Des nouvelles de la British Army

[Invité Rob]

Un petit "snippet" du Janes.

UK MoD has 120 UORs for Iraq and Afghanistan under consideration, says minister

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is considering a further 120 urgent operational requirements (UORs) for service in Iraq and Afghanistan, said armed forces ...

28-Mar-2008

Link.

http://jdw.janes.com/public/jdw/index.shtml

[Will]

Un petit "snippet" du Janes.

Link.

http://jdw.janes.com/public/jdw/index.shtml

j espere que le MoD a mis discretement le 40mm CTA pour warrior sur cette liste  =D to speed things up a bit.

[Tapir]

@Robert & Will, for your eyes only :

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Pressing needs: UK urgent operational requirements

Keri Smith Jane's Industry Reporter

  London

Key Points

The UK commitment to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan has increased the demand for urgent operational requirements

Opinions differ on the impact that UORs are having on the UK defence industry

The increasing resources devoted to the UK's urgent operational requirements have generated debate on the implications for the defence industry. Keri Wagstaff-Smith reports

According to the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), more than GBP3 billion (USD6 billion) has been spent on urgent operational requirements (UORs) since 2003.

Official UK government figures released on 19 February show that the cost of fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is expected to reach GBP3.37 billion for Fiscal Year 2007 (FY07) - an increase of GBP1.57 billion on 2006. This significant rise is partly due to UOR expenditure.

While providing a commercial boon to the defence industry, due to their reactive nature as 'point solutions', which may soon become outdated, UORs are not the most efficient way to do business.

After having delivered more than 60 UOR modifications for UK armoured vehicles over 18 months, BAE Systems increased its engineering and project management workforce on support programmes "by over 50 per cent, drawing on resources from across the company and industry partners", according to Ian McNeeny, business director for support programmes for BAE Systems Land Systems, speaking in June 2007.

On the condition of anonymity, an industry source told Jane's: "If companies had the money up front, they could find better ways of finding solutions. Looking at a range of solutions is better than one UOR solution. We can't predict everything, but it's a question of balance."

In another light, UORs are seen by some industry members as a way of creating alliances and providing contractors with the experience required for work under future programmes.

"It's a bit of an irony that UORs, while tending to have very short horizons, have proven to be very important in sustaining key capabilities in the long term," said BAE Systems spokesman Mike Sweeney. "The Defence Industrial Strategy [DIS] is all about partnering and a 'through-life' view. ... UORs have been enablers of building relationships, in both our air and land sector.

"On the vehicle front, UORs have definitely helped us keep business turning over and helped us to retain key capabilities for future programmes. A good example is the Bulldog. It's a 1960s design and UOR modifications have made it very capable. Troops like it; other UOR upgrade examples are Warrior, Challenger and CVR (T)."

UORs have made a significant impact on BAE Systems' land systems business. Jane's understands that the percentage of business contributed by UORs is well into double figures and that they have been a defining factor in returning the sector to profitability.

Responding to the question of how a possible decline in UOR requirements might affect the group's vehicle business, Sweeney said: "It's difficult to predict. You need a degree of flexibility and a little spare capacity."

He added: "If we were to win FRES [Future Rapid Effect System - BAE Systems is currently bidding for the FRES Vehicle Integrator role] and if it goes through in 2011/2012, and current operations were to tail off, it would work quite well. Current operations have filled a potential dip in the workload in the land sector."

On the munitions side, in order to meet requirements in Iraq and Afghanistan, BAE Systems has increased production, turning out up to a million small arms rounds per day, as well as large amounts of mortar ammunition. Sweeney told Jane's that the group's existing Framework Partnering Agreement with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has helped facilitate improved management and supply of ammunition and allowed it to invest in improved manufacturing facilities.

Another source within the land systems ammunition industry told Jane's: "UORs tend to make life more efficient and effective in terms of clearances from the MoD, which helps for future programmes." In addition, "they help us internally decide which programmes are priorities. If there's a conflict of programmes, it's difficult for us to decide. Once [a project is] given the UOR label, the decision is made for us".

The source added that a reduction of UORs would not have a major impact on the business: "We have a baseline; UOR requirements mean that we've been working flat out for two to three years. We're working above normal capacity at the moment, so there will be no long-term impact on the business.

"We sell very few UORs, as they only relate to new requirements and products. We've had one in the last year. We tend to work on urgent sustainable requirements [uSRs], which are a bit more of a priority than non-USRs."

