Defense Industry Daily

Americas

Northrop Grumman Systems won a $44.6 million contract modification, which increases the ceiling of the contract for the production and delivery of an additional 228 H-1 Tech Refresh Mission Computers, increasing the quantity from 545 to 773 in support of domestic and Foreign Military Sales UH-1Y and AH-1Z aircraft. Northrop Grumman Gen III mission computers are at the heart of the company’s avionics system that powers the glass cockpit avionics of AH-1Z and UH-1Y. The conduction-cooled Gen III mission computer has a ruggedized 6U VME PowerPC-based single board computer. Interfaces include Fast Ethernet, four serial ports, parallel I/O, and built-in-test. It has a standard partitioned real-time operating system called INTEGRITY-178 tuMP for multicore architectures from Green Hills Software in Santa Barbara, Calif., with ARINC 653 and POSIX support. Work will take place in Utah, Maryland and California. Estimated completion is in December 2023.

The Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $7.5 million modification, which exercises options to procure Intel Diminishing Manufacturing Sources parts that have reached end of life in support of the F-35 program future aircraft production and deliveries for the Air Force and Navy. The largest procurement program in the Department of Defense, the F-35 Lightning II is a strike fighter aircraft being procured in different versions for the United States Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. Work will take place in Fort Worth. Expected completion will be in December 2020.

Middle East & Africa

Kellogg Brown & Root Services won a ceiling $974 million contract for US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) base operating support. This contract provides day-to-day base operations and maintenance services throughout locations within USAFE-AFAFRICA. Air Force Installation Contracting Command at Ramstein Air Base in Germany received three offers for the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract and will obligate $10M on the first two task orders under the IDIQ. Work will take place at Spain’s Moron AB and Turkey’s Incirlik AB, Izmir Air Station and Office of Defense Cooperation. DoD expects contract services to be complete by Aug. 27, 2028.

Europe

The US State Department has authorized a British purchase of three hundred and ninety-five AGM-114R2 Hellfire missiles for an estimated cost of $46 million. The required certification notifying Congress about this possible sale was delivered by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The UK Government had put a request for the acquisition of the 395 missiles and this request also included technical assistance, publications, integration support, and other related aspects regarding logistics and program support. The proposed sale will not only support the foreign policy but also the national security objectives of the US Government by bolstering the security of a Nato ally. Furthermore, the acquisition of these missiles is expected to help the UK to replace expiring and unserviceable missiles and bolstering its capability to meet current and future threats. The missiles are also expected to help maintain its ability to carry out missions across a wide range of military operations. These missiles will also be easily inducted by the UK into its armed forces.

Asia-Pacific

The US government approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Japan of 32 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) with support for an estimated cost of $63 million. Along with the missiles, the sales package includes one AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM guidance section spare, containers, support and support equipment, spare and repair parts. The Government of Japan had requested to buy 32 AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM and one (1) AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM guidance section spare.  Also included are containers, support and support equipment, spare and repair parts, US Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistical support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated total cost is $63 million.

Taiwan has deployed a small number of its indigenous Albatross UAVs to Pratas and Taiping Islands in the South China Sea. Each island had one set of system which consists of 4 aircraft along with its ground control station. The system deployed to Pratas Island is tasked with monitoring the military exercises that China is executing off Shantou. It complements the reconnaissance assets that Taiwan will deploy from the island to monitor those exercises. The other system on Taiping Island will help monitor the artificial islands that China had constructed in the South China Sea. Previously operated by the Army Aviation and Special Forces Command, these UAVs were transferred to Naval Fleet Command in 2017.

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Latest updates: New 2011-2014 contract; Long-lead buy for AGM-114Rs under previous contract.

Hellfire II cutaway
(click to view full)

Hellfire I/II missiles are the USA’s preferred aerial anti-armor missile, and are widely deployed with America’s allies. All use semi-active laser guidance as their base mode. They equip its helicopter fleets (AH-64, AH-1, OH-58D, MH-60S/R), AH-64 and S-70 helicopters flown by its allies, and even Australia and France’s Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters. Range is officially listed as 9,000 meters, or about 5.6 miles.

While Hellfires lack the fast-jet launch capabilities – and correspondingly extended maximum range – of the UK’s MBDA Brimstone missiles, Lockheed Martin’s missile has carved out unique niches as tripod-launched coastal defense assets in Norway and Sweden, and as the guided missile integrated into American UAVs like the MQ-1 Predator family. This article covers the current set of contracts, which began in 2008:

• Lockheed Martin’s Hellfires
  
• Contracts and Key Events [updated]
  
• Appendix A: A Sticky Situation – Lockheed’s 2008 (I)TAR Baby
  
• Appendix B: Additional Readings
  

Lockheed Martin’s Hellfires

AGM-114K-A warhead
(click to view full)

Hellfire II missiles come in several variants. The AGM-114K is the basic Hellfire II missile; it uses a shaped-charge HEAT(High Explosive Anti-Tank) warhead that can destroy armored vehicles, or punch into buildings.

The recently-introduced AGM-114K-A variant adds a blast fragmentation sleeve to the HEAT warhead’s anti-tank capability, giving it added versatility against unarmored targets in the open.

The AM-114M version was originally developed for the Navy; its warhead is solely blast fragmentation, which is effective against boats, lightly armored vehicles, etc.

The AGM-114N variant uses a thermobaric (“metal augmented charge”) warhead that can suck the air out of a cave, collapse a building, or produce an astoundingly large blast radius out in the open.

AGM-114P onto MQ-9
(click to view full)

A new AGM-114R “multi-purpose” Hellfire II is headed into production/ conversion. It adds some guidance and navigation improvements, and goes one step further than the K-A variant: it’s intended to work well against all 3 target types: armored vehicles, fortified positions, or soft/open targets. The “Romeo” will become the mainstay of the future Hellfire fleet, used from helicopters and UAVs, until and unless Hellfire itself is supplanted by the JAGM program. Hellfire systems product manager US Army Lt. Col. Mike Brown:

“One of the most noticeable operational enhancements in the AGM-114R missile is that the pilot can now select the [blast type] while on the move and without having to have a pre-set mission load prior to departure… This is a big deal in insurgency warfare, as witnessed in Afghanistan where the Taliban are fighting in the open and simultaneously planning their next attacks in amongst the local populace using fixed structure facilities to screen their presence.”

Two more Hellfire variants feature key changes that aren’t related to their warheads.

The AGM-114L “Longbow Hellfire” adds a millimeter-wave radar seeker, which makes it a “fire-and-forget” missile. It’s integrated with the mast-mounted radar on AH-64D Apache helicopters, and AH-1 Cobra family attack helicopters have been tested with different add-ons that would give them similar capabilities.

The AGM-114P variant is modified for use from UAVs flying at altitude. That requires greater environmental tolerances, as the difference between temperature at launch altitude and near the target can be well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The AGM-114P’s 3-axis inertial measuring unit (IMU) gives it a 360-degree targeting capability, making it easier to fire from UAVs that lack a helicopter’s swivel and point maneuverability. Its unique features will also be present in the new AGM-114R, which will succeed it.

Contracts and Key Events

Hellfire II tripod
(click to view full)

The common denominator in this article is the contract: W31P4Q-08-C-0361.

Hellfire Systems LLC in Orlando, FL is a Lockheed Martin/ Boeing joint venture, and is the only source of Hellfire missiles. The US Army Aviation & Missile Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL manages these contracts, unless otherwise noted.

August 28/20: UK The US State Department has authorized a British purchase of three hundred and ninety-five AGM-114R2 Hellfire missiles for an estimated cost of $46 million. The required certification notifying Congress about this possible sale was delivered by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The UK Government had put a request for the acquisition of the 395 missiles and this request also included technical assistance, publications, integration support, and other related aspects regarding logistics and program support. The proposed sale will not only support the foreign policy but also the national security objectives of the US Government by bolstering the security of a Nato ally. Furthermore, the acquisition of these missiles is expected to help the UK to replace expiring and unserviceable missiles and bolstering its capability to meet current and future threats. The missiles are also expected to help maintain its ability to carry out missions across a wide range of military operations. These missiles will also be easily inducted by the UK into its armed forces.

December 18/19: MD 530G Block II MD Helicopters intends to upgrade its MD 530G Block II scout attack helicopter with an integrated weapons system made by Elbit Systems that would make the aircraft capable of carrying and firing Hellfire missiles. The addition of the AGM-114 Hellfire semi-active laser-guided missile would give the MD 530G an anti-tank and anti-armor capability it does not currently have. The Elbit Systems upgrade package for the MD 530G is to include a helmet display and tracking system, weapons management system and mission management system, says MD Helicopters. The MD 530G’s current standard configuration includes unguided rocket pods and mini-guns.

April 29/19: New Procurement Lockheed Martin won a $723.5 million contract modification to procure a variety of Hellfire II missiles for the US Army as well as three allies. The air-to-surface missiles will be produced for Lebanon, the Netherlands and France as part of Foreign Military Sales. All Hellfire II variants have been used successfully in Operation Iraqi Freedom, with more than 1,000 missiles fired to date. With more than 22,000 rounds delivered since production began in 1994, Hellfire II has been successfully integrated with a wide array of platforms, including the US Army’s Apache and Kiowa Warrior helicopters, the US Marine Corps’ Cobra, the US Navy’s Seahawk helicopter, the UK’s Apache attack helicopter, the Eurocopter Tiger and the US Air Force’s Predator and Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles. Lockheed Martin will perform work in Florida, with an estimated completion date of September 30, 2022.

April 9/12: An $8.75 million firm-fixed-price contract to buy long lead parts for the Hellfire II Romeo RX. Work will be performed in Orlando, FL, with an estimated completion date of March 31/14. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 1 bid received by U.S. Army Contracting Command in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-08-C-0361).

Aug 1/11: A $159 million firm-fixed-price, unfinalized contract begins the 2011-2014 buy of up to 24,000 AGM-114N/P/Q/R Hellfire II missiles (W31P4Q-11-C-0242). Read “US Hellfire Missile Orders, FY 2011-2014” for full coverage.

March 28/11: Lockheed Martin announces the 6th and final proof-of-principle test for the new AGM 114R HELLFIRE II successfully concludes at Eglin AFB, FL, using ground launch in lock-on after launch mode from 2.5 km away. The missile penetrated the brick-over-block target, and successfully detonated with the specified fuze delay. U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mike Brown, HELLFIRE Systems product manager at the Army’s Joint Attack Munition Systems project office:

“The AGM-114R baseline design is now defined and allows us to go into system qualification… The R model remains on cost and on schedule, and meets all performance objectives.”

March 14: A $38.6 million firm-fixed-price contract covers an in-line production configuration change of 2,600 Hellfire II AGM-114P2 missiles, for use from UAVs. Work will be performed in Orlando, FL, until the end of FY 2013: Sept 30/13. One sole-source bid was solicited with one bid received (W31P4Q-08-C-0361).

Sept 10/10: A $20.1 million firm-fixed-price contract to transition the new air-to-ground AGM-114R Hellfire II Romeo missile into the current Hellfire II missile production line.

Work will performed in Orlando, FL with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/13. One sole-source bid was solicited and 1 bid was received (W31P4Q-08-C-0361).
Aug 30/10: An AGM-114R hits and “destroys” a stationary M-60 tank target 6.4 km down range, in the missile’s 3rd proof-of-principle flight test. The missile was ground launched, with a flight profile designed to simulate airborne launch from a UAV. The missile was launched in lock-on-after-launch mode, with a high trajectory. It used its inertial guidance to fly to the approximate location of the target before beginning its search, and struck the target within inches of the laser aimpoint. Lockheed Martin.

Aug 26/10: A 3-year, $14.4 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for Romeo Phase 3 engineering, which will re-configure existing Army AGM-114K2 and AGM-114N missiles to the AGM-114R configuration.

Work is to be performed in Columbia, SC with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/13. One bid was solicited with one received (W31P4Q-08-C-0361; Serial No. 1765).

July 26/10: The Longbow, LLC joint venture in Orlando, FL received a $39.5 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering services supporting the Hellfire and Hellfire Longbow missiles. Work is to be performed in Orlando, FL (50%); Baltimore, MD (25%); United Arab Emirates (10%); and Taiwan (15%), and will run to Sept 30/12. One bid was solicited with one bid received by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, AMSAM-AC-TM-H in Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-10-C-0256).

This contract is not in the same series as the other entries; it is offered as a one-time reminder that all equipment buys come with associated engineering service support contracts, as part of their operations and maintenance costs. Taiwan and the UAE are already Hellfire customers; the UAE uses them on its AH-64 attack helicopters, while Taiwan became a customer in 2005.

June 23/10: A $22 million firm-fixed-price contract, exercising a FY 2010 option for 331 Hellfire II missiles. Work is to be performed in Orlando, FL, with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/13. One bid was solicited with one bid received (W31P4Q-08-C-0361).

May 10/10: An $84.5 million firm-fixed-price contract, exercising a FY 2010 option for 1,253 Hellfire II missiles. See also March 26/10 entry. Work is to be performed in Orlando, FL, with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/13. One bid was solicited with one bid received (W31P4Q-08-C-0361).

May 6/10: A $15.8 million firm-fixed-price contract to add the new AGM-114R Hellfire II Romeo missile into the current missile production line. As noted above, this variant is designed to offer a “tri-mode” warhead that can be effective against armored vehicles, fortifications, and targets in the open.

Work is to be performed in Orlando, FL, with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/13. There’s only one maker of Hellfire missiles; 1 bid was solicited by the U.S. Army’s AMCOM Contracting Center at Redstone Arsenal, AL, with 1 bid received (W31P4Q-08-C-0361).

April 29/10: Alliant Techsystems announces $32 million in follow-on production sub-contracts from Lockheed Martin for about 7,100 Hellfire II missile rocket motors, and 2,200 AGM-114N metal augmented charge (thermobaric) warheads. The motors and warheads will be built at its manufacturing facility in Rocket Center, WVA.

ATK was awarded the HELLFIRE II baseline sub-contract in November 2008 to produce and deliver rocket motors and warheads. This represents the first option, with deliveries scheduled to run from April 2011 – July 2012. A second option could be awarded in late 2010. Dating back to HELLFIRE I in the 1980s, ATK has produced nearly 80,000 HELLFIRE rocket motors and over 6,400 MAC warheads. In addition, ATK manufactures the copper liner for the AGM-114K’s main shaped-charge high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead.

April 8/10: Lockheed Martin announces success in its 1st live warhead proof-of-principle (POP) flight test, conducted at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. The test featured a lock-on-after-launch engagement of a stationary target board at 1.6 miles/ 2.5 km, launched with a low trajectory suitable for a military operation in urban terrain. The multi-purpose, multi-stage warhead was set with a delayed fuze that allows the missile to penetrate the target before detonating.

The AGM-114R’s multi-purpose warhead and electronic safe, arm and fire, or (ESAF) module were the critical technologies being tested.

March 26/10: Hellfire Systems in Orlando, FL received a $268.75 million firm-fixed-price contract modification, exercising FY 2010 options for 3,955 Hellfire II missiles. Work is to be performed in Orlando, FL, with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/13. US Army Contracting Command, AMCOM Contracting Center, Redstone Arsenal, AL manages the contract (W31P4Q-08-C-0361).

Feb 18/10: The US Army announces that its MQ-1C ER/MP UAV has successfully completed a series of tests with a HELLFIRE II UAS missile variant, whose 360-degree targeting ability allows UAVs that lack a helicopter’s instant maneuverability to put missiles on target faster. Testing began on Nov 22/09, and took place at Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, CA, following cooperation from General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems, Inc.’s Software Integration Laboratory, the company’s El Mirage Flight Test Facility in El Mirage, CA, and Edwards Air Force Base, CA.

The tests began with dry runs and an inert test missile, followed by a successful “cold” pass using a live missile to verify lock-on, followed by “hot pass” firing. November and December involved testing in various conditions, from varying altitudes, against stationary or moving targets. Tests recorded 9 successful shots, which helped pave the way for the MQ-1C UAV’s February 2010 Milestone C production approval.

Iraq performance,
25ID’s 25 CAB, 2006-2007

Aug 18/08: Hellfire Systems in Orlando, FL received a $356.7 million firm-fixed price contract for Hellfire II High-Energy Anti-Tank missiles. Work will be performed in Orlando, FL, and is expected to be complete by Oct 31/11. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The US Army Aviation & Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL manages the contract (W31P4Q-08-C-0361).

The DefenseLINK release is almost certainly referring to the AGM-114K Hellfire II missile, but Lockheed Martin spokespeople add that the contract also includes options for up to 200 training missiles, for additional orders in FY 2009 and 2010, for Foreign Military Sales buyers, and for up to 1,200 variant conversions. If exercised, those options could increase the contract’s value to over $1 billion, and secure Hellfire missile production until 2013.

To date, American forces have fired more than 6,800 Hellfires in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 22,000 rounds since Hellfire II production began in 1994. Lockheed Martin release.

