Defence`s Feeds

Northrop Grumman Corporation has been contracted to supply an additional 10 Fire Scout MQ-8C unmanned, autonomous helicopters for the US Navy. The contractual work is scheduled to be completed by August 2019.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) has been awarded a contract by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) to continue developing and expanding RCN’s naval operations software solutions (NOSS) system until 2021.

Ultra Electronics has awarded a subcontract to SEA to provide transducers as part of the Sonar 2050 Technology Refresh programme (S2050TR) for the UK Royal Navy.

The US Navy’s fourth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), has completed nearly 50% of its scheduled planned incremental availability (PIA) this year at Naval Air Station North Island, US.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) currently has several job openings in the different directorates: 15 temporary agents, five seconded national experts and one contractual agent. The profiles we’re looking for include director, head of unit, project officer and assistant positions across all EDA directorates. Candidates must apply via the EDA website.

Among the vacancies, you will find the position of Director Capability, Armament and Technology, Head of Unit Human Resources, Head of Unit Industry Strategy and Wider EU Policies, Policy Officer Industry Relations and Support, Project Officer Rotary Wing, Project Officer Maritime Capabilities or Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive and many more. Do not miss this chance and consult the EDA job portal for an overview of all open posts. Starting dates vary between March and October 2017.

The Agency is an “outward-facing” organisation, constantly interacting with its shareholders, the participating Member States, as well as with a wide range of stakeholders. It works in an integrated way, with multi-disciplinary teams representing all the Agency’s functional areas, to realise its objectives including its annual Work Programme and its rolling three-year Work Plan. Its business processes are flexible and oriented towards achieving results. Staff at all levels need to demonstrate the corresponding qualities of flexibility, innovation, and team-working; to work effectively with shareholders and stakeholder groups, formal and informal; and to operate without the need for detailed direction.

 

More information:

• Access the vacancy notices through our job portal

Written by Suzana Elena Anghel,

koya979 / Shutterstock.com

At three recent European Councils (December 2012, December 2013 and June 2015), the Heads of State or government have called for a deepening of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) namely by strengthening its crisis management dimension and further developing civilian and military capabilities. The June 2016 European Council reverted to security and defence policy with particular attention to the strengthening of the relationship with NATO, including on the development of complementary and interoperable defence capabilities.

But what are the achievements? Is there a way of measuring progress made over the past years? Is there a gap between intentions/declarations and deeds? What are the challenges and how to address them?

The European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) will address these questions at a roundtable discussion on ‘The European Council and CSDP: success or failure?’ on 27 September 2016, 13h30-15h00, in the European Parliament’s Library main reading room in Brussels. Participants at this roundtable debate are: Elmar Brok MEP, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, General Jean-Paul Perruche, Former Director-General of the European Union Military Staff, Professor Alexander Mattelaer, Institute for European Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and Elena Lazarou, Policy Analyst, EPRS.

Registration
If you do not have an access badge to the European Parliament and are interested in attending the event, it is essential to register by Friday 23 September, using this link.

At the event the EPRS study on ‘The European Council and CSDP: Orientation and Implementation in the field of Crisis Management’ will be presented and discussed. This study assesses the planning, command and control of civilian and military CSDP missions and operations, progress made in developing civilian and military capabilities, particularly rapid response capabilities in the form of the EU Battlegroups, as well as challenges encountered during the force generation process, areas in which the European Council repeatedly called for further progress to be made.

 

Filed under: BLOG, Events, Policy Cycle Tagged: Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), CSDP, EPRS Events, European Council, events, security and defence, Study, Suzana Elena Anghel Gavrilescu

Americas

• SpaceX aims to resume rocket flights in November following a launch pad fire that destroyed a Falcon 9 rocket and an Israeli communications satellite it was due to lift into orbit earlier this month. The company stated that it has suspended Falcon 9 flights until it completes its investigation into why the rocket burst into flames during fueling for a routine prelaunch test at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. SpaceX had previously stated that a nearly-completed second launch site in Florida, located at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC), would be finished in November. The pad was last used to launch NASA’s space shuttles five years ago.

• Boeing has landed a $700 million US defense contract for Small Diameter Bomb Increment 1 weapons. The USAF deal will see the company deliver the munitions by December 12, 2021 and includes foreign military sales.

• Documents endorsed by retired top US military officers and former national security officials warn of the potential danger posed to US military operations by climate change. A statement in support of the findings was released yesterday and signed by more than a dozen former senior military and national security officials, including retired General Anthony Zinni, former commander of the US Central Command, and retired Admiral Samuel Locklear, head of the Pacific Command until last year. They called on the next US president to create a cabinet level position to deal with climate change and its impact on national security.

• The first units of the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Alternative Warhead rocket has rolled off Lockheed Martin’s production line. A company statement said the warhead was designed to engage the same target set and achieve the same area-effects requirement as the old MLRS submunition warhead, but without the lingering danger of unexploded ordnance. Lockheed received a US Army initial production contract for the warheads in June 2015.

