donderdag 30 april 2015

Hollands tintje aan oorlog in Jemen


Een van de achttien in Nederland gekochte F-16’s die door de Jordaanse luchtmacht worden ingezet in de strijd tegen Jemen

Nederlandse wapensystemen spelen een onzichtbare rol bij de oorlog in Jemen. Veel van de deelnemende marineschepen zijn uitgerust met vuurleidingsradar geproduceerd door Thales Nederland.

Sinds 26 maart voert Saoedi-Arabië, geruggensteund door een coalitie van Arabische landen (Marokko, Egypte, Soedan, Jordanië, Koeweit, Bahrein, Qatar en de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten) bombardementen uit op stellingen van Houthi-rebellen in Jemen. Daar werd na een opstand in 2011 president Ali Abdullah Saleh verjaagd om plaats te maken voor een president die eind maart op zijn beurt per boot vluchtte naar Saoedi-Arabië.

De Houthi-rebellen proberen sindsdien in grote delen van het land de macht te grijpen, tot groot ongenoegen van Saoedi-Arabië dat met negen bondgenoten nu al een maand lang stellingen van de Houthi-rebellen, die in hun strijd worden gesteund door soldaten die op hun beurt Ali Abdullah Saleh steunen,bombardeert. Volgens de VN zijn daarbij inmiddels meer dan 1000 mensen omgekomen, onder wie 551 burgers en minstens 115 kinderen. Voedsel en benzine worden steeds schaarser en prijzen stijgen daardoor explosief.

Het gevecht om Jemen staat symbool voor de strijd om de regionale macht tussen het sjiitische Iran en soennitische Saoedi-Arabië, maar er lijkt eerder sprake te zijn van eengeopolitiek conflict. De Saoedische koning Salman ziet in de opmars van de Houthi’s een aanwijzing dat Iran zijn invloed probeert uit te breiden in de regio. Daarnaast plegen de Jemenitische tak van al-Qaïda en de Islamitische Staat (IS) aanslagen op het Arabische Schiereiland (AQAS).

Europese wapens

VN-chef Ban Ki-moon riep half april tevergeefs alle strijdende partijen op om de wapens neer te leggen nadat eerder de VN-Veiligheidsraad het leveren van wapens aan de Houthi’s verbood. De coalitie tegen de Houthi’s wordt militair gesteund door deVS en strijdt met wapens gekocht van Europese landen. In hetEU-verslag over de wapenexport in 2013 was Saoedi-Arabië na de VS de belangrijkste klant voor Europese wapensystemen met een waarde van bijna 4 miljard euro. De VN stelde een wapenembargo tegen Jemen in en vroeg alle partijen de gevechten te stoppen, dat laatste overigens zonder succes.

Op 9 april werd bekend dat een vloot bestaande uit twee Iraanse schepen in internationale wateren richting Jemen voer. Het ging om de torpedobootjager Alborz en het ondersteuningsschip Bushehr. De schepen haalden internationaal de krantenkoppen. Wat daarbij niet werd vermeld, is dat de Alborz in 1969 werd gebouwd op de Britse scheepswerf Vickers en de Bushehr in 1974 op de West-Duitse scheepswerf C. Lühring waardoor beiden sterk verouderd zijn.


Onderwijl zet de coalitie onder aanvoering van Saoedi-Arabië eenbreed scala aan militaire vliegtuigen en marineschepen in. Jane’s Defence Weekly meldt dat de bijdragen van de betrokken tien landen ‘onduidelijk’ zijn. Het militaire tijdschrift verklaarde echter wel dat landen als Jordanië vliegtuigen inzetten en dat er volgens foto’s tevens sprake is van Egyptische, Jordaanse en Bahreinse F-16’s.

