Julien Mercier, Author at defense-aerospace

The New Norwegian Long-term Defence Plan

On 23 March the Norwegian Government presented a fresh long-term plan for the Armed Forces. The document repeats the core security goals set after the 2004 re-orientation, yet it answers two new pressures at once: higher front-line costs in Afghanistan and sharper attention to the High North. The plan keeps the NATO pledge of a credible national deterrent but trims legacy overhead to give combat units more flight hours, sea days, and live-fire drills.

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Rafale in Combat: “War for Dummies”

Pilots walk to their jets before sunrise, climb the ladder, key the INS, and watch the route and target files flow in by Link 16. A typical launch leaves the chocks with the following kit:

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Saudi Arabia – M1A1 and Upgrade of M1A2 to M1A2S Abrams Tanks

Washington has alerted Congress to a possible $2.9 billion Foreign Military Sale that bundles fresh M1A1 Abrams tanks with a fleet-wide rebuild for every Saudi M1A2. The Royal Saudi Land Forces want fifty-eight surplus M1A1 hulls, plus the teardown and refit of the 315 M1A2s already in service. All 373 vehicles would emerge as a single “M1A2S” standard that folds Saudi-specific cooling, power, and fire-control tweaks into the U.S. Army’s own Abrams Integrated Management reset line.

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Thales Signs £700 Million Watchkeeper Contract with MoD

The Ministry of Defence has signed a £700 million agreement with Thales UK to develop, manufacture, and support the Watchkeeper unmanned system. The single signature secures every major phase of work, from completing design through initial sustainment, under one integrated schedule.

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Milestone for AIR 5391

The Systems Division of Tenix Defence Systems today closed the Critical Design Review for the ELTA EL/L-8222 electronic-countermeasures pod Software Support Facility. Built at Mawson Lakes, South Australia, the new suite will stand ready for the Royal Australian Air Force’s Electronic Warfare Squadron in June 2001. The work finishes on time and within contract cost.

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Three UV Stimulators Ordered

Ian Will, Manager of Electro-optic EW Systems at Tenix Defence Systems, confirmed today that a foreign customer has placed an order for three Mallina long-range ultraviolet stimulators. Each unit will ship from the company’s Welshpool facility before the end of the calendar year. The deal, while modest in quantity, marks the first export sale of the Mallina series and signals growing confidence in Australian-designed threat-emulation equipment.

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