition,” Espersen said.

The mistakes made in the original competition, which saw Eurofighter withdraw from the contest due to what it perceived as a contest weighted in favor of Lockheed’s F-35 JSF, cannot be repeated, said John Dyrby Paulsen, the Social Democrat’s spokesman on defense.

“There is already a perception that Lockheed Martin has an advantage in this competition because Denmark has invested in the JSF project. This must be a real competition. We must not be bound by some sense of loyalty to choose an American plane. The final decision must be based on the economic value to Denmark on the one hand and the need to buy the best aircraft for our needs on the other,” Paulsen said.

Denmark, which is a Tier-3 partner in the JSF project, restarted the FRP in March after suspending the competition in 2010 due to a need to divert funds in a battle to fight off recessionary fears and support the country’s then-ailing banking system. As a Tier-3 partner, Denmark has so far invested around $200 million in the JSF development program.

“Industry’s position has always been very clear: Military procurements must result in concrete contracts for the Danish defense equipment and aerospace industries,” said Frank Hall, general secretary of the Danish Defense & Security Industries Association (DDSIA).

The DDSIA plans to hold regular meetings with all bidders in the coming months. Talks will be routed through the organization’s dedicated FRP unit, the Danish Industry Fighter Aircraft Team, which was established in 2008 to explore the potential for partnerships and contract work with all candidates in the competition.

30/08/2013 Vincent Lamigeon, grand reporter à Challenges Supersonique

Le vote négatif de la chambre des Communes sur la participation de l’armée britannique à une intervention en Syrie aura eu au moins un mérite : clarifier la situation. Si frappes il y a, elles seront le fait, essentiellement, des Etats-Unis et de la France. François Hollande confirme cet après-midi dans le Monde la position française: « Si le Conseil de sécurité est empêché d’agir une coalition se formera […] Il y a peu de pays qui ont les capacités d’infliger une sanction par des moyens appropriés. La France en fait partie. Elle y est prête. Elle décidera de sa position en étroite liaison avec ses alliés.»

Que peut faire la France dans le cadre d’une intervention de portée limitée, la plus probable à ce jour ? On peut déjà renverser la question, et dire ce qu’elle ne peut pas faire : les Etats-Unis devront se charger des frappes de missiles de croisières Tomahawk, tirés de leurs destroyers. L’équivalent français des Tomahawk, le missile de croisière naval (MdCN, connu aussi sous le nom de SCALP naval), est encore en cours de développement par l’industriel MBDA : il pourra être tiré des frégates françaises à partir de 2014, et des futurs sous-marins nucléaires d’attaque Barracuda à partir de 2017.

En attendant, la France s’appuie sur son missile de croisière aéroporté SCALP-EG, dont une quinzaine d’exemplaires avaient été tirés lors de l’opération Harmattan en Libye. Ces missiles, d’une portée annoncée de 250 km, sont embarqués sur Rafale (version armée de l’air et marine) et Mirage 2000. Ils permettent le tir à distance de sécurité, mais leur portée est quatre fois inférieure à la future version navale, et l’armement ne peut être emporté qu’à raison d’un missile sur Rafale Marine et deux sur Rafale de l’armée de l’air.

Pour assurer la protection de ces chasseurs, la France dispose de frégates de défense aérienne dont l’une des plus modernes, le Chevalier Paul, a quitté Toulon hier, selon les informations du Point. Ce bâtiment dispose de missiles Aster 15 et Aster 30 (MBDA) d’une efficacité redoutable, même contre les missiles à grande vitesse. Il est aussi probable, même si ce ne sera probablement jamais confirmé, qu’un sous-marin nucléaire d’attaque soit déjà à pied d’œuvre en Méditerranée orientale pour des missions de renseignement. Le bâtiment collecteur de renseignement ultra-moderne Dupuy-de-Lôme peut également être envoyé sur zone, si ce n’est pas déjà fait.