Jordanië kocht recent achttien F-16’s van Nederland en negen van België, tezamen ruim een derde van hun totale squadron. Als gevolg van het gevoerde compensatiebeleid door de Nederlandse overheid gedurende de afgelopen decennia, waarbij ons land als tegenprestatie voor de aankoop van Amerikaanse F-16’s onderdelen voor de productie van dit gevechtsvliegtuig mocht leveren, zijn ook de overige F-16’s van Jordanië met Nederlandse technologie uitgerust.

De Eurofighters (EFA/Typhoon) die gebruikt worden door de Saoedi’s, zijn een product van BAe Systems, Finmeccanica, en Airbus. Het laatst genoemde bedrijf is om fiscale redenen gevestigd in Nederland. Van de inzet van Eurofighters in de strijd met de Houthi’s werd melding gemaakt in de Britse media. Marine-raketsystemen worden hierbij eveneens ingezet waarvan verschillende typen (zoals Sea Sparrow, Harpoon) Nederlandse technologische onderdelen bevatten.  

Thales Nederland

Met een blik op de geografische kaart blijkt dat de Jemenitische kust bijna net zo lang is als de landgrenzen. De stranden langs de Golf van Aden en de smalle ingang aan de Rode Zee vormen de route naar de Middellandse Zee die via het Suezkanaal loopt. Geen wonder dat vanwege het door de VN ingestelde wapenembargo de coalitie marineschepen inzet buiten de territoriale wateren van Jemen voor de controle van schepen.

Naast Saoedi-Arabië is het vooral vazal Egypte dat betrokken is bij de zeeblokkade. Een bedankje aan de Saoedi’s vanwege de gulle donaties van het Huis van Saud aan president al-Sisis en zijn regering, in maart nog4 miljard dollar. Caïro heeft ook een eigen reden. Het gebruik van het Suezkanaal levert Egypte ongeveer 5 miljard dollar per jaar op. Het is daarmee een onmisbare bron voor harde valuta voor een land dat door de afname van het toerisme en de buitenlandse investeringen financieel vrijwel aan de grond zit.
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Vuurleidingsradar van Thales Nederland

Verwacht wordt dat ook Pakistan zal toetreden tot de vloot voor deze zeeblokkade. De nieuwste Pakistaanse marineschepen worden gebouwd door China en zijn voorzien van Nederlandse militaire communicatie- en gevechtssystemen. De Pakistaanse Oliver Perry klasse is uitgerust met een derivaat geproduceerd door Thales Nederland, genaamd de Perry Mk 92 vuurleidingsradar (Signaal WM 28).

Begin april doken er berichten op dat de Egyptische marine raketten afvuurde op Jemen. De gebruikte wapens zijn voornamelijk afkomstig uit de VS, Zweden, Italië en Rusland. De radar, gevechtssystemen en onderdelen van de raketten is echter ten dele geproduceerd in Nederland. Jane’s Defence Weekly meldt dat het fregat Alexandrië (voorheen de Mubarak) is uitgerust met Mk 92 vuurleidingsradar en dat de snelle raketaanvalsschepen Ezzat Awent zijn uitgerust met Thales Nederland Scout dataverwerking.

Tijdens een parlementaire hoorzitting over het Nederlandse wapenexportbeleid op 13 april hield Thales zich van de domme en stelde niet te begrijpen waarom de regering aarzelde met het verlenen van toestemming voor de uitvoer van Thales producten voor de bouw van Egyptische marineschepen. Vuurleidingsradar is een essentieel onderdeel van een wapensysteem, evenals dataverwerkings- en gevechtssystemen. Momenteel werkt Egypte aan de bouw van Egyptes Gowindkorvetten. Thales levert hiervoor niet alleen de oppervlakte rondzoekradar, maar ook de doelaanwijsradar die cruciaal is voor moderne oorlogsvoering.

