signatorythe review determined that the program is progressing according to schedule
Very nice.
signatoryIt’s bought to fulfil the roles now performed by a mixed fleet of light-choppers that has either already been decommisioned or under way, i.e they replace the Agusta-Bell 412, The BO-105, the Jet Ranger, the TH-55A Osage.
They will do training, recon, hydrophone, VIP and light transport etc. They might even do UN support like the Hkp9 is doing today in Kosovo. Unarmed with no weapons.
I.e not bought to add any new roles. Although in theory they could be used for more missions than the old fleet.
And the NH90 is bought to replace the Hkp4 Vertol and is being equipped for international operations alongside the Super Puma with installed self-defense systems. So no.. I don’t see any problems.
signatoryMSNBC usually post FT.com articles inside their free service. I suppose this is the one?
Saudis suspend £10bn Eurofighter talks
Updated: 1:40 a.m. ET Nov. 28, 2006
Saudi Arabia has suspended commercial negotiations with the UK over the £10bn purchase of a new fleet of Eurofighter Typhoons, in an attempt to force the Serious Fraud Office to wind up a long-running corruption probe.
Mike Turner, chief executive of BAE Systems, Britain’s biggest weapons maker and prime beneficiary of the Saudi deal, said on Monday: “We cannot speak on behalf of the two governments. But I do know we are not currently moving forward on finalising the Typhoon contract.”
For more than two years, the SFO has been investigating allegations of slush funds and other unethical practices surrounding the 20-year-old Al Yamamah oil-for-arms agreement with Riyadh, the UK’s biggest export deal.
The deal to purchase 72 Eurofighters would supersede the Al Yamamah contracts and could eventually be worth as much as £40bn to BAE. A similar sum has been made from Al Yamamah, where BAE supplied Tornado fighter jets, among other military equipment. Shares in BAE fell about 3 per cent to 391p in London on Monday on worries about the Eurofighter deal.
But the SFO’s decision to seek bank account information from Switzerland, in relation to its Al Yamamah probe, has sparked anger in Riyadh, leading to a temporary suspension of commercial talks.
The threat to the contracts and the decision by BAE to go public on the row marks a determined effort to force the SFO to conclude its inquiries.
However, officials from Britain’s Ministry of Defence and BAE have said the Eurofighter deal is under threat, with the Saudis poised to sign a deal with the French to buy 24 or 36 of the rival Rafale jet. Jacques Chirac, the French president, has lobbied hard with the Saudis to buy the Rafale, which has failed to win any export orders.
But French military officials and independent defence experts and executives played down the scale of the risk to BAE, saying the kingdom was unlikely to cancel the British deal, with the tough stance probably designed to put pressure on the SFO.
“We have done nothing wrong,” Mr Turner said. “We don’t want to interfere with the judicial process, and politicians clearly cannot do that, but we do want to see a resolution of the SFO investigation. It is damaging for our business.”
To date both BAE and the Saudi government have separately used the same public relations organisation headed by Lord Bell, the former media adviser to Baroness Thatcher.
The SFO declined to comment, beyond saying that its investigation continued. There was no sign on Monday that investigators were preparing to back down on the case or were about to be told to do so by Lord Goldsmith, the attorney-general.
Lord Goldsmith has refused to comment on reports that officials from other ministries have pressed him to intervene.
Copyright The Financial Times Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15924328/
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(Personally I would tell them to f-o… the loss of 50,000 jobs is a myth.)
signatoryLanguage is another thing. Just imagine how much French, Russian and Swedish news, articles, documentation and promotion material that never get published on the English forums of the internet or English speaking magazines.
Heck, I see every day people who can’t even type “Rafale” or “Gripen” without messing up. (rafaele.. grippens…) So… If they can’t even get the name right? EF is typically over rated on forums since the planned on-paper specifications is far more impressive than the actual integrated operational capability. While the competition has accelerated its development in recent years.
signatorySo the British taxpayer will pay to have the Meteor AAM integrated with the Rafale and Gripen?
IIRC, Meteor was meant to be cleared in the order Gripen-Typhoon-Rafale.
The UK (w/MBDA UK) as Lead-Nation in the METEOR partnership was supposed to arrange for the development and integration (Mainly on the Eurofighter but Gripen was always going to do some work). For several reasons Gripen came out as the only platform ready in time to fully support the METEOR without further delays to the program.
Thus, the Swedish government offered a jet for full-time use rather than waiting for a unspecified amount of months/years to get the EF platform ready. Sweden paid SAAB nearly 435 SEK (US$65m) for integration work. This was followed by another 500m (US$70) from the MBDA UK under a Enabling Contract on R&D.
