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DCNS Trying to Recover Profit Lost to Mistral Cancellation

DCNS is in talks with the French authorities to recover the “three figures” of profit that sank when France canceled the sale of two Mistral helicopter carriers to Russia, Chairman Hervé Guillou said Tuesday.

The naval shipbuilder forewent some €100 million (US $110 million) of gain when Paris and Moscow agreed to annul the deal in August, with France repaying €949.7 million of cash advances.

That cancellation led to DCNS, prime contractor on the Mistral, forgoing a profit of “three figures,” Guillou told the defense journalists association. “I am sure it will be resolved,” he said, declining to give the amount.

In his Sept. 15 remarks to the National Assembly foreign affairs committee, Guillou said the cancellation of the Mistral led to foregoing profit that is the equivalent of a year’s research and development budget.

DCNS invests €100 million in R&D, he told journalists Tuesday.

Coface, the export credit agency, repaid €893 million of production costs but that repayment excluded the expected profit. The government repaid Russia €56.9 million for adapting the ships to fit Russian combat systems.

The first of the two Mistrals will sail to Egypt next summer, the second three months later, Guillou said. The company is in talks about creating an Egyptian joint venture for maintenance of warships.

The company last year sold four Gowind corvettes and is in talks for an option on two more. Egypt also bought a multimission frigate, part of a €5.2 billion arms deal centered on the sale of 24 Rafale fighters and missiles from Sagem and MBDA.

DCNS is in discussion for a local partner in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for maintenance of ships delivered under the two Sawari arms programs.

Maintenance is also a factor in the company’s bid in an Australian competition for eight to 12 attack submarines, which is now under a competitive evaluation process.

There were no problems in cooperating with Thales, a systems company, on the Australian offer, with the systems company “unequalled” in sonar technology, Guillou said. There is cooperation with Thales at the group level with the Thales Underwater Systems division in a highly structured way.

Thales Underwater Systems could also be a subcontractor for the two US companies, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, competing for the separate combat systems contract in Australia, he said.

DCNS competes with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, and Japan teamed with Mistubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Shipbuilding.

Australia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are seen as potential markets for expansion in addition to Brazil, India and Malaysia, where DCNS is building submarines and surface warships with local partners.

DCNS has seen interest from Canada, Chile, Colombia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia on the planned intermediate frigate, which the company will build for the French Navy. The frigate will have a modular design, able to be adapted to regional and defense needs of the export client.

DCNS expects to break even this year after posting a 2014 net loss of €336 million, with annual sales more than €3 billion. The company reported €3.1 billion in sales in 2014.

“We are on our financial trajectory and the operational signals for 2015 show the company is on the right track,” Guillou said.

The company is state-owned, with Thales holding 35 percent.

Of the sales, two-thirds stem from shipbuilding, one-third from maintenance.

DCNS is in talks with labor unions on the loss of 1,000 jobs, with the company looking to consolidate around specialization on sites around the country.

Germany Going to Put on Steps in Syrian Soil

Germany is planning to deploy 1,200 troops to help France in the fight against Islamic State jihadists in Syria, its army chief said Sunday, in what would be the military's biggest deployment abroad.

"From a military point of view, around 1,200 soldiers would be necessary to run the planes and ship," army chief of staff Gen. Volker Wieker told Bild am Sonntag newspaper, adding that the mission would begin "very quickly once a mandate is obtained."

"The government is seeking a mandate this year," said Wieker.

Berlin on Thursday offered France Tornado reconnaissance jets, a naval frigate, aerial refueling and satellite images in the fight against the IS group.

Between four and six Tornados would be deployed to deliver images of the ground, even in poor weather and during the night, Wieker said.

Asked why Germany had shied away from participating in direct air strikes, Wieker said the coalition already had "sufficient forces and means" dealing with that aspect of the battle.

"What is needed is reconnaissance on the ground, so that these forces can be deployed effectively. Our Tornados can contribute a lot in that area," he said.

Talks are ongoing with Turkey and Jordan on stationing the planes in Incirlik — which also serves as a base for US jets, as well as in Amman.

