Main headlines from this issue

“A transformational approach” as Canada’s IRBS become ITBS and bids will be assessed by weighted ‘value propositions’

The government of Canada has adopted substantive recommendations from a report into the country’s defence procurement practices. The government has now committed itself to transforming Industrial and Regional Benefits (IRBs) into Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITBs), though it still wants a regional component.....

France invokes Article 346 as it restricts ‘competition’ to a single French group

France has launched a tender to replace its armoured vehicles but is only accepting local tenders from French companies, citing technical, security, and operational reasons for localisation.

Annual Report to Congress – fewer agreements with fewer countries, but bigger deals

The 18th Annual Report to Congress on the Impact of Offsets in Defence Trade prepared by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security shows that in 2012 U.S. defence contractors reported entering into 43 new offset agreements with seventeen countries, a decline from 62 agreements with 27 countries in 2011. The total value of those offset agreements though was $10.1bn, almost double that of 2011.

Oman issues decree at last

The announcement of Oman’s new Partnership for Development policy was scheduled for September 2011. Time slipped by. Although details have been conveniently leaked during the intervening years the Royal Decree was finally issued on February 3rd, 2014.

Lionel October: present policy avoids past mistakes by focusing on directs

As testimony to South Africa’s Arms Procurement Commission continues to corroborate the ineptitude and worse in the award of offset credits under the Strategic Defence Procurement Packages, the current DTI Director-General, Lionel October, provided a functional account of present-day policy.....