In 2008 IIRC the UK and the Eurofighter will again take the lead after dropping the ball.
signatoryOn really small procurements like this one the unit price is not that important, when you get to 100-200 jets on order it will however make a big impact. It could mean a extra squadron. The difference is only 5-10% on most jets (SU-35, Rafale, Gripen, F-16B52+, MIG-29x) so you can’t compete with price other than throughout life cost and weapons platform on a 1 billion order.
signatoryI do love the way everybody is having a typhoon bashing session as if this is the only time this has ever happened in the history of defence procurement. Its common place so get used to it.
Well the bribe charges is not about the typhoon deal.
It’s the previous history between the kingdom’s and the fact that the Saudies threaten to cut relations if the UK do not stop the investigation.
Basically, them acting like ars*holes. Again.
signatoryhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_061121bae.shtml
Don’t suppress fraud inquiry, campaigners tell Blair -21/11/06
Tony Blair has been urged not to curtail fraud investigations into BAE Systems, following claims that the Saudi royal family wants them stopped.
The Saudi regime has allegedly pressurised Tony Blair to halt an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into accusations of multimillion pound bribes paid by BAE Systems to Saudi officials.
Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has insisted that the UK Government must allow the fraud inquiry to continue.
—
Nicholas Gilby of Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) said: “If the Government is to fulfil its promise of tackling corruption, it is vital that this investigation continues. Blair must not give into bullying by the brutal Saudi regime. The Government must send a clear signal that arms dealers will be held accountable and that BAE Systems is not above the law.”
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signatoryI respect everyone’s opinions, but…are you looking at the photos?
There’s no way this is a Polecat. I don’t know what it is, but it’s definitely not that. For the third time now, the Polecat, like the B-2, has a continuous sweep angle to the entire leading edge of the wing. This aircraft clearly does not. It is a constant angle for the first 2/3 or so of the wing, then the angle clearly changes toward the end of the wing.
This is unquestionably NOT a Polecat.
Eh. You’re just not looking at it the right way.
+ Looking at the size of the lights there’s no way it’s of 747 size.
signatorySound matches the polecat on the “it had a low pitched “rumble” to it as it passed by. ” statement. Visually too if you consider the jet going from instead of to the camera. Wingspan is 50% off.
signatoryisn’t it lockheed polecat?
I agree
signatorySubmarines will help them fight the next Tsunami.
…
signatoryFound this in the news today on the Italian/Swedish M-AESA project.
November 15, 2006 07:12 AM Eastern Time
Saab continues the joint Research and Development Program for future Multi-role AESA systems
STOCKHOLM, Sweden–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Saab Microwave Systems AB, Selex Sistemi Integrati S.p.A and Elettronica S.p.A. have been awarded the second phase of a three phase Research and Development Program supporting the development of the next generation of microwave multi-function, multi-role systems called M-AESA (Multi-role Active Electronically Scanned Antenna).
On behalf of the armed forces of Italy and Sweden, FMV, Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, has signed contracts with the three companies Selex Sistemi Integrati S.p.A., Elettronica S.p.A. and Saab Microwave Systems AB relating to the second phase of the three phase long-term strategic research and development cooperation regarding radar and electronic warfare (EW). The program will be fully financed by the two countries. The participating companies, Saab Microwave Systems, Selex SI and Elettronica will together exploit the potential of AESA technologies in future defense electronic systems.
“This development cooperation with Italy´s two leading industries in the provisioning of integrated defence systems, will greatly enhance our joint possibilities to achieve the product vision of a true multi-role electronics package capable of active and passive sensing, jamming and special communications “ says Erik Löwenadler, President, Saab Microwave Systems AB. The program will support this vision but also contribute in shorter term to the development of multifunction radar and EW systems. The second phase comprises system architecture definitions and technology studies and development, as well as defining and planning of the following phase relevant to the prototype development and testing.
The introduction of M-AESA technology, comprising digital beam forming, will enable great increase in future microwave systems performance. The M-AESA benefits include the ability to detect, track and identify small targets in complex environment, to detect, track, identify and jam emitter and communication threats, thus providing the possibility to design flexible multipurpose electronics in advanced platforms. The multipurpose electronics include functions from radar, electronic warfare, as well as communications.
signatoryThank you, thats very useful.
So they have both TIDLS and Link 16 units on each plane?
Correct 🙂
signatoryDo the hungarian Grippens use the Saab supplied datalink or L16? Or do they simply not have a datalink as yet?
What about the Italian A129, does anyone know if it has a datalink or an IDM?
Thanks
Mowers
The Hungarian jets have both. All export Gripen have both and the new deliveres and upgraded ones in the Swedish Airforce.
This enables Hungarian pilots to use TIDLS (Tactical Information Datalink System) between themselves while at the same time use Link16 with other NATO jets. TIDLS autonomously share sensordata with other wingmen and display it on the screens. The links complement each other very well.
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