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Remplaçant du FAMAS : H & K et FN Herstal au coude à coude

Ce serait H & K et FN Herstal !

D’après les quelques sons de cloches qui se répandent sur les ondes, le fusil d'assaut allemand H&K416 et le belge FN Scar seraient les deux derniers prétendants au contrat juteux de remplacement du FAMAS. Les dossiers (chaque constructeur doit rendre quelques milliers de pages sur le fusil présenté) se finalisent et la décision finale, attendue par les armées et les soldats, ne devrait plus être qu'une question de mois. La DGA (Délégation générale de l'armement) devrait rendre officielle sa décision aux alentours de novembre 2016, début 2017.

Un petit rappel des faits et des prétendants.

Cinq firmes concernées : Heckler & Koch (Allemagne), FN Herstal (Belgique), Beretta (Italie), Swiss Arms (Suisse) et HS Produkt (Croatie), pour la production de 101 000 fusils d'assaut individuels futurs (AIF).

Critères de l'offre d'appel : Le futur AIF, au standard 5,56 OTAN, doit pouvoir être doté de grenades à fusil, de grenades fumigènes et de grenades d'exercice. 45 000 AIF seront standards et 45 000 AIF doivent être en version courte. Adaptation obligatoire de l'arme modèle standard au système FELIN

Les deux éventuels candidats en tête des dernières rumeurs :

Le H&K416 est le plus connu des unités françaises, puisqu'il est actuellement utilisé massivement par les FS du COS (BFST, Commandos-marine et CPA 10), par le GIGN ainsi que par les commandos de l'Air conventionnels (CPA 20 et CPA 30). Il est également employé par les armées norvégienne et hollandaise. Pour le contrat, il a l'avantage d'être conçu à base d'acier français, et d'être connu de ses utilisateurs et acheteurs. Bénéfices faits d'appréhender par l'expérience, les avantages et défauts d'une arme massivement utilisée en Afghanistan, en Libye et dans la BSS. Le Retex est gage de prévention et de modernisation.

Le SCAR de chez FN Herstal a été créé pour les besoins du United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Il peut être dérivé en deux chambrés : 5,56mm OTAN ou 7,62 x 51 mm OTAN. Si l'USSOCOM, les Navy Seals, l'USMC et le SWAT sont équipés en SCAR, l'arme a également été aperçue au sein du GSG-9 (unité d'intervention de police allemande chargée des prises d'otages), auprès des unités d'élite belges (nageur de combat, PAB Liège), des unités spéciales et conventionnelles françaises (les GCP de la 11 BP, les unités du COS) ainsi que de l'Italie et de la Pologne.

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Replacing the FAMAS: H & K and FN Herstal race neck and neck

will it be H & K or FN Herstal?



From the few sounds of bells that spread over the airwaves, the German assault rifle H & K416 and the Belgian FN Scar would be the final two contenders lucrative contract to replace the FAMAS. Folders (each manufacturer must make a few thousand pages presented on the rifle) are being finalized and the final decision, expected by the armies and soldiers, should no longer be a matter of months. DGA (General Delegation of Armament) should make official its decision around November 2016, beginning of 2017.

A reminder of the facts and pretenders.

Five firms concerned: Heckler & Koch (Germany), FN Herstal (Belgium), Beretta (Italy), Swiss Arms (Switzerland) and HS Produkt (Croatia), for the production of 101,000 individual future assault rifles (AIF).

Criteria call for tenders: The future IAF, the NATO standard 5.56, must be equipped with rifle grenades, smoke grenades and training grenades. 45000 AIF will be standard and 45,000 AIF should be short version. mandatory adaptation of the weapon to the standard model FELIN system

Both prospective candidates topped the latest rumors:

The H & K416 is the best known French units, since it is currently heavily used by FS COS (BFST, Commandos diving and CPA 10), the GIGN and by the commandos of the conventional Air (CPA 20 CPA 30). It is also used by the Norwegian and Dutch armies. In the contract, it has the advantage of being designed based French steel, and be known to its users and buyers. Profits made to understand by experience, the advantages and shortcomings of a weapon used extensively in Afghanistan, Libya and the BSS. Retex is the pledge of prevention and modernization.

SCAR FN Herstal home was created for the needs of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM). It can be derived in two chambered: 5.56mm NATO or 7.62 x 51 mm NATO. If USSOCOM, the Navy Seals, the USMC and SWAT are equipped SCAR weapon was also seen in the GSG-9 (German Police Intervention Unit hostage taking), with Belgian elite units (combat swimmer PAB Liège), special units and French conventional (GCP of 11 BP units COS) as well as Italy and Poland.

