France Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Jun 26, 2017
google translation of
L'Argentine est très intéressée par l'achat de six Super-Etendard français
23/06/2017
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"Argentina would negotiate with France the purchase of six second-hand Super-Etendard combat aircraft for an amount of more than 12 million euros.

According to our information, Argentina would negotiate with France the purchase of used six used Super-Etendard fighters for a value estimated at just over 12 million euros. The Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) would be ready to provide funding to facilitate this operation. For the time being, the Argentines, who are emerging with difficulty from an unprecedented financial crisis, were trying to negotiate down the amount of the order. According to Infodefensa, Buenos Aires would offer 10 million dollars.

The Argentine Navy had purchased Dassault Aviation 14 Super-Etendard in July 1979. Some of them were engaged in the Falklands war. In 1982, a patrol of two planes sunk the British destroyer HSM Sheffield, hit by an anti-ship missile AM-39 Exocet (MBDA).

Retired from service in 2016 in France

Designed by Dassault Aviation for the French Navy and commissioned in 1978, the last Super-Etendard (SEM) were retired from active service on July 12, 2016 on the Landivisiau naval base. These aircraft have remained in service for 38 years in the French Navy and have demonstrated their capabilities to the full, being fully integrated into the operations of the airborne group deployed in 2016 in the Gulf."
now
L'Argentine achète cinq Super-Etendard Modernisés à la France
6 Octobre 2017
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Depuis plus d'un an maintenant, il est connu que l'Argentine et son Armada Argentina cherchent à se procurer les Super-Etendard Modernisés (SEM) de la Marine Nationale, retirés du service actif le 12 juillet 2016, afin de les intégrer au sein de l'Aviación Naval Argentina (Aviation navale argentine).

Après plusieurs mois de négociations entre Buenos Aires et Paris, cette vente vient d'être officiellement conclue ce 05 octobre 2017 avec la confirmation de l'achat de cinq SEM français faite par le gouvernement argentin et relayée par les médias nationaux et les sites spécialisés argentins.

D'ailleurs, d'après les informations du site Infodefensa, le montant de ce contrat est estimé à environ «14,23 millions d'euros», dont 12,55 pour les avions de combat, les pièces de rechange, la documentation technique, etc…, tandis que le reste, 1,68 million d'euros, correspond au transport de ces SEM, de l'EAR de Châteaudun en Argentine.

Les cinq anciens appareils de la Chasse Embarquée vont rejoindre la Base Aeronaval Comandante Espora (BACE), située sur la côte est de l'Argentine et où se trouve l'Escuadra Aeronaval N° 3, qui met en oeuvre la 2° Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Caza y Ataque avec ses Super-Etendard.

Toujours d'après le site spécialisé argentin, ce contrat prévoit donc la vente de ces cinq Super-Etendard Modernisés (numéro de série 1, 31, 41, 44 et 51), dix réacteurs Atar 8K50, les pièces de rechange, un simulateur de vol et plusieurs bancs d'essai.

L'ensemble de ces appareils sont au standard 5, mis en service en 2006, et où les pilotes de SEM voient l'arrivée de nouvelles capacités avec les jumelles de vision nocturne (JVN), d'une optimisation de la nacelle de désignation laser jour/nuit DAMOCLES, de l'intégration des bombes Raytheon E-Paveway sous pylônes doubles, de l'installation d'un pilote automatique numérique et du poste radio SATURN à évasion fréquence, et de l'évolution du système de navigation et d'attaque.

L'Aviación Naval Argentina a perçu quatorze Super-Etendard, après une commande passée en juillet 1979 auprès de Dassault Aviation. Ils sont aujourd'hui cloués au sol en raison d'un manque d'entraînement des équipages, de l'absence des pièces de rechange et d'un entretien irrégulier après de nombreuses coupes budgétaires à cause de la crise financière en Argentine.

Les SUE argentins sont très populaires dans leur pays et mondialement connus pour leur participation et leurs faits de guerre lors de la guerre des Malouines, d'avril à juin 1982, contre le Royaume-Uni.

Les pilotes argentins se feront largement remarquer en raison des nombreuses missions d'attaque à la mer contre les bâtiments de guerre de la Royal Navy, ainsi que lors des combats contre les Sea Harrier. Au cours de ces combats, avec l'utilisation des missiles air-mer AM-39 Exocet, les SUE réussiront à couler le destroyer HMS Sheffield et le bâtiment logistique Atlantic Conveyor.
:
"For more than a year now it is known that Argentina and its Armada Argentina are seeking to acquire the Navy's modernized Super-Etendard (SEM), retired from active service on July 12, 2016, in order to integrate them within the Aviación Naval Argentina (Argentine Naval Aviation).

