FCAS Next development phase to be unblocked this month

France and Germany want to immediately resolve their differences over FCAS programme, in which Spain also participates.

The FCAS has been stalled for more than a year because of serious disagreements between the interests of French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation, personified by the company's 62-year-old CEO since 2013, Eric Trappier, and those of his German counterpart, Michael Schoellhorn, 55, who has captained Airbus Defence and Space GmbH since July 2021.

The dispute that is preventing the industrial contract from being signed and which is forcing work on the nine technology pillars of the FCAS programme to be put on hold has one main reason: Trappier's refusal to share flight control system information and stealth technologies. As the main contractor for the development of the new aircraft, Dassault is hiding its position by claiming that it does not want Airbus to interfere in the management of its work as the main contractor for the future fighter.

But it looks like a solution is on the way in a few days. Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz have decided to postpone their bilateral summit on 26 October in order to come to their annual meeting with their FCAS homework done. Also with agreements already concluded on other common military programmes of great relevance for defence, the economy and the creation of new jobs in both nations, especially for France.

In the new French government headed since May by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, President Macron gave the go-ahead for the replacement of his defence minister, Florence Parly, by Sébastien Lecornu. A colonel in the National Gendarmerie in the reserves and a pragmatic politician, Lecornu had been the head of the Overseas France portfolio in the government of Prime Minister Jean Castex since 2020.

The dispute that is preventing the industrial contract from being signed and which is forcing work on the nine technology pillars of the FCAS programme to be put on hold has one main reason: Trappier's refusal to share flight control system information and stealth technologies. As the main contractor for the development of the new aircraft, Dassault is hiding its position by claiming that it does not want Airbus to interfere in the management of its work as the main contractor for the future fighter.

atalayar 

Spain could have finalised deal for 32 F-35s to replace EF-18's and Harriers

A small cell of the highest confidence of the Spanish's Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, has already finalised negotiations with the US Department of Defence and the Lockheed Martin industrial corporation for the purchase of the F-35.

With the express prior authorisation of the Prime Minister, the small Spanish team has sought counterparts with the US military-technical delegation and "have already agreed on the general outlines of the transaction," say sources familiar with the details. The Spanish Air Force needs to replace its more than 50 modernised F-18 fighters from the 12th Wing (Torrejón) and 15th Wing (Zaragoza) over the next decade. And the Navy needs to start replacing by 2029 its dozen veteran AV-8B Harrier II Plus that make up the 9th Squadron of its Aircraft Flotilla.
The start of the formal F-35 procurement process will be formalised in the coming months. A government-to-government agreement through the FMS (Foreign Military Sales) system is the mechanism by which Washington's defence department facilitates the sale of weapons systems, equipment, services and training to allied or friendly powers.
The total number of aircraft in Spanish demand is kept under lock and key. The aim is to obtain an initial batch of at least twenty F-35A aircraft for the Air Force and another dozen in F-35B vertical take-off configuration to renew the L-61 Juan Carlos I aircraft carrier's air projection potential. Once the contract is signed, the Spanish requests will enter the production line of the F-35 factory that Lockheed Martin has in Fort Worth, Texas, where thousands of orders are accumulating, making it practically impossible for the first units to arrive in Spain before 2030.
atalayar 

Spain receives first H135s from 36-helicopter order

Airbus has delivered the first two H135s to the Spanish Guardia Civil and National Police under the 36-unit contract signed with the General Directorate for Armaments and Materiel (DGAM) at the end of 2021 to supply the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior. The handover ceremony that took place at the Airbus plant in Albacete.

The new helicopters will enable the National Police and Guardia Civil to replace BO105 helicopters in a wide range of missions including police, surveillance, and rescue activities. In total, the Ministry of Interior will receive 18 units. 