Middle East & North Africa

• A Yemeni industrial site, supposedly a rebel missile manufacturing site, has been bombed by Saudi-led coalition forces. The bombing, which occurred on Tuesday in the capital of Sanaa, caused a fire that destroyed half the premises and resulted in several million dollars worth of damage. Local businessmen claim that plants located on the site were only used for the manufacture of piping and building supplies.

Africa

• South Africa’s Defense Minister announced plans to update the country’s indigenous Rooivalk attack helicopter. Speaking at this year’s African Aerospace & Defence Show, Nosiviwe Masipa-Nqakula said the helicopter has “blooded” itself having carried out a series of successful operations as part of the United Nations’ peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Manufacturer Denel is also working on marketing the helicopter to other African governments who are fighting insurgencies, namely Nigeria and Egypt, and further afield governments like India and Brazil.

Europe

• Deliveries of the Leonardo Aermacchi M-346 advanced jet trainer destined for Poland will soon be underway following the successful conclusion of electromagnetic testing in an anechoic chamber. The next phase of experimental and certification flights will see two Polish aircraft have their communications and avionics systems tested, before moving on to trials of their embedded tactical training simulation (ETTS) equipment. The first of eight aircraft will touch down in Poland in November.

Asia Pacific

• Weapons Experts have warned of the ramping up of uranium enrichment by North Korea. The new uranium, when combined with current plutonium stocks, will give the regime enough material for 20 nuclear warheads. Pyongyang’s ability to evade a decade of UN sanctions has allowed it to develop the uranium enrichment process, enabling it to run an effectively self-sufficient nuclear program that is capable of producing around six nuclear bombs a year.

Today’s Video

Boeing’s T-X offering:

Base, Bleeding Out?
(click to view full)

Back in July 2005 it was apparent India’s sanctions against Denel and possible disqualification from a $2 billion artillery contract could have a major effect on the South African defense firm as a whole. In August 2005, those sanctions came to pass, barring Denel from a contract it was likely to win and accelerating efforts already underway to radically restructure the firm.

CEO Shaun Liebenberg launched that shift in late 2005 with some frank discussion of the global defense market, and the position of small-medium players like Denel in it. At DSEI 2005 in London, UK, the outline of this new strategy was already apparent. Many of the products Denel is known for will no longer define the firm. But could it find a way to stanch the bleeding and survive in a globalized market?

And how has it done since?

• Denel’s Position
  
• Denel’s New Strategy
  
• Updates and Key Events [updated]
  

Denel’s Position

Mokopa Laser ATGM

The new CEO was frank about Denel not being viable under the current model. According to Liebenberg, global prime contractors succeed due to privileged relationships with their domestic customer who largely fund and promotes the development of new system platforms.

“Changes in the defence industry have forced consolidation and the forming of alliances worldwide… Although Denel has an enviable range of products, we no longer have a captive domestic market or the scale to succeed as an independent systems integrator and exporter of such a broad range of products…”

“Our analysis of the international defence environment shows much of global defence spend is not directly accessible to independent contractors like Denel,” Liebenberg explained. “The US Department of Defense in recent years has awarded contracts almost exclusively to US and NATO companies. These companies supply most other markets, too. Developing nations like India, Brazil and Israel have strong domestic industries to serve their own customer, whilst giving intense competition to other independents.”

Rooivalk and Gripen
(click to view full)

Denel’s product range drives the full scope of its ambitions home. If anything, it’s surprising that the reckoning hasn’t come sooner.

Indigenous efforts in the missile field alone include the A-Darter (intended as a Sidewinder 9X/ ASRAAM/ AA-11 Archer contemporary), Ingwe and Mokopa anti-armor missiles (think TOW2 and Hellfire/Brimstone competitors), and Umkhonto-IR ship based anti-air missile. The firm also has a full line of optronics; 3 UAV projects (including a reconnaissance UAV, a high speed stealth UAV, and a target drone); a full-fledged new-generation attack helicopter project in the Rooivalk (Eurocopter Tiger/ AH-1Z/ Mi-28 contemporary); the Umbani bomb kit (a kit that converts ordinary bombs to something approaching a JSOW); world-class artillery systems in the G5, G6, and accompanying base bleed ammunition; vehicle turrets, a full line of military small arms; plus C4ISR products, licensed production of other helicopters, aircraft maintenance, and more.

Some products, like its artillery, are genuine world-beaters coping with a shrinking market for their specific product range. On the other hand, many of these expensive development projects were substitutable at home, and non-viable abroad from the get-go. Little wonder the new CEO has concluded that local defense spending clearly won’t suffice, even with some 45% of Denel’s business still deriving from the domestic market.

Worse, much of South Africa’s recent domestic spend has taken place in areas falling outside Denel’s product range, like fighter jets and naval systems. Denel’s involvement was limited to sub-contracts on the SA Navy’s corvette weapons suite, some workshare on the Gripen, Hawk and Agusta helicopter programs, and the hope of additional workshare as part of the Airbus A400M military transport. Liebenberg clearly understood, and stated, that some non-viable businesses would have to be made viable or exited entirely.

