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We launch UK partnership to bid for Challenger® 2 Life Extension Project
3 June 2016

Today we announced a major strategic partnership with other world-leading defence companies to bid for the UK Ministry of Defence Challenger 2 Life Extension Project.
As announced in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, Challenger 2 will form a key part of the British Army’s capability through to 2035. In order to achieve this, several key systems will need to be replaced.

With BAE Systems, ‘Team Challenger 2’ is made up of seven key players in the defence industry: General Dynamics Land Systems-UK; General Dynamics Mission Systems-International; Leonardo-Finmeccanica (formerly Selex ES Ltd); Moog, QinetiQ and Safran Electronics (formerly Sagem).

BAE Systems designed and built the original Challenger 2 with a mission to give the British Army the best tank in the world. Since Challenger 2 came into service in 1998, BAE Systems has continued to support the vehicle to ensure it always remains at optimal readiness. It has also delivered many Urgent Operational Requirements and upgrades in that time to respond to emerging threats and changing battle scenarios.

Jennifer Osbaldestin, Managing Director of BAE Systems Land (UK), said “We have taken an innovative approach in teaming for this bid to enable the best and most experienced partners to develop and deliver a winning solution. This approach gives us access to capabilities and facilities that will sustain Challenger 2 through life and offer a value for money solution for British taxpayers.

“BAE Systems designed and built Challenger 2, we are now excited about the opportunity to use our expertise with the rest of Team Challenger 2 to update and integrate new technology to further extend the capability for the British Army.”

The work to convert the tanks to the new Challenger 2 Mark 2 standard would be carried out at General Dynamics’ factory in South Wales, where the British Army’s new AJAX vehicle will start production in 2017.

General Dynamics Land Systems-UK is currently designing and manufacturing the new AJAX vehicle for the British Army, the largest vehicle production programme in the UK. General Dynamics Mission Systems-International supplied systems for the original Challenger 2 and is a major provider to the US Army.

As a key strategic partner on the bid team, Vice President of General Dynamics Land Systems-UK, Kevin Connell, added: “This is a great opportunity to leverage the capabilities of AJAX. We would deliver the Challenger 2 Mark 2 vehicles from our new manufacturing facility in Merthyr Tydfil, helping to sustain and create new jobs at the site. With the skills we have developed designing and producing AJAX, we are well positioned to be part of Team Challenger 2.”

David Ibbetson, Vice President, General Dynamics Mission Systems-International added: “As a supplier to the original Challenger 2 tank, I am delighted that General Dynamics Mission Systems is a member of Team Challenger 2. With our skills and expertise, we can offer the UK MOD value for money, whilst providing the most technologically advanced and proven systems available.”

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1. Thermal Imaging System This provides day and night surveillance and target engagement. We now have the opportunity to provide an up-to-date system which will deliver improved, 24-hour performance.
2. Commander’s Primary Sight The current sight gives the Commander 360 degree independent surveillance, electronically ‘handing over’ targets to the gunner and looking for new targets. The new system will include thermal imaging and give the Commander a full 24-hour, day and night hunter/killer capability, delivering greater situational awareness and flexibility.
3. Gun Control Equipment This sub-system moves the turret and the gun under direction from the fire control system, ensuring timely and accurate fire. We will future proof the sub-system with up-to-date technology.
4. Electronic Architecture This connects the vehicle’s sub-systems. Once upgraded, it will allow a new Commander’s crew station to be installed and give the vehicle an expandable architecture hosting new interfaces, reconfigurable displays and controls.
5. Fire Control System This acts as the brain of the weapon system, orchestrating the sighting, gun control and sensor sub-systems to provide accurate and dynamic weapon aiming. We will modernise and future proof this system. Further Capability Improvements There is an opportunity for further capability enhancements to Challenger 2. We will follow a systems engineering and User Centred Design approach to offer the Ministry of Defence options for their consideration.

Typhoon weapons testing on target for UK

The UK’s Project Centurion activity is on track to deliver a seamless transition between the UK Royal Air Force’s Panavia Tornado GR4 strike aircraft and the multi-role Eurofighter Typhoon later this decade, according to BAE Systems.

“We’re on course,” Andy Flynn, BAE’s delivery director for the Centurion and Typhoon projects, said at the company’s Warton final assembly site in Lancashire on 9 June.


By the end of 2018, the current strike potential of the Tornado must have been fully moved to the Typhoon – including its use of the MBDA Storm Shadow cruise missile (above). In its P2E guise the Typhoon will be able to deploy the weapon, plus the same supplier’s Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.

Further flight-testing of both weapons is currently underway, with a final release of the Storm Shadow from the platform due to be conducted in mid-June. To be made over a test range in the Hebrides while operating from Stornoway, this will be “an end-to-end test, with data passed to the weapon and the missile fired up”, Flynn says. Previous tests have involved un-powered releases from the Eurofighter.

The Royal Air Force will conduct additional testing from Warton, before work shifts to its Coningsby base in Lincolnshire early next year. Entry into service is scheduled later in 2017 or during 2018, according to BAE, will full capability to follow.

