News Story: Indian Navy to buy underwater systems for its submarines

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — The Indian Navy on Wednesday floated a global request for information to buy 12 anti-torpedo defense systems and associated equipment for its submarines.

“The ATDS is an important program, and it will acquired on a fast-track basis,“ a senior Indian Navy official said.

Global defense companies from Germany, Russia and the U.S. are likely to respond to this request for information, or RFI, and the service wants to induct them within the next two years, he added.

The foreign defense companies have also been asked to furnish details of transfer of production and transfer of technology of ATDS.

Currently, no Indian defense company manufactures submarine-launched ATDS.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: US Arms Sales to Taiwan Violate International Rights – Chinese Foreign Ministry

By selling weapons to China, the United States violates international rights, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Friday, adding Beijing has already officially protested the new US arms sales deal.

BEIJING (Sputnik) – On Thursday, US President Donald Trump's administration approved a $1.42 billion arms sale to Taiwan. The deal includes deliveries of anti-radiation missiles, heavyweight torpedoes, components for SM-2 missiles and air-to-ground missiles.

"China has already lodged protests with the US side here in Beijing and in Washington. Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. By selling arms to Taiwan, the Unites States gravely violates the international rights and fundamental principles of foreign relations," Lu said at the press briefing.

News Report: US Proposal to Sell Taiwan Arms Risks China Backlash at Awkward Time

TAIPEI, TAIWAN — The U.S. government’s approval Thursday of $1.42 billion in advanced weaponry for Taiwan risks a stiff backlash from China after a year of strained relations between Beijing and the self-ruled island, which sees the mainland as its chief military rival.

China's foreign ministry protested Friday to the U.S. and asked that the arms deal be canceled. The ministry called it damaging to Chinese sovereignty.

Experts believe the proposed arms sale, a first from the United States to Taiwan since the approval of an $1.83 billion package in December 2015, is likely to anger China, which has tried since April to get along with President Donald Trump despite a rocky start. China sees self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and resents other countries for helping arm it.

“Mainland China will not be happy about today’s notification, but Taiwan has a right to its self-defense,” said Sean King, senior vice president of New York political consultancy Park Strategies.

News Story: US clears arms deal for Taiwan worth up to $1.3B

By: Aaron Mehta

WASHINGTON — The State Department on Thursday cleared a massive arms deal for Taiwan, worth up to $1.3 billion. 

The move comes as at a time when the Trump administration continues to rely on China to pressure North Korea into dismantling its nuclear weapons program.  

The potential package includes seven different items sought by the Taiwanese government: 

• Early Warning Radar Surveillance Technical Support ($400 million)
• AGM-154C Joint Stand-off Weapon (JSOW) ($185.5 million)
• AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation (HARM) Missiles ($147.5 million)
• MK 48 6AT Heavy Weight Torpedoes ($250 million)
• MK 46 to MK-54 Torpedo Upgrade ($175 million)
• SM-2 Missile Components ($125 million)
• AN/SLQ-32A Electronic Warfare (EW) Shipboard Suite Upgrade ($80 million)

As with all foreign military sales, the agreement must be cleared by Congress and then go through actual negotiations over the equipment and dollar figures. As a result, the sale will likely shift and end up below the $1.3 billion estimate.   

A U.S government official, speaking on background ahead of the announcement, said the weapons offer does not reflect any change in the long-standing “One China” policy. China does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Indian Black Shark torpedo deal for Navy might be revived

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — Italy's Whitehead Sistemi Subacquei S.p.A., a subsidiary of Leonardo, might be reconsidered to supply Black Shark torpedoes for French Scorpene submarines currently being built in India, according to sources in the Indian Ministry of Defence.  

This follows observations made by India's attorney general on the legality of issuing tenders and its subsidiary defence companies, which are facing probes on charges of alleged corruption. 

In June of last year, MoD announced the cancellation of a $200 million deal for Black Shark torpedoes, but MoD sources said the tender was not formally cancelled and that no intimation of the cancellation was conveyed to the Italian company. 

Whitehead Sistemi Subacquei S.p.A., or WASS, was declared the winner over Atlas Elektronik of Germany in 2014 in a global tender to supply Black Shark torpedoes to be mounted on the six French Scorpene submarines licensed produced by state-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. 