Denel’s New Strategy

Liebenberg believed that his company’s capabilities are attractive to global prime contractors for partnering. Liebenberg said Denel meets the pre-requisites to act as a specialised contractor that could slot into the value chain of the global players, because it has a technology edge or low cost production capabilities in several niche areas, plus good systems integration experience.

As such, he intends to pursue a strategy that focuses Denel business on being a domestic prime contractor, whilst becoming a specialized contractor or sub-supplier to other international defense contractors.

In keeping with Denel’s new strategic direction, formally announced by CEO Shaun Liebenberg in August 2005, the Group is showcasing some of its niche defence and aerospace systems at DSEI 2005 this week in London, UK.

Denel’s advanced LCT-30 combat turret will be part of the South African Army’s new generation infantry combat vehicle. Denel also hopes to interest more customers in its sophisticated sub-systems, like its ‘Eagle Eye’ target location binocular, Denel’s NATO certified LH-40C eyesafe laser rangefinder already in use with some European armies, the ‘Kenis’ infrared thermal imaging camera, and the Goshawk electro-optic stabilized airborne observation system. Denel is also supporting Zeiss Optronik of Germany with periscope equipment for a number of foreign navies.

Umkhonto-IR concept
(click to view larger)

Yet Denel hasn’t given up on all of its bigger projects. Its Umkhonto IR surface-to-air missile, selected by the South African and the Finnish navies, remains on offer now that performance testing and live firings have concluded successfully [DID: Sweden would eventually buy them too, as a partial offset for the SAAF’s new Gripen fighters]. In the artillery department, its ‘Arachnida’ electronic targeting and combat management is already in service on the UK’s light artillery guns and was exported in quantity to a Middle East customer, and Denel’s world-class artillery ammunition is currently being evaluated in the NATO environment as well as in the United States. In 2007, Denel announced a strategic alliance with Germany’s Nitrochemie to develop a new generation of modular propellant charges for 105mm and 155mm artillery, and 2008 saw Germany’s Rheinmetall take a majority stake in Denel Munitions.

It’s going to be a long road ahead for Denel, as it always is in major corporate restructurings. Jack Welch, widely considered to be the gold standard of modern-day CEOs, offered his take on the restructuring/ crisis process in a Wall St. Journal article that covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The circumstances are different, but the process is universally applicable.

In a way, however, the scale of the problem is blessing to Denel. The very overreach that has landed the firm in such trouble has also made it sufficiently important to South Africa’s defense infrastructure that allowing the firm to fail will be seen as a last resort option. Given the roster of projects it has successfully brought to fruition, it’s also clear that Denel has some very talented engineers and personnel on hand.

Strong government support, a solid share of South Africa’s production allocation for the A400M global project, and success in its alliance efforts could yet steer the South African firm back to health. Yet the international defense market is becoming a difficult place for small-mid size firms without an in-demand flagship product. Unlike Apollo 11, failure is an option.

Updates and Key Events Hoefyster/ Badger –
Denel concept
(click to view full)

September 15/16: South Africa’s Defense Minister announced plans to update the country’s indigenous Rooivalk attack helicopter. Speaking at this year’s African Aerospace & Defence Show, Nosiviwe Masipa-Nqakula said the helicopter has “blooded” itself having carried out a series of successful operations as part of the United Nations’ peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Manufacturer Denel is also working on marketing the helicopter to other African governments who are fighting insurgencies, namely Nigeria and Egypt, and further afield governments like India and Brazil.

November 10/15: South African firm Denel Vehicle Systems has also bagged a $63 million contract to develop and produce N35 mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles with UAE firm NIMR, with this contract reportedly covering the development of both 4×4 and 6×6 variants over the next two years. An initial batch of South African-produced vehicles will be followed by a transition in production to the UAE, including transfer of the production line’s supply chain and technical expertise.

July 22/09: A Denel release suggests renewed efforts to step up exports – even as it makes the importance of the Hoefyster IFV project, and the continued primacy of South African defense spending, clear:

“In 2005 Denel Land Systems was a company “in anticipation.” Inheriting an overdraft of R400m and a loss of R180m year-on-year, DLS was insolvent for all intensive purposes. Despite this however, the strategic and technical value of the company remained evident… Having technical expertise and an artillery capability among the best in the world does not automatically equate to sustainability however… All product lines manufactured by DLS were reviewed as a result, with non-core products such as hunting rifles immediately being exited. We simultaneously applied for recapitalisation funding, which was used to repay an overdraft and give DLS a “clean start”

Despite this however, DLS needed a catalyst for growth and sustainability. With over 70% of its business coming from the local market and notably from the SANDF, it was critical that DLS secured a sizable defence contract… we were conscious of the business and strategic value this type of contract would enable… The Hoefyster project has provided just the required impetus. With a total contract value of R8.3bn and the demand phase in activation already worth R1bn, the contract’s full effects are not confined to DLS, but also being felt by 60 local contractors – a glimpse of the scale of impact the company can have on the local economy.