Geschreven voor Ravage-webzine

In English for Stop Wapenhandel 

dinsdag 28 april 2015

Dutch technology for major weapons in the Yemen war


A coalition of 10 countries, including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), is  fighting in Yemen against Houthi rebels who forced Yemen's government into exile. Dutch weapon systems are playing an invisible but important role in this war; many of the participating navy ships are fitted with Thales Nederland fire control radar. Analysts say the war is not about Yemen's internal situation, but a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. They warn that the only winner will be terrorist groups like al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

People stand at the site of an air strike in Sanaa April 26, 2015. REUTERS/Khaled AbdullahThe Yemenites are confronted with destruction of their cities, infrastructure, and the scarce industrial facilities. Not to mention their deads, by heavy aerial and naval bombardments on cities. The US had to ask the Saudi's to narrow the scope of attacks.

The coalition against the Houthi's is actively sponsored though by US arms deliverances and fights with weapons sold by European countries as well (in the EU consolidated report on arms export 2013 Saudi Arabia was the second most important customer for EU-weapons, only after the US, with almost € 4 billion in one year). The United Nations installed an arms embargo against Yemen and - unsuccessfully - called to stop the fighting.

When Iran sailed to Yemen with two naval vessels, the destroyer Alborz and the axillary vessel Bushehr, it made headlines in the papers. What was not mentioned was that the Alborz is built at the British Vickers wharf as far back as 1969. The ship is one of a class of five (two others are more recently built in Iran). The Bushehr is build in 1974 at the C. Luhring, Brake wharf in Germany. Sold at their time to the Shah, for the most part of their lives the ships have belonged to the Islamic Republic. In response to the deployment of the oldies the US has send the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt and the cruiser USS Normandy to the Gulf.

The Gulf Cooperation Council coalition and their friends are deploying a wide array of war planes and naval vessels (see illustration Business Insider). Jane's Defence Weekly of April 15, 2015 reported that the assets contributed by the countries involved 'remain vague'. The military magazine stated however that countries like Jordan are deploying jets and mentioned photo footage of Egyptian, Jordan and Bahraini F-16's taking part in the war. The kingdom of Jordan got 18 F-16's from the Netherlands and 9 from Belgium. Thus over a third of its 79 F-16 air frames came from the Benelux.




Due to offset policies of the past decades even the other F-16's used by the coalition are equipped with Dutch technology. The Eurofighters (EFA/Typhoon), which the Saudi's use in the operations, are a product of BAe Systems, Finmeccanica, and Airbus, the last company based in the Netherlands for tax reasons. The use of these planes was reported by UK media. Naval missile systems used (like Sea Sparrow, Harpoon) might also have Dutch components.

The map of the region shows that Yemen’s shoreline is almost as long as its land borders. Its beaches along the Gulf of Aden and the narrow entrance to the Red Sea are the route to the Mediterranean through the Suez canal. No wonder naval vessels have been deployed and used by the coalition in the Yemenite waters. It is also expected that Pakistan will join the fleet to enforce the naval blockade, but mission creep is already feared. It may be a method to circumvent the Pakistan Parliamentary opposition to join the forces against Yemen. The newest surface naval vessels of Pakistan were built by the Peoples Republic of China and fitted with Dutch military communication and combat data systems. Its Oliver Perry class is fitted with a Thales Netherlands derivative, the Perry Mk 92 fire control radar (Signaal WM28).

Above all, it is Egypt which is involved in the operations against the Houthi's. It owes this to the Saudi's, because of the generous donations made to al-Sisis by the House of Saud – the most recent donation of March 2015 worth 4 billion. Cairo has also its own reasons; the Suez Canal earns Egypt about $5 billion a year, a vital source of hard currency for a country that has suffered a slump in tourism and foreign investment. It is no surprise that the country has sent its navy to Yemen.

