Defence`s Feeds

Photographs released by Pyongyang on 24 April suggest North Korea has a second submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) that uses solid fuel and 'cold launch' technologies, in addition to the liquid-fuel Pukgeukseong-1 (Polaris-1) it has already revealed. The official Korean Central News Agency

A bridge modernisation effort by Raytheon Anschütz to install its Synapsis Intelligent Bridge Control (IBC) suite aboard the Royal Malaysian Navy's (RMN's) hydrographic survey ship KD Perantau is in progress. New bridge equipment supplied by Raytheon Anschütz also include a Standard 22

Raytheon reported earnings for the first quarter of the company's fiscal year 2016 on 28 April, with sales increasing 9% but operating income down 27% year over year. Sales for the first quarter were USD5.8 billion, up from USD5.3 billion for the same quarter in 2015. Operating income was USD612

Key Points Vietnam's third Gepard-class frigate, the first of two ASW variants, has been launched Zelenodolsk Shipyard says that ships three and four in the class remain on schedule for delivery in 2016 Russia's Zelenodolsk Shipyard has launched the first anti-submarine warfare (ASW) variant of

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has taken delivery of a number of Spanish-made 4x4 Vehículo de Alta Movilidad Táctico (VAMTAC) ST5 high mobility tactical vehicles to add to its fleet, with at least two vehicles configured as light utility or troop transport platforms observed travelling

The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded SpaceX USD82.7 million to provide satellite launch services, marking the company's first military launch contract, the Pentagon announced on 27 April. The contract is for the launch of a GPS III satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in May 2018. SpaceX last

The Thai government has approved the raising of the Royal Thai Marine Corps' (RTMC's) first paramilitary counter-insurgency force. The new regiment of RTMC Rangers will join similar regiments under the command of the Royal Thai Army (RTA) as regular army and marine battalions are withdrawn from the

Turkey signed a formal agreement with Qatar on 28 April to form a joint military base in the Gulf country. The Qatari base will become Turkey's first foreign military base in the Gulf, with the agreement being signed in Doha by Turkish defence minister Ismet Yilmaz and his Qatari counterpart Khalid

Key Points Turkey has bolstered its military presence along its border with Syria in response to cross-border rocket attacks The United States will also deploy HIMARS rocket systems to Turkey to help assist in counter-battery fires Turkey's military has significantly reinforced the country's 900

Russia has begun flight tests of the Adcom United 40 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Russian state news. RIA Novosti cited a defence industry source as saying the tests were taking place at the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) flight-test centre in

Key Points Two launches of the Musudan IRBM by North Korea on 27-28 April appear to have failed. These mark the third successive launch failure of the Musudan in its land-based configuration. Two North Korean intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) tests appear to have ended in failure on

A US Army Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) in Hawaii has received its AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters from various National Guard units as the active duty force implements its Aviation Restructure Initiative (ARI). The controversial ARI, opposed by the National Guard for not wanting to lose

US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) elements are leveraging virtual machines and software-defined applications to reduce the footprint of their Tactical Local Area network (TACLAN) system, while enhancing utility and security against cyber and electronic warfare threats. In February 2016 VMware,

The US Air Force's Materiel Command (AFMC) is in the process of developing both near-term innovative products as well as advanced technologies as part of the Pentagon's third offset initiative, the command's chief General Ellen Pawlikowski told reporters on 28 April. Pawlikowski was speaking as

Key Points Procuring a second Virginia in fiscal year 2021 would reduce the USN's attack submarine shortfall in the 2020s The addition of this second boat, boosting Virginia Block V to 10 boats, would yield cost savings The US Navy (USN) believes momentum is growing to allow the acquisition of a

Americas Colombia - 28 April 2016: In Santander de Quilichao, Cauca, Afro-Colombian groups blocked the Pan-American Highway in a protest demanding consultation over highway expansion. Haiti - 28 April 2016: Outside the Parliament in Port-au-Prince, police officers fired rubber bullets to disperse

Americas

• Legislation being considered by the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) could see the last of the USAF’s F-117A Nighthawk fleet sent to the scrap yard. Retired since 2007, a fleet of the pioneering stealth aircraft have been kept in special climate controlled storage hangers in the event they were ever needed again. Now, Congress is considering removing those mothballed aircraft and having them scrapped and gutted for hard-to-find parts.

• With its fourth test aircraft up and running, Boeing has reported a $243 million pre-tax charge for cost overruns on the USAF’s KC-46A Pegasus tanker program. It is believed that the company has incurred out of pocket expenses for the tanker totalling around $1.5 billion since being awarded the the $4.4 billion fixed-priced KC-X development contract in 2011. In total, $6.4 billion has been spent on the tanker, and Boeing is anxious for more funds to be released under the low-rate initial production (LRIP) contract expected later this year.

