On 17 June, the Canadian federal government announced an investment of $300,000 to support development of a range for training and field testing of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in Foremost, Alberta.

Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains, announcing the investment, said it would be used to support fitting out costs for the range. The government of Alberta will also invest $100,000 in the undertaking, which will be used for business development and range management.

The Foremost Centre for Unmanned Systems, based at the village’s airfield, will benefit from ideal visual flight rules for 90% of the year and a sparse population, according to the Canadian Centre for Unmanned Vehicle Systems (CCUVS).  Some 700 square nautical miles of airspace will be designated up to 18,000 feet for UAS operations, thus allowing Canadian manufacturers, developers and users to test and evaluate UAS of almost every size and description in safety.

The Foremost centre will provide facilities for both military and civil UAS development and testing. Global spending on UAS is expected to triple, to $14 billion, by 2023 and a May report by
PricewaterhouseCoopers values the global market for business services using drones at over US$127 million.

The Canadian Army photo shows troops demonstrating UAS deployment during Exercise Rafale Blanche at CFB Valcartier in January 2015.

In 2010 the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) established eight nuclear, chemical and biological (NBC) emergency teams to act as the focal point for NBC readiness and emergency intervention. Since then little has been heard of them outside China – which makes the recent announcement of a unique military exercise even more interesting.

In recent weeks, a simulation exercise has been conducted by the PLA’s maritime NBC team, centred on an unnamed port in the northeastern province of Liaoning. The several scenarios comprising the exercise included chemical attacks on the port as well as exercising the team in the requirements of a systems denied environment following the electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear detonation. Comments appearing in Chinese press outlets indicate the exercise was used primarily for planning purposes by PLA senior staff.

China’s coastline extends for 14,500km, stretching from the Gulf of Bohai in the north to the Gulf of Tonkin in the south. Of the nation’s 2,000 ports, several rank among the world’s largest container facilities and China has expanded its container capacity to become the world’s leading provider. Over 130 of the ports are open to foreign vessels and the PLA has long considered port security one of its primary defence concerns.

At the Indian Air Force Academy at Dundigal, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar formally commissioned the nation’s first three female fighter pilots. Flying Officers Avani Chaturvedi, Bhavana Kanth and Mohana Singh – all in their early twenties and each with about 150 flying hours to their credit – will now move on training on the BAE Systems Hawk advanced jet trainer at Bidar in Karnataka before being assigned to active service squadrons. The three were among 22 female cadets commissioned in the passing out ceremony.

Although a historic move, the Indian Air Force already has 94 pilots in its rotary wing and transport fleets. The three young officers now breaking new ground will be the subject of intense scrutiny as the service examines the progress of women in combat roles on an “experimental basis” for the next five years. Neither the Army nor the Navy have any current plans to induct women into combat units or warships, although President Pranab Mukherjee announced in February that all combat roles will be opened to women in the future.

Parrikar, a strong supporter of gender parity, hailed the event as a milestone and, while admitting there would be administrative obstacles to be overcome, stressed that women would come to play a significant role in the Indian armed forces over time.

Speaking in Germany on 19 June, US Secretary of the US Navy (USN) Ray Mabus warned that unless the US government approves sales to allies, the cost of new Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets for the USN could rise.

Mabus admits to being frustrated by delays in approval of foreign sales and fears the USN may face a cost penalty as a result. The White House has been delaying approval of an estimated $3 billion sale of 28 aircraft to Kuwait for almost a year.

Boeing has stated it needs to be producing two aircraft for month to ensure economical production and current expectations are that Congress will approve only 16 F/A-18s for the USN Fiscal Year 2017 request. Lack of approval of the Kuwaiti order will leave a gap that may increase unit costs for the USN. The Navy is expected to request a larger number for Fiscal 2018, which may persuade Boeing to maintain current price levels, though this is currently far from certain. The company is understood to be spending “hundreds of millions of dollars” in procuring long lead time materials such as titanium to cater for expected orders.

Welcoming Mabus’ remarks, a Boeing spokesperson said the company “agrees that a Kuwaiti order is an important element in continuing a production rate of two per month to keep prices optimal.”

