European Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

And Finally across The sea. Hk is in trouble again

U.S. firm Orbital sues Heckler & Koch over XM25 weapon
REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski
German gunmaker Heckler & Koch (MLHK.PA) said U.S. aerospace and defense company Orbital ATK Inc (OA.N) had filed a suit in the United States seeking damages in excess of $27 million.

In the complaint, filed at the U.S. District court in the district of Minnesota, Orbital said it was seeking damages for breach of contract over the XM25 semi-automatic weapon system which Orbital and Heckler & Koch started developing more than 20 years ago.

"Heckler & Koch GmbH rejects all claims, based on the information we have so far," the company said in a statement on Thursday.

"Heckler & Koch GmbH did not receive the complaint formally from the U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota so far," the gunmaker also said in its brief statement.

A spokesman for Heckler & Koch declined to comment on the details of the claims.

Orbital said in the filing, seen by Reuters, that Heckler & Koch had failed to deliver twenty additional prototypes of the XM25 weapon systems, as contracted, and that its failure to do so meant the U.S. Army had raised the possibility of terminating its contract with Orbital.

"Even if the Prime Contract is not terminated, Orbital ATK has incurred and will incur additional costs as a direct result of the substantial delay caused by Heckler & Koch's non-performance and the need to re-procure the twenty weapons from an alternate manufacturer," it stated in the filing.

Orbital is also asking in the filing that Heckler & Koch transfer certain intellectual property to enable another contractor to carry out the work.

The filing said Heckler & Koch had queried whether the weapons, which target enemies protected by walls or hidden in hard-to-reach places, would violate international laws of war.

The filing also said that after receiving legal opinions, Heckler & Koch had said it would only supply the weapons if the U.S. government provided a special certification, which the government refused to do. Informal mediation failed, and Heckler & Koch refused to engage in formal mediation, the filing stated.

(Reporting by Victoria Bryan in Berlin and Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle and Jane Merriman)

Click to expand...

For German take

Spain

Italy, PPA Frigates

today Russians said

Germans would buy the NSM AShMs from Norway for more than one bil ... I used google, found probably related article:
After submarines, Norway and Germany team up on missile production

Apart from the previously announced collaboration on submarine acquisition, Germany and Norway will also be joining forces on naval missiles.

After the Norwegian ministry of defense announced the choice of German TKMS as the preferred builder for its navy’s four new submarines less than two weeks ago, Norway’s German counterpart announced on Monday that it intends to join forces with Norway for the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) development and acquisition.

Germany currently has the Harpoon missile in service which is expected to be decommissioned in the coming decade.

The Kongsberg-developed NSM missile would be further developed and fielded on a number of German navy vessels, according to the announcement. This agreement also enables a close cooperation on joint maintenance and logistics between the German and the Norwegian navy.

According to the missile developer, NSM is the world’s only fifth generation long-range precision missile based on a passive sensor technology and low radar signature. NSM is today in operation in the Norwegian and the Polish Navy, and was recently chosen by Malaysia.

Norway’s defense company Kongsberg said that it would work with approximately 100 small and large suppliers across Norway on the new submarines. The company also said the submarines’ combat management system will be delivered by Norwegian industry.

Click to expand...

source:

FORBIN said:

Italy, PPA Frigates
View attachment 36342 View attachment 36343

Click to expand...

Fincantieri Cuts Steel of First Italian Navy PPA Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ship

The steel cutting ceremony of the Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ship (PPA) took place today at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Muggiano (La Spezia), officially marking the beginning of construction works on the first unit. The ceremony was attended among others by the Undersecretary of State for Defence, Domenico Rossi, by the Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy, Admiral Valter Girardelli, by the General Manager of Fincantieri, Alberto Maestrini, and by the Senior Vice President Naval Vessels Business Unit & Italy Business Unit of Fincantieri, Angelo Fusco.
...

Yeaah

Germany to Buy Six MKS Multi-Role Warships – Ministry

BERLIN, Feb 13 (Reuters) – German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen has decided to buy six MKS-180 multi-role warships instead of putting off a decision on two of those ships until 2030, her spokesman said on Monday.

The ministry decided last October to delay a tender for four warships, which was valued at 4 billion euros ($4.24 billion), to ensure that quality standards were met. A decision on two extra warships had initially been planned in 2030.

“The need is there. Now the minister has decided to buy all six of the required MKS-180 ships,” the spokesman said, without providing a new cost estimate for the programme.

The new ships, to be delivered from 2023, will be used for attacking targets on land and underwater, as well as providing aerial protection to other vessels.

The three teams bidding to build the new warships are the Bremen-based shipyard Luerssen and Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems , Blohm + Voss and the Dutch group Damen shipyards, and German Naval Yards paired with Britain’s BAE Systems, according to security sources.

Von der Leyen’s decision comes against the backdrop of increased pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump for Germany and other NATO countries to spend more on their own defences.

Germany is boosting military spending by nearly 2 billion euros in 2017 to 37 billion euros, or 1.22 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), but said it would take time to reach the NATO target of spending 2 percent of GDP on defence.

The German government, together with France, has been pushing for greater European defence and security cooperation, especially after Britain’s vote to leave the European Union.

Berlin has also deepened its bilateral military ties with the Netherlands and Norway with recent agreements.

On Monday, Norway announced that Germany would buy naval strike missiles from its Kongsberg Gruppen for more than 10 billion crowns ($1.20 billion).

The German defence ministry said the two countries would work together on developing the Norwegian firm’s missile.

The MKS-180 ships are to be the first to be outfitted with the new missiles, and they will become standard equipment on German and Norwegian frigates in the longer term.

The German minister’s decision to buy all six ships will not affect the current procurement process, with the two additional ships to be purchased under a separate lot, the spokesman said.

LOL if Göring had been still in charge of Lutfwaffe, he would've court-martialed somebody now, as Germany says only one of 8 A400M transports ready for use

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Saab unveils the new Gripen E

Miragedriver said:

Saab unveils the new Gripen E
...

Click to expand...

... and may forget about:


Amigo in case you didn't know, Brazilians will scrap the Foch (the Sao Paulo):
Brazilian Navy abandons aircraft carrier refit plans and decides to scrap vessel

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Jura said:

... and may forget about:

Amigo in case you didn't know, Brazilians will scrap the Foch (the Sao Paulo):
Brazilian Navy abandons aircraft carrier refit plans and decides to scrap vessel

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Click to expand...

You beat me Jura. I was about to post that! Good job!!!!!
What a waste of money buying that Carrier. It did not last long.