Asian Defence News1

C-130 Aircraft For Philippine Air Force Spotted

The first of 2 refurbished C-130H Hercules transport aircraft from United States acquired for Philippine Air Force (PAF) was spotted at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California last week.The said acquisition is funded jointly by the Philippine government and US through its Foreign Military Financing program.

Arrival of the first aircraft was scheduled last year but was affected by the ongoing pandemic.On December 8, 2020, visiting then Acting US Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller mentioned that the delivery of first aircraft is taking place December 17.Miller, at that time, turned over to National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana PHP1.38 billion ($29 million) worth of defense gears, including snipers and anti-IED equipment.“We are grateful for the support provided by the United States as we continuously work on the enhancement of the Philippines’ defense capabilities,” Lorenzana said during the turn over of defense gears.

“The modernization of the AFP will ultimately allow us to respond more effectively to both traditional and non-traditional security threats to our maritime nation. Our government expresses our deep appreciation for the US government’s assistance in protecting our borders from external threats,” he added.

IFS, Tech Mahindra to Enable $54 Million Software Project for HAL

Enterprise software company, IFS has signed a contract with Tech Mahindra, the prime contractor for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), to enable HAL’s Project Parivartan Program, a US$ 54 million (Rs 400 crore) software project.

The ERP solution from IFS will support business-critical processes, including maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO), manufacturing, supply chain management, human capital management (HCM), and finance.Conceived as a comprehensive business transformation exercise, the initiative will involve large-scale implementation of technological enhancements to establish new work processes based on industry best practice, an IFS release said.

The comprehensive IFS solution will replace a large number of disparate business systems in HAL with a central, consolidated platform that will empower staff with easy access to accurate data. The project will also provide enhanced inventory visibility and purchasing power, powerful financial capabilities and group-level consolidation.“In order to meet the challenges of evolving business scenarios and to ensure sustaining competitiveness and customer focus, HAL has initiated ‘Project Parivartan’,” said Mr. R Madhavan, CMD, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. “Tech Mahindra will implement the new platform from IFS and help HAL meet the dynamic needs of this hyper-digitalized world using ERP. This will further enhance mission-critical processes, such as MRO, and will facilitate HAL in ushering in a new era of centralized operations based on industry best practices.”

Sujit Baksi, President Corporate Affairs and Business Head Emerging Markets, Tech Mahindra, said, “The project will transform HAL’s ERP system through the implementation of a new platform from IFS, thus enabling us to serve the Armed Forces in an efficient and effective manner.”Michael Ouissi, Chief Customer Officer, IFS, added, “The need for HAL to manage the many intricate elements of its operation cannot be underrated. Our platform is engineered to help multi-site companies in heavily regulated industries, such as aerospace and defense, digitalize and positively transform their value chains.”

UK Contracts Elbit Systems for AI-Powered Detect and Destroy Battlefield System

The British Army has invested $137 million (£102-million) in an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered surveillance system built by Elbit Systems which allows frontline soldiers to detect and engage enemy targets.

The contract will be performed over a five-year period.

Elbit Systems UK (ESUK) will deliver the ‘sensor to shooter’ system to the Army. Utilising thermal sight technology, the Dismounted Joint Fires Integrator (DJFI) will enhance soldiers’ ability to find and identify targets on the Battlefield. It then provides the crucial targeting information necessary to fire more quickly and accurately than ever before, the UK Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

Using specialist software on a tablet, information gathered by the DJFI is sent digitally to an artillery system or aircraft to instantly engage the target, while the soldier operating the system remains hidden.

ESUK has also confirmed all five subcontractors will also be UK-based.DJFI will deliver six distinct Fires Integration equipment suites – each tailored to specific battlefield mission roles – to be combined with existing hardware and software. The technology is designed to be integrated and used alongside similar equipment used by allied forces, meaning the UK can play a pivotal role in joint overseas operations.The D-JFI solution is a networked, passive and active target acquisition solution that acquires, generates and communicates target information to effector systems for effective engagement of joint precision and non-precision fires. The solution is empowered by Artificial Intelligence and will interface with the radio communication systems of the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Marines.

The solution draws on the Company’s operational experience in providing dismounted network combat solutions. It integrates several of its technologies, including: the TORCH-X Battle Management Application; the Hattorix system for undetectable generation of high-precision targets, the CORAL Multi-Spectral electro-optical payload for enhanced target acquisition in day and night and the Rattler XR long range laser designator.