In early April reports turned up that the Egyptian navy fired missiles on Yemen. Of this navy, the guns come mainly from the US, Sweden and Italy and the radar, combat systems, and parts of missiles are also produced in the Netherlands. Jane's mentions the frigate Alexandria (formerly the Mubarak) fitted with Mk92 fire control radar and the fast attack misille craft Ezzat Awent fitted with Thales Nederland Scout data processing. At a Parliamentary round table on arms export however Thales Netherlands pretended not to understand why the Dutch government hesitated with giving permission for the export of Thales products to the wharf building Egypt’s naval vessels. While these are clearly and essential parts of the weaponsystems

Currently, work begins on Egypts Gowind corvette. Thales Netherlands will not only deliver its surface search radar, but also a crucial element of its direct fighting capabilities the target designation radar.

Written for: Stop Wapenhandel 
In Dutch

dinsdag 21 april 2015

US Defense Contracts with Dutch participation (08/07/14-20/04/15)

Products bought by the Dutch state and with Dutch participation (work will be performed by).

No: 518-13, July 17, 2013 , NAVY,
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $19,070,236 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-13-C-5403) for Standard Missile engineering and technical services for the U.S. Navy, other government agencies and foreign military sales.  This contract will provide engineering and technical services for Standard Missile 2, 3 and 6.  These services include research and development efforts; design, systems, and production engineering; technical services; evaluation services; component improvement services; and production proofing services for missile producibility, missile production, and shipboard integration for fiscal years 2013-2017.  This contract includes foreign military sales to Japan (28 percent), Australia (24 percent), Korea (21.5 percent), Germany (8.3 percent), Netherlands (8.3 percent), Taiwan (7 percent), Canada (1.7 percent), and Spain (1.2 percent).  Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz. (86.8 percent); Andover, Mass. (9.4 percent); Huntsville, Ala. (1.7 percent); Arlington, Va. (1.1 percent); Camden, Ark. (0.7 percent); and White Sands, N.M. (0.3 percent), and is expected to be completed by July 2014.  Fiscal 2013 research, development, test & evaluation, Department of Defense, foreign military sales, fiscal 2013 research, development, test & evaluation, Navy, fiscal 2012 other procurement, Navy funding in the amount of $18,474,253 will be obligated at the time of the award.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. 

No: CR-148-14, August 05, 2014, NAVY,
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is being awarded a $43,991,627 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-12-C-2002) for the design, development, and engineering analysis of the AIM-9X Block II Missile System for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and the governments of Turkey, Oman, Belgium, Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia, and Morocco. This modification includes the necessary replacements for the AIM-9X Control Actuation System, inertial measurement unit, electronics unit processor and improvements in insensitive munitions performance in the hardware development and Operational Flight Software versions 9.4X, 9.15X and 10.X. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (91.6 percent); Minneapolis, Minnesota (6.5 percent); Pinellas Park, Florida (1.3 percent); and Andover, Massachusetts (0.6 percent), and is expected to be completed in July 2015. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy and Air Force) funds and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $22,092,354, will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Air Force ($23,620,000; 53.7 percent); U.S. Navy ($8,155,233; 18.5 percent); and the governments of Turkey ($4,095,000; 9.3 percent); Oman ($2,590,000; 5.9 percent); Belgium ($2,100,000; 4.8 percent); Netherlands ($1,680,000; 3.8 percent); Singapore ($980,000; 2.2 percent); Malaysia ($701,394; 1.6 percent); and Morocco ($70,000; 0.2 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Act. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

No: CR-156-14 August 15, 2014, ARMY,
Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Andover, Massachusetts was awarded a $109,078,477 firm-fixed-price level-of-effort foreign military sales (Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Kuwait, Netherlands, Spain, Taiwan, Ukraine) contract with options for engineering services for the Patriot System Tracking Radar. Work will be performed in Andover, Tewksbury, and Burlington, Massachusetts; El Segundo, California; El Paso, Texas; Huntsville, Alabama; Pelham, New Hampshire; and White Sands, New Mexico, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2015. One bid was solicited and one received. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds ($58,886), fiscal 2014 research, development, test, and evaluation funds ($5,287,374), and fiscal 2014 and 2010 other procurement funds ($76,462,599) are being obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-14-C-0093).