Appendix A: A Sticky Situation: Lockheed’s 2008 (I)TAR Baby

US AH-64A
(click to view full)

The Hellfire missile also made the news in a different capacity. Lockheed Martin discovered that efforts to sell 460 more Hellfire missiles to the UAE in 2003-2004 had crossed the line, by failing to get proper ITAR approvals beforehand for certain discussions, and by divulging classified missile-related information to a UAE Air Force officer in response to questions.

The UAE was already a Hellfire customer at that time for its AH-64A Apache helicopters, but that does not remove the procedural requirements, and weapon export requirements are taken very seriously by all concerned.

Lockheed Martin discovered the mistakes itself, and informed the US Department of State, which manages ITAR. The final settlement involves a $4 million fine, with $1 million of that suspended if Lockheed Martin meets certain criteria for improved internal compliance measures. Reuters | NY Times’ International Herald-Tribune

Appendix B: Additional Readings

• Lockheed Martin – Hellfire II Missile

• Boeing – History: Rockwell International AGM-114 Hellfire

• Global Security – AGM-114 Hellfire Modular Missile System (HMMS)

• Designation Systems – Boeing/Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire

• DID – JAGM: Joint Common Missile Program Fired – But Not Forgotten. JAGM will replace AGM-114 Hellfire, *GM-71 TOW, and AGM-65 Maverick missile variants on Army and Navy helicopters, UAVs, and fighter aircraft.

Americas

PAE Aviation and Technical Services won a $19.7 million contract modification for the Aerial Targets Program.  The contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional year of service under the multiple year contract which directly supports live-fire weapon system testing and enables the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group to perform developmental and operational weapons testing for all air-to-air missiles for F-15, F-16, F-22, and F-35 aircraft. Work will take place at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida; and Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. Expected completion date is September 30, 2021.

Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust won a $16.5 million deal for the ownership, operation and maintenance of the water and wastewater utility systems at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Earlier this month Oklahoma City officials authorized the city’s Water Utilities Trust and the city attorney’s office to finalize a draft contract with the federal government to modernize the base’s aging water and sewer systems. In March 2017 the Air Force tapped Honeywell with a $243 million contract to reduce energy consumption and costs at Tinker. That deal included updating wastewater treatment systems as well modernizing manufacturing lines, installing two new 2,000-ton chillers, installing smart meters and LED lighting and decentralizing the steam heating plant to use less energy. Work will take place in Oklahoma. Estimated completion date is August 31, 2071.

Middle East & Africa

The Israeli Ministry of Defense released the first images from the new Ofek 16 satellite on August 25. The Ofek 16 was launched on July 6. According to the ministry, this is the first time it has released recent imagery from one of its satellites. The greyscale images showed the Roman Theatre and Temple of Bel in the ruined city of Palmyra in central Syria. In a statement, the Defense Ministry said the camera on Ofek 16 that took the photos was developed in a hitherto-classified joint project by the ministry’s research and development department, known by the Hebrew acronym MAFAT, and the Elbit Systems defense contractor.

Europe

Three kayakers have been rescued in a multi-agency response featuring a Royal Navy warship, the BBC reports. It is understood that HMS Sutherland was sailing along the west coast near Skye when it received a request to assist coastguard teams in rescuing three individuals from a nearby loch. The operation also involved the RNLI, the coastguard and nearby fishing boats. A Maritime and Coastguard spokesman said: “HM Coastguard received a report of three kayakers in difficulty at Loch Torridon, in the north-west Highlands. Kyle Coastguard Rescue Team, the Portree RNLI lifeboat and the HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Stornoway were sent to assist at the scene. HMS Sutherland and a number of nearby fishing boats and other vessels also responded immediately and assisted.“

Asia-Pacific

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff is expected to rectify a plan to buy 20 F-35As and 20 F-35Bs under phase 2 of its FX III fighter program in October’s meeting. The purchase is expected to cost $6.7 billion and the priority is to acquire the B-model first in order for the short take-off and vertical landing aircraft (STOVL) to operate on the light aircraft carrier that Seoul intends to build.

Former Indian Navy aircraft carrier and Falklands War veteran INS Viraat will arrive at Alang shipyard next month to be dismantled. It was purchased by shipping firm Shri Ram Shipping after attempts to convert it into a museum failed. The iconic warship is hailed as the longest serving warship in the world. It was first commissioned as HMS Hermes by the British Royal Navy in 1959. It was deployed for peacekeeping mission to Sri Lanka in 1988 and Kargil War in 1999.

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Americas

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems won a $15.5 million contract modification, that adds performance for site relocation activities and exercises an option to extend intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance services utilizing contractor-owned/contractor-operated MQ-9 unmanned air systems. The Reaper is a UAV capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations. The MQ-9 Reaper has an operational ceiling of 50,000ft, a maximum internal payload of 800lb and external payload over 3,000lb. It can carry up to four Hellfire II anti-armor missiles and two laser-guided bombs (GBU-12 or EGBU-12) and 500lb GBU-38 JDAM (joint direct attack munition). In May 2008, a USAF Reaper successfully test dropped four Raytheon GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II 500lb bombs, which have laser and GPS guidance. Work will take place in Arizona, California and other locations outside the continental US. Expected completion is in December 2020.

Areté Associated von a $9.7 million contract for integration services supporting incremental upgrades, block upgrades and future generations of MK 18 Family of Systems unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), additional UUVs and remotely operated vehicles. This 17-month contract includes no options.The Mk 18 Mod 1 Swordfish UUV is capable of performing low-visible exploration and reconnaissance in support of amphibious landing; mine countermeasures operations such as search, classification, mapping, reacquire, and identification; hydrographic mapping at depths from 10 to 40 feet. Work will take place in Arizona and Florida. Estimated completion is August 24, 2020-

Middle East & Africa

Turkey and Qatar will help restructure forces loyal to Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) into a regular army based on the model that Turkey used to train the military of Azerbaijan after it became an independent country, turkish media reported. The three-way agreement was announced after talks in Tripoli between GNA Deputy Defense Minister Salah al-Namroush, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, and Qatari Defense Minister Khalid bin Muhammad al-Attiyah.

Europe

According to Rheinmetall, Hungary has embarked on a massive program worth over two billion euros (2.4 billion dollars) to modernize the country’s defense industry and military capabilities. Rheinmetall will be cooperating with Hungary to create a joint venture and production facility in Hungary to manufacture the most modern Lynx infantry fighting vehicle. Hungary is the first NATO and EU member state to choose the Düsseldorf-based Group’s innovative new IFV.

A giant Antonov AN-124 cargo aircraft touched down at Glasgow Prestwick Airport to make an oversized delivery of a new Operational Flight Trainer (OFT) heading to RAF Lossiemouth, according to the UK Ministry of Defense. The simulator is one of two that will be installed in the new £100-million strategic facility built by Boeing Defence UK. From Autumn 2020, RAF Lossiemouth will be the headquarters of the UK’s submarine-hunting Poseidon MRA Mk1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft fleet.

Asia-Pacific

According to Indian media, the United States and India seem to be finally ready to sign an agreement to share geospatial defense intelligence. The two countries might sign the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) during a virtual “2+2” foreign and defense ministers/secretaries’ dialogue in September. BECA is the last of the four “foundational” agreements that underpin deepening defense cooperation between the two countries. When signed, BECA will allow the United States to share satellite and other sensor data with India in order to improve the Indian military’s targeting and navigation capabilities.

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REMUS 100
(click to view full)

In October 2013, Kongsberg Defence subsidiary Hydroid, Inc., of Pocasset, MA received a maximum $36.5 million, 5-year, sole-source award for its unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) from the US Navy’s Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division in Indian Head, MD. They’ll be buying 2 types of UUVs.

Kingfish UUV
(click to view full)

Hydroid’s smaller MK18 MOD1 Swordfish UUVs are based on the REMUS 100 UUV. It possesses a small side-scan sonar, but its scan, resolution, and buried target detection don’t match the Kingfish. It’s also used for basic hydrographic profiling, however, which is a very useful as a baseline before mine countermeasures work begins.

Their MK18 MOD 2 Kingfish UUVs are typically used for mine countermeasures work, and are typically launched from ships, but they can also be hand-launched by teams in 11m RHIBs. They were deployed to the Persian Gulf earlier this year in response to Iranian threats, and replaced their smaller MK18 MOD1 Swordfish counterparts at that time. They’re based on the REMUS 600 UUV, with a Small Synthetic Aperture Sonar Module (SSAM) configuration that provides wider sonar swath scan, higher resolution imagery, and buried target detection.

Both of these UUVs are currently contractor-operated, but the US Navy does intend to begin operating them itself by 2015. They probably could be loaded onto a Littoral Combat Ship as an interim measure, ahead of the planned 2017 in-service date for Bluefin Robotics’ Knifefish SMCM mine-countermeasures UUV. Sources: GSN, “Navy to buy more unmanned underwater vehicles for mine countermeasures work” | See also ongoing developments around LCS & MH-60S mine counter-measures for a wider overview.

Updates

August 26/20: Upgrades Areté Associated von a $9.7 million contract for integration services supporting incremental upgrades, block upgrades and future generations of MK 18 Family of Systems unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), additional UUVs and remotely operated vehicles. This 17-month contract includes no options.The Mk 18 Mod 1 Swordfish UUV is capable of performing low-visible exploration and reconnaissance in support of amphibious landing; mine countermeasures operations such as search, classification, mapping, reacquire, and identification; hydrographic mapping at depths from 10 to 40 feet. Work will take place in Arizona and Florida. Estimated completion is August 24, 2020-

July 22/20: Engineering Support General Dynamics Missions Systems won a $13.6 million contract modification to exercise an option for engineering support for ongoing development, test and production of the Surface Mine Countermeasure Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (SMCM UUV) program, also known as Knifefish. The Knifefish program will provide persistent volume and bottom mine hunting capability in a contested environment. This option exercise is for engineering support hours to support a number of efforts, including test and evaluation, engineering change proposal development and upgrade initiatives. The Knifefish is an autonomous unmanned water vehicle. It is a propeller-driven minesweeping robot. Work will take place in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia and Michigan. Estimated completion will be by September 2021.

April 28/20: Production Support Hydroid Inc. won a $39.4 million modification to exercise Option Year One for production support for the MK-18 Family of Systems – Unmanned Underwater Vehicle systems. Based on the REMUS 100, the Swordfish MK-18 is designed to Search, Classify, and Map (SCM) the Very Shallow Water Region (10?40 ft). The Navy has a total of 24 Swordfish vehicles: EOD Mobile Unit 1 San Diego, CA : 4 Systems (12 Block A Vehicles), Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2 (MDSU?2), Norfolk, VA: 1 System (3 Block A Vehicles), Naval Oceanographic and Mine Warfare Command (NOMWC), Stennis, MS: 3 Systems (9 Block B vehicles). The Mk 18 Mod 1 Swordfish UUV is capable of performing low-visible exploration and reconnaissance in support of amphibious landing; MCM operations (including search, classification and mapping; and reacquire and identification); and hydrographic mapping in the VSW zone (10 to 40 feet depth) and the seaward approaches. It is capable of navigating via acoustic transponders in long-baseline or ultra-short-baseline mode or via P-coded GPS. Work will take place Pocasset, Massachusetts and is expected to be complete by April 2024.

September 18/19: Production Support Hydroid won a $52.3 million contract modification for production support for the MK 18 family of Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Systems. The MK18 program supports UUV systems. Dubbed Mk 18 Mod 1 and Mod 2 Kingfish within the US Navy service, Hydroid’s Remus 100 and 600 UUVs feature a modular design which enables the Navy to easily reconfigure their sensors for mission specifics. The biggest Remus 600 has a mission endurance of nearly 70 hours with speeds up to 5 knots at depths up to 600 meters. The Kingfish uses side scan sonar to search and discover objects of interest. Developed since 2003, the Remus 600 has a range of 286 nautical miles with its increased payload. Hydroid will perform work in Pocasset, Massachusetts and estimated completion will be in April 2024.

August 28/19: Low-Rate Initial Production The Navy tapped General Dynamics with a $44.6 million modification for low-rate initial production of the Surface Mine Countermeasure Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (SMCM UUV) or Knifefish. The Knifefish program is an ongoing effort to provide a UUV that detects and classifies undersea volume, bottom and buried mines in high-clutter environments. It is part of the Littoral Combat Ship Mine Countermeasures Mission Package and can also be deployed from vessels of opportunity. The Knifefish system, which consists of two unmanned undersea vehicles along with support systems and equipment, uses cutting-edge low-frequency broadband sonar and automated target recognition software technology developed by the Naval Research Laboratory and successfully transitioned to industry. It acts as an off-board sensor while the host ship stays outside the mine field boundaries. The low-rate initial production effort will provide the initial systems for the Navy to test and operate. Work will take place in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Virginia, and Michigan and is expected to be finished by August 2021.

August 8/19: Training Services The Navy contracted Hydroid Inc. with $15.8 million for engineering support and training services for the MK 18 Family of UUV Systems. The Unmanned Underwater Vehicles are. The Navy asked Hydroid in May to upgrade the underwater drones under a potential $47.9 million contract. Hydroid’s smaller MK18 MOD1 Swordfish UUVs possess a small side-scan sonar. It’s also used for basic hydrographic profiling, however, which is a very useful as a baseline before mine countermeasures work begins. Their MK18 MOD 2 Kingfish UUVs are typically used for mine countermeasures work, and are typically launched from ships, but they can also be hand-launched by teams in 11m RHIBs. The current deal includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $84,024,996. Work will take place in Pcasset, Massachusetts and is scheduled to be complete by August next year.

July 19/19: Engineering Services General Dynamics Missions Systems won a $9.2 million fixed-fee modification in support of the Knifefish. The deal provides engineering services for ongoing development, test, and production of the Surface Mine Countermeasure Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) program. Knifefish is a heavyweight class Mine Countermeasure (MCM) Unmanned Undersea Vehicle designed for deployment off the Littoral Combat Ship. The Knifefish UUV provides the mine warfare commander with enhanced mine-hunting capability in a contested environment. Engineering services hours are used for a number of efforts, including test and evaluation, engineering change proposal development, and pre-planned product improvement initiatives. General Dynamics will perform work within the US and estimated completion date is in July, 2020.

April 26/19: Production Support The Navy tapped Hydroid with $23.1 million for MK 18 Unmanned Underwater Vehicle systems production support. The contract modification includes option periods which could bring the cumulative value of the contract to $47.9 million. The Navy Hydroid MK 18 Mod 1 UUV is a variant of the Hydroid REMUS 100. The MK 18 Mod 1 Swordfish UUV is capable of performing low-visible exploration and reconnaissance in support of amphibious landing, mine countermeasures operations such as search, classification, mapping, reacquire, and identification, and hydrographic mapping at depths from 10 to 40 feet. MK18 MOD 2 Kingfish UUVs are typically used for mine countermeasures work, and are typically launched from ships, but they can also be hand-launched by teams in 11m RHIBs. The are based on the REMUS 600. Hydroid received a $36.5 million, 5-year, sole-source award for both types of UUVs from the US Navy. Hydroid will perform work in Massachusetts and the scheduled completion date is in April 2020, if no options are exercised.

November 9/16: Hydroid has won a $7 million US Navy contract for work on the MK18 Kingfish underwater drone. The contract modification exercises a third-year option for engineering support and training services for the Kingfish’s Mod 1 and Mod 2. Offering better endurance and area coverage rates than its Swordfish predecessor, the Kingfish system supports very shallow water missions, very shallow mine countermeasures and underwater object localization tools.

Americas

Northrop Grumman Systems won a $21.9 million task order for the Minuteman III Fast Rising B-Plug service life extension. The LGM-30G Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, is an element of the nation’s strategic deterrent forces under the control of the Air Force Global Strike Command. The Minuteman is a strategic weapon system using a ballistic missile of intercontinental range. Missiles are dispersed in hardened silos to protect against attack and connected to an underground launch control center through a system of hardened cables. Launch crews, consisting of two officers, perform around-the-clock alert in the launch control center. Work will take place in Layton, Utah. Expected completion date is November 17, 2022.

Lockheed Martin won a $77.4 million contract modification, which provides for the development and installation of flight test instrumentation on one F-35B Lot 14 aircraft and one F-35C Lot 14 aircraft for government testing in support of the F-35 program. The F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter (JSF), is being developed by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company for the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and the UK Royal Navy. The stealthy, supersonic multirole fighter was designated the F-35 Lightning II in July 2006. The JSF is being built in three variants: a conventional take-off and landing aircraft (CTOL) for the US Air Force; a carrier variant (CV) for the US Navy; and a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft for the US Marine Corps and the Royal Navy. Work will take place in Texas, California, Denmark and the Netherlands. Estimated completion will be in June 2023.

