The Goliath crane lifts one of the flight deck sections into place on the Queen Elizabeth [Picture: Crown copyright]

3 October 2013 Ministry of Defence and Defence Equipment and Support

The flight deck of the first of the Navy's new aircraft carriers is now finished, with the last 2 sections added to HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The sponsons, each weighing just under 500 tonnes, roughly the same as a Sandown Class minehunter, have been carefully inched into place in Rosyth in Scotland.

The mighty Goliath crane lifted the sponsons – the sections protruding from the hull which give an aircraft carrier its unique shape – to join the remainder of the ship in her dry dock.

By the standards of the Queen Elizabeth, the segments are relatively small; the larger sections weighed in at more than 10,000 tonnes (heavier than a Type 45 destroyer).

Now physically complete the flight deck is the size of 60 tennis courts or just a bit smaller than 3 football pitches.

To accommodate the F-35 Lightning II jets, which will land and take off from the ship, a ski ramp will be installed next month – mirroring the feature which propelled the Harrier skywards on the Invincible Class of carriers.

The Queen Elizabeth Class project is probably at the peak of effort, with around 10,000 people involved in building the 2 leviathans, or providing equipment and systems to be installed on them.

While almost all the media attention is focused on the future flagship, there’s also an all-out effort across the land to build her younger sister, the Prince of Wales, which is around 2 years behind Queen Elizabeth.

Sections of 3-quarters of the Prince of Wales’s hull are under construction in Portsmouth, Govan, Merseyside and Tyneside.

The 65,000-tonne Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers will be based in Portsmouth and will be the centrepiece of the UK’s military capability.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is due to begin sea trials in 2017 and flight trials from her deck using Lightning II fast jets in 2018.

Crédits photos: Nexter

01.10.2013 par Guillaume Belan (FOB)

FOB vous propose cette semaine de découvrir le dernier-né de la gamme de Nexter, dévoilé durant le salon britannique de DSEI, le blindé de transport de troupe 6X6 TITUS. FOB a rencontré à Londres, l’un de ses concepteurs, Michel Lautier, expert opérationnel chez Nexter.

Comment est né le Titus ?

Le concept de TITUS a été le fruit d’une réflexion en trois étapes étalée sur environ trois ans. Après une analyse de l’évolution stratégique et des conséquences technico-opérationnelles sur les véhicules de l’infanterie depuis les années 80 jusqu’à l’engagement en Afghanistan, nous nous sommes penchés sur la notion de « Hybrid warfare » développée depuis quelques années par les Américains. Enfin, nous avons étudié le rôle des forces armées dans la sécurité intérieure.

De tout cela il ressort que dans les opérations de projection conduites par les armées occidentales en coalition dans des conflits insurrectionnels le rôle des forces s’est élargi, incluant désormais missions de combat à proprement parler, actions civilo-militaires, implication dans la reconstruction du pays (« Nation building »). L’étude de la sécurité intérieure, quant à elle, a mis en exergue le rôle des forces armées dans le maintien de l’ordre, la lutte contre-terroriste, la protection des infrastructures vitales et la surveillance des frontières (trafic transfrontalier de personnes ou de biens, infiltration de bandes armées).

Au plan purement tactique, désormais les forces armées peuvent être amenées à évoluer simultanément ou successivement sur le même théâtre d’opération dans des environnements très divers : basse intensité (maintien de la paix…), sécurité, combat classique asymétrique de haute intensité, lutte contre-insurrectionnelle ou  contre-terroriste avec un point commun : l’engagement en zone urbaine.

Pour ce qui ressort de l’emploi des engins blindés, il faut noter le glissement du rôle majeur traditionnel du couple VCI-char de combat au profit du VTT qui devient la colonne vertébrale et la bête de somme des engagements d’aujourd’hui, les véhicules de combat d’infanterie et les chars ayant été cantonnés à faire de l’appui feu ou de la réaction rapide. Enfin il faut noter le rôle grandissant des drones, des robots et des systèmes de informatisés de commandement, véritables multiplicateurs de force.

D’où l’idée de pouvoir disposer d’un seul type de véhicule, modulaire, afin de remplir l’ensemble de la gamme de missions tout en réduisant l’empreinte logistique.

Le facteur financier a-t-il été pris en compte dès la conception du Titus ?

