The DKF Autumn conference focused on the Canadian Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) policy. Presenters maintained a positive outlook on how Canada has designed its industrial participation policy and how Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED), the body that administers the ITB policy, works with foreign obligors.
The Global Combat Air Programme partners, the UK, Italy, and Japan, signed the terms of collaboration on a joint venture on 13 December in London. Efforts are on track to meet the aircraft’s scheduled in-service date of 2035. Industry partners, BAE Systems, Leonardo and JAIEC confirmed that they would hold equal stakes in the JV, which is to be established and named by mid-2025.
Ukrainian Defense Industry (UDI) announced on 13 December that it had started assembling CZ BREN 2 rifles under licence from Česká zbrojovka, a subsidiary of the Czech Republic’s Colt CZ Group in November 2024. The cooperation involves a transfer of technology and future production of the rifles in Ukraine.
The Portuguese Ministry of National Defence signed a contract with Brazil’s Embraer on 16 December for 12 A-29N versions of the Super Tucano light-attack aircraft to equip the Portuguese Air Force. Separately, soon after finalising the Tucano contract, Embraer set up its first European office, in Lisbon, Portugal, on 17 December.
The UAE’s EDGE Group and Spain’s Indra reached an agreement on 18 December to establish PULSE, a joint venture aimed at fostering local capabilities for the development and manufacture of radar systems. Indra will transfer technology to provide new radar capabilities to the UAE, alongside training and developing skilled local professionals.
US-based Ultra Maritime has partnered with India’s Bharat Dynamics Ltd. (BDL) to co-produce sonobuoys for undersea domain awareness. The two parties will supply and manufacture sonobuoys for the Indian Navy, with production split between the US and India. In India, BDL will carry out the co-production in Visakhapatnam.