Although WASS  emerged  as  the  lowest  bidder against Atlas Elektronik, the contract could not be signed because in August 2014, the government put a ban on signing the contracts in the wake of the probe into the VVIP  helicopters scam relating to AgustaWestland, another subsidiary of Leonardo.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: India Plans to Cancel Defense Deals Worth $1.5 Billion

The Indian government is set to announce the scrapping of defense deals worth more than $3 billion of naval helicopters, armored recovery vehicles and torpedoes. Indian Defense Minister Arun Jaitley has moved a recommendation to scrap long-delayed defense purchases in favor of ‘Make in India’ program.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – The first such recommendation is for armored recovery vehicles which were contracted with India’s state-owned BEML in 2012 for $275 million. The contract was for 204 WZT-3 made by Polish company Bumar and imported by BEML. The deal is supposed to be scrapped over corruption charges, and lack of indigenization efforts by BEML. Indian Army had purchased 352 WZT-3 in three previous contracts from 1999 to 2005. As state-owned DRDO has developed armored recovery vehicle (ARV) and private firms like L&T are interested in supplying them to the Army, the government may opt for the indigenous ARVs.

News Story: PACOM’s Harris Urges More Subs, PGMs, Ships At HASC

Adm. Harry Harris (Image: Wiki Commons)

By SANDRA ERWIN

While North Korea threatens to shoot and sink American aircraft carriers and launch nuclear weapons, Pacific Command is running short of precision-guided munitions. And Pacific Command does not have enough surface ships, submarines and antimissile radars to keep up with current and emerging threats, its commander Adm. Harry Harris told the House Armed Services Committee today.

The admiral got a receptive ear from HASC Chairman Rep. Mac Thornberry, who told reporters after the hearing that he would like to see Congress step up with more resources for PACOM. But Thornberry admitted that budget brinkmanship in Washington will make that unlikely.

Some of PACOM’s equipment and technology gaps are actually unrelated to the North Korea crisis but are a direct result of the battle against the Islamic State. Harris has loaned Central Command large stockpiles of small diameter bombs and air-to-air Sidewinder missiles. “We need more,” he told the committee. PACOM’s supplies of Mark 48 torpedoes also are dwindling.

Pacific Command may not spend munitions as fast as CENTCOM, but what it does use more than any other U.S. war command is submarines. PACOM today only has 50 percent of what it estimates it needs to keep tabs on North Korea, Chinese and Russian undersea activity.

“The numbers are low and getting smaller,” said Harris. The Navy’s entire attack submarine fleet of 52 is projected to shrink to 42 in a few years unless the Navy gets a big influx of new money. Should Trump’s proposed naval buildup happen, the submarine fleet would expand to 66.

Why does PACOM need more weapons and new ones, especially transformative systems? It’s simple, Harris said: If you think it is hard to deter North Korea today, wait till we have to deter China and Russia as they roll out their shiny new weapon systems in the coming decades.

Read the full story at Breaking Defense

News Story: Malaysian naval power suffers budget woes

By: Mike Yeo

MELBOURNE, Australia — Malaysia’s centerpiece plan for the restructure and recapitalization of its Navy has also been adversely affected by the country’s budget woes, leaving most of it underfunded or unfunded altogether. 

The so-called 15-to-5 plan, unveiled in 2015, calls for a reduction of the Royal Malaysian Navy order of battle from 15 to five classes of ships and submarines, which it hopes will trim sustainment costs by retiring older ships and reducing the number of ship classes operated by the RMN by 2030. 

The five ship classes will ideally consist of 12 French-designed littoral combat ships, 18 Kedah-class offshore patrol vessels, 18 Chinese-designed littoral mission ships, three multirole support ships of an as-yet undetermined design and four submarines. 

Of these, only six lightly-armed Kedah-class offshore patrol vessels are already in service together with two French Scorpene diesel-electric submarines. Malaysia has also ordered six littoral combat ships based on the French Gowind 2500 design under a $2 billion contract signed in 2011, with two ships in various stages of construction at Malaysia’s Boustead Naval Shipyard. 

The 3,000-ton ships will be armed with the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile and MBDA’s vertical launch MICA for anti-ship and anti-aircraft work respectively, along with 57mm and 30mm guns as well as torpedo tubes. The first ship is expected to be delivered to the RMN in late 2019 or early 2020. 

Malaysia is also pressing forward with its Littoral Mission Ship program, signing a contract in early November 2016 with China’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense for an initial four ships with two built by Boustead and the other two in China. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

Related Link: Malaysian defense: Budget hinders military asset procurement 

News Story: No Torpedoes for India's Second Scorpene Submarine

Black Shark heavyweight torpedo

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India has launched the second French Scorpene-class submarine, but the Khanderi will not be equipped with torpedoes because the $200 million tender to buy them remains undecided by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) since it was created five years ago. 

The MoD has put on hold the acquisition of 98 Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes, to be mounted on Scorpene submarines from WASS, a subsidiary of Italian firm Leonardo. 

