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[av405]

The Dutch are getting in on the increased defense spending train. This is from scramble.nl, so it focuses mainly on air assets:

Netherlands Defence Note

On 1 June 2022, the Dutch Minister of Defence, Kajsa Ollongren, officially presented the Defence Note 2022. The government is allocating an additional budget of € 5 billion per year, which is 40 percent more than the current situation. Minister Ollongren spoke of a historic moment because of the amount and also because of the war in Ukraine.

Looking specifically at the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu, Royal Netherlands Air Force) the Defence Note shows the following changes and investments:

- an order for six additional F-35A Lightning IIs, increasing the total number of F-35As to 52
- establishing a third F-35A squadron next to 322 Squadron at Leeuwarden air base and 313 Squadron at Volkel air base
- an order for four additional MQ-9A Reaper Unmanned Combat Aerial System, increasing the capacity to eight Reapers
- all Reapers will be armed, the Parliament will be informed in 2023 with a Statement of Needs (so-called A letter)
- upgrading the AS532 Cougar squadron to support special operations
- replacing the AS532 Cougar with a Medium Utility Helicoper, the Parliament will be informed in 2023 with a Statement of Needs (so-called A letter)
- replacing the C-130H/C-130H-30 air transport capacity *) and adding an extra aircraft, the Parliament will be informed this year on the research phase (so-called B letter)

Scramble Magazine reported in September 2020 on the replacement of the Hercules transporters and that the Dutch government most probably would acquire five new Super Hercules. It is not yet known if they will purchase the C-130J or the C-130J-30 or a combination of these two.

Also reported in the Defence Note are the following noteworthy points:
- replacement of the Gulfstream IV in 2022
- transforming a battalion of the Airmobile Brigade into a Support Unit for Special Operations Forces (SOF) and set up of a special helicopter for SOF support
- replacement Initial Pilot Training Capacity, the Parliament will be informed this year on the research phase (so-called B letter)
- replacement NH90, Parliament will be informed after 2027 with a Statement of Needs (so-called A letter)
- various upgrades on the AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and the CH-47F Chinook transport helicopters

 

[Fish&Chips]

Germany used to operate a dozen hospital trains during the Cold War. It's a great concept that could've come in handy during the pandemic. I'm glad to see it's revived, though I can't help but wonder if diesel-powered trains wouldn't be preferrable to this particular solution.CH-47F and CH-53K are the only Western heavy transport helicopters. There are literally no others, reiterating why this selection process – which has been dragging on for twenty years! – is such a farce. Personally, I hope their chosing the CH-47F will stand. It's simply the safer choice, both from a logistical and a fiscal angle. With the Royal Netherlands Army – a Chinook operator – being amalgamated into its German counterpart, it's imperative to streamline the binational rotorcraft fleet.

The CH-47 it is then. According to dpa quoting a defence source, 60 helicopters shall be procured for some 5 bln Euros. The funding will be done out of the 100 bln special budget. Apparently the deal also includes a cooperation with Airbus for operational needs (servicing, parts?), so they'll be pretty much independent of Boeing if it all works out.

Bundeswehr bekommt neue Transporthubschrauber von Boeing

60 Exemplare des schweren Transporthubschraubers CH-47 will die Bundeswehr kaufen. Bezahlt werden soll das aus dem 100-Milliarden-Paket. Viele NATO-Staaten fliegen die Maschine mit dem markanten Doppelrotor bereits.

www.tagesschau.de

 

[muck]

In other news, the Council of States – the upper house of Switzerland's parliament – has struck down a motion to fully retire the ageing Northrop F-5E fighter jet after the advent of its formal replacement, the Lockheed Martin F-35A. The reason for this decision is a public plea to preserve the Patrouille Suisse aerobatic team of the Swiss Air Force. A centre-right majority argued that retiring the F-5E was not a matter of urgency and vowed to preserve the aerobatic team in recognition of their role as ambassadors of the Swiss Armed Forces. (Source, German)

Also in other news, Germany will buy 7 more Boeing P-8A maritime patrol aircraft for a future fleet of 12 units. (Source, German)

Scramble Magazine reported in September 2020 on the replacement of the Hercules transporters and that the Dutch government most probably would acquire five new Super Hercules. It is not yet known if they will purchase the C-130J or the C-130J-30 or a combination of these two.

Didn't Lockheed Martin discontinue the "short" C-130J, though?