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The French defense procurement agency DGA has decided to give Dassault Aviation the responsibility of renovating 55 Mirage 2000D aircraft in service with the French Air Force. This decision reflects the trust DGA places in the know-how of Dassault Aviation and its industrial partners in upgrading aircraft.

The modifications as part as the mid-life upgrade include update of the radar and avionics, the replacement of the ageing MBDA R550 Magic 2 short-range air-to-air missile with the newer MBDA MICA IR and the qualification of a gun pod (Mirage 2000Ds are not fitted with guns).

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Dassault details Rafale deliveries

Dassault delivered seven Rafale fighters during the first half of 2016, with its production backlog for the type now standing at 76 aircraft.

Detailing its business performance in a first-half results statement on 21 July, the French manufacturer says it secured new defence orders worth €600 million ($662 million). Of this, €454 million came from the French military, “primarily due to the contract for the Mirage 2000D upgrade”. The company is to modernise 55 of the French air force’s strike aircraft, in a deal which will extend the ground-attack type’s service life beyond 2030. International business accounted for the remaining €146 million.
Dassault delivered seven Rafale fighters during the first half of 2016, with its production backlog for the type now standing at 76 aircraft.

Detailing its business performance in a first-half results statement on 21 July, the French manufacturer says it secured new defence orders worth €600 million ($662 million). Of this, €454 million came from the French military, “primarily due to the contract for the Mirage 2000D upgrade”. The company is to modernise 55 of the French air force’s strike aircraft, in a deal which will extend the ground-attack type’s service life beyond 2030. International business accounted for the remaining €146 million.

Deliveries made during the first two quarters included four Rafales for the French military, and a trio of two-seat trainers for the Egyptian air force, which has now received six aircraft from a 24-unit deal signed last year. The company also provided “assistance for the client [Egypt], with support for its aircraft and the delivery of support and training tools”.

A sixth Rafale M to have been upgraded from an initial F1 standard with the latest F3 operating software was also handed over to the French navy, Dassault says.

France has now received 146 of its 180 contracted Rafales, leaving a backlog of 34 aircraft, while export orders for Egypt and Qatar cover a further 42 units. Dassault says negotiations are continuing with the Indian authorities linked to a proposed 36-aircraft order for the nation’s air force, and the manufacturer says it is also continuing “promotional and prospecting activities in other countries”.

The company delivered eight Rafales in 2015 – fewer than its usual 11 – with the completion of several aircraft diverted from its French customer to meet the urgent requirements of Egypt, which received an initial three of the type last year and a second batch early this year.

Development of the Rafale is also continuing, with a third guided firing of an MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile taking place during the first half of this year. The weapon is being added as part of an F3R software update for the multirole fighter.

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The first French A330 MRTT is about to receive its supply of equipment theft

On 15 December 2015, Airbus Defence & Space announced in a press release that the Directorate General of Armaments had passed a first firm order for eight A330 MRTT tanker "Phoenix" in favor of the French Air Force .

At the time, the official press release stated that "these devices are the second tranche of multi-year contract for twelve A330 MRTT signed by the French Ministry of Defence in November 2014, bringing the total firm order for new devices."

Also according to the information announced by Airbus DS, and order the last three "Phoenix" should be spent in the course of 2018, and the delivery of the entire fleet is spread out until 2025.

But since the contract was signed in December 2015, things have evolved positively, regarding the production of the first A330 MRTT French.

Indeed, June 16, 2016, the first "Phoenix" made its first flight from Toulouse-Blagnac airport in the south of France, where the assembly lines of the A330 civilian airliners located and belonging to Airbus Group.

Registered EC-330, this unit, even without its gray livery, conducted several test flights from the airport to the Pink City, around ten, to test and evaluate the conduct ground and flight the aircraft during maneuvers classic.

Following this series of test flights, the A330 was delivered July 22, 2016 in Spain, and specifically on the air base of Getafe, the Ejército del Aire, so that the various military equipment to be installed on the device, in the Airbus Military Conversion Center.

For the A330 becomes truly an A330 MRTT, the workers of Airbus Group, which has an assembly line on this basis will have to install, internally, all military electronic equipment, particularly in regarding the avionics, trip computer, internal equipment on the fuselage, the specifics (if there are any) requested by France, communication systems, the checkpoint used by the boomer (finite time when the Bommer was lying in the back of the tanker), etc ...

In terms of the most visible, so externally, facilities will primarily focus on the implementation of aerial refueling pods located under the wings of their pipes and baskets, the central pole, etc ...

As a result, after several months of installing all these military systems, the unit will perform again for test flights in order to observe and validate good behavior during flights, because just received new equipment that alter its aerodynamics.

To recall, the first A330 MRTT should integrate French Air Force in 2018, the second unit in 2019, and the rest of the "Phoenix" ordered should be received in subsequent years, with a rate of one to two aircraft per year.

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