Plans to procure Black Shark torpedoes for the Indian Navy from WASS was canceled in May, an MoD spokesman confirmed with Defense News last year. The decision came in the wake of corruption charges involving another subsidiary of Leonardo, AgustaWestland and the Indian National Congress political party. 

India's 1st Scorpene-class submarine, just before launching

With the Khanderi's launch on Thursday, the sub is set to undergo rigorous trials until the end of the year. When the trials are over, the sub will be commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Khanderi, an Indian Navy official explained. 

The MoD expects the sub to be delivered to the Navy by mid-2017. 

"The force strength of submarines is very low at this point. The reason for this situation is the closure of Shisumar (German HDW) class project and delay in the Scorpene project. The existing submarines are less than 25 years old. With this background, launch of the second submarine at [state-owned Mazagon Dock Limited] MDL is of great importance," retired Indian Navy Captain Shyam Kumar Singh offered.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: South Korean Plane Accidentally Drops Missiles, Torpedoes Into Sea Near Japan

A South Korean Navy P-3C Orion (Image: Wiki Commons)

A South Korean naval aircraft dropped anti-ship missiles, torpedoes and other weapons while flying over the East Sea, local media reported, citing the military.

The accident occurred as result of a crew member's mistake.

"One member of the crew accidentally pressed the emergency weapons release switch," a military spokesman said.

According to reports, the weapons fell into the water 30 kilometers off the east coast of the country.

One fishing boat was in the area, but it wasn't damaged. The incident did not cause any damage to civilians. The country's naval forces reported that the weapons were not loaded and there was no risk of explosion.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

AUS: Alliance strong above and below the water

Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Collins class Submarine

By LSIS Jayson Tufrey

Australia and the United States have had an existing framework of collaboration in the development of submarine combat systems and torpedoes for many years, as well as a long history of at-sea exercises.

The Royal Australian Navy is also an active partner with the United States Navy in submarine operations.

Program Executive Officer Submarines Rear Admiral Michael Jabaley, USN, said the Royal Australian Navy was the closest submarine operations partner of the US in the western Pacific.

“Our engagement and cooperation includes operations, exercises, cooperative deployment programs, as well as training and tactical development,” he said.

“Joint operations provide opportunities for both navies to capitalise on the unique complementary capabilities of nuclear and diesel submarines in anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and littoral operations.”

News Report: India’s Selective Nod to Blacklisted Defense Firms

India has partially reversed its policy of not doing business with defence companies suspected of unethical behavior. A banned firm can supply products if there is no available alternative to its weapon system or equipment.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India has adopted a flexible blacklisting policy that permits business with certain banned firms and their subsidiaries.

Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar said a top official will prepare a list of all firms blacklisted in the past. "That does not mean they will be taken out [removed from the blacklist]. Don't interpret… they will be examined. What is the status, how many years they have been blacklisted for and why they were blacklisted?'' Parrikar said. 

The new policy is a mixture of heavy fines and graded banning. It allows other subsidiaries to do business if one of them has been charged with violating the moral code. This problem arise when all group companies of Finmeccanica were banned after its helicopter subsidiary was implicated in a bribery scandal. As a result of this blanket banning, Indian Navy was deprived of torpedoes contracted with another Finmeccanica company. 

News Story: New Zealand Considers 2030 With $14B Defense Capability Plan

By: Nick Lee-Frampton

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Following the delayed defense white paper released last June, New Zealand’s minister of defense, Gerry Brownlee, on Nov. 16 released the Defence Capability Plan (DCP) 2016, detailing the $14.3 billion investment in capability needed out to 2030.

Five areas have been selected for capability investment, according to the DCP, including cyber protection and support, intelligence support, littoral operations, operations in the Antarctic Ocean and southern bodies of water, and air surveillance. 

Barely was the ink dry on the entire DCP, however, when a 7.8 earthquake resulted in the closure of the New Zealand Defence Force headquarters in Wellington as well as the evacuation of the government’s national cyber defense center, which is under the purview of the Communications Security Bureau. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: India for Selective Blacklisting of Foreign Defense Companies

The previous government’s comprehensive blacklisting norms are a major hindrance to India’s defense acquisition calendar.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India has decided to scrap its extant policy of blanket blacklisting of the entire defense conglomerate even if a group company or its representative was being investigated for unethical behavior.

The previous Government's blacklisting policy was stated to be a hindrance to timely imports of defense hardware and ongoing acquisition projects. The policy has also led to diplomatic disagreements with South Africa and Israel after the previous government banned their companies Denel and IAI. Under the new policy, likely to be approved soon, only the company directly accused of bribery or kickbacks will face punishment. Other companies will be free to participate in bids for defense equipment. 