While Hoefyster proved a critical element in ensuring DLS broke even during the financial year 2008/09… we have started visiting previously interested international parties and looking for new ones in the Middle East, Far East, South America and Africa. To step into these international markets however, strategic partners will be critical in ensuring access. As such, our focus has seen us already engage with a number of key players so as to establish supplier contract relationships.”

July 16/09: Denel Group CEO Talib Sadik discusses the organisation’s revised growth strategy in a corporate release, and offers an update on turnaround progress made to date. Since the turnaround began in 2006, Denel has inked strategic equity partnerships with Carl Zeiss, Rheinmetall Defence and Saab:

“While acknowledging the Group still faced challenges, most notably the continued posting of losses by Denel Saab Aerostructures and securing further recapitalisation, Sadik maintained it was important to acknowledge the milestones that had already been achieved. These included the improved relationship with the South African Department of Defence, enhanced risk management and programme execution, and the significant performance of and turnaround seen in some of Denel’s fully-owned (100% shareholding) businesses… Turbomeca Africa has continued to grow its profits year-on-year. We have also seen Carl Zeiss Optronics’ sales per person has increased from R0.8 million to R1.6 million since its restructuring, and are expecting Rheinmetall Denel Munitions to post its first profits in the new financial year,” explained Sadik. He added that Carl Zeiss Optronics has shown a 100% increase in revenue over a two year period, while Rheinmetall Denel Munitions’ order cover is in the region of 70%.”

Overall, losses are continuing at a declining rate, from R 1.56 billion in the 2004/05 financial year to R 347 million in 2008 (q.v. Sept 9/08 entry). Despite the net loss, Denel Group’s gross profit has grown from -6% in 2006/07 to 16% in 2008/09, while revenue per employee across the Group has more than doubled from R 353,242 in 2006 to R 745,460 in 2009. R&D has grown to R 1.12 billion in 2009 driven largely by development of the A-Darter 5th generation air-to-air missile, the Badger/Hoefyster 8×8 IFV, and subcontracting work on the A400M military cargo aircraft.

Denel’s order book has seen the most growth, from R 3.75 billion in 2006 R 16.05 billion (including confirmed contracts) at the end of 2009. The May 2007 IFV win played a large role in that increase, by adding R 8.3 billion to the order book.

Jan 19/09: In its analysis of the South African defense industry, analyst firm Forecast International sees Denel’s efforts paying off. In accordance with mandates attached to government recapitalization efforts valued at $455 million, Denel has proceeded with restructuring. Forecast International believes that amid rising uncertainty around the domestic defense market, the sector’s decision to discard self-sufficiency in favor of an industry structure optimized to increase access to the global defense market appears is looking like a good strategy. It adds:

“Since the South African Ministry of Public Enterprise opted to divest from unprofitable domestic defense enterprises and relax regulations on foreign investment in the defense sector in late 2005/early 2006, 10 major acquisitions involving foreign defense enterprises targeting South African enterprises have occurred… Since early 2006, Denel has sold 20 percent of it aerostructures division at a price of ZAR66 million to Saab to form the Denel Saab Aerostructures joint venture; 70 percent of its optronics division was acquired by Carl Zeiss Optronics in exchange for phased investment in Denel’s European logistics network; and Rheinmetall AG acquired a 51 percent stake in Denel Munitions in return for the provision of financing and advising on the business unit’s restructuring.”

While Denel has yet to operate at a profit, operating losses declined nearly 37% between 2007 and 2008, and decreased at a compound annual rate of 74% since restructuring efforts were initiated in early 2006.

Talib Sadik

Sept 25/08: State-owned Denel (Pty) Ltd’s Chairman of the Board Dr Sibusiso Sibisi announces Talib Sadik’s appointment as Group CEO for a period of three years. Mr Sadik was appointed as Group Financial Officer of Denel in 2006, and has been an executive member of the Board of Directors since that date.

Sept 9/08: Denel’s Acting Group CEO Talib Sadik, announces that for the fiscal year that ended on March 31/08, the Denel Group increased gross revenue to R 3,894 million (2007: R 3,310 million) and posted a net loss of R 347 million (2007: R 549 million). Of the total turnover 56.8% was from domestic sales (2007: 47.5%) and 43.2% from export sales (2007: 52.5%). Sadik:

“We managed to improve the loss for the past year through focusing on core businesses, phasing out of legacy contracts, savings in operating costs and profits on the sale of non-core assets… Better contract negotiations including higher advance payment receipts towards the year-end and improvements in our debt collection process helped us to achieve the healthy cash situation.”

See full Denel release | Engineering News.

Sept 1/08: The finalized deal involving Rheinmetall and Denel Munitions comes into effect. Denel release [PDF].

June 1/08: Denel Group’s CFO Mr Talib Sadik becomes interim CEO of Denel.

Feb 8/08: Germany’s Rheinmetall Group signs an agreement with Denel (Pty) Ltd, indicating its intention to take a majority equity stake in Denel Munitions. The deal is finalized on Sept 1/08. Read “Rheinmetall Buying Majority Stake in Denel Munitions” for more.