 

[av405]

Also in other news, Germany will buy 7 more Boeing P-8A maritime patrol aircraft for a future fleet of 12 units. (Source, German)

Didn't Lockheed Martin discontinue the "short" C-130J, though?

Wow, so 12 Poseidons total? That's unprecedented! They will have more MPAs than the Royal Air Force.

As far as the RNAF goes, I believe you're right. Only the C-130J-30 is still listed on Lockheed Martin's website. Apart from the RAF, I can't even think of who else bought the short C-130J. Looking at some of the Dutch plans further, much of it isn't surprising. The extra 6 F-35s have been planned for many years now to bring them to a total of 52. And as Scramble reported, the talk of buying new C-130's and adding a 5th aircraft has also been in the works for a few years. Still good news nonetheless.

I can't find too much info on how the defense increase is going to affect the Dutch army, apart from talk of further integration with the Germans.

 

[muck]

Wow, so 12 Poseidons total? That's unprecedented! They will have more MPAs than the Royal Air Force.

It'll also sound the death knell for the Franco-German MAWS project, by the way. Though in the current climate, the French can hardly protest against that. NATO doesn't have enough MPA's to cover the Baltic Sea as it is.

As far as the RNAF goes, I believe you're right. Only the C-130J-30 is still listed on Lockheed Martin's website. Apart from the RAF, I can't even think of who else bought the short C-130J.

The only "short" J in production is the KC-130J. Maybe that's what they're looking at.

 

[Picanha]

From Dutch to Deutsch, Army experiment wrangled wildly complex allied networking​

" don't want to oversell it. We got way more work to do than what wins we made, but those were very encouraging signs," said Maj. Gen. Walter Rugen, director of the Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team.​

From Dutch to Deutsch, Army experiment wrangled wildly complex allied networking - Breaking Defense

"[I] don't want to oversell it. We got way more work to do than what wins we made, but those were very encouraging signs," said Maj. Gen. Walter Rugen, director of the Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team.

breakingdefense.com

 

[pigmode]

New KF51 Panther Tank Packs Big 130mm Gun Aimed At Aging Leopard 2

Germany’s Rheinmetall has unveiled its KF51 Panther that could disrupt Franco-German plans for a new main battle tank.

www.thedrive.com

 

[muck]

Another noteworthy vehicle unveiled at Eurosatory 2022 is a tracked variant of the Boxer APC, retaining the original's modularity. Weighing in at 45 tonnes, BOXER-T is propelled by a 1,180 hp engine and reaches speeds of up to 70 kph. KMW presented it alongside a new light tank module. Even with a turret with a 120 mm main gun and a C-UAS autocannon to boot, the vehicle has enough space for six dismounts. (Source, German)

One thicc boi.

 

[Deleted member 11302]

^^^Six infantrymen? Isn't that somewhat little in terms of mechanised infantry? I figured eight was the magic number when it came to mounted troops in IFVs?

 

[Redav]

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[pigmode]

^^^Six infantrymen? Isn't that somewhat little in terms of mechanised infantry? I figured eight was the magic number when it came to mounted troops in IFVs?

Agree. Although former APC's tended to carry a squad within a platoon formation, IFV's have been moving towards carrying a reinforced fire team. The latter recognizing the increased and increasing firepower of the modern IFV.

 

[Soldier35]

In Germany, Rheinmetall introduced the new KF51 Panther tank. For the first time since World War II, the tank is again called "Panther". There is little information about the tank, it is known that it has a new 130-mm cannon and a coaxial 12.7-mm machine gun. The new gun was introduced back in 2016, in response to information about the Russian Armata tank. For the first time in German tank building, the gun has a full-fledged automatic loader, where 20 shells are loaded, but after they finish, the rest must be loaded manually. On the KF51 Panther tank, you can install a remote-controlled machine gun of 7.62 mm caliber. The principle of "transparent armor" is implemented in the vehicle, the crew sees the situation around the tank with the help of screens. The tower can integrate a system for launching HERO 120 kamikaze drones and reconnaissance UAVs. The tank has passive protection and reactive protection built into the body, like the "Armata", as well as some kind of "active protection". The crew of the tank is 3 people and it is not placed in an armored capsule like the "Armata", but classically in the tower, the fourth crew member can control the drones. The weight of the KF51 Panther tank is 59 tons, the cruising range on one gas station is 500 kilometers, the price is unknown. The KF51 Panther tank has not yet been put into mass production.