After several months of negotiations between Buenos Aires and Paris, this sale has just been officially concluded on 05 October 2017 with the confirmation of the purchase of five French SEMs made by the Argentine government and relayed by the national media and specialized Argentine sites .

Moreover, according to information from the Infodefensa site, the amount of this contract is estimated at approximately "14.23 million euros", of which 12.55 for combat aircraft, spare parts, technical documentation , etc., while the rest, € 1.68 million, corresponds to the transport of these SEMs from the Chateaudun EAR in Argentina.

The five former aircraft of the Embarcadero will join the Aeronaval Comandante Espora Base (BACE), located on the east coast of Argentina, where the Escuadra Aeronaval N ° 3 is located, which operates the Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Caza y Ataque with its Super-Etendard.

According to the Argentinian specialist site, this contract provides for the sale of these five Modernized Super-Etendards (serial numbers 1, 31, 41, 44 and 51), ten Atar 8K50 reactors, spare parts, flight and several test benches.

All of these devices are standard 5, commissioned in 2006, and where SEM pilots see the arrival of new capabilities with night vision binoculars (JVN), an optimization of the laser designation nacelle day / night DAMOCLES, the integration of Raytheon E-Paveway bombs under dual pylons, the installation of a digital autopilot and the SATURN radio station to escape frequency, and the evolution of the navigation and navigation system, attack.

The Aviación Naval Argentina received fourteen Super-Etendards after an order in July 1979 from Dassault Aviation. They are now nailed to the ground due to lack of crew training, lack of spare parts and improper maintenance after many budget cuts due to the financial crisis in Argentina.

The Argentinean SUEs are very popular in their country and world-wide known for their participation and warfare during the Falklands War from April to June 1982 against the United Kingdom.

The Argentinian pilots will be widely noticed due to the numerous missions of attack to the sea against the ships of war of the Royal Navy, as well as during the fighting against Sea Harrier. During these fights, with the use of the AM-39 Exocet air-to-sea missiles, the SUE will succeed in sinking the HMS Sheffield destroyer and the Atlantic Conveyor logistics building."
 
google translation of
PATMAR : le Graal ?
20 octobre 2017
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"An unexpected combination of circumstances may lead to consider a new aeronautical solution in the field of possibilities for the replacement of the Atlantic 2. If it was technically and politically viable, it would lead to maintain high operational ambitions with a number replacement for number of Atlantic 2 modernized (15), or even the initial park received (28). Is Atlantic 3 back?

PATrouille MARitime's aircraft remain an essential anti-submarine capability as they are capable of patrolling large ocean spaces to spot a surface naval force and / or play endurance in order to persist in a particular area. , looking for a periscope thanks to an airborne radar and passive and active buoys dams. If the NH90 Marine Caiman NH90 significantly increases the operational possibilities offered by the ASM helicopter, to the point of evoking a "PATMARIZATION" of this aircraft in particular (long-range airborne radar, buoys, endurance more importance (class of 10) tons versus 5 for a Lynx), it does not compete with the 18 hours of maximum autonomy of an Atlantic 2.

Sustainability of the Navy's PATMAR capability remains a strategic imperative. Its disappearance would have immediate consequences for the oceanic component of nuclear deterrence as the withdrawal of the active service of the British Nimrods and the abandonment of their evolution program to London was heavily reliant on NATO solidarity in order to get rid of unwanted submarines from Faslane. Policy that remains essential until recent weeks.

Yet, the successor to Atlantic 2 faces a range of financial and institutional issues. In addition to cash flow issues, there is a need for a replacement program in France alone, while many European countries are turning to the American solution: the P-8 Poseidon, to the extent that the residents of the North Sea will soon form a club.

European nations likely to join France that they have not followed either on the Atlantic 2, let alone on the Atlantic 3 - aborted program - are spared either time - which can help that the calendars are coming together: Italy and its interim capacity on ATR-72 - either could be familiar with the American solution again with the example of Germany buying P-3 Orion to support Atlantic's dwindling fleet and exhausted for nothing in the EuroHawk program.