Reste le cas du porte-avions Charles-de-Gaulle. Mon confrère Hubert Levet citait cette semaine une source au ministère de la défense affirmant que la décision d’envoyer le fleuron de la marine nationale « a été prise, même si elle n’est pas encore officielle », ce qu’a démenti l’état-major des armées. S’il quitte Toulon pour la Méditerranée orientale, le porte-avions, opérationnel après un « entretien intermédiaire » de six mois à Toulon, partira avec son groupe aéronaval (frégates, sous-marin nucléaire d’attaque, pétrolier ravitailleur…). L’autre solution pour projeter des chasseurs est d’utiliser les bases aériennes françaises, les bases à l’étranger (Djibouti, Abu Dhabi) ou alliées (Chypre, Turquie…).

Aug 30, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: The Hill; published Aug. 29, 2013)

F-35 Purchase Could Cost Canada $71-Billion Under Worst-Case Scenario: Report (excerpt)

PARLIAMENT HILL --- A worst-case scenario of cost risks in a Department of National Defence report on a possible acquisition of 65 Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter jets estimates the airplanes could cost Canada up to $71 billion through acquisition, sustainment and operations over 36 years.

The costs, $25-billion more than the current National Defence estimate, are contained in a section of the department’s latest report to Parliament on the F-35 that outlines “cost risk and uncertainty” and is intended to provide a range of effects on the cost of buying and operating a fleet of stealth attack planes if factors such as inflation, the exchange rate between the Canadian and U.S. dollar, the cost of fuel and the rate of aircraft to be produced by Lockheed Martin fluctuates either higher or lower than the estimates that are behind the current National Defence figures.

If Lockheed Martin expectations of more efficiency through continued production and economies of scale as it makes and sells an expected 3,100 jets are even just three per cent less than expected, the extra cost to Canada would be $6.1-billion over a current acquisition calendar which has the 65 aircraft being delivered over a seven-year period beginning in 2017.

…/…

Other risks the National Defence report outlines include a likelihood that Lockheed Martin will sell 250 aircraft less than the number previously expected during the period Canada would potentially buy, leading to lower economies of scale in production and an extra cost to Canada of $500 million.

The risk analysis shows if the Canadian dollar were valued at 78 cents per U.S. dollar, instead of the current forecast of 92 cents, it would add $1.6-billion more to the acquisition cost. If the inflation rate were one per cent more over the lifetime of the fleet than the inflation rate on which the current National Defence forecast is based, the extra cost for sustaining Canada’s fleet would be $3.1-billion over the aircraft lifecycle. A change of one cent in the exchange rate could mean an extra $2.1-billion in lifetime sustainment cost. On the other side of the coin, a one-cent change in the exchange rate to the benefit of the Canadian dollar would lower the lifecycle sustainment cost by $2.1-billion.

The National Defence forecast of $19.8-billion in operating costs over the F-35 fleet’s lifecycle would increase by $5.4-billion with just a one per cent increase in the inflation rate from the rate the National Defence estimates are based on. It would correspondingly drop with a reduction of one per cent in the inflation rate from the current forecast rate.

The National Defence report forecast of fuel costs over the fleet’s lifetime is based on a price of 87.9 cents per litre, and a 10-per-cent increase in that cost could raise the forecast of life cycle fuel costs by $1.5-billion, with a reduction of the same amount in the unlikely event fuel costs would drop by 10 per cent. (end of excerpt)


Click here for the full report, on The Hill website.


(EDITOR’S NOTE:
Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office have recently begun to claim they have significantly lowered F-35 costs when, in fact, they have simply lowered their estimates.
It is thus particularly appropriate to see how the picture can change when estimates are instead increased; in this instance, life-cycle costs jump from C$45 billion to C$71 billion if just a few assumptions change by a percentage point or two.
As the cost reductions claimed by Lockheed and the JPO are based on estimates of how various costs (labor rates, fuel, materials, exchange rates, inflation, etc. etc.) will evolve over the next 50 years, it is eye-opening to see how easily minor fluctuations can cause a totally unexpected cost blow-out.)