A-Darter
(click to view larger)

July 25/07: Denel’s Group CEO Mr Shaun Liebenberg, announces a net loss of R 549.1 million for the past year ended March 31/07 (2006: R 1,363.4 million) on turnover of R 3,268.1 million (2006: R 2,773.2 million). Gross profit rose to R 754.0 million (2006: loss of R131.1 million). His statement adds:

“Incremental sales by Denel Land Systems and Denel Munitions to clients in South America, Europe and the Middle East added to the increased turnover… At year-end Denel received a number of large contracts, notably the R8.3 billion ‘Hoefyster’ – the biggest in Denel’s 15-year existence, and the A-Darter air-to-air missile contract worth approximately R1 billion… BAE Systems awarded Munitions a contract worth R300 million over three years to supply brass cups, which are used in the manufacture of small calibre ammunition. Denel Optronics, in which German firm Carl Zeiss Optronics has acquired a majority holding, received a BAE Systems contract worth R200 million to produce 450 units of its unique pilot helmet tracker system for use in the Eurofighter-Typhoon jet.

…The agreement signed with Saab in Sweden in June 2006 regarding the establishment of a new aerostructures company, led to Saab AB (publ) taking an initial minority equity stake and operational management control, with Denel retaining an 80% holding… At the close of the financial year Denel and German company Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbH agreed on an equity partnership for Denel Optronics. Denel was to retain a minority share with Carl Zeiss Optronics taking a majority holding of 70%. The effective transaction date was after year-end, with final share transfer on 20 July 2007. The company now trades as Carl Zeiss Optronics (Pty) Limited.”

May 17/07: Denel wins the $1.2 billion, 264-vehicle contract for the South African Army’s new generation “Hoefyster” infantry combat vehicle program. The goal is to produce an 8×8 wheeled APC in the 25 ton class, designed as a family of vehicles that can be equipped with various turret and on-board options. It is described as the biggest single contract in firm history. The vehicle will not be Denel’s, however, but Patria Oyj of Finland’s popular AMV.

April 2007: Denel’s missile/UAV subsidiary Denel Dynamics announces a joint development agreement with Brazil’s Ministry of Defence and Forca Aerea Brasileira for the A-Darter short range air-air missile (SRAAM), signed as a government to government agreement via South Africa’s Armscor. The original contract was apparently signed in July-August 2006, but the formal cooperation launch was announced at the 2007 Latin American Aerospace and Defence exhibition in Brazil.

Additional Readings

• DID – New Options: Denel & Tawazun’s Precision Weapons Partnership

M270 firing M30 GMLRS
(click to view full)

Precision artillery fire offers an alternative to air support. It has a shorter reach, but very considerable throw-weight and repeatable fire, plus 100% persistence and availability in any weather. GMLRS is a highly accurate GPS-guided rocket that can be fired by ground forces 35 miles away and arrive on target, in under a minute, under any conditions, with a 200 pound unitary warhead that will take out a fortified house. That’s very useful. When integrated into a battlefield surveillance/strike setup like Task Force ODIN, their effectiveness is kicked up several more notches. Rocket pods can be carried on M142 HIMARS truck-mounted systems (1 pod, 6 rockets), or tracked M270 MLRS launchers (2 pods, 12 rockets).

In July 2011, Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control in Dallas, TX received a $438.2 million firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Full Rate Production Lot VI. It includes:

• 767 unitary rocket pods (with 6 x 227mm rockets each)
  
• 508 reduced range practice rockets (RRPR, used for training)
  
• Plus integrated logistics support.

They’ll go to the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, as well as GMLRS pods for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers Japan, Jordan, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. Unlike last year, neither the Pentagon nor Lockheed Martin will discuss specific numbers of rocket pods per customer.

Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, TX; Camden, AZ; Orlando, FL; and Lufkin, TX, with an estimated completion date of April 30/14. One bid was solicited with one bid received by US AMCOM Contracting Center at Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-11-C-0166). See also Lockheed Martin release.

Updates

September 15/16: The first units of the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Alternative Warhead rocket has rolled off Lockheed Martin’s production line. A company statement said the warhead was designed to engage the same target set and achieve the same area-effects requirement as the old MLRS submunition warhead, but without the lingering danger of unexploded ordnance. Lockheed received a US Army initial production contract for the warheads in June 2015.

May 24/16: Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $331.7 million foreign military sales contract by the US Army. The sale will see the company provide the defense departments of Israel, Singapore, Finland and Jordan with the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) which includes 290 alternative warhead rocket pods, 34 unitary rocket pods and 529 reduced range practice rocket pods. Work and delivery of the system is expected to be completed by March 31, 2018.

Mikros Systems has been contracted by the US Navy for the production, logistics support and future development of its ADEPT distance support sensor suite (ADSSS) condition based maintenance (CBM) system for its littoral combat ship (LCS) programme.

BAE Systems is testing a new technology, the Ship Energy Assessment - Condition Optimisation & Routing Enhancement System (SEA-CORES), which is being developed to transform ship maintenance for the UK Royal Navy and commercial organisations.

