Ziva Eger, Director General of Israel’s Industrial Cooperation Authority, began her presentation a Stuttgart offset conference with an outspoken attack on her predecessors. Ms Eger accused them of work processes that were not clear, were not being used consistently, and were unequally enforced. “Actually, to tell you the truth it was a kind of a mess,” she declared.
After speculation in the Australian media about the percentage of Australian industry involvement in the country`s largest ever defence procurement, South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon has warned of falling participation. Damning evidence presented at a Senate hearing, he said, suggests that DCNS has backed away from its initial local build and assembly commitment to Australia’s Future Submarines.
The Australian Industry and Defence Network, an association for SMEs in the defence and security sectors, has called for additional requirements to be levied against contractors that fail to deliver Australian content of at least seventy-five percent of the value of their Australian Industry Capability projects.
Norway has selected Germany as its strategic partner for new submarines, making Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems the likely supplier. An MoU between the two nations will cover co-operation. There is no contract yet but the offset obligation will be for 100 percent of procurement contract value.
A Dutch company, Lagerwey, has agreed to provide the Russian state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, with technology transfers on wind turbine production. Lagerwey will also have to localize wind equipment production in Russia for at least 65 percent of sales contract value.