30/08/2013 Armée de l'air

Jeudi 22 août, le général Thierry Caspar-Fille-Lambie, commandant la défense aérienne et les opérations aériennes (COMDAOA), était en déplacement sur la base aérienne 123 d’Orléans-Bricy.

Cette visite avait pour objectif de rencontrer le personnel des unités de la base engagé lors de l’opération Serval menée au Mali. Le général s’est ainsi entretenu avec des équipages du centre d’instruction des équipages de transport 00.340, des escadrons de transport 2/61 «Franche-Comté» et 3/61 «Poitou», et des fusiliers-commandos du commando parachutiste de l’air n°10 (CPA 10).

Après un premier échange portant essentiellement sur les interactions entre ces unités, le JFACC AFCO (Joint Forces Air Component Command de l’Afrique Centrale et Ouest) et les autres entités (armée de terre ou forces spéciales), un focus particulier a été porté sur les interventions dans la troisième dimension, notamment l’opération aéroportée, puis sur les opérations spéciales.

À l’issue de ce retour d’expérience, le général Caspar-Fille-Lambie a pu découvrir le nouveau simulateur de vol de l’A400M actuellement en phase de validation, et réaliser quelques tours de piste aux commandes.

August 29, 2013 indian.ruvr.ru

China and Pakistan will hold joint defence aviation exercises in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (northwest China) during the period of 2nd to 22nd of September this year, said spokesman of the Chinese Defense Ministry Yang Yujun on Thursday.

According Mr Yang, the exercise codenamed “Shaheen-2” will be held in the Hotan county. The previous exercises were held in 2011.

Yang Yujun also said that China and India have planned to carry out anti-terrorism exercises this year in the city of Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

According to Mr Yang, the joint military exercises are aimed at enhancing trust between the countries and developing further cooperation with a view to maintain peace and stability in the region.

August 29, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: US Air Force; issued Aug. 28, 2013)

Airmen Perform First Weapons Load Verification on F-35A

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --- After months of preparation the weapons troop Standardization Load Crew from the 33rd Maintenance Group performed the first munitions load verification on the F-35A Lightning II here Aug. 27.

"Over the next couple of days, our 33d Fighter Wing maintenance professionals, alongside representatives from the F-35 Program Office and Air Combat Command, will validate weapons loading procedures. This involves loading and unloading laser-guided and GPS-guided bombs, and air-to-air missiles into the weapons bays of the aircraft and ensuring the instructions we provide our load crews are accurate and effective - one more step towards F-35 initial war fighting capability," explained Air Force Lt. Col. Ron Huzzard, deputy commander of the 33rd MXG.

The SLC has been practicing this load verification using a series of tabletop exercises for several months. This marked the first hands-on load verification for the crew.

"Watching our weapons troops verify loading procedures was like getting a glimpse into the future. Ultimately, this will be the work that is performed down range when it counts, and we are laying that foundation here at Eglin," said Navy Capt. Lance Massey II, commander of the 33rd MXG. "The stealth capability on the F-35 is beyond incredible, but the weapons capability rounds out the whole purpose of the joint strike fighter."

The procedure was overseen by Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Wilbur, wing weapons manager at the 33rd MXG.

"The Airmen walked through the technical instructions to verify the data is accurate and make adjustments as necessary," Wilbur said about the verification load exercise.

The three-person SLC included Air Force Master Sgt. Karen Griffin, Tech. Sgt. Russell Fontaine and Staff Sgt. Steven Dash. Working as a cohesive team, the trio carefully performed several iterations of loading and unloading four different munitions. Once the procedures are verified SLC members will train the weapon troops.

"Getting this step verified in ALIS (the automated logistics information system) for the F-35A is important, so we can move forward and get our 60-plus maintainers trained and working," Griffin said.

