Switzerland; Public poll results hint at approval of future jet fighter buy.

August 24, 2020, 11:40 pm

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Swiss voters are set to approve a 6 billion Swiss franc ($6.6 billion) purchase of new fighter jets in a referendum next month, a poll for broadcaster SRF showed on Thursday.

 

The survey by gfs.bern found 58% of respondents favored the government’s plan while 39% opposed it and 3% had no opinion. The vote is planned for Sept. 27 and will decide whether to approve the purchase without knowing who will win the contract.

 

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Russia; New Antey-4000 SAM offered for export

August 24, 2020, 11:42 pm

≫ Next: Spain; MoD finally signs €1.74 order for 348 8x8 VCR Dragon APCs

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Almaz Antey Group announced Thursday it will unveil “fully digital” Antey-4000, export version of the S-300V4 anti-aircraft missile system, at Army-2020 Forum scheduled to take place next week.

 

 

The company will display 9A83M-2E launcher, 9A84M-1E launcher-loader vehicle; and surface-to-air missiles (9M83ME and 9M82ME) capable of hitting 24 aerial targets simultaneously. Touted to be a “fully digital system, it is said to have a range of about 400 km.

 

Spain; MoD finally signs €1.74 order for 348 8x8 VCR Dragon APCs

August 26, 2020, 3:39 am

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On August 25, the Spanish Ministry of Defense awarded a €1.74 billion (USD $2.06 billion) contract to a joint venture of General Dynamics European Land Systems-Santa Bárbara Sistemas (GDELS-SBS) and three other companies to deliver 348 8x8 Wheeled Combat Vehicles (VCR), their maintenance and life cycle support, as well as support their international commercialization.

 

 

The GDELS-SBS contract is for €733 million (USD $870 million). The program is expected to grow to a total of approximately 1,000 vehicles.

 

 

The GDELS-SBS joint venture (JV) will manufacture the 8x8 VCR at GDELS sites in Trubia and Seville, Spain, with the collaboration of the other Spanish JV members. The JV members include GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas, Indra Sistemas, Sapa Placencia, and Escribano Mechanical & Engineering. The Spanish Ministry of Defense mandated a National Industrial plan in which Spanish industry participation must be no less than 70% of the total program.

 

 

 

Serbia; MoD mulls Su-25 as alternative to US/Swedish T-7A jets

August 26, 2020, 11:01 pm

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Serbia has requested the purchase of 20 fighter bombers, according to an announcement made by the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in June 2020. The International Defense magazine Janes reported that Serbia has shown interest to acquire 20 T-7A jets, an American/Swedish advanced jet trainer developed by Boeing in partnership with Saab AB.

 

 

Pro-government media reported that Serbia had officially asked the United States for 20 fighter-bombers, but Washington had not responded to the request. In case of United States does not give the green light for the same of aircraft, Serbia could purchase Russian aircraft Sukhoi-25.

 

The Serbian Armed Forces and its arms industry have since the Soviet-Yugoslavia period been dependent on Soviet/Russian technology.

 

The Sukhoi Su-25 Grach (NATO reporting name: Frogfoot) is a single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Sukhoi. It was designed to provide close air support for the Soviet Ground Forces.

 

The Su-25 is armed with a30 m twin-barrel gun mounted under the fuselage. The aircraft is also fitted with 10 pylons able to carry air-to-air and air-to-ground weapon systems including Kh-23 (Nato codename AS-7 Kerry), Kh-25ML (AS-10 Karen) and Kh-29l (AS-14 Kedge) air-to-ground missile and R-3S (AA-2D Atoll) and the R-60 (AA-8 Aphid) air-to-air missiles.

 

Poland; Korea offers K2 tanks for Army's 'Wolf' program

August 27, 2020, 11:06 pm

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South Korean company Hyundai Rotem proposes joint production of its K2 Black Panther main battle tank with Polish PGZ Group.

 

 

As part of the "Wolf" new generation tank program, the Polish Ministry of National Defense intends to purchase equipment designed to replace the T-72M1 and PT-91 Twardy tanks owned by the Polish Armed Forces. Formal, analytical and conceptual work related to the Wilk program began in 2017. This program is also one of the Technical Modernization Plan priorities - the plan signed last autumn assumes the 2035 horizon.

 

 

One of the alternatives under consideration is the Hyundai Rotem proposal. The project is based upon an industrial and wide-scope cooperation on the K2PL tank project to be produced in Poland. A large contribution of PGZ companies is a part of the scheme. The Chief of the General Staff, General Rajmund Andrzejczak, became acquainted with the K2 tank at last year's visit to the Republic of Korea.

 

Russia; T-14 Armata approved for exports market

August 27, 2020, 11:43 pm

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According to information released by the Russian Defense Industry on August 25, 2020, at the opening of Army-2020 International Technical Forum, the Russian defense industry has announced that the T-14 Armata main battle tank could be sold to foreign countries including India, Egypt, Vietnam, and Belarus.

 

UK; Mod to establish BattleLab innovation center

August 28, 2020, 11:37 pm

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The UK is set to build a new defence innovation centre for the army at Dorset county to facilitate the development of new technologies.

 

 The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has committed £3.1m for the project, while the Dorset Council and Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership will contribute an additional £2.6m.

 

 

The Army BattleLab will be located at the Dorset Innovation Park and will feature an engineering workshop, as well as working and conference areas for joint use.

 

Once complete, the facility will enable the MoD to work with small and medium enterprises, and academic institutions to develop new products and technologies with commercial potentiality. 

 

 The army and MoD are expected to use the facility for at least 15 years.

 

Belarus; BTR-82A, Mi-35 orders from Russia

August 28, 2020, 11:41 pm

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Belorussian MoD has signed contracts to buy two battalion sets of BTR-82A armored personnel carriers and to receive the first batch of four Mi-35M helicopters at the Army 2020 event in Moscow.

 

 

The BTR-82A armored personnel carriers are manufactured by the Arzamas Machine-Building Factory.

 

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UK; Mod mulls halving of F-35 procurement

August 28, 2020, 11:44 pm

≫ Next: Finland; Defense budget 2021 confirmed

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Britain could buy only half its target of 138 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, according to sources close to the government’s defence review.

 

 

 

It is understood that as part of the foreign policy, defence and security integrated review due to conclude in November, military chiefs have discussed the figure of 70 F-35s as a credible minimum total order.

 

The UK has agreed to buy 48 of the stealth multirole jets by the end of 2025 for £9.1 billion. It is the most expensive weapons system in military history.

 

The 138 figure was confirmed as an ambition in the UK defence review in 2015, but the Commons defence committee noted later that this decision was taken “following some hesitation”. Britain is not contractually obliged to buy any more than 48.

 

Finland; Defense budget 2021 confirmed

August 30, 2020, 11:49 pm

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The 2021 budget proposal for the administrative branch of the Ministry of Defence amounts to EUR 4.87 billion. This is EUR 1.7 billion or 54% more than in the current budget.

 

The increase is to a large extent due to the funding proposed to procure multi-role fighters (HX project). Without the HX project, the increase in appropriations in the administrative branch will be 0.7%, and mainly due to cost level adjustments, including pay increases, which will account for EUR 50 million increase in expenditure.