An air-to-air Refuelling (AAR) refuelling kit for the C-295 was extensively tested by Airbus Defence & Space (DS) with dry contact scheduled in July and helictopter AAR with an H-225M by November 2016.

A video shown during Airbus DS Head of Engineering Miquel Angel Morell’s presentation during TMB16 depicted no proximity nor stability issues issues between the helicopter and the tanker aircraft. The next step according to Morell will be industrialisation.

On A400M helicopter AAR, currently a large topic with many air forces, is currently in R&D, the main problem being proximity between the two aircraft, and the air flow behind the A400M.  The A400M AAR R&D programme consists of two phases Advances Simulation &Training and Wind Tunnel Tests. has been launched with the main goal was simulation and wind tunnel tests.

The next step is to physically refuel a helictoper by the end of this year. According to the head of engineering, “following successfull completion of the R&D programme, a Flight Test Prgroamme will follow to fully validate the results of previous phases. The target is to proceed with proximity testing before end of 2016.”

Airbus Defence & Space (DS) invited journalists from around the world to its annual Trade Media Briefing 2016 (TMB16), informing about their current and upcoming technology solutions. Dirk Hoke, CEO Airbus DS, informed the TMB16 audience: “We have to become more agile, more faster, increasing the speed of our business, learning to integrate start-up ideas. We are looking at how via technology we can grow our business again. We have to look at our traditional business, military aircraft, to increase the speed of our business. We expect to grow faster than the market."

Jean Pierre Talamoni, Head of Sales & Marketing, Airbus DS, in a presentation during Airbus DS’ TMB16, stated that, “our DNA is CSI (Customers, Services, and Innovation).” Customers as in, “if we have them we will keep them,” Services as in Intemacy with customers, and Innovation as in following the speed of technology.

Giving an outlook of military aircraft in the defence procurement market, Talamoni explained that, “up until 2020 we have a huge part coming from the US, but no growth.” A large part is coming coming from the ASPAC (6%), Europe, without France, Germany, the UK, and Spain (2%), who make up their own market growth-share (1%), and the Middle East (3%) and Latin America (2%). In Airbus DS’ view of the defence market, 25% of procurement budgets are dedicated to aircraft and 21% to space systems, C4I, missiles, and UAVs, in the timeframe 2016-25.

2/3 of these opportunities are in Asia and the Middle East, according to the industry expert, seeing the competition globally. In the next 10 years, military opportunities include approx. 150 heavy transport aircraft, 85 tanker aircraft, 750 combat aiircraft, and 350 mission aircraft. “The more competition we will get, the more we will have to fight for new markets,” he said, stating Russia, Japan, and Embraer as up-and-coming competition. Also, with an already existing surplus of C-130s, he boasted, “the A400M will kill the C-130,” creating a larger surplus of C-130s in the future, thereby creating more competition.

Concerning India and its “Make in India” mantra, Talamoni wants fair participation: “We cannot go faster than the music. What is missing in India is to show that this vision is not only marketing, but a line for the next 40 years.”

“We have an aircraft that is perfectly suited for today’s crises, able to land everywhere,” Talamoni told the press, talking about the A400M. The aircraft is currently in operational use with French Forces in Burkina Faso/Chad/Mali/Mauritania/Niger in Operation Barkhane; the RAF in Operation Shader, supporting TORNADO and Eurofighter TYPHOON over Iraq and Syria; in Operation Chammal, supporting French MIRAGE 2000s over Iraq and Syria; supporting German TORNADOs and Turkish fighters since 2015; and more.

The A330MRTT is in operations with Australia, France, Korea (ROK), Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the UAE and the UK. 2015 saw a repeat order of +2a/C by Australia, a 2nd tranche of +8 a/c by France, and the new order of four aircraft by the ROK.  According to Talamoni, Airbus MRTT has captured 85% of the global tanker market, excluding the US market, with many more to come, including India. “Soon we will launch good news about Poland, Luxemburg, and the Netherlands,” he said. 27 MRTTs have so far been sold to different customers. Continuing with the C295, Talamoni informed that 168 aircraft have so far been sold to 23 countries with 11 repeat orders.