A London-based defence and aerospace analyst cited current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq as contributing to the "transformation of the ammunition industry because the amounts [required] are enormous".

He added: "Companies are quite sensitive about UORs because when the war does come to an end, there will be an impact."

However, the overall impact on business varies.

Ultra competitive

As a UK-based group of specialist businesses, Ultra Electronics is involved in designing, manufacturing and supporting electronic and electromechanical systems, subsystems and products for defence, security and aerospace applications.

Andy Hamment, director and group marketing director for Ultra, said: "Clearly the amount of money available to defence and current operations is not infinite. ... Ultra does benefit from UORs but [in terms of a decline in UOR demand] we see commensurate pressures elsewhere. We can't point to UORs and say they drove figures for 2007. They are not a huge influence on Ultra's results."

Hamment points out that the group comprises 21 businesses, "which have about 100 niches within them".

Discussing the value of UORs to BAE Systems' in-service aircraft business, a spokesman for the company told Jane's that their importance lies more within MoD requirements, with a focus on partnering and ground work providing benefits to both parties.

"In terms of hard cash, UORs are not big value items, but that doesn't mean they're not of business value," the spokesman said.

"From the 'air' point of view, we've been working very closely with the customer in the support arena and, because of this, we can make more of a contribution to UORs, and at a much earlier stage. ... We've started partnering with the customer in the last five or six years, making us work better on UORs, [rather] than UORs making the business for us.

"We have people at operating bases such as Kinloss, working alongside the RAF [Royal Air Force], and, rather than sitting on our hands saying, 'Oh, we've got a UOR', we've done some pre-work studies. For example, we were able to do some integration work, as a private venture, on the Harrier sniper pod, as we thought there would be a UOR coming down the line."

In February 2007 Lockheed Martin's AN/AAQ-33 Sniper advanced targeting pod was selected by the UK MoD to meet a UOR for a high-fidelity pod with a video downlink for the RAF BAE Systems Harrier GR.7/9 ground-attack aircraft deployed in Afghanistan.

The BAE spokesman describes the work as "very small money to BAE, but because we did the work we got the kit out more quickly, and the only reason we could do that is because of our firm partnering arrangement with the customer. It's of mutual benefit".

DE&S input

The Chief of Materiel (Land) for the MoD's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) agency, Lieutenant General Richard Applegate, reinforced the benefits of the UOR-type customer/industry relationship while giving evidence on DE&S to the UK House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC) on 29 January.

Responding to the suggestion of "some very powerful lessons learned" from UORs, he said: "The close involvement in routine programmes of the user in a way that we did not adopt in the past is directly the sort of relationship one sees in UORs. ... I certainly see close team activity involving the user and industry coming out of UORs, which applies more widely."

Defence analyst Robin Ashby told Jane's that companies are pleased with the freedom it gives them to come up with the solutions to problems, rather than a mandated solution.

"With UORs you get what you need and you get a fair price; it cuts out the administrative overheads and the kit is deployed more quickly. ... If you give people the freedom and responsibility [to provide UORs], they respond to it. ... People are on their honour to do the right thing by the guys and girls in combat."

Ashby said that UOR funding "is an issue, as we know ... the implication is that we get them [uORs], use them and throw them away, but where there's capability, we can keep them and can claw back [funding] from the regular budget, which increases pressures on the budget".

The UK Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support, Baroness Ann Taylor, recently said that in the last three years alone more than GBP10 billion worth of equipment has been delivered to the armed forces, mostly as a result of responding to UORs.

In addition to some 800 UORs approved since 2001, the UK is currently considering a further 120 for service in Iraq and Afghanistan, Minister of State for the Armed Forces Bob Ainsworth confirmed on 27 March.

He was unable to comment on the value for those UORs as "the costings for UORs that have not yet been approved are not mature enough to provide an accurate estimate".

According to the HCDC report 'Defence Equipment 2008', a total of 219 UORs were approved in 2006-07 (124 for Afghanistan and 95 for Iraq) at a value of GBP793 million.

The MoD has revealed that "[more than] 80 per cent of capital spending in Afghanistan this year [GBP547 million] is the result of UORs, reflecting the additional operational activity in the Helmand province".

A large proportion of the equipment procured using the UOR process has been for force protection, including protection upgrades to vehicles on operations, a fleet of new protected patrol vehicles to supplement those already in theatre and new combat body armour.