No: CR-227-14 November 26, 2014, NAVY, 
http://www.defense.gov/Contracts/Contract.aspx?ContractID=5426
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $64,283,943 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for the modification of 14 F-35A air vehicles for the U.S. Air Force (13) and the government of the Netherlands (1), and 13 F-35B air vehicles for the U.S. Marine Corps (11) and the government of the United Kingdom (2). This contract includes procurement for 528 modification kits, installation, and labor. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (40 percent); Cherry Point, North Carolina (12 percent); San Diego, California (10 percent); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (7 percent); Ogden, Utah (6 percent); Nashua, New Hampshire (4 percent); Eglin, Florida (3 percent); Greenville, South Carolina (3 percent); Samlesbury, United Kingdom (3 percent); Edwards, California (2 percent); Marabar, Florida (2 percent); Tucson, Arizona (2 percent); Redondo Beach, California (2 percent); Orlando, Florida (2 percent); Baltimore, Maryland (1 percent); and Owego, New York (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2017. Fiscal 2013 aircraft procurement (Marine Corps and Air Force); 2015 research, development, test and evaluation (Marine Corps and Air Force), and international partner funds in the amount of $64,283,943 are being obligated on this award, $40,817,604 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the U.S. Marine Corps ($30,784,983; 48 percent); U.S. Air Force ($25,077,651; 39 percent), and international partners ($8,421,309; 13 percent). This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting authority (N00019-15-C-0016).

No: CR-243-14, December 19, 2014, NAVY, 
http://www.defense.gov/contracts/contract.aspx?contractid=5442
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is being awarded $8,644,374 for firm-fixed-price delivery order 2067 against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-11-G-0001) for follow-on integrated logistics support/engineering services for Harpoon /SLAM-ER Missile System and Harpoon Launch Systems for the U.S. Navy and various foreign military sales customers. Work will be performed in St. Charles, Missouri (91.84 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (5.47 percent); Yorktown, Virginia (2.64 percent); and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (.05 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2016. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Navy) and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $8,644,374 will be obligated at time of award; $2,310,523 of which expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($2,310,523; 26.74 percent); and the governments of Turkey ($807,597; 9.35 percent); Taiwan ($706,776; 8.17 percent); Korea ($528,318; 6.11 percent); Japan ($471,056; 5.45 percent); Egypt ($456,647; 5.28 percent); Saudi Arabia ($365,656; 4.23 percent); United Kingdom ($316,563; 3.66 percent); Pakistan ($304,113; 3.52 percent); Australia ($303,525; 3.51 percent); Chile ($237,601; 2.75 percent); Canada ($231,071; 2.67 percent); Singapore ($216,855; 2.51 percent); Israel ($197,868; 2.29 percent); Portugal ($189,145; 2.19 percent); India ($168,656; 1.95 percent); Thailand ($165,516; 1.91 percent); Bahrain ($129,570; 1.50 percent); Kuwait ($88,155; 1.02 percent); United Arab Emirates ($85,015; 0.98 percent); Malaysia ($84,819; 0.98 percent); Oman ($83,837; 0.97 percent); the Netherlands ($81,455; 0.94 percent); Germany ($65,164; 0.75 percent); and Denmark ($48,873; 0.57 percent) under the foreign military sales program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

No: CR-245-14, December 23, 2014, NAVY
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Arizona, is being awarded a $49,000,000 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-13-C-5410) to exercise options for the accomplishment of Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) design agent, in-service support and technical engineering support services.  The ESSM program is an international cooperative effort to design, develop, test, and procure ESSM missiles and related support and services. The ESSM provides enhanced ship defense.  Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (90.65 percent); Germany (2.55 percent); Norway (2.11 percent); Australia (1.53 percent); Netherlands (1.36 percent); Canada (0.68 percent); Spain (0.42 percent); Turkey (0.30 percent); Denmark (0.28 percent); and Greece (0.12 percent) and is expected to be completed by December 2015.  Fiscal 2015 weapons procurement (Navy); fiscal 2015 research, development, test and evaluation; and fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $14,439,376 will be obligated at time of award and funds in the amount of $1,953,715 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