From the point of view of the future operational solution to materialize in a few years in a needs expression sheet, itself transformed into a program file, the translation seems highly complicated. The last developed PATMARs are bi- (P-8 Poseidon) or quadri-reactors (Kawasaki P-1) - although turboprops resist (Il-38 and future Il-114, Y-8). This evolution is very expensive (below).

In addition, other aircraft manufacturers praise the merits of PATMAR designed around business aircraft such as Dassault Aviation and its Falcon 900 and 2000 (Multi-Role Sea Plane). This would lead, in case of choice of such a platform, to confuse in a single category the aircraft of PATMAR and MARITIME SURVEILLANCE (SURMAR) since from the same type of platform.

Not to mention the possibility that these same aircraft can be supersonic from a SURMAR perspective unattractive to a PATMAR while other manufacturers tout the merits of pseudolites for persistent or near-permanent surveillance of large ocean portions.

Analysis of the military dynamics between mice and cats will lead to arbitration in this complex mic-mac. By the way, it obliges, perhaps in a salutary way, to press the staffs to put in view and in coherence all the capacities of maritime surveillance. Nevertheless, since the end of the East-West conflict (1947-1991), if there have been peace dividends, the submarine threat has been anything but decreasing:

Atomic propulsion submarines continue to spread (Brazil, India and possibly Australia) or to spark new ones (North Korea, South Korea, Iran, Germany?) Or old ambitions (Canada).

Classic submarines, with diesel-electric propulsion, continue to make progress in terms of submarine discretion where they traditionally have an architectural advantage over nuclear submarines - they are dispensed with many systems that work continuously. in the service of a nuclear circuit for an atomic submarine - while not being technologically distant from them. The technological gap, if it exists, is quite thin with comparable construction year.

Also, and whatever the mode of propulsion, the continuous improvement of the sonars would allow the well-born or equipped submarines to hear, not only the helicopter station with its sonar sonar, but also, and very distinctly, the PATMAR passes at low altitude. In addition, the appearance of anti-aircraft ammunition integrated in a mast of the massif or entorpillées allow the submarine to give blow to blow at the place of any goal. Confirming the well-known theorem: "there are only two types of ship: the submarine and the targets".

Financial issues are as important as others. In this perspective, should we recall that a P-8 Poseidon would cost something like 250 million euros, 120 to 180 million euros a Kawasaki P-1 or 50 million for an ATR-72 PATMAR while the Falcon, as for the civil versions, would negotiate between 25 and 50 million euros. Difficult to figure a new solution to the image of a pseudolite but difficult, too, to deny that it would require several hundred million euros just to lead to operational capacity.

The finances strongly invited then to choose either a solution to the inexpensive platform to converse a number of aircraft related to assigned missions which are not limited to Brittany point, even to deny on embedded sensors or the capabilities of in vivo treatment; either to retain an "oceanic" platform but very expensive which, in the current state of the budgets, leads to divide the park by two or three.

This is why the European-American arm wrestling around Airbus brings an unexpected solution to this problem. Airbus' acquisition of a majority stake in CS series offers France, through the European company, a seemingly inexpensive platform. A CS series would be around 60 million euros per unit. An ATR-72 PATMAR would cost nearly 40% more than the civilian version, which would be equivalent to estimating a PATMAR SC at 85 million euros, excluding study fees.

This would mean replacing the 15 Atlantic 2 modernized (28 Atlantic 2 products) by 15 CS PATMAR for 1.260 billion euros. This envelope thus fixed would allow the purchase of only 5 P-8 Poseidon or about fifteen Falcon 900, 2000 or ATR-72 PATMAR.

Also, the choice of such a Europeanized or atlanticized platform would help as much to support the ambitions displayed by some to set up a European program - a mandatory step, no matter the chances of success in the current political context - than to release support. military institutions in France: would not there be matter to find a replacement for the C-160 Gabriel and the two regretted DC-8 SARIGUE? A CS series might be slightly less expensive than an A320. Also, the inclusion of an electronic intelligence version in the Atlantic 2 replacement program would help Atlantic Canadians also have an in-flight refueling boom that opens up new and broad opportunities. Finally, what would be the pecuniary difference between a SURMAR CS derived from the PATMAR CS vis-à-vis a Falcon 900 or 2000 MRA?

The Atlantic 2 must hold until 2030 or even 2035 while the AVSIMAR program (19 machines to replace) is very heavy. The two C-160 Gabriel will soon be thirty, There may be, there, a great opportunity."
 

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
:cool:

Lockheed Martin rolls out first France’s C-130J-30 aircraft out of paint shop

Lockheed Martin has rolled the first C-130J-30 military transport plane out of the paint shop for French Air Force.