Bien sûr. La nécessaire réduction de l’empreinte logistique dans les opérations extérieures, la diminution draconienne des budgets de la défense des pays occidentaux et l’apparition de concurrents nous ont amené à réfléchir en termes de coût global de possession. Les nouveaux compétiteurs commercialisent des véhicules blindés à un coût très bas, mais par contre il faut aussi reconnaître qu’à l’heure actuelle ils affichent des capacités moindres que leurs homologues occidentaux. Nous avons donc réfléchi en termes de coût/efficacité, c’est à dire de développer et proposer un véhicule de haute technicité pour un coût de possession limité. D’autant plus que la modularité du véhicule diminue la logistique sur le terrain. Voilà l’origine du Titus. C’est toute son originalité : le même véhicule est adaptable à tous types de missions. Ainsi l’empreinte logistique est très faible, puisqu’un seul châssis est disponible pour toutes les versions. C’est une nouvelle philosophie. Nous sommes en train de développer un second prototype, qui, sur ce même châssis TATRA, aura une motorisation plus puissante et amènera des évolutions dans l’ergonomie opérationnelle.

Quel est son prix d’achat ?

Avec le TITUS, NEXTER offre du haut de gamme pour pas cher. Le prix du véhicule de base est de 700 mille euros hors armement grâce à la recherche de sous-ensembles et d’équipements issus du civil (COTS). Le châssis TATRA, par son rapport qualité/prix contribue à cette recherche de la conception à coût objectif (CCO). Le client choisit toutes les options qu’il veut et seulement celles qu’il souhaite. L’offre Titus est d’une grande souplesse, adaptée au plus près au besoin.

Quel est le concept du Titus ?

Il s’agit avant tout pour NEXTER d’une nouvelle approche vis-à-vis de l’utilisateur opérationnel. En amont le client peut arrêter la configuration désirée (motorisation, boîte de vitesse, banquettes ou sièges, accès par rampe et/ou portes, …) Nous avons donc travaillé sur la prédisposition industrielle afin de coller au plus près aux besoins du client. Toutes les options du Titus ont d’ores et déjà été envisagées et sont proposées au catalogue. Nous sommes déjà prêt à répondre à toutes les attentes et options que choisira le client. Ces options sont déjà intégrées dans notre processus industriel, de manière native. Toujours dans cette optique, NEXTER est à même de proposer la solution de soutien logistique la plus adaptée aux besoins ou spécifications du client, de la simple fourniture de pièces détachées jusqu’à une offre globale de soutien.

Oct. 2, 2013 – Defense News (AFP)

ANKARA — Turkey on Wednesday defended its decision to enter talks with China to acquire its first long-range anti-missile system, in spite of protests from its ally Washington.

It also made clear that no deal had yet been finalised.

"The Chinese gave us the best price," Defence Minister Ismet Yilmaz told Vatan newspaper, explaining that the system's Chinese manufacturer had agreed to a co-production deal with Turkey.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Levent Gumrukcu said talks were to begin with the Chinese company, but made it clear that the selection process was still ongoing.

"The process has not yet been finalised," he said.

In an official statement last week, Turkey said it has "decided to begin talks with the CPMIEC company of the People's Republic of China for the joint production of the systems and its missiles in Turkey".

China Precision Machinery Export-Import Corp (CPMIEC) beat out competition from a US partnership of Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, Russia's Rosoboronexport, and the Italian-French consortium Eurosamrs in the tender.

The original contract was worth a reported $4 billion dollars, but the Chinese bid reportedly came in at a much lower $3 billion according to Turkish media.

The United States reacted with alarm to news that Ankara had chosen the Chinese firm, slapped with US sanctions for delivering arms to Iran and Syria, to build the air defence and anti-missile system.

"We had asked for joint production and a technology transfer," the Turkish minister said. "If other countries cannot guarantee us that, then we will turn to ones that can."

NATO member Turkey is a key regional ally to the United States, and currently has US-built Patriot missile systems deployed on its border to deter incoming attacks from Syria.

Turkey wants to build its own long-range air defence and anti-missile architecture to counter both enemy aircraft and missiles.

NATO has also raised concerns over possible compatibility issues between the Chinese-made system and others used within the alliance.

Yilmaz dismissed its concerns, saying: "There is no problem on that front."

The foreign ministry confirmed that Turkey had been in talks with NATO over the past few days, with Gumrukcu saying that the exchange of views with NATO allies was "only natural."

