Coronavirus Impact: France Pulls Out from African West Coast Maritime Security Mission

04/03/2020
by defenceWeb The French Navy has suspended its Mission Corymbe off West Africa due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, and withdrawn a vessel from the area. The patrol vessel Lieutenant de Vaisseau Le Henaff, which departed Brest on 3 March for West Africa, returned to France at the end of the…

An Update on French Defense Industry During the Lockdown: April 1, 2020

04/01/2020
By Pierre Tran Paris - Arquus last week delivered 13 VAB armored troop carriers to support the French army in the African Barkhane operation, and an initial batch of 100 VT4 light vehicles for national security, the vehicle manufacturer said March 31. Meanwhile, Nexter partially restarted production March 30 after…

The Contribution of the Australian Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessel to Smart Sovereignty

04/01/2020
By Robbin Laird The argument of my forthcoming report on the nature and impact of the new build Australian OPV program is that the new build OPV is shaping a new template for Australian shipbuilding. And it is one in which the role of the prime contractor is being redefined…

L3Harris Australia: Working as Part of Team Luerssen in the New Build OPV

04/01/2020
By Robbin Laird In the first part of this article, I posed the question: What does it mean to be a supplier to such an effort in which the prime contractor is tasked to deliver ongoing capabilities and contribute those capabilities across the force, rather than to provide simply capabilities defined…

The Australian Government and the Australian Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessel: The Perspective of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG)

03/31/2020
By Robbin Laird After my visit to Perth and the Henderson Shipyard, I had a chance in Canberra to discuss the new class of OPVs with the senior leadership team in Navy and the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) within the Australian Department of Defence. Participating in the discussion…

Re-Thinking Military Supply Chain Security in the Post-Pandemic World

03/30/2020
By David Beaumont Supply chain security is the concept which encompasses the programs, systems, procedures, technologies and solutions applied to address threats to the supply chain and the consequent threats to economic, social and physical well-being of citizens and organised society. – World Bank, 2009 Deborah Cowen’s book, The deadly life of…