A Russian SU-27 fighter escorts Fencing 1220, a Gulfstream 4 replicating a hijacked aircraft during Exercise Vigilant Eagle 2010. Photo Maj. Mike Humphreys

29 August 2013 airforce-technology.com

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is conducting the annual cooperative air defence exercise, Vigilant Eagle 2013, with the Russian and Canadian air forces, to improve their ability to provide a coordinated response in the event of a terrorist attack on a passenger aircraft.

Representing the third to incorporate real aircraft and overall the fifth drill in the series, the exercise features two hijacked international flights: one originating in Alaska and travelling into Russian airspace, followed by the other originating in Anadyr, Russia and travelling into US airspace.

NORAD and US Northern Command joint training and exercises director Joseph Bonnet said the scenario involves two hijacked civilian aircraft challenging participants to provide a coordinated response.

Bonnet added: "The US and Russian air forces will launch or divert fighter jets to investigate and follow the suspect aircraft, after it fails to respond to communications, and will also participate in co-operative escort and handoff procedures using two different communications, command-and-control and air traffic control systems.

''This is the culmination of everything that has gone on in previous exercises, and we expect it to continue to mature.''

The US Air Force's airborne warning and control system (AWACS) and Russia's A-50 Beriev will serve as command-and-control platforms, whereas Canadian CF-18 Hornet and Russian Sukhoi fighter aircraft are tasked with tracking, identifying, intercepting and following the hijacked aircraft, and air-to-air refuelling operations.

Meanwhile, the hijacked commercial airliners are being simulated by a Russian Tupolev and a commercial aircraft contracted by the US.

Besides NORAD, Russian and Canadian air forces, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and its Russian counterpart are also participating in the exercise.

Initiated in 2008 with a computer simulated exercise, Vigilant Eagle intends to continue the development of cooperation between the Russian air force and NORAD in preventing and combating potential air terrorism threats.

28 August 2013 by nayeem sheikh - Indian Defence Goal

Russia is set to deliver six more jet fighters of 4++ generation this year to Indian Air Force as per a deal with New Delhi, the MIG aircraft corporation said Wednesday.

“India currently exploits 21 aircrafts. In line with a contract, we must deliver 29 planes by 2015. Last year, we’ve delivered four planes. This year, we’ve delivered one plane and six aircrafts remain to be delivered,” MIG’s director general Sergei Korotkov told reporters at the MAKS air show, Xinhua reported.

The six-day MAKS show kicked off in Zhukovsky city outside Moscow Tuesday. MIG signed a $1.5 billion deal with India in 2010 to deliver 29 MIG-29K-KUB warplanes.

This is the second such contract between the Russian aircraft construction corporation and New Delhi. The first deal to supply India with 16 MIGs-29 was signed in 2004 and completed in 2011.

During MAKS, the Russian corporation also signed two deals worth $55 million to build a centre in India to service MIG’s avionics and hardware, the corporation’s spokesperson Elena Fedorova said.

MIG’s partner in those deals is Basant Aerospace Private Ltd, she added.

MIG commenced production of new unified family of multi-role fighters of the 4++ generation in 2005.

The double-seat MIG-29K-KUB is a multi-role fighter intended for air-defence missions of naval forces, air superiority gaining, sea and ground target destruction with high precision guided weapons day and night and in any weather condition.

29 August 2013 by Dave Majumdar – FG

Washington DC - Lockheed Martin, Vision Systems International and the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) are making progress with solving night vision acuity problems on the F-35's helmet-mounted display, says a senior test pilot assigned to the programme.

Test pilots recently tested a modified second-generation helmet fitted with a new 1600x1200 resolution ISIE-11 night vision camera coupled with a new display management computer/helmet, says Lt Col Matt Kelly, an F-35 test pilot assigned to the JPO.