1er octobre Aerobuzz.fr

Pour rester compétitifs, répondre aux besoins de leurs clients et anticiper l’évolution des exigences environnementales et réglementaires, les équipementiers de l’aéronautique doivent s’appuyer sur l’innovation, indissociable de la R&T. La plupart n’en n’ayant pas les moyens, l’ONERA se positionne comme un partenaire

L’Onera dispose des disciplines scientifiques et techniques de l’aéronautique nécessaires à la conception des avions, de leurs équipements et systèmes. Doté de moyens numériques et expérimentaux de pointe reconnus au niveau mondial, l’Onera est aussi à même de fédérer les compétences clés des acteurs de son domaine pour apporter la réponse la plus pertinente et la plus complète aux besoins des équipementiers et ce, au plus haut niveau technique.

A l’occasion d’une convention organisée le 22 octobre, l’Onera présentera les domaines d’expertise nécessaires à l’innovation des équipementiers et les différents modes de coopération. Des experts Onera seront également présents pour s’entretenir avec les équipementiers dans le cadre de rendez-vous B2B individuels et sur-mesure.

Inscription gratuite : Sylvie.Moitel-Gin [ a t] onera.fr

October 01, 2013 by Navantia - naval-technology.com

Navantia has signed a service contract with the US Navy for four destroyers, which will be deployed during 2014 and 2015 in the Naval Base of Rota, as part of the BMDl, according to the agreement reached between both governments in 2011 and signed in 2012. The contract includes the maintenance of these units in the periods of immobilization in Rota, and has a duration of one year, plus six optional years.

Navantia's experience in the design, construction and maintenance of the ships, as well as its excellent infrastructure and workforce skill capacity, have been decisive for the adjudication of this contract.

Likewise, the attainment of this contract with the US Navy, with the highest level of requirements, gives Navantia substantial international prestige, guaranteeing its leading position in naval military construction.

Kfir Block 60 Armed and Ready for Multi-Role Operational Mission of Precise A/G with LGB, Targeting Pod, and A/A with 2 BVR missiles, and 2 WVR missiles - photo IAI

Oct. 1, 2013 by Arie Egozi – FG

Tel Aviv - Israel Aerospace Industries is in "very advanced negotiations" with at least two air forces that want to purchase the company's upgraded Kfir fighter in its Block 60 configuration.

"We are capable of delivering the Block 60 within a year, and we have indications that in two to three years two squadrons will be sold," an IAI source says.

The Kfir Block 60 is the latest upgrade for the Israeli-made fighter, which has been flying now for 40 years. The variant is offered with a General Electric-designed J79 engine with zero hours after a total overhaul, and will need another one after 1,600 flight hours.

Elta Systems will supply its EL/M-2032 active electronically scanned array radar, with open architecture avionics to allow a customer to install other systems.

According to Elta, the new sensor will provide an all-aspect, look-down/shoot-down performance in air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, with the capability to simultaneously track up to 64 targets.

All of the ex-Israeli air force Kfirs that have been stored at one of the service's desert bases for several years are to be transferred to an IAI upgrade facility. "This line will be busy in the coming years," the IAI source says.

Current users of previously-upgraded Kfirs include Colombia and Ecuador.

01/10/2013 Michel Cabirol (avec agences) – laTribune.fr

Le géant de l'aéronautique n'a pas mis en place de "contrôles rigoureux de qualité", accuse l'inspection générale du Pentagone. Elle a signalé 363 problèmes liés à la conception et à la réalisation du F-35 qui pourraient porter préjudice à la sécurité de cet avion.

L'inspection générale du Pentagone a accusé lundi les fabricants de l'avion de chasse F-35 d'avoir mis en place des contrôles de qualité défaillants, compromettant la fiabilité et le sérieux de cet appareil aux coûts exorbitants pour l'armée américaine. Le bureau d'inspection a signalé 363 problèmes liés à la conception et à la réalisation du Joint Strike Fighter qui pourraient porter préjudice à la sécurité de cet avion.

Le géant de l'aéronautique Lockheed Martin et cinq de ses principaux sous-traitants n'ont pas mis en place de "contrôles rigoureux de qualité", affirme le Pentagone. Ces manquements "pourraient compromettre les performances, le sérieux et le budget de ce programme", précise le rapport de l'inspection générale. "Sans un contrôle adéquat du logiciel d'exploitation (de l'appareil), Lockheed Martin n'est pas en mesure de remplir les critères de sécurité exigés", dénonce encore l'inspection générale.