Wieker swiped aside any criticism that Germany had opted for "the least dangerous" tasks, saying: "This allegation is not justified. What is the difference when you fly a bomber jet or a reconnaissance plane over the same area? The levels of threat and danger are the same."

Post-war Germany has been traditionally reluctant to send troops abroad, although it has joined UN-mandated missions in the Balkans and elsewhere, and the NATO coalition in Afghanistan.

Germany has not taken part in air strikes against the IS in Syria and Iraq, which have been mainly flown by US and French aircraft.

After France last week invoked a clause requiring EU member states to provide military assistance after the Paris attacks, Germany swiftly announced its participation in the fight in Syria.

Egyptian Mistrals Going To House Russian Equipments And Ka-52s

Russia will supply equipment and helicopters worth over $1 billion for the Egyptian Mistral helicopter carriers, the Kremlin chief of staff said Monday.

NOVO-OGARYOVO (Sputnik) — Cairo and Paris signed a contract earlier this month for the purchase of two French-made Mistral-class helicopter carriers originally built for Russia.

"Russia will be, if you want, a sub-contractor, who will supply the missing equipment without which the Mistral warships are just a tin can. And of course, all the helicopters,” Sergei Ivanov said.
He added that the price of potential contracts would amount to over $1 billion.

Egypt emerged as France’s replacement customer for the Mistrals in September 2015, after Paris and Moscow formally terminated a 2011 deal on the construction and delivery of the two ships. In November 2014, France suspended the contract, claiming Moscow's alleged participation in the Ukrainian conflict.

Russia and France are expected to sign the final documents on the removal of radio-electronic systems from the Mistral-class helicopter carriers in early November.

Source: Sputnik News

Egyptian Mistrals Going To House Russian Equipments And Ka-52s

Russia will supply equipment and helicopters worth over $1 billion for the Egyptian Mistral helicopter carriers, the Kremlin chief of staff said Monday.

NOVO-OGARYOVO (Sputnik) — Cairo and Paris signed a contract earlier this month for the purchase of two French-made Mistral-class helicopter carriers originally built for Russia.

"Russia will be, if you want, a sub-contractor, who will supply the missing equipment without which the Mistral warships are just a tin can. And of course, all the helicopters,” Sergei Ivanov said.
He added that the price of potential contracts would amount to over $1 billion.

Egypt emerged as France’s replacement customer for the Mistrals in September 2015, after Paris and Moscow formally terminated a 2011 deal on the construction and delivery of the two ships. In November 2014, France suspended the contract, claiming Moscow's alleged participation in the Ukrainian conflict.

Russia and France are expected to sign the final documents on the removal of radio-electronic systems from the Mistral-class helicopter carriers in early November.

Source: Sputnik News

Russia Official Says: We won’t be taking Mistral warships from France

Russia won’t try and get its ill-fated Mistral helicopter carriers from France, a Russian official has announced. Moscow and Paris are set to discuss damages to be paid by France for welching on the deal. 

BPC Mistral of French Navy.

“Russia won’t be taking them [the Mistral vessels]. That’s a fact. There’s just a single discussion underway at the moment – on the amount of money that should be returned to Russia,” Oleg Bochkarev, a deputy chairman of the Russian governmental Military-Industrial Commission, is cited as saying by RBC.

The negotiations have been “transferred into the commercial field” and “major efforts are being made today” for Russia to receive damages, Bochkarev told RIA Novosti.

France reportedly offered €748 million as compensation, but Russia turned down the proposal, calling it "laughable."

The official also said that Russia would build its own helicopter carriers, in place of the Mistral warships, which Paris refused to supply Moscow.

“We have such vessels planned, they’re on the drawing board,” Bochkarev stressed, adding that they will be of a different class to the French-built ships as “there’s no point copying the Mistrals.”

Russia and France signed a €1.12 billion contract to build two Mistral class amphibious ships in 2011.

Under the deal, Russia was supposed to receive the first of the two Mistral-class helicopter carriers, the Vladivostok, in October 2014 and the second, the Sevastopol, in 2015. But the mood in Paris went through a sea change.