According to the head of sales and marketing, the C295 Medium Transport Aircraft is one of the most versatile aircraft on the market. In terms of future R&D, he stated that helicopter refuelling; AGS, AEW, SIGINT; and Water Bombing will be in service soon. Also, a big competition is coming up in Canada.

Canada is very important to Airbus, not just as a sale of an MPA, but in service support of the fleet for a very long time. “We are confident that we will wind, as the C295 is the only proven aircraft that has proven complete mission systems on board for Canada’s SAR requirement,” Fernando Ciria Head of Marketing, Tactical Airlifters, and ISR, explained. The C295 MPA has the capacity to detect and track small targets and the capacity to drop large rescue packages, while having great endurance. This includes to human movement and drug trafficking. In terms of a border surveillance capacity, the C295 provides high resolution SAR/GMTI radar, EO/IR and target designation turret, ESM/ELINT, COMINT, wide band video link, and the FITS tactical system.

The air-to-air Refuelling (AAR) refuelling kit for the C-295 was extensively tested by Airbus DS with dry contact scheduled in July and helictopter AAR with an H-225M by November 2016. A video shown during Airbus DS Head of Engineering Miquel Angel Morell’s presentation during TMB16 depicted no proximity nor stability issues issues between the helicopter and the tanker aircraft. The next step according to Morell will be industrialisation.

On A400M helicopter AAR, currently a large topic with many air forces, is currently in R&D, the main problem being proximity between the two aircraft. The A400M AAR R&D programme consists of two phases Advances Simulation &Training and Wind Tunnel Tests. has been launched with the main goal was simulation and wind tunnel tests. The next step is to physically refuel a helictoper by the end of this year. According to the head of engineering, “following successfull completion of the R&D programme, a Flight Test Prgroamme will follow to fully validate the results of previous phases. The target is to proceed with proximity testing before end of 2016.”

Why not use the tanker for more things, was a question asked by Miquel Angel Morell, Head of Engineering. “It can be used as a tanker, and other applictation, why not LINK16 extension,” he asked. “You can transmit all the excisting datalink information to a ground control station immediatly via SATCOM, acting as LINK16 data relay to make local LINK16 information accessible to the C3I network.”

There are two main options to implement Joint Range Extension (JRE) capability to the MRTT:Tx/Rx of Link16 messages through an IP SATCOM (JREAP-C), e.g. Inmarsat4/Skynet; or Tx/Rx of Link16 messages through UHF DAMA radio (JRAP-A). Interested customers include Australia and France, with the latter also involved in the next step: Integration in one MRTT fitted with wideband SATCOM.

The C295 has been the workhorse for Airbus DS. It has been flying for 25 years and is still flying. Botwana have just renewed their fleet, on-going deliveries include 24 to Egypt (with 21 delivered, having repeatedly ordered the aircraft in five batches; with deliveres to be finished this year), and one to Mali (to be delivered this year).

A strong focus on Africa is due to the very old fleets on the continent with the C295 being the perfect tactical airlifter, according to the Head of Marketing, Tactical Airlifters, and ISR. “The African environment is very hard to operate in, but the new C295W with winglets and an enhanced performance engine mode provides larger payload from hot and high airfields (7.85t at 50nm) and longer range and fuel savings. Egypt created a new fleet model, the Medium Size Airlifter, for conducting missions, previously allocated to the C-130H," according to Ciria.

The C295 is a proven solution for maritime patrol, bringing high manoeuverability and excellent low-level flying qualities. It provides a proven mission system with a renewed Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS) and advanced sensors for target aquisition and classification.

Africa requires CSAR operations with the refuelling capacity for helos (C295 AAR with a roll-on roll-off system). The C295 has the capacity to detect and track small targets (human movement, drug trafficking) and the capacity to drop large rescue packages, while having great endurance. The aircraft’s Border Surveillance capacity include High resolution SAR/GMTI radar, EO/IR and target designation turret, ESM/ELINT, COMINT, wide band video link, and FITS.

According to Ciria, Gunship work still being customised with a customer, and New Zealand has just opened discussions (future airlifter + future MPA), where Airbus DS can create important .