Discussing the current spike in UOR demand, Ashby told Jane's: "A major contractor sees UORs, in the short term, as a substantial business stream. UORs make up for delays in other programmes and keep the money flowing. ... Industry is enjoying a short-term happy time."

The benefits can be seen further down the supply chain, according to a source who told Jane's: "Small companies tend to win a disproportionate amount of the UOR business."

The DIS states that "many SMEs [small and medium enterprises] play a crucial role" in meeting UORs, undertaking "prime roles" for smaller requirements and are "potentially well placed to fulfil other roles".

The DIS states: "We are widening our supply chain focus below the prime level to identify critical sources of key capability and technology and to further encourage SME entry into a broader range of defence opportunities."

Industry defence

Discussing both the benefits of and the problems posed by UORs, the Director General of the UK's Defence Manufacturers Association, Rear Admiral Rees Ward, told Jane's: "Industry does have to take on faith that the requirement is there and that, with a degree of trust, they can proceed without contract cover and that payment will be made in due course. I'd strongly make the point that UORs have been successful in delivering equipment and saving lives, with a very rapid turnaround time because of a strong, indigenous industrial R&D [research and development] base."

Adm Ward added: "In a non-commercial way, industry does get energised in its contribution to the process. Cynics might say: 'All they [defence contractors] want is the several hundred million [in payment]', but [uORs are] a surrogate way for the people working in the defence industry to contribute to supporting our troops in the front line, and often contractors will work far above and beyond the normal terms of a contract."

He also credits UK defence exports - which stand at 40 per cent of UK defence products - with supporting "a large R&D base which, in turn, provides the capability and capacity to deliver cutting edge solutions to UORs".

Discussing the long-term impact of UORs on the overall defence programme, Adm Ward said that the ensuing budgetary pressures are "like squeezing a balloon. It always pops out somewhere. ... Virtually all UORs produced now will have to find their way back into the programme for long-term sustainability".

However, he said: "On the ground, commanders are highly complimentary about the speed at which industry is getting the equipment to theatre. One commander has told me that he felt very well supported and that he was better equipped than he had ever been before on operations."

Adm Ward concluded: "The current delivery of UORs is a clear indication of the improved relationship and partnership between industry and the customer, and a trust to take things forward. We're building on DIS I, and we need to build on the partnering ethos in DIS II."

[Invité Rob]

Merci beaucoup.  =)

BAE Systems has increased production, turning out up to a million small arms rounds per day, as well as large amounts of mortar ammunition.

:O

[Tapir]

Je retiens surtout que les engagements britannique en Irak et en Afghanistan auront fait considérablement évoluer la British Army en très peu de temps...Et cela montre aussi que, finalement, on a peut-être pas forcément besoin de 20 ans pour spécifier, concevoir, produire et déployer dans les forces un matériel capable de faire le boulot...et je ne suis pas certain que ce ne soit pas plus économique...

Et la comparaison avec les capacités opérationnelles réelles de l'Armée Française fait vraiment très très mal, et va faire de plus en plus mal dans les années à venir...

Et quand je lis que le Royaum-Uni prépare une nouvelle mouture à sa DIS et que chez nous la définition même de notre Base Industrielle et Technologique de Défense peut fluctuer au gré des déclarations du simplet de la rue Saint-Dominique (MoD français), je pleure !

Pour revenir au topic, j'ai aussi quelques photos de DSEI que je vais essayer de poster...

Ah ! Et un regret, quand même : le retrait prématuré des Jaguar, qui dans leur version RAF auraient été bien adaptés à l'Afghanistan...Pour le FRES, c'est vrai que les commandes de MRAP et de retrofit Bulldog rendent moins urgent le UV...En revanche le besoin FRES Reconnaissance, lui demeure...Les Sabre, et le reste des CVR-T sont vraiment trop petits et trop peu protégés...

[Will]

Merci pour l article, c est tres interessant.  ;)

Je suis curieux de voir si ce qu a ete apris ces 5 ans sera retenu et que ca peut servir long terme (qui aurait penser que les gens de Witehall sont parfois efficace)  :O.

Je pense les americains aussi ont aussi du devoir faire beaucoup de"thinking on their feet" pour adapte des choses au conditions sur le terrain. :rolleyes:

[Invité Rob]

Ah ! Et un regret, quand même : le retrait prématuré des Jaguar, qui dans leur version RAF auraient été bien adaptés à l'Afghanistan...Pour le FRES, c'est vrai que les commandes de MRAP et de retrofit Bulldog rendent moins urgent le UV...En revanche le besoin FRES Reconnaissance, lui demeure...Les Sabre, et le reste des CVR-T sont vraiment trop petits et trop peu protégés...

