US lifts the lid on FY2021 spending plans, OMFV rises from the dead, and Singapore Airshow news

In this episode of the Weekly Defence Podcast, we delve into US budget proposals across the air, land and naval domains; we are in Singapore with insights from the floor of the biggest Asian aerospace and defence event of the year; and we discuss EW capabilities, the threats from China and what the West can do to cushion the blow. 

• News Round (00:50)  

Air Editor Tim Martin discusses USAF funding in the US DoD defence budget proposal.

The US DoD has decided to play safe on its investments on aircraft procurement, with figures dropping $800 million compared to last year. The new budget predicts over $56 billion for new aircraft procurement and design, and an additional $11 billion to be allocated for the F-35 programme. 

Land Reporter Flavia Camargos Pereira talks about the new US Army budget on land warfare and the renewal of the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle programme to replace the Bradley. A previous OMFV attempt attracted only one bid, so the US Army issued a market survey to restart the project. The purpose of the survey is to understand what went wrong during the previous solicitation process.

In terms of new equipment, the Army budget for FY2021 focuses on enhancing readiness and lethality, with both the Army and the USMC likely to receive around 4,500 vehicles in 2021.

News Editor Ben Vogel looks into the US Navy budget for FY2021. The budget proposal calls for $19.3 billion to procure a total of ten new ship funding to recapitalise the SSBN fleet with the new Columbia-class; and efforts to prioritise investment for programmes that deliver warfighting advantages against China and Russia.

• Show coverage - Singapore Airshow 2020 (15:51)

VP content Tony Skinner, Asia Pacific editor Gordon Arthur and Senior Analyst Ilker Aktasoglu report from the Singapore Airshow 2020. The show this year has suffered from the heavy impact of coronavirus on South East Asia registering over 8% lower attendance than expected, with exhibitors being unable to attend due to worldwide governments issued travel restrictions. However, they report on the newest developments of aircraft and platforms on display.

• Deep Dive – EW capabilities and threats from China (32:00)

Senior Editor - Naval Richard Thomas talks to our regular contributor Thomas Withington about EW global capabilities and artificial intelligence. Thomas, who is a specialist in electronic warfare and radar technologies, analyses new EW developments in China, what they mean for the West, and what are the possible countermeasures. 

• Industry Voice - Nammo (44:33)

VP Content Tony Skinner speaks to Endre Lunde, SVP Communication at Nammo, who brings us the latest from the Air Power Seminar 2020 in Norway. 

This episode was produced by Noemi Distefano with music and sound mixing provide by Fred Prest