No: CR-248-14, December 30, 2014, AIR FORCE, 
http://www.defense.gov/Contracts/Contract.aspx?ContractID=5448
Boeing Aerospace Operations Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been awarded an estimated $18,681,615 firm-fixed-price and time and materials modification (P00203) to contract FA8106-07-C-0001. Contractor will provide engineering services support including sustaining and non-recurring engineering services for Boeing commercial derivative military aircraft. Work will be performed at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2015. This contract has a small portion of foreign military sales to the Netherlands. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,209,260 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity.

No: CR-024-15, February 05, 2015, NAVY,
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is being awarded a $9,603,500 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024 13 C-5403) for Standard Missile 2 (SM-2) and Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) engineering and technical services.  This contract will provide for engineering and technical services in support of SM-2 and SM-6 to ensure continuity in production, design integrity and total systems integration of the missile round and its components.  This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy (23 percent) and the governments of Japan (50.2 percent), Taiwan (14.8 percent), the Netherlands (4.3 percent), Korea (4.2 percent), Germany (2.9 percent) and Spain (.6 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program or cooperative agreements.  Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by December 2015.  FMS, fiscal 2015 research, development, test and evaluation, fiscal 2014 weapons procurement (Navy) and Cooperative Agreements funding in the amount of $9,603,500 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

No: CR-051-15, March 19, 2015, ARMY,
Intuitive Research and Technology Corp.,* Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $14,128,559 modification (000382) to Foreign Military Sales contract W31P4Q-07-A-0015 (Egypt, Korea, Chile, Finland, Netherlands, Oman, Qatar, United Kingdom, Norway) for labor and travel to support the Cruise Missile Defense Systems Project Office. Fiscal 2015 research, development, testing and evaluation, operations and maintenance (Army) and other procurement funds in the amount of $ $14,128,559 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is Nov. 23, 2015. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

No: CR-061-15, April 02, 2015, NAVY,
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is being awarded a $517,300,000 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Evolved Seasparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2 engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) requirements. This contract will procure all necessary efforts to design, qualify and test ESSM Block 2 and prepare the program for a successful ‘Milestone C’ decision, currently planned in FY18. The ESSM Block 2 is an international cooperative effort to design, develop, test, and procure ESSM Block 2 missiles. ESSM Block 2 provides enhanced ship self-defense. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (40 percent) and the governments of Australia (16.51 percent), Canada (13.77 percent), Germany (6.44 percent), the Netherlands (5 percent), Denmark (4.56 percent), Norway (4.56 percent), Turkey (4.56 percent), Spain (2.5 percent), Greece (1.5 percent), and Portugal (.6 percent), as part of the NATO Seasparrow Consortium. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (67 percent); Norway (2 percent); McKinney, Texas (5 percent); Australia (3 percent); the Netherlands (3 percent); Canada (3 percent); Germany (3 percent); Turkey (2 percent); Andover, Massachusetts (2 percent); San Marco, California (1 percent); San Diego, California (1 percent); San Jose, California (1 percent); Cincinnati, Ohio (1 percent); Canton, New York (1 percent); Greece (1 percent); Denmark (1 percent); and with 3 percent in various locations that each will perform less than 1 percent of the effort, and is expected to be completed by May 2019. Fiscal 2015 research, development, test and evaluation funs and foreign Military Sales contract funds in the amount of $26,000,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. Full and open competition need not be provided for when precluded by the terms of an international agreement or a treaty between the U.S. and a foreign government or international organization, or the written directions of a foreign government reimbursing the agency for the cost of the acquisition of the supplies or services for such government. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-15-C-5420).