News Story: US, Taiwan Move Forward on New Torpedoes

Technicians perform maintenance on a Mark 48 torpedo in
1982 (Image: Wiki Commons)

By: Wendell Minnick

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The United States is set to approve the sale of Mk-48 heavyweight torpedoes for Taiwan after many years of delay, said a Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (MND) official. 

The Advanced Capability torpedo will be outfitted on Taiwan’s two remaining combat attack submarines after they undergo a life extension program upgrade. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

Industry: Raytheon awarded US Navy MK-54 torpedo contract

Mk-54 Torpedo (Image: Wiki Commons)

TEWKSBURY, Mass., Aug. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded a $37,723,774 firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive, cost and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the procurement of MK 54 lightweight torpedo common parts kits; MK 54 Mod 0 lightweight torpedo kits; and MK 54 exercise fuel tanks, spares, production support material, engineering support, and hardware repair support.

This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $448,737,790. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy (98 percent) and the Government of Thailand (2 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program.

Work will be performed in Keyport, Washington (70 percent); Portsmouth, Rhode Island (25 percent); and Tewksbury, Massachusetts (5 percent) and is expected to be completed by May 2019. Fiscal 2016 weapons procurement (Navy), fiscal 2016 weapons procurement spares (Navy), and foreign military sales funding in the amount of $36,113,068 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-16-C-6423).

Raytheon

News Report: Arming the Rival's Enemy - Why Modi’s Visit to Vietnam Might Irk China

Modi’s visit to Vietnam will be the first bilateral visit to the country by an Indian Prime Minister since 2001.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Vietnam, the first by an Indian head of government in the last 15 years, is being seen as India's attempt to counter China's influence in South East Asia. In contrast to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit to the country in 2001, this visit will primarily focus on defense export and maritime partnership, sources said.

It is expected that India will offer a range of military equipment to Vietnam including the BrahMos missile and Varunastra anti-submarine torpedo. Vietnam had earlier expressed interest in the naval version of the BrahMos. While, India expects to open the window for the sale of the first homegrown heavyweight anti-submarine torpedo Varunastra. India had earlier announced a credit line of USD100 million during President Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Vietnam for procurement of off-shore patrol boats.

News Story: Italian Firm Sees Quality of Products Overcoming India Blacklist Threat

Tom Kington

Leonardo-Finmeccanica Head Optimistic About US T-X Trainer Bid

FARNBOROUGH, England — The CEO of Italy’s Leonardo-Finmeccanica has said the quality of his firm’s products may be enough to persuade India to drop plans to blacklist it from future tenders.

“You have to respect the Indian decision, but I think in a patient and clever way we can recreate conditions because we have important systems that India needs, and in every field I hope we can reopen a good relationship with India,” Mauro Moretti told Defense News at the Farnborough International Airshow.

In May, Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar announced Leonardo-Finmeccancia would be blacklisted in India in the wake of allegations it offered bribes to win a €560 million (US $620 million) Indian Air Force helicopter contract in 2010.

At the time, the firm played down the announcement, saying its business was “very marginal” in India, despite fears it would lose a valuable torpedo contract from the country.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Malaysia to fortify its naval forces through its procurement programmes

Missile Corvette by DSME for the RMN

The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has requested $2.9bn in funding under the 11th Malaysia Plan 2016-2020 for 36 programmes, which are anticipated to boost the capabilities of the RMN in coming years, says a report by Strategic Defence Intelligence (SDI).

Titled 'Future of the Malaysian Defense Industry - Market Attractiveness, Competitive Landscape and Forecasts to 2021', the report provides insights of the Malaysian defence strategies.

Malaysia's major acquisition programmes include the construction of eight missile corvettes, six anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters and small boats, as well as the replacement of outdated missiles and torpedoes.

Read the full story at Naval Technology

News Story: India Explores Alternative to Italian Weaponry in Germany

Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — After virtually freezing all defense business with Italy, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has begun exploring alternatives to meet its dire weaponry requirements.

In an unexpected move, MoD has dispatched Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar to Germany to actively participate in the 10th annual India-German Higher Defense Committee Meeting, according to an MoD source. The event began June 13 and concludes Wednesday.

“We are exploring averting — from torpedoes, network-centric capabilities, naval gun solutions to submarines — with Germany," the source said. "We will only know the outcome when Kumar returns later this week."

The source said India could either buy weaponry from Germany through a government-to-government deal or via a single-vendor  source.

MoD spokesman Nitin Wakankar confirmed to Defense News earlier this month that the ministry had decided to cancel a more than $200 million deal with WASS, a subsidiary of Leonardo-Finmeccanica of Italy, for the purchase of 98 Black Shark torpedoes for Scorpene submarines. The cancellation process is still taking place.

Read the full story at DefenseNews