The contracts awarded on 1 December are for USD133.4 million and USD36.6 million, and cover the procurement of two stretched C-130J-30 airlifters and for configuration changes to two C-130J-30 airlifters and two KC-130J tankers respectively.

Work on the contract will be performed at Marietta, Ga. U.S. government officials expect the work to be done by Aug. 30, 2020. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is listed as the contracting activity.

According to the Janes, the French Air Force is purchasing four C/KC-130J aircraft to supplement its ageing Transall C-160s, and to compensate for delays to the Airbus Defence and Space A400M transport aircraft and the low availability of its current fleet of C-130Hs

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Le premier C-130J Super Hercules de l'Armee_de_lair .jpg
Le premier C-130J Super Hercules de l'Armee_de_lair  61è escadre orléans.jpg
 
Egypte : douze Rafale cloués au sol par Bercy
23/10/2017
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LOL! so Egypt is getting the French stuff without actually paying for it:
According to concordant sources, Bercy blocks the signing of a twelve Rafale contract to Egypt, which requires payment facilities.

Selon des sources concordantes, Bercy bloque la signature d'un contrat de douze Rafale à l'Egypte, qui demande des facilités de paiement à l'image des précédents contrats signés entre Le Caire et les industriels de l'armement français. Lors de sa visite à Paris ces trois prochains jours, le président égyptien Abdel Fattah al-Sissi devrait rappeler à Emmanuel Macron qu'il attend énormément de la France, selon un observateur des relations franco-égyptienne, notamment dans le cadre du partenariat stratégique entre les deux pays relancé en 2015.

Dans ce contexte, l'Égypte a engagé une modernisation de ses forces armées avec le soutien de la France. La France s'est engagée à fournir de nouveaux équipements, en particulier à la force aérienne (24 Rafale, un satellite de télécoms militaire) et à la marine (quatre corvettes Gowind, une FREMM, deux BPC). Ce qui a représenté près de sept milliards d'euros (6,83 milliards) de contrats pour l'industrie d'armement française entre 2014 et 2016.
Bercy bloque tous les contrats avec l'Egypte

Le contrat Rafale n'est pas une exception. Bercy bloque tous les contrats sur l'Egypte qu'ils soient militaires ou civils. Pourquoi? C'est un problème d'encours sur ce pays. Avec les contrats importants signés récemment entre les deux pays, l'enveloppe allouée par Bercy à Bpifrance (ex-COFACE) sur ce pays est totalement utilisée, précise-t-on à La Tribune. Et Bercy ne veut pas rajouter d'enveloppe estimant que le risque pays se dégrade. Emmanuel Macron va-t-il dénouer ce contrat? Il le pourrait car l'Egypte devrait compter sur une croissance de 6% par an dès cette année.

Pour autant, selon une source interrogée par La Tribune, il n'y a pas eu de défaut de paiement de l'Egypte. Une autre source nuance en indiquant qu'il n'y a pas eu de défaut de paiement récemment. Selon la première source, Le Caire a de l'argent pour régler les factures. L'Egypte pourra notamment compter à partir de la fin de cette année sur la production de gaz en Méditerranée. En 2015, l'énergéticien italien ENI a découvert pour le compte de l'Egypte un énorme gisement offshore de gaz naturel dans ses eaux territoriales au large de Port Saïd (gisement Zohr). De quoi satisfaire la demande intérieure pendant plusieurs décennies, de renouer avec l'exportation et donc de bénéficier de nouvelles rentrées de devises...
"According to concordant sources, Bercy blocks the signing of a twelve Rafale contract to Egypt, which requires payment facilities like the previous contracts signed between Cairo and the French arms industry.

During his visit to Paris for the next three days, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi should remind Emmanuel Macron that he expects a lot from France, according to an observer of Franco-Egyptian relations, particularly in the framework of the strategic partnership between the two countries relaunched in 2015.

In this context, Egypt has undertaken a modernization of its armed forces with the support of France. France is committed to providing new equipment, in particular to the air force (24 Rafale, a military telecom satellite) and to the navy (four corvettes Gowind, one FREMM, two BPC). This represented nearly seven billion euros (6.83 billion) contracts for the French arms industry between 2014 and 2016.
Bercy blocks all contracts with Egypt

The Rafale contract is no exception. Bercy blocks all contracts on Egypt whether military or civilian. Why? It is a problem of outstanding on this country. With the important contracts recently signed between the two countries, the envelope allocated by Bercy to Bpifrance (formerly COFACE) on this country is fully used, says one La Tribune. And Bercy does not want to add an envelope estimating that the country risk is deteriorating. Emmanuel Macron will he untie this contract? It could because Egypt should count on a growth of 6% per year as of this year.