Middle East & Africa

Turkey will ultimately train around a third of the Somali National Army, according to Mehmet Y?lmaz, the Turkish ambassador to the East African country. Y?lmaz told the state-controlled Anadolu Agency that Turkey had pledged to train 5,000 soldiers for the SNA, which is projected to have a force strength of 15,000–16,000. He said the battalions that have graduated from Turkish training are currently taking part in operations and include officers and non-commissioned officers who are forming the “backbone” of the SNA. The training of a fifth battalion has continued despite the coronavirus pandemic, albeit with strict precautions, bringing the total number of SNA soldiers trained by the Turks to 2,500, he added.

Europe

Lockheed Martin won a $65.3 million deal for fiscal 2020 Aegis modernization, new construction of guided missile destroyers and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) production requirements. This contract combines purchases for the Navy; the Kingdom of Spain; and the government of Japan, under the FMS program. The Aegis Weapon System is a centralized, automated, command-and-control and weapons control system that was designed as a total weapon system, from detection to kill. The heart of the system is the AN/SPY-1, an advanced, automatic detect and track, multi-function phased-array radar. This high-powered (four megawatt) radar is able to perform search, track, and missile guidance functions simultaneously, with a track capacity of more than 100 targets. The first Engineering Development Model (EDM-1) was installed in the test ship, USS Norton Sound (AVM 1) in 1973. Work will take place in Moorestown, New Jersey; Clearwater, Florida; and Owego, New York. This procurement covers the production and delivery of multi-mission signal processor equipment sets; Aegis Combat System support equipment; and electronic equipment fluid coolers and kill assessment system 5.1 equipment. This contract action also provides MK 6 Mod 0 equipment for the government of Japan and the Kingdom of Spain FMS requirements. Expected completion will be by November 2024.

A Royal Air Force P-8 has completed the first tracking of a Russian warship on August 3. The maritime patrol aircraft monitored Russian warship, Vasily Bykov, as it transits the North Sea. It was accompanied by Eurofighters from RAF Lossiemouth and A330 Voyager from RAF Brize Norton. The P-8 offers a potent blend of tracking options and associated weapons able to find surface and sub-surface vessels, once more allowing the RAF to complete effective joint maritime operations with the Royal Navy.

Asia-Pacific

South Korea has unveiled an indigenous active electronically scanned-array (AESA) radar prototype for use by the Republic of Korea Air Force’s (RoKAF’s) next-generation multirole fighter aircraft, which is being developed under the Korean Fighter eXperimental (KF-X) program. The radar, which has been under development since 2016 by South Korean company Hanwha Systems and the country’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD), was unveiled in a ceremony on August 7, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

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Americas

Testers from the US Air Force’s 40th Flight Test Squadron and the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron carried out the first four-ship F-16 formation test of the new APG-83 AESA radar on July 2. The mission objective was to determine if the jets experience interference when all four radars are active at the same time and to determine if there is signal improvement or degradation during the flight. According to the press release from Egline Air Force Base, the APG-83 is powerful enough that it allows the pilot to target a corner of a small building or the cockpit of an aircraft from beyond line-of-sight.

An Argentine Air Force A-4AR pilot was killed on August 5 when his fighter crashed south of the city of Cordoba during a training flight. Captain Gonzalo Fabian Britos Venturini ejected from his aircraft but did not survive. The A-4AR is an upgrade of the A-4M carried out by Lockheed Martin in the 1990s. The jets were modernized with new Douglas Escapac 1-G3 ejection seats, AN/APG-66V2 radars and HOTAS controls with CRT color displays.

Middle East & Africa

Kellogg Brown an Root Services son a $75 million job order contract for construction projects at Camp Lemonnier and Chabelley Air Field, Djibouti. No task orders are being issued at this time. The work to be performed provides for various renovations, repairs, maintenance, replacements, alterations, demolition and construction projects for Camp Lemonnier and Chabelley Air Field, Djibouti. The construction may include minor alteration, repair of real property (industrial and commercial) and utilities. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months. Work will take place in Djibouti, Africa. Estimated completion date will be by September 2025.

Europe

Reactivation of the US Army’s fabled V Corps establishes a forward command post in Poland, following announced plans to reduce US troop strength in Germany. The V Corps flag was unfurled on Tuesday in ceremonies in Krakow, Poland, with the promotion of commanding officer Maj. Gen. John Kolasheski to the rank of lieutenant general. About 200 Army personnel will form the post, beginning in Fiscal Year 2021, the US Embassy in Warsaw said. A new forward command post is part of an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between Poland and the United States, finalized on July 31.

The Belarus Air Force carried out an exercise on the M1 Minsk-Brest motorway on August 5. MiG-29, Su-25, Yak-130 and L-39 landed on a pre-prepared strip of the motorway before taking off to carry out ground attacks at the Ruzhany air range. The section was defended by Tor-M2 air defense system and Mi-24 and Mi-8MTV-5 helicopters patrolled the area. Su-30SM fighters flew overhead as well.

Asia-Pacific

According to Jane’s, Saab reaffirmed its intention to offer its GlobalEye platform for South Korea’s recently announced program to acquire additional airborne early warning and control aircraft for the Republic of Korea Air Force. Saab reportedly told Jane’s that it expects the procurement to feature an initial two aircraft acquired through either an open tender or a direct acquisition. South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) is expected to confirm the procurement method later this year. GlobalEye is Saab’s new airborne early warning and control solution. It provides air, maritime and ground surveillance in a single solution. GlobalEye combines Saab’s new Erieye Extended Range Radar and a range of additional advanced sensors with the ultra-long range Global 6000 aircraft from Bombardier.

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AN/APG-79 AESA Radar
(click to view full)

The AN/APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar began life as a replacement. Initial F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet production batches installed Raytheon’s all-weather, multimode AN/APG-73, but the APG-79 has intrinsic technical features that offered revolutionary increases in capability, reliability, image resolution, and range.

Unlike the APG-73 that equipped the first Super Hornets, the APG-79’s AESA array is composed of numerous solid-state transmit and receive modules that are fixed in place, eliminating a common cause of breakdowns. To move their beams, they rely on electronic changes in each module’s transmissions, creating useful interference patterns in order to aim, focus and shape their output. Other system components include an advanced receiver/exciter, ruggedized commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) processor, and power supplies. With its open systems architecture and compact COTS parts, it changes what both aircrews and maintenance staff can do with a fighter radar – and does so in a smaller, lighter package.

AN/APG-79 & The AESA Advantage The APG-79 Program

APG-79 usage concept
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The AN/APG-79 will replace Raytheon’s own AN/APG-73 on F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet Block II aircraft, and equips the derivative EA-18G “Growler” electronic warfare aircraft now entering service.

Since the original contract award in 2001, Raytheon employees say that the APG-79 program has met all its milestones on time. The system has performed well in flight tests, and is already in widespread use.

In April 2005, Boeing and Raytheon debuted an F/A-18F Block II Super Hornet equipped with the AN/APG-79 AESA radar system at a St. Louis ceremony. That was the first step toward fulfilling the Navy’s roadmap to expand the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet family’s future capabilities. In October 2006, the first Super Hornet Block II squadron attained the requisite “safe for flight” designation, certifying that they were ready for independent operations with the new equipment. Production installations and retrofits of older Super Hornets have continued, with the 300th radar delivered in November 2011.

The APG-79’s AESA Advantage AESA: Technical Advantages

Before: AN/APG-73
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The downside of AESA radars is that they cost more to buy. The cost of producing all those transmit/receive (T/R) modules has come down, but it’s still a more expensive choice initially. On the other hand, AESA radars offer a number of performance advantages, and appears to be a cheaper choice over the fighter’s entire lifespan.

American AESA radars feature a fixed array, with active electronic beam scanning that moves the beams rather than the radar array. That allows faster scans over a broader area. AESA radar can also commit clusters of T/R modules to each task, allowing pilots and crew to do something previous generation radars could not: conduct simultaneous air-to-air and air-to-surface operations, at a higher level of performance.

Raytheon personnel cited a 2-3x expected range improvement when moving from a mechanical phased array radar to Raytheon AESA radar with the same power input and the same aperture. This is due to better dynamics in the beams, and more efficient use of power by the array of individual T/Rs.

F-35B
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The final set of AESA technical advantages involves entirely new roles. AESA arrays’ depth of individually programmable T/R modules gives them the potential to send high-bandwidth communications, and even perform offensive electronic warfare functions. That latter capability suggests that the radar may start to become the fighter’s electronic warfare fulcrum, instead of relegating that role to drop in EW system “black boxes”. The dedicated EW systems would still be there, but emphasis would shift to coordination with the radar as both an emissions receiver and a compatible electro-magnetic emitter.

Raytheon sees this EW Center of Gravity role as more of a next-generation feature for integrated platforms, but the APG-79’s use in the EA-18G dedicated electronic warfare aircraft may give them some future development opportunities. That will be important, because Northrop Grumman’s APG-77 and APG-81 AESA radars have already been picked to equip the USA’s next-generation F-22 and F-35 fighters. The F-35 in particular features a lot more integration between its systems, and electronic warfare capabilities are among the top requests from F-35 customers. That creates demand-pull pressure on Northrop Grumman to move forward along these lines. If they do, it could create a competitive advantage for NGC that would affect Raytheon’s Electronic Warfare components business, as well as its radar orders.

AESA Advantages AESA: The Tactical Advantage

click for video

The tactical consequences are equally significant.

One is concealment. AESA radars also offer less emission “leakage” beyond their scanning cone, and can spread their signal emissions over a broad set of frequencies. Most people don’t think of the radar as part of a platform’s stealth level, but it is. Less side-lobe leakage improves the radar cross-section directly. “Agile beam” radars can both spread and switch frequencies as they go, which makes the radar very hard to detect, even when it’s on. Previous generation radars haven’t had that advantage, and turning on your fighter’s radar was kind of like the policeman who turns a flashlight on to find bad guys in a big warehouse. In all likelihood, they can see the light source before the policeman can use the beam to see them. Modern infantry solve this problem by using invisible infrared lights, which work with their night-vision goggles and allow them to see without being seen. Agile beam AESA radars offer the same advantage for a modern fighter jet.

In air-to-air mode, an AESA radar’s improved sensitivity can allow targets to be engaged at longer ranges. If political Rules of Engagement permit, fighters can launch at maximum range, taking full advantage of new longer-range air-air missiles and air-ground weapons. Raytheon employees could not comment on speculation that resolution improvements might allow APG-79 radars to lengthen the positive ID range for enemy aircraft. If that were true, however, it would solve a big problem. Rigid Rules of Engagement have often required positive identification, which has forced American planes to close to visual range before firing. This removes many of the benefits of having beyond visual range air-to-air missiles like Raytheon’s AIM-120 AMRAAM on board.

In air-to-surface mode, AESA radars offer a choice of same-resolution ground mapping at 2-3x longer standoff ranges, or improving the resolution “by faster than linear” margins (i.e. by more than 2-3x). Its SAR (synthetic aperture radar) images can be used to designate multiple targets at once, identify unplanned ground targets and engage them, and sort fast-moving naval targets despite the clutter created by waves and weather. With the previous APG-73 radar, only pre-planned ground targets, entered into the system before the mission began, could be attacked at full capability.

A US Navy R&D program called “Initiated Strike Accelerator” aims to “identify targets using Advanced Target Recognition,” using the AN/APG-79 radar and ATFLIR surveillance and targeting pod. If it succeeds, it could certainly help with ground strikes. The interesting question is whether these capabilities could also be used for air-to-air engagements, in order to break through the up-close visual identification Rules of Engagement.

APG-79: The Maintenance Advantage

APG-79 LRM removal
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Beyond the front lines, AESA radars offer a number of operational and maintenance advantages.

One set of advantages involves long-term costs. Unlike predecessor radars like the mechanically scanned APG-73, American AESA designs to date have no moving parts to serve as sources of failure. Better yet, AESA radars’ inherent redundancy allows them to fly and perform well even if some of the individual T/R modules need replacing. As a rule, therefore, failed modules are just left alone. Raytheon touts a 10x – 15x improvement in overall reliability, and an expected flight lifetime of 10,000 – 15,000 hours. That compares to a 6,000 flight hour lifetime for their fighters, or 10,000 with life-extension programs. Fighters can take 30 years to exhaust 10,000 flight hours, so the maintenance savings make AESA radars a cheaper long-term option, in exchange for higher up-front investment.

The APG-79 adds one more operations & maintenance innovation: Line Replaceable Modules (LRM). Most radars, up to and including Raytheon’s APG-63v3 AESA that flies on advanced F-15s, have Line Replaceable Unit “black boxes,” that must be sent back to depots for diagnostics and repair. It’s expensive, and time consuming. In contrast, the LRM philosophy has the radar do most internal monitoring and diagnosis. Once its recommendations are delivered, a field technician on the front lines can open a box that used to be a depot-only LRU, and swap out an LRM that looks like a circuit card. Doing this in the field, on the front lines, really lowers costs and improves readiness.

As a bonus, the LRM philosophy makes options like processor upgrades, etc. similarly modular. Money and time must still be spent on testing durability for the new LRMs, ensuring software compatibility, and testing it with other radar components. Once that’s done, however, the hardware swap is much faster and cheaper, saving money that can be used on development work to take advantage of the new capabilities.

The AN/APG-79 has a downside, however, and it’s a big one. Pentagon testing reports consistently cite software problems with the APG-79, including instability and issues with its Built-In Test (BIT) functions.

A Wider Market? Spinoffs and Spin-back

RAAF F/A-18F, armed
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The U.S. Navy plans to buy over 400 AN/APG-79 AESA systems, and potential foreign sales span future Super hornet family customers, as well as the 7 countries that fly earlier-model F/A-18A-D Hornets. Australia’s purchase of 24 F/A-18F Block II Super Hornets made them the radar’s first foreign customer.

At present, the AN/APG-79 appears destined to equip only F/A-18 Super Hornet family aircraft, but co-investment in the APG-79 by the US Navy and by Raytheon has paid wider dividends beyond the program itself. Related technologies will equip American F-15s, and may equip a wide variety of American and foreign fighters as retrofits. Once those products are sold, Raytheon’s Common Radar Roadmap’s emphasis on commonality and modularity means that the technology influence will begin to cut both ways.

One spinout has already paid dividends for the USAF. Technologies from the APG-79 have found their way into the AN/APG-82v1 radars that will be retrofitted to USAF F-15E Strike Eagles, and the new radars will also share the APG-79’s LRM approach.

RACR in F-16
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Raytheon’s resizable RACR AESA radar also owes the APG-79 a debt. RACR is aimed at a very large potential market, as a retrofit for F-16s and F/A-18 Hornets around the world, and as an option for new planes like the JAS-39 Gripen New Generation.

The essential idea of RACR is to leverage the AESA improvements described earlier, using APG-79 technologies. Keep the existing radars’ aperture and keep the same power requirement, allowing customers to just drop it in F-16 and F/A-18s without structural or power changes. The translation of received data is mostly handled within the RACR modules already, minimizing other changes to the receiving fighter. This same flexibility is possible for other platforms with previous-generation radars. Aperture sizes can be changed by changing the number and arrangement of T/R modules, and power back-ends can be varied. The continuum from the large APG-82, to the APG-79, to RACR, using closely related technology, demonstrates this. That makes RACR retrofits or forward-fits on other platforms equally plausible.

As related radars like the APG-82 and RACR are sold, they will bring benefits back to the APG-79. Raytheon employees told DID that it’s possible to develop a radar mode like RCDL high-bandwidth communications for a platform like the F/A-18E/F, and have it made available to RACR or APG-82 customers. The cost and effort would involve minimal engineering work, followed by LRM swap-in or software reprogramming, and check-out testing. The reverse would also be true, allowing innovations requested by RACR customers to find their way back to the APG-79 fleet.

Beyond the aerial domain, Raytheon employees added that the firm is involved in requests from other customers to bring the firm’s Common Radar Roadmap technologies and approach over to non-aircraft platforms. They won’t say who or what, yet. It’s worth noting, however, that Northrop Grumman’s G/ATOR multimode ground radar for the USMC uses technologies from its APG-81 AESA radar, so these kinds of conversions are very possible. Raytheon IDS’ President was the father of the APG-79, and that part of the firm is involved in systems like the USA’s Patriot missile system, as well as next-generation naval radars like DBR, and AMDR.

Contracts & Key Events

In many cases, the AN/APG-79 was bought by Boeing for its Super Hornet family planes, rather than being bought separately as Government-Furnished Equipment and given to Boeing. Direct contract exceptions are noted below, and radar retrofits do appear in Navy budget documents. With that said, many radar production contracts will be private and therefore unannounced. Based on Navy budget documents, recent costs per radar appear to be around $2.8 million.

FY 2014 – 2020

 

APG-79 maintenance
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August 7/20: Fomation Test Testers from the US Air Force’s 40th Flight Test Squadron and the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron carried out the first four-ship F-16 formation test of the new APG-83 AESA radar on July 2. The mission objective was to determine if the jets experience interference when all four radars are active at the same time and to determine if there is signal improvement or degradation during the flight. According to the press release from Egline Air Force Base, the APG-83 is powerful enough that it allows the pilot to target a corner of a small building or the cockpit of an aircraft from beyond line-of-sight.