As for the Spanish Air Force and Navy, which will receive eleven and seven H135s respectively, deliveries will begin next year and will be added to the 16 helicopters already operated by the Spanish Army for training and support missions for the Military Emergency Unit (UME). From 2023 onwards, the three armed forces will be able to benefit from synergies in terms of training, operation, and maintenance.

flightglobal

Poland leases MQ-9A Reaper UAS as interim unmanned UAV Capability Gap

Poland is to lease a MQ-9 Reaper as an interim solution until it can field its own national medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aircraft system (UAS) capability.

Mariusz Błaszczak, the country's deputy prime minister and defence minister, made the disclosure on 21 October, announcing on his official Twitter account that the Reaper is being leased as “a bridging solution” for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

It hasn't been disclosed how many Reaper systems or air vehicles Poland is leasing, or for how long.

Poland is looking to boost its unmanned aircraft capabilities, with currently only the tactical Neox system in service with the air force. Having recently signed for 24 Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs)from Turkey, with deliveries scheduled to begin later in 2022.

janes 

Russia Confirms Using Su-57 Fighters In Ukraine War

The Russian MoD finally broke its silence on using Su-57 fighters in the ongoing special military operations (SMO). General Sergei Surovikin, commander of the joint group of troops in the area of the SMO, told reporters on Tuesday, October 18, 2022.

“In terms of the quality of combat use, I would especially like to single out the Su-57 fifth-generation multifunctional aircraft. Having a wide range of weapons, it solves multifaceted tasks of hitting air and ground targets in each sortie,” he said.

Earlier, in June 2022, Izvestia had reported that Russia had deployed four Su-57 for the SMO, and the aircraft was being used to establish a tactical information network.

Earlier in 2018, Russia officially acknowledged using four Su-57 during the Syrian campaign.“The stay of our four Su-57s in Syria has certainly allowed us to obtain additional information about the capabilities of this machine to detect American F-22s and F-35s that are in the same theatre of operations.”

Syrian operational experience notwithstanding, many operational capabilities of the Su-57 likely remained to be tested before the start of the SMO on February 24, 2022. Therefore, Russian employment of the fighter has been cautious. Operational restrictions on its use likely include stand-off attacks and tactical information networking only.

eurasiantimes 

US Navy grounds T-45 Goshawk fleet

The Navy grounded its T-45C Goshawk jet trainer fleet Friday “to review an engine blade fault,” according to a press release issued Tuesday by Naval Air Systems Command.

The decision to halt Goshawk flights for the Navy and Marine Corps was made “out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of our aviators,” Chief of Naval Air Training Rear Adm. Richard Brophy said in the statement.

The Goshawk is used as part of the Navy and Marine Corps pilot training program for carrier aviation and tactical strike missions, according to the Navy.

T-45s have been flying since 1988, with the C variant entering the fleet in 1997.

navytimes 

B-21 bomber to be unveiled first week in December

The USAF confirmed today it plans to reveal the B-21 Raider in the first week of December during an unveiling ceremony hosted and sponsored by the Northrop Grumman Corporation at its production facilities in Palmdale, California.

The B-21 is a long-range, highly survivable, penetrating strike stealth bomber that will incrementally replace the B-1 and B-2 bombers, becoming the backbone of the U.S. Air Force bomber fleet.

After unveiling, the B-21 program will continue testing campaign with a combined team of professionals from the Air Force Test Center, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, and Northrop Grumman. 

The B-21 weapon system is manufactured under the Air Force's contract with Northrop Grumman. It is designed with an open systems architecture, enabling rapid insertion of mature technologies, and allowing the aircraft to remain effective as threats evolve over time.

af.mil 

China has recruited former British military pilots to teach how to defeat western warplanes and helicopters.

All British former service personnel, who have accepted jobs to train Chinese military pilots, "are almost certainly enhancing China's military knowledge and capability," an official has said.

Some 30 mainly ex-fast jet but also some helicopter pilots - lured by annual salaries of around £240,000 - are currently in China training pilots for the People's Liberation Army.

Beijing is actively trying to hire many more serving and former military pilots and other specialists from across the RAF, the Royal Navy and the British Army as well as personnel from other western nations.

The situation is so grave, the Ministry of Defence's Defence Intelligence service on Tuesday issued a "threat alert" to warn serving and former military personnel against such approaches.