The Gregorio del Pilar-class multi-role frigates have been in service with the Philippine Navy since 2011. They are intended to improve maritime security of the Philippines in Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal islands located in the South China S…

The Indonesian Navy’s new Sigma 10514 Perusak Kawal Rudal (PKR) guided-missile frigate has successfully concluded its sea trials.

Russian Floks 120 mm Self-Propelled Mortar System

Tag: Mogherinimigration crisis

What do a 16-year high school student, a middle-aged aviation engineer, a 29-year old tenth-grader in night school and a 45-year old doctor in the Afghanistan National Border Police have in common? Not just that all of them come from the western region (Badghis or Herat), but all of them were also competitors in the first-ever Short Film Festival that focused on the effects of armed conflict on children. The festical was held on 3 September 2016 in Herat city. AAN’s Jelena Bjelica takes a closer look at the ten selected directors/screenwriters and their films, and dwells on this different representation of Afghanistan.

About the festival

The Herat Short Film Festival had called for submission on the topic “effects of armed conflict on Afghan children.” (1) The submission criteria were tough. The films, varying in length between two to ten minutes, had to make a visual or oral reference to at least one of the following themes: the effects of conflict on family life, attacks on schools or healthcare centres, the devastating impact of unexploded ordnances and improvised explosive devices on children, and recruitment of children by parties to the conflict. (2) Another condition of registration was that the films had to include at least one female as either director, narrator, scriptwriter or lead character. A total of 32 short films were submitted.

Around 220 film aficionados, critics and partners attended the one-day event, which featured mostly young filmmakers from Herat and Badghis provinces, including women and members of the disabled community. There were children in the audience too. “The festival gave me a chance to know there are many children who are suffering from hard work and who are affected by the armed conflict,” Said Kayhan, a primary school student who attend the film festival, told the UN.

Four judges – from UNAMA, civil society and the AIHRC – reviewed the films and selected the two winners. Certificates were also presented to the best director, actor and actress, child actor and actress, cinematographer and editor. Additionally, the festival audience voted for the Best Film in the People’s Choice Award category.

Ten selected films

UNAMA selected ten films to be released online (three of them are currently available here on UNAMA’s Facebook page). (3) The selected films represent a wide variety in stories, experiences and artistic expression, with some participants still being surprisingly young. The ten selected films prove that despite the conflict, creativity is still very much alive.

Empty space (Jay-e Khaliha) by Mahbuba Barat

The Best Film, Best Script and Best Director awards went to Mahbuba Barat, a 16-year-old high school student from Herat, for her film Empty Space. The film depicts the story of a young boy who desperately wants to continue his education, but is forced to quit school and become the sole breadwinner of the family, after his father’s conflict-related death. In this five-minute art piece, Barat skillfully uses scenes from Herat’s streets and closes the film with an effective and painful cinematic metaphor of a pen thrown in the dirt.

She said “I found the festival theme very strong and useful, and therefore I was motivated to make a short film about the effects of armed conflict on Afghan children.”

Barat has been involved in Cinema and Theater from a very young age, since 2010, and has several previous art works on her name. Her first production was a theater piece (Zang-e-Seda), which won the second prize at a Theater festival in 2013. After that, she directed Bud & Nabud (Was and Wasn’t), Mah-e-Maqbul-e Man (My Beautiful Moon), Madaram (My Mother), and Mohajeratha (Emigrations).

Empty space is available to watch online, here.

Duty bound (Wazifa Shenas) by Dr Naser

Duty Bound is about the heartache and dilemmas faced by a border police commander, when members of an armed group threaten to kill his son unless he releases their detained compatriots. The short film is multi-layered and includes a story of friendship between two boys: the commander’s son and his young friend. In a moving finale, the two boys, who both lose a leg to an IED placed in a school bag, share one pair of tennis shoes.

Dr Naser is a 45-year inhabitant of Herat province. He won the award for Second Best Director and Scriptwriter. His first experience in cinema was as an actor in Marz Bannan (Border Police). Dr Naser is a doctor in the Afghan National Border Police. The many incidents he witnessed that have affected and harmed children, motivated him to make this film.

Patrimony (Miras) by Amanullah Nusrat

Patrimony tells the story of two brothers; one who is studious and the other who prefers to play with guns. The father of this family sees the young son who is a fighter as the honorable one, compared to the one who is more of an intellectual. The films highlights the importance placed on patrimony and on fighting for the country and shows how this affects families and impacts children by forcing many of them to choose violence over education.

Amanullah Nusrat, the 45-year-old director of the film, is an aviation engineer by profession. He has been involved in film industry for a decade as a director, script writer, editor and cinematographer. He has directed ten long and short films in his career. He also competed in a SABA TV competition on environmental protection in 2015, where he won second prize.

Patrimony is available to watch online, here.

Our World (Jehan-e Ma) by Ahmad Wahid Omid

Our World depicts how conflict disrupts the normal lives of people, as it forces them to flee their country to look for safety and to restart a new life elsewhere.