In mid-2014, the French side postponed delivery indefinitely due to pressure from the US and the EU, which have imposed a set of sanctions against Moscow over the accession of Crimea and Russia’s alleged involvement in the Ukrainian crisis.

In late April, French President Francois Hollande acknowledged that Russia should get a refund if it doesn’t receive the Mistral ships.

Earlier this month, an article in the Le Point weekly magazine said the French government could end up having to pay “between €2 billion and €5 billion,” if it doesn’t fulfill its contractual obligations with Russia.

The French Navy repeatedly stated that it doesn’t need the Mistrals as they are built according to Russian standards.

Reports have emerged that the cheapest solution for France would be to scuttle the two newly-built ships as maintaining them costs an estimated €2 to €5 million every month.

Paris Hopes For Settlement In Mistral Deal With Russia

Paris hopes to reach a settlement with Russia regarding the failed deal for the delivery of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers to the Russian Navy, Le Journal du Dimanche reported. 

 

"For France the Mistral contract is significant for both diplomatic and financial reasons. French authorities do not want to be perceived as swindlers unable to fulfil their obligations," the newspaper quoted a member of the French government familiar with the situation as saying.

 

Mistral-class helicopter carrier.

If France succeeds in reaching a settlement with Russia, Paris would be able to pay compensation and not a fine, the source added. The compensation could reach 50 percent of what Moscow paid. 

 

According to the source, France is ready to repay Moscow $875 million, as well as cover the expanses of sending Russian seamen to Saint-Nazaire, where the Mistrals were built. France is also allegedly willing to pay for the shipment of Russian equipment and platform installation in Russian ports.

Russian sailors stand in formation in front of the Mistral-class helicopter carrier Vladivostok at the STX Les Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard site in Saint-Nazaire.

The two Mistral ships, known as the Vladivostok and the Sevastopol, could be sold to a third party, the newspaper said, adding that NATO members are among potential buyers.

"However, … measures would be taken so that the helicopter carriers would not be sold to the countries in strained relations with Russia," a source told the newspaper, naming Georgia as one such nation that is unable to buy the Mistrals built for Russia. "Evidently the Kremlin would see this as a provocation," the newspaper said.

Earlier in May, rumors appeared that France was trying to sell the Mistral-class amphibious assault ship to China while two French warships were on a seven-day visit to Shanghai. Russia insists the ships cannot be sold without Moscow's permission. 

 

The Mistral-Class Helicopter Carrier.

Under a $1.3-billion deal Russia and France signed in 2011, Paris was supposed to deliver the Vladivostok in November 2014 and the Sevastopol in early 2015. None of the ships arrived to Russia, since the deliveries were put on hold over Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian civil war. Kremlin has repeatedly denied these groundless claims and pushed for peace in the war-torn nation.

 

Source: Sputnik

I was a rookie reporter nine years ago in October 2005 when, in the main ceremonial room of the Indian MoD, then Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt and then Ambassador of France, the tempestuous Dominique Girard, signed the Indian government's contract for six Scorpene submarines. I had spent just over a year on the defence beat at The Indian Express. The P75 submarine build programme was one of the biggest developing stories at the time. 

 It would be the new UPA government's first defence deal, and the Indian Navy was desperate for an early conclusion. Only two weeks before the signing at the MoD, I and a small group of other reporters were huddled in a small conference room at Delhi's Hyatt Hotel receiving a briefing from Germany's HDW on the Class 214 submarine. We were only journalists, but it was a final effort to pitch the U-boat as a better product than the French offering that would defeat it less than 14 days later.

Nearly a decade later, the Germans are back in the race. Presumably. (No maker of submarines has officially declared interest in the P75I competition since it was cleared for a 'Make in India' route earlier this month.) Cleared of corruption allegations in the Shishumar-class build programme, the Germans still smart at how they lost the 2005 deal. And they'll be competing to make good. But, in every way -- every possible way -- the P75I programme is likely to be more complicated, contentious and competitive than its predecessor. The Class 214, which squared off against the Scorpene in the final race the last time, could face at least four worthy competitors this time. All come with their own technical, capability-centric and political pros and cons:

All six submarines will be built in India at an Indian shipyard. By December, the MoD has committed to identifying the public and private shipyards capable of taking on such work. Apart from Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) and L&T's shipyards (the only two currently engaged in submarine building work), the MoD will size up Cochin Shipyard Ltd, GRSE, GSL, Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) and Pipavav, among prospective others. 

