Aussie TV channel ABC will have a report on the super hornet purchase, “The 7:30 report” this Thursday 15/03/07. For those out of TV range, maybe able to read the transcript from their website. http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/ after the show airs.

I interrupt your radar conversation to bring you this FREMM news article.

[SIZE=5]MBDA Receives Notification of Scalp Naval Contract[/SIZE]

(Source: MBDA; issued Jan. 4, 2007)

MBDA has received notification from the French defence procurement agency, DGA (Délégation Générale pour l’Armement), of the development and production contract for 250 SCALP Naval missiles, the naval cruise missiles destined to equip the French Navy’s FREMM multi-mission frigates and Barracuda submarines.

200 missiles will be for the FREMM and 50 for the Barracuda.

The contract, dated 29th December 2006, is made up of four tranches with the first tranche coming into force with this notification and covering the delivery of 50 missiles for the FREMM frigates in 2013.

The value of the contract is 910 million euros.

Production of the SCALP Naval missiles will be carried out in Selles Saint Denis, MBDA’s central region site in France.

Marwan Lahoud, MBDA’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “With this notification of the SCALP Naval contract, France will as of 2013 be equipped with an independent strategic capability that is both new and unique in Europe. SCALP Naval, Europe’s first naval cruise missile, comprises the most advanced of technologies. This contract therefore, also ensures that MBDA will be able to maintain a high level of technology and a strong industrial base in France”.

Didier Evrard, Managing Director of MBDA France and Group Director of Product Lines, stated: “This contract, bringing the innovative and highly effective SCALP Naval into being, is the result of years of preparation work carried out by MBDA personnel in close collaboration with the French DGA. Congratulations are due to all those who have contributed to this successful launch”.

With an annual turnover exceeding EUR 3,5 billion, a forward order book of over EUR 14 billion and over 70 customers worldwide, MBDA is a world leading, global missile systems company. MBDA currently has 45 missile system and countermeasure programmes in operational service and has proven its ability as prime contractor to head major multi-national projects.

MBDA is jointly owned by BAE Systems (37.5%), EADS (37.5%) and Finmeccanica (25%).

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http://www.defense-aerospace.com

Here are some links that I found with the search feature.

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=57096&highlight=hellenic

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=16509&highlight=hellenic

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=34850&highlight=hellenic

These ones were originally posted by me. 😮

Posted 12/18/06 17:26

[size=5]French Shipbuilder DCN Approves Tie-Up with Thales[/size]

By AGENCE FRANCE-RPESSE, PARIS

The board of France’s state-owned naval shipyards DCN on Dec. 18 approved a tie-up with defense electronics group Thales that will make it one of Europe’s three biggest shipbuilders, DCN said.

“This project will allow the reinforcement of the French naval industry,” DCN said in a statement, adding that it served “customers all over the world.

Six members including the decisive vote of DCN chief executive Jean-Marie Poimboeuf backed the alliance, overruling six union representatives who voted against, a union source said. Government representatives on the board of the wholly state-owned group did not vote, the source added.

DCN manufactures warships and submarines and supplies defense computer systems and advanced technology. It counts the French navy as its main customer, but also supplies more than 40 navies across the world.

Thales, formerly known as Thomson-CSF, is a supplier of electronics to the defense and security sectors. It is quoted on the French stock exchange, but is 31.3-percent owned by the French state.

The alliance, signed by the companies last week, is another significant step towards consolidation of European naval defense industries. But DCN workers have protested, seeing it as a move to privatize the company.

DCN and Thales last week signed the shareholding alliance, under which Thales agreed to transfer to DCN its naval shipyard activities and major shares in joint ventures by the two companies for building warships and aircraft carriers.
In return, Thales is to take a 25.0-percent stake in DCN and make a cash payment of 100-150 million euros to the French state.

The transaction is expected to be completed in June next year and Economy and Finance Minister Thierry Breton has said that Thales might later increase its stake in DCN to 30-35 percent.