The director of the film, Ahmad Wahid Omid, is 27 years old. He also directed Qafas (Cage). He has been involved in the film industry since 2009 and has produced up to ten short films, mainly about peace, environmental protection and migration. He has won several prizes, including first prize in the 60 second international film festival in Pakistan in 2015 for his earlier film Vision. The short film he showed in Herat, Our World also competed in the Vancouver Short Film Festival on Migration this year. The results will be public soon.

For Peace (Bara-ye Solh) by Mohammad Yaser Barakzai

For Peace is an animation film depicting the need for peace. It shows airplanes bombing the country. When after a while they suddenly notice two children with balloons, instead of dropping bombs, they end up dropping flowers. For Peace was produced last year and originally not intended for this festival as the producer thought the theme of his animation might not be strong enough, even though the animation work is good. He entered just before the deadline closed and was picked as one of the best ten films.

Mohammad Yaser Barakzai, 25-year old, is a 12th-grade graduate who is currently working as an IT technician. He has produced nearly 35 different animation films, since 2012. The themes of his animation vary from social issues, women issues to TV commercials, and peace.

Cage (Qafas) by Ahmad Wahid Omid

Cage is a two-minute silent film directed by 27-year old Ahmad Wahid Omid. It is a beautiful cinematic metaphor told through impressive shots of flying kits and the story of a young boy, disabled by polio, who daydreams. The film depicts the harm and suffering caused by the conflict in Afghanistan, showing how it affects access to health care – in this case through the interruption of polio vaccination programs.

Cage is available to watch online, here and here)

Hidden hell (Jahanam-e Penhan) by Abdul Karim Akbari

Hidden Hell depicts how difficult life is for Afghan families as a result of the ongoing conflict. In this case the family loses its main breadwinner, which in turn severely impacts the mother’s health. The film shows how the mother’s death leaves the child with no support from either the government or other community members.

Abdul Karim Akbari, the scriptwriter of Hidden Hell, is 29-year old night school tenth-grader. He has been involved in film making for over a decade and has competed in two other festivals, one by the Lincoln center in Herat and the other by a local NGO on peace. Akbari has acted in several short and feature films and has directed movies before.

Hero of Life (Qahraman-e Zendegi) by Omid Haqju

Hero of Life shows how difficult life is in times of conflict, especially for disabled people.

Omid Haqju is a 22-year old journalism student. He has been involved in Cinema since 2014. He has taken part in several films as an actor. Hero of Life is his first artwork as a director and screenwriter. Like many other Afghan, Haqju himself was affected by the armed conflict, which motivated him to make a film showing its severe impact on Afghan children.

Headlines (Sarkhat-e Khabarha) by Sohail Fakuri

Headlines depicts the everyday life in Afghanistan, where people, including children, are continuously exposed to news about the conflict: insurgency attacks, the fall of a districts, suicide bombings. They have no option but to continue their lives and face the challenges. The film shows the wish of all to see peace and portrays the continued existence of the positive sides of life, such as smiling children.

Sohail Fakuri, a 13-year old sixth-grader, directed the movie. He has had roles in more than ten long and feature films. He also has skills in film editing.

New Generation (Nasl-e Naw) by Behzad Askarzada

The short film New Generation depicts the fact that the conflict is ominous and that the new generation needs to be aware of its effects and consequences. This generation is, the film argues, more aware of the severity of the conflict than the generations before them and know that they need to work harder to overcome the challenges so they can have a future free of conflict.

A 38-year old, Behzad Askarzada, the author and the director of the film has been involved in the local film industry for the last 15 years. He has directed many feature and short films, including TV commercials about peace, effects of drugs, human rights, and disarmament, and has long-standing experience with theatrical performances.

Different representation

The interesting thing about the festival was that it brought together people of different ages, professions and preferences to creatively express themselves with regard to an issue that affects them all, either directly or indirectly. In the current turbulent situation, the collection of stories provide a mosaic of experiences on how the armed conflict continues to affect, not only on children, but society as a whole.

As UNAMA noted in its press release:

The festival provided an important opportunity for Afghans from all walks of life to exercise their cultural rights with courage and innovation. Many of the films reflected personal experiences or told the story of those closest to the writer. The films provided a creative and unique collective voice to children facing conflict across the country. Conducted under volatile conditions in Afghanistan, this Festival also offered an important avenue to inspire civil society, and particularly youth, to advocate and address human rights through a media platform.

It is remarkable to see and listen to these stories told by ordinary people in a truly artistic language. In particular, a scene from Patrimony comes to mind. The father is lecturing his studious son, admonishing him to be more like his weapon-loving brother. He tells his boy, who is about ten-years old: “This weapon is our patrimony. This [was handed] from my grandfather to my father, and from my father to me. And after me to my son. Today I am proud of my son. The weapons will never leave Afghanistan.” A moment later, in a pathos-filled closing, the weapon-loving son kills his intellectual brother by accident, while cleaning the kalashnikov.