December 12/19: Spare Parts Raytheon won a $45.1 million delivery order for APG-79 Radar System spare parts. The AN/APG-79 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar is an airborne radar made for F/A-18 E/F aircrafts. It is comprised of numerous solid-state transmit and receive modules to practically eliminate the possibility of mechanical breakdown. With a range of 150 km, the AN/APG-79 provides instantaneous track updates and multi-target tracking capabilities. The AN/APG-79 is strategically valuable because of its active electronic beam scanning. This feature allows the radar beam to be steered at nearly the speed of light, optimizing situational awareness and providing superior air-to-air and air-to-surface capabilities. Performance location will be California. Estimated completion date is December 30, 2022.

October 11/19: Spare Parts Raytheon won a $11.9 million delivery order for the procurement of 101 spare part units across nine assemblies used in support of the F-18 APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar system. The AN/APG-79 AESA radar is an airborne radar made for F/A-18 E/F aircrafts. It is comprised of numerous solid-state transmit and receive modules to practically eliminate the possibility of mechanical breakdown. With a range of 150 km, the AN/APG-79 provides instantaneous track updates and multi-target tracking capabilities. Its X-band radar allows for higher resolution imaging, helping with target identification and discrimination. The AN/APG-79 is the replacement radar for the AN/APG-73. Work will take place in Forest, Mississippi. Estimated completion date will be by December 2022.

March 29/19: Repair Services The US Navy awarded Raytheon Space Airborne Systems $58 million for repair services for the APG-79 active electronically scanned array radar system used on the F/A-18 Super Hornets. The deal has Raytheon fix 25 weapon repairable assemblies for the AN/APG-79. The APG-79 AESA radar system utilizes active electric beam scanning, which provides nearly instantaneous track updates and multi-target tracking capability. It features an entirely solid-state antenna construction, which improves reliability and lowers the cost compared to a traditional system. The radar allows the Super Hornet crew to fire the AIM-120 AMRAAM, while at the same time guiding several missiles to several targets widely spaced in azimuth, elevation or range. Its X-band radar allows for higher resolution imaging, helping with target identification and discrimination. Raytheon delivered the first low rate production APG-79 radar set to Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in Saint Louis on January 13, 2005. Up to 415 radar sets were expected to follow the first one to outfit US Navy’s Super Hornets beginning in September 2006. On 28 June 2005, Boeing awarded Raytheon a $580 million multi year procurement contract for 190 APG-79 radars to equip the US Navy’s F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft. Raytheon will perform work in Forest, Mississippi and will approximately be finished by March 2022.

May 14/15: Raytheon announced that it has successfully flight-tested the APG-79(V) X AESA radar system, intended to extend the service lives of F/A-18C/D aircraft by 15 to 20 years. This latest test builds on a previous successful test in January, with new features such as Synthetic Aperture Mapping (SAR) announced with the company’s press release.

Sept 5/14: Support. Raytheon Co. in El Segundo, CA receives an $11.4 million firm-fixed-price delivery order, covering potential repairs to 288 radar component units consisting of 18 different weapons repairable assemblies (WRAs) used in support of the F/A-18 family’s AESA. All funds are committed immediately, using FY 2104 US Navy budgets.

Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA and is expected to be complete in March 27/15. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c)(l) nu US Navy NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support in Philadelphia, PA (N00383-10-G-005H, DO 7040).

June 12/14: Boeing in St. Louis, MO receives $10.2 million for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order to conduct an engineering change in the APG-79’s 5th and 6th Receiver Channel Wiring. Boeing is, of course, the F/A-18 Super Hornet family’s manufacturer.

One hopes NAVAIR will also get around to investing in a serious fix for the radar’s long-standing software issues (q.v. Jan 28/14).

All funds are committed immediately, using FY 2014 aircraft budgets. Work will be performed in Andover, MA (40%); Forest, MS (30%); El Segundo, CA (20%); and St. Louis, MO (10%), and is expected to be complete in January 2016. US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD manages the contract (N00019-11-G-0001, DO 0200).

Jan 28/14: DOT&E Testing Report. The Pentagon releases the FY 2013 Annual Report from its Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E). The APG-79 is included, and the verdict isn’t great:

“AESA demonstrated marginal improvements during FOT&E from prior testing and provides improved performance relative to the legacy APG-73 radar. However, operational testing has yet to demonstrate a statistically significant difference in mission accomplishment between F/A-18E/F aircraft equipped with AESA and those equipped with the legacy [APG-73] radar.

….Though aircraft software has demonstrated acceptable suitability, the continued poor reliability of the AESA radar appears to be a result of software instability. The radar’s reliability and poor built-in test (BIT) performance remain deficient. The Navy did not attempt to address long-standing deficiencies in air warfare or AESA radar reliability with SCS H8E [the latest aircraft software build]. Overall, the F/A-18E/F/G is not operationally effective for use in certain threat environments, the details of which are addressed in DOT&E’s classified report issued following SCS H6E, SCS 23X, and AESA FOT&E.”

FY 2011 – FY 2013

300th radar delivered; 3rd & 4th radar retrofit contracts; Combat ID using AESA?

EA-18G: key systems
(click to view full)

Unless otherwise indicated, all contracts are issued by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, MD to Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St. Louis, MO. It’s Raytheon’s radar, but Boeing is the lead contractor for the aircraft, and assumes overall responsibility for buying the radars and integrating them into the aircraft. Workshare in “El Segundo, CA,” for instance, is actually Raytheon’s.

buying the radars and integrating them into the aircraft. Workshare in “El Segundo, CA,” for instance, is actually Raytheon’s.

Sept 26/13: ECP. Raytheon in El Segundo, CA receives a $34.7 million cost-plus-incentive-fee delivery order for AN/APG-79 Engineering Change Proposal 6381 Step 2’s flight test requirements. All funds are committed immediately.

Work will be performed in Andover, MA (50%); Forest, MS (30%); and El Segundo, CA (20%), and is expected to be completed in August 2016. US NAVAIR in Patuxent River, MD manages the contract (N00019-10-G-0006, 0047).

Sept 24/13: ECP. Boeing in St. Louis, MO receives a $6.9 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification for engineering work associated with flight test requirements for AN/APG-79’s general purpose processor 3 upgrade. More computing power is always good, and it’s being conducted under Engineering Change Proposal 6381SOWR2 (see also June 20/12, though other ECPs have involved GPP-3), bringing its announced total to $38.1 million. All funds are committed immediately.

Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (76%), and St. Louis, MO (24%), and is expected to be complete in February 2014. US Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-12-C-2006).

Sept 23/13: +15. Raytheon Co., El Segundo, CA, is being awarded $39 million for 15 AN/APG-79 AESA radar systems, as a firm-fixed-price delivery order. All funds are committed immediately. Note that FY 2013 fighter orders involve 38 radars (23 F/A-18E, 3 F/A-18F, 12 EA-18G), and final FY 2014 orders involve 21 radars (all on EA-18Gs).

Work will be performed in Forest, MS (80%), and El Segundo, CA (20%), and is expected to be complete in November 2015. US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD (N00019-10-G-0006, #0048).

15 radars

June 13/13: ECP. Raytheon in El Segundo, CA receives a $22.4 million order, covering 53 ECP-6279 retrofit kits for F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G aircraft. ECPs involve aircraft or component modifications, and the announcement doesn’t explain which one, but our coverage elsewhere (vid. Oct 07/09) shows that it involves improvements to the APG-79 AESA radar. All funds are committed.

Work will be performed in Forest, MS (80%), and El Segundo, CA (20%), and is expected to be completed in July 2015. US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD manages the contract (N00019-10-G-0006; delivery order 0036).

June 13/13: ECP. Boeing St. Louis, MO receives a $9 million firm-fixed-price delivery order for 30 ECP-6038 R2/R3 retrofit kits for the F/A-18 E/F aircraft, including radomes for the AN/APG-79 active electronically scanned array radar. A fighter’s radome nose cone is very specialized. It needs to allow the right radiation wavelengths to pass in and out easily, while remaining durable enough to handle the shocks and stresses of flight. All funds are committed immediately.

Work will be performed in Marion, VA (57%) and St. Louis, Mo. (43%), and is expected to be completed in January 2016. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD manages the contract (N00019-11-G-0001).

June 27/12: Australia. Raytheon in El Segundo, CA receives a $6.7 million cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order, for upgrades that will let the F/A-18 AN/APG-79 AESA radar commercial depot diagnose and validate repairs of RAAF APG-79s under the Foreign Military Sales Program.

Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (70%), and Forest, MS (30%), and is expected to be complete in August 2014. US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD manages the contract on behalf of its Australian client (N00019-10-G-0006).

June 20/12: ECP. A $31.2 million cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for APG-79 Engineering Change Proposal 6381SOW, for engineering related to the general purpose Processor 3 upgrade.

Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (84%), and St. Louis, MO (16%), and is expected to be complete in May 2013. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1 (N00019-12-C-2006).

April 30/12: ECP. A $12 million firm-fixed-price delivery order for supplies and services associated with Super Hornet family Engineering Change Proposal 6038. Supplies include 42 R2/R3 retrofit kits for the AN/APG-79 radomes. Radomes are the “nose cone” of the aircraft, engineered to protect the radar and take the punishment that comes from their position on the aircraft, while letting radar waves through efficiently.

Work will be performed at the Marion, VA (57%), and St. Louis, MO (43%), and is expected to be complete in August 2015 (N00019-11-G-0001).

Feb 29/12: +16. Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo, CA receives a $45.3 million firm-fixed-price contract modification to fund 16 AN/APG-79 radars, to be retrofitted into F/A-18E/F Block I aircraft that were built with AN/APG-73 radars during production lots 26-29.

Work will be performed in Forest, MS (43%); Dallas, TX (29%); El Segundo, CA (27%); and Andover, MA (1%), and is expected to be complete in December 2014. $8.4 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/12 (N00019-09-C-0003).

This is Raytheon’s 4th refit contract, and brings the order total to 73 of the planned 133 fighter refits in that sub-program. As one might guess, most APG-79s are fitted into new Super Hornet family fighters on the production line.

Refits: 16 radars

Feb 13/12: Combat ID? Pentagon budget documents (US Navy RDT&E BA1-3) show that in 2011-2012 the Initiated Strike Accelerator R&D program aimed to:

“…provide an advanced airborne capability to accurately identify targets using Advanced Target Recognition (ATR). These capabilities are utilizing the F/A-18 E/F, AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) Radar and ATFLIR (Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared [pod]) sensors…”

It’s an interesting and logical extension of known AESA capabilities, and using the ATFLIR pod’s long-range cameras and geolocation as an additional input also makes sense. If it works, it would certainly help pilots strike ground targets with greater assurance. The big question is whether the resolution and algorithms would also be fine enough to remove the biggest obstacle to effective combat use of medium-range air-to-air missiles: Rules of Engagement that require close-in visual ID, because electronic IFF (Identification, Friend or Foe) systems aren’t considered reliable enough to avoid all friendly fire.

Nov 22/11: #300. Raytheon announces the delivery of its 300th AN/APG-79 radar to Boeing, for integration on U.S. Navy and RAAF Super Hornet family fighters.

#300

May 13/11: +42. Raytheon announces a contract from Boeing for 42 APG-79 radars, to equip Super Hornet family aircraft bought in the 2nd year of the 2010-2013 Multi-Year III program. Raytheon doesn’t always announce these contracts, but they can be assumed whenever Super Hornet family aircraft are ordered.

They don’t give cost figures. Work will be performed at Raytheon facilities in El Segundo, CA; Andover, MA; Forest, MS; and Dallas, TX.

42 radars – Boeing contract

May 2/11: ECP. A $12.6 million cost-plus-fixed-fee order for one-time engineering work associated with Engineering Change Proposal 6381 re: the AN/APG-79’s General Purpose Processor 3, and for the purchase of 12 engineering development modules.

Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (65%); Forest, MS (20%); and St. Louis, MO (15%). Work is expected to be complete in January 2012 (N00019-11-G-0001).

Nov 30/10: Support. A $17 million ceiling priced order for AN/APG-79 radar repairs. Work will be performed in Forest, MS, and is expected to be complete by June 2012. This contract was not competitively procured by the US Naval Inventory Control Point in Philadelphia, PA (N00383-10-G-005H, #0001).

Nov 16/10: +19. Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo, CA receives a $52.25 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for 19 AN/APG-79 AESA radars, to be retrofitted into F/A-18E/F aircraft Lots 26-29.

Work will be performed in Forest, MS (43%); Dallas, TX (29%); El Segundo, CA (27%); and Andover, MA (1%). Work is expected to be complete in December 2013. Raytheon’s release adds that: “This third retrofit contract brings orders for the update of block II F/A-18s up to 57.”

Refits: 19 radars

FY 2009 – FY 2010

200th radar delivered; 2nd retrofit radars contract; Processor upgrade.

Raytheon diagram
(click to view full)

July 21/10: #200. Raytheon announces that it has delivered is 200th APG-79 AESA radar to Boeing.

#200

April 8/10: +2. Raytheon Co. Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo, CA received an $5.8 million delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement for procurement of 2 AN/APG-79 AESA test radars for the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft.

Work will be performed in Forest, MS (45%), El Segundo, CA (35%), and Andover, MA (15%), and Dallas, TX (5%) and is expected to be complete in November 2011 (N00019-05-G-0008).

2 test radars

April 5/10: ECP. A $13.6 million cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) to complete the AESA waveform generator DDS II die parts obsolescence redesign engineering change proposal for the F/A-18 E/F aircraft.

Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (87.7%), and St. Louis, MO (12.3%), and is expected to be complete in March 2011.

March 24/10: GPP. From FedBizOpps, solicitation #20047-10 deals with a reality of modern equipment. The equipment lasts long after the underlying electronics are completely obsolete. Imagine if your computer went 15 years without an upgrade. The USAF experiences that as an ongoing reality, for even longer periods. For the APG-79:

“The Naval Air Systems Command has a requirement for an engineering change to the AN/APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA)… upgrades the general purpose processor in order to support additional capability requirements. The AESA prime integrator is The Boeing Company, St. Louis, MO. The Navy intends to negotiate the engineering change as a sole source firm fixed price delivery order to the F/A-18 & EA-18G Basic Ordering Agreement with Boeing. Boeing will be responsible for the non-recurring and recurring engineering changes. Award of the delivery order will be made with authority under FAR 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Boeing has the requisite RADAR knowledge, experience, and technical data required to respond to this requirement. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals.”

The result will almost certainly be a sub-contract to the radar’s manufacturer, Raytheon, but as noted above, Boeing owns final engineering responsibility.

Oct 7/09: ECP. Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo, CA received a $5.7 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract to perform engineering change proposal 6279. This will enhance the AN/APG-79 active electronically scanned array radar on a number of Lot 33 production aircraft: 14 F/A-18Es, 9 of the 2-seat F/A-18Fs, and 22 EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft.

Work will be performed in Forest, MS (42%); El Segundo, CA (36.8%); and St. Louis, MO (21.2%), and is expected to be complete in September 2011 (N00019-04-C-0014).

April 2/09: +19. Raytheon Co., Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo, CA receives a $54.5 million firm-fixed-price contract for 19 AN/APG-79 active array radars. The radars will be retrofitted into F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft built during Lots 26-29, replacing Raytheon’s mechanically-scanned APG-73 phased array radars.

Work will be performed in Forest, MS (43%); Dallas, TX (29%); El Segundo, CA (27%); and Andover, MA (1%) and is expected to be complete in December 2010. This contract was not competitively procured (N00019-09-C-0003).

As of Raytheon’s May 26/09 release, the firm had delivered 134 APG-79 radars for use in F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft, most of which have been slated for new aircraft. With this latest contract, orders for the APG-79 retrofits now total 38 of the planned 133 fighters. See also the related Dec 21/07 entry.

Refits: 19 radars

Oct 17/08: Support. An $11.2 million firm-fixed-price, definite-delivery/ definite-quantity modification under a previously awarded delivery order contract. The US Naval Inventory Control Point is buying APG-79 radar system spares.

Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (40%); and El Segundo, CA (60%), and is expected to be complete by May 2011. This contract was not competitively procured (N00383-06-D-001J-0005).

FY 2007 – FY 2008

1st retrofit contract; Australia orders; R&D to expand capabilities; 100th radar delivered; 1st USN Super Hornet block II squadron declared ready.

F/A-18Es over Afghanistan
(click to view full)

Sept 25/08: Support. An $8 million cost plus fixed fee delivery order under previously awarded contract to repair AN/APG-79 radars. Work will be performed at El Segundo, CA (90%) and St. Louis, MO (10%), and is expected to be complete by September 2009. This contract was not competitively procured by The Naval Inventory Control Point (N00383-06-D-001J, #0004).

July 1/08: #100. The US Navy and its industry partners, Raytheon and Boeing, mark the 100th delivery of the APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar at a celebration in Forest, MS. NAVAIR release.

