Defence Turkey magazine had the pleasure of gaining insights from Selex ES at the recent 2015 IDEF, with further updates in the last weeks. The company is following the development of innovative products, new markets and looking towards successful international partnerships.

Order Intake More than 3.7 Billion Euros

Selex ES was formed in January 2013 from the merging of its existing SELEX Galileo, SELEX Elsag and SELEX Sistemi Integrati businesses. Selex ES CEO, Fabrizio Giulianini said that ‘Since then order intake has reached more than 3.7 billion euros, out of which more than 50 percent were in the export market and for us the export market is whatever is sold outside Italy and the UK, that are our domestic markets, and also in terms of economic performance success/revenue we went better than the budget figure. So, all in all, it was a very successful year. We are very happy and satisfied”.

Reorganization by Sector and Division

The new CEO of Finmeccanica, Mauro Moretti, announced the decision to reorganize the company into sector and divisions. Selex ES will, of course, be part of the electronic defence and security sector, which is the largest one. The reorganization has already been announced by Mr. Moretti and it will be launched next year. 

Defence Turkey learned more about the export activities and growth plans for Selex  ES. Last year the company had some interesting success in the international strategic market.  Selex ES has a strong footprint and historical presence in the United States, in Saudi Arabia, in the Emirates, and last year a new wholly owned subsidiary  was established in Australia.  The Finmeccanica company also acquired  a small enterprise in Canada with the intention of growingin that very strategic market. Last but not least, Selex ES presence  in Turkey.  “We will continue our effort to cooperate with the leading Turkish industries for the Turkish market and the export market,” underlined Giulianini.

Smart (Systematic Modernization of ATM Resources in Turkey) Project – One of the Most Sophisticated in the World

Giulianini shared with Defence Turkey the recent progress updates of the Smart Project which is expected to enter regular service soon. It turns out to be aquite significant success story given that is, by far, one of the most complex and safest ATC/ATM system in the world today. It provides a twofold benefit: the first is the ability to cope with the sizeable increase in air and passenger traffic expected over the Turkey skies in the next three to four years, the second being the level of availability in service that the system is capable to ensure. No other ATC/ATM systems in service today is capable of challenging the availability of the SMART.

In Turkey another key undertaking in the traffic managementis underway: the Vessel Traffic Management programme, which ensures the management and control of all maritime traffics around key coastal area of the country.The system is composed of a national control centre, based in Ankara, three regional control centers in the coastal areas of Izmir, Izmit, Mersin and 24 remote sites connected with the national and the three regional control centers. At the moment the program is in an advanced stage of implementation, the customer is quite happy and the company expects to have the opportunity to deliver all  future expansions.

The Largest Cyber Security Tender Outside of the US

Cyber Security is a fast growing business all over the world, the cyber threat is increasing day after day. Giulianini discussed his company’s capabilities and solutions in this business domain. Selex ES has been awarded the largest cyber security tender outside of the US, that is for NATO, where the system  will ensure full protection of more than 54 NATO sites, in all NATO countries. The program has been successfully delivered and, today, it represents a success case story that may convince the Turkish institutions and industry to establish effective cooperations for the cyber protection of the Turkish defence and critical infrastructure network. Selex ES has also introduced their technologies and capabilities to SSM,  Giulianini stated that “We have a number of contacts and I’m sure that very soon we can establish some strong cooperation undertaking with a Turkish company to pursue, together, these opportunities, targeting not only the Turkish domestic market but also the export market.”

Proactive Steps to Share Data – Building a Base for Cooperation

Selex ES has also met with TAI and has offered its advanced sensors catalog for installation and integration on board of the successful ANKA UAS. Selex ES surveillance radar, both AESA and mechanical scan technologies, can be of great interest for TAI, not only for the Turkish market but also for the export.

On this business domain, the company has given a presentation and has confirmed its availability to share data and to cooperate with TAI andwith the most prominent Turkish electronic industry, i.e. Aselsan. Selex ES has many years of cooperation with Aselsan and the two companies recently met to confirm the optimum level of cooperation that they have been able to establish, recently reinforced through proper action. They are working together on a number of opportunities such as software-defined radio. There is an important HF tender, where they hope to cooperate together, and then there also are a number of other programmes where again Selex ES can find a good base of cooperation with Aselsan.

Will the Turkish Navy Consider IRST?

Defence Turkey explored this topic. Giulianini shared the following comment: “The programme has practically been completed. Very soon the system will be delivered, installed and integrated, so far so good.  I do hope that once the product will enter into full operation and into the catalogue, the Turkish Navy maybe take it into consideration for any future need.”