Une enveloppe de près de 400 milliards de dollars

Mis en place pour remplacer une grande partie de la flotte américaine d'avions de combat, le F-35 Lightning II (rallié par neuf pays) est le programme d'armement le plus cher de l'histoire des Etats-Unis, avec une enveloppe de 395,7 milliards de dollars qui ne cesse d'augmenter à mesure que les retards s'accumulent. Depuis l'attribution du contrat en 2001, une phase de mise au point et d'essais était prévue pour durer dix ans. Elle ne sera pas terminée avant 2016, repoussant d'autant la mise en service de l'appareil.

Les responsables du programme ont reconnu que le programme d'origine avait été bien trop ambitieux car il prévoyait que la fabrication de l'appareil démarre bien avant que les tests soient achevés.

Le Pentagone pointe les déficiences du système d'alimentation d'oxygène

Le rapport de lundi pointe également du doigt les sous-traitants de Lockheed Martin, notamment l'entreprise Honeywell accusée d'avoir fait de mauvais essais sur le système d'alimentation d'oxygène.

Les responsables du programme F-35 ont salué un rapport "minutieux et utile" tout en le minimisant. Ils estiment, dans un communiqué, que la plupart des problèmes signalés ne sont pas "nouveaux et ne constituent pas des problèmes fondamentaux dans la réalisation du programme". Sur les 343 recommandations que formule le rapport, 269 ont déjà été appliquées et 74 sont encore en cours, ont rapporté les responsables.

Sep 30, 2013 ASDNews Source : Nobles Worldwide, Inc.

Nobles Worldwide, Inc., located in St. Croix Falls, WI, and the global leader in ammunition feed system design, development and manufacturing, is pleased to announce a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) for the development of a mechanically stabilized crew-served gun mount with the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC), Picatinny Arsenal, NJ.  The arrangement is aimed to integrate Nobles’ Viper Lite™ universal crew served weapons mount, with existing Objective Gunner Protection Kit (OGPK) armor packages, in order to provide the U.S. and Allied forces with increased gun mounting options for the battlefield. 

The Viper Lite is compatible with all crew served machine guns, currently in use in the US arsenal, and is a technologically advanced alternative to the legacy MK93 mount.  The CRADA will ensure the Viper Lite™ system is compatible with various OGPK configurations.  “It was important for us to undertake this effort so we can provide a superior capability to the Warfighter without creating a logistical burden which often plagues universal mounts ” said Vice Admiral John Morgan, USN (RET), and CEO of Nobles Worldwide. “Through working with ARDEC, we are able to ensure we can provide the Warfighter with the fully integrated, plug and play, solution he deserves.”  The CRADA was executed on 17 September, 2013, and is scheduled to be complete by early summer 2014.

Read more

Oct 1, 2013 ASDNews Source : Raytheon Corporation

The U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) a $243,478,659 contract for procurement of 89 Standard Missile-6 Block I all up rounds, spares, containers and services. The contract was awarded in Raytheon's third quarter.

About the Standard Missile-6   

The SM-6 provides U.S. Navy sailors and their vessels extended range protection against fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles as part of the Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air (NIFC-CA) mission area.

SM-6 delivers a proven over-the-horizon air defense capability by combining the Standard Missile's airframe and propulsion with the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile's signal processing and guidance control capabilities.

09/30/2013  Defence IQ Press

The Pentagon on Friday said it had finalized two contracts with Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) valued at $7.8 billion for 71 more F-35 fighter jets, citing what it called significant reductions in the cost of the new radar-evading warplane.

The U.S. Defense Department said it signed a $4.4 billion contract for a sixth batch of 36 F-35 aircraft, with the average cost of the planes down 2.5 percent from the previous deal. All but $743 million of that amount had already been awarded to the company under a preliminary contract.

The two sides also signed a $3.4 billion contract for 35 aircraft in a seventh batch, which reflected a 6 percent drop in the average price from the fifth group, it said in a statement.

The Pentagon's F-35 program office said the cost of each F-35 conventional takeoff A-model jet would drop to $98 million in the seventh batch of jets, excluding the engine, from $103 million in the sixth lot. It marks the first time the price of the jet will have dipped below $100 million.

The U.S. government buys the engines directly from Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp (UTX.N), under a separate contract. [Reuters]

The massive hulk of a F-35 joint strike fighter sits inside a hangar at the west-side factory of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

About a half dozen mechanics and engineers stand by and admire the jet until a demure woman in a pants suit and flats emerges from behind the tail of the plane.