#100

March 31/08: Support. A $38.5 million firm-fixed-price, definite-delivery/ definite-quantity contract modification under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement. The firm will deliver new spares to support the AN/APG-79 AESA radar. Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (90%) and St. Louis, MO (10%), and is expected to be complete by August 2010. This contract was not awarded competitively by the Naval Inventory Control Point (N00383-06-D-001J, #0004).

Dec 21/07: +19. Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo, CA received a $54.8 million firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of 19 AN/APG-79 active electronically scanned array radars to be retrofitted into F/A-18E/F aircraft Lots 26-29. The radars will replace the APG-73 radars currently installed in the aircraft.

Deliveries were: LOT-26: 48 aircraft, LOT-27: 45 aircraft, LOT-28: 42 aircraft, and LOT-29: 42 aircraft, for a total of 177 aircraft. A total of 42 Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) APG-79 radars were delivered for installation in the aircraft production line, and the remaining 135 (now 133) aircraft will be retrofitted. This contract mentioned above is the 1st of 5 projected annual contracts to retrofit those 135 Lot-26 and above F/A-18 E/Fs with the APG-79.

Work will be performed in Forest, MS (43%); Dallas, TX (29%); El Segundo, CA (27%); and Andover, MA (1%) and is expected to be complete in Dec. 2009. This contract was not competitively procured (N00019-08-C-0001).

Refits: 19 radars

Oct 17/07: APG-79B An $11.2 million order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement for the nonrecurring engineering to upgrade 210 AN/APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar to the APG-79B configuration (includes 114 retrofit and 96 production upgrades). All Raytheon would say is that the B configuration is “an approved engineering change for a hardware modification.”

Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (95%) and St. Louis, MO (5%), and is expected to be complete in September 2011 (N00019-05-G-0026).

Future RAAF F/A-18F
(click to view full)

July 11/07: Support. A $7.6 million firm-fixed-price, definite-delivery/ definite-quantity delivery order under previously awarded contract on July 10/07, for new spare parts to support the F/A-18 AN/APG-79 (AESA) radar. Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (9%) and St. Louis, MO (10%), and is expected to be complete by October 2008. This contract was not awarded competitively by the Naval Inventory Control Point (N00383-06-D-001J, #0002).

July 5/07: ECP. Boeing received a $90.2 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-04-C-0014) for a newly developed, additional capability for the AN/APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar. Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (95%) and St. Louis, MO (5%), and is expected to be complete in September 2011

While these exact capabilities were not disclosed, DID’s top bets would be either the “big SAR” wide angle surface scans that will now be part of the production F-35 Lightning, or limited electronic warfare capabilities.

May 16/07: ECP. A $7.4 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract for the redesign of 5 monolithic microwave integrated circuits utilized in the AN/APG-79 AESA radar. Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (95%) and St. Louis, MO (5%), and is expected to be complete in December 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $6 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year (N00019-04-C-0014).

May 5/07: Australian order. Australia’s DoD announces a contract for 24 F/A-18F Block II Super Hornets and associated support systems. This will mean accompanying export orders for the AN/APG-79. Read “Australia Buying 24 Super Hornets As Interim Gap-Fillers” for full coverage.

Jan 8/07: F/A-18E/F Block II. Boeing announces delivery of the 11th F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block II to Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, VA. Boeing is delivering AESA-equipped Super Hornet Block II aircraft to 2 squadrons at NAS Oceana: the Black Lions of VFA-213 and the Gladiators of VFA-106. In addition, there are two AESA-equipped Block 2 Super Hornets attached to VFA-122, the Flying Eagles Fleet Replacement Squadron (i.e. training squadron), at NAS Lemoore, CA.

Oct 27/06: F/A-18E/F Block II. The “Black Lions” of VFA-213 squadron have transitioned from their F-14D Tomcats, and become the first AESA-equipped F/A-18E/F Super Hornet operational squadron to attain “safe for flight” status, which clears it to independently fly and maintain its state-of-the-art Block II aircraft. Source.

Fully operational

FY 2005 – FY 2006

Sub-contract for 190 radars; LRIP-3 order; Super Hornet Block II rolled out; Tests with AMRAAM, JDAM, and APG-73 equipped Super Hornet cohorts demonstrate increased firing range, real-time targeting, and coordinate passing to non-AESA fighters.

“Black Lions” F-14D:
transitioning out
(click to view full)

Sept 21/06: Support. Raytheon Co. Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo, CA received an $11 million delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement for system test equipment (STE) for the AN/APG-79 AESA radar for the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft. The STE will be used to test radar modules returned for repair to determine root cause of failures and to return the radars to the Fleet in a ready for issue status.

Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA and is expected to be complete in September 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $6.4 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year (N00019-05-G-0008).

April 18/06: Testing. Boeing announces a successful demonstration of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block II’s to provide targeting coordinates to other aircraft using the Raytheon APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system:

“During the test at the Naval Air Weapons Center at China Lake, Calif., an AESA-equipped F/A-18F created a long-range, high resolution synthetic aperture radar map and designated four closely-spaced stationary targets. The aircraft then data-linked two target designations to non-AESA equipped Super Hornets, which successfully delivered four 2,000-lb. Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). All four weapons impacted the targets within lethal distance. The targeting Super Hornet then used the AESA to provide highly detailed bomb damage assessments to confirm the hits.”

AN/APG-79 AESA Radar

Dec 5/05: Testing. Raytheon states that its a Super Hornet equipped with its APG-79 radar successfully delivered multiple JDAM GPS-guided smart bombs on target, using real-time targeting coordinates derived from a high resolution SAR (synthetic aperture radar) image taken by the radar. The tests were conducted at the U.S. Navy’s China Lake facility. They add that the release of multiple precision-guided weapons from a single radar SAR map is a first, and note integration with other equipment as well:

“To further demonstrate the synergy of the onboard Raytheon sensors, the JDAM test also employed the ATFLIR (Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared) system to provide imagery of the targeting area. Interfacing seamlessly with the APG-79, ATFLIR recorded the impact of the weapons against two diverse targets, confirming simultaneous weapon delivery while providing post-impact bomb damage information…

The program has also been highly successful during the recent air-to-air live fire demonstrations last month in which an AMRAAM was successfully deployed. This proved that weapons delivery from an AESA equipped F/A-18 can now be executed at ranges not possible before. “In the past, the weapon’s capability exceeded that of the aircraft. The missile could reach the target, but the radar couldn’t see it. Now, with the APG-79 radar, the aircraft’s capability exceeds that of the weapon, and this gives us an enormous advantage when prosecuting a mission,” said Capt. Aaron “Slime” Bowman, U.S. Navy AESA program manager for the F/A-18.”

Oct 31/05: Testing. Raytheon discusses the results of multiple live firing tests this month using inert AMRAAM and JDAM weapons. Both AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) and JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) live fire tests were successful at proving out the radar’s air-to-air and air-to-ground targeting capabilities. How does this work? Raytheon explains:

“The AMRAAM engages long-range targets after launch by incorporating targeting data from the APG-79 AESA. During flight the AMRAAM receives updated tracking/targeting information from the APG-79 AESA radar via data link from the launch aircraft… The JDAM “Smart Weapon” uses the APG-79 AESA radar to provide precise targeting coordinates. The pilot uses a high resolution SAR (synthetic aperture radar) image to identify the intended target. The target is designated from the image; the target coordinates are passed to the JDAM weapon; the weapon is released and flies under GPS navigation to impact, thus completing the kill chain. Prior to the introduction of the APG-79 radar, it has only been possible for pre-mission planned ground targets to be attacked. Now, with the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) APG-79, real time, time sensitive ground targets can be identified and engaged.”

The APG-79 radar is currently in developmental flight testing and initial operational assessment. The program is expected to transition into OPEVAL (operational evaluation) on schedule in early 2006.

June 28/05: Main sub-contract. Raytheon Co. announces a $580 million, multi-year subcontract to deliver 190 AN/APG-79 AESA net-centric enabled radar systems for the Boeing Co. over the next 5 years, for installation in production F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighter planes. This successfully concluded negotiations for 190 radars from low rate initial production (LRIP) lots 3 & 4, through full rate production lots 1-3. These radars will serve as retrofits and also equip new fighters on the production line.

The first low rate initial production APG-79 AESA radar designed for the F/A-18E/F was delivered to Boeing IDS (Integrated Defense Systems) in January 2005. Following successful installation and testing, Boeing plans to deliver the first AESA-equipped F/A-18F to the U.S. Navy in April 2006. Sources: Raytheon release, June 29/05.

Boeing APG-79 production sub-contract: 2005-2010

June 23/05: +22. a $102.4 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract, exercising exercise an option for 22 AN/APG-79 low-rate-initial-production III (LRIP III) Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar systems for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft. Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (88%); St. Louis, MO (6%) and Marion, VA (6%), and is expected to be complete in December 2007 (N00010-03-C-0054).

LRIP-3: 22 radars

April 21/05: Rollout. Boeing debuts the F/A-18E/F Block II Super Hornet equipped with the APG-79 AESA radar system at a ceremony at Boeing’s St. Louis, MO facilities. The aircraft will be used as part of the AESA radar flight test program prior to entering Operational Evaluation (OPEVAL) in 2006.

The AESA radar, built by the Raytheon Corporation of El Segundo, CA is part of the F/A-18E/F Block II upgrade, which includes integration of advanced mission computers, high speed data network, cockpit controls and displays, environmental control system upgrade and forward fuselage affordability improvements. It works with several existing elements of the weapon system, such as the stores management system, the gun director, and AIM-120 and AIM-9 missiles, to enhance the lethality, survivability and affordability of the F/A-18E/F. The AESA radar and the Block II upgrades are being delivered under 2 multi-year contracts. Sources: Boeing release, April 21/05.

Super Hornet Block II rollout

FY 2001 – FY 2004

From concept, to 20 LRIP orders.

F/A-18F
(click to view full)

Feb 5/04: +12. A $61.8 million modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive contract (N00019-03-C-0054), exercising an option for 12 AN/APG-79 low-rate initial production II (LRIP II) AESA radar systems for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft. Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (70%); St. Louis, MO (25%); and Marion, VA (5%), and is expected to be complete in September 2006. Boeing’s release adds that:

“Production of the LRIP2 radar is scheduled to begin March 2004, with delivery of the first LRIP2 radar-equipped aircraft scheduled for December 2005. The radars will be installed in selected two-seat “F” model Super Hornets. The radar system currently is undergoing evaluation testing at Naval Air Systems Command, China Lake, Calif.”

LRIP-2: 12 radars

Sept 3/03: +8. A $49.5 million fixed-price-incentive contract for 8 AN/APG-79 low-rate-initial-production AESA radar systems for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft (q.v. Jan 15/03). Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (70%); St. Louis, MO (25%); and Marion, VA (5%), and is expected to be complete in September 2006 (N00019-03-C-0054).

Boeing’s release adds that: “Production of the LRIP1 radar could begin as soon as next month, with delivery of the first LRIP1 radar scheduled for early 2005.”

LRIP-1: 8 radars

June 30/03: Testing. An F/A-18 Super Hornet test aircraft carrying the APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar system completes several test flights with the radar operating at Naval Air Systems Command China Lake, CA. They are the first test flights with this AESA radar. Boeing release.

Jan 15/03: A $14 million ceiling-priced order against a previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00019-97-G-0037) to buy Time Critical Parts for 8 low-rate initial production AN/APG-79 AESA radars for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (90%) and St. Louis, MO (10%), and is to be complete in June 2003.

Nov 20/02: Radar Rollout. Boeing and subcontractor Raytheon roll out integrated APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar in a ceremony at Raytheon facilities in El Segundo, CA. Boeing release | Raytheon release.

AN/APG-79 rollout

Feb 8/01: A $324.5 million cost-plus-fixed-fee, award-fee contract for the design, development, fabrication, integration, installation and test of 5 full and 2 partial AN/APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar engineering development models for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft.

Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (59%) and El Segundo, CA (41%), and is expected to be complete by January 2006. This contract was not competitively procured (N00019-01-C-0074).

APG-79 development contract

Additional Readings

DID would like to thank Raytheon personnel for their insights and interviews. Special thanks are due to Larry Seeley and Kevin Gabriel.

• Raytheon – AN/APG-79 AESA Radar. See also Raytheon AN/APG-79 Product brochure [PDF, 2007 capture]

• Raytheon – Raytheon’s Revolutionary AESA Technology. Includes links to their various AESA radar designs and capabilities, and adds as a list of related press releases at the bottom. Raytheon’s AESA fighter radars fly on the USA’s F/A-18 Super Hornet (APG-79) and F-15 Eagle/ Strike Eagle (APG-63v2-3, APG-82) fleet.

• Northrop Grumman – AESA Radar: Revolutionary Capabilities For Multiple Missions [PDF format]. Details a number of the radar type’s characteristics that make it special, and offers insights into some of the developments within the AESA field. NGC makes AESA fighter radars for the F-16 Block 60 (APG-80), F-22 (APG-77), and F-35 (APG-81) platforms.

• DID (Dec 18/05) – AESA Comlinks. Dr. Carlo Kopp has already done a fair bit of work in the field, beginning with his PhD thesis in Melbourne in 1999.

• Aviation Week & Space Technology (Dec 11/05) – Talking Radars.

• DID (Oct 24/05) – Supersonic SIGINT: Will F-35, F-22 Also Play EW Role?

• Australian Aviation (June 2002) – Active Electronically Steered Arrays: A Maturing Technology.

Related Super Hornet Contracts

• DID FOCUS Article – Super Hornet Fighter Family MYP-III: 2010-2013 Contracts.

• DID Spotlight Article – The USA’s 2005-2009 Multi-Year Hornet Procurement Contract.

• DID FOCUS Article – EA-18G Program: The USA’s Electronic Growler.

• DID Spotlight Article – Australia Buying 24 Super Hornets As Interim Gap-Filler to JSF. They will be 2-seat F/A-18F Block II aircraft, with the APG-79.

Americas

Bell Textron won a $30.4 million order, which provides non-recurring engineering and integrated logistics support to produce and qualify the structural improvement and electrical power upgrade solution for the UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper aircraft. This order provides for the integration of structural improvements and power upgrades, as well as the development of technical data and supporting documentation as it pertains to reliability, maintainability, damage limits and tolerances.  Additionally, this order provides for the manufacture and delivery of two drives system accessory power quills, one modified combining gearbox, one test stand upgrade, as well as associated component qualification testing. The UH-1Y utility helicopter provides command & control and assault support under day/night and adverse weather conditions. The AH-1Z attack helicopter provides rotary wing close air support, anti-armor, armed escort, armed/visual reconnaissance and fire support coordination capabilities under day/night and adverse weather conditions. Work will take place in Texas, Michigan and Arizona. Estimated completion will be in December 2022.

The Navy and Marine Corps have found the amphibious assault vehicle that sank off the coast of California last week as well as the remains of those killed in the incident. The services used a remotely operated search and rescue system to find the vehicle, which sank July 30 during a training exercise, killing eight Marines and a Sailor. According to the Marine, According to the Marines, the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard ships and aircraft had been working together to find the vessel. The AAV sank to a depth of 385 feet during a shore-to-ship maneuver about 1,500 meters off the coast of San Clemente Island.

Middle East & Africa

F-35As from the US Air Force have participated in the second joint exercise with Israeli F-35s on August 2. The training between the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and Israel’s 140th Squadron took place over southern Israel. The fighters were supported by a KC-10 from the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and a G550 from Israeli Air Force 122 Squadron.

Europe

Martin Baker won a maximum $150 million contract for T-6 and T-38 Sustainment. This contract provides for T-6 and T-38 replenishment spares. The T-6A Texan II is a single-engine, two-seat primary trainer designed to train Joint Primary Pilot Training, or JPPT, students in basic flying skills common to US Air Force and Navy pilots.The T-38 Talon is a twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet trainer used in a variety of roles because of its design, economy of operations, ease of maintenance, high performance and exceptional safety record. Work will take place in Uxbridge, UK and is expected to be finished by December 31, 2026.

The first ever Luftwaffe Eurofighter training detachment while embedded with a Royal Air Force (RAF) contingent that is deployed to Lithuania as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission has concluded. Pilots from RAF Lossiemouth-based 6 Sqn RAF flew with pilots from the German Tactical Fighter Wing 71 Richthofen to practice air intercepts and basic fighter maneuvers together as a pair. Both sides will reverse roles in September when the British will embed with a German detachment in Amari, Estonia.

Asia-Pacific

Lockheed Martin won an $181.7 million contract modification, which provides for the production, delivery and integration of 24 Airborne Low Frequency Sonars (ALFS) for the government of India; eight ALFS for the Navy and seven ALFS for the government of Denmark, into MH-60R Seahawk aircraft. The ALFS is the primary undersea warfare sensor of the MH-60R multi-mission helicopter. This integrated dipping sonar system enables the MH-60R to accomplish the assigned ASW missions of submarine detection, tracking, localization and classification. It also performs missions relating to acoustic intercept, underwater communications and environmental data acquisition. Work will take place in Rhode Island and New York. Estimated completion will be by December 2024.