PAR radars – Sold throughout the World

Precision Approach Radar (PAR),is a business niche where Selex ES has a prominent position. In fact Selex ES is one of the two companies having successfully put in service a number of systems  worldwide.  The Selex ES PAR radar facilities are located in Nerviano, close to Milan.  As said, the radars have been sold in a large number of units, predominantly for ground airstrip applications but also for naval landing applications. PAR is currently in service with the Italian Navy air carriers, to equip the two Italian air carriers besides Her Majesty The Queen air carrier. We are talking of  two very demanding customers and this confirms the competitively of the product. Selex ES hopes that the radar can be taken into consideration for the new LPD ship in Italy.  Discussions with Aselsan regarding any potential market for Turkey are on the company’s agenda.

Pipeline Security

Selex ES has also developed specific capabilities in the high growth business domain of the protection of critical national infrastructure and oil & gas installations. This is another business area where Selex ES is entertaining discussions with a number of Turkish companies. In this business domain there are large programs all around the world and there is great potential for a successful partnership in this arena.  Another interesting opportunity could be to work closely with civil contractors, Turkish civil contractors, especially in The Middle East.  Selex ES can offer them its solutions. For example, in the airport domain, the company can offer an integrated solution for airport systems which also includes the baggage handling system which has recently shown to be very successful, having being sold to a number of airports included the Leonardo da Vinci Rome airport and another Middle East country airport. This is another area in which the company canenjoy cooperation with Turkish general contractors.

Perseus is a proprietary platform solution aimed at managing different technologies seamlessly. The Perseus is platform includes two elements, the first of which is a new TETRA core that can integrate Long Term Evolution (LTE) users.

TETRA today, will continue to be the only recognized European standard able to ensure secure communication, voice and data system for all police forces.  It’s the ‘de facto’ standard that is being adopted worldwide. Selex ES is one of the very few companies that detain the full TETRA IPRs, spreading from terminals to radio based stations to IP switches. Recently, Selex ES has self-funded the developmentof a specific platform, called Perseus, that has the ability toconnect a TETRA network with an LTE network and, eventually, with a military network in a seamless way. It is a multi-purpose switch that allows for the seamless inter-connection of different comms technologies.  Selex ES has entertained discussions of these technologies and area of future collaboration with Aselsan.“It would certainly be an interesting collaborationwaiting for the Turkish Police Forces decision to launch the acquisition of this capability” Giulianini declared.

It is evident that Aselsan is one of Selex ES’s strongest contacting Turkey, however Selex ES is also working with other companies such as TAI, Roketsan, ADIK, Havelsan and FNSS.

Moving to the land business, Selex ES is offering its catalogue of solutions, i.e. sensors, comms and navigation/surveillance technologies, for the installation onboard of a wide range of armored vehicles. Partnerships with the leading Turkish industries in this field could create the condition to generate a competitive offering in the domestic market and in the export market, as well.

Italian Navy is Launching New Ships

Selex ES is one of the two Italian leading industries, the other being Fincantieri, ensuring the renewal of the Italian Navy fleet. The renewal includessix patrol vessels (PPA, or Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ship), with four more in option, and one logistic support unit (LSS or Logistic Support Ship). Selex ES is the Design Authority of all of the new naval units’ combat management system. Selex ES will deliver advanced naval sensors, such as the new generation radar solution, with active phased array dual band multi-functional radar and long range radar, and will also take the responsibility to integrate in the proprietary Combat Management Systems all the key third party’s subsystems, i.e. those provided by OTO Melara (weapon system) , WASS (underwater systems and weapons), MBDA (missiles) and Elettronica (EW systems). Selex ES, together with Fincantieri, will also develop an  innovative “Cockpit” system. This system will, for the first time ever, allow for the integrated management of navigation and combat system operations, using augmented reality to allow both functions to be effectively managed with fewer operators. This large programme will allow Selex ES to develop new generation products that will be launched on the market and will further boost the company market presence in the naval domain.

FREMM

Another very important programme has recently been awarded to Selex ES.  The Italian-French programme FREMM. (FRigate European Multi-Mission (FREMM) class, a class of frigates designed by the French DCNS and the Italian Ficantieri in a joint programme to replace the existing destroyers and frigates within the French and Italian navies.)  The contract is for FREMM 9 and 10.  Selex ES will have the responsibility for the entire combat system onboard the Italian FREMM.  With this order for the two additional FREMM Italy has completed the renewal of the frigate fleet.