Here's the original P75I request for information from years ago, which originally envisaged two submarines built by the OEM and four in an Indian shipyard:

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR PROCUREMENT OF 06 CONVENTIONAL SUBMARINES UNDER PROJECT 75(I) 

1. INDIAN NAVY IS IN THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING A CONTEMPORARY CONVENTIONAL SUBMARINE FOR CONSTRUCTION AS FOLLOWS:- 

(A) TWO SUBMARINES AT COLLABORATORS SHIPYARD. 

(B) FOUR SUBMARINES AT TWO INDIAN SHIPYARDS. 

2. INDIAN NAVY REQUESTS INFORMATION FROM FIRMS WHO HAVE INDEPENDENTLY DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED A COMPLETE MODERN CONVENTIONAL SUBMARINE WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN SERVICE / UNDERGOING SEA TRIALS. THE SUBMARINE SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF OPERATING IN OPEN OCEAN AND LITTORAL / SHALLOW WATERS IN DENSE ASW AND EW ENVIRONMENT AND ABLE TO UNDERTAKE FOLLOWING MISSIONS:-

(A) ANTI SURFACE AND ANTI SUBMARINE WARFARE.
(B) SUPPORTING OPERATIONS ASHORE.
(C) ISR MISSIONS.
(D) SPECIAL FORCE AND MINING OPS.

3. PROSPECTIVE COLLABORATORS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD DATA REGARDING THE FOLLOWING CAPABILITIES OF THE PROPOSED DESIGN:- 

(A) MAXIMUM DIVING DEPTH WITHOUT LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF DIVES. 

(B) MAXIMUM OPERATING RANGE (DIVED-SNORT-SURFACE) AND MISSION ENDURANCE. 

(C) AIR INDEPENDENT PROPULSION SYSTEM BEING OFFERED. 

(D) SURFACE DISPLACEMENT AND RESERVE BUOYANCY. 

(E) INDISCRETION RATE.

(F) SEA WATER SPECIFIC GRAVITY OPERATING RANGE. 

(G) TORPEDO TUBES WITH CAPABILITY TO LAUNCH LONG RANGE HEAVY WEIGHT WIRE GUIDED TORPEDOES, MISSILES AND METHOD FOR WEAPON DISCHARGE. 

(H) EXTERNALLY LAUNCHED TORPEDO DECOY SYSTEM. 

(J) INTEGRATED COMBAT SYSTEM (DETAILS OF PROSPECTIVE SUPPLIERS TO BE PROVIDED). 

(K) CONTEMPORARY LOW NOISE PROPULSION AND POWER GENERATION SYSTEM. 

(L) AUXILIARY MOTORS WITH TAKE HOME CAPABILITY. 

(M) CONTEMPORARY IPMS, SMCS, APMS. 

(N) AC SYSTEM CUSTOMISED FOR OPERATION IN TROPICAL WATERS CHARACTERISED BY HIGH TEMPERATURE AND HIGH HUMIDITY CONDITIONS. 

4. THE FOLLOWING DATA IN RESPECT OF THE PROPOSED SUBMARINE BE PROVIDED ALONG WITH RESPONSE TO RFI:- 

(A) RADIATED NOISE LEVELS IN FREQUENCY BAND 30 Hz TO 10000Hz (db // REF μPa) AT SPEED OF 5 KNOTS AND 10 KN 

(B) NOISE AND VIBRATION DATA FOR MAJOR PROPULSION AND AUXILIARY MACHINERY (C) MANOEUVRABILITY & STABILITY CHARACTERISTICS 

5. THE RESPONSE TO THIS RFI SHOULD ALSO ELABORATE THE FOLLOWING:-

(A) SCOPE AND DEPTH FOR TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY (TOT) FOR SUBMARINE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION AND PRODUCTION OF KEY SYSTEMS/SUBSYSTEMS AT INDIAN SHIPYARD / BY INDIAN INDUSTRY.
(B) PLAN FOR DISCHARGE OF OFFSET COMMITMENTS AS ENUMERATED IN THE "DEFENCE PROCUREMENT PROCEDURE – 2008" AT WEBSITE WWW.MOD.NIC.IN. 