Today’s Video

Watch: U.S AIR FORCE IS READYING ‘GOLDEN HORDE’ SWARMING WEAPON TO TAKE OUT ENEMY TARGETS !

IEDs: The Aftermath
(click to view full)

The US military is working on the next-generation of jammers to defeat improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that pose such a grave threat to US forces deployed overseas. The jammers are called Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Electronic Warfare (JCREW) devices. They are high-power, modular, programmable, multiband radio frequency jammers designed to deny enemy use of selected portions of the radio frequency spectrum. They come in 3 varieties – fixed, mounted, and dismounted.

The first generations of JCREW devices were developed and deployed quickly to meet an urgent need in the field. The next generation of JCREW devices, known as 3.x, are being developed to increase capabilities and tap into the power of the network to enhance their effectiveness. The JCREW 3.1 version is a dismounted device, the 3.2 version is a mounted device, and the 3.3 version is being developed to work in mounted, dismounted, and fixed-installation roles, using a common open architecture of electronics.

Contracts and Key Events

Mounted JCREW System

So far, most awards are dismounted JCREW 3.1 orders. ITT and NGC’s JCREW 3.2 was never fielded, and a January 2013 query received a response of: “The program office is currently considering its next steps forward on the effort.” ITT/Exelis initially won the JCREW 3.3 development program, but that didn’t work out, and it’s now being conducted by Northrop Grumman instead. Technically, JCREW 3.3 has been replaced by the JCREW I1B1 development program, but the terms are synonymous. We’ll continue to use “JCREW 3.3” for visual clarity.

Unless otherwise noted, the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC awards JCREW 3.x contracts. The Navy manages the Joint CREW program for Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization.

FY 2011 – 2020

JCREW 3.3.

June 4/20: I1B1 Northrop Grumman is contracted a $7.8 million modification to provide equitable adjustments for engineering change proposals for Increment One Block One (I1B1) Systems low rate initial production in support of the Expeditionary Warfare Program Office. It provide for an equitable adjustment for already completed engineering work for Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Devises Electronic Warfare (CREW) systems that provide combat troops protection against Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Devices (RCIEDs). CREW systems are designed to provide protection for foot soldiers, vehicles and permanent structures. The Joint CREW (JCREW) I1B1 system is the first generation system that develops a common open architecture across all three capabilities and provides protection for worldwide military operations. The modification is issued to ensure JCREW systems are viable for future production and maintain operational readiness for the field. Work will take place in San Diego, California.

November 26/19: Australia The DoS approved the Australian Government’s request to buy jammers for protection from improvised explosive devices (IED). Australia is looking to purchase 850 Northrop Grumman-produced Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare Increment 1 Block 1 (JCREW I1B1) systems and associated equipment for $245 million. The US will sell 533 vehicle-mounted and 317 dismounted variants of the JCREW I1B1. In addition, the sale package will include support and test equipment, spare parts, and engineering, technical and logistics support services. The proposed sale would support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the US. Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific. The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region.

September 17/19: Engineering Support Services Northrop Grumman Systems won a $57.5 million contract modification for engineering support services for the Joint Counter Radio—Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare Increment One Block One Systems full-rate production. The deal is in support of the Expeditionary Warfare program office. The JCREW I1B1, formerly known as JCREW 3.3, is the first-generation system that develops a common open architecture across all three capabilities and provides protection for worldwide military operations, officials say. The integrated design for RF jammers makes the most of commonality across all capabilities, reduces life cycle costs, and provides increased protection against worldwide threats, Navy officials say. It is for the US Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force, and is under supervision of Naval Sea Systems Command. The current option exercise is for Engineering Support Services for JCREW to introduce new technologies; address diminishing material and depot repairs to keep JCREW systems viable for future production as well as maintain operational readiness for the field. Work will take place in San Diego, California and estimated completion will be in September next year.

March 26/19: JCREW for Expeditionary Warfare Program Northrop Grumman won a $245 million contract modification from the Naval Sea Systems Command to support the Expeditionary Warfare Program Office. The modification provides for the Joint Counter-Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) Increment 1 Block 1 (I1B1) systems full-rate production. JCREW devices are high-power, modular, programmable, multiband radio frequency jammers designed to deny enemy use of selected portions of the radio frequency spectrum. Northrop Grumman was selected to work on the JCREW 3.3 program, which has been replaced by the JCREW I1B1 development, but the terms can be used synonymously. According to the Department of Defense, the JCREW I1B1 system is the first-generation system that develops a common open architecture across all three capabilities and provides protection for worldwide military operations. This integrated design maximizes commonality across all capabilities, reduces life cycle costs and provides increased protection against worldwide threats. Work will take place in San Diego, California and is scheduled to be finished by January 2021.

July 4/18: More contracts Northrop Grumman is being tapped for work in support of the Navy’s PMS 408. The firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification is valued at $96,5 million and provides for the production for the Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare Increment One Block One systems. PMS 408 is the Navy program management office for explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), counter radio controlled improvised explosive device electronic warfare (CREW), and anti-terrorism afloat (ATA) systems. The modification is for Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (CREW) systems that provide combat troops protection against radio-controlled improvised explosive devices (RCIEDs). They are high-power, modular, programmable, multiband radio frequency jammers designed to deny enemy use of selected portions of the radio frequency spectrum. They come in 3 varieties – fixed, mounted, and dismounted. CREW systems are designed to provide protection for foot soldiers, vehicles and permanent structures. The Joint CREW Increment One Block One system is the first-generation system that develops a common open architecture across all three capabilities and provides protection for worldwide military operations. Work will be performed in San Diego, California and Sierra Vista, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by April 2020.

September 21/17: Sierra Nevada Corp has been awarded a $205 million US Special Operations Command contract to supply support services for Special Operation Command’s Dismounted Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare systems. Work will run through Sept. 12, 2022, and performed in Sparks, Nev., and Folsom, Calif. The Dismounted Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare system is part of the wider Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) series of IED jammers. The JCREW is designed to jam enemy radio-frequencies used to detonate improvised explosive devices. It comes in three different models, including a man-portable version for foot patrols, vehicle-mounted variants, and a static model for protecting key points at installations.

September 15/17: Northrop Grumman will enter its software-programmable jammers, known as JCREW, into full-rate production, after receiving a $57.7 million US Navy contract. If all options are exercised, the total contract value could rise to $505 million, with contract completion scheduled for August 2022. JCREW systems are software-programmable jammers for use against device-triggered IEDs. Northrop Grumman have developed dismounted, mounted and fixed-site variants of the system.

Jan 11/13: JCREW 3.3 switch? Northrop Grumman Network Communication Systems in San Diego, CA receives a $14.1 million contract modification, exercising a firm-fixed-price contract option to support JCREW 3.3’s system development and demonstration phase through Preliminary Design Review. All funds are committed immediately.

We’re given to understand that this is not a firm-fixed price contract, but await a correction. It would seem that EDO/ITT’s task has been given to Northrop Grumman, but DID awaits official confirmation.

Work will be performed in San Diego, CA (95%) and Sierra Vista, AZ (5%), and is expected to be complete by January 2014 (N00024-09-C-6317).

Dec 15/11: JCREW 3.1. Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, NV receives a $20.5 million contract modification for dismounted JCREW systems and associated ancillary equipment to support the Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Sparks, NV (90%), and Rancho Cordova, CA (10%), and is expected to be complete by July 2012 (N00024-09-C-6306).

June 22/11: JCREW 3.1. Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, NV receives a $12 million contract modification to provide spares and “consumables” for JCREW 3.1 systems. Work will be performed in Sparks, NV (90%), and Rancho Cordova, CA (10%), and is expected to be complete by December 2011 (N00024-09-C-6306).

June 14/11: Over at WIRED Danger Room, Noah Shachtman pens “The Secret History of Iraq’s Invisible War,” which looks at ITT’s JCREW efforts and evolution.

May 13/11: JCREW 3.1. Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, NV receives a $38.6 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for 360 dismounted JCREW systems, to be used by forces in each of the military services of the Central Command area of responsibility. Discussions with Sierra Nevada confirm that these are JCREW 3.1s.

Work will be performed in Sparks, NV (90%) and Rancho Cordova, CA (10%), and is expected to be complete by December 2011 (N00024-09-C-6306).

Dec 20/10: JCREW 3.3. Mercury Computer Systems Inc. in Chelmsford, MA announces an ITT subcontract for the JCREW (Joint Counter-Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device) 3.3 program.

Mercury notes that the JCREW 3.3 specification requires open architecture-based software-enabled implementations, and cites the firm’s experience working on industry-wide OpenVPX specifications. Mercury offers 3U and 6U OpenVPX embedded computing platforms specifically designed and optimized for the active electronic warfare requirements of high-density processing, high memory bandwidth, and fast input/output.

Oct 5/10: JCREW 3.3. EDO (now ITT) in Thousand Oaks, CA receives a $29.1 million modification to a combination cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-award-fee, cost only, and firm-fixed-price contract, exercising options for all material and services to support the JCREW 3.3’s System Development and Demonstration phase through to engineering design models for all 3 capabilities (dismounted, mounted and fixed site).

Work will be performed in Clifton, NJ (67%), and Thousand Oaks, CA (33%), and is expected to be complete by March 2012 (N0024-09-C-6316). ITT release

FY 2009 – 2010

JCREW 3.1 production, 3.2 contract, 3.3 development.

Sept 17/10: JCREW 3.1. Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, NV receives a $49.8 million contract modification for 587 dismounted JCREW 3.1 systems, to be used by forces in each of the military services within the CENTCOM area of responsibility.

Under the original contract awarded June 11/09, Sierra Nevada is to provide up to 2,500 JCREW 3.1 dismounted systems, support equipment and services, and additional long-lead time material, for a total contract value of $248.3 million. Work on this order will be performed in Sparks, NV (90%), and Rancho Cordova, CA (10%), and is expected to be complete by July 2011 (N00024-09-C-6306). SNC release.

Aug 19/10: ITT Advanced Engineering & Sciences in Annapolis Junction, MD receives a $455 million firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-only indefinite-delivery/ indefinite quantity contract for up to 5,000 JCREW 3.2 mounted systems and associated support, to be used by all US military services on CENTCOM’s front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Work will be performed in Thousand Oaks, CA (95.35%); Annapolis Junction, MD (3%); Charleston, SC (1.09%); and Clifton, NJ (0.56%). Work is expected to be complete by September 2014. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with 2 offers received (N00024-10-D-6300).

JCREW 3.2 contract

April 13/10: JCREW 3.1. Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, NV receives an $8.8 million contract modification for depot repair parts and material to repair 1,300 dismounted JCREW systems – vid. previous production contracts.

Work will be performed in Sparks, NV (90%), and Rancho Cordova, CA (10%), and is expected to be complete by December 2010 (N00024-09-C-6306).

April 7/10: JCREW 3.3. Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems’ Network Communication Systems group in San Diego, CA receives a $28.4 million cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-award-fee, cost only, and firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-6317). These options cover all material and services to support the JCREW 3.3 system development and demonstration phase, through to critical design review, for the dismounted, mounted, and fixed site variants.

Work will be performed at various Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems locations, as follows: San Diego, CA (84%), Sierra Vista, AZ (14%), and Killeen, TX (2%), and is expected to be complete by October 2010.

April 5/10: JCREW 3.3. ITT subsidiary EDO Communications and Countermeasures Systems, Inc. in Thousand Oaks, CA receives a $31.3 million cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus award fee, cost-only, firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract (N0024-09-C-6316). These options cover all material and services to support the JCREW 3.3 system development and demonstration phase, through to critical design review, for the dismounted, mounted, and fixed site variants.

Work will be performed at Clifton, NJ (41%), Annapolis Junction, MD (30%), and Thousand Oaks, CA (2%), and is expected to be complete by June 2010. $8.5 million in contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/10.

Dec 4/09: JCREW 3.1. Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, NV received a $7.4 million modification to a previously awarded contract to exercise an option for spares and consumables for 1,300 production systems, 4 field service representatives, and 350 training surrogates for 1,300 dismounted JCREW 3.1 devices.

This contract is for the procurement and support of JCREW systems to be used by forces in each of the US military services of the Central Command area of responsibility. Work will be performed in Sparks, NV (90%) and Rancho Cordova, CA (10%), and is expected to be complete by December 2010 (N00024-09-C-6306).

Oct 1/09: Northrop Grumman’s Space and Mission Systems in San Diego, CA won a $24.3 million firm-fixed-price contract for all material and services to support system development and demonstration phase through preliminary design review for the 3 capabilities (dismounted, mounted, and fixed site) of the JCREW 3.3 system. Northrop Grumman will perform the work in San Diego, CA (84%); Sierra Vista, AZ (14%); and Kileen, TX (2%), and expects to complete it by March 2010. This contract was competitively procured via the FedBizOpps website, with 3 offers received (N00024-09-C-6317).

Oct 1/09: ITT Force Protection Systems in Thousand Oaks, CA won a $16.0 millon firm-fixed-price contract for all material and services to support system development and demonstration phase through preliminary design review for the 3 capabilities (dismounted, mounted, and fixed site) of the JCREW 3.3 system. ITT will perform the work in Clifton, NJ (41%); Annapolis Junction, MD (30%); and Thousand Oaks, CA (29%), and expects to complete it by March 2010. This contract was competitively procured via the FedBizOpps website, with 3 offers received (N00024-09-C-6316).

JCREW 3.3 development

Sept 24/09: JCREW 3.1. Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, NV received an $80.6 million modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-6306) to exercise Option CLIN (contract line item number) 0003 for production systems, including shipping containers and ancillary equipment and cables, for 1,300 dismounted JCREW 3.1 systems. This contract is for the procurement and support of JCREW systems, to be used by forces in each of the US military services of the Central Command area of responsibility. Work will be performed in Sparks, NV (90%); Rancho Cordova, CA (10%), and is expected to be completed by December 2010.

Aug 10/09: JCREW 3.1. Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, NV received a $26.3 million modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-6306) to exercise an option for long lead material for 1,300 dismounted JCREW 3.1 systems. This contract is for the procurement and support of JCREW systems to be used by forces in each of the US military services of the Central Command Area of Responsibility. Work will be performed in Sparks, NV (90%) and Rancho Cordova, CA (10%), and is expected to be completed by December 2010.

June 11/09: Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, NV won a $36.5 million firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-only contract for production of Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) 3.1 dismounted systems to meet the requirements of US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dismounted JCREW systems are electronic jammers designed to prevent the initiation of radio-controlled improvised explosive devices (RCIED).

This contract includes options which, if exercised, would result in a cumulative contract value of $248.3 million. Sierra Nevada will perform the work in Sparks, NV (90%) and Rancho Cordova, CA (10%), and expects to complete it by December 2010. This contract was competitively procured via the FedBizOpps website, with 3 proposals solicited and 3 offers received (N00024-09-C-6306). See also Sierra Nevada release.

JCREW 3.1 production

Additional Readings

• USMC SYSCOM – USMC Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Electronic Warfare (CREW), 3.3 THOR III SYSTEM. It’s actually the JCREW 3.1 offering, also known as AN/PLQ-9.

• WIRED Danger Room (June 14/11) – The Secret History of Iraq’s Invisible War. “…I received an unusual offer from ITT… Company executives were ready to discuss the jammer – its evolution, and its capabilities. They were finally able to retell the largely-hidden battles for the electromagnetic spectrum that raged, invisibly, as the insurgencies carried on. They were prepared to bring me into the R&D facility where company technicians were developing what could amount to the ultimate weapon of this electromagnetic war…”

• Soldier Modernisation (Vol. 2, January 2009) – Dismounted Counter-IED: Size, Weight & Power Limits

Americas

Northrop Grumman won a $27.6 million contract modification, which provides recurring production and non-recurring engineering in support of the incorporation of beyond line of sight, tactical targeting network technology, navigation warfare and electronic support measures cable modifications into full rate production Lots 7-11 of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The E-2 Hawkeye is an american all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning aircraft. The next-generation E-2D Advanced Hawkeye has a new radar system, theatre missile defense capabilities, multi-sensor integration and a Northrop Grumman Navigation Systems tactical glass cockpit. Work will take place in Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Colorado, California, New York, Maryland, Arizona and various locations within the continental US. Expected completion will be by September 2026.

Lockheed Martin won a $26.8 million contract modification that supports non-recurring engineering efforts to develop and certify a retrofit solution to support the structural requirements for full-up destruction and suppression of enemy air defenses capabilities for Lot 14 and Lot 15 F-35A Lightning II combat aircraft for the Air Force and non-Department of Defense participants. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft. The F-35 Lightning II is a strike fighter aircraft being procured in different versions for the United States Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. Current DOD plans call for acquiring a total of 2,456 F-35s. Allies are expected to purchase hundreds of additional F-35s, and eight nations are cost-sharing partners in the program with the United States. Work will take place in Texas and California. Expected completion by August 2022.