The attention shifts to her. It is all smiles and handshakes, but the body language says she’s the boss: Lorraine Martin, who was appointed in April as general manager of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 joint strike fighter Lightning II program, the costliest defense program in U.S. history.

“I help other people do their excellent work,” she said. “My job is really to clear out obstacles for the engineers, the software designers, the folks building the aircraft.”

Martin, 51, is part of a growing trend of U.S. business leaders who exemplify “authenticity” and are able motivate multi-generational employees of diverse backgrounds, North Texas business school professors say.

Standing just five-feet tall, she is a wisp of a woman in charge of a bear of a program that has been rocked by cost overruns and technical failures almost since it began in 2001. After a year as the program’s deputy manager, Martin was named general manager as part of a broad leadership shakeup at the defense giant. Orlando Carvalho replaced Larry Lawson as top executive of the aeronautics division. Lawson departed in March for another firm.

Martin has entered an arena fraught with complexity. She is leading an F-35 workforce of 6,000 at the Fort Worth plant during an uncertain period in the jet’s development, when even small mistakes are amplified and Pentagon leaders are apt to express dissatisfaction at any moment.

“Any weakness she may have had or demonstrated, she’d probably be the 90-day wonder,’’ said Billy Johnson, executive director of the professional leadership program at the College of Business, University of North Texas. “She’d been out pretty quick.” [Star-Telegram]

With Vermont’s highest elected officials still deep in Defense Dept. denial over the disaster that is the Air Force’s F-35 strike fighter, a local city council threatens to bring some military sanity to Vermont (but nowhere else) by exercising its landlord right to reject as a tenant a weapon of mass destruction that will wreak havoc on the local neighborhood.

This initiative comes from four members of Vermont’s Progressive Party on the Burlington City Council, who plan to introduce a resolution on October 7 effectively barring the F-35 from being based in the middle of Vermont’s most populated area. In contrast, Vermont’s official “leadership,” almost all Democrats, still thinks basing nuclear-capable warplanes in a Vermont community is a dandy idea.

Whatever they say – which is next to nothing – Vermont’s governor, two Senators, lone Congressmen, Burlington mayor, and most of the legislature remain effectively committed to a fool’s errand on behalf of the military-industrial complex, one that will do nothing good for the vast majority of their constituents and will do real harm to many of them. These representatives consistently refuse to meet with their constituents for serious discussion of health, safety, cost, and other issues. This is what the breakdown of American representative democracy looks like up close. [Global Research]

The company that makes the embattled F-35 fighter jet has hired Charles Bouchard, who was a lieutenant general in the Canadian Forces, for a top job.

Lockheed Martin Canada announced Tuesday it has hired Bouchard, effective immediately. Bouchard will report to the executive vice-president of Lockheed Martin International, Pat Dewar, the company said in a news release.

"Bouchard will assume leadership of the portfolio of Lockheed Martin activities in Canada and will be the corporation's lead representative in the country," according to the release.

"Bouchard's appointment is a result of Lockheed Martin International's focus on providing customers with direct access to the company's broad range of products and solutions."

Bouchard retired from the Canadian Forces in April 2012, after leading what many considered to be a successful NATO mission in Libya. The Libya mission provided air cover to protect civilians and allow rebel forces to overthrow long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi — a mission in which fighter jets played a massive role.

"We added a tremendous leader to our organization today. Charles will facilitate access to Lockheed Martin's broad portfolio of products and technologies to help Canada address its security and citizen service challenges," said Dewar. "We highly value our customers in Canada and we're investing for long-term partnership and growth." [CBC News]

Software remains the biggest risk of the F-35 program, according to U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, the program executive officer. In a presentation at the Air Force Association (AFA) Air & Space Conference on September 17, Bogdan also discussed progress in fixing the Joint Strike Fighter’s helmet-mounted display systems (HMDS), and program costs.

Lockheed Martin’s scheduled delivery of the full-capability Block 3F software in 2017 “highly depends” on the performance of interim Block 2B and 3I software releases, Bogdan said. Block 2B is the “initial warfighting” software that adds sensor capabilities missing from the current training software releases, plus the AIM-120 AAM, GBU-12 laser-guided bombs, and the GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). Block 3I is the same software, but hosted on new processors.