Je suis totallement d'accord, le Jaguar etait tres capable et avec ca on ne besoin pas les Harriers en Afghanistan. Les Harriers font un bon travail, mais nos porte-avions besoin ces aussi. Pour le FRES Recon, je pense que le CV90 va etre peut-etre un bon choix. Avec BAE Systems (BAE Systems Hägglunds) il est probablement plus facile d'avoir un ligne de production et un centre de dessin/"intellectual property rights" en le Royaume-Uni. J'ai lu que le CTA 40mm va etre le cannon pour le FRES Recon aussi, un CV90 avec un CTA40mm est peut-etre interessant.

BAE Systems CV90

[Will]

Je suis totallement d'accord, le Jaguar etait tres capable et avec ca on ne besoin pas les Harriers en Afghanistan. Les Harriers font un bon travail, mais nos porte-avions besoin ces aussi. Pour le FRES Recon, je pense que le CV90 va etre peut-etre un bon choix. Avec BAE Systems (BAE Systems Hägglunds) il est probablement plus facile d'avoir un ligne de production et un centre de dessin/"intellectual property rights" en le Royaume-Uni. J'ai lu que le CTA 40mm va etre le cannon pour le FRES Recon aussi, un CV90 avec un CTA40mm est peut-etre interessant.

BAE Systems CV90

Et si on peut avoir ~100 ou 200 CV90-120T pour remplace les Scorpions deja partis, je me plaindra pas  =D

[Invité Rob]

Je sais que BAE Systems propose le CV90 pour le FRES Recon, mais quelle version? Probablement un version "customized".  =)

[Invité Rob]

Janes dit aussi que les Cougars sont pour le programme Ridgeback. La designation des vehicules est bon.  :lol:

Mastiff

Jackal

Ridgeback

[Invité Rob]

Le prototype du Watchkeeper va voler Avril 14 en Israel. Les ("jusqu'a") 99 Watchkeeper UAVs de la serie vont produire en le Royaume-Uni a Leicester. Le Watchkeeper va operer par le 32 Regiment du Royal Artillery. Le "in service date" est 2010.

• Masse: 450kgs
• Autonomie: 16+ heures

Equipe de l'industrie:

• Thales UK, Crawley (prime contractor, sensors, stake in joint venture)
• Tactical UAV Systems Ltd., Leicester (production of air vehicles)
• Cobham, Wimborne (major sub-assemblies and components)
• Cubic Corporation, Greenford (datalinks)
• Elbit (air vehicles)
• LogicaCMG, Leatherhead (digital battlespace integration)
• Marshall SV, Cambridge (ground station shelters and vehicles)
• Praxis, Bath (programme safety)
• QinetiQ (airworthiness consultancy and image data management)
• UAV Engines Ltd, Lichfield (UAV engine)
• ABSL (back up batteries)
• Vega (training)

The majority of the system will be produced in the UK. Airframes will be produced at Leicester (airframes), the ground segment relies entirely on British technology. Hardware will be produced in Cambridge (shelters). other companies involved include Vega, Praxis and Cobham. Flight testing will be performed at Cardigan Bay. LogicaCMG will be providing the digital battlespace integration and QinetiQ will contribute its image processing capability. Boeing is also involved, to ensure integration with US systems. Thales' has also established a system integration site at its Crawley site, where a synthetic Watchkeeper environment will support the modeling and integration of the system's elements, to reduce development risks and complete the program within the ambitious schedule set by the MOD.

Links.

Watchkeeper prototype to fly in April

http://www.defense-update.com/products/w/watchkeeper.htm

[Will]

Hier etait le 82eme anniversaire de la Reine. Il y a eu des Royal Salutes dans les grandes villes.

London Hyde Park

York Museum Gardens

Edinburgh Castle

Bon Anniversaire, Majeste!  ;)

[Invité Rob]

Vive la Reine.  =)

Happy St. George's day.  =)

[Invité Rob]

Des stars britanniques comme Ewan McGregor, les Osbournes, Al Murray et James Blunt aide le BFBS charity.

Link.

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/PeopleInDefence/StarsComeOutForForcesFundraiser.htm

[Tiger]

joyeux anniversaire la reine. ça se fait encore le passage l'avions de la seconde guerre mondiale ? style Hurricane, Spitfire, Lancaster ?