Middle East & Africa

Vectrus Systems is contracted $27.2 million or base operations support (BOS) services at Isa Air Base, Bahrain, and its outlying support sites including the Patriot Battery Site, Riffa, Bahrain. The maximum dollar value, including the base period and seven option periods, is $210,090,820. The BOS services to be performed include general information, management and administration, fire and emergency services, safety, supply, housing (bachelor/unaccompanied housing), force protection, galley, facilities investment, custodial, pest control, integrated solid waste management, grounds maintenance and landscaping, utility management, electrical, wastewater, water, transportation and environmental. Work will take place in Riffa, Bahrain. Estimated completion will be by August 2028.

Europe

Rolls-Royce is to supply complete MTU propulsion systems for five new Type 31 general-purpose frigates for the Royal British Navy. The order comprises of 40 engines and generator sets to be used for main propulsion and on-board power generation, the MTU Callosum propulsion control and monitoring system, and Integrated Logistics Support. In September 2021, Rolls-Royce will deliver the first shipset comprising four main propulsion engines and four generator sets to prime contractor Babcock International Group. Integrated Logistics Support for propulsion and onboard power systems will ensure efficient and cost-effective maintenance throughout their entire service life. It is expected that the MTU Callosum propulsion control and monitoring system will be officially added to the supply contract very shortly.

Asia-Pacific

Lockheed Martin won a $37.8 million order, which provides for retrofits from the Generation III, V and VI Mission Computer configuration to the Generation 3i and 5i MC configuration on the MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopter (186 for the Navy, seven for the government of Australia, five for the government of Denmark, and two for the government of Saudi Arabia). MH-60R Seahawk is a multi-mission helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. The rotorcraft replaces the SH-60B and SH-60F helicopters in the US Navy’s fleet and combines the capabilities of these aircraft. The MH-60R is also referred to as ‘Romeo’. The helo is equipped for a range of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search-and-rescue, naval gunfire support, surveillance, communications relay, logistics support and personnel transfer, and vertical replenishment. Work will take place in New York and Florida. Estimated completion date is in May, 2023.

JoongAng Ilbo has found out that the recent equipment upgrades at the THAAD site in Seongju, South Korea was to allow its AN/TPY-2 radar to guide PAC-3 interceptors launched remotely. The South Korean government had said the upgrading exercise was merely to replace old THAAD missiles with new ones. With the upgrade, 100 Patriot launchers in South Korea can be directed by the THAAD’s radar. It was reported a few days ago that the United States Forces Korea have shipped a new batch of THAAD interceptors to the site at Seongju on May 28. These missiles are of the same type as existing ones which require replacement as the internal components are expiring soon. The operation took nearly one day and ended on Friday. Usually, parts were flown in but this time, the equipment were too heavy to be airlifted. The THAAD site in South Korea has six launchers with eight interceptors each.

Today’s Video

Watch: B1B ARMED WITH LONG RANGE ANTI SHIP MISSILE IS EXERCISING TO TAKE OUT THE RUSSIAN BLACK SEA FLEET!

Americas

Digiflight won an $18.2 million contract modification for programmatic support services for the Apache attack helicopter project office. Digiflight Incorporated provides information technology services. The Company offers material solution analysis, production and deployment, technology development, updating legacy technology, engineering, operations, cyber security, and support services. The firm serves government and commercial sectors in the States of Maryland and Alabama. The Apache attack helicopter was developed by Boeing for the US armed forces. It entered service with the US Army in 1984 and has been exported to Egypt, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the UK. Work will take place in Columbia, Maryland. Estimated completion date is November 30, 2021.

The US Northern Command announced an Atlantic Ocean exercise involving four other combatant commands and led by the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group. The unprecedented, large-scale exercise involves homeland defense operations and the involvement of the US Northern Command, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the US Transportation Command, the US Strategic Command and the US Space Command. With Canadian fighter planes also participating, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, is also involved. The exercise, which started Friday, is the first time that four US combatant commands have worked together in a military exercise.

Middle East & Africa

General Dynamics Land Systems won a $7.7 million contract modification to provide logistics support and training services to the Iraqi Army. Fiscal 2010 Iraq train and equip (Army) funds in the full amount were obligated at the time of the award. The US Army Contracting Command is the contracting activity. Work will take place in Taji, Iraq, with an estimated completion date of December 31, 2020.

Europe

The Russian Armed Forces received their first Koalitsiya-SV 152 mm self-propelled howitzer, TASS reported. The report added that the vehicle’s trials are expected to be concluded in 2022, a significant revision of the original timelines various Russian sources reported when the vehicle first emerged in 2015. Russia’s Central Military District reported on the Ministry of Defense website that it had received eight 2S35s, which would be distributed among the Russian Ground Forces. The vehicles are fitted with the 6S21 remote-controlled turret carrying a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun.

Asia-Pacific

Northrop Grumman won a $12.6 million contract modification for initial aircraft spares to assist in sustainment purposes of the Global Hawk in the Republic of Korea. The RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system with an integrated sensor suite that provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, capability worldwide. Global Hawk’s mission is to provide a broad spectrum of ISR collection capability to support joint combatant forces in worldwide peacetime, contingency and wartime operations. The South Korean Air Force had receives its second Global Hawk high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance drone in April. Work will take place in San Diego, California. Estimated completion date is May 30, 2022.

Officials from Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture are recommending to the governor that the civilian side of Hyakuri Air Base, Ibaraki Airport, be nicknamed as Tokyo Ibaraki International Airport. The committee argued that adding Tokyo to the airport’s name will help boost its awareness overseas. The governor is expected to make a decision this month, so far, the name has been used in overseas marketing material.

Today’s Video

Watch: TOP 5 WEAPONS OF TAIWAN THAT CHINA WOULD BE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT!

Americas

Boeing won a $36.7 million contract modification or KC-46 engineering, manufacturing and development contract. The modification is for the component build and development of the hardware system integration lab to conduct lab verification and ground test verification for the boom telescope actuator redesign. The KC-46A Pegasus is a widebody, multirole tanker that can refuel all US, allied and coalition military aircraft compatible with international aerial refueling procedures. Problems with the boom were among the issues that the Air Force and Boeing knew still needed to be resolved at the time the tankers first began being delivered early last year. work will take place in Seattle. Estimated completion will be in February 2023.

Australia has agreed to sell up to 46 of its F/A-18A/B fighters to Air USA, an air combat training company in the United States. The transfer will take place over next three to four years, the Minister for Defense Industry, Melissa Price said. Air USA is a private contractor. Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) personnel at RAAF Base Williamtown will be responsible for preparing the aircraft for their transfer to the company. The Australian Department of Defense announced the sale on its website. Williamtown is home to three of the four remaining Australian F/A-18A/B units, No. 3 and No. 77 Squadrons and No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit, the latter of which is responsible for training pilots on the type. No. 75 Squadron is based at RAAF Base Tindal in Australia’s Northwestern Territory.

Middle East & Africa

The Dassault Mirage 2000 jets flown by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defence (AFAD) will be the first of the type to use the Sniper targeting pod, manufacturer Lockheed Martin announced on February 26. It said it had received a directed commercial sale from the AFAD to expedite the delivery of the pods. It did not reveal the value of the sale or the number of pods involved. The AFAD maintains a fleet of at least 42 Mirage 2000-9s, some of which are older aircraft that were delivered in the 1980s and subsequently upgraded. The Emirati Mirages currently use a version of the Thales Damocles pod called the Shehab.

Europe

Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions has been selected to provide a Digital Tower system as an Operational Concept Demonstrator for the Royal Air Force at their air force base by Lossiemouth in the United Kingdom, the company announced. The UK’s Royal Air Force is set to trial a digital air traffic control tower at RAF Lossiemouth airbase, the future home of the submarine-hunting P-8 Poseidon aircraft. Under a single-source experimental project, RAF Lossiemouth will see the development of a digital air traffic control (ATC) tower operational concept demonstrator (OCD) by Saab’s UK division. According to BBC, the cameras would give the controllers a 360 degree view of the airfield, allowing them to monitor the whole airfield through a series of communication links.

The DoS approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Poland for 180 Javelin missiles and 79 Javelin Command Launch Units (CLUs) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $100 million. The sale will include basic skill trainers, battery coolant units and missile simulation rounds. Javelin is expected to improve and strengthen the country’s long-term defense capacity. It will also help Poland fulfill its national defense needs to better defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Raytheon and Lockheed Martin’s partnership Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) will serve as the prime contractor for the program.

Asia-Pacific

The coronavirus now hit the F-35 production. Japan has paused work for one week at its Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) final assembly and checkout facility in Nagoya, Japan over concerns of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) that is spreading the globe. Lieutenant General Eric Fick, F-35 program executive officer, said on March 4 that he anticipates resumption of work at the facility after the week’s pause. Lt Gen Fick added that he does not anticipate any other disruption to the supply chain and that the Joint Program Office (JPO) is not taking any deliberate steps to actively curtail any ripple effects due to the coronavirus that may further go through the F-35 supply chain.

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CAE USA-Mission Solutions won a $10.6 million modification for the F-15E, F-16 and F-22A contract aircrew training and courseware development contract. The contract modification is for exercising Option Year Three. The Boeing F-15E dual-role fighter is an advanced long-range interdiction fighter and tactical aircraft. The F-15E is the latest version of the Eagle, a Mach 2.5-class twin-engine fighter. The F-16 and the F-15 Eagle were the world’s first aircraft able to withstand higher g-forces than the pilots. The F-16 Fighting Falcon entered service in 1979. The F-22A Raptor is an advanced tactical fighter aircraft developed for the US Air Force. It entered service with the USAF in December 2005 to replace the F-15, with emphasis on agility, stealth and range. Work under the contract modification is expected to be finished by April 1, 2020.

Airbus Helicopters won a $122.7 million contract modification for procurement of 15 UH-72 Aircraft. The UH-72A Lakota is a light utility helicopter specifically designed to meet the requirements of the US Army. Based on the EC 145 multirole helicopter, the UH-72A serves the army principally for logistics and support missions within the US. Work will take place in Columbus, Mississippi and estimated completion date is August 31, 2022. Army funds in the full amount were obligated at the time of the award.

Middle East & Africa

The DoS approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Israel of up to eight KC-46 aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.4 billion. The KC-46A is a 767-2C provisioned freighter with a 767-400 flight deck (this flight deck features the Rockwell Collins large format displays of the 787 airliner). The KC-46A has a minimum crew of three comprised of a pilot, co-pilot, and mission system operator/officer. It can carry 96 tonnes of fuel, although it should be noted that the KC-46A loses much of its underfloor cargo space with auxiliary tanks in doing so. According to the DoS, the proposed sale supports the foreign policy and national security of the United States by allowing Israel to provide a redundant capability to US assets within the region, potentially freeing US assets for use elsewhere during times of war.

The DoS approved a possible FMS to Morocco of 25 M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System (HERCULES) vehicles and/or M88A1 long supply HERCULES refurbished vehicles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $239.4 million. The potential $239.35 million sale would include 25 M88A2 and/or refurbished M88A1 vehicles along with with an equal number of .50 caliber machine guns, M239 or M250 smoke grenade launchers, 1,800 M76 or L8A1/A3 smoke grenade rounds, 25 SINCGARS radios, AN/PSN-13A GPS receivers (DAGR), and 30 AN/VAS-5B Driver Vision Enhancer kits. The main contractor will be BAE Systems, the original producer of the M88. The armored M88 Hercules, or Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System, is designed to lift or tow stuck or disabled fighting vehicles while under fire.

Europe

The Land Battle Decisive Munitions initiative welcomed the Czech Republic and Sweden, bringing the total number of participating NATO Allies and partners to 23. The amendment to the initiative’s Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the margins of the NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels. The Land Battle Decisive Munitions Initiative was launched during the NATO Summit in 2018 and the first delivery of acquired munition followed within six months. Participating nations are now working on further acquisition rounds for later this year. With the two new participants, the Land Battle Decisive Munitions Initiative now includes Belgium, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, United Kingdom, as well as the partner nations Austria, Finland, North Macedonia and Sweden.

Asia-Pacific

The Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) will be receiving a new batch of patrol boats as part of efforts to improve security along the country’s coastal waters. Speaking in parliament on March 2, Singapore’s Minister for Home Affairs, Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam, described the new vessels as “fifth generation PT-class patrol boats” that will replace the service’s current fleet of “third-generation boats”. The PCG has a fleet of 18 m patrol craft that were built by Geraldton Boats in Australia, and delivered to the PCG from 1999. These vessels have a top speed of 40 kt, and are armed with manually operated 7.62 mm machine guns.

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Textron Aviation won a $14.3 million contract modification for the production and delivery of one King Air 350C Cargo Slick aircraft modified to a UC-12W. The UC-12W, a modified version of the King Air 350 equipped with a cargo door and military required equipment, is a modern and improved version of the UC-12. The UC-12 is used by the Navy for personnel and cargo transport, range clearance, medical evacuation, and humanitarian assistance. The Navy operates UC-12B/F/M Huron as modified variants of the King Air B200 as well as the UC-12W Huron. Work will take place in Kansas and expected completion is in March 2021.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics won a $9.6 million delivery order, which procures program management support to execute the planning, procurement and delivery of initial aircraft spares in support of the F-35 Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, non-Department of Defense participants and Foreign Military Sales customers operational aircraft. The F-35 is considered a significant driver of the Pentagon’s budget: an August DoD report said the F-35 program grew by $25 billion in 2018 and was the primary reason the Pentagon’s budget grew by four percent that year. Work will take place in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be finished in December 2020. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Middle East & Africa

The head of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, has revealed that three JF-17s, which the country ordered, will arrive home in November this year. He made the disclosure during the Passing Out Parade of the Basic Military Training Course 40 on February 15. In March 2019, Pakistan’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) announced that it had approved the sale of three JF-17s to Nigeria under a $184 million US contract. It is likely that the NAF will follow-up this contract with a follow-on order to fully replace its legacy F-7Ni and FT-7Ni fighters. Through the JF-17, Nigeria possesses one of Sub-Sahara Africa’s most well-equipped fighters.

Europe

Thales UK has been awarded contracts worth around $422.8 million to develop the sonar suite and above-water sensor systems for the new Royal Navy Dreadnought Class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). Previously known as Successor, the Dreadnought submarine program is planned to replace the RN’s four existing Vanguard Class SSBNs – one for one, from the early 2030s – to maintain a posture of continuous at-sea deterrence. Manufacture work on the first two 17,200-tonne displacement boats is under way at the BAE Systems Maritime – Submarines’ Barrow-in-Furness shipyard facility in Cumbria.

Asia-Pacific

Singapore-based unmanned maritime systems developer Zycraft has produced a logistics-optimized variant of the Dolphin rescue unmanned surface vessel (USV), the company announced on its official website on March 3. According to Zycraft president James Soon, the company has developed the BacPac sea transfer module to carry payloads of up to 10 kg between ships that are unable to maneuver alongside each other due to sea conditions or security concerns. The baseline Dolphin rescue USV measures 1,150 mm long, 800 mm wide, and 250 mm tall, and has a displacement of 13 kg. It can operate for up to 30 minutes between charges and is powered by a pair of electric waterjets that propel it at speeds of up to 8 kt. The USV can be deployed off the stern or sides of a vessel and recovered using a grapnel hook or line lift, although it can also be extracted from the water by hand if conditions permit. A weight transfer device enables the sea vehicle to be lifted out of the water without excessive induced motion.

Australia took delivery of the Royal Australian Navy’s third and final Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyer, the future HMAS Sydney, at the Osborne naval shipyard in Adelaide on February 28. The third Hobart-class destroyer is expected to be commissioned in Sydney on May 20 and undertake work-up activities until the end of the year in preparation for up to six months of US Navy Combat System Ship Qualification trials. These will include firings over the Pacific Test Range off San Diego of the destroyer’s RIM-66 SM-2 Block 3B and RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles (ESSMs) air-defense missiles. First-of-class HMAS Hobart was commissioned in 2017 while the second, HMAS Brisbane , was commissioned the following year: each more than two years behind the original schedule, which itself was re-baselined three times.

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The Pentagon is considering leasing aerial refueling tankers to mitigate Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker delivery delays to the US Air Force. General Stephen Lyons said hat the aerial refueling force element across the command is the most stressed. USTRANSCOM is a unified, functional combatant command that provides globally integrated mobility operations and support to the 10 other US combatant commands and military services. An advantage of leasing tanker capability, he said, would be immediately relieving tanker pressure as the USAF continues to retire Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers and McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extenders. But Gen Lyons said a disadvantage would be that these leased tankers could not be used in contested or combat environments. Gen Lyons is specifically concerned that the continuing retirement of legacy tankers, combined with insufficient KC-46s, would result in a significant decrease of “taskable tails.” Douglas Birkey, executive director of the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies, told Jane’s on 29 January that these are aircraft that can be tasked by the tanker airlift control centre at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois to perform mission requirements.