The Block 2B software was slated to be delivered for flight-test last month, but has been delayed until April next year, according to testimony to a Congressional committee last June by Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon’s director of operational test and evaluation (DOT&E). It is not slated for release to the fleet until mid-2015. Moreover, Gilmore told the committee, F-35s equipped with Block 2B “would likely need significant support from other fourth-generation and fifth-generation combat systems to counter modern, existing threats, unless air superiority is somehow otherwise assured and the threat is cooperative.”

However, in a mandatory report to Congress last June, the Marine Corps said it will achieve initial operational capability (IOC) with the F-35B equipped with Block 2B by only six months later, in December 2015. In his AFA presentation, Bogdan said he is “confident” that the Marine Corps would achieve its planned IOC date. He earlier told Vanity Fair magazine (which published a long article on the F-35 this month) that there is nothing in U.S. procurement law to prevent the Marines declaring IOC before operational testing is complete.

The U.S. Air Force plans IOC of the F-35A version by December 2016, which is before the Block 3F software is available, Bogdan noted at AFA. Block 3F adds weapons such as the AIM-9X AAM and AGM-154 Joint Standoff Attack Weapon (JSOW), and sensor capabilities such as full radar synthetic aperture radar mapping (SAR), plus expansion of the flight envelope. The Navy plans to declare IOC of the F-35C carrier variant in February 2019. [AIN Online]

Sep 27, 2013 BAE Systems PLC

BAE Systems delivered the first four ARCHER artillery systems to the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, FMV, during a handover ceremony at the company’s Karlskoga, Sweden facility Sept. 23.

BAE Systems employees and representatives from FMV and the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation, FLO, attended the ceremony where FMV’s Director General Lena Erixon received the four systems from Lena Gillström managing director at BAE Systems’ Weapon Systems business in Sweden.

“ARCHER is an important program, for both the Swedish and Norwegian Armed Forces. Today is an important milestone in our partnership and it is very encouraging for us deliver the first systems to our Swedish customer,” said Gillström.  It’s an immensely proud moment for everyone at BAE Systems and we now look forward to continuing our partnership with the Swedish and Norwegian customer in working on the delivery of all systems,” added Gillström.

In total, 48 systems will be delivered to the Swedish and Norwegian Armed Forces.

The ARCHER system is one of the world’s most advanced artillery systems with high mobility and precision.  It’s based on proven subsystems and has an extensive ammunition portfolio.

Le délégué général pour l'Armement s'exprime sur le projet de la loi de programmation militaire (LPM) 2014-2019. Cette loi constitue, pour le ministère de la Défense, la première étape de la mise en œuvre des nouvelles orientations stratégiques publiées dans le Livre blanc sur la défense et la sécurité nationale.

27/09/2013 by Paul Fiddian - Armed Forces International's Lead Reporter

Turkey has selected China's CPMIEC firm to co-manufacture its long-range ground-based air defence system, thereby eliminating Russian, European and US companies from a $4 billion co-development contract.

Turkey's air defence system choice was made public on 26 September by the country's Defense Minister, Ismet Yilmaz, who at the same time confirmed the termination of a ship-building contract through which six new corvettes would have been delivered to the Turkish Navy.

Right now, Turkey doesn't have an extended-range missile defence system in operation but, via its NATO membership, does have Patriot systems deployed there.

CPMIEC's winning offering is the HQ-9 system. It was up against the Patriot (offered by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon), the S-300 (Rosoboronexport) and the SAMP/T Aster 30 (Eurosam).

Turkish Air Defence Contract

Responding to the Turkish air defence contract choice, Raytheon seemed to express disappointment. "NATO has long supported the system, deploying Patriots in five aligned countries and, in 2012, providing a requested Patriot deployment to Turkey", said representative Mike Doble. "Given this strong performance, we hope to have an opportunity to debrief and learn more about this decision."

About six months ago, CPMIEC had sanctions imposed on it by the United Nations in connection with Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act violations. It is not known precisely what these violations involved but this wasn't the first time the firm had found itself in that situation.

HQ-9 Missile System

The HQ-9 missile defence system has been in production since the 1980s. The missile itself boasts an inertial guidance system, has a horizontal range of up to 200 kilometres and travels at Mach 4.2. It is launched by a Taian TAS5380 8×8 TEL (transporter erector launcher) vehicle.

In 2012, China was the world's fifth-largest arms exporter with a five per cent market share, according to SIPRI (the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute). The lion's share of its arms exports involved sales to Pakistan, SIPRI stated.