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[Redav]

Embraer C-390 beats C-130J in the Netherlands and it will become its new tactical transport

The Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands has chosen the C-390M from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer as the successor and replacement for its C-130H Hercules. T

www.aviacionline.com

 

[av405]

Embraer C-390 beats C-130J in the Netherlands and it will become its new tactical transport

The Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands has chosen the C-390M from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer as the successor and replacement for its C-130H Hercules. T

www.aviacionline.com

Wow, I was not expecting that. It seemed like the C-130J was guaranteed. I don't know much about the C-390 but at least it'll be 3 NATO countries now (Portugal & Hungary) that will share this platform instead of an orphan fleet within the alliance.

 

[Redav]

Wow, I was not expecting that. It seemed like the C-130J was guaranteed. I don't know much about the C-390 but at least it'll be 3 NATO countries now (Portugal & Hungary) that will share this platform instead of an orphan fleet within the alliance.

Yes, the Portuguese were already pretty worried about this since Brazil also reduced their intended numbers, but now with the dutchies joining the band wagon maybe things get better

 

[muck]

I was a bit surprised to read them commenting negatively on the availability and reliability of the C-130J. I'd always thought the Hercules was doing very good in that department. And have the Brazilians even produced enough flying hours to back up the manufacturer's claim? I mean, their air force is so under-funded they recently had to step away from inducting all the ordered units into active service.
Wouldn't be the first time a procurement agency acted on numbers from a brochure.

 

[pigmode]

Denmark keeps F-16 fighter jets flying due to Russia threat

Denmark will keep its fleet of F-16 fighter jets operational three years longer than planned amid a heightened security threat from Russia, the country's Defence Minister Morten Bodskov said on Monday. The NATO country will spend 1.1 billion Danish crowns ($156 million) to keep its F-16s flying...

news.yahoo.com

Smart.

 

[Mike1976]

In regards to the plans for the Dutch navy, a reduction in the number of ships is planned, based on historical precedent to stay within budget.

- Cruisemissiles on both the Zeven Provinciën class as well as the new subs (to be built);
- BMD missiles on the Zeven Provinciën class, presumably SM-3;
- Marines are getting a tactical AD system, their own fire support weapons and unmanned systems;
- The Holland class OPVs are relatively new, but appear to be slated for replacement along with the two LPDs by one single design for amphibious operations, maritime patrolling and emergency assistance;
- The Joint Support Ship HMNLS Karel Doorman is getting upgrades starting in 2025 which will see the Goalkeepers replaced with a (presumably) Leonardo 76mm cannon able to fire DART projectiles and Raytheon RAM short range AD missiles and a Thales Pharos new radar and fire control system based on AWWS.

 

[Fluff]

Another noteworthy vehicle unveiled at Eurosatory 2022 is a tracked variant of the Boxer APC, retaining the original's modularity. Weighing in at 45 tonnes, BOXER-T is propelled by a 1,180 hp engine and reaches speeds of up to 70 kph. KMW presented it alongside a new light tank module. Even with a turret with a 120 mm main gun and a C-UAS autocannon to boot, the vehicle has enough space for six dismounts. (Source, German)

View attachment 389727

One thicc boi.

I think thats like buying a 3 bed house and adding 3 more bedrooms, now the kitchen isnt big enough.

45 tons, and literally as tall as a 2 story house..... may as well run existing MBT's and strip some out as APC's. One suggestion for the UK, given the AJAX fiasco.

 

[muck]

…and that's exactly what's happened today. The court has ruled in favour of Heckler & Koch and issued an injunction against C.G. Haenel ordering the respondent to allow an inspection of its books for damage suit purposes, and to recall and destroy products utilising the infringing patent. Recourse to the appellate court is open and likely to be taken by Haenel, which has been puhsing to have the patent declared void. (Source, German)

All that legal nonsense has finally come to a close today. The court ruled in favour of the German government – and, indirectly, in favour of Heckler & Koch – stating that C.G. Haenel's exclusion from the tender was permissible. Ironically, HK actually withdrew most of their patent claims in the course of the proceedings. But unfortunately for Haenel, the court only had to determine if the acquisition office acted in good faith and with due diligence when following HK's version. The ruling can no longer be appealed. With that, the HK416 A8 can finally be procured. (Source, German)

Quite frankly … it sounds as though they did quite a number on Haenel there. HK exploited something of a loophole, knowing they only had to kick up enough dirt for some to stick. At this point, the world will never know whether or not Haenel actually violated HK's patents.