However, according to a source interviewed by La Tribune, there was no default of payment from Egypt. Another source nuance indicating that there has been no defaults recently. According to the first source, Cairo has money to pay the bills. In particular, Egypt will be able to rely on gas production in the Mediterranean from the end of this year. In 2015, the Italian energy company ENI discovered on behalf of Egypt a huge offshore gas field in its territorial waters off Port Said (Zohr deposit). What to satisfy the domestic demand for several decades, to return to the export and thus to benefit from new foreign currency receipts ..."
 
Mar 4, 2017
google translation of
Le ministère de la Défense va commander entre 160 et 190 H160 d'Airbus Helicopters
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"The government will order "160 to 190 helicopters" to Airbus Helicopters, Defense Minister Jean-Yves le Drian announced on Friday on the site of the group in Marignane (Bouches-du-Rhône).

"I came to tell you that I decided the day before yesterday (Wednesday) to make the H160 the basis of the future inter-armed light helicopter," said the minister after the visit.

This new device is intended to replace the current Gazelle, Alouette, Dauphin. No amount was disclosed.

The helicopter, according to the minister, is a "unique, exceptional tool". After five years as Minister of Defense, Jean-Yves Le Drian assured that he would deliver to his successor the following "message": "the helicopter is central to the future and our security."

The medium-sized helicopter H160, developed at the moment in its "civil" version, has obtained 68 patents, notably for its curved blades, which make it possible to halve the noise in flight.

The minister, welcomed as "a friend" by the CEO of Airbus Helicopters, Guillaume Faury, asked Airbus a first delivery of these aircraft that will succeed the Dauphins in 2024.

After attending Marignane at a presentation of the VSR700 drone, the minister said he was "pleased to see that Airbus Helicopters is not absent from the drones project".

Jean-Yves le Drian returned to the uncertainties known by the company last year: "I know that the year 2016 was difficult (...) but you have shown your commercial strength." Military deliveries, which now account for 57 percent of the group's turnover, have "mitigated the difficulties of the civilian market," the minister said.

Airbus Helicopters experienced its "toughest year since 2008", according to its CEO, due to lower demand from oil companies, with 353 net orders and 418 aircraft deliveries.

To cope with this slowdown, the division announced in October a plan of 582 voluntary departures, spread out on its two sites of Marignane and Paris, in 2017 and 2018.

Airbus Helicopters boasts 47% of the civil and parapublic helicopter market, ahead of its Italian and American competitors, Leonardo, Bell and Sikorsky.

The company employs 9,200 people in France, including 8,500 in Marignane, where R & D, testing, production and support activities are combined."
and
France gearing up for HIL helicopter development
25 October, 2017
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France is likely to issue a preliminary development contract for its hélicoptère interarmées léger (HIL) programme by the end of the year, to allow manufacturer Airbus Helicopters to begin initial risk-reduction activities.

In March Paris selected the airframer's developmental H160 medium-twin to serve as a basis for the HIL effort, which will replace more than 400 helicopters across all three services.

Deliveries are scheduled to start in around 2024, with between 160 and 190 aircraft to be procured.

That timeline would require a firm acquisition contract about two years after the initial agreement.

Airbus Helicopters has previously focused the development of the H160 on civil missions, with the 5.6t rotorcraft due to enter service in 2019.

Bernard Fujarski, senior vice-president and head of the H160 programme, says the selection of the H160 is a significant boost.

"We are talking about a very significant quantity of helicopters to sell the three services for more or less the complete catalogue of missions," he says.

"We are working in order to be on time in order to be compliant with the specification we will get from the French ministry of defence."

He acknowledges that using a single type to replace helicopters straddling multiple weight classes is a "challenge" and that it will not be "optimised everywhere".

However, Fujarski points out that a "rationalised" maintenance, support and training system will drive savings for the French services.

Once it is in operation with France, Airbus Helicopters is also likely to offer the Safran Helicopter Engines Arrano-powered H160M to the export market.
 
DNDChvdWAAEQDLZ.jpg

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Handy infographic shows French Navy vessel homeports and operational areas around the world
 
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