(C) FEASIBILITY AND PROPOSED APPROACH FOR USE OF ITEMS / EQUIPMENTS SOURCED FROM INDIAN INDUSTRY ON THE SUBMARINE. 

(D) PLAN FOR TRAINING SHIPYARD PERSONNEL FOR PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND INDIAN NAVY PERSONNEL IN ASPECTS OF SUBMARINE DESIGN. 

6. IT IS REQUESTED THAT THE RESPONSE TO THIS RFI BE FORWARDED BY 30 SEP 10.

Source: Livefist

Brimstone and Tornado GR4: Fits With Fates

Brimstone GR4 Possible Carriage Configuration

BRIMSTONE on Tornado GR4

Cropped Tornado GR4 with Brimstone and ASRAAM

MBDA's Brimstone Aboard on "REAPER"

Brimstone

BRIMSTONE substantially increases persistence through single shot precision, 3 missile per pylon aerodynamic fit, and fast-jet qualified levels of environmental robustness.

Training Missile BRIMSTONE on left

Reaper brimstone view_1

Reaper brimstone view_2

Reaper brimstone view_3

Reaper launched Dual Mode Brimstone intercepting 50 mph target

Reaper launched Dual Mode Brimstone intercepting 70 mph high speed crossing target

BRIMSTONE 70 mph Inert TOM No warhead

Dual Mode Brimstone hitting 70 mph high speed crossing target

Dual Mode Brimstone hitting 50 mph target

BRIMSTONE Post Impact Still 1

BRIMSTONE Post Impact Still 2

MBDA's Air-to-Ground Missile(AGM) System "Brimstone"

Brimstone is an air-launched ground attack missile developed by MBDA for Britain's Royal Air Force. It was originally intended for "fire and forget" use against mass formations of enemy armour, using a millimetre wave (mmW) seeker to ensure accuracy even against moving targets. 

Brimstone GR4 Possible Carriage Configuration

Experience in Afghanistan led to the addition of laser guidance in the dual-mode Brimstone missile, allowing a "man in the loop" to pick out specific targets when friendly forces or civilians were in the area. 

The Tandem Shaped charge warhead is much more effective against modern tanks than similar weapons such as the AGM-65G Maverick, whilst the small blast area minimises collateral damage. Three Brimstones are carried on a launcher that occupies a single weapon station, allowing a single aircraft to carry many missiles.

After a protracted development programme, single-mode or "millimetric" Brimstone entered service with RAF Tornados in 2005, and the dual-mode variant in 2008. The latter has been extensively used in Afghanistan and Libya. 

An improved Brimstone 2 was expected to enter service in early 2015, but has been delayed. MBDA is working on the targeting of swarms of small boats under the name Sea Spear. The RAF are waiting for funding to fit Brimstone to their Eurofighter Typhoons and planned to integrate it with their Harriers until they were withdrawn from service in 2010. 

MBDA are studying the use of Brimstone on ships, attack helicopters, UAVs and from surface launchers; it will be integrated on the F-35 Lightning II when the F-35 enters British service. The US, France and India have expressed interest in buying Brimstone for their aircraft but Saudi Arabia is the only export customer to date.

MBDA unveils the MARTE COASTAL DEFENCE SYSTEM at DIMDEX 2014

At the DIMDEX exhibition in Doha, Qatar (25-27 March 2014), MBDA is presenting for the first time ever a new coastal defence system based on the Marte missile family. This system, the Marte Coastal Defence System (MCDS), guarantees maritime coastal traffic surveillance and interdiction to hostile ships in territorial waters.

Michele Di Nunzio, anti-ship missile expert at MBDA, introduces the Marte Coastal Defence System during DIMDEX 2014.

The System is Capable of:

» monitoring and picturing sea communication lines;

» detecting and identifying hostile vessels through the use of active surveillance equipment;

» receiving target data via data-link;

» neutralising hostile vessels by using a new generation of anti-ship missiles.

