The mothership is watching you, Jacko.

I have it on good authority that they are used for mobile speed camera patrols on the A40 and M25 interchange.

APKWS On The Block

APKWS has descended into farce. The programme was awarded to GDATP in 2003, with BAE Systems supplying the laser seeker. In December 2004 the whole project was binned by the Army on the grounds that it was ‘underperforming’ even though GD had had a successful flight demonstration programme to date. The Army has issued a new RFI for the entire programme, even though all the T&Cs set out in this RFI have already been met by the work done so far. The issue seems to be that the initial production costs per round are going to be huge – more expensive than a Hellfire. GDATP contends that this is only to be expected until serious production is initiated. The Army is not happy and is now considering whether to issue a complete new RFP. GDATP is seriously unimpressed.

The Zukünftige Luftgestützte Waffensysteme (future airborne weapons system).

Right on

YS

A couple of things

The Su-35 has NOT come top of the Air Force evaluation – nothing like. The FAB recognises that the Su-35, as offered, does not exist. They know it is a paper airplane. Talk to anyone within the Air Force and they will tell you that they’d *love* to have one, sure they would, but it would bankrupt the FAB with the time, effort, money, blood, sweat and tears that it would take to turn it into a recognisable, operational machine. The Su-35 is going nowhere.

Also, all the talk about Russian help for the space programme, Russian meat contracts etc. etc. – all of that emerged AFTER the tenders had been submitted. If it’s not in the RFP submission, it cannot be considered as part of the bid.

The Mirage 2000 hasn’t won either. If it had, Embraer would already have been proclaimed the winner and given the contract. It is clear that the Mirage 2000 bid has stalled badly – failed in fact – but, in the run up to the election, it’s now impossible to announce that.

That leaves the Gripen – it has cons for Brazil, for sure, but it has WAY more pros. Not least of which is that Brazil knows it can trust its Swedish partners. It can’t trust the French (on previous experience) and it can’t even understand the Russians. Gripen will give the FAB the best deal in terms of technology, capability and affordability – with a clear growth path for the future.

It is the Gripen that is sitting at the top of the FAB’s list.

However, that doesn’t mean a whole lot. The competition is sliding dangerously to the right and even Embraer now acknowledges that cancellation, deferment or the option of an interim fighter is very much back on the cards.

So keep an eye on what is happening with ACS. Embraer is now BIG pals with Lockheed Martin. The ACS deal brings Embraer into a whole new league and opens doors that it could never have imagined. Even though the FAB has a long-standing mistrust of the USA and is desperate to keep away from it as an equipment supplier, on a government-to-government level wheels are turning.

What’s wrong with accepting a few second-hand F-16s in return?

You have been warned.

YS