Personnel already in China have been approached and advised against continuing such wor.

sky 

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will increase the number of Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters that can carry the air-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic missile

The IAF had approved plans to modify 40 Su-30MKIs to enable them to operate the BrahMos Air-launched Cruise Missile (ALCM).

The Su-30MKI reportedly requires hardening in certain sections of its fuselage to carry the 2.5-ton BrahMos missile on its underside.

The modification is being performed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) locally in India. As per reports, 35 modified Su-30s have thus far been delivered to the IAF, with the service planning to approve the second batch of around 20 to 25 fighters.

The Brahmos missile increases the combat range of the Su-30MKI, enabling the IAF to strike targets at long distances. For example, as part of a test in 2020, a Su-30 armed with the air-launched version of the missile took off from a base in Punjab and struck a target in the Indian Ocean.

The target was struck deep in the Indian Ocean, approximately 4,000 kilometers away, which was considered ‘the longest’ mission of this kind.

eurasiantimes

Austria will receive 3 additional second hand Eurofighters form Germany

Amid significant increase of the budget with the Bundesheer, because of war in Ukraine, part of the additional money will initially be used to retrofit airspace surveillance with the purchase of three former Luftwaffe (GAF, German Air Force) EF2000(T) two-seat Eurofighters. It is not yet known which German EF2000(T)s are earmarked to be sold to Austria.

scramble

FIRST KC-390 FOR PORTUGUESE AIR FORCE ARRIVES IN BEJA AB

The first Embraer KC-390, PT-ZDK (c/n 390000011), for the Força Aérea Portuguesa (Portuguese Air Force) has arrived today, 16 October 2022 at its new homebase Beja (BA 111).

It departed yesterday from Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo, Brazil, en route to Portugal. On the last leg of its flight the new Embraer was escorted by two General Dynamics F-16s. It was delivered under its test registration PT-ZDK, but will ultimately receive the Portuguese serial 26901.

After touching Portuguese soil, the KC-390 will undergo a phase of integration of NATO equipment and certified by the National Aeronautical Authority. It is recalled that Portugal ordered five KC-390 Millennium aircraft and a simulator in 2019, and the first Portuguese crew successfully completed the qualification course in November 2021.

scramble 

Netherlands To Activate Its 3rd F-35 Air Base Russian Military Ops In Ukraine

The Netherlands plans to reopen the decommissioned De Peel Air Facility as a third air base to house the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft. 

The government cited “the deteriorating security situation in the world” as an explanation for its latest decision. 

The decommissioned De Peel Air Base in the country’s southeast will likely be reactivated to serve as an F-35A station alongside Leeuwarden and Volkel air bases, according to the Dutch Ministry of Defense (MoD).

The ministry said that the armed services needed to practice more owing to the deteriorating security situation in the world. 

“As a result, the number of military flights is increasing, but due to the closure of the Soesterberg, Twenthe, and Valkenburg air bases some 16 years ago, the Ministry of Defense has little room to expand the number of flights,” the ministry added. 

The MOD added that all air bases “are ‘full,’ or almost full. Reopening of [the] De Peel Air Base helps to solve the lack of space at airbases.” The RNLAF conducted “noise experience flights” of the F-35A in the area prior to the planned reopening of the base to army air site visitors. 

According to the air force, the runway hasn’t yet been made suitable for F-35A takeoffs and landings, and much of the infrastructure needs to be updated to make room for the fifth-generation “stealth” fighter.

De Peel Air Base in Venray, which had two parallel runways when it was built in 1954 as a diversion airport, was never utilized as an active air base. It was, however, expanded in 1973 for possible NATO use.

In 1993, the base was decommissioned as an operational airstrip. It later became the home of Groep Geleide Wapens (GGW; Guided Weapons Groups) of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF).

The Dutch MOD has stated that it plans to renovate De Peel’s runway and reopen De Peel as a functioning airfield no later than 2024. However, it has also noted that it would not invest in the facility until it has secured all necessary permits.