• The USAF awarded an $82.7 million contract to Space Explorations Tech. (SpaceX) to launch a GPS III satellite in May 2018. The move represents a shift away from the decade-long monopoly held by giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin on military space launches. Work to be carried out under the contract includes production of a Falcon 9 rocket, spacecraft integration, launch operations, and space flight certification.

Middle East North Africa

• UAE has seemingly donated a number of Armored Personnel Carriers (APC) and military pick-up trucks to the UN backed Libyan government based in the city of Torbuk. The amount of vehicles sent by the Gulf emirate is unknown, but a picture posted by the Libyan National Army (LNA) shows dozens of what appear to be new Panthera T-6 light APCs and Toyota Landcruiser pick-up trucks. Together with Egypt and Jordan, the UAE has allegedly defied the UN arms embargo on Libya to become one of the most consistent supporters of the LNA since 2012.

Europe

• Airbus has reported further delays to the development of the A400M with the latest issue involving the engine gearbox of the military transport plane. In a statement following the the first-quarter financial results by chief financial officer Harald Wilhelm, he warned of “serious challenges for production and customer deliveries” of the A400M this year. Negotiations on a new delivery schedule are being held through OCCAR, the European procurement agency.

• Polish company WB Electronics has announced that it has sold a number of its Warmate micro combat unmanned air vehicles to two undisclosed export customers. The system operates as a scaled-down expendable loitering munition, aimed at detecting and countering targets including light tanks and armored vehicles. The Warmate can be operated as an autonomous system transported by the army or special forces, and can also be installed on board military vehicles and controlled through the vehicle’s electronics.

Asia Pacific

• Defense experts in Seoul have reported that North Korea carried out two test-firings of their intermediate range missiles on Thursday with both failing. The seemingly hurried tests involved a Musudan missile with a range of more than 3,000 km, followed later by a similar intermediate range missile, both of which crashed soon after take-off. North Korean missile testing in the face of the UN ban have been escalating as of late in the run up to the ruling Workers’ Party congress to be held on May 6.

• Efforts by India to increase their domestic weaponry and equipment output has hit a stumbling block as domestic and private companies are divided over a new not-yet-implemented Ministry of Defense procurement policy. When brought into force, the policy would identify a select few private sector defense companies to be named Strategic Partners (SP), who could then be nominated to big ticket defense projects. Opposition to the policy mainly comes from over 6,000 small and medium companies who fear that the use of SPs would leave very little for them to be involved in.

Today’s Video

• Iraqi army aviation helicopter strikes against ISIS targets west of Baiji (Salah Ad-Din province):

Falcon 9 Engines

DID has covered SpaceX’s role in DARPA’s Responsive Small Spacelift Launch Vehicles program with its Falcon I design, and noted the Low-Earth Orbit launch contracts it had secured for various customers. RSSLV is designed to create a less expensive, quick launch capability. Yet SpaceX is developing a whole family of launch rockets, and recently announced a much larger Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) class rocket called the Falcon 9.

It’s a long way from the venture’s beginnings, when PayPal founder (and SpaceX CEO) Elon Musk noted that “The computer and Internet revolutions have given a great deal of capital to the ‘Star Wars’ fans.” SpaceX stuck to its original plan – giving private firms and government agencies that want to launch satellites a $6 million alternative to the cheapest existing rockets, which now cost $30 million per flight. Now, it’s branching out.

The Falcon 9

SpaceX initially intended to follow its first vehicle development, Falcon 1, with the intermediate class Falcon 5 launch vehicle. However, in response to customer requirements for low cost enhanced launch capability, SpaceX accelerated development of an EELV-class vehicle, upgrading Falcon 5 to Falcon 9. SpaceX has sold a Falcon 9 launch to a US government customer, and still plans to make Falcon 5 available in late 2007. Their efforts are worth watching, and could affect the military satellite launch market.

With up to a 17 ft (5.2 m) diameter fairing, Falcon 9 is capable of launching approximately 21,000 lbs (9,500 kg) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in its medium configuration and 55,000 lbs (25,000 kg) to LEO in its heavy configuration, a lift capacity greater than any other launch vehicle. In the medium configuration, Falcon 9 is priced at $27 million per flight with a 12 ft (3.6 m) fairing and $35 million with a 17 ft fairing. Prices include all launch range and third party insurance costs, and SpaceX claims that this makes Falcon 9 the most cost efficient vehicle in its class worldwide.

Nine SpaceX Merlin engines power the Falcon 9 first stage with 85,000 lbs of sea level thrust per engine, for a total thrust on liftoff of 765,000 pounds. After engine start, Falcon is held down until all vehicle systems are verified to be functioning normally before release for liftoff.

Although in-flight failures are very rarely explosive, a Kevlar shield protects each engine from debris in the event of its neighbor failing. The second stage tank of Falcon 9 is simply a shorter version of the first stage tank and uses most of the same tooling, material and manufacturing techniques. This results in significant cost savings in vehicle production. A single Merlin engine powers the Falcon 9 upper stage, with dual redundant hypergolic igniters (TEA-TEB) with four injection ports for added reliability of restart.