A documentary is currently being produced to highlight the journey of the filmmakers, the production process and their personal experience in participating in the festival itself.

 

(1) The film festival was jointly organised by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), with support from Afghanistan’s Department of Information and Culture, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), civil society and the local media and arts community in the Herat city.

(2) The armed conflict in Afghanistan has been increasing in intensity, in terms of complexity, geographic scope and levels of violence, with particularly harsh consequences for children, UNAMA noted in the film festival’s press release.

In the first half of 2016, the United Nations documented 1,509 child casualties (388 deaths and 1,121 injured), according to its regular six-months protection of civilians report. According to this report children accounted for 85 per cent of all civilian casualties caused by Explosive Remnants of War (ERWs) – the second leading cause of child casualties. The UN further documented 46 incidents affecting access to education; 64 incidents affecting access to healthcare and 34 instances of children recruited and used by parties to the conflict.

(3) Danielle Bell, director of Human Rights Unit in (UNAMA) representative of UN OHCHR told AAN, “UNAMA’s aim was to raise awareness and bring attention to the issues of armed conflict facing children in Afghanistan as seen by local film makers in western region, many of whom are children and youth themselves.” Bell, who participated in the Herat event, added that UNAMA organised the film festival “to facilitate and encourage the exercise of cultural rights by male and female entrants of all ages, to provide a forum to recognise and celebrate achievements of short film makers and to encourage and facilitate female participation in society and cultural life.”

Americas

• A US Navy announcement for an overhaul of the troubled Littoral Combat Ship program will include turning the first four ships into test vessels. The change comes after the naval branch announced an engineering stand-down for LCS crews following an August 29 engineering casualty on the USS Coronado. Under Thursday’s plan, the Freedom, Independence, Fort Worth and Coronado will become single-crewed testing ships that could be deployed as fleet assets on a limited basis, the Navy said.

• Lockheed Martin has announced that the Aegis weapon system has been successfully live-fire tested on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. During the test, an unmodified Marine Corps F-35B acted as an elevated sensor and detected an over-the-horizon threat. The jet sent data through the aircraft’s Multi-Function Advanced Data Link to a ground station connected to Aegis on the USS Desert Ship, a land-based ship.

Middle East & North Africa

• Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has voiced his opposition to a proposed ban on $1.5 billion worth of arms sales to Saudi Arabia. While acknowledging the cause of the proposed ban, Saudi Arabia’s conduct in the ongoing Yemen Civil war, Cardin dismissed the claims saying “They’re trying to make a point with an arms sale that’s not relevant to those concerns.” Saudi Arabia has been carrying out airstrikes in their war with the Iranian-allied Houthi movement in Yemen since March 2015.

• Despite last week’s tantalizing claims that the US State Department would clear a three year backlog of jets destined for Kuwait and Qatar, the sales will continue to be delayed. It is believed that the sales of the new tranche fighter have been frozen until after the US completes a new military funding agreement with Israel, a process which has dragged on longer than either nation expected. Qatar is seeking 72 F-15E Strike Eagles, while Kuwait wants 28 F/A-18E/F fighter jets in deals totalling over $7 billion.

• Israel’s Defense Ministry plans to ease restrictions on their export policy. Under the new changes, proposals include: Expanding exemptions for marketing permits for unclassified products to the US; Updating Israel’s controllable munitions list; waiving temporary export licenses now required for marketing participation in trade shows; waiving marketing licenses for most counter-terrorism products and services; expanding marketing license exemptions for international brokers from exempted countries; instituting a single generic marketing license that will apply to some 98 preferred countries; instituting online export licensing applications; and extending marketing licensing from three to four years.

Africa

• Saab has revealed that they have sent their Giraffe AMB radar to South Africa for the last six months for testing. During this time, the radar has been paired with Denel’s Umkhonto surface-to-air missile, with the pairing due to be on display at the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition this week. Saab’s presence at AAD will see the company be part of a situational awareness/command and control demonstration with other companies such as Reutech and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Europe

• Russian media reported that the upcoming T-50 PAK-FA is having a new cluster bomb developed specially for carriage on the fighter. Dubbed “Drill,” the munition relies on satellite navigation for guidance and has an effective range of 30km. Russia is one of only 16 nations left that still produces cluster munitions.

Asia Pacific

• With tensions rising on the Korean peninsula, South Korea may look to purchase 20 additional F-35A fighters. Military officials say the move comes as North Korea’s growing nuclear capabilities have resulted in a reassessment of the South’s existing wartime strike programs against the North. In 2013, South Korea paid $7.06 billion for 40 F-35A fighters for delivery between 2018 and 2021. At that time, it had the option of buying 20 additional warplanes depending on the security situation.

Today’s Video

UkrOboronProm’s Mi-24PU1 attack helicopter. :

The Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) air warfare destroyer, Hobart, has begun its first series of sea trials.

The Royal Australian Navy is conducting the multinational maritime exercise, Kakadu 2016, in Darwin, Australia.

The US Navy and Marine Corps have announced the successful demonstraton of integration between Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter and Aegis weapon system during a live missile test.