The perspective on India’s offset policy offered by Ben Schwartz, Senior Director for Defence and Aerospace for the U.S.-India Business Council, was far from positive. A lack of clarity affects a number of issues including the definitions of an eligible defence item and value addition, Mr Schwartz said. The scope of the offset work is also unclear, as are the identities of eligible offset partners...
Saudi Arabia is in the process of preparing new offset rules. In addition to the requirements enforced through formal agreements, the kingdom is proposing localisation and local content. “There are new offset guidelines being developed but we do not know when they are going to be released. We also don’t know, for those of us who are under current agreements, what that means,” said Lockheed Martin executives.
Romania’s Supreme Council for National Defence is to proceed with the acquisition of the country’s first Patriot missile defence system at an estimated cost of $700m. The deal will require investments in the Romanian defence industry.
The absence of an offset agreement is delaying supplies to the Polish Army of essential equipment, says a report by General Adam Duda. With delays expected to last until the end of the decade, the report argues that Poland’s Defence Ministry should implement the short and medium-range air defence systems codenamed Wisla and Narew in stages. In Poland liquidated damages will be set at 100 percent of the non-performed or under-performed offset commitment.
Armscor’s 2016/17 financial year saw “a significant and concerning decline” in the performance of the local defence industry, according to CEO Kevin Wakeford. On the other hand, the company exceeded its objectives in Defence Industrial Participation (DIP). Armscor is currently managing twelve existing DIP agreements and...