Both companies declined to say how much they would be worth after the join-up. In October, when the deal was formerly slated to be signed, sources estimated that DCN would be valued at 2.3 billion euros after the link-up.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=2432219&C=europe

Possible Foreign Military Sale to Pakistan

[size=5]Pakistan – E-2C Hawkeye 2000 Airborne Early Warning Suite for P-3s [/size]

(Source: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency; dated Dec. 7, released Dec. 8, 2006)

WASHINGTON — The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Pakistan for refurbishment and modification of three excess P-3 aircraft with the E-2C HAWKEYE 2000 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) Suite, as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $855million.

The US plans to sell Pakistan three surplus P-3 Orions fitted with the Hawkeye 2000’s airborne early warning sensors, like the one above. (Lockheed Martin photo)

The Government of Pakistan has requested a possible sale for refurbishment and modification of three excess P-3 aircraft with the E-2C HAWKEYE 2000 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) Suite, spare and repairs parts, simulators, support equipment, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical data, system software development and installation, ground/flight testing of new systems and system modifications, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $855 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that has been and continues to be an important force for economic progress in South Asia and a partner in the global war on terrorism. The command-and-control capabilities of these aircraft will improve Pakistan’s ability to restrict the littoral movement of terrorists along Pakistan’s southern border and ensure Pakistan’s overall ability to maintain integrity of its borders.

Pakistan intends to use the proposed equipment to develop an effective air defense network for its naval forces and provide an AEW surveillance and enhanced command, control, and communications capability. The addition of the AEW suites will provide Pakistan with search surveillance, and control capability in support of maritime interdiction operations. These aircraft will also increase Pakistan’s ability to support the U.S. Operation Enduring Freedom operations, and provide anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare capabilities; and a control capability over land against transnational terrorists and narcotics smugglers. The modernization will enhance the capabilities of the Pakistani Navy and support its regional influence and meet its legitimate self-defense needs. Pakistan will have no difficulty absorbing the AEW platform into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not affect the basic military balance in the region.

The prime contractor will be Northrop Grumman Corporation, St. Augustine, Florida and Lockheed-Martin, Greenville, South Carolina. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any U.S. Government and contractor representatives to Pakistan.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law; it does not mean that the sale has been concluded.

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[size=5]Pakistan – TOW-2A Anti-Armor Guided Missiles[/size]

(Source: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency; dated Dec. 7, released Dec. 8, 2006)

WASHINGTON — The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Pakistan of TOW 2A Missiles as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $185 million.

The Government of Pakistan has requested a possible sale of 2,769 Radio Frequency (RF) TOW 2A Missiles, 7 RF TOW 2A Fly-to-buy Missiles, 415 RF Bunker Buster Missiles, 7 RF Fly-to-buy Bunker Buster Missiles, upgrade of 121 TOW Basic/TOW-I launchers to fire TOW II configuration for wire-guided and wireless missiles, TOW Data Acquisition Systems, gunner aiming sight, testers, cameras, spare and repair parts, technical support, support equipment, personnel training and training equipment, technical data and publications, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $185 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to furthering the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping a friendly country provide for its own legitimate self-defense needs and to enable Pakistan to support U.S. operations against terrorist activity along its porous borders. In addition, these missiles have most recently been employed in several global war on terrorism operations in the tribal areas of Pakistan and have allowed, when coupled with Cobra attack helicopters, the Government of Pakistan to employ new tactics, techniques and procedures that have proven highly effective against terrorists.

Pakistan will augment its land forces with these TOW-2A anti-armor guided missiles. Pakistan will use these missiles to increase its military defensive posture and will have no difficulty absorbing these additional missiles into its armed forces. Pakistan’s existing inventory of TOW missiles will soon begin to be affected by its specified shelf life. While TOW missiles can be employed beyond their shelf life, system reliability and safety are eroded. Pakistan continues to expend TOW missiles in both training exercises and combat operations.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not affect the basic military balance in the region.

The prime contractor will be Raytheon Company in Tucson, Arizona. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any U.S. Government and contractor representatives to Pakistan.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law; it does not mean that the sale has been concluded.

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http://www.defense-aerospace.com