Falcon Family
(click to view full)

SpaceX: Rocket Science With A Difference

SpaceX’s approach to vehicle design is interesting, and may make them a strong lower-budget alternative to Boeing and Lockheed – and a potentially strong competitor to Ariane or Russian launch options.

An overview of SpaceX’s Falcon family of rockets and launch schedules can be found here. Their designs incorporate a number of well thought-out approaches to balancing low cost and reliability.

SpaceX’s analysis noted that the vast majority of launch vehicle failures in the past two decades can be attributed to three causes: engine, stage separation and, to a much lesser degree, avionics failures. An analysis of launch failure history between 1980 and 1999 by Aerospace Corporation showed that 91% of known failures can be attributed to those subsystems.

Falcon 1

In response, they designed Falcon 1 to have only one engine per stage and only one stage separation event – the minimum pragmatically possible number. Falcon 9 uses similar engines, electronics, guidance & control and separation systems to Falcon 1, but is built on a different scale and uses multiple engines.

In the case of Falcon 5 and Falcon 9, the multiple engines are set up so that the vehicles will be capable of sustaining an engine failure at any point in flight and successfully completing their mission. These architectures are improved versions of those employed by the Saturn V and Saturn I rockets of the Apollo Program, which had flawless flight records despite losing engines on a number of missions.

SpaceX hold-before-release system is required by commercial airplanes, but rarely seen on launch vehicles. After first stage engine start, the Falcon is held down and not released for flight until all propulsion and vehicle systems are confirmed to be operating normally. An automatic safe shut-down and unloading of propellant occurs if any off nominal conditions are detected. It is, after all, cheaper to reset a launch than to replace a cargo that is often worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Keeping the design to only one stage separation event, and adding triple redundant flight computers and inertial navigation, with a GPS overlay for additional orbit insertion accuracy, take advantage of design and lowering costs for electronics to address the remaining reliability issues while keeping the cost of launch economical.

Falcon 5 and Falcon 9 will also be the world’s first launch vehicles where all stages are designed for reuse.

Reuse is not currently factored into their launch prices, but SpaceX has publicly stated that it will make further reductions in launch prices when the economics of stage recovery and checkout are fully understood.

SpaceX: The Future

SpaceX founder Elon Musk has stated that eventually, he wants to pave the way for safe and reliable airplane-like trips to space. “If anyone can do it,” says Mike Griffin, a former NASA exec (at the time – he’s now NASA Administrator) and president of the venture-capital firm In-Q-Tel, “Elon can. He has an incredible track record.”

• So, Mike Griffin used to be a former executive of NASA and a current head honcho at In-Q-Tel. Now he’s a former In-Q-Tel executive and a current head honcho at NASA. Thanks to the readers who wrote in to point this out. Does this make him a “re-former” NASA executive? I guess we’ll see.

Updates

April 29/16: The USAF awarded an $82.7 million contract to Space Explorations Tech. (SpaceX) to launch a GPS III satellite in May 2018. The move represents a shift away from the decade-long monopoly held by giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin on military space launches. Work to be carried out under the contract includes production of a Falcon 9 rocket, spacecraft integration, launch operations, and space flight certification.

April 12/16: Last Friday saw SpaceX successfully land a first-stage Falcon 9 rocket on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. This is the second time SpaceX has successfully landed a rocket back on earth after putting a payload in space, but the first such landing on an ocean-going barge. An earlier attempt at a similar landing failed last December when the first stage rocket tipped over and exploded. Friday’s flight saw the Falcon 9 deliver cargo to the International Space Station.

October 12/15: The Pentagon has denied United Launch Alliance a waiver that would have allowed the company to continue using Russian RD-180 rockets. SpaceX was unhappy that the company’s competitor for defense and intelligence satellite launch services requested the waiver, with ULA previously threatening to withdraw from future competition with SpaceX if the waiver was denied. SpaceX was cleared for national security launches in May, with Congress passing the 2015 defense authorization law in December 2014 to curtail the use of the RD-180 by ULA, resulting in protests from some within the Pentagon earlier this year.

May 28/15: SpaceX has been cleared by the Air Force for national security-related launches, injecting competition into a previous United Launch Alliance monopoly on private DoD launches. This is part of Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain’s efforts to end US reliance on the Russia-manufactured RD-180 rocket for space launches. However, the Pentagon has previously urged Congress to allow ULA to continue using the Russian rockets in order to “ensure access to space”.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) is set to lay the keel of the US Navy's newest Virginia Class attack submarine, Delaware (SSN 791), tomorrow at Newport News Shipbuilding.

French shipyard DCNS has conducted the factory acceptance test (FAT) of eight converters designed by ECA Group, to be installed on-board Indian Scorpene-class fifth and sixth submarines.