The Baltics have joined the call to revive offset transactions in the European Union. During this year’s Baltic Miltech Summit, the biennial conference on Eastern European defence-industry development, Lithuania’s political leaders described offset as a “key tool” for national defence despite restrictive EU legislation.
British officials have raised concerns that OEMs’ offset activities abroad are rerouting construction work away from British suppliers. The concerns first emerged following reports in early April that components for the HMS Active, a Type 31 frigate under construction for the Royal Navy, would be manufactured by Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) in Poland, despite the British government describing the purchase as a “renaissance” for UK industry.
Vedanta-Foxconn, the Indian–Taiwanese consortium vying for semiconductor contracts in New Delhi, has run into disagreements with its foreign technology partner, STMicroelectronics. The negotiations throw a wrench in Vedanta-Foxconn’s plans to secure government funding.
The public version of Australia’s Defence Strategic Review (DSR), released on 26 April, provided very little by way of industrial strategy. The omission is all the more surprising given that industrial participation is one of the three “priorities” the DSR identifies for Australia’s modernisation, alongside the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordinance (GWEO) Enterprise and better bureaucratic processes.
Saab and Embraer have signed a new agreement to cooperate in business development and engineering opportunities on two fronts: Embraer’s C-390 Millennium efforts in Europe, and Saab’s flagship Gripen fighter in Latin America. The two parties announced their partnership during the LAAD Defence & Security exhibition (11–14 April) in Rio de Janeiro.
EDGE Group, the UAE’s defence-industrial vehicle, is setting its sights on South America. The conglomerate came out in force during the LAAD Defence and Security Exhibition (11–14 April) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, announcing not only the creation of a regional office but also four collaboration agreements with local suppliers.