Boeing and Embraer received the penultimate regulatory clearance to permit the companies to form two joint ventures in the fields of commercial and military aerospace. The companies reported on January 27 that they have received unconditional approval from the General-Superintendence of the Administrative Council for Economic Defense in Brazil. CADE is Brazil’s national competition authority and an executive agency of the government. Boeing and Embraer said in a statement on the CADE decision that “unconditional clearance has now been granted in Brazil, United States, China, Japan, South Africa, Montenegro, Colombia, and Kenya”. The creation of the joint ventures awaits a decision from the European Commission.

Middle East & Africa

Israel Aerospace Industries announced on that it will unveil the Heron MK II at the Singapore Airshow next month. The company said in a press release that the Heron MK II has long-range observation sensors and radars, allowing it to perform Standoff Capability, gathering intelligence from tens of kilometers away without crossing borders. Fitted with a Rotax 915 iS engine, the Heron MK II can reach an altitude of 35,000 feet, a maximum speed of 140 knots and can remain in the air for 45 consecutive hours. The Heron MK II is a strategic and versatile aircraft capable of carrying diverse payloads.

Europe

The US Army awarded AECOM Management Services a $17 million contract modification for Army Prepositioned Stock (APS-2) logistics support services in support of maintenance, supply and transportation at Mannheim and Dulmen, Germany. AECOM provides professional technical services to the United States government, state, local, and non-US governments and agencies, and commercial customers. The company’s services include consulting, planning, architecture, engineering, construction management, project management, asset management, environmental services, and design-build services. Work under the modification will take place in Mannheim and Dulmen, Germany. Estimated completion date is November 20, 2020.

Italy’s Fregata Europea Multi-Missione (FREMM) multimission frigate Emilio Bianchi was launched at Fincantieri’s Riva Trigoso shipyard in Genoa on 25 January 2020. The frigate is the 10th and last FREMM ordered by the Italian Navy under the Franco-Italian FREMM program co-ordinated by the Organization for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR). The company added that the launch will be followed by the fitting of equipment on Emilio Bianchi at the Muggiano shipyard in La Spezia before its delivery scheduled for 2021.

Asia-Pacific

Last week, Australia’s defense secretary paid a working visit to Brunei, the first by an individual in his position. The engagement highlighted the ongoing efforts by both sides to continue to develop the defense aspect of their relationship. Australia and Brunei have long had a defense relationship as part of their wider bilateral ties, which date back to when Brunei gained its full independence from Britain in 1984. Australia’s Secretary of Defense Greg Moriarty was in Brunei for what was characterized as the first working visit by a sitting defense secretary to the Southeast Asian state. Moriarty’s visit consisted of a series of interactions. In terms of meetings, during his short trip, he met with a wide range of senior officials including the commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), the chief of staff of the RBAF, the director of intelligence, the commander of the Royal Brunei Navy, the permanent secretary of Brunei’s defense ministry, and the second minister of defense.

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Lockheed Martin won a $185 million deal for follow-on full rate production of Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program AN/SLQ-32(V)6, AN/SLQ-32A(V)6 and AN/SLQ-32C(V)6 systems. The Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program or SEWIP is an evolutionary acquisition and incremental development program to upgrade the existing AN/SLQ-32(V) electronic warfare system. SEWIP provides enhanced shipboard electronic warfare for early detection, analysis, threat warning and protection from anti-ship missiles. AN/SLQ-32(V)6 is the latest fielded variant of the AN/SLQ-32. It incorporates receiver, antenna and combat system interface upgrades developed under the SEWIP Block 2 ACAT II program and adds the High Gain High Sensitivity adjunct sensor developed under the SEWIP Block 1B3 ACAT II program. Work will take place in New York and Pennsylvania. Expected completion will be by April 2022.

Gulfstream Aerospace won two contract modifications for C-20 and C-37 fleet sustainment. One valued at $80.1 million and the other at $18.7 million. The deal is for exercise of Option Year Three, to include issuance of task orders for one year extension of contract term to support the C-20 and C-37 fleet for the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard; funding uninterrupted continuation of contractor.logistics. The C-20 is the military version of the civilian Gulfstream III and IV aircraft. The C-20 serves as a primary lift aircraft for high-ranking US military and civilian officials. The C-20G (Gulfstream III) is an all-weather, long-range, high speed aircraft powered by two Rolls-Royce Spey MK511-8 turbofan engines with thrust reversers. The aircraft has an executive compartment with accommodations for five passengers and a staff compartment with accommodations for eight passengers. The C-37 aircraft contains a modern flight management system with a worldwide satellite-based Global Positioning System. The C-37A is based upon the high-altitude, intercontinental Gulfstream V aircraft, capable of cruise operations from 41,000 to 51,000 feet. Work will take place in Georgia as well as Italy, Germany, Maryland, Hawaii and Washington DC. Expected completion date is January 31, 2021.

Middle East & Africa

Algeria lost a Su-30MKA on January 27. The aircraft crashed during a night training mission in Oum El Bouaghi district. Both crew members did not survive. The Algerian fighter jet has crashed on a night training exercise in the east of the North African country killing both of its crew. Officials opened an investigation of the crash. It is the second air crash in this province. On February 2014, a C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft crashed into a mountainous district, killing 77 people on board. The latest and worst air disaster in the history of Algeria dates back to April 2018, as 257 people, including soldiers and members of their families, were killed after an Ilyushin Il-76 military airplane crashed down shortly after taking off from Boufarik military airport, 30 km southwest of Algiers.

The United States handed over a new hangar to the Nigerian Air Force at Air Base 201 in Agadez, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced. Local citizens took part in forging the hangar. The US State Department funded the project. The hangar includes an engine maintenance room as well as storage, tool, and training areas. The Nigerien Air Force is expected to receive a C-130 in late February, it was revealed in December 2019, when the US handed over 13 new Mamba armored vehicles to the army. The Mambas appeared to be the latest MK7 version made by Osprea Logistics.

Europe

Portugal and Romania has officially signed an agreement for the sale of five F-16s to Romania. The official ceremony took place at Monte Real Air Base on January 27. The fighters will be updated by OGMA and the first two will arrive in Romania in June. This will be followed by two jets in October and the last one will reach Romania in 2021. The sales package is worth $142 million. The deal includes, in addition to the F-16 fighters, technical conversion to Romanian specifications and the work of the Portuguese Air Force in Romania for information transmission and maintenance.

Asia-Pacific

Vedomosti is reporting that Vietnam has placed an order for at least 12 Yak-130 jet trainers. The contract is reportedly worth $350 million. The article added that the jets will be assigned to the 915th aviation training regiment. Previously, at the International Air and Marine Exhibition (LIMA-2017), the Vietnamese high-level military delegation had visited the site of the Yak-130 combat training ground. This is the type of aircraft that has been rumored by the Russian and international media that Vietnam is planning to buy. The Yak-130 combat trainer was selected as the winner of the trainer competition of the Voyenno Vozdushnyye Sily, Russian Federation Air Force, in April 2002. The aircraft is also actively marketed for export by Yakovlev, the Irkut company, and by Rosoboronexport. The Yak-130 is of classical swept-wing and empennage monoplane design and light alloy construction with carbon-fibre control surfaces. Kevlar armour protection is fitted to the engines, cockpit and avionics compartment.

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National Technologies Associates won a $104.9 million deal in support of the Presidential Helicopters Program Office, Helicopter Marine Squadron One (HMX-1), and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Twenty-One (HX-21). The contract is specifically for contractor logistics; research, development, test and evaluation; limited engineering and aircraft maintenance support on designated aircraft. The Presidential Helicopters Program Office has the responsibility of providing current and future (VXX) safe and timely helicopter transportation for the President and Vice President of the United States, heads of state and other official parties. Work will take place in Maryland and Virginia and is expected to be complete in February 2025.

The US Army awarded Boeing a $54.4 contract modification for retrofit kits and software development for the Apache Attack Helicopter. The Apache is a twin-engined army attack helicopter. It entered service with the US Army in 1984 and has been exported to Egypt, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the UK. The US Army has more than 800 Apaches in service. The US military first used the Apache in combat back in 1989 in Panama. It was also used in Operation Desert Storm and has supported low intensity and peacekeeping operations worldwide including Turkey, Bosnia and Kosovo. Boeing will perform work under the modification in Mesa, Arizona. Estimated completion date is November 30, 2021.

Middle East & Africa

The US Air Force has confirmed that one of its Bombardier E-11A aircraft was lost in Afghanistan. The aircraft went down in Taliban-controlled territory in eastern Afghanistan on January 27. The service has four of these aircraft carrying the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node. It is unclear how many people were on board. Taliban social media accounts have posted unverified footage showing a burnt-out plane with US Air Force markings. The E-11A is an electronics surveillance aircraft used to bridge communications on the battlefield. Given the mountainous and rugged terrain in Afghanistan, the E-11A is essential for transmitting communications between ground units, commanders as well as other assets in the region. The aircraft is assigned to the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan.

Europe

Lockheed Martin started building the first F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter for Denmark. Production began at its Fort Worth production facility in Texas. According to the company, the forward fuselage of aircraft L-001, the first of 27 F-35As destined for the Royal Danish Air Force entered production the week prior. Completion of this aircraft is scheduled for late 2020. Having selected the F-35A to replace its Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons in 2016, Denmark decided in 2018 to hedge payments of $3.7 billion so that the country’s department of defense could acquire the aircraft at a fixed price in its local currency, the Krone.

Croatia has lost a OH-58D on January 27 when the helicopter crashed off the country’s coast during a training flight. One pilot has been confirmed killed, while search is underway for the second crew member. The military helicopter crashed into the Adriatic Sea during a training flight. Reportedly the helicopter crashed between the island of Zlarin and the coastal town of Zablace near Sibenik. Croatia reportedly obtained 16 Kiowa Warrior helicopters, made between 2010 and 2012, as a donation from the United States in 2016.

Asia-Pacific

The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday his country will form a space defense unit to protect itself from potential threats as rivals develop missiles and other technology, noting that the new unit will work closely with its American counterpart recently launched by President Donald Trump. The Space Domain Mission Unit will start in April as part of Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force, Abe said in a policy speech marking the start of the year’s parliamentary session. He also said that Japan must defend itself from threats in cyberspace and from electromagnetic interference against Japanese satellites. Concerns are growing that China and Russia are seeking ways to interfere, disable or destroy satellites.

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General Dynamics won a $22.2 modification for construction of nine Virginia Class submarines, eight with Virginia Payload Module (VPM), from fiscal 2019 to fiscal 2023. The contract modification includes spare material and an option for one additional submarine with VPM. The deal is for the construction of the fifth block of Virginia Class submarines by General Dynamics Electric Boat and major subcontractor Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division, inclusive of design support and all efforts necessary to test and deliver each submarine. The Block V submarines built from 2019 onward will have an additional Virginia Payload Module. mid-body section, increasing their overall length. The VPM will add four more VPTs of the same diameter and greater height, located on the centerline, carrying up to seven Tomahawk missiles apiece, that would replace some of the capabilities lost when the SSGN conversion Ohio Class subs are retired from the fleet. Work under the modification will take place in Virginia, Rhode Island, Connecticut, California, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Work is scheduled to be complete by August 2029.

The US Navy awarded L-3 Technologies a $10 million modification to procure eight Common Data Link Hawklink AN/SRQ-4 systems for the MH-60R aircraft. AN/SRQ-4 is the shipboard element of a situational awareness system that links the MH-60R helicopter with surface warships in the area. The L3 Technologies’ next-generation AN/SRQ-4 provides Command/Control, sensor data transfer, data link operation and comprehensive built-in test. CDL Hawklink offers real time exploitation of aircraft sensors, extending situational awareness over the horizon. L3 Technologies’ Communication Systems produces network and communication systems, secure communications products, radio frequency components, satellite communication terminals and space, microwave and telemetry products. Work under the contract modification will take place in Salt Lake City, Utah, and estimated completion is in December 2022.

Middle East & Africa

Kellogg Brown and Root Services won a $14.1 contract modification for base operations support services at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Kingdom of Bahrain. Work will provide for, but is not limited to, all management, supervision, tools, materials, supplies, labor and transportation services necessary to perform security operations, galley services, unaccompanied housing, facility management, emergency service requests, urgent service, routing service, facilities investment, custodial, pest control service, integrated solid waste, grounds maintenance, utility management, wastewater, operate reverse osmosis water treatment system, chiller and transportation at NSA Kingdom of Bahrain. Work will take place at NSA Kingdom of Bahrain. Option period is from December 2019 to November 2020.

Europe

Saab inked a contract in support of the German Army. The company will help with the operation of their Combat Training Center Gefechtsübungszentrum Heer (GÜZ). The deal is valued at $91.3 million. Work includes management and maintenance of all live simulation training equipment, communication infrastructure and the exercise control center. Saab will provide additional logistical services such as the servicing of vehicles and radio equipment, storage and handling of weapons and ammunition, transportation of military personnel and the overall sustainment of GÜZ. Saab has partnered once more with Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH (FFG),

Asia-Pacific

A military expert from China said on a China Central Television (CCTV) program that the country has another hypersonic weapon besides the DF-17. The expert says the Xingkong-2 (Starry Sky-2) is still under development and not ready for deployment. Analysts said unlike the DF-17, the Xingkong-2 is protected by fairing during launch. “From the test subjects that were made available to the public, the Xingkong-2 (Starry Sky-2) might use a different flight pattern to the DF-17,” said military expert Ma Jun on Military Time, a China Central Television (CCTV) program on military affairs, on Saturday, without further elaboration. The Xingkong-2 Ma referred to is the first Chinese waverider hypersonic vehicle unveiled by the country, dating a year earlier than the DF-17.

A F-16 pilot assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing was ejected from his aircraft during a routine landing near Kunsan Air Base, South Korea at approximately 3:30 pm local time on December 2. The Wing said in a press release that the pilot suffered minor injuries and has been transported to a medical facility. The pilot was the only person onboard the aircraft. The aircraft was assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea.

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The United States will reportedly reduce its financial contribution to NATO in a largely symbolic gesture announced a week before the military bloc’s annual summit. Member nations agreed to a new formula for NATO’s common funding, under which the United States will pay about 16 percent of the alliance’s budget, a drop from the current 22 percent. This covers the amount of about $150 million, funding that covers the cost of NATO’s Brussels headquarters and limited military operations. Trump has insisted that other NATO countries pay more for their defense since the 2016 presidential campaign. He has also expressed doubts on NATO’s viability and value as it approaches its 70th year of operation. European members and Canada will now see their cost shares increase while that of the United States will decline, an unidentified NATO official said Wednesday.

The Ecuadorian Air Force ordered six H145M multipurpose helicopters for defense and security missions. Additionally Airbus will provide a training and support package. No contract value or delivery timeline for the helicopters was disclosed. The new helicopters will be assigned to the 22 Fighter Wing at Guayaquil and will be tasked with transport, search and rescue, combat, medical evacuation, surveillance, and security missions. The service is replacing its Indian-built HAL Dhruv helicopters with this new platform. Ecuador bought seven such helicopters a decade ago, four of which were lost in accidents with the remaining three being grounded.

Middle East & Africa

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed that they have downed a Saudi Apache helicopter and killed its two crewmembers near the Yemeni-Saudi border, Al Jazeera reports. “A Saudi Apache helicopter was shot down by a surface-to-air missile… and its two pilots were killed as it was completely burned,” the group’s military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said in a Twitter post. There was no Saudi confirmation of the group’s allegation. On Thursday, some 128 Houthi rebels held in Saudi Arabia were released and flown to the Yemeni capital Sanaa. A senior official in Riyadh said it had an “open channel” with rebels to end the five-year conflict.

Europe

General Designer of the Luch Design Bureau in Kiev, Ukraine, Oleh Korostelyov reportedly told Defense Express that development testing phase of the Neptune anti-ship missile is completed and will now move to operational testing. At a recent test on November 28, the missile flew a distance of 250km. The next stages of the testing will be essential to examine the combat characteristics of the missile. The R-360 missile weighs 870 kg; the weight of its warhead is 150 kg; its launch range is up to 280 km and speed is about 900 km/h. It is able to get at a height of from 3 m to 10 m above the surface.

Asia-Pacific

Japan’s Defense Minister disclosed that the Indian Air Force will be sending its Su-30MKI to Japan for training next year. Tar? K?no was saying to reporters at the sideline of the first “two-plus-two” dialog in New Delhi. The meeting in New Delhi took place for about 2 hours and a joint statement was announced centering on the advancement of the Indo-Pacific concept. The countries expressed willingness to continue to strengthen cooperation in the region toward the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

India has carried out the first night launch of its Agni-III intermediate-range ballistic missile on November 30. The missile was fired from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range in Odisha. The flight test of the intermediate-range missile, which has a strike range of over 3,500 km, was part of a user trial by the Army, sources said. The missile, which has a length of 17 m, a diameter of 2 m and launch weight of around 50 tonnes, has been inducted into the Armed Forces. The Strategic Forces Command of the Indian Army with logistic support from the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out the trials at launch complex-4 of the ITR.

Today’s Video

Watch: Naval News Monthly Report – Episode 10 – November 2019