The MCDS is available with different and flexible configurations depending on customer requirements. This system can operate in either a stand-alone mode or integrated within an existing surveillance radar network. 

At the DIMDEX exhibition in Doha, Qatar (25-27 March 2014), MBDA is presenting for the first time ever a new coastal defence system based on the Marte missile family.

In addition, MBDA can offer two different missile options for MCDS; the Marte MK2/N for the control of brown waters and Marte ER, for the control of a more expansive sea area.

The System Configuration Consists of:

» a Command and Control (C2) module, comprising an ISO standard 12 foot shelter that can be connected via data-link with the upper level surveillance system. This module includes consoles to manage the local picture provided by its own radar (stand-alone mode) or to track targets provided by the upper level surveillance system (integrated mode).

» a launcher module, comprising up to four firing units that can be mounted on ISO standard trucks. Each launcher can deploy up to four missiles.

» a logistics module, comprising a logistic and support vehicle, plus a variable number of reloading vehicles.

The all-weather Marte MK2 is a fire-and-forget, medium-range, sea-skimming anti-ship weapon system. The new version of the missile, called Marte ER (Extended Range), keeps the basic characteristics of the Marte family, but extends its range.

The Marte Missile Family

The all-weather Marte MK2 is a fire-and-forget, medium-range, sea-skimming anti-ship weapon system. It is equipped with mid-course inertial and radar-based terminal guidance and is capable of destroying small craft and seriously damaging larger vessels. The missile weighs 310 kg and is 3.85 metres long. Marte was first developed in the 1980s with the 30km range MK/2 version being deployed on helicopters. Subsequent models followed for integration on different platforms and thus a family of missiles came into being.

The Marte MK-2/S, where “S” stands for “Short” and indicates shorter munitions in order to enable simpler on board integration, has already been integrated on AW101 and NH-90 NFH helicopters (Naval/Nato Frigate Helicopter) in service with the Italian Navy. The Marte MK-2/A was then developed for launch from fixed-wing aircraft (fighter or patrol aircraft). Finally, in response to the growing interest for a lightweight, rapid-response surface-to-surface naval missile system for littoral operations, Marte MK2/N was developed.

The new version of the missile, called Marte ER (Extended Range), keeps the basic characteristics of the Marte family, but extends its range. The new product is different from previous versions thanks to two main features: turbojet propulsion (leading to a four-fold increase in range compared to the rocket motor version), and the new ISO-calibre cylinder cell. The missile, equipped with these new important components, still preserves a series of elements that were already present in previous versions of the Marte missile, providing a number of significant commonalities that are widely appreciated by the market.

Thanks to these improvements, the new missile has a range that now exceeds 100 km and a much increased speed, both in the cruise and final attack phases. However, it is shorter than the previous model. Logistic systems, such as the transport and stocking canister in the helicopter version and the trolley for moving and hooking the missile to aircraft, are the same as those used in the Mk2/S model, offering clear user advantages.

MBDA to Develop FASGW(H)/ANL: The Next Generation ANGLO-FRENCH Anti-Ship Missile

This new programme will lead to shared centres of excellence between both countries.

MBDA welcomes the signature of the Demonstration and Manufacture contract for the FASGW(H)/ANL (Future Anti Surface Guided Weapon (Heavy)/ Anti Navire Léger) missile on 26th March 2014. This jointly funded Anglo-French contract, valued at more than £500 million (€600 million) has been awarded to MBDA by the UK DE&S (Defence Equipment & Support) on behalf of the French and UK MODs and will be managed as part of MBDA’s Team Complex Weapons Portfolio. The work will complete the joint assessment and missile design work funded by the two nations in cooperation since 2009.

By working in concert and bringing together their respective strengths, Britain and France will not only achieve a more cost effective solution to their military needs, they will also help to strengthen MBDA’s position in confronting worldwide competition. Similarly this will also benefit the capability and export potential of those European helicopter platforms which will integrate the FASGW(H)/ANL system over the coming years.

