Willmott Dixon’s Post

Another step towards #cooperation at Eurosatory The framework agreement signed between France, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia and Hungary regarding Mistral 3 is a good example of the dynamic towards more cooperation in Europe for Defence. Managed by the DGA - Direction générale de l'armement with MBDA support, the arrangement gives partner nations access to an improved acquisition process that meets armed forces’ requirements. This joint procurement mechanism is a concrete example of the acceleration of the European Union defence dynamic. It constitutes a major step forward in strengthening the defence capabilities of the European Union and its member states, while fostering sovereignty. This agreement, which interests other EU member states, will drive efficiencies and enhance the resilience of the European defence industrial base. Congratulations to the DGA teams that worked for this agreement to come to life in #Europe. In the context of #sovereignty being discussed and threatened, we strongly believe that, wherever possible, cooperation is the best answer.

Last week the European Defence Agency held its 9th session of the European Defence Standardisation Ccommittee (#EDSC). The EDSC oversees #EDA standardisation activities, as well as its platform the European Defence Standards Reference System (#EDSTAR), to strengthen defence capability development, joint procurement and interoperability between EU Member States. This session saw the participation of relevant partners including Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), CEN and CENELEC, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), EUROCAE, Frontex, NATO, and the United States Department of Defense.    EDA works for, and with Member States, on defence standardisation to bring defence capabilities into alignment so they can work together, in complementarity with NATO. The aim is also to strengthen Europe’s resilience and defence industrial base. ➡️ Learn more about EDA’s work on European defence standardisation: https://lnkd.in/dZY-t4FD #EUdefence #standardisation #StrongerTogether  

The importance of standardization in defence cannot be overstated. It forms the backbone of effective multinational operations, enabling interoperability between allies and ensuring that forces can work seamlessly together, whether in training, joint missions, or crisis response. This is especially critical in NATO and EU contexts, where diverse capabilities must converge to achieve strategic objectives efficiently. #Standardization #EDSC #EDSTAR #EUdefence #Interoperability #CapabilityDevelopment #EuropeanDefenceAgency #StrongerTogether

Second day of the S1000D & IPS User Forum in Brussels. A full day with presentations and interesting information on the implementation of the S-Series throughout various MoDs/DoDs and defence programs. My highlight of the day came from the presentation of the NATO WG1 on the implementation of ILS (Integrated Lifecycle Support): as of approximately the end of 2024 this will no longer be a recommendation to the NATO-partners but a standard! Curious to see how that will affect the entire procurement process and the impact on the entire industry. #ILS #IPS #Integratedproductsupport #Integratedlogisticssupport #SSeries #ASD #AIA

EDA #AnnualReport 2023 | From defence planning to managing cooperative projects 🤝 In 2023, EDA supported Member States’ capability planning through its own prioritisation framework, leading to 22 EU Capability Development Priorities. They serve as the key reference point for any EU initiative contributing to prepare, develop and acquire Member States' defence capabilities. #ToBeReady EDA also launched the third cycle of its Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (#CARD), established the joint procurement of #155mm ammunition through EDA in support of #Ukraine, and helped implement four #PESCO projects. The Agency supported an overall portfolio of 94 cooperative projects and programmes, with a total value of €664 million. From space to maritime surveillance or the European strategic tanker capability (#MMF), EDA further strengthened its role as the hub for #EUdefence cooperation. Download the full report here - bit.ly/4d7R1GJ #defence #defenceindustry #EU #europeanunion #defense

Worth reading the latest from Bastian Giegerich International Institute for Strategic Studies, showing that between Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine and last month, 52 % of European defence contracts actually went to European systems, 34% to US systems and 14 % to systems from Israel, Brazil & South Korea. This is quite different from the figures from IRIS - Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques underpinning the European Defence Industrial Strategy - that between June 2022-2023, 78 % of defence procurement by #EU 🇪🇺 member states went non-EU suppliers, out of which 63 % went to the #US 🇺🇸 - one of the reasons leading to the recommendation that Europeans should « buy European » when it comes to defence. Both sets of figures are respectable, but the disparity shows the importance of looking at the bigger picture, especially when it comes to defence. #defence #procurement #defenceindustry Ed Arnold Peter Jones Zoe White Juraj Majcin

DOT – The State Operator For Non-Lethal Acquisition collaborates with NATO's defence procurement agencies. As for now, we established effective cooperation with DALO (the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation), FMV (the Defence Materiel Administration procures, develops and delivers equipment and services to the Swedish defence), and Expertise France (the French international technical cooperation agency). I believe that for Ukraine, continuous communication with international partners is crucial. We need to learn from them, and importantly, they have something to learn from us. With our colleagues from Denmark and Sweden, we exchange experiences in process and project management for procurement. With France, our cooperation focuses on export control. An interesting insight - both Swedish and Danish focus on the real need of the armed forces rather then buying the nomenclature identified. What we aspire to achieve is build long-term relations with the market. We are aiming to sign long-term contracts, just like our international colleagues. Together with partners we will be searching for new approaches to build acquision efficient and flexible to be able to operate in emergency conditions.

📢 On 25 November 2024, we held the first Bidders’ Conference for the Modular Ground-Based Air Defence (#GBAD) Project, a NATO High Visibility Project.   The event outlined the project scope and evaluation process for the first GBAD RFP, providing vendors with clarity and fostering collaboration. This marks a key milestone in the phased evaluation process.   Learn more about the next steps in the development of the next-generation Modular GBAD systems: https://lnkd.in/exRA_FMy #NSPA #ModularGBAD #DefenseInnovation

The Finnish Minister of Defence, Mr. Antti Häkkänen has authorized the Puolustusvoimat - Försvarsmakten - Finnish Defence Forces to sign a partnership agreement with Bittium Wireless Ltd, a subsidiary of Bittium Corporation, for the years 2025–2036. The aim is to sign the agreement during the year 2024. The basis for the partnership is the maintaining and development of defense readiness for the purposes of normal and emergency circumstances. The partnership agreement secures the availability, performance and usability of Bittium-supplied products and services critical for the Finnish Defence Forces in all conditions. “When realized, the partnership agreement will enable systematic planning and execution of cooperation in a cost-efficient manner that benefits both parties. Partnership with the Finnish Defence Forces would add the credibility as reliable partner also in the international markets”, says Johan Westermarck, CEO of Bittium Corporation. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dGK8EeSj #Finland #Bittium #defence #military #armedforces #technology #industry #partnership

As a result of the scientific knowledge of this conference, the #BeyondComposite 🛡️ Now as members of #Auxdefense we will be on technological surveillance with the aim of identifying new scientific opportunities for transformation into value-added products for the #Defense and #Aerospace sector 🛡️ 🛰️ 🚀