Kelly says the ISIE-11 immensely improves the helmet's night vision capabilities.

"The ISIE-11 has great potential for tactical operations," Kelly says of the new system. However, there is still a lot of work to do before the helmet is ready for fleet release - the system will have to be demonstrated in the air before test pilots give it a green light.

Meanwhile, the F-35 JPO is still funding parallel development work on a BAE Systems-developed helmet into the third quarter of 2014.

F-35B test pilots on the USS Wasp are using the existing helmet with the current ISIE-10 camera, which has been judged to have deficient night-vision performance.

The ISIE-10 has inferior night vision capability compared with the ANVIS-9 night vision goggles (NVGs) used in the Boeing AV-8B and F/A-18. However, pilots say it is easier to land the F-35B unaided by the night vision camera on a ship than a AV-8B with NVGs.

Aug 28, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: The Local; published Aug 28, 2013)

Czechs and Swiss Boost Hope for Swedish Gripen

The interim Czech government said it plans to renew its lease of JAS Gripen fighter jets, while a parliamentary committee in Switzerland said yes to a proposed 23 billion kronor ($3.5 billion) purchase of the Swedish-made warplanes.

Following two days of discussions of the deal that would see the Swiss military purchase 22 JAS Gripen jets, the security and defence committee of the Swiss parliament voted 14-9 in favour of the deal. The deal now moves for a vote in front of the full parliament on September 11th.

The committee had previously given the deal a thumbs up in the spring, but some politicians expressed concerns, prompting the government to review and clarify the deal.

As the new Gripen E is still in development, there remains uncertainty as to whether Saab and Sweden can deliver what they've promised and that Switzerland may end up with what some called an "Ikea-plane" instead of a "Super-JAS".

Meanwhile, outgoing Czech prime minister Jiri Rusnok said this week that the government expects to renew its lease on 14 Swedish fighter jets beyond 2015.

"The negotiations are at an advanced stage. The ball is actually in our court. The Swedes are awaiting our final answer to their recent offer," he told reporters on Monday.

The new contract with Stockholm over the supersonic JAS-39 Gripen combat jets could be inked at the end of the year or in early 2014 by the new government, he added. Snap elections are scheduled for late October.

The Czech military paid nearly $1 billion to lease the Gripens for a decade starting 2005. The aircraft include 12 one-seater JAS-39 Cs and two two-seater training JAS-39 Ds.

In July of last year, former Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas said Stockholm was being "uncooperative" regarding the renewal. According to press reports, the Swedes had been refusing to lower the lease price.

Necas stepped down in June amid a spy and bribery scandal. The president appointed a new technocratic government led by Rusnok, but that cabinet lost a confidence vote this month.

"The next government will make the final decision on the Gripens, but this (Rusnok) cabinet will do its utmost to facilitate it," Defence Minister Vlastimil Picek said Monday. He added that the new contract will be a better deal for the Czech Republic and valid for "a period longer than ten years".

JOUKOVSKI (région de Moscou), 28 août - RIA Novosti

L'Inde entend équiper ses futurs chasseurs Rafale de missiles russes, a annoncé mercredi Boris Obnossov, directeur général du groupe russe "Armements balistiques tactiques", lors du Salon aérospatial international MAKS-2013 à Joukovski, dans la région de Moscou.

"L'Inde manifeste de l'intérêt pour l'adaptation de nos missiles pour les Rafale" qui seront fournis par la France, a indiqué M.Obnossov devant les journalistes.

Selon lui, le groupe, qui a perdu l'appel d'offres indien pour la production de 126 chasseurs polyvalents en 2011, est prêt à adapter ses missiles pour les chasseurs français Rafale (Dassault Aviation) retenus par l'Inde.

Le Salon aérospatial international MAKS-2013 se déroule du 27 août au 1er septembre sur l'aérodrome de l'Institut de recherche sur les vols Gromov à Joukovski, dans la région de Moscou.