Antoine Bouvier, CEO of MBDA said: “This programme initiates a new era of cooperation that will allow significant efficiencies on future programmes. Instead of combining their efforts programme by programme, as has been the case up to now, France and the UK will coordinate their development and acquisition approach to eliminate duplication in the missile sector. The benefits in terms of competitiveness and performance, which MBDA has already demonstrated with its principal cooperative programmes (Aster, Storm Shadow/SCALP, Meteor), will accrue in due course to more and more of our French and UK products. A decisive step has been made towards the reinforcement and sustainability of the missile industry sector in Europe. This development also ensures a long-term commitment to our armed forces customers with regard to their security of supply based on mutual access to sovereign technologies”.

FASGW(H)/ANL will equip the Royal Navy’s AW159 Lynx Wildcat helicopters and the French Navy’s maritime helicopters. Weighing around 100kg, this modern primarily anti-ship missile will destroy from safe stand-off ranges vessels ranging from FIAC (Fast Inshore Attack Craft), through medium sized FAC (Fast Attack Craft) up to large vessels such as Corvettes. This missile also has a surface attack capability against coastal and land targets.

This joint programme will deliver an enhanced capability to replace existing and legacy systems such as the UK-developed Sea Skua and the French-developed AS15TT anti-ship missiles. It also puts into practice the new cooperative principles agreed by France and the UK during the summit meetings held between the countries’ governments in November 2010, February 2012 and the Brize Norton summit on the 31st January 2014. These principles extend to the creation of Centres of Excellence common to the two countries. While optimising operational efficiency at the industrial level, this approach will also preserve the technology sovereignty of both countries.

Suitable for both blue water and cluttered littoral operations, FASGW(H)/ANL represents a major advance from a technological standpoint. This new system provides very precise effects against a wide range of threats, even in complex environments, thus satisfying a recognised and common future need. A high speed, two-way data-link communicates the images “seen” by the missile’s seeker to the operator, who, in addition to initiating an autonomous engagement, can alternatively remain in control of the missile throughout the full duration of its flight. This optional, man-in-the-loop, monitor-and-control facility, enables new capabilities such as: in-flight re-targeting; final aim point correction and refinement; or safe abort. Ultimately, the missile will be able to engage targets situated out of direct line of sight when the launch platform is able to benefit from third party target designation techniques, for example laser illumination.

Durandals: The Formidable Penetrators of PAF

The Durandal is a anti-runway penetration bomb developed by the then Matra of France, which is now known as the MBDA,  designed to destroy airport and airfield runways.

The Durandal was adopted by the US in a slightly modified form (with a steeper impact angle and a higher 630 knot deployment speed) as the BLU-107/B in the 1980s, and carried by F-111 and F-15E strike aircraft.

This Durandal is in service with Argentina, Turkey, Pakistan and at least 13 other nations. There is some obscure information as to whether the Durandal is or ever has been in service with the French Armée de l'Air.

In the war it was used by the USAF in Desert Storm. 20th Wing (operating F-111E's) flight commander Captain George Kelman said "there is nothing better at destroying a runway than a Durandal."

China has developed its own anti-runway bombs, the Type 200A, based on Durandals.
Durandals are Designed to be dropped from low altitudes, the bomb's fall is slowed by a parachute. 

• The maximum release speed is 550 knots (1,020 km/h; 630 mph), and 
• The minimum release altitude is 200 feet (61 m). 

When the bomb has reached a 40° angle due to the parachute's drag, it fires a rocket booster that accelerates it into the runway surface. 

It works in a way of "dual action":

1. The 100-kilogram (220 lb) primary charge explodes after the penetration of the weapon into the concrete and drives the secondary charge even deeper.
2. The 15-kilogram (33 lb) secondary charge then explodes after a one-second delay.  
   

Later production weapons have a programmable fuze that can delay the secondary detonation up to several hours. The weapon can penetrate up to 40 centimetres (16 in) of concrete, and creates a crater 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) deep and approximately 5 metres (16 ft) in diameter. In addition, concrete slabs around the crater are disturbed in an area approximately 15 metres (49 ft) in diameter. The disturbed slabs are displaced up to 50 centimetres (20 in) above the original surface, making repair more difficult than the simple crater from a conventional bomb