[Will]

la "Battle of Britain Memorial Flight"

http://www.bbmf.co.uk/

Je ne pense pas qu'ils ont voles cette fois ci, mais il faut se rappeler que la Reine a 2 anniversaires: le "vrais" cette semaine et le officiel en juin (le jour du trooping the colours), la je pense ils seront la.

[Fenrir]

Combien de tir pour un anniversaire?

[Fusilier]

En tout cas ce qui est sur, c'est que vous avez des superbes uniformes  =D

A mon humble avis les plus beaux que l'on peut trouver dans toutes les armées....

[Will]

En tout cas ce qui est sur, c'est que vous avez des superbes uniformes  =D

A mon humble avis les plus beaux que l'on peut trouver dans toutes les armées....

ironie?  =D Mais c'est vrais on aime les ceremonies et le "pageantry", il faut etre bien vetu pour ceci  :-X

Combien de tir pour un anniversaire?

41 coups a 10 seconde intervalle a Londres, 21 coups dans les autres endroits (au total il y a 12 endroits qui font ceci incluant Londres). Ceci est fait pour l'anniversaire, la coronation ou la accession du Roi/Reine.

[GABY]

Les tenues de cérémonie des soldats de sa Majesté sont toujours aussi classes :)

La tunique bleue foncée avec les bandes rouges sont les couleurs traditionnelles de l'artillerie ?

Sinon pour le Warrior, il me plait bien avec le CTA 40 :)

C'est curieux que l'armée britannique donne tant l'impression de décider plus vite que les autres pour leurs acquisitions. Je me demande si mon impression est justifiée ?

[Fusilier]

@ Will, non, non!!! Ce n'est pas de l'ironie, je le pense vraiment. 

A mon sens, seuls les uniformes de parade des US Marines et ceux de nôtre Régiment de Cavalerie de la Garde peuvent se comparer. Mais vous, vous avez tout un tas de régiments avec des superbes uniformes.

C'était le moment dédié à la mode militaire  =D

Nb : rendez-nous les bonnets de la Garde !!!! Bande de voleurs - copieurs :lol: :lol:

[Will]

:-\ =D

en tout cas, back to business, je ne pense pas qu'il faut dire necessairement on decide plus vite que les autres...le projet WLIP est reflechis depuis les fins 90s debut 2000s et on doit annonce encore la decision officiel (meme si il est maintenant 99,9% probable que CTA40 gagne).

Il y a autres choses qui trainent, comme CLIP (le L55 sur Challenger 2) et on ne sais pas quand ca viens, des delais de decisions sur des nouveaux helicopteres...T45 n7 et 8...on parle meme pas de CVF (decide que on en avais besoin en au livre blanc de defense 1998, pas encore de grand traveaux en avril 2008  :'( mais ca avance) ou des tankers de la RAF enfin commande cette annee.

[Will]

On avais besoin de ceci comme un trou dans la tete... :P

UK Forces to deploy to Kosovo?

An article in the Guardian reports that NATO has asked MOD to deploy 2RIFLES to Kosovo as KFOR’s Operational Reserve Force.  We can confirm that we have received a request for the deployment of the Operational Reserve Force, and it is being considered at the highest level.

source Ministry of Defence

et l'article

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/apr/25/military.kosovo

2 Rifles est fait de 600 soldats et est la reserve OTAN que le UK doit fournir par obligation jusqu a Juin. Dans un meme temps a cause des operations en cours ceci sera un troisieme "drain" pour nous, le MoD dit que ele veut bien deployer ces troupes de Mai a Juin si cela est necessaire.

[francois]

bon et le FRES UV cela en est ou? Quand officialisez vous la commande de piranha V? :-[ lol

[Invité Rob]

bon et le FRES UV cela en est ou? Quand officialisez vous la commande de piranha V? :-[ lol

Il y a des local elections a Mai 1 2008. Des grandes announcements ne vont pas faire  avant ca. Une decision pour le FRES UV dessin va faire probablement apres ca. Une decision pour l'integrateur va faire un peu plus tard probablement.

Dans une autre nouvelle, Defense News dit que le British Army a achete 24 Bushmasters du Thales Australia. Les vehicules vont utiliser comme "electronic warfare vehicles". Je prefere un flotte commun avec les Cougars, mais un achat est un achat.  =)