According to the plan, 12 F-35As will be able to do 3,600 flight movements over a period of 24 weeks per year, or 1,800 takeoffs and 1,800 landings, from De Peel each year.

urasiantimes 

Additional P-8A for Germany and perhaps for France

German defense leaders have vowed to coordinate closely with France on a beefed-up capability for maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare, following reports that Berlin’s acquisition of American-made Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft would nix the bilateral project.

The vow to continue pursuing the Maritime Airborne Warning System, aimed at flying sometime around 2035, suggests the German Defence Ministry has yet to make up its mind on buying more Poseidon aircraft than the initial five already on order with Boeing.

Reports swirled before the summer break in Germany that buying seven more of the planes was only a matter of time, after lawmakers approved an extra €100 billion (U.S. $97 billion) for defense in light of Russia’s assault on Ukraine.

That massive pot of money is rapidly getting spoken for, however, with ammunition, aircraft, vehicles and additional submarines high on the list of requirements. Inflation has also shaved off some of the purchasing power.

Now, officials in Berlin will await France’s signal next month on how to proceed with an interim capability until the MAWS program produces usable equipment in 19-plus years, according to a ministry missive to lawmakers obtained by Defense News.

The Germany Navy’s P-3C Orion aircraft are getting old and can only be flown for a few more years, services officials have said.

defensenews

New MQ-1C Gray Eagle prototype to be tested in Europe

A prototype of the latest version of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle will be headed to Europe soon for a series of demonstrations, according to the head of General Atomics’ aeronautics division.

General Atomics revealed its new “Gray Eagle 25M” variant — which adds an open mission system architecture, upgraded sensors and new comms links — on Monday during the Association of the US Army’s annual conference.

But while the first production aircraft will start flight tests in March 2023, the company doesn’t want to wait to see how the new configuration performs in operations and will send two prototype versions to US European Command next spring, Dave Alexander, president of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, told Breaking Defense on Monday.

breakingdefense 

Spain to provide Ukraine with 4 Hawk and Aspide surface-air defense systems

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made the announcement about Spain's commitment to supply the American-made MIM-23 Hawk medium-range surface-to-air missile systems to Ukraine during a press briefing on Oct. 13. Stoltenberg welcomed Spain's decision.

The country is also providing Kyiv with ground-based Aspide anti-aircraft missile systems, on which 19 Ukrainian servicemen have been training since early October.

The statement came following the second day of the NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels.

Earlier on Oct. 13, Stoltenberg said that NATO will promptly provide Ukraine with hundreds of drone jamming devices to help neutralize the effectiveness of Russia's drones and protect the Ukrainian population and infrastructure.

President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier said that Ukraine only has 10% of the air defense it needs. He added that he is grateful to the West for weapon supplies and that he expected strong commitment from France and Italy. 

kyivindependent 

First flight of first KC-390 for the Hungarian Air Force scheduled for 2023

Embraer continues to advance in the production of the first KC-390 Millennium aircraft for the Hungarian Defence Forces. In November 2020, the Hungarian government signed a contract with Embraer for the acquisition of two KC-390 aircra. Currently, Embraer is assembling the semi-wings on the aircraft's fuselage, with both structures already painted in the customer's colors.

"The production of the aircraft is significantly ahead of what was stipulated in the contract compared to the original plans, progressing better than planned", said Colonel László Nagy, Head of Air Force Systems Development Branch.

Flight tests of the first aircraft will begin in the second half of 2023, with delivery taking place in the second quarter of 2024. The second unit of the KC-390 for Hungary is scheduled to begin production in December 2022, thus maintaining the original schedule, and is expected to be delivered by the end of 2024.

The KC-390 for the Hungarian Defence Forces will be the first in the world with the Intensive Care Unit in its configuration, for performing humanitarian missions. Furthermore, the KC-390 probe and drogue refueling system means the aircraft can refuel the Hungarian JAS 39 Gripen as well as other aircraft that use the same technology.

embraer