Talamoni informed that, “despite the capability of the Eurofighter TYPHOON, today we are facing serious competition in Europe with the F-35. EUROFIGHTER is the plane that should protect Europe in the future. We will lose engineering capabilities here, with technology going as fast as it does.” With Oman deliveries starting 2017; Kuwait ordering 28 aircraft, other countries targeted include Belgium, Finnland, Poland (even though they are overburdend within too many things: Air defence, helicopters, F-16 replacement, according to Talamoni), and “nordic nations will have to replace their fleets...it is time we are engaging this game on a European level.”

“We have to play our chances in the ASPAC with a maximum of strength. It is not the quality of the aircraft and its operational capabilities that makes the difference, it is politics,” he concluded.

Stefan A. Miegel, Head of Airbus Defence & Space (DS) Military Aircraft Services, at the annual Trade Media Briefing 2016 (TMB16), unveiled Airbus DS’ decision to invest in a new A330 MRTT Full Flight Simulator (FFS) on top of an existing Air Refuelling Operator Simulator (ARO). The simulator will be manufactured by INDRA, and will be located in the already existing International Training Centre in Seville. Airbus will be advising Indra and market the FFS.

More on this soon.

599 Eurofighter TYPHOONs are on on order with 478 aircraft delivered; out of these 47 were delivered to five customers in the last 12 months. “We have been investing a lot to have the airframe fully up to speed,” Alberto Gutierrez, Head of Airbus Defence & Space (DS) Eurofighter Programme, in a presentation during the annual Trade Media Briefing 2016 (TMB16), said. P4E enhancements include DASS, low band extension, enhanced jamming, passive geolocation, enhanced weapon integration, and additional stores and weapons. “We are expecting to run MLU in 2025,” he informed.

Eurofighter TYPHOON has been proven in action, with the last 12 months involving Red Flag exercises, Baltic Air Policing, and in operation with the RAF over Syria/Iraq, and over Yemen with the Royal Saudi Arabian Air Force. “Feedback from operation makes me extremely proud,” the head of Eurofighter programme boasted.

Continuous improvement on the aircraft is currently ongoing with several user nations contracts signed, e.g. a 5-year extension for logistic and engineering support services from 2017 onwards with the four core nations. Also, new customers are looking at aircraft deliveries by 2019, which is possible, according to the industry expert.

The latest contract was signed with Kuwait for 22 single seat and six twin seat Eurofighter TYPHOONs on 5 April. Kuwait has become the eighth customer. On export opportunities, Gutierrez told the audience that Malaysia under the lead of BAE Systems and the UK government has no news at the moment, while in Indonesia, “we believe we have a good offer to re-vitaliseIndonesianindustry."

“In the Gulf, we hope for new orders from existing customers, and are very interested in getting into Qatar,” he continued. “In Europe we believe we are a perfect candidate as a F-16 replacement. We are currently contesting the Danish desicion, and are awaiting the response. Finland has to replace F-18, as well as fighter-replacements in Belgium, and Poland. Switzerland also has to replace their old fighter fleet, and we believe we have to keep going in Europe. On top of that, Eurofighter TYPHOON is the best aircraft for Canadian government demands, and in terms of pricing and quality we are an excellent match. We are ready, we are keen to be involved with either Germany and Spain as the lead nation.”

On the topic of the German Air Force’s (Luftwaffe) Future Combat Air System (FCAS), Gutierrez said: “They want us to investigate a TORNADO replacement, complimentary to the Eurofighter TYPHOON. Man-Unmanned Teaming is one of the technologies involved. We believe it will be a non-manned aircraft that carries bombs, being controlled by a manned aircraft (a two pilot aircraft). We are currently working with the Luftwaffe, seeing that it will not be a starting from scratch aircraft, as it will not be inexpensive

On the topic of the E-Scan radar, the commitment by Kuwait, Germany, and Spain is already there, while the Italian Air Force is considering it. Upon contract signatures, the radar could be fielded by 2018, and Gutierrez expects production to begin 2017, with Kuwait possibly being the first customer.