A final phase of test work with the Meteor is also scheduled for July, with this to include the last two development clearance firings with the missile.

Meanwhile, early work on a P3E weapons enhancement for the UK is already being conducted, with this involving MBDA’s developmental Brimstone 2 air-to-surface missile (image above shows six being carried).

“Brimstone 2 will be flying this summer,” says Flynn. The activity will involve instrumented production aircraft IPA6 and single-seat Typhoon BS117.

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- 4 in use for testing ; 14 on order, with 42 ( 24 FOC fighters and 18 training aircraft ) to be fast-tracked by 2023 ; 138 F-35s total planned

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  ( operation and evaluation ) It was reformed in April 2013 as the Operational Evaluation Unit for the F-35 Lightning II to Edwards, USA

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  As of 2016 it is in the process of forming ahead of standing up in January 2018 as the first British frontline squadron with the
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  .

Unspecified squadron

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, It will stand up in April 2023 as the UK's second operational F-35B squadron after 617 Squadron RAF

Unspecified squadron

An operational conversion unit

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Thursday, 16 June 2016 14:58



Eurosatory 2016
Defence & Security International Exhibition
Official News online with Editorial and Web TV
Paris, France
13 - 17 June 2016

at Eurosatory 2016




Eurosatory 2016: Javelin scores high in the latest UK Ground Vehicle Tests
The Javelin Joint Venture team, a partnership of Raytheon Company and Lockheed Martin, successfully demonstrated Javelin’s ability to engage targets beyond its current 2.5 km range requirement as announced on 15 June at Eurosatory. That was achieved during a series of ground vehicle launch tests at the UK Army’s Salisbury Plain Training Area in Wiltshire, England.

The five UK Army-sponsored tests were conducted with the Javelin missiles mounted on a Spartan armoured fighting vehicle and fired via the Kongsberg M151 Remote Weapon Station. Each missile flew between 1.2 and 4.3 km, hitting the stationary ground target in each tests.

John Halvey, Raytheon’s Javelin Joint Venture President, said “Javelin’s effectiveness in this demonstration enables mounted infantry to confidently engage targets at ranges that surpass other weapons in this class. This range, coupled with vehicle integration, enhances overmatch for mounted infantry units.”

The live-fire tests confirm Javelin’s greater than 94% reliability and demonstrate Javelin’s capability to engage targets from increased stand-off distances on various platforms.

Richard Benton, VP of Javelin Joint Venture and Javelin Programme Director at LM Missiles and Fire Control, said: “These successful ground tests validate Javelin’s long-range engagement capability. These tests also reinforce Javelin’s maturity and readiness for deployment from vehicles and other platforms.”

These tests verified for the customer the 4.3 km range capabilities of the missile. Albeit know, it had not been previously tested by a customer. Army Recognition has learned that the tests were conducted in less than ideal weather conditions, which included rain. That proves the system’s capability to fire at long ranges despite the reduced visibility and the effects that weather can have on sensors.

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Royal Navy submarine docks in Gibraltar in Brexit aftermath

Royal Navy’s nuclear-powered submarine HMS Ambush docked in Gibraltar on June 25 arriving shortly after a Spanish official announced the possibility of a joint sovereignty over ‘The Rock’.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said during an interview that Brexit opened greater possibilities for Spanish control of the British overseas territory.
Gibraltar voted 95.9 per cent in favor of staying in the EU and UK’s Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said that protecting Gibraltar’s interests would be much harder now that the UK was outside the EU, Daily Mail reported.
While navy officials said that the nuclear-powered submarine’s visit to ‘The Rock’ was part of scheduled operational tasking, the timing of her arrival, shortly after the Spanish official’s interview, is a striking coincidence.
HMS Ambush, the second Royal Navy vessel to bear the name, is a first of class attack submarine commissioned in August 2010. The submarine is armed with Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk missiles.

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Jura said:

all I can say is God Save The Queen:
...

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While the construction start of the Royal Navy’s Type 26 frigate was set for 2016, the Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems still do not have a set price and date for the frigates.

British media recently reported about leaked emails showing that BAE offered a £275 million reduction in price along with a promise to start work on time. The Ministry of Defence reportedly rejected this proposal looking for savings of £500m in the £11.5 billion Type 26 program.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Fallon said the ships were likely to cost between half a billion and one billion pounds each and that he was not going to sign a contract for these ships until he is certain that they represent good value for the navy and good value for the taxpayer.

Fallon declined to give a direct comment on reports of BAE – MOD correspondence saying: “As I’ve already said in answer to other questions on the Type 26 program, we will enter into a contract once we have established best value for the taxpayer and a delivery schedule that can be met by the contractor.”

The UK Government committed to buy eight of the advanced anti-submarine warfare ships in its Strategic Defence and Security Review. The program is set to replace the thirteen older Type 23 frigates of the Royal Navy.

In March 2010 BAE Systems was awarded a four-year contract to develop the Type 26 Global Combat Ship. The first Type 26 ship is expected to be delivered in 2022 and the Royal Navy expects the ships to remain in service beyond 2050s.

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