SDB II integration activity steps up

Richard Scott, Farnborough - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

13 July 2014

Raytheon Missile Systems has begun work with the US Air Force (USAF) and the US Navy (USN) to integrate the GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II) on F-35, F/A-18E/F and F-16 aircraft.

Currently in its Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase, SDB II is a 40 n mile range glide bomb intended to attack moving and stationary targets at stand-off ranges, in all weather conditions, and with limited collateral damage. Raytheon was awarded a USD 450 million contract in August 2010 to develop SDB II to meet the needs of the USAF and USN; the EMD contract includes fixed price production options for the first five low-rate initial production (LRIP) lots through to Fiscal Year 2018.



Brazil confirms Pantsir-S1 signature by end of year

Janet Tappin Coelho, Rio de Janeiro - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

13 July 2014

The Brazilian government has confirmed to IHS Jane's that the contract for the acquisition of three Russian-designed Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft systems will be signed between October and December this year.

The Brazilian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said: "The acquisition process is in the final stages of negotiation. The purchase hasn't been completed yet, but it is on track. The Joint Working Groups are concentrating on the refinement of the joint operational requirements, which includes structuring the contract, agreeing the acquisition process and approving the transfer of technology.

"The process of acquiring the air-defence system was planned in four phases: diagnostic, exploratory, negotiation, and contracting."



Thales unveils new LMM variant

Robin Hughes, Belfast - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

13 July 2014

Thales Advanced Weapon Systems unveiled the latest variant in its family of lightweight multi-role missile (LMM) family of precision strike weapons at the Farnborough International Airshow on 13 July.

Derived from LMM technologies and building blocks, Free Fall LMM (FFLMM) is an unpowered, air-dropped, precision-guided munition intended for use in a wide range of operational environments.

Thales is touting FFLMM as a solution for lightweight airborne platforms, including tactical and medium altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and low-cost tactical fixed-wing platforms. The company sees the munition as filling a gap in the precision-guided munitions market, where most effectors are designed for traditional fast jet and attack helicopter platforms and can be unsuitable for release from lightweight platforms.



UK ETPS contract extension for Saab AND QinetiQ

Tim Ripley, RAF Fairford - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

13 July 2014

Students undergoing training at the UK's Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS), operated by QinetiQ, will continue to use the Saab Gripen D fast jet aircraft until 2018.

This follows the signing on 11th July of a contract extension between the school's operator, UK technology company QinetiQ, and Sweden's Saab. "This is a four-year renewal, previously we had yearly renewals", said Saab spokesman Rob Hewson.

The new, multi-year framework agreement covers the provision and use of Gripen D fast-jet aircraft and associated requirements, for the ETPS fixed-wing European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) compliant Test Pilot and Flight Test Engineer courses. The original agreement has been in place since 1999 and since then more than 70 test pilots have trained on the Gripen, flying more than 800 hours for the ETPS.



India's decision to raise FDI cap welcomed by industry

Jon Grevatt, Bangkok - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

13 July 2014

Representatives from foreign and local defence industries in India have welcomed New Delhi's decision to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) in the defence sector, although some are questioning whether the move is sufficient to spur the development of Indian defence industrial capabilities.

In a budget speech on 10 July India's Minister of Finance Arun Jaitley announced that the government will raise the defence sector cap on FDI from 26% to 49%. He said the move is intended to boost local industry capability and help India achieve its long-stated target of self-reliance in defence production.

Jaitley added that the investment limit will continue to be accompanied by regulations related to management and control of Indian assets and those FDI approvals will continue